I Have Infinite Skill Points

Wang Lan hurriedly looked at the system panel, only to be surprised to see that the two linked skills were Thunder Snake and Star Cloud Sword Dance.

Huh, wasn't Thunder Snake supposed to be standard with Crescent Arrow? Why is it linked with Star Cloud Sword Dance? Though confused, the anticipation of linking Star Martial Skills made Wang Lan choose to link them without hesitation.

One thousand skill points were invested, and the two Star Martial Skills on the system panel lit up instantly, an intangible connection forming between them.

BOOM—

Countless pieces of information exploded in Wang Lan's mind, as if the two Star Martial Skills had undergone innumerable trials and refinements, countless integrations, and endless applications. Experience and enlightenment fused into his very instincts.

Only after the two Star Martial Skills were linked did Wang Lan understand why Thunder Snake and Star Cloud Sword Dance had combined. The essence of Star Cloud Sword Dance lay in the complete control of Star Power throughout the body; creating its afterimages demanded this perfect, holistic control. Thunder Activity, on the other hand, pertained to the micro-control of the body. When combined, they could create Thunder Snake afterimages. These afterimages retained the terrifying speed of Thunder Activity while also preserving the afterimage characteristic of Star Cloud Sword Dance.

Wang Lan took out Ghost Wail, closed his eyes slightly, and felt the fusion of the two linked Star Martial Skills. CRACKLE...

Suddenly, arcs of electricity danced around him. Endless currents flowed over Wang Lan's entire body, especially coiling around Ghost Wail, transforming it into a Thunder Sword.

Ghost Wail was originally a short sword, only about forty centimeters long. But when enveloped by lightning, it instantly doubled in size. Moreover, Ghost Wail's slightly twisted pattern acted as a conduit for the lightning, making the Thunder Sword appear even more arcane and mystical.

Looking at the Thunder Sword in my hand, could this be the correct way to use Ghost Wail?

His form flickered, and in an instant, six figures of Wang Lan, wreathed in lightning, appeared on the training ground. Each of these figures could not only confuse an opponent but also self-destruct with explosive force. When self-destruction wasn't needed, the Star Power forming these illusions could be reclaimed.

Although fewer in number, their power had increased manifold.

Through electromagnetic attraction, the Thunder Illusions could instantly be drawn back into Wang Lan's body like ghosts, and the Star Power consumption was the same as for a normal Star Cloud Sword Dance. But once a Thunder Illusion exploded, that burst of Star Power was completely expended, draining a third of his blue energy.

"BOOM—"

Wang Lan controlled one Thunder Illusion to self-destruct. In an instant, lightning erupted like a spiderweb, electric arcs blanketing the entire dueling platform, and the PS armor flickered.

"One hundred energy points!"

Wang Lan was shocked to see the energy data fed back from the PS armor, a look of pleasant surprise on his face. He remembered that even a Purple Flame Arrow, when shot, only registered about three hundred energy points. Three hundred points were equivalent to the power of a rocket launcher—not just a rocket-propelled grenade.

The Jade Country's rocket launcher was a beast, possessing all the features of a missile except for its explosive yield. The White Eagle Country had even complained, "You call this a rocket launcher? Are your rocket launchers and missiles made on the same production line?"

The self-destruction power of a Thunder Illusion was less than that of a Purple Flame Arrow, but Wang Lan felt he could use the Thunder Illusion's self-destruct three times consecutively. At one hundred energy points each, three would total three hundred—no less than a Purple Flame Arrow.

Moreover, and more importantly, was the range of application. If Purple Flame Arrow was the king of long-range attacks, then Thunder Illusion was a close-range minefield.

If six Thunder Illusions scattered and were made to self-destruct all at once for a devastating attack, it would guarantee devastation within a fifteen-meter radius of Wang Lan's position. Of course, if all six exploded together, only three would truly detonate; it was a last resort, not to be used unless absolutely necessary. If he detonated all six Thunder Illusions and the enemy wasn't dead, then he would be.

The self-destruction of the Thunder Illusions was not the true essence of this linkage. The real essence lay in his Thunder Activity combined with the deceptive nature of Star Cloud Sword Dance—no, and the Thunder Sword formed from Ghost Wail had to be included as well.

Instantly, lightning flashed in the arena. Wang Lan's body seemed to teleport, appearing in every corner of the dueling ground, his sword freezing in various striking and killing poses.

Ten energy points.

Ten energy points.

Eight energy points.

Five energy points.

Twelve energy points.

Amazing! The damage readout from each slash hitting the PS armor made Wang Lan ecstatic.

"Compatible Star Martial Skills detected. Consume two thousand skill points to link?"

Wang Lan had just finished his experiment when a prompt suddenly sounded in his mind again.

Two more Star Martial Skills to link? I don't remember learning any others. He quickly dived back into his Spiritual Sea of Consciousness and opened the system's skill page to find the icons of four Star Martial Skills flashing in unison.

"What the hell? Have some shame! You want one thousand skill points for linking two skills, and now a freaking two thousand for linking four? Were the skill points for the previous linkage fed to the dogs? You're still asking for more skill points?"

Though he grumbled, it was just venting his dissatisfaction. It was a common game tactic: spend for linking two, then spend more for linking four. If he hadn't only six hundred skill points remaining, Wang Lan would have definitely gone for it.

Even without further linking, Wang Lan estimated his strength had doubled. At least, the problem of being countered due to a single attribute was gone.

Moreover, Wang Lan had discovered something almost outrageously advantageous about himself: his Star Power attributes had no particular emphasis.

Normally, multi-attribute Star Martial Warriors have a focus in their Star Power attributes. Jiang Xinyu was an example: her ice attribute accounted for forty-five percent, and the combination of wind and water attributes made up another forty-five percent. Jiang Xinyu is most skilled in ice-attribute Star Martial Skills; her use of wind or water-attribute skills is definitely not as fluid as her ice skills.

However, Jiang Xinyu was rather unique, as her wind and water attributes were intrinsically linked to her ice attribute. For a multi-attribute Star Martial Warrior lacking such composite properties, the limitations on their secondary attributes would be even more pronounced. But Wang Lan? He made no distinction between primary and secondary attributes.

When he used the fire attribute, it was primary. When he used the Thunder Attribute, it was primary.

As his learning deepened and his knowledge grew, Wang Lan had discovered what truly set him apart—his extraordinary gift.

A system, huh? Right! But even without the system, I'm confident I'd be incredible, all thanks to the unique nature of my Star Power.

His Star Power was inherently attributeless, yet it could directly transform into fire or thunder attributes, bypassing a conventional step. This was why Wang Lan could switch between Star Martial Skills with no delay; the intermediate step that usually caused a time lag was simply omitted.

He went upstairs to his apartment, and after washing up, went straight to bed.

「The next day」

While Wang Lan was still sleeping groggily, Xiao Ai woke him up. "Wang Lan, Jiang Xinyu and the others are here to see you. If you keep sleeping in, they'll get to see the 'Sleeping Beauty' in the flesh."

"Piss off! Who authorized you to operate the elevator?"

"You did! You configured it long ago so Jiang Xinyu and her friends can use the elevator directly without verification."

Wang Lan hastily got out of bed. While he was washing up in the bathroom, the elevator door opened.

"I just woke up, make yourselves at home. Xiao Ai, switch to sunlight mode."

Xie Sisi seemed a bit reserved, sitting obediently on the sofa. Xu Xiangwen and Gong Feiyu, however, familiarly headed to the balcony, pulled out the recliners, and settled down.

"Xiao Ai, two colas."

"Sure thing!"

By the time Wang Lan had changed and came out, Jiang Xinyu had taken a USB drive from her bag and handed it to the slowly approaching Xiao Ai butler.

"What's this?"

"Video footage from the city-level selection tournaments in Jin City and several others." Jiang Xinyu looked up, her gaze concerned as she focused on Wang Lan. "And you? What happened? This is the first time you've taken a whole week off."

"I had a mission, the kind only I could handle. But it's all good now, mission accomplished." Wang Lan smiled and asked, "But how did you manage to get these materials? And you even got videos? I remember how strict the school was about that during our selections."

"With enough incentive, there are always more solutions than problems. Jin City, Chang City, Tong City, and Tai'an City are traditionally the hotspots for championship contenders. Their intelligence reports alone are worth at least half a million."

"Is that so? How much did you spend?"

"One million."

"Lanzi, we've already gone through the files. Xinyu brought them especially for you. Study them hard, so you don't get completely crushed when the time comes," Xu Xiangwen said, sipping his cola with an air of someone who had seen through the vanities of the world.

"Has Xu given up?"

"They're not human, every last one of them is a monster. Unless I can fully master the Pure Yang Skill, I've got no chance. It's a guaranteed loss. Lanzi, don't even bother struggling. If you can break through to the Star Cloud Stage before May 15th, with your level of mutation, you might make the top ten. Otherwise, you've got no shot."

"Hearing you say that just makes me want to defy expectations even more."

"Don't be so quick to disbelieve. Take this guy from Tai'an City, for example: early Star Cloud Stage, Thunderfire Attribute. Never mind his Star Martial Skills; he's a disciple from a reclusive Star Martial family and possesses an ancestral Star Palace Artifact, the Sun Wheel.

Do you know what a Star Palace Artifact is? Experts who have surpassed the Star Sea Stage consecrate their lifelong weapons within their Star Palace. These weapons carry the spiritual will of their former masters. Even after the master perishes, their Star Palace Artifact remains to protect their descendants.

You haven't seen that guy in action. It's like he's using cheat codes! Once he steps onto the stage, he just stands there, casually throws out the Solar Wheel, and it flies right above his opponent's head, spewing golden True Sunfire. There's no escape, no hiding. Even Water Attribute Star Martial Warriors can't counter it.

You either surrender or get incinerated. How are you supposed to fight that?"

"Isn't that considered cheating?" Wang Lan was surprised. He had heard of Star Palace Artifacts before, from Mingyue Wucheng. However, he had never paid them much mind, as they seemed too distant from his current reality—not something he needed to concern himself with.

The most famous Star Palace Artifacts are legendary divine weapons often depicted in movies and stories—things like the Ten Great Divine Swords, the Xichu Overlord Spear, the Lv Family's Square Sky Halberd, the Measuring Heaven Ruler, and the Vault of Heaven Shield. But such items were exceedingly rare in reality, and Wang Lan had never imagined one would appear in the provincial tournament.

"Cheating? We all wish it was! But they argue that the Star Palace Artifact is their weapon, a part of their strength. On what grounds should it be considered cheating? If you don't like it, use one yourself! Tell me, if you face him, how do you fight?"

True Sunfire? Wang Lan mused, looking up at the sun already high in the sky. In that case, perhaps my Phoenix Constellation Saint Cloth will finally have its use?