High-level martial arts: I can choose Hextech equips.

Instead of rushing to reveal his plans, Lin Shuxuan asked in return:

What kind of ecosystem is the deep cave?

The only ecological zone he actually ventured into was Port Zero outside Xinhai City, a vast sea area that could only be entered with a prepared vessel, making the entry threshold extremely high.

Gong Yuan did not answer, but instead fell into deep thought, seemingly searching for the right adjective:

"That ecological zone exists in the concept that wherever there is an unknown, dark depth, such as a basement that you neglect to clean or even forget about, a deep cave will be born from there."

This is too exaggerated... Lin Shuxuan's teeth ached from listening to it; wouldn't deep caves be everywhere?

"It's not as exaggerated as you think."

Gong Yuan offered words of comfort:

"The basement is just a metaphor; the area required for the appearance of deep caves is still quite large."

Similar to spatial abilities, could the path of the deep cave also have similar functions...? This question flashed through Lin Shuxuan's mind, and he asked Gong Yuan, who confirmed his idea.

"Yes, weapons made from deep-sea monsters have the ability to fold space, but they are difficult to use. Often, the weapon successfully traverses space, but the user's body remains in place."

"I remember an experiment where severed limbs and broken pieces were scattered all over the ground."

At this point, a hint of pride appeared on Gong Yuan's face.

"Thanks to the erosion left by the deep cave, I am the only one in the Federation who can freely use deep cave weapons."

You're still proud of yourself after suffering such a near-fatal injury, right...? Lin Shuxuan was speechless. Gong Yuan's injuries were probably much more serious than he had shown.

They might even lose their composure in front of younger generations.

"You just said that a transcendent martial artist who can absorb the Dao of the Deep Cave can heal your corruption?"

Lin Shuxuan was testing him; this was an immense favor. If Gong Yuan's ailments were cured, he might be able to adopt Gong Yuan as his stepson!

"The Song family's judgment is based on their excellent medical skills; they are unlikely to lie, but it's meaningless."

Gong Yuan shook his head and offered this advice:

"The Federation has a very comprehensive understanding of the Deep Cave's shell, but there is one insurmountable barrier that it cannot overcome no matter what."

"A level 30 martial artist's physical strength is insufficient, and without a physical body, they cannot increase their level."

"Don't even think about it. Countless geniuses throughout history have attempted to contain the deep cave, and without exception, they have all been mutated into monsters within it. To succeed, you need at least a level 40 life energy level!"

Lin Shuxuan did not argue with Gong Yuan about this matter; he would just wait until he had saved enough money.

He left the office and fell into deep thought.

The cave's design allows it to appear in any large, dark corner.

Therefore, the city of Dibang is clearly a very suitable vehicle.

Both the hellish underground spaces and the black erosions crawling on the residents' bodies corroborate this point.

The federal leadership couldn't possibly be unaware of this, yet they chose to turn a blind eye.

Lin Shuxuan thought of the theory of information asymmetry;

Behind some seemingly absurd decisions lies information unknown to outsiders; whether or not they know this information will lead to vastly different conclusions.

Hopefully, at least the residents on the shallower floors can be rescued; in any case, their living conditions are truly appalling.

Attention returned to Tang Hao, who would obviously be attending the banquet tonight. It was just a matter of what he might find there that he could use to his advantage.

However, judging from the images revealed by the future vision, it may be related to a card game.

......

Step over the square-carved natural stone and pass through the lush and precious vegetation.

A three-story villa came into Lin Shuxuan's view.

The agate glass reflects the soft light, and a long dining table laden with fruit and desserts is set on the lawn in front of the villa; fine red wine and crystal-clear ham create a festive atmosphere.

Lin Shuxuan also saw an unexpected person.

"Hailanlan, what are you doing here?"

Amidst a group of classmates whispering and raising their wine glasses, Hai Lanlan buried her head in the dining table, pouncing on the food like a starving hunting dog.

"Lingyue said there's free dinner here and insisted that I come."

Her cheeks were puffed out, and she spoke like a hamster.

Was Ye Lingyue also invited? It seems this dinner party is quite large... Lin Shuxuan was about to advise Hai Lanlan to pay attention to table manners, but then he thought that if the foodie girl ate more now, she would get one less meal off him tomorrow.

"Don't you have a food storage bag? Bring it over and pack some more food to take with you."

Hai Lanlan suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly, indicating that Lin Shuxuan knew how to manage money, but then she felt a little embarrassed.

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate? I see that no one has eaten yet."

"Isn't it all going to waste because nobody's eating it?"

She left the banquet and went back to get her food storage bag.

Continuing towards the villa, Gong Yuan indicated that the invitation he received was for the second floor.

Just as I was about to step through the gate, someone called out to me.

"Lin Shuxuan, what are you doing here?"

Turning to face Jiang Yu, who was full of doubt, he was dressed in a suit and had a well-built physique, making him quite masculine and handsome.

"This is a banquet hosted by the third young master of the Tang family. Don't you and Tang Hao have a conflict? Why are you here?"

"Of course I'm here to cause trouble..." Lin Shuxuan thought to himself. He hadn't expected that the party Gong Yuan had sent him to was hosted by the Tang family. Wasn't this a trap?

He asked in return:

What are you doing here?

Could it be that they've come to collude with the enemy?

Jiang Yu's face showed a hint of embarrassment.

"I am Qin Feng's stepson. He sent me here, saying that we should get acquainted and just greet each other if we run into each other during the competition."

This is the circle of military academies. How can you win without strength? Lin Shuxuan didn't want to make any judgments about this, after all, the direct descendants of the Nine Clans have even more tricks up their sleeves.

After the previous cyberbullying incident, his relationship with Jiang Yu was briefly awkward, specifically Jiang Yu avoiding him when he saw him. However, young people tend to forget things, and the minor unpleasantness dissipated within two weeks.

"So why are they holding a banquet? It can't just be for you adopted sons of nine generations to get some recognition, right? Are they plotting how to deal with me?"

Jiang Yu's smile was somewhat awkward. He thought to himself that Lin Shuxuan's face wasn't that big, but he didn't say it out of consideration for his friend's pride.

"It's supposedly a social gathering for members of the nine clans, and we stepsons can only stay on the lawn."

"Don't you have an invitation? Come over here, there's a seat available. I'll introduce you to my new friend."

He politely declined Jiang Yu's offer, and amidst the other man's shocked gaze, he pushed open the villa door and handed the invitation to the maid.

I followed the maid, whose calves were wrapped in black stockings and whose hips swayed slightly, upstairs.

He understood Jiang Yu's good intentions. The adopted sons of the Nine Clans must be exceptionally strong. Defeating them in the competition would be far more valuable than defeating ordinary students. Becoming familiar with them would make it harder to take action against them.

Lin Shuxuan was constantly torn about what to do if he encountered Jiang Yu—whether to eliminate him on the spot or not. Fortunately, he never did, so he didn't have to face such a dilemma.

The footsteps slowed down and stopped in front of a thick sandalwood door.

The maid pushed open the heavy wooden door for him, and the first thing he smelled was a perfume scent. Lin Shuxuan was not knowledgeable enough to smell anything but a faint osmanthus fragrance, which was quiet and elegant.

Wooden shelves lined both sides of the room, filled with various porcelain, bronze, and jade items; in the center was a huge card table, where several young men and women idly played with the chips in front of them.

The lights were dimmed just right, gentle and soft, yet still allowing you to clearly see the expressions on everyone's faces.

Upon seeing Lin Shuxuan enter, they all looked at him simultaneously.

Lin Shuxuan realized that he knew most of the people in the room.

The two siblings from the Luo family: Tang Hao, whose face was deathly pale, and Zhou Tianyuan, whose face was handsome but whose Dragon Fist skills were superior to his.

There were only two people who didn't know each other.

A young man sat at the head of the card table, shirtless. What was particularly astonishing was that he had three black hearts on his body, with black veins flickering and pulsating with his breath.

He had handsome, well-proportioned features, but what was particularly striking was that his eyes were filled with pupils, densely packed, and constantly rolling.

A black heart, heterochromatic eyes—he was also a member of the Tang family, the eldest or second young master... Lin Shuxuan felt a stinging pain in his eyes; the opponent's strength was far greater than Tang Hao's.

Just by looking at the number of his hearts, you can tell how incredibly strong he is.

I shifted my gaze to another young man with an ethereal air.

Unlike the Tang family member with pupils full of light, his eyes were covered by a cloth, making him look as if he were about to fly away into the sky.

This person must have a lot in common with Ye Lingyue... Lin Shuxuan thought to himself, this otherworldly temperament is very similar to Shang Keyan, whom he had met before.

The blindfolded youth introduced himself with a smile:

"Merchants, merchants travel far."

Sure enough, all fortune tellers are so eccentric... Lin Shuxuan nodded in agreement.

Beside the card table, Luo Jiuge's expression changed from surprise to delight.

Just as he was about to make a sarcastic remark, he noticed that his younger sister got up and walked towards Lin Shuxuan.

"Idiot, what are you doing here? This is the Tang family's territory. Are you worried you haven't embarrassed yourself enough?"

After speaking in a low voice, she gently tugged at Lin Shuxuan's arm, but found it wouldn't budge.

Luo Jiuli was a little anxious.

"Don't think you're anything special just because you can play on Battle.net. Who cares about that except me?"

Having spiestified Lin Shuxuan's posts, she was naturally aware of his conflict with the Tang family. Based on the principle of protecting her younger brother, Luo Jiuli felt obligated to ensure that Lin Shuxuan was spared humiliation.

After all, the upcoming activities require substantial funding, and Lin Shuxuan's background is mediocre, making contact with him impossible.

Before the Tang family targeted me, your brother might have torn me to pieces... Lin Shuxuan glanced at Luo Jiuge, the sound of sharp teeth grinding was not quiet.

Luo Jiuge was so angry he almost ground his teeth to powder. He never expected that his younger sister and Lin Shuxuan's relationship had become so intimate.

Revenge, this is definitely revenge... Luo Jiuge felt a tightness in her chest, making it hard to breathe.

He never expected that Lin Shuxuan would be so vicious as to poison his sister.

Another question arose in her mind: what was it about this guy that made him so attractive? Her younger sister had never shown any interest in boys, so why was she paying special attention to him?

We must stop it!

She looked at her younger sister, Luo Jiuli, who had returned dejected after failing to persuade Lin Shuxuan and instead being scolded.

He said softly:

"Lin Shuxuan is a two-timing scumbag, don't be fooled by him!"

"Huh?" Luo Jiuli looked puzzled. "What nonsense are you spouting, you lunatic?"

Luo Jiuge's heart sank. He knew his younger sister's mischievous nature; the more she refused verbally, the more she secretly liked her.

But at this point, advice would only have the opposite effect, so he had to think of a solution.

Lin Shuxuan clearly understood Tang Hao's defeat from the images revealed by his future vision, which gave him some confidence.

The naked young man at the head of the table said loudly, "Guests are welcome. Gong Yuan and I have already greeted each other."

His voice was layered, like an echo carrying electricity.

"How about it? Want to play a few rounds?"

Lin Shuxuan looked down at the card table, where chips and playing cards were piled up, and quickly understood what the other party was doing.

gamble.

Before he could even agree, the blindfolded youth beside him refused on his behalf.

"Tang Qian, this isn't right. I've been preparing for this bet with you for a long time. How can I let an outsider take my place?"

Tang Qian laughed heartily upon hearing this:

"What's the rush, young man from the merchant's family? My brother here has a misunderstanding with Lin Shuxuan. Let's take this opportunity to clear it up at the card table, so we can avoid bloodshed off the table."

"We can start our bet after they've finished theirs."

Hearing Tang Qian say this, the blindfolded youth stopped arguing, but turned to look at Lin Shuxuan, his lips moving slightly.

Do not accept.

It was actually a sound transmission, which was far superior to Luo Jiuli's whisper.

However, since the merchant's business path falls under the category of wind, it's not surprising that it has such effects.

Amidst Tang Hao and Luo Jiuge's expectant yet mocking gazes, and Luo Jiuli's anxious expression indicating her refusal.

Lin Shuxuan accepted loudly:

"Okay, I was just thinking of playing a couple of rounds. How do we start?"

"He has guts!"

Tang Qian clapped his hands in delight and signaled Lin Shuxuan to change the chips.

"I guarantee with the Tang family's reputation that there will be no handling fees for the purchase and exchange of chips."

"Besides, our stakes aren't high, so feel free to play."

He paused for a moment before adding something.

"Oh, you need to use credits to buy it. If you don't have enough, I can lend you some."

Cherish life, stay away from gambling... These words flashed through Lin Shuxuan's mind. Tang Qian's words were barbed, subtly elevating Lin Shuxuan to a very high position.

At this point, it would be difficult to back out, as it would be hard to save face.

"I'm not very good at playing, let me exchange for 1000 credits first."

This amount is already quite high, but it's not enough for the descendants of the nine clans of the Federation.

But Tang Qian's expression remained unchanged:

"Of course, our stakes aren't high, they're more than enough."

Luo Jiuge, standing to the side, was stirring things up:

"Give us more, 1000 chips aren't enough to keep us playing!"

Ignoring his sister's elbow strike, he raised his voice and added:

"Give me another 1000 chips. If you win, it's yours; if you lose, it's on me."

Luo Jiuge had been involved in bars and casinos since she was 14 years old, and knew that without the restraint of her elders, she could easily lose all her money.

Gambling isn't afraid of you winning, it's only afraid of you not playing.

Even he, occasionally, gets so worked up at the card table that he often finds it hard to stop.

Lin Shuxuan came from a very ordinary family. Once he got to the gambling table and didn't know when to stop, it was only a matter of time before he lost everything.

"Then I'll accept it without further ado."

Lin Shuxuan cupped his hands in greeting to Luo Jiuge and took away another 1000-point chip.

Take a seat at the card table.

Across from him, Tang Hao, his face pale, stared intently at him.