Illusionist

Opening the interface first, the stats that popped up left Chen Guan stunned.

Name: Chen Guan

Identity: First-year student at Huaqing Academy

Ability: Toughness

Special Skills: Basic Physical Art Mastery (White), Heavy Weapon Mastery (Green), Basic Scythe Technique (Green), Breath Concealment (Green), Basic Meditation (White)

Attributes:

Strength: 15.3

Stamina: 10.2

Agility: 5.5

Intelligence: 2

Spirit: 20.4

Popularity Points: 25368

Except for Intelligence, every other stat had seen a slight increase. Only then did Chen Guan realize that White Tiger's investment had already begun.

That pill was not just for healing; the excess medicinal efficacy had directly boosted his stats by a significant margin.

No wonder his body felt so warm and comfortable. So this was the reason...

He stopped dwelling on it and considered how to use his Popularity Points. First, he needed to cover his weaknesses.

Redeem 2.5 free attribute points and put them all into Agility.

With his Agility raised to 8, in an instant, whether it was just a psychological effect or not, Chen Guan felt his body become much lighter. His precise control over his body noticeably strengthened, and even his reaction speed seemed a fraction faster.

Though he still could not be considered fast, it was at least no longer a glaring burden.

As for Spirit, Chen Guan did want to add points to it, but unfortunately, raising it by one point now cost ten thousand points instead of the original one thousand. His spirit was willing, but his wallet was lacking.

As for attributes between 10 and 20, raising them by a single point cost 5,000 Popularity Points, which made Chen Guan wince at the expense.

It seemed that compared to relying on point allocation, leveling up on his own was the real way to go.

Chen Guan first bought something he had his eyes on for a long time. Redeem Spirit Meditation Method (Green).

This meditation method was a higher tier than the white Basic Meditation. It could more effectively increase his spiritual strength, resilience, and recovery speed, helping him better control gray energy. Furthermore, it only cost 3,000 Popularity Points, which seemed quite affordable to him right now.

Afterward, he spent another three thousand to upgrade his physical arts to green. With another thousand gone, he unlocked the forum function. At this point, he only had 15,868 Popularity Points left.

Chen Guan's gaze finally landed on the Abilities section.

Spiritual Ability: Illusionist

Effect: Capable of sensory deception, creating virtual memories and emotions. Advanced users can achieve reality overwriting and create shared dreams.

Price: 15,000 Popularity Points

It was expensive, nearly emptying his pockets.

But... it was very strong.

Chen Guan ultimately chose to buy it. His strongest attribute was Spirit, so naturally, purchasing a spiritual ability would yield better results than others.

Although the Illusionist ability looked strong, it heavily relied on the user. When facing someone with stronger spiritual power, it was practically useless and could only be used to bully the weak. That was probably why it was priced relatively cheaply.

Redemption successful! Deducting 15,000 Popularity Points. Remaining Popularity Points: 868.

A torrent of information, vastly larger than any before, instantly flooded deep into Chen Guan's consciousness.

It was different from a passively strengthening ability like Toughness, and different from the memory infusion of techniques like Basic Physical Arts.

The inheritance of the Illusionist felt more like a peculiar domain being carved directly into the depths of his mind, instilling countless pieces of knowledge regarding spiritual fluctuations, sensory deception, subconscious guidance, the weaving of memory fragments, and even dream construction.

In a daze, Chen Guan felt as if he had become a man of a thousand faces, simultaneously experiencing countless false memories, before pulling away in an instant and restoring his absolute self-awareness.

This method of inheritance allowed him to grasp the operational basics of the Illusionist ability within just a few breaths, but it was still only the basics.

True illusions required a precise grasp of human nature and the target's psychology, as well as exquisite control over one's own spiritual power. All of these required extensive practice to refine.

Simply put, he needed to grind for proficiency.

Fortunately, his high Spirit attribute of 20.4, along with the newly redeemed Spirit Meditation Method (Green), gave him a starting point in understanding this knowledge that far exceeded ordinary people.

He felt that the clump of gray mist in his spiritual world also seemed to be affected by the Illusionist ability, becoming increasingly agile and faintly aligning with the illusory nature of the ability itself.

With this, I finally have a means of attack that doesn't rely so heavily on brute force... Chen Guan felt slightly reassured.

He had actually considered redeeming some sort of self-destruct ability, but that presented another problem. His main body would be behind it, and if a single explosion didn't kill the enemy, he would be doomed. Moreover, the power would be uncontrollable, making it unsuitable for his current situation.

Buying range? Range was similar to points; it would inflate like a takeout discount coupon, making it not very cost-effective. Furthermore, Chen Guan really didn't feel at ease letting Old Me get too far away from him.

Although he only had 868 Popularity Points left, he felt that he was currently more than a notch stronger than before he entered the ruins.

The three-day period passed in a flash, and the seven of them took the Cloud-Piercing Shuttle back to the academy.

Instructor Zhao Tie remained silent the entire journey. Only upon arriving at the academy did he say a few brief words before gesturing for everyone to dismiss.

Returning to the familiar campus, surrounded by sunlight and bustling noise, the tension from the ruins finally eased a little.

Chen Guan.

Before parting, An Changqing called out to him, Rest well after you get back. As for the matter concerning White Tiger... I will handle it carefully.

Thank you, Chen Guan nodded.

An Changqing's underlying meaning was that he would try his best to downplay Chen Guan's presence, which was naturally a good thing for him.

Long Ao walked over and said nothing. He just raised his hand and patted Chen Guan's shoulder forcefully, the strength so great that it made Chen Guan sway.

If you need anything in the future, come find me at 302.

With that, he strutted away.

Su Yuehe looked as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. Ultimately, she just softly told him to rest well before following An Changqing away.

Li Yuqing, Huo Qixing, and Liu Xiao also came over to say their goodbyes. Li Yuqing still had her hearty demeanor, as if the thrills of the Misty Manor were just a minor interlude. Junior Chen Guan, let's cooperate again if we have the chance next time. You're quite reliable.

Huo Qixing pushed his glasses up and revealed a rare, gentle smile. Take care.

Liu Xiao's face was still somewhat pale, but he nodded at Chen Guan. Although I don't know what you did, you sent that monster away, so I owe you a favor. If you need anything, you can come find me in the second year. Also, my younger brother seems to have caused you some trouble. I will have a chat with him later.

That won't be necessary, Chen Guan shook his head. Through the forum, he already knew that Liu Feiyu did not seem simple.

At the very least, he wasn't just some troublemaking punk.

Liu Xiao didn't say anything more. He turned and left, his back looking somewhat lonely. Failing to get the alchemy blueprint was a heavy blow to him.

Returning to the familiar Green Bamboo Courtyard, Chen Guan did not rest immediately. Instead, he sat cross-legged and inspected himself.

After attempting to activate the Illusionist ability, the clump of gray mist in his spiritual world became more solid, gaining a hint of a shifting, transformative quality.

He attempted to channel a sliver of mental energy to cast a basic visual illusion, making a pen on the desk appear as if it were levitating in mid-air.