125 Sudden Surge of Power

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“I want to exchange a skill!”

Currently, only one skill is available for exchange, costing 177.1 points of merit or sin. Do you wish to proceed?

“Exchange.”

Since the dream level 7 is not a multiple of five, skill exchange cannot be amplified or enhanced. Confirm?

“Confirm.”

You currently possess 1,788.7 merit points and 8,429.6 sin points. Should the skill exchange deduct from merit or sin?

“Deduct sin!”

177.1 sin points deducted. Perfect Voice skill acquired!

The eighth dream’s individual skill exchange will cost 194.8 merit or sin points.

Would you like to solidify the Perfect Voice skill?

“Solidify.”

Skill solidification will last three hours and thirty-seven minutes.

The skill cannot be used until solidification is complete.

Using skill solidification slot one!

Solidification begins.

Active skill Twelve Paths Soul-Calming Kick occupies solidification slot one!

Passive skill Golden Wild Goose Technique occupies solidification slot one!

Currently, you have forty-five skill solidification slots available!

Yang Tang suddenly opened his eyes on the plank bed. The room was pitch black; his first thought was that he had gone blind. His second was to activate Eagle Eye; when he found it still worked, he realized it must just be dark outside.

He casually grabbed the phone from the bedside table and lit up the screen. It showed a little past twelve-thirty a.m.

“That can’t be right. I went to sleep at quarter to midnight. How could it only be half past twelve?” Yang Tang murmured, glancing at the date—August 7th!?

It turned out he had slept straight through from August 5th to August 7th.

Damn!

Yang Tang’s mouth twitched as he rolled out of bed feeling stiff all over. Relying on Eagle Eye, he deftly found the switch in the pitch-black room and flipped on the light.

The light came on, but he ended up breaking the switch.

“Damn, when did the switch get so fragile? Or did I just get stronger?”

His constitution had increased by ninety-nine point nine. Muscle strength had likewise grown! Compared to before entering the dream, his muscle strength had increased by about 80%, and his strength by over 60%!

“Strength up by sixty percent?” Yang Tang was speechless. Suddenly having so much extra power made it hard to control his movements. No wonder he broke the switch.

Fortunately, it was just the switch—he could get it fixed during the day. But carefully, like holding a chick, Yang Tang lifted the black dagger lying by the bed into the light to inspect it.

“Where did the three sets of qin techniques solidify?”

A sudden realization dawned on him, and he silently recited a thought—Inner Vision!

“Oh right, I have an Inner Vision skill.”

Activating Inner Vision, Yang Tang immediately felt a blood connection with the black dagger. He saw nine small squares on the string area of the hilt, arranged diagonally in three rows—each representing one of the three qin techniques per set, faintly visible.

The only problem was, each icon was dark gray, as if the skill couldn’t be used due to insufficient mana, like in a game.

“No way I’m this unlucky, right?”

Note: During combat, the three sets of qin techniques require a minimum of 300 inner power for the least costly move. After a 95% conversion, the attack power of the least costly move is 95% of the original, and the mana required is 300 divided by 0.95, which equals 315.8. Currently, the dreamer’s mana is between 300 and 315.

Yang Tang couldn’t help but grumble, “Is this a coincidence or what?” He suddenly recalled that before the seventh dream, his mana was just over 200; although there was no exact count, it was definitely below 210.

Note: The dreamer can control qin techniques in performance mode, where mana consumption is only 10% of that in combat mode.

Yang Tang paused. “How do I switch to performance mode?”

Just think it silently!

Yang Tang complied.

The nine faint icons instantly lit up.

Although Yang Tang didn’t have an exact mana count, each icon bore a small number in the upper right corner indicating mana cost. The highest cost move in performance mode required 157.9 mana.

“Damn, just performing this move takes over half my mana. If I used it in combat mode, it’d be godlike!”

“Want to try the best move’s performance effect?” he asked himself, glancing at the broken switch on the wall.

“Forget it, forget it. My control isn’t steady enough right now. Better try another day!” Deciding this, he gently placed the black dagger back into its qin case and stored it inside his nameless ring.

“Still short on mana. How am I going to fix that?”

No need to worry; the passive skill Golden Wild Goose Technique is already active, increasing mana by 0.1 every twelve hours.

Only 0.2 mana per day!?

Yang Tang sighed heavily.

After calming down, he examined the Golden Wild Goose Technique description.

Golden Wild Goose Technique is a passive internal skill, operating automatically. Every twelve hours, it increases mana by 0.1. After twelve cycles, internal qi fills the body, raising defense by 4 and producing the following effects: Golden Goose in Flight permanently boosts evasion by 20%, Twilight Goose increases movement speed by 1, Light Body raises agility level by 1, and after dodging midair counterattacks, attack power increases by 30% with 100% accuracy, lasting three seconds or until the next dodge.

“Damn, this internal skill isn’t just useful—it’s a bit twisted!” Yang Tang felt excited.

He then checked the Twelve Paths Soul-Calming Kick. The three main moves sequentially increased attack power by 100%, 200%, and 400%. Crucially, as these are reward skills to balance dream difficulty, each move’s inner power consumption is only 1% of the original—just a few or a dozen points of mana to unleash, truly terrifying!

Feeling exhilarated, Yang Tang glanced at the time—already one a.m. He ate a bit, then lay back down, planning to sleep again. But as soon as he closed his eyes, vivid bloody scenes of cutting down Gu Yuexuan, Wuxiazi, and the Seven Sages of No Worries flooded his mind. After all, he’d spent years in the dream, and Wuxiazi and the others were as familiar as classmates. Even without much interaction, there should have been some sense of familiarity. Yet they all ended up as souls beneath his blade. How could his mind find peace?

“Damn it, I’m not sleeping anymore!”

Yang Tang cursed and swung his legs off the bed. He dressed quietly, packed his things, and tiptoed to the door. He reached down and opened the circuit breaker box cover, but carelessly, “crack,” the cover broke again.

His mouth twitched as he cautiously switched off the main circuit, plunging the room into darkness. Only then did he lock the door and head downstairs.

Out on the night street, few pedestrians stirred. Yang Tang thought for a moment and found Wu Hao’s number, calling him.

Wu Hao was indeed a night owl and hadn’t slept yet. When the call connected, he sounded excited.

“Brother Tang, why call me now? I actually have something to ask you.”

Yang Tang rolled his eyes. “I have something to ask you too. Do you know any gyms open at this hour?”

“At this hour? Midnight? No idea!” Wu Hao sounded surprised. “But I can ask Lao Hua next door.”

“Good, go ask him. Don’t hang up—I’ll wait.”

“I’m on it.”

Soon, the phone line grew noisy. After a while, Lao Hua’s voice came through.

“Hello, Brother Yi!”

“Cut the crap, get to the point!”

“I have a guy whose dad owns a gym called Yongli. It’s small, located on Nanbin Road. Brother Yi...”

“I’m on my way,” Yang Tang said. “Wu Hao wants to meet too. We’ll go together.” He hung up and hailed a cab.

Half an hour later, Yongli Gym was bright and bustling.

Lao Hua personally escorted Yang Tang to the second floor, chatting as they walked.

“Brother Yi, the fruit machine’s earnings have dropped this past month.”

Yang Tang gave him a sidelong glance. “How much have you made these past few months?”

“Not much, after paying my guys, just over ten million. Thirty percent of that I’ve set aside in an account for you.”

“Cut it out. I told you I don’t want your money.”

“Brother Yi, if you don’t take it, I feel uneasy!” Lao Hua said with a sad face. “I was hoping you’d give me some advice.”

Yang Tang gave him a forced smile, coldly staring until Lao Hua grew uneasy and fell silent. Then he approached Wu Hao, who was lounging on the sofa.

“What are you looking at?”

“Nothing much, just some photo shoots,” Wu Hao said, pulling out a stack of pictures from his bag and handing them over.

Yang Tang flipped through a few, barely able to keep a straight face. These weren’t photo shoots—they were PR snaps, casual shots. Several featured Wu Hao, and in a few, a white-haired punk girl with a symmetrical face acted quite close to him.

Yang Tang kept flipping through the dozen or so photos, each featuring the white-haired punk girl. His expression darkened. He spread the photos on Wu Hao’s lap, pointing at the girl.

“Is this your girl?”

Wu Hao, engrossed in the photos, was startled. He shook his head.

“She’s not my girl. That’s Jiao Jie. Wait, Brother Tang, aren’t these the photo shoots I gave you?” Wu Hao showed the photos in his hand—Japanese-style pin-up shots, some quite risqué.

Yang Tang rolled his eyes. “You’re not even eighteen yet looking at this stuff? If Uncle Wu finds out, you’re gonna get a serious beating!”

Wu Hao looked unbothered. “I’m tame compared to others in class.” Suddenly, he changed the subject. “By the way, Brother Tang, why’d you think Jiao Jie was my girl?”

“Better if she isn’t. Saves you from getting a green hat. Look at this guy,” Yang Tang said, pointing to a man in one photo.

Wu Hao’s face fell when he recognized the man.

“Ah?!”

A new week begins—please add this to your favorites, your collections, your support!