The Strongest Talent Tree

Chapter 91: Chapter 89: Inheritance Demon Pattern

Feng Hao had no idea what had transpired with Man Tiaotiao’s family due to the Body Refining Nutrient Liquid. He had already successfully completed his first batch of jobs and was now rushing to the Thief God Hall to turn them in.

Arriving at the Five States City branch hall again, it didn’t feel as unfamiliar as the last time. He darted over to the mission turn-in point and placed his palm on the sensor area.

DING!

His mark was quickly identified. Following the device’s on-screen prompts, he inserted the commission crystals from his jobs into a metal slot on the other side.

’It’s strange,’ Feng Hao mused, looking at the wondrous Demon Pattern Mechanism before him. ’The black technology here is so advanced, yet they don’t even have practical devices like cell phones or computers. Don’t Mages have any need for communication or information exchange?’

And from what he had observed and learned over the past year or so, he had truly never seen any similar technological products.

’Alright, 140 points secured. First things first, I’ll get promoted to Second-level Thief.’

He watched as the three commission crystals were melted and absorbed by the machine, officially completing his three jobs. Then he headed straight for the front desk in the main hall to get his rank upgraded.

The receptionist was a tall woman with an alluring air and revealing clothes. It was just a shame her face was rather plain. Seeing Feng Hao approach, the tall woman asked coolly, "Spit it out, little thief. Big Sis is very busy right now."

"Rank upgrade." Feng Hao wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries and got straight to the point.

The tall woman glanced up at Feng Hao and pointed to a machine beside her. "Just put your hand on the sensor plate. It costs 100 points to be promoted to a Second-level Thief."

Feng Hao nodded and placed the palm containing his Thief’s Mark onto the black sensor plate. The tall woman then fiddled with the machine for a moment.

"Alright, promotion successful. 100 points have been deducted." The tall woman’s tone was impassive. With that said, she went back to her work.

Feng Hao subconsciously checked with his Divine Sense. The information within his Thief’s Mark had indeed changed: his rank was now Second-level instead of First-level, and the 140 points he had just earned were now 40.

"Um... excuse me, which way to the points redemption center?" Feng Hao asked awkwardly.

The tall woman looked up with a peculiar expression. Dai Mei’s brow furrowed as she said, "Why the rush to go to the redemption center? You can’t get anything with just 40 points."

"I just want to take a look, so I can set a clear goal for myself," Feng Hao said with a sheepish grin.

"Fine." Dai Mei pursed her lips in resignation and pointed to a passageway on the right. "Follow this corridor. Once you pass through the courtyard, you’ll see a seven-story pavilion. That’s the redemption center."

"Thanks," Feng Hao said quietly before hurrying down the passageway to the right.

After Feng Hao left, Dai Mei shook her head in resignation and let out a soft chuckle. ’Newbies are so impatient these days. A Second-level Thief already dreaming about the treasures in the Treasure Pavilion. He’s still wet behind the ears.’

With that thought, she went back to her work...

The corridor to the redemption center was busy with fellow thieves coming and going. Most were veterans, third-level or higher, which made Feng Hao feel strangely out of place.

After crossing the Divine Hall’s courtyard, he soon laid eyes on the legendary redemption center—a quaint, seven-story pavilion called the Treasure Pavilion. According to Brother Lin Luo, the Treasure Pavilion was the very core of the Thief God Hall. In addition to all sorts of rare and exotic treasures, it also housed the great inheritances.

This was precisely why Feng Hao was so eager to check out the Treasure Pavilion. A major reason he had joined the Thief God Hall was for its unique inheritances—though, of course, Brother Lin Luo was a factor too.

’Huh? My student card is pulsing. Could there be other students from the academy in the Thief God Hall?’

He had just gotten close to the Treasure Pavilion when he felt a peculiar pulse from his student card. Much like his Thief’s Mark, it could detect other students within a certain radius, though its range was clearly much smaller.

Curiosity piqued, Feng Hao picked up his pace and quickly entered the Treasure Pavilion. The dazzling array of treasures inside was a true eye-opener. The pavilion was beautifully adorned with glowing wards of all colors.

After his initial shock, Feng Hao’s gaze followed the pulse from his student card. He saw a young man in a black robe staring back at him with a similar expression of surprise. The man had a bird’s nest of messy brown hair, and his tattered robe gave him a very slovenly look.

"Excuse me, Senior. Are you also a member of the Thief God Hall?" Feng Hao asked, awkwardly approaching him.

The slovenly young man grinned. "We’re in the Thief God Hall, so you can just call me an old-timer. I really didn’t expect to find another student from the academy here. Judging by the pulse from your card, you must be a freshman, right?"

"Yeah, I didn’t expect it either," Feng Hao remarked, then asked, "How should I address you, old-timer?"

"I’m Xiong Tianfang, a third-year in the Artifact Refining department and a Fourth-level Thief in the Thief God Hall. You?" Xiong Tianfang was surprisingly friendly, stepping forward to chat warmly with Feng Hao.

Feng Hao introduced himself. "I’m Feng Hao, a freshman in the Alchemy Techniques department. I just got promoted to Second-level Thief, so I’m a rookie in both places."

"Rookie, not a rookie, what’s the difference? Everyone has to start somewhere," Xiong Tianfang said with a casual smile. "You and I were fated to meet. If you ever run into trouble at the academy, come find me. Our departments aren’t far from each other, anyway."

"Then I’ll be counting on you, old-timer," Feng Hao said with a light chuckle, feeling much more relaxed.

Xiong Tianfang nodded with a smile, looking Feng Hao up and down before frowning. "Tsk, tsk. Your gear is terrible. Find some time to gather some good materials, and I’ll craft you a full set for free. Don’t want you wasting your vital essence."

"Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that," Feng Hao said, embarrassed.

Xiong Tianfang laughed heartily. "We’re comrades, what’s there to be embarrassed about? Once your Alchemy Techniques are up to snuff, I’ll be coming to you for potions, won’t I?"

"You’re right. In that case, Brother Xiong, if you ever need potions, just come find me. It’ll be on the house," Feng Hao agreed with a bright smile. He hadn’t expected to befriend a senior from the Artifact Refining department before even officially enrolling. At the very least, getting equipment would be a lot easier from now on.

"Haha! That’s what I like to hear! We brothers of the Thief God Hall don’t beat around the bush. Come on, I’ll take you for a look at the inheritance area." Xiong Tianfang laughed as he grabbed Feng Hao and started walking.

Feng Hao paused, surprised. "How did you know I was going to the inheritance area?"

"Where else would a newbie in the Thief God Hall go?" Xiong Tianfang said with a smirk, leading Feng Hao onward.

They climbed all the way to the seventh floor in one go, where they finally saw the inheritances of the Thief God Hall. Xiong Tianfang was an enthusiastic guide, pointing out the various sections and rare treasures within the Treasure Pavilion, leaving Feng Hao completely amazed.

The seventh floor was the smallest, yet also the most spacious. Five large scrolls hung on the surrounding walls, and beneath each one stood a few scattered Secret Technique Inscriptions. There was nothing else.

"These are the five great Inheritance Demon Patterns of our Thief God Hall," Xiong Tianfang explained. "The inscriptions below are the Secret Technique inheritances left behind by our predecessors, corresponding to each of the main lineages."

Feng Hao gazed at the five scrolls, his heart pounding with excitement. The names of the five Inheritance Demon Patterns alone were enough to convince him that joining the Thief God Hall had been the absolute right choice!

From left to right, the five Demon Patterns were: [Shadow], [Instant Death], [Swiftness], [Silence], and [Hidden Stab].

Of these, the [Swiftness] Demon Pattern in the center had the most powerful aura, and its price was the highest, requiring 1,000 points to attempt to comprehend it. The other four Inheritance Demon Patterns cost only 500 points each.

"Brother Xiong, is there something special about this [Swiftness] Demon Pattern in the middle?" Feng Hao asked curiously.

Xiong Tianfang grinned. "The [Swiftness] Demon Pattern is the primary inheritance of our Thief God Hall. And it’s not just us—the single-word Demon Patterns of other factions are always their primary inheritances. For example, the [Origin] pattern of the War and Magic Alliance, or the [Death] pattern of Wanglao City."

"So single-word Demon Patterns are that powerful?" Feng Hao asked, frowning.

"Of course they are. The greatest strength of single-word Demon Patterns is their versatility. A single pattern contains multiple effects. The higher your comprehension, the more effects you can integrate into your Secret Techniques," Xiong Tianfang explained patiently.

Feng Hao nodded, now having a general understanding of the significance and importance of the Inheritance Demon Patterns.