I Have Infinite Skill Points

At first, luring and killing the monsters went fairly smoothly, but after roughly five waves, the Golden mantises also grew alert. Aside from the ones Jiang Xinyu had frozen solid and rendered unable to struggle, about a dozen more would discover the situation and arrive as reinforcements.

The combat power of the unrestrained Golden mantises skyrocketed instantly, like the invulnerable golden bodies of the Eighteen Bronze Men Formation.

How to describe the melee capabilities of the Golden mantises… Unparalleled Swordsmen, and dual-wielding Unparalleled Swordsmen at that. Although Exotic Beasts don't understand specific sword skill moves, human sword skills were originally learned from animals.

In Wang Lan's view, the Golden mantises' sword skill was the most primal, the most original form of killing technique. Fortunately, the quintet had primarily focused their recent training on close-quarters combat; otherwise, ordinary people couldn't withstand the sensation of a blade's edge flashing so close to their faces.

Wang Lan's Flame Sword possessed unstoppable sharpness, and his efficiency in killing the Golden mantises was the highest. With his Flame Sword advancing to Silver Nine, his understanding of it reached an entirely new level.

The enhancement from system attribute points was all-encompassing. Even though a Star Martial Skill might have been passed down for hundreds of years, it didn't mean all its possible applications had been fully explored.

So, when Wang Lan first used the vertical Flame Sword, even He MingXue leaped up excitedly, exclaiming that Wang Lan was truly innovative to have devised such a creative move.

However, skill points had limitations; they couldn't enhance actual combat experience.

The Flame Sword at Silver Nine had almost pushed its variations to their ultimate limit. But Wang Lan had to figure out how to apply these techniques in battle himself.

Now, the opportunity had arrived.

His dual Purple Flame Swords could no longer satisfy Wang Lan's boundless creativity, which was as wild as an untamed mustang.

Have you ever seen a Solar Wheel?

Wang Lan's Flame Sword was no longer a triangular, flame-cutting spear but had transformed into a circle. Its circular edge, like a sun from a cartoon, bristled with jagged serrations. These serrations rotated at high speed, elevating its cutting power to a terrifying level.

The Solar Wheel Flame Sword: a mere graze inflicted severe injuries; a direct hit meant certain death.

This spectacle dealt a heavy blow to Xu Xiangwen and Gong Feiyu. We've all practiced A-rank Star Martial Skills, and while we're still learning to imitate, Wang Lan is already innovating with flair.

When they learned these were all Wang Lan's spur-of-the-moment creative ideas, the two completely shut down. There's no communicating between normal people and monsters like him.

Xie Sisi, sticking close to Wang Lan, remarked, "Are you guys really that shocked? I haven't even said anything yet."

The squad always took great care of Xie Sisi, looking out for her safety and ensuring she had opportunities for real combat. With each wave of Exotic Beasts, Wang Lan and the others would leave one Golden mantis for Xie Sisi.

How nice are Golden mantises? So well-behaved, ignorant of Mage-type attacks. All their attacks are melee. And they're just so cute: over a meter tall, with two-meter-long blades, egg-sized eyes, coconut-sized heads, and bodies gleaming with a black metallic luster.

Weren't they the perfect sparring partners for a Star Martial Warrior like Xie Sisi, whose strength lay only in close combat?

Xie Sisi's combat talent was fully unleashed in her battles against the Golden mantises. It wasn't that her strength had made another rapid leap, but that her mindset was rapidly transforming.

Previously, Xie Sisi would become fearful and terrified whenever she faced melee combat. But since Wang Lan had 'corrected' her, it seemed he might have overdone it, pushing her to the other extreme.

The more dangerous the situation, the more excited she became. To put it audaciously, she loved the thrill of "dancing on Yama's head," finding exhilarating joy in dancing amidst blades and swords.

Xie Sisi's tactics grew increasingly daring, sometimes scaring Wang Lan nearly out of his wits.

How fast were the Golden mantis's blades? Yet she dared to dance up close and personal with it, even finding time to slip under its belly to find a good spot to strike?

Does she really think the Golden mantis is just an ingredient on her chopping board?

In response, Wang Lan sternly and righteously criticized Xie Sisi. But in her excited state, Xie Sisi was too alluring; she sensually licked her lips, making Wang Lan's legs nearly buckle.

Another coquettish remark from her, and the Two-handed Great Sword on Xu Xiangwen's back would feel as limp as noodles.

But it had to be admitted: the more excited Xie Sisi became, the crazier she fought, and the crazier she fought, the stronger and more stable her performance. So Wang Lan even thought it was a mistake for Xie Sisi to take calming agents before exams; she should have downed a bottle of strong liquor instead.

Their second foray into the trial grounds not only showed Wang Lan the varying degrees of danger in different trial areas but also highlighted the rapid progress of the others.

An intense and stimulating day passed unnoticed.

Wang Lan's group of five returned to the cave they had previously selected to rest and recover.

The campfire blazed, and the five of them gathered around it, counting the day's haul.

"Three hundred and sixty!"

"Four hundred!"

"I... I only got a hundred," Xie Sisi said, counting her Soul Beads, her voice somewhat pitiful. The difference was just too big…

Most of these one hundred Soul Beads came from the Golden mantises Jiang Xinyu had frozen. If counting only those Xie Sisi had killed independently, there probably weren't even thirty.

"Not bad, Sisi," Jiang Xinyu said softly to console her. "Think about it; an ordinary Star Martial Warrior team might not earn three hundred Soul Beads in ten days. You earned a hundred in one day. That's already very impressive."

"Are other Star Martial Warrior teams really that weak?" Wang Lan asked, a look of surprise on his face.

Jiang Xinyu immediately rolled her eyes at Wang Lan. This guy was getting more and more infuriating.

"Wang Lan, I feel like your perception is way off from ours," Xu Xiangwen began. "As your brother, I have to set you straight. Many things you take for granted would terrify ordinary people.

"Take today's haul, for example: I got three hundred and sixty, Feiyu got four hundred. That's already five or six days' worth for other Star Martial Warrior teams. Some squads might not even gather that many in ten days."

"Why? Are their abilities too poor? That can't be right. The entry requirement for the intermediate trial grounds is a squad with at least one Star Cloud Stage Star Martial Warrior. One Star Cloud Stage warrior leading several Star Shine Stage members shouldn't be that pathetic, right?"

"Do you have some kind of misunderstanding of 'pathetic'? How can you so recklessly raise the bar for what counts as pathetic?

Look at our squad! What kind of people are we? Out of five members, three are combat specialists. The remaining two, though not specialists, are at the peak of their respective classes!

And look at our squad composition! One long-range Mage—a high-damage Star Cloud Stage Mage at that! One with unobstructed long-range scouting! One for terrain control and support! An incredibly top-tier healer! And a close-combat specialist rookie!

And at the same time, our healer can double as an agile fighter, our Mage can handle crowd control, our scout can tank, and our terrain controller can act as a shield!

Do you understand what kind of god-tier team this is? We're five people: one Star Cloud leading four Star Shines. But... damn it, are any of our four's abilities even remotely normal?

Our five-person squad is a golden lineup, a peak combination! Exotic Beasts aren't smart and don't use targeted tactics against us. It's perfectly reasonable for us to display seven or eight times the combat power of other teams, alright?"

Xu Xiangwen practically roared, berating Wang Lan for his cluelessness.

After listening, Wang Lan pondered seriously for a moment and finally nodded in agreement.

"So, you're saying the other squads are still too pathetic, right?"

"You win!" Xu Xiangwen flopped onto his back, staring skyward in defeat.

"Wang Lan, how much did you gain today? Do you think there's a chance to break through to the Star Cloud Stage this time?" Jiang Xinyu suddenly asked.

"How could that be possible!" Wang Lan immediately shook his head, though inwardly he was crying a river of tears.

Wang Lan's haul for the day was indeed substantial. Seven hundred Soul Beads, yielding seven hundred experience points. Among them was one mutant Star Cloud Stage Soul Bead, the size of a chicken egg.

Gathering so many Soul Beads in one day... if this rate continues for ten days, I could definitely break through to the Star Cloud Stage.

But… my upgrade requirements are different from others.

What were Soul Beads to me? Skill points and mana potions. Beyond that, they had no other value.

And the system didn't care about the level of Soul Beads for skill points. Damn it!

Low-grade, mid-grade Soul Beads... they all converted to just one skill point. This infuriated me...

He had already converted the low-grade Soul Beads into skill points but couldn't bring himself to do the same with the mid-grade ones. The Star Power contained within a mid-grade Soul Bead could instantly restore half of his mana pool.

"Have we rested enough? Should we get going?" Xu Xiangwen asked.

"Let's rest a bit longer," Jiang Xinyu said coolly. "The intensity of the intermediate trial grounds is much higher than the primary one. Plus, we're dealing with tough opponents like the Golden mantis. We still have ten days; there's no need to rush."

"Alright!" Xu Xiangwen agreed without further discussion.

The purpose of this trip was to help Gong Feiyu and Xu Xiangwen break through to the Star Cloud Stage. The Soul Beads in the intermediate trial grounds were of higher quality than those in the primary one. Given the team's strength, they could easily manage, so there was no need to exhaust themselves unnecessarily.

"Sisi, you try and see if you can break through," Wang Lan suddenly said.

"Now?" Xie Sisi was incredulous. She had a hundred Soul Beads from the day's battle that she hadn't dared to absorb.

Soul Bead distribution was at the team leader's discretion, typically done collectively at the end. So, Xie Sisi hadn't expected Wang Lan to tell her to attempt a breakthrough now.

"The Star Power needed to go from the Starlight Stage to the Star Shine Stage isn't much; a hundred Soul Beads should be more than enough. Your current realm is too low. Breaking through will increase your chances of survival. I don't think anyone will object."

"Sisi, try to break through now. If it's not enough, I still have three mid-grade Soul Beads," Jiang Xinyu added, her words nearly bringing Xie Sisi to tears.

She had always cultivated alone, forging ahead solitarily. Her practical combat skills were so poor that even peers from ordinary backgrounds were unwilling to train with her.

In the past, Xie Sisi had acquaintances, but no close friends.

Only after meeting Wang Lan had she recently begun to feel she wasn't alone anymore. She had trustworthy companions, genuinely caring friends, and, indispensable for any girl, a best friend.

"Thank you!" Xie Sisi said gratefully, taking a Soul Bead from her tactical backpack.

She wasn't as clueless as Wang Lan had been, who hadn't even known how to absorb Star Power from a Soul Bead his first time.

CRACK! The Soul Bead shattered.

A few seconds later, another soft pop was heard.

After a minute, Star Energy Fluctuations began to surge from Xie Sisi's body.

This indicated that the Starlight in her Star Palaces was brimming with Star Power and swelling, beginning to break free from the constraints of the Starlight Stage.