Seeing this, Lin Hanzhou's breathing quickened.
Talent!
That was the good stuff.
In this high-martial world of Blue Star, talent almost determined the height of a person's lifelong achievements.
He himself had suffered greatly because of his D-grade talent.
And now, the system was telling him that every time he crossed over, he had a chance to gain an entirely new talent?!
Other people could have at most one talent in their entire lives, while in theory, he could have an unlimited number.
Even if he drew the most useless green talent, it was still better than nothing—like getting something for free.
And if he drew a powerful blue talent, or even the purple and golden talents he might be able to draw in the future, he'd practically take off on the spot.
"Ha ha ha..."
Lin Hanzhou finally couldn't hold back his excitement and laughed softly.
Cultivation, points, the shop... These were all important, of course, but this "Dream Talent" function was the true core of the system!
It was his greatest reliance in breaking free of the shackles of his fate and ascending to the peak of the myriad worlds!
He couldn't help looking forward to his next dream crossing with immense anticipation.
Lin Hanzhou took a deep breath, forcibly calming his turbulent emotions, then withdrew his consciousness from the system space.
He glanced at the electronic alarm clock on his bedside table. The deep blue LCD screen clearly displayed a string of numbers:
[07:30]
Seven thirty in the morning.
Lin Hanzhou's pupils contracted slightly.
He clearly remembered crossing into the Dream World at around midnight last night.
And now, it was only the next morning.
"I lived an entire hundred and fifty-one years in the Great Sui world..."
"Here, only one night has passed?"
This discovery shocked him even more than breaking through to the second-tier Qi Gathering Realm.
Was this the system's mighty power?
It could actually distort the flow of time between different worlds to such an inconceivable degree.
He slowly stood up, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains.
Blinding sunlight poured in, making him squint instinctively.
Outside was the familiar sight of a modern city.
Skyscrapers soared into the clouds, their smooth, mirrorlike alloy exteriors reflecting the sunlight.
In the air, futuristic-looking hovercars traveled in orderly streams along designated magnetic tracks.
Farther away, soldiers stood guard along the edge of the city's protective shield.
It all stood in stark contrast to the backward Great Sui Dynasty in his memories.
A powerful sense of dislocation welled up in him again.
After thinking it over, Lin Hanzhou simply decided to stop dwelling on it.
He knew he had to prepare for his next dream crossing as soon as possible.
The Luo Heaven Art he was currently cultivating only went as far as the peak of the second-tier Qi Gathering Realm.
He had already entered the second tier, so he would definitely need to buy the subsequent cultivation techniques.
He also needed a secret art that could enhance his combat strength, so he could cut loose and kill in the Dream World.
With that in mind, he changed into a clean set of casual clothes, took the Federation credits he had saved over the years, and went out.
Walking through the bustling, high-tech streets, Lin Hanzhou couldn't help sighing again.
Who could have imagined that just over ten hours ago, he had been an ancient emperor who needed a full imperial entourage to go anywhere?
This feeling of being thrown out of time was truly wondrous.
His destination was clear: "Heavenly Treasure Chamber of Commerce," Lin'an City's largest martial artist trading center.
The Heavenly Treasure Chamber of Commerce was a major commercial organization renowned throughout the Great Xia Federation.
Its branches were spread across the major cities, and its business covered everything related to martial arts, including cultivation techniques, pills, and rare treasures.
Half an hour later, Lin Hanzhou arrived at the entrance of the Heavenly Treasure Chamber of Commerce.
It was an enormous ring-shaped building, constructed entirely from some unknown white jade. It looked both classical and imposing.
As soon as he entered the main hall, a smiling sales associate came over to greet him.
"Good morning, sir. How may I help you?"
The main hall was bustling with people.
All kinds of goods floated inside transparent energy barriers.
There were gleaming swords, bottles of pills wafting with a rich medicinal fragrance, and ores radiating faint spiritual energy...
If this had been the old Lin Hanzhou, he would have been thrilled by the dazzling array of treasures before him.
But now, he felt nothing.
After all, everything here was also available in the system shop in his mind, and the quality there was no worse—if anything, it was better.
It was just that system points were precious and had to be spent where they mattered most.
If money could solve a problem, then he should do his best to use money.
"I need the third- to fifth-tier continuation of the Luo Heaven Art, as well as a secret art that can boost my combat strength."
Lin Hanzhou was direct and got straight to the point.
A trace of surprise flashed through the sales associate's eyes.
Lin Hanzhou looked young, yet he wanted techniques for the third to fifth tiers. That was quite ambitious.
And secret arts that enhanced combat strength were trump cards used to stake one's life at critical moments. They came at a steep price.
Did this young man, who looked only eighteen, really have such wealth and nerve?
But she was highly professional and asked no questions. She simply smiled and led Lin Hanzhou to the cultivation technique section on the second floor.
"Sir, the complete printed edition of the continuation of the Luo Heaven Art costs eight hundred thousand Federation credits."
"As for secret arts that enhance combat strength, we have many kinds. One with relatively few side effects is..."
"I'll take this one."
Lin Hanzhou pointed without hesitation at the copy of the Profound-grade, low-tier Three Reverse Pulse Styles displayed at the far end.
He had chosen this secret art because it was inexpensive and offered the best value for money.
Although using it came at a great cost, he only needed to use it in the Dream World.
The Dream World would inherit his cultivation, but not his negative conditions.
After settling on the two techniques, Lin Hanzhou paid by card without hesitation.
He carried two exquisitely packaged boxes and turned to leave.
In a VIP room on the second floor, screened off by a one-way light curtain, a pair of beautiful eyes watched Lin Hanzhou's departing figure.
The girl looked about seventeen or eighteen. She wore a white dress, and her beauty was stunning, her bearing cool and distant.
Holding a cup of tea, she spoke calmly.
"Look into that young man's background."
"Miss, is something wrong?"
An elderly man beside her asked respectfully.
"He's eighteen, at the second-tier Qi Gathering Realm, yet he's wearing the most ordinary street-market clothes."
"Don't you find that interesting?"
The girl—Zhang Yiran, the young mistress of the Heavenly Treasure Chamber of Commerce—curved her lips in an amused smile.
"Eighteen, and already at the second tier?!"
"This... This is enough to call him a prodigy!"
"When did Lin'an City produce someone like this?"
The old man was stunned.
"That's why I'm curious."
Zhang Yiran rested her chin on her hand. A hint of curiosity entered her gaze as she watched Lin Hanzhou.
"Yes, Miss."
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