I Have Infinite Skill Points

At that time, Wang Lan was only a newly awakened Star Martial Warrior who hadn't even applied for his Star Martial Badge. Yet, he single-handedly killed nine low-level Demon Soldiers. To her, this was absolutely impossible, but Wang Lan had done it.

From that moment on, the incredible young man had been etched deep in Zeng Xiaomo's heart. She had originally thought that the legend named Wang Lan would only rise in the next decade.

But to her surprise, just a few days later, this name once again reached Zeng Xiaomo's ears. He had uncovered the Demon Clan's plot to destroy the training field and assisted the Southeast Military Region's Martial Arts Corps in thwarting the Demon Clan's scheme.

This young man was different from what she had imagined. Other talents at least had a period of accumulation and growth, but it seemed he did not need it. He was like a star shooting into the starry sky, shining brightly the moment he appeared.

This time, he even brought benefits to the entire Suzhou City Tianjian Bureau.

"Is that Wang Lan? Hmm... he may not be as handsome as Lige, but… he seems warm," a female Star Martial Warrior mused, resting her chin in her hand.

"Xiaoxiao, he's only sixteen. You're not going to rob the cradle, are you?"

"What do you mean, Zeng? Are you calling me an old cow? I'm only eighteen!"

"Have some shame! You were eighteen two years ago."

"My Xiaoxiao is eighteen every year. If it weren't for her Star Martial Badge, she'd probably forget her real age herself. But... he really does look good. If he dressed up, he wouldn't be any worse than Lige."

"Why do you lovesick fools keep comparing Wang Lan to Lige? What's so good-looking about Lige's stone face? Aside from trying to look cool, what else is there?"

"Listen to this. Lige said one thing to Qingqing last year, and she's still holding it against him…"

"I'm a woman. What's wrong with being petty? Isn't it expected for women to hold grudges? The so-called number one heartthrob of the Suzhou City Tianjian Bureau can't even hold a candle to our junior brother. I heard he even had the nerve to fight for the top credit this time. Where did he get the audacity?"

"Qingqing, just keep this talk at this table. Don't go spreading it around. Director Li fought for the credit on his behalf; he didn't pursue it himself. Although Lige can be harsh, there's nothing wrong with his character. Besides, Lige's abilities and accomplishments are solid and real."

"Got it, Zeng. But I just can't stand him. Don't expect me to give him the time of day in the future."

"Great! One less rival for us."

"Xiaoxiao, show some restraint. You just said you were interested in our junior brother."

"Wasn't it Zeng who called me an 'old cow eating tender grass'? I humbly accept the criticism and will steadfastly guard my moral principles."

"PFFT!" A tableful of beauties spat in unison, feigning disdain.

Wang Lan didn't stay at the venue for long. After Xu Shiyun showed him to his seat so he would recognize it, Xu Shiyun then took him backstage to Wang Qianfeng.

"In a bit, Director Lu will personally confer your rank. Normally, a lieutenant's promotion doesn't warrant such a ceremony. But given the current national situation, we in Suzhou City have set a good precedent. Plus, even though you're only being promoted to lieutenant, your contributions are indeed significant, so we're making an exception this one time."

"Thank you, Director Wang, for your guidance."

"The country nurtured you, and your performance is your repayment. This is what you deserve. But I must remind you: guard against arrogance and rashness, and proceed with steady, sure steps. I have higher expectations for you. I hope that in the future, you can bear the heavy burden of human civilization and carry it forward."

"Director Wang, that burden... is truly heavy," Wang Lan said with a playful grin.

"You are the son of the Flame Emperor. Many people are silently watching over you," Wang Qianfeng said, not returning Wang Lan's playful smile, his expression serious.

Seeing Wang Qianfeng's earnest expression, Wang Lan also sobered, stood at attention before Wang Qianfeng, and saluted solemnly. "I will definitely remember Director Wang's teachings."

"It's good that you remember. Those silently watching over you will help you hold up this sky, and so will we."

「In the outskirts of Suzhou City」

Far from the prosperous areas, this was perhaps one of the few remaining rural landscapes in the highly developed city.

Lige stood quietly at the top of a tree, gazing up at the sky.

Only in this place, away from the city lights, could one truly see the Starlight.

"Damn it... it's November, how are there still so many mosquitoes? Guarding here all night, I've probably lost at least three pounds from blood loss."

"Skinny Monkey, do you even have three pounds to lose?"

"With this many mosquitoes, each taking a bite, wouldn't I lose three pounds overnight?"

"Stop your whining. If you really lost three pounds of blood, you'd be ready for cremation tomorrow. But seriously, we've been here for over half a month without a single discovery. When will this end?"

"Patience!"

"Hey, look! Old Yu posted in the group chat—wow… so many beauties! What a waste! If I'd known so many girls were at the celebration banquet, I'd have swapped shifts with someone, no matter what."

"These women usually look so plain without makeup, I never thought they were that pretty. But now, all done up, they look like goddesses... If only I hadn't tried to act so cool back then. After tonight, it'll be too many wolves for too little meat; the success rate will drop by a solid ten percent..."

"That's why they say East Asia has its 'Three Great Sorceries.' Mastering them can grant a divine, transformative effect, like being completely reborn."

"You guys..." Lige tore his gaze from the stars, frowning slightly at his team members. "If you don't want to be on surveillance, you can go back. I'm enough here by myself."

"No, Team Leader Lige, that's not what we meant..."

"Right, we were just talking... How could a celebration banquet be more important than our mission? We're doing crucial work here. If this mission is successful, we'll get the Director to throw a special celebration just for us."

"Exactly..."

"I'm not being sarcastic. I'm serious," Lige said again.

"No, no, the mission is what matters."

"I heard the top credit for the Red Maple Forest Park operation went to a newcomer from the Intelligence Division, and he's getting promoted to lieutenant at the celebration banquet. The Director himself is going to confer his rank?"

"Why him? We were the ones who destroyed the Demon Clan base! We closed their Different Dimensional Space! We lost six brothers, and the top credit isn't ours?"

"Exactly! He just provided some intelligence."

"Stop being sour!" Lige said coolly. "His intelligence was the main contribution; there's nothing to be resentful about. While we're here grumbling that he 'just provided some intelligence,' the Intelligence Division is probably saying we just helped out a bit and still got a significant share of the credit."

"For this Red Maple incident, intelligence was absolutely crucial. Without Wang Lan discovering the clues, who knows how long we would have been kept in the dark?"

"Team Leader Lige, are you really okay with this?"

"Let's be realistic. There's nothing to be resentful about. If you really want to earn some respect, then go out and achieve something even greater that overshadows his accomplishment."

"Something's not right!" Suddenly, one of the men on surveillance duty spoke in a low voice.

"Chang Yu is packing her clothes. Looks like she's planning to run."

Could she have noticed something? Lige frowned. In a flash, he was beside the observer, raising infrared binoculars to look at the target.

"I don't know. She was on her phone, then suddenly stood up and started packing. She might have really noticed. Should we..."

"Move in to capture," Lige ordered decisively.

"Should we request authorization from above?"

"No good! She's out the door! No time to request authorization!"

"Move out!" As his words fell, Lige led the charge, transforming into a streak of light and shooting towards the target.

Chang Yu had just gotten into her car and hadn't even started the engine when an intense force suddenly converged on her from all directions. The car couldn't withstand the pressure and rapidly deformed, crumpling like a squashed soda can.

"Pressure Field!" Chang Yu's expression turned cold. A glint of icy light flashed, and the car was sliced neatly in half down the middle. Instantly, Chang Yu shot out from the wreckage, attempting to flee into the sky.

"Pressure—"

A visible shockwave rippled above her, and a terrifying pressure bore down, slamming Chang Yu to the ground in an instant.

Only then did Chang Yu realize she was surrounded by six plainclothes agents from the Tianjian Bureau. They had joined forces to deploy a Gravity Field, firmly trapping her within it.

The Tianjian Bureau not only gathered elite Star Martial Warriors but also a host of individuals with extraordinary abilities.

These six were each only at the mid-Star Cloud Stage in their Cultivation Level. But when they combined their strength, they could unleash a Star Martial Skill so powerful that even a Galaxy Stage expert couldn't withstand it. This was the source of Lige's confidence in ordering a live capture.

"Electrocharge!"

Lige descended from the sky, his palm crackling with dazzling lightning, as if he wielded a thunderbolt.

CRACKLE—

The brilliant lightning struck Chang Yu, who was immobilized by the intense pressure. The current engulfed her, dazzling arcs of electricity dancing over her body.

"AAARGH—" A deep, masculine cry, overlaid with her own, erupted from Chang Yu's lips as her strength seemed to drain away, and she collapsed limply.

Lige executed a spectacular flip in mid-air, landing beside the team of six.

The seven agents coordinated flawlessly. The entire operation, from start to finish, took no more than three seconds.

"Seal her! Take her down!"

The Star Power of the six agents surged once more. The Gravity Field instantaneously contracted, transforming into strands of Star Power Binding that wrapped around the thoroughly charred Chang Yu. Only after Chang Yu was completely bound did smiles appear on the faces of the six agents.

"We should've just done this from the start instead of wasting time on surveillance. Later, we'll get a Spirit Engraving expert to perform a 'mental probe' on her. Whatever secrets she's hiding, she'll have to spill them all."

"The Demon Clan spies are all incredibly tough. We've never captured one alive before. Do you think it'll be that easy to probe her mind?"

"Well, isn't this one alive right here?"

His words had barely faded when an intense wave of energy suddenly burst forth from Chang Yu.

"What's happening?"

"Not good—"

Suddenly, Skinny Monkey forcefully shoved Lige aside.

BOOM—

A deafening explosion erupted. Lige's eyes widened in horror as he watched the flames engulf his six teammates.

Before he could react, a fireball roared towards him.

CRACKLE—

Arcs of electricity flared, and in the split second before the fireball engulfed him, he managed to activate his Thunder Shield.

「The Tianjian Bureau – Cafeteria」

"I believe that with favorable circumstances, geographical advantages, and the unity of our people, the Suzhou City Tianjian Bureau is invincible! I believe that a Jade Country, united and resolute, is invincible! And I believe even more strongly that human civilization, which has journeyed from the primeval wilderness to the present day through tens of thousands of years of heritage, is invincible!"

"The Demon Clan's ambition to destroy humanity will never die, but humanity's will to resist will never falter! We will carry the burden of human civilization, marching forward to protect our people until no external threats remain and the continuation of our heritage is secure!"

"Tonight, besides sharing the joy of this victory with all of you, we will also present awards to the heroes who achieved it! Please welcome the one who single-handedly obtained the intelligence on the Demon Clan's conspiracy and pinpointed their hidden base—the primary contributor from the Intelligence Department, Wang Lan!"

Lu Zhao finally concluded his impassioned declaration. As his voice faded amidst thunderous applause, Wang Lan, dressed in a white military uniform adorned with flame patterns, advanced with the formal, measured steps Xu Shiyun had hastily taught him, approaching Director Lu.

He came to attention and saluted smartly.