I Have Infinite Skill Points

"There's nothing to be surprised about. Three of my uncles died before I was even born. Now, the only ones still alive are my fourth and sixth uncles," Xie Sisi said.

"My sixth uncle lost a leg and has a job at the Star Martial Hall in Tong City. It's... a way for him to live out his later years, I suppose. My fourth uncle is the one who climbed highest among the seven; he's a regimental commander in the Pioneering Legion."

"He's at the Star Cloud Stage cultivation level and has over a hundred Star Martial Warriors under his command. That's why my cousin is better off than me; he often gets Soul Beads from our uncle. Last summer, my fourth uncle's family hosted a banquet."

"My cousin successfully broke through to the Star Shine Stage. He's half a year younger than me but in the same grade. Reaching the Star Shine Stage means he's practically guaranteed a spot in a fairly well-known Star Martial Academy. If he does well, he could even get into a top-tier one."

"Do you know how much I envied him back then? My cousin isn't as talented as I am, and he fools around with bad company all day. But because he has Soul Beads, he still progresses faster and further than I do."

"You know, that day, my aunt asked me, 'What stage are you at now?' I told her, 'Mid-Starlight Stage.' She said, 'It's alright. After you graduate from university, go pioneering with your uncle. I guarantee he'll push you to the Star Shine Stage within a year.'"

"Heh... I've remembered that sentence to this day. Wang Lan, my seven uncles exemplify the plight of grassroots Star Martial Warriors. I don't want to stay at the bottom. I just want to climb high enough so I won't drown."

Wang Lan leaned against the wall, his expression calm. He knew the world of Star Martial Warriors was dangerous, but he hadn't realized just how dangerous.

But if the world of Star Martial Warriors was so perilous, why did so many people yearn for it?

Wang Lan was a transmigrator, having lived a past life before this one.

The two worlds were remarkably similar in terms of culture and technology. If it weren't for Star Martial Warriors and the Demon Clan, Wang Lan would find it hard to distinguish between them.

So, Wang Lan didn't understand. If the world of Star Martial Warriors was so brutal and life for grassroots Star Martial Warriors so difficult, why not just return to ordinary human society and be a normal person?

"Xie Sisi, have you ever considered... giving up your status as a Star Martial Warrior?" he asked.

"Give up?" Xie Sisi's eyes widened in disbelief. Her expression was like... like someone suggesting you donate your five-million-dollar lottery winnings to charity right after you'd finally won.

"That's not what I meant. I mean... since being a Star Martial Warrior is so dangerous, why not do what some in the big cities do? Like... open a martial arts training center or work as a bodyguard?" Wang Lan asked.

"Don't you know about the Star Martial Warrior Obligation Act, Wang Lan? If a Different Dimensional Space suddenly appears in a city and releases a large number of Exotic Beasts, ordinary citizens have the right to evacuate or seek refuge in shelters. But Star Martial Warriors, regardless of their status, must join the battle."

"The Pioneering Legion exists to eliminate these spontaneously opening Different Dimensional Spaces at their very source. If all Star Martial Warriors did as you suggest—avoided pioneering, avoided fighting—what would we do when a Different Dimensional Space appeared right next to us?"

"That would be no different from sitting by and waiting for death."

"Besides, once you've become a Star Martial Warrior, who would be willing to settle for less? Hunting Exotic Beasts yields Soul Beads, and Soul Beads allow you to advance. The more you hunt, the greater the rewards."

"The state won't let any talented Star Martial Warrior go to waste. If you have the ability, the state will provide cultivation resources. Star Martial Skills, wealth—both are attainable."

"I'm not saying grassroots Star Martial Warriors have no opportunities. I just don't want... to start so low that I might die on the battlefield before I even get a chance to prove my worth."

"And isn't the very purpose of Star Martial Warriors to protect human civilization? The nation's Star Martial Warriors protect the nation, and humanity's Star Martial Warriors protect humanity," Xie Sisi explained.

When it came to ideological indoctrination of Star Martial Warriors, Jade Country was probably the best among the more than two hundred countries on Sky Blue Star.

"So that's it... That's why you were so insistent on going to the trial grounds with us," Wang Lan mused.

"I'm currently in the late Starlight Stage. I have to break through to the Star Shine Stage before the end of my third year of high school. Only then will I have a chance to get into a decent Star Martial Academy. That way, I might reach the Star Cloud Stage before graduating."

"If I can do that, then whether I join the army or go pioneering, I won't be assigned to the first wave as cannon fodder," Xie Sisi said, her eyes filled with aspiration.

This young woman had her future mapped out so clearly at such an early age. Wang Lan had, at most, planned up to getting into university, but Xie Sisi had already planned half her life.

WEE-WOO! WEE-WOO! Suddenly, a piercing siren wailed from directly below the Xinyu Building.

That delivery boy who left in a hurry... he ended up calling the guards after all.

Hearing the siren, Xie Sisi's face instantly turned pale. Being with Wang Lan had been so reassuring that she'd almost forgotten her predicament. Only now did she realize how ridiculous her dreams for the future seemed.

If the guards took her away now, all her future plans would evaporate. Xie Sisi would face years in prison... she might not even make it out alive.

"Wang Lan, there are many guards outside! What should we do? Do you need help packing your bags?" a voice suddenly asked.

Wang Lan: "..."

Xie Sisi frantically looked around, searching for the source of the voice.

"Wang Lan, the guards are requesting to communicate with you," Xiao Ai informed him.

"Connect it," Wang Lan commanded.

Wang Lan turned to the TV on the wall. It lit up instantly, showing several guards in uniform on the screen.

"Huh? Hu Qing? You're a guard already?" Wang Lan recognized Hu Qing's familiar face on the screen.

"Brother Wang Lan? Is this your place?" Hu Qing asked, clearly surprised to see him.

"Brother Wang Lan, we received a report that a dangerous fugitive Star Martial Warrior fled into your apartment."

"Send three of them up. No more," Wang Lan said, then instructed Xiao Ai to grant them elevator access.

The video call ended. Behind him, Xie Sisi was curled into a ball, trembling violently.

Wang Lan smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. I know that guard. I can negotiate for you."

As he spoke, he went to the wardrobe and opened it. "I don't have any women's clothes here, but you're about my height, so these should fit."

He tossed a shirt and a pair of pants to Xie Sisi, then turned and left the room.

The elevator doors soon opened, and three guards, led by Hu Qing, walked into the living room. Their immediate reaction was to scan their surroundings. Fleeting astonishment crossed the faces of the other two guards.

This place is huge!

"Wang Lan, the informant said you might know the Star Martial Warrior. Is she your classmate?" Hu Qing asked, getting straight to the point.

"Yes, I know her. Someone drugged her. She only attacked in self-defense when he tried to assault her."

"We'll investigate that. However, the victim currently has several fractured ribs. He's also a local entrepreneur and has hired a lawyer. Even if what you say is true, without sufficient evidence, your classmate is in serious trouble."

"He claims to be Xie Sisi's pursuer and says he spent hundreds of thousands on her. They had apparently arranged to get a room, but he didn't expect her to try and kill him. He has transaction records and witnesses. And Xie Sisi did, in fact, use a Star Martial Skill on him."

"A Star Martial Warrior using a Star Martial Skill on an ordinary person is a completely different matter. Unless you can prove Xie Sisi was indeed drugged, and that he was the one who drugged her. If the victim wasn't directly involved in the drugging, she'll find it hard to escape an attempted murder charge."

"Hu Qing, stop wasting time with him. Let's just take her in," one of the guards beside Hu Qing interjected. "It's late. Let's wrap this up and go home."

"I won't let you take her," Wang Lan stated calmly.

"I'm afraid that's not an option, unless you want to be charged as an accomplice."

"Theoretically, cases involving Star Martial Warriors fall under the jurisdiction of the Tianjian Bureau, don't they?" Wang Lan took out his identification from his pocket and showed it to the guard.

"You..." The guard's expression changed. He carefully took the ID and examined it.

Hu Qing was also stunned. "Wait, Wang Lan, aren't you a student?"

"I am a student," Wang Lan replied with a gentle smile, as warm as the sun. "And also a special agent of the Tianjian Bureau."

"Fake, right? Sixteen years old? A lieutenant?"

"It has an anti-counterfeiting code. You can verify it."

"Damn, it's real? Lieutenant Special Agent, Intelligence Division, Suzhou City Tianjian Bureau..." After checking, the guard stared at Wang Lan in utter disbelief, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.

A sixteen-year-old lieutenant! And from the Tianjian Bureau, no less! The Tianjian Bureau—what was their motto again? They only cultivated elites; they only accepted elites. They'd also heard that becoming a Tianjian Bureau special agent came with an extremely strict condition: no matter how accomplished you were before, no matter your previous rank, everything was reset to zero the day you joined. That's why the Tianjian Bureau was full of hidden masters, yet their official ranks were often low. A middle-aged non-commissioned officer you might dismiss could easily have been a captain in the past. Therefore, a lieutenant in the Tianjian Bureau was exceedingly rare and incredibly difficult to achieve. For this young man, barely sixteen, to already be a lieutenant... it was unbelievable.

"Finished checking? The Tianjian Bureau is taking over this case."

"Wang Lan," Hu Qing said, "I know you want to help your classmate, but this is a society ruled by law. Even with the Tianjian Bureau's backing, if the other party insists on pressing charges, you won't be able to stop them."

"I know. Don't worry, I can handle it."

"Alright then. I won't disturb you further. Let's get a meal sometime," Hu Qing said, patting Wang Lan's shoulder before leading the other two guards away.

Just as Wang Lan was about to turn, Hu Qing suddenly called out to him.

"Um... Wang Lan, how do you work this elevator?"

Wang Lan: "..."

"Xiao Ai, see them out."

As his voice fell, the elevator doors opened.

Wang Lan pushed open the bedroom door. Xie Sisi, already dressed, stood timidly by the bed.

Xie Sisi really knew how to wear clothes. Wang Lan had thought that even though she was about his height, his clothes would look baggy on her. But she had tied the hem of the shirt into a knot at her abdomen, instantly transforming the shapeless garment into something youthful and stylish.

"Not bad," Wang Lan commented. "The pant legs are a bit wide, but the length is perfect."

"They... they're gone?"

"They're gone, but your problems aren't. First, we need to find Zhang Zhiyun, the one who drugged you. He's the key to breaking this. Do you know where he is?"

"I don't know," Xie Sisi replied, shaking her head.

Wang Lan took out his phone and dialed a number. "Hello, this is Wang Lan, Intelligence Division, ID number... Please help me find the current whereabouts of Zhang Zhiyun. He's the owner of the Cloud Sea Hotel. Thank you."

Xie Sisi watched Wang Lan with wide, curious eyes. A moment later, Wang Lan received a text message.

"Let's go." Wang Lan led Xie Sisi to the elevator, and they descended directly to the second basement level.

This time, Wang Lan didn't head for his small electric scooter. Instead, he surveyed the four luxury cars parked there, eventually selecting a large, rugged-looking vehicle that resembled an SUV. He pressed his fingerprint to the sensor, and the car door unlocked.