Qin Tian had already decided how to spend his Military Merit Points.
First, there were Cultivation Resources. Taking Xiao Yunlong's advice, Qin Tian exchanged his points for two hundred Spirit Energy Pills.
Spirit Energy Pills were a type of supplementary pill. Taking one wouldn't directly increase a Psionic User's Psionic Energy, but it would greatly improve their cultivation efficiency, allowing them to absorb more Psionic Factors in the same amount of time.
Compared to pills that directly increased Psionic Energy, Spirit Energy Pills were gentler and wouldn't destabilize one's foundation. They were the cultivation aid of choice for most Psionic Users.
However, Spirit Energy Pills weren't cheap: one hundred Military Merit Points per pill.
Qin Tian spent twenty thousand Military Merit Points to exchange for two hundred Spirit Energy Pills. Taking one each day during cultivation would give him enough to last for more than half a year.
The second item was a weapon.
Weapons were incredibly important to Psionic Users.
If two Psionic Users were evenly matched, the one with the better weapon would have a clear advantage in a clash.
A weapon was a Psionic User's partner, and it took time to grow accustomed to it.
Frequently changing weapons wasn't a good idea.
So Qin Tian planned to make a one-time investment and exchange for a fine saber that would serve him even in high-level battles.
After carefully researching his options, he finally settled on a famous saber—
Black Frost.
From the photos and videos, Black Frost had a classical yet fierce design. Its blade was long and slender, over three feet in length. In the light, it looked deep and pitch-black, as if it could swallow all other light. Fine black patterns were etched along its surface, resembling flowing frost.
When Black Frost was drawn from its sheath, its blade gleamed with a bone-chilling light, like a streak of black lightning flashing before one's eyes. Even through the screen, he could feel a piercing chill rushing toward him.
Black Frost was forged from high-grade ebony and various spirit metals. Its greatest strengths were its hardness and sharpness, and it also conducted Psionic Energy exceptionally well. It was sturdy enough to withstand combat by a Sixth-Order Psionic User.
Black Frost was made by Jewel Studio, a renowned weapon-forging workshop. About fifty blades entered the market each year, with the Military Department's online store listing them for twenty thousand Military Merit Points.
The Spirit Energy Pills and Black Frost War Blade together cost forty thousand Military Merit Points.
In the third section, Qin Tian focused on martial skills and spells.
Under the special regulations governing the management of replicated individuals, he had received a Bronze Rank cultivation technique, the Shadow Thunder Prison Technique, a Black Iron Grade saber art, Thunderous Charge Saber, and a fragment of Ninefold Thunder Flash, all free of charge.
In terms of his combat repertoire, he was still missing a fist technique.
To distinguish it from the speed and ferocity of Thunderous Charge Saber, he exchanged his points for a dark-type fist technique, Bone Corrosion Hand.
This was a sinister Black Iron Grade fist technique. Each punch carried the corrosive power of darkness, and at its peak, it could dissolve a grown man into water.
Bone Corrosion Hand could also be combined with Qin Tian's poison-type ability, making it even more insidious and difficult to guard against.
In fact, with the Military Merit Points he had saved, he could afford Bronze Rank martial skills.
But his Psionic Cultivation had only just begun, and his Psionic Energy was still weak. Even with a Black Iron Grade skill, he could only practice the first one or two forms. Bronze Rank skills were even further beyond him; he could only read them, not practice them. So he decided to leave those for later.
Besides the fist technique, he also exchanged for a spell and a Meditation Technique.
The spell was called Shadow Touch. It was Black Iron Grade. The caster controlled the Dark Force, forming shadowy tentacles to restrain enemies. Those caught in them would be eroded by the Dark Force, impairing their movements and the flow of their Psionic Energy.
At first, he hadn't considered Psionic spells. After all, his talent, cultivation technique, and martial skills were all geared toward Psionic Warriors, and he planned to rely mainly on close-quarters combat in the future.
Then Xiao Yunlong recommended Shadow Touch to him.
After reading its description, Qin Tian also felt that the spell suited him well.
Especially when sneaking around, Shadow Leap combined with Shadow Touch could silently take out sentries and lesser enemies. In a head-on battle, Shadow Touch could also catch an opponent off guard.
Shadow Touch was also part of a series of spells. Above it were the Bronze Rank Dark Binding Technique and the Silver Rank Night Imprisonment. Like Ninefold Thunder Flash, it had a very high ceiling.
So he promptly spent twelve hundred Military Merit Points to exchange for Shadow Touch.
Meditation Techniques were a specialized type of cultivation method, focused solely on training Mental Power.
Many of his talents, such as Ember Critical Strike, Black Gate, Space Bag, and Explosion, consumed stamina and Mental Power when activated. Psionic Martial Skills and spells also required Mental Power to use.
At present, his physique was exceptionally strong, but his weak Psionic Energy and Mental Power were the main limitations on his combat strength.
The Shadow Thunder Prison Technique was designed for martial artists, focusing on improving physique and Psionic Energy.
To keep his Mental Power from falling behind, he needed a Meditation Technique that could strengthen it.
The Meditation Technique he chose was called Frost Meditation Technique.
By visualizing a snowy scene in his mind, he could improve his Mental Power while keeping his mind clear and calm. It suited his needs perfectly.
Besides the spell and Meditation Technique, he also exchanged for two in-depth video courses.
Combat Mastery, Li Dong Version
Saber Mastery, Zhang Haichao Version
Both instructors were Sixth-Order Psionic Users with excellent online reviews. One taught close-quarters combat, and the other taught saber techniques.
Each video course contained dozens of chapters. Through demonstrations, student participation, video analysis, and other methods, the instructors explained everything from the basics to advanced techniques in meticulous detail.
At present, Qin Tian's fundamentals were his weakest area. Although he had Clear Heart Saber and exceptional talent with the saber, he hadn't been training for long, and there weren't many skilled people around him. As a result, his recent progress had been very limited.
His unarmed combat skills were only at a beginner's level.
These two video courses could quickly improve his theoretical knowledge. Combined with daily training and real combat, his fighting and saber skills would improve by leaps and bounds.
Each course cost fifteen hundred Military Merit Points, making them even more expensive than Shadow Touch. Still, Qin Tian felt they were worth it.
In terms of improving his combat ability, Combat Mastery and Saber Mastery were more important than Shadow Touch.
Two hundred Spirit Energy Pills: 20,000 Military Merit Points
Black Frost: 20,000 Military Merit Points
Bone Corrosion Hand: 1,000 Military Merit Points
Shadow Touch: 1,200 Military Merit Points
Frost Meditation Technique: 2,100 Military Merit Points
Combat Mastery and Saber Mastery: 3,000 Military Merit Points total
In addition, Qin Tian spent five hundred Military Merit Points to exchange for five hundred Hidden Kill Special Bullets.
The total came to 47,800 Military Merit Points. After the deduction, he had 24,200 Military Merit Points remaining.
Qin Tian planned to leave the rest untouched for now.
At present, the supplies he could exchange for—aside from knowledge-based goods such as cultivation techniques and martial skills—were all drawn from the local stock on Alpha-7 Star.
On this war-torn planet, supplies were scarce, and the selection available for exchange was relatively limited.
Qin Tian planned to wait until he reached a new planet, then check the local Military Department's store and exchange for items better suited to him.
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