I Have Infinite Skill Points

Compared to the shock of others, the imperial faction represented by Yu Huailong was truly terrified.

How to absorb and utilize the natural Star Power that fills the heavens and earth had been a problem that plagued the entire world for countless years. But in Ancient Times, there was definitely a way. Eastern ancient texts had long mentioned the practice of breathing exercises to cultivate Qi, and the Western world also had records of meditative gathering of magical power.

But all these precious treasures had been lost, resulting in Star Martial Warriors having only two ways to obtain Star Power: absorbing Soul Beads or absorbing the Star Power within their cells. Soul Beads required money and significant resources, while absorbing Star Power from cells depleted one's life force.

This was also why Star Martial families firmly occupied the top of the pyramid, and why countless Star Martial Warriors depended on them. Star Martial Warriors without family backing who wished to obtain Soul Beads or Star Martial Skills to improve themselves could only attach themselves to Star Martial families, serving at their beck and call.

However, if Star Martial Warriors no longer needed to depend on Soul Beads to advance their Star Power levels, the Star Martial families would lose their appeal to lower-ranking warriors. The power of these families would quickly diminish, eventually leading to their collapse.

And that was not even the most lethal issue.

While Star Martial families possessed profound resources, they also relied on them to cultivate generations of outstanding disciples. Even someone lacking talent could be molded into a genius through an abundance of Soul Beads and Star Martial Skills. Outstanding younger generations could bring immeasurable influence to their families.

But if this imbalance were broken, geniuses from commoner families would close the gap with the descendants of Star Martial families. It would no longer be an era dominated by Star Martial families, but a time when talented individuals from humble backgrounds could rise to prominence.

For the nation, this was a tremendously positive development, with talent emerging in abundance and offering nothing but benefits. But for the Star Martial families, this represented an unprecedented catastrophe—they were almost pushed to the edge of a cliff, liable to be shoved over at any moment.

In an instant, a terrifying thought crossed Yu Huailong's mind: Kill them both! If I just kill them, the ancient cultivation technique won't be spread... Even if I'm blasted to pieces, it would be worth it!

But this thought could only flicker through his mind. Even with his peak Star Sea Realm strength, aside from Wang Lan and Yu Ruoyun, who among those present wasn't at the Star Sea Realm? Ninety percent of them were Titled Strongmen, for goodness' sake! Make a move? Lift a finger, and I'd probably be incinerated on the spot, he thought.

Then, Wang Lan took out a large handful of Soul Beads from his backpack. "When I was bored in the Nine-layer Pagoda, I engraved a few hundred copies of this Immortal Cloud Mysterious Green Record. They're all here. Grab a handful if you want one."

This move by Wang Lan almost made Yu Huailong, who had just been contemplating murder, spit out a mouthful of old blood. You... just how bored were you? Engraving a few hundred copies? With everyone present getting a copy, the spread of this technique couldn't be suppressed! Were you... that afraid this technique wouldn't become widespread?

"Oh? Interesting. Give me one, let me take a look," Zuo Ming said, accepting a Soul Bead.

Instantly, the Soul Bead in his fingertips shattered, and a surge of Star Power enveloped Zuo Ming. A series of sharp CRACKLING sounds erupted—the noise of twelve meridian checkpoints being breached. This rapid succession of pops, like firecrackers, made Wang Lan's mouth twitch.

This guy isn't just formidable; he's ruthless!

Wang Lan possessed a system cheat, allowing him to instantly clear blocked meridians by adding points. In contrast, Yu Ruoyun had spent several hours to clear just three, each breakthrough as arduous as overcoming severe constipation. But Zuo Ming, in a flash, experienced an unstoppable torrent, blasting through all the checkpoints of the twelve meridians in mere seconds.

According to Yu Ruoyun, breaking through each checkpoint induced an unbearable soreness and swelling, an agony few could endure. A single point was excruciating, yet Zuo Ming had instantly cleared over a hundred such points. The compounded pain must have been immense, yet he hadn't even furrowed his brow.

He merely frowned slightly before opening his eyes. "It's truly possible to absorb the Heavenly Earth Star Power," he declared. "Though the absorption speed is very slow, not as pronounced as the immediate boost from Soul Beads. However, little drops make a mighty ocean, and rivers merge into the sea. Seven days of cultivation would yield gains comparable to a low-grade Soul Bead.

"Personally verified—it's truly effective! The rise of Jade Country is in sight! Hahaha! Wang Lan, your contribution is unparalleled in history!"

Hearing Zuo Ming's words, all the influential figures present eagerly reached for a Soul Bead, each one absorbing it. Even Yu Huailong couldn't resist extending his hand.

Wang Lan wasn't sure of the proportion of relentless individuals to ordinary people outside, but he was certain that the dozens of people here were all cut from that relentless cloth. Almost every person who absorbed a Soul Bead did so in one go, their bodies emitting CRACKING sounds as if not their own. Doesn't that hurt? Wang Lan wondered.

"It really works!"

"The problem that has plagued us for millennia, the ancient cultivation techniques lost for thousands of years, have reemerged!"

"The ancient cultivation civilization has reappeared! Hahaha! Demon Clan, let's see you act so brazenly now! In thirty years, how will you withstand our human army, its strength vastly increased? Hahaha!"

The dignitaries in the meeting room lost their composure, ecstatic. This simple cultivation technique could completely replace Soul Beads! No longer fettered by the restrictions on acquiring Star Power, many talented Star Martial Warriors would not be held back for a decade.

Ten years—how many decades does a person have in their lifetime? Those who experienced Soul Resonance Awakening might only be delayed by three years, but what about those who awakened on their own? The future achievements of those geniuses who awakened at age eight, nine, or ten would be vastly different.

Consider Duan Ziqi. If this cultivation technique had existed back then, would he have become the Demon Clan's Poison Sting? His talent was so exceptional that even the Demon Clan considered him the perfect candidate for the Poison Sting—a testament to his profound natural gifts. The likes of Mu Shaoyun couldn't even compare to Duan Ziqi. Mu Shaoyun, like Jiang Xinyu, came from wealth and never lacked Soul Beads. Moreover, the strength Mu Shaoyun displayed at the provincial martial arts tournament was on par with Wang Mingling's.

After about half an hour, the excitement in the room gradually subsided. The gazes fixed on Wang Lan were filled with profound admiration. If they hadn't all been grown men, some might have been tempted to grab Wang Lan and give him a hearty kiss.

"Today has truly been one joyous event after another," Eld Di said, his voice bringing the room to order. "Alright, everyone here holds important positions and is incredibly busy. Let's conclude things swiftly.

"Let's return to the main agenda. Wang Lan, although you miraculously survived, it's clear you were lured into a trap. You've always been meticulous in your thinking. Do you have any suspects?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Lan's expression changed drastically. "Principal," he urged, "quickly send someone to bring Mrs. Sun Li here. It must be an expert!"

"What? You suspect Mrs. Sun Li?"

"She is highly suspicious."

"I'll go personally." Nangong Meng stood, his expression grim, and promptly left the room.

Once Nangong Meng had departed, Eld Di looked at Wang Lan and asked, "Tell us, what is your reasoning?"

"If one examines the progression of events, everything appears logical. However, if you work backward, it becomes evident that this was all orchestrated. The trap was set in The Death Valley, a remote location also known as the Life Forbidden Zone. Furthermore, before the culprits activated the Space Stone, one of them said, 'Princess Yu, we've been waiting for you for a long time.'

"From this, it's clear the trap was specifically laid for Yu Ruoyun. This raises a couple of questions. First, whoever set the trap must have already possessed the antidote—which I suspect was actually a vaccine.

"Second, they needed to lure us into The Death Valley. Only by going there could we discover the pickaxe they left behind, leading us to suspect someone was illicitly mining Space Stones, and thus walk right into their trap.

"To enter The Death Valley, we had to overcome the Ghost Eye Toxin present there. While I've grasped the principles for formulating a vaccine, I don't know how to actually produce it.

"Therefore, our only option was to create an antidote for the Ghost Eye Toxin, essentially fighting poison with poison. However, this entire plan hinged on one prerequisite: the Star Martial Toxin Synthesizer. Without that device, I couldn't have produced an antidote, much less entered The Death Valley with Yu Ruoyun.

"Yet, just before I entered the Nine-layer Pagoda, Mrs. Sun Li gave me her personal, portable Star Martial Toxin Synthesizer.

"At the time, I simply thought my teacher was concerned for me, giving it to me for unforeseen circumstances. Now, it seems it was a necessary component to lead me into The Death Valley."

Hearing Wang Lan's analysis, Eld Di nodded silently and glanced at his watch.

Less than ten minutes later, Nangong Meng returned, alone.

"Eld Di, Dean Sun has committed suicide by poison."

"What?!"

"In her office at the Medical Department. When I arrived, she had already been dead for some time. The poison she ingested appears to be Ghost Eye Toxin. She was clutching a sample vial of the poison in her hand."

Upon hearing this, Wang Lan shot to his feet and vanished from the conference room in a flash.

When Wang Lan reached the Medical Department, its entrance was crowded with students. Though they were engaged in heated discussion, no one had entered to disturb the scene.

"Little Junior Brother, you're here! Mrs. Sun... why would she... so suddenly..."

"Little Junior Brother, the Vice-Principal instructed us not to go inside and disturb the scene."

Wang Lan approached the door but was intercepted by two senior members of the student council.

"I am a special agent from the Tianjian Bureau's Action Department. I am authorized to inspect the scene."

Wang Lan presented his credentials. Though still skeptical after examining them, the student council members eventually allowed him to pass following his explanation.

The office was just as he remembered: rows of bookshelves and various impressive-looking samples. Mrs. Sun Li was slumped over the desk, as if asleep. In her hand, she clutched a labeled sample vial.

Wang Lan reached out and touched the nape of Mrs. Sun Li's neck. Her skin was cool; she had indeed been dead for some time. Taking the vial from her hand, Wang Lan poured out a drop of the liquid and analyzed it. It was, as suspected, Ghost Eye Toxin.

Gently lifting Mrs. Sun Li's upper body, Wang Lan noticed the corner of an envelope tucked into her collar. He slowly extracted it. On the envelope, in handwritten script, were the words: "For Wang Lan's eyes only."

"Wang Lan, your teacher cannot bid you farewell in person, so I must resort to this crude method to leave my last words.

"I must offer you my sincerest apologies. You are the student who has made me, your teacher, proudest in my entire life. Having had the chance to teach you, I can die without regrets.

"Your teacher tried. I even had a fierce argument with the Principal, but I still couldn't prevent you from entering the Nine-layer Pagoda.

"I know you're incredibly clever. If you made it out alive, you've likely figured out that I was the one who arranged things in the Nine-layer Pagoda, haven't you? I am truly sorry; it should have been me who went. But... well, who asked you to agree to team up with Yu Ruoyun?

"I know what you want me to tell you; you must be wondering about my reasons. But... never mind. This world is a complicated place, and it's better if the reasons remain unsaid.

"Let it all end here, with me. Don't investigate further. If this is uncovered, Jade Country will be plunged into turmoil.

"I have so much I could say, but it boils down to three words: I am sorry. My time is nearly up. I have one last request: please take care of Tong Tong for me."

The letter's content was disjointed, evidently written in great haste, the handwriting messy and rushed. By the time Wang Lan finished reading it, the group of influential figures had also arrived outside the door.