Chapter 39: Su Xiaoyang

The chat channel was once again embroiled in intense debate over the terrifying rate at which the top three players were climbing the ranks. Han Xing, however, had not entered the chat channel and remained unaware of the ongoing discourse. Having just concluded a battle, he checked his standing: 802 points, currently ranked 9th.

It was then that he noticed a specific name on the leaderboard.
17th Place: Smart Little Sheep, Territory Points: 612.

Han Xing was genuinely surprised that Smart Little Sheep had managed to break into the rankings, and at such a high position, no less. As he maneuvered his floating island toward another cloud, he sent a private message to her.

"Not bad, you've reached quite a high rank."

A reply came back from Smart Little Sheep almost immediately. "Ah... is it high?" she asked, as if she had only just realized.

Han Xing commended her, "Yes, you've made it into the top twenty. That's very impressive."

"Really? I don't think I'm that amazing, he-he-he..." A shy, earnest laugh came from the other side.

Hearing Han Xing's praise, Smart Little Sheep seemed overjoyed, though she added with a hint of embarrassment, "It's all thanks to the life elixirs you gave me. With them, I don't have to worry about injuries, which is why I've been able to explore so quickly."

Han Xing replied, "Don't be modest. The life elixirs are merely an aid; in a real battle, it's the survivor's own strength that counts."

Not wishing to linger on the topic, he asked, "By the way, did you choose the Hunter class?"

"Mm-hmm, I did," she replied.

Han Xing went straight to the point. "I just looted a recipe for an elixir that increases strength. It can provide a significant attack boost for us Hunters." He sent a trade request to Smart Little Sheep and, as usual, included 20 bottles of Barbarian Bear Strength Elixir.

"Oh? Are these all for me?" Smart Little Sheep asked, her tone filled with uncertainty.

"Yes," Han Xing replied. "Consider it a return for that life elixir recipe you gave me."

After a moment of hesitation, she accepted the trade. "Thank you so much!" she said earnestly.

"You're welcome," Han Xing replied casually. He was preparing to close the chat and continue his climb when Smart Little Sheep tentatively asked, "Um, excuse me..."

"Is there something else?" Han Xing asked.

Smart Little Sheep didn't reply immediately, as if she were wavering. A moment later, she seemed to summon her courage. "Um, could I add you as a friend?"

She sounded visibly nervous, as if she feared he might refuse. Han Xing paused. Adding someone as a friend meant revealing his real name. He considered it for a moment and, deciding it was no big deal, agreed. "Sure. My name is Han Xing. Go ahead."

"Phew..." Hearing his consent, she let out a sigh of relief. "Tha-thank you..."

A moment later, the system notification appeared: "Survivor 'Su Xiaoyang' has requested to add you as a friend."

So, this girl's name was Su Xiaoyang. That name... Han Xing’s expression turned slightly peculiar. He clicked accept.

Su Xiaoyang seemed ecstatic to have successfully added Han Xing. "I'm going to continue climbing the ranks now," Han Xing said. "If there's anything else, we'll talk later."

"Mm-hmm, I won't disturb you. Good luck!" she replied happily.

After closing the chat interface, Han Xing resumed his climb.

Meanwhile, on a large platform spanning over 600 square meters, a beautiful young girl sat staring blankly ahead. She wore a set of green Hunter gear, the form-fitting leather armor accentuating her graceful curves. With her tall stature, fair skin, and angelic face, she was the very image of a delicate, ethereal beauty.

At this moment, beneath the hem of her fur skirt, her slender, blindingly white legs were pressed together, rubbing against each other as she fidgeted. Her chest heaved with heavy, excited breaths. Having added Han Xing as a friend, she remained in a state of high agitation.

"So... your name is Han Xing... what a wonderful name..." A thrilled smile bloomed on her delicate face. "I never thought... that someone like me could have a friend. I'm just so happy!"

"I want to tell Mom and Dad about this right away. They'll definitely be happy for me too, right?"

In her excitement, she accidentally squeezed an object in her hand too hard, causing bright red blood to spurt out. "Oh!" She gasped, looking at the piece of beast tissue she had been holding. "I accidentally crushed the beast heart I just harvested. This was meant for Little Qian... what a pity."

She knitted her pretty brows, her eyes darting toward a pale, eerie tree in her territory. The tree was only two meters tall, resembling a willow from Earth, but it looked utterly sinister, with paper-white bark and branches. Stranger still, the branches were covered in thorns that resembled animal teeth.

Su Xiaoyang walked toward the strange plant, her graceful legs moving like a work of art. "Even though I crushed it, it shouldn't go to waste. Eat up, Little Qian."

As she spoke, the plant’s branches began to quiver, and one reached out toward her. In a flash, it snapped back, and the beast heart in her hand vanished.

"Little Qian is such a good girl," she praised. Before her, the information for the strange tree appeared:

[Heart-Eating Tree (One-Star Elite Creature)]
[Level: Lv 5]
[Strength 25, Agility 28, Spirit 31, Constitution 32]
[Skill 1: Poisonous Kiss (The Heart-Eating Tree lashes out with its branches; targets become severely poisoned.)]
[Skill 2: Life Exclusion Zone (The tree releases a gas, creating a wide area where any life form entering suffers multiple debuffs.)]
[Skill 3: Frenzied Blossom Dance (The tree enters a berserk state, lashing out with thousands of branches to attack all enemies indiscriminately.)]
[Talent: Heart-Eater (The tree consumes the hearts of other creatures to increase its attributes. The more hearts it consumes, the stronger it becomes. Upon reaching a certain quantity, it will undergo a metamorphosis.)]

It was an elite-grade plant monster—a Heart-Eating Tree! Not only did it possess three formidable skills, but it also had an evolving talent that allowed it to grow stronger by consuming hearts—including human hearts. It would attack any creature that dared to trespass on its territory. Yet, somehow, Su Xiaoyang had managed to cultivate this vicious monster within her own domain.