As they spoke, Zhang Meng had already charged over, his fist wreathed in vigorous energy, whistling through the air!
"This is the Basic Secret Skill?"
Feng Hao chuckled in surprise. An attack this clumsy wasn't even worth dodging. He shot his hand out, grabbed Zhang Meng's wrist, and with a sharp pull, sent the portly body stumbling toward him.
Zhang Meng's expression was one of shock. By the time he realized what was happening, he was already falling toward Feng Hao. Then he saw Feng Hao's knee rushing up to meet him.
THWACK!
Blood from his nose mingled with tears, his pain accompanied by a shriek.
The entire classroom fell silent. Everyone stared at Feng Hao in disbelief. No one had expected an auditing student to be so strong. 'Aren't auditing students just failures who couldn't pass the assessment?'
"Anyone else have a problem with that? Come at me together!" Feng Hao surveyed the room, his voice booming.
He had been more cautious at first, since he had never truly fought them before. But after seeing Zhang Meng's form, his confidence instantly soared. In his eyes, they were just a bunch of newbies in a game, with no fighting technique to speak of.
Faced with Feng Hao's challenge, no one else dared to speak. Their eyes were filled with fear as they looked at him!
Xi Yueyao blinked her large eyes, staring at Feng Hao with surprised suspicion. "Medicine boy, you're actually this strong?"
"I've always been this strong," Feng Hao said with a smirk.
Xi Yueyao nodded in satisfaction, then stalked over to Zhang Meng, grinding her teeth. "You damn fatty, you can't even beat my, the class president's, underling, and you want to usurp my position?"
"You... you... shameless!" Zhang Meng was a total mess, all his earlier arrogance gone. "That kid is obviously stronger than you!"
"Hmph!" Xi Yueyao knew perfectly well that Feng Hao was much stronger than her, but she would never admit it out loud. "You just love to run your mouth, don't you?"
Zhang Meng's expression froze. He finally realized his situation, covered his face, and fell silent.
After this farce, Feng Hao completely solidified his position in Class One. No one dared to shout at him anymore, and no one dared to even mention the term 'auditing student'!
Over the next few days, rumors about the auditing student spread like wildfire throughout the academy. Many Class One students couldn't hold their heads high in front of others, and even their head teacher, Yue Linglong, was subjected to a fair amount of ridicule.
Feng Hao couldn't be bothered with such boring matters. He spent a large sum to rent a high-end dormitory in the dorm area. When he had classes, he attended; when he didn't, he stayed in his dorm to comprehend the Dark Force Demon Pattern and the Vigorous Energy Demon Pattern.
In the last few days, more and more students in the class began to condense a [Secret Technique Mark]. Some had even started to work with the advanced Secret Techniques in the Secret Technique Pavilion. Zhang Meng, that fatty, in particular, was comprehending Demon Patterns at a freakishly fast pace!
Inside his dorm, Feng Hao's consciousness was immersed in his sea of consciousness, comprehending the two Demon Patterns. The more he comprehended them, the more he could feel the function and uniqueness of each line, especially the core Demon Pattern, [Strength]. Its linear structure could only be described as ever-changing.
'This should be the main line. Connecting the Vigorous Energy Demon Pattern here is no problem. This line provides a significant boost to dark force, so it also needs to be connected.'
In his sea of consciousness, Feng Hao did his best to control the two Demon Patterns and weave them together. He had already figured out the properties of both patterns during this time. Although he had failed many times, the concept for connecting them was becoming clearer and clearer.
'That's it! Dark force is still an energy that relies on strength.'
At this thought, everything clicked into place for Feng Hao. The entire connection concept became perfectly clear. He linked the strength-related lines from both Demon Patterns, and the originally lifeless patterns instantly lit up and rapidly fused into one.
The [Secret Technique Circuit] that had been floating in his sea of consciousness integrated directly into his Genetic Tree, leaving a mark on its trunk. At the same time, the Magic Power in his body surged into it, forming a [Secret Technique Mark].
"Success!"
Feng Hao hurriedly summoned his game panel to check. This was a skill he had designed himself, completely different from the skills learned directly in the game:
[Unnamed]
Proficiency: 18
Magic Power Cost: 20 points
Effect: Deals 118% dark force damage
Mark Regression: None
Channeling Time: None
'A self-comprehended skill really has its advantages, starting with 18 proficiency right off the bat.' Feng Hao was very satisfied, especially with the Mark Regression attribute, which was even better than that woman Yue Linglong's Basic Secret Skill.
He tried activating the mark and throwing a few punches. There wasn't much of a visual effect, which was a little disappointing.
He took out his Dark Moon Dagger to try, and finally looked satisfied. After activating the [Secret Technique Gene], the dagger's attacks released a faint black Qi Blade with extremely high piercing power.
"Damn it, I'm out of blue after just a few tries!" Feng Hao was having a blast when he suddenly realized he had used up all his Magic Power.
He was currently level fifteen, with a total of only 150 Magic Power. To put it bluntly, he could only use the Secret Technique seven times. Luckily, he had plenty of Qi Recovery Pills on him, or he wouldn't be able to afford playing around like this.
After getting a feel for the skill, Feng Hao began to struggle with naming the Secret Technique. 'What should I call it? Whatever it is, it can't be as random as Yue Linglong's names.'
'I'll call it Dark Force Strike. Simple, yet domineering!'
After much deliberation, he settled on the name [Dark Force Strike].
The night was spent in cultivation. One Magic Crystal after another turned to dust in his hands, and his Genetic Tree grew slowly. He just didn't know when it would reach the next level.
The next day, he left his dorm and headed straight for the academic building.
Yue Linglong had a class today, which Feng Hao naturally didn't want to miss. However, to his exasperation, Yue Linglong didn't plan on explaining Demon Patterns today. Instead, she announced with a serious expression, "All students who have condensed a [Secret Technique Mark], come with me. The rest of you will stay here for self-study."
A dozen or so students who had condensed a [Secret Technique Mark] followed her out, not knowing why. Feng Hao and Xi Yueyao were among them.
"Where are we going?" Feng Hao asked, confused.
Yue Linglong paused for a moment, then turned around and stared at Feng Hao in surprise. "Why did you follow us?"
"Didn't you say everyone who condensed a Secret Technique Mark should follow you?" Feng Hao frowned, wary.
"You succeeded in condensing one?" Yue Linglong looked at him doubtfully.
Feng Hao was annoyed. 'This woman really is looking down on me.' Without wasting words, he whipped out his Dark Moon Dagger and slashed it in front of her face. The attack was perfectly controlled, the blade stopping just a few millimeters from the tip of Yue Linglong's nose.
The students all cried out in alarm. A few timid girls were so scared they even closed their eyes. It couldn't be helped; Feng Hao's action was too sudden!
Yue Linglong also broke out in a cold sweat and subconsciously took a few steps back. It took her a long moment to recover, her mind reeling with suspicion. 'Such a precise attack. Who on earth is this guy?'
Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Feng Hao, her gaze heavier than ever before. Although she was a Magic-type Mage, she was still level forty-five, yet that single instant had made her feel a trace of fear.
Not even the geniuses in the third year could possess such skill, let alone Feng Hao, a mere level-fifteen auditing student!
"Teacher Yue, would you like to experience my Secret Technique again?" Feng Hao asked mockingly.
"Whew!" Yue Linglong let out a breath. She gave him a deep look and said, "The academy has a device called a Monster Simulator. You can use it to simulate battles against all kinds of monsters. It's a great place to hone your Secret Technique proficiency."
"Monster Simulator?" Feng Hao was surprised. He hadn't expected there to be a place to grind skill proficiency.
Yue Linglong said nothing, simply walking ahead on her own, lost in thought.
The dozen or so students accompanying them deliberately kept their distance from Feng Hao, afraid he might suddenly slash at them. Only Xi Yueyao, that girl, dared to walk beside him.
"Medicine boy, you were amazing just now. Can you teach me?" Xi Yueyao asked secretively.
Feng Hao glanced at her and grinned mischievously. "Give me the other dagger, and I'll definitely teach you properly."
"No way!" Xi Yueyao instantly grew tense, glaring at him with puffed cheeks.
"Then there's nothing I can do."
Xi Yueyao's eyes were filled with conflict. She pouted and said, "These daggers were a birthday gift from my dad. He was already mad that I gave one to you."
"How about this? You lend it to me for a while, and when I don't need it anymore, I'll give it back. How's that?"
"That seems... okay," Xi Yueyao said, only half understanding.
"Then what are you waiting for? Give me the dagger!" Feng Hao said, a little excited.
"Hmph!" Xi Yueyao huffed, turning her head away. "I'll give it to you after you teach me!"
"..." Feng Hao was struck speechless. 'This girl isn't stupid at all.'
Led by Yue Linglong, the group arrived in front of a very futuristic-looking building. Many students were coming and going, making for a lively scene.
Yue Linglong turned to scan the group, her red lips parting slightly. "This is the Monster Simulator facility. Using the equipment costs Magic Crystals. It's 100 Magic Crystals per hour."
"What? That expensive?" came a cry from the crowd.
"Don't worry, everyone. Student Feng Hao has already handed over enough class funds, so we will be organizing trips here often in the future." Yue Linglong gave a dazzling smile, her gaze landing on Feng Hao. "Oh, right, the fee is double for auditing students. Student Feng Hao, please be mentally prepared."
Feng Hao's face turned livid. 'This woman is utterly shameless! It's one thing to spend my money, but she's not even including my share in the deal!'
"Everyone, follow me. Student Feng Hao, remember to pay your own way!" Yue Linglong seemed to enjoy seeing Feng Hao's frustrated expression. She giggled and led the others inside, leaving Feng Hao standing there all alone.
Feng Hao had no choice but to spend 200 Magic Crystals and follow them in. The scene inside was like a gym, with all sorts of equipment and instruments.
Yue Linglong's arrival immediately drew everyone's attention. Who could blame them? She was the academy's number one beautiful teacher, after all.
"Teacher Yue, bringing students here so soon?" A burly, dark-skinned man walked toward them.
"Instructor Niu." Yue Linglong gave a polite nod in greeting and asked, "Are there any Monster Simulators available?"
"They're all currently in use, but three of them should be free soon. The other two, though... it's hard to say," Instructor Niu explained seriously.
Yue Linglong's fine brows furrowed slightly. "Who is using those two?"
"Machine number one is being used by Zhou Chen. You know how much authority the dean gave him, so there's nothing I can do," Instructor Niu said with a bitter shake of his head.
"Zhou Chen?" The crowd gasped, and even Yue Linglong was no exception.
Only Feng Hao looked displeased, fuming internally. 'Damn it, so this is the difference between a genius and an auditing student. He gets to walk around like he owns the place without spending a dime, while I throw down so much money and still have to tuck my tail between my legs!'
Yue Linglong shook her head helplessly and asked, "And the other one?"
"The other one is Xiyue Frost. She's been in there for over two days. No idea when she'll come out," Instructor Niu replied.
"So my sister is here! No wonder I couldn't find her these past few days," Xi Yueyao piped up, pouting.
Instructor Niu gave her a meaningful look and said, "You must be the Xiyue Family's second daughter, then? Tsk tsk, I hear your aptitude is quite good."
"Of course! I'm amazing!" Xi Yueyao immediately became smug.
"Hey, Xiyue Frost is coming out!" A sudden commotion came from the crowd, and everyone's gaze shifted toward her.
"I wonder what level her two ultimate moves have reached?"
"Who cares? It's not like any of us can withstand a single one of her sword strikes anyway."
...
At this moment, almost everyone's eyes were on Xiyue Frost. Only Feng Hao was hiding in a corner, his head lowered and his face covered.
"Sister~!" Xi Yueyao called out cheerfully as she ran forward.
Xiyue Frost was long accustomed to being the center of attention. Her expression didn't change at all as she pulled Xi Yueyao over to Yue Linglong. "Teacher Yue, I hope this girl Yaoyao hasn't caused you too much trouble."
"Not at all. I'm very fond of this girl," Yue Linglong replied with a light chuckle.
Xiyue Frost smiled faintly but didn't say much more, giving off a cold and distant impression. Just then, a furtive figure in the crowd caught her attention. "Is that student not feeling well?"
"N-No!" Feng Hao said, pinching his throat to disguise his voice.
Just when Feng Hao thought he could get away with it, Xi Yueyao dealt him a critical hit. "Feng Hao, come over here! This is my sister, Xiyue Frost."
"..." In that instant, Feng Hao wanted to cry but had no tears.