Unique Rank Talent: First Entry into Secret of the Linked Cities!

Wang Xuan stared at the increasingly bright glimmer on the back of his hand for a full minute.

The noise of the Shanty Town still drilled into his ears, but he seemed unable to hear it.

"Time to go."

He spoke softly, as though saying it to his former self.

He had nothing to pack. The faded clothes on his back, the old shoes on his feet with soles nearly worn through, were all he owned. Oh, and the few remaining credit notes in his pocket.

He pulled open the door and walked out without looking back.

The Public Tower Gate was not too far from the Shanty Town, about a forty-minute walk. The road was crowded with people, all heading in the same direction. Most were young, their faces carrying expressions much like Wang Xuan's—nervousness, unease, and a numb sort of anticipation.

"Did you hear? Old Liu's son from East District went in yesterday. No idea what Talent he awakened, but he'd better not be like his old man and get some E-Rank Talent like Swift Step. Other than running a little faster, it's useless."

"E-Rank is already pretty good! Better than awakening nothing! My cousin went in last time and got jack shit. He wasted an opportunity for nothing."

"Yeah. The chances of awakening a Talent get worse every year. Once all five chances are used up, you really become disposable material... Fuck, just thinking about it is despairing."

"What can we do? People from the Longevity Families and Royal Clan enter as if they're going home. Resources, intelligence, cultivation manuals—they have whatever they want. What about us? We're just feeling our way across the river, and if we drown, we drown."

The surrounding discussions drifted into Wang Xuan's ears.

After walking for about half an hour, he arrived at the Tower Gate.

Even though he had seen countless pictures and descriptions in textbooks, Wang Xuan's breath still caught when he saw it in person.

That was not a "gate" at all.

It was a colossal curtain of light that filled his entire field of vision and stretched infinitely upward, as though connecting heaven and earth. Countless incomprehensible streams of light and runes flowed across its surface. It hummed faintly, radiating an authority that made one's soul tremble.

Before the curtain of light lay an incomparably vast platform, already packed with people. A sea of dark heads filled the area, everyone looking up at the light screen and waiting.

Wang Xuan squeezed into the crowd like a drop of water merging into the ocean.

The mark on the back of his hand grew hotter and hotter. Its glow had become steady, no longer flickering.

He had no idea how long he waited.

Then, suddenly, the curtain of light that pierced through heaven and earth trembled slightly.

A deep, majestic voice that seemed to ring directly inside everyone's mind spread outward.

Immediately afterward, the light near the bottom of the screen, close to the platform, softened and formed oval entrances large enough for one person to pass through.

"It's open!"

"The Tower Gate is open!"

"Charge!"

The crowd instantly erupted into chaos, surging toward the light gates like floodwaters bursting through a broken dam.

Wang Xuan was swept along by the human tide, forced forward against his will. In front of him was a tall, skinny young man muttering nonstop, "Bodhisattva, bless me, give me a Talent." Behind him was a short, plump girl who had already begun to cry in fright.

As he approached the light gate, Wang Xuan felt an invisible force sweep across his entire body.

It was gentle, yet impossible to resist.

The next moment, pure white light flooded his vision.

His body seemed to lose all weight as he hurtled through some sort of passage at high speed. A howling sound rang in his ears. No, it was not wind—it was the sound of countless streams of information passing by.

Amid that chaotic passage, a cold, mechanical, emotionless voice rang directly in the depths of his consciousness:

[Origin Earth Star lifeform detected. Age requirements met.]

[Heavens Tower entry authorization confirmed.]

[Talent awakening procedure initiated...]

[Scanning...]

[Scan complete.]

[Talent classification: Unique Rank.]

[Talent name: One-Click Max.]

[Talent ability ①: Defy Conservation! Unlocked.]

[Talent description: Ignore all requirements and bottlenecks of any cultivation technique. Instantly raise any skill, cultivation technique, or craft you possess to the maximum level permitted by the current world's rules. Negative effects attached to cultivation techniques will also be ignored. Cooldown: None. Cost: None.]

[Talent ability ②: Locked!]

[Talent ability ③: Locked!]

[Talent binding: Soul-exclusive.]

A simple interface appeared before Wang Xuan's "eyes."

At the very top were the words "Wang Xuan."

Below them was a line of flashing golden text: [Unique Rank Talent: One-Click Max].

At the request of many readers, a VIP membership ad-free feature is now available.

Below that were several lines of small text, exactly the same as what the mechanical voice had said.

"Unique Rank?"

"Only one of the three abilities has been unlocked, but the description of the first ability alone is already absurd. It completely defies common sense!"

"If I obtained the Sunflower Manual, wouldn't I be able to ignore self-castration and learn it directly?"

Wang Xuan froze. In martial arts worlds, there were countless Divine Arts and Ultimate Arts. Some were incredibly powerful, but learning them required paying a certain price.

At the same time, the textbooks only recorded Talents from E-Rank to A-Rank. In the past thousand years, no ordinary person had ever been heard of awakening an A-Rank Talent. Those were things only direct descendants of the Royal Clan and Longevity Families could possibly possess.

Unique Rank? He had never even heard of it!

Before he could think further, the mechanical voice sounded again:

[Talent awakening complete.]

[Welcome to the Heavens Tower.]

[First entry detected. World level locked: First Floor.]

[World classification: Low Martial Arts. Power limit: Xiantian.]

[Randomly assigning initial Plot World...]

[Assignment complete.]

[World name: Secret of the Linked Cities.]

[Time anchor: Ding Dian is trapped in Death Prison!]

[Teleportation beginning.]

Secret of the Linked Cities?

Wang Xuan's heart skipped a beat. Wasn't that the novel he had read in his previous life?

In this world, information about the specific Plot Worlds within the Heavens Tower was restricted by its rules and could not be widely spread or discussed. Ordinary people who entered were truly left in the dark, relying entirely on blind luck.

But he knew Secret of the Linked Cities!

He knew the general plot, knew who was in it, and knew where martial arts manuals might be found!

This was the information advantage brought by being a transmigrator!

However, he immediately recalled a note from the textbooks: there were rumors that the Longevity Families and Royal Clan possessed some method of partially bypassing the rules of this "information blockade." That was why their people could always find the benefits with precision.

No wonder they can monopolize everything... Wang Xuan sneered inwardly.

There was no time to think.

The white light flashed intensely again before vanishing abruptly.

His feet landed on solid ground, and Wang Xuan felt gravity once more.

At the same time, air carrying the scent of earth, livestock, and faint cooking smoke rushed into his nostrils.

He opened his eyes.

Before him was an old bluestone-paved street. Low earthen and wooden houses lined both sides, their cloth signs bearing words like "Wine," "Tea," and "Inn." Pedestrians came and went, dressed in coarse linen. Some carried shoulder poles, while others led donkeys and horses, all shouting and bustling.

The sunlight was somewhat harsh.

Wang Xuan lowered his head to inspect himself. He was still wearing the same old clothes, but their style seemed to have automatically adapted to the era. He looked like a down-and-out scholar or peddler, nothing too conspicuous.

He reached into a corner of his clothing's inner lining.

Something hard. A small lump.

It was still there.

Over three years, he had secretly worked odd jobs and painstakingly saved credit points to obtain ten taels of silver through Black Market trading.

Precious metals on Origin Earth Star had long been monopolized. Gold and silver could not even be seen on the market, much less purchased. As for where the silver on the Black Market came from, he had heard it was brought out of Plot Worlds by the previous batch of Players.

This was his initial capital in this world, his only support for breaking the deadlock.

The surrounding light gates continued to flash as one young person after another appeared on the street, dressed normally yet all carrying the unmistakable aura of outsiders.

Some looked around blankly. Some excitedly glanced everywhere. Others had already gathered together to whisper among themselves.

Meanwhile, the original "ancient people" on the street continued as before. The pancake sellers kept hawking their wares, and the travelers kept walking, completely ignoring these suddenly appearing newcomers.

That was the rule of the Heavens Tower.

The arrival of these "Players" had been made into a natural part of the world's background.

Wang Xuan took a deep breath and suppressed his quickening heartbeat.

First, get money... No, he already had money, though not much.

First, gather intelligence. Figure out exactly where in the plot he was and which town this was.

Second, and most importantly, find martial arts! Find martial arts he could learn!

He touched the hard ten taels of silver in his robe.

"Ten taels of silver is a bit little for starting capital... But with my Talent," Wang Xuan glanced at the Talent description interface visible only to him, "it should be enough for me to get off to a fast start."

If you think this book is good and don't want to lose it next time, remember to add it to your bookshelf.

At the request of many readers, a VIP membership ad-free feature is now available.