Locke: I rely on intelligence to dominate the world and ensure the survival of my nation.

The next morning, Lin Chen led his team and set off.

Instead of using the public entrance to the Genos Deep Sea, they walked east along the coastline for about forty minutes until they arrived at a desolate rocky outcrop.

"There's nothing here." Wang Hao stepped on the slippery rocks and looked around.

Su Muxue squatted down, reached out and touched a boulder covered with barnacles, her brows furrowing slightly: "The distribution of these barnacles is unnatural, as if they were arranged by someone."

Lin Chen opened the system interface.

The white intelligence he exchanged for yesterday using 5 intelligence points is now transformed into a precise coordinate point, hovering in the very center of his field of vision. The coordinates point to this giant rock.

"Take three steps back."

The three people retreated at the same time.

Lin Chen took out a Grass-type badge from his backpack and held it above his head. Emerald green light shone from the badge, illuminating the boulder.

The air above the boulder began to distort.

Like an invisible mirror being shattered, cracks spread from the center of the boulder outwards, and pieces peeled off, revealing the true scene behind it.

A pitch-black hole.

The cave entrance was about two meters in diameter, with smooth edges as if it had been washed by water for millions of years. A damp, salty wind blew out from the depths of the cave, making the hems of the three people's clothes flutter.

"This is..." Wang Hao's eyes widened.

"The hidden entrance to the deep sea of ​​Genos." Lin Chen put away his badge and was the first to step inside. "Follow me."

The passageways inside the cave were narrower than expected; in the narrowest places, one could only pass sideways. The rock walls were covered with glowing moss, emitting a faint blue light that barely illuminated the way ahead.

The air was getting more and more humid, and the stones underfoot were becoming increasingly slippery.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, the passage suddenly opened up.

A huge underground cave appeared before the three of them.

The cave's dome is so high that the top cannot be seen, and countless glowing stalactites hang down from above like an inverted galaxy. The ground is a flat rock platform, at the end of which is a bottomless pool of water, the surface of which shimmers with a faint blue fluorescent light.

Genos Deep Sea.

It's not the shallow sea area at the public entrance that Zhao Tianyu blocked off, but the real, hidden deep-sea ruins.

Su Muxue looked around, her eyes shining brighter than the glowing moss: "This is the Genos Deep Sea?"

"It's the second level." Lin Chen checked the coordinates in his mind. "The hidden cave is even deeper."

They crossed the rocky platform and continued deeper along a path along the edge of the pool.

After walking for another ten minutes, a huge stone gate appeared in front of us.

Ancient patterns were carved on the stone door, resembling totems of some kind of aquatic pet. Blue light shone through the cracks in the door, flickering like the rhythm of a heartbeat.

"This is it." Lin Chen stepped forward and placed his hand on the stone door.

The stone gate slowly opened.

The space behind the door wasn't large, only about ten square meters. But what was inside made Wang Hao gasp in shock.

Five intermediate-level Gulu balls were neatly arranged on the stone platform, the metal buckles on their surfaces reflecting a cold luster in the blue light.

Next to it was a transparent glass bottle containing a skill stone that emitted a deep blue light.

Next to the skill stone was a bulging bag of Locke's Coins.

Lin Chen stepped forward and counted the items one by one.

"Received: Intermediate Gulu Ball x5"

"Obtained: Water-type skill stone [Water Strike]".

"Received: 1000 Rock Bays"

The intermediate-level Gulu Ball has a 30% higher capture success rate than the regular Gulu Ball. Five of them are enough for them to capture a complete water-type team in the deep sea.

With 1,000 Lockheeds, plus what he had saved before, his total assets were approaching 2,000. This amount of money is definitely a huge sum among current players.

But what really caught Lin Chen's attention was that skill stone.

Water strike.

Water-based physical skill, power 90, with the following effect: after dealing damage, there is a 20% chance to reduce the target's defense level.

It has a power of 90 and also has a defense-breaking effect.

This is a core damage-dealing skill for the mid-game Water-type characters, obtainable only by completing high-difficulty dungeons. And now, it's in Lin Chen's palm, radiating a warm blue light.

Lin Chen turned around and handed the skill stone to Su Muxue.

"Put it on Bobola."

Su Muxue was stunned for a moment.

Popora is her water-type pet, evolved from Aquamarine, and is currently just over level 30. It has good potential, but has always lacked a powerful offensive skill. The appearance of Water Strike perfectly fills this gap.

"Are you sure?" Su Muxue took the skill stone, her fingers trembling slightly. "This skill stone is worth at least five thousand Locke's worth on the current market."

"Confirmed." Lin Chen's tone was calm. "Your Pidgey is our main water-type damage dealer. If it's stronger, the whole team is stronger."

Su Muxue looked at him, her lips moved, but in the end she didn't say anything.

She pressed the skill stone onto Popola's Gulu Ball, and a deep blue light merged into the ball, adding a line of golden text to Popola's skill bar.

Water strike.

Power 90.

Wang Hao muttered sourly from the side, "Brother Chen, when are you going to get one for me too?"

"Wait until you've mastered the controls for Magic Cat before we talk about it."

Wang Hao shut up.

For the next two days, Lin Chen led his team to level up like crazy in the hidden area of ​​Genos Deep Sea.

He found a safe leveling spot marked by the intelligence system—a ring of water surrounded by coral reefs, where the monsters that spawned were between level 25 and 30, with low attack power but very high experience points.

The best place for water-type pets to level up.

With the addition of water attacks, Su Muxue's Popola's damage output has increased significantly.

Each water strike can take away nearly half the health of a monster of the same level.

With Gran Seed's crowd control and Magic Cat's sustain, the three-person team's leveling efficiency is ridiculously high.

Popola's experience bar was growing at a visible rate.

Level 30.

Level 32.

Level 34.

Level 36.

As the experience bar filled up for the last time, a dazzling deep blue light exploded from Popola's body.

Its body stretched and expanded rapidly in the light. Its originally rounded body became slender and elegant, its tail forked into two streamlined fins, and a single, crystal-clear horn grew from the top of its head. Its skin changed from light blue to a deep, azure blue, and its scales shimmered with a water-like luster.

"Popola has evolved into Water Spirit."

Su Muxue squatted down and gently stroked Shui Ling's head.

Shui Ling let out a soft chirp and rubbed her wet nose against her palm.

Su Muxue didn't say anything to thank him, but there was something new in her eyes when she looked at Lin Chen.

Meanwhile, the Genos Deep Sea Public Entrance.

Zhao Tianyu's face was colder than the water of the deep sea.

"It's been two days." His voice was low, but everyone could hear the barely contained anger. "You're telling me, two days have passed, and we haven't even seen a trace of Lin Chen?"