I Have Infinite Skill Points

A surge of Star Energy Fluctuation washed over them, similar to the fluctuations Wang Lan experienced with each level-up. No wonder people always assumed Wang Lan had made a breakthrough whenever he leveled up in public.

These Star Energy Fluctuations were indeed indicative of a breakthrough.

But Wang Lan had truly been misunderstood. His progression through each martial realm wasn't divided into the usual early, middle, and late stages like others. Instead, each realm was segmented into ten distinct levels, meaning he had to achieve a breakthrough ten times within every single realm.

Just thinking about it was exhausting. I'm such a low-key person, yet I'm given such a high-profile setting.

"Mmm—" Xie Sisi let out a groan. In an instant, Spiritual Energy converged above her head, and the gate to her Star palace opened. A brilliant star emitted a dazzling light.

Xie Sisi opened her eyes, somewhat dazed and disbelieving.

"Did I... break through to the Star Shine Stage?"

"Yes, a very beautiful Star Shine," Wang Lan said, his smile gentle and comforting, like a father's affectionate gaze. It was impossible to tell that he had been so merciless when training her initially.

"Thank you... thank you all!" Xie Sisi exclaimed, her voice choked with emotion, thanking Wang Lan, Jiang Xinyu, Xu Xiangwen, and Gong Feiyu.

It was too difficult for a Star Martial Warrior from an ordinary family.

The social structure was already highly stratified, and resource allocation had long been fixed. Star Martial Warriors from ordinary families had only one or two possible paths—though, in reality, it was usually just one.

After all, if one was extremely talented and diligent, it was unlikely they would wait until their education was complete and they officially stepped into the world of Star Martial Warriors before showing their brilliance. A commoner prodigy would make their mark before high school graduation.

Then, after the college entrance exams, they would enter a top-tier university. In university, they could seize the opportunity to soar to great heights. For Star Martial Warriors born into ordinary families, there might only be one or two such chances. If both were missed, rising again would be exceedingly difficult, almost impossible.

And Xie Sisi was teetering on the brink of that first opportunity.

She was a genius, yet one held back by her own flaws.

Even though she had overcome her psychological hurdles and her combat strength had soared to a professional level, her poor past performance meant her recent surge wasn't enough to catch the eye of a top Star Martial Academy.

Now, having reached the Star Shine Stage, she didn't have to despair over the first opportunity that was so close at hand.

This breakthrough was a moment that would change the trajectory of Xie Sisi's entire life.

"You earned this through your own efforts. Let's rest here for a bit. We'll take turns on watch, three hours each. After six hours, we'll set off again."

Xie Sisi's breakthrough didn't significantly enhance her actual combat strength. She possessed no Star Martial Skills, and her combat abilities were still limited to Basic Skills. However, she became much quicker, and her punches and kicks packed more power.

「Five days passed quietly.」

Wang Lan's five-person team seemed to have singled out the Golden mantises, determined to keep fleecing these creatures, which other Star Martial Warriors considered a tough nut to crack.

The more they clashed with the Golden mantises, the more they appreciated such Exotic Beasts. While others found their carapaces impervious to blades and spears, Wang Lan's team found cutting them increasingly easy.

Even in motion, the five could instantly target the gaps between the carapace segments, then effortlessly slice their blades in for a masterful dismemberment.

In five days, nearly 8,000 Golden mantises had lost their lives at the hands of this group. In five days, Wang Lan's team advanced ten kilometers, penetrating deep into the Golden mantis territory.

They had no choice, as they had wiped out all the Golden mantises in the outer areas.

Any other elite squad, even one composed entirely of Star Cloud Stage warriors, likely wouldn't have achieved half their kill count in five days. Over those days, several Star Martial Warrior teams had come and gone.

During these five days, some had tried to strike up a conversation, some had tried to get close to pick up scraps, and others had attempted to team up with Wang Lan's group to hunt monsters together.

But Wang Lan's team gave them all the cold shoulder. Those who were perceptive left on their own, while the oblivious ones, though covetous, still wary of Wang Lan's team's formidable strength, eventually departed reluctantly.

Perhaps because Wang Lan and his team had been feasting so well recently, another Star Martial Warrior team, about two hundred meters away, began to emulate their strategy against the Golden mantises.

The strategy was the same, but its effectiveness depended on who employed it. The other team, consisting of about six members, managed less than a fifth of Wang Lan's team's daily haul. But even that amount of loot was enough for Wang Lan to judge them as an elite Star Martial Warrior squad.

The other teams they had encountered in the previous days had lasted four hours at most.

Back in their resting cave, Xu Xiangwen counted the Soul Beads like a gleeful landlord, a Shiba Inu-like grin spreading across his face.

"2,100... All high-quality basic Soul Beads."

"I have 1,800," Gong Feiyu said with a relaxed smile.

"I think that's enough, right?" Wang Lan asked, seeking their opinions.

"I guess it should be. If not, I have ten intermediate Soul Beads, and Wang Lan has five," Jiang Xinyu stated calmly.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Xu Xiangwen, of course, understood what they meant. Absorb them, break through—wasn't that their purpose for coming to the intermediate training field?

Moreover, the strength enhancement from breaking through to the Star Cloud Stage was completely different from that of Starlight advancing to Star Shine. The Starlight and Star Shine Stages still categorized one as a low-level Star Martial Warrior. But the Star Cloud Stage represented core strength.

Breaking through to the Star Cloud Stage during high school would earn anyone the title of genius wherever they went.

Xu Xiangwen and Gong Feiyu began their breakthrough attempts, while Wang Lan and Jiang Xinyu stood guard at the entrance.

Xie Sisi hesitated, wanting to go over, but ultimately decided against it, quietly leaning against the wall and closing her eyes.

"You were a bit more alert today. Did you notice something?" At the cave entrance, Jiang Xinyu suddenly asked.

"Was I that obvious?" Wang Lan looked at Jiang Xinyu, surprised.

"Not obvious! An ordinary person wouldn't notice, but I could sense it."

"Do you remember that Star Martial Warrior squad that was near us all day today?"

"I remember. What about them? Is there a problem?" Jiang Xinyu asked, puzzled.

"That squad is an elite one. Although their efficiency in killing Golden mantises doesn't match ours, we can't say their overall strength is less than our team's. It's just that they aren't as adept at dealing with Exotic Beasts like the Golden mantis.

Their team of six had three long-range mages, two defensive specialists serving as tanks, and one control-type support. Is such a team composition suitable for slaying Golden mantises?" Wang Lan asked with a smile.

Jiang Xinyu thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, it's not! Such a lineup should target Exotic Beasts with high damage output but relatively lower defense. Golden mantises are defensive Exotic Beasts, but they are also agile warriors with the ability to fly.

It might seem that long-range mages have the advantage, but if the Golden mantises get close or launch a large-scale assault, that team would have little means to resist."

"Golden mantises are clearly not their ideal targets. As experienced Star Martial Warriors, there's no reason they wouldn't know that."

"So you think they're suspicious? Is that why you had Xu Xiangwen and Gong Feiyu attempt their breakthroughs right now?"

"It's better to be safe than sorry. Besides, I noticed today they looked over at us an abnormal number of times. They weren't observing us to learn how we kill Golden mantises; they couldn't replicate our methods even if they did. Anyone sensible would have moved on by now."

"Then... should we change locations tomorrow?"

"We're not familiar with other Exotic Beasts; rashly choosing one we don't know carries certain risks. Besides, the Golden mantises are very suitable. However, tomorrow, let's make a detour and hunt Golden mantises on the opposite side.

We've ventured too deep into their territory. If someone were to block our exit from the outside, we'd be caught like dumplings in a pouch."

"Alright!"

Just as she finished speaking, a surge of Spirit Power Fluctuations emanated from behind them as Xu Xiangwen and Gong Feiyu made their breakthroughs.

Xie Sisi had advanced from the late Starlight Stage to the Star Shine Stage; 100 Soul Beads had been enough for her. But to break through from the late Star Shine Stage to the Star Cloud Stage, even 1,000 Soul Beads might not suffice.

Therefore, among all incoming university freshmen nationwide, aside from those in the four major Star Martial Academies, most students even in first-tier academies were at the Star Shine Stage. Among these Star Shine Stage students, there could be hidden peerless geniuses who, once discovered and nurtured by their academy, would soar to great heights.

Anyone who could reach the Star Cloud Stage during high school was aiming for one of the four major Star Martial Academies.

Xu Xiangwen and Gong Feiyu's breakthrough to the Star Cloud Stage before the start of their final semester also gave them a chance to enter this 'paradise for Star Martial Warriors.'

The future opportunities available to students from the four major Star Martial Academies were enticing enough to make anyone drool. Even elite Star Martial Warriors would burn with envy.

BOOM—

A resonant sound erupted above the two. As Star Power surged, their Star palaces slowly materialized above their heads. Within each Star palace, starlight danced like vapor, and a Star Cloud formed into a vortex, rotating slowly and steadily.

Wang Lan and Jiang Xinyu returned to the cave. Xu Xiangwen and Gong Feiyu opened their eyes simultaneously. Feeling the potent Star Power circulating within them, smiles they couldn't suppress spread across their faces.

They had wanted to feign calmness, perhaps even affect an air of profound mystery. But the joy bubbling inside was utterly irrepressible. They recalled Jiang Xinyu's breakthrough—now that had been a display of true composure and style!

Ah, such poor self-control!

I wanted to keep a straight face too, but I ended up grinning.

"Why shouldn't you smile on such a happy occasion? Come on, you two, give us a laugh," Wang Lan said.

"Hehehe—"

"Attaboys!"

"Feiyu, Lanzi doesn't seem to grasp the situation. What should we do?" Xu Xiangwen said to Gong Feiyu.

"Set him straight, of course."

"Wait a sec, what do you two mean? What situation am I supposed to understand?"

"Lanzi, I'm at the Star Cloud Stage! And my comrade here, Gong Feiyu, is also at the Star Cloud Stage. You have two Star Cloud Stage powerhouses before you; shouldn't you tone down that arrogant attitude a bit?

Before, we might not have been able to beat you, so we endured your taunts. But now... hehehe..."

"What the hell?" Wang Lan's eyes widened in mock astonishment. "It's just a breakthrough to the Star Cloud Stage, isn't it? Look at you, all puffed up. I thought you'd broken through to the Star Sea Stage or something."

"Feiyu, what do we do if Lanzi refuses to face reality?"

"What are we waiting for? A good beating will sort him out," Gong Feiyu declared, leaping to his feet with a WHOOSH.

"Hey, Xu Xiangwen, Gong Feiyu..." Seeing the three about to scuffle, Xie Sisi quickly stood up and began to speak nervously.

Before she could get a word out, Jiang Xinyu pulled Xie Sisi's hand, stopping her. "Let them be, those three idiots."

Wang Lan wasted no time. With a SWISH, Purple Flame Swords ignited in both his hands.

"This blade is called the Purple Flame Sword."

He crossed his hands, and instantly a vertical Purple Flame Sword materialized before him, as dazzling as a magic trick.

"This is called the Vertical Flame Sword." As he spoke, Wang Lan swiftly crossed his hands again before his chest. "And this is the Horizontal Flame Sword."

Now, a cross-shaped Purple Flame Sword hovered before Wang Lan, the heat it radiated causing the very air to distort.

"The Cross Decapitation Sword. Which hero wants to test it?"

"Damn... Showing off skills is one thing, but this is just too much..."

"Can't mess with him, definitely can't mess with him," Xu Xiangwen meekly conceded.

Wang Lan was no longer the 'Bronze' ranker they could easily push around, no longer someone they could threaten by just finding a small tree. This display of his Star Martial Skill left the two new Star Cloud Stage cultivators with tingling scalps and a chill down their spines.