I dominated the game from the start with cards.

The flickering firelight illuminated the wary faces of Li Xuan and Mu Yang. The rustling sound grew closer, and finally, a figure slowly emerged from the darkness. The newcomer was tall, carrying a large backpack and holding a sharp longsword. He visibly paused upon seeing the two by the campfire, then raised his hands to indicate he meant no harm. "Don't be nervous, I mean no harm," the man's voice was low and hoarse, tinged with weariness. Li Xuan and Mu Yang remained vigilant, maintaining their fighting stances, their weapons gripped tightly. "Who are you?" Li Xuan asked coldly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the newcomer. "My name is Lin Yu, also a beginner explorer," the man quickly explained, "I just wanted to find a safe place to rest." Li Xuan and Mu Yang exchanged a glance, still not lowering their weapons. In this perilous, infinite-flow space, anyone could be a potential enemy. "Where did you come from?" Mu Yang asked. "I just escaped from an extremely difficult level," Lin Yu pointed behind him, "It was teeming with mutated creatures; I almost didn't make it back." Li Xuan noticed Lin Yu's tattered clothes and numerous wounds, indicating he had indeed been through a fierce battle. "Are you alone?" Li Xuan continued to ask. Lin Yu nodded, "My teammates... are all dead." His tone carried a hint of sadness and helplessness. Li Xuan and Mu Yang were silent for a moment. In this cruel world, losing teammates was commonplace; they had experienced such pain themselves. "Are you also here to escape Zhao Hu?" Lin Yu asked cautiously. Hearing the name "Zhao Hu," Li Xuan and Mu Yang's expressions turned serious. It seemed Zhao Hu's infamy had spread throughout the entire Infinite Flow space. "We just dealt with Zhao Hu," Li Xuan said calmly, "He's no longer a threat." Lin Yu's face showed surprise, "You... you actually defeated Zhao Hu?" Li Xuan didn't answer, only smiled slightly. Just then, a groan came from not far away. Li Xuan and Mu Yang immediately turned to look and saw it was Sister Wu. Sister Wu had been injured in the previous battle, and although she had received simple bandaging, her wound was still throbbing. Lin Yu also noticed Sister Wu and quickly went over. "You're injured?" Sister Wu nodded, her face a little pale. Lin Yu took out some healing medicine from his backpack. "These are for you." Sister Wu took the medicine and looked at Lin Yu gratefully. "Thank you." Lin Yu smiled. "You're welcome. We're all explorers; helping each other is only right." Looking at Lin Yu's concerned eyes, Sister Wu felt a surge of warmth in her heart. In this cold world, a stranger's care was especially precious. Lin Yu and Sister Wu began to talk, and the atmosphere gradually warmed up. Li Xuan and Mu Yang, on the other hand, silently observed Lin Yu from the side, still maintaining a slight wariness. “Oh, right,” Lin Yu suddenly seemed to remember something, “I think I heard… someone calling for help.” He paused, his eyes darting around as if trying to recall, “The sound was very faint, like it was coming from a very far place.” Sister Wu also listened carefully, but heard nothing but the sound of the wind and the rustling of leaves. “I didn’t hear anything.” She shook her head and looked at Li Xuan and Mu Yang, seeking their judgment. Li Xuan and Mu Yang also said they hadn’t heard any unusual sounds. Mu Yang pondered for a moment and analyzed, “Maybe it’s an illusion caused by the wind. The magnetic field in this area is not very stable, which can easily cause auditory hallucinations.” Lin Yu frowned, seemingly unsure. “But… I clearly heard it…” he muttered to himself, a hint of unease flashing in his eyes. Li Xuan patted his shoulder and comforted him, “Don’t worry, if someone really needs help, we will do our best. The most important thing now is to rest and recover your strength.” Lin Yu nodded, accepting Li Xuan’s advice. The group sat around the campfire and began to eat a simple meal. With the help of the special medicine provided by Lin Yu, Sister Wu's injuries have improved, and her complexion has regained some color. She looked at Lin Yu gratefully, and the two talked in hushed tones, the atmosphere warm and harmonious.

Lin Yu's humorous conversation frequently made Sister Wu chuckle, gradually dispelling her previous tension and unease. Li Xuan, observing the harmonious atmosphere between the two, also smiled slightly. He was pleased to see Sister Wu emerge from her previous trauma. However, when his gaze shifted to the flickering flames, his smile vanished. The firelight flickered in his deep pupils, reflecting the pain and hatred deep within his heart. The horrific scene of his sect's annihilation resurfaced in his mind: raging fire engulfing familiar buildings, the corpses of his fellow disciples lying scattered on the ground, blood staining the earth… those scenes were etched deeply into his mind like a brand, indelible. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his flesh, yet felt no pain. He secretly vowed to find the mastermind behind it all and avenge his fallen brothers! Night deepened, and all around fell silent. Li Xuan leaned against a large tree, closing his eyes to rest. Mu Yang and Lin Yu took turns keeping watch, vigilantly observing their surroundings. Sister Wu, wrapped in a blanket, was fast asleep. Li Xuan wasn't truly asleep; he was merely gathering strength, preparing for a new challenge. He activated his mental perception ability again, an invisible energy emanating from his body, probing his surroundings. Suddenly, he sensed unusual energy fluctuations, like some hidden resource points. These resource points were scattered in different locations, some on the surface, others hidden underground. "Found them..." Li Xuan thought to himself, a barely perceptible smile appearing on his lips. These resource points might be helpful for their upcoming challenges. He opened his eyes and looked into the distance. The earth, shrouded in night, was silent, yet concealed countless dangers and opportunities. "Mu Yang," Li Xuan softly woke Mu Yang, who was on watch, "we should set off..." Li Xuan opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and the faint light of dawn pierced through the branches and leaves, casting dappled patterns on the ground. He got up and stretched, showing no signs of fatigue despite not having slept all night; on the contrary, he was full of energy. Mu Yang had already extinguished the fire, and Lin Yu was also awake, whispering something to Sister Wu. "Good morning," Li Xuan greeted simply. "What did you find?" Mu Yang keenly noticed the glint in Li Xuan's eyes and asked directly. He knew Li Xuan; such an expression usually meant he had discovered some important information. Li Xuan didn't hide anything and told the two about the hidden resource point he had sensed the previous night. "My spiritual perception detected some abnormal energy fluctuations nearby, which are very likely hidden resource points." Upon hearing this, Lin Yu immediately perked up. "Resource points? Those are good things! What kind of treasures can we get?" He rubbed his hands excitedly, his face full of anticipation. Sister Wu also showed interest; she knew that the importance of resources in the Infinite Flow Space was self-evident. At this moment, Old Zhou also woke up, heard their conversation, and came over. "Resource point? Little Li, are you sure?" Li Xuan nodded and described the approximate location of the resource point. Old Zhou pondered for a moment, "If it really is a resource point, it will be of great help to our upcoming challenges. Why don't we explore it together?" Everyone agreed. So, led by Old Zhou, they set off in the direction Li Xuan indicated. Along the way, Li Xuan constantly used his mental perception ability to confirm the direction and avoid potential dangers. He found that his mental perception ability seemed more acute than before, and his detection range was also wider. After walking for about an hour, they arrived at a secluded valley. A thin layer of mist permeated the valley, giving it a mysterious feel. Li Xuan's mental perception ability was even more active here; he could clearly sense that the valley contained abundant energy. "It's here," Li Xuan said, pointing to a clearing in the center of the valley. The group cautiously approached and found an ancient stone platform in the clearing, with some strange symbols carved on it. Old Zhou carefully observed these symbols, his brow furrowed, "These symbols... I feel like I've seen them somewhere before..." Suddenly, the symbols on the stone platform emitted a dazzling light, and then the ground began to tremble, and a hidden entrance slowly appeared before them. "Looks like this is the entrance to the resource point," Mu Yang said calmly. Upon entering, they found themselves in a vast underground space. The space was filled with all sorts of supplies: weapons, equipment, medicine, food… everything imaginable. "We're rich!" Lin Yu shouted excitedly. Li Xuan wasn't blinded by the sight before him. He carefully observed his surroundings and discovered some clues. These clues indicated that this infinite flow space wasn't naturally formed, but artificially created. "This… seems to be a huge experimental field…" Li Xuan muttered to himself. Just as they were preparing to explore further, Li Xuan suddenly sensed a powerful energy fluctuation coming from afar. He immediately became alert and warned everyone to be careful. Almost simultaneously, the infinite flow space symbols on their wrists lit up, and a cold, mechanical voice sounded in their ears: "The first level is about to begin. Please prepare…" Li Xuan gripped his dagger tightly, his gaze resolute. "It seems the real challenge has only just begun…" He looked at his companions beside him, his expression grave. Old Zhou patted his shoulder and whispered, "Be careful." "The symbols on this stone platform seem to be some kind of ancient code." Li Xuan stroked the cold stone, his eyes gleaming with contemplation. His fingers moved slowly along the uneven symbols, his spiritual perception subtly probing, attempting to decipher the hidden information. Old Zhou stared at the symbols, trying to search his memory for similar information. "I seem to have seen similar symbols in some ancient books, but I can't quite recall what they are." "Let me try." Li Xuan closed his eyes, concentrating his spiritual power on the stone platform. Countless fragmented pieces of information flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern. Suddenly, an image solidified in his mind: a tattered ancient book, recording an ancient mechanical technique. Li Xuan abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze flashing with excitement. "I know! It's an ancient mechanical lock; you need to touch the symbols in a specific order to open it." He touched several symbols in the order that appeared in his mind. As the last symbol was touched, the stone platform made a slight click, and a hidden compartment slowly opened, revealing several exquisite pieces of equipment and a parchment scroll. "Wow, these are rare-level equipment!" Lin Yu excitedly picked up a gleaming dagger, admiring it closely. Sister Wu picked up a bottle of healing potion, examined it carefully, and exclaimed with delight, "This is a high-level healing potion; it could save your life in a pinch!"

Li Xuan picked up the sheepskin scroll and slowly unrolled it.

The scroll contained information about the Infinite Flow Space and some survival tips. One description of "mirror image" caught his attention. "Mirror image… could it mean I'll encounter another version of myself in this space?" Li Xuan wondered, a sense of unease creeping in. Having amassed a rich resource point, the group confidently prepared to return to their resting place. However, just then, the Infinite Flow Space indicator on their wrists lit up, and a cold, mechanical voice rang in their ears: "The first level is about to open. All novice explorers, please proceed to the designated location." "Looks like our rest time is over," Mu Yang said calmly, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes. Old Zhou patted Li Xuan's shoulder, saying earnestly, "Little Li, the challenges ahead will be even more dangerous. You must remain vigilant at all times." Li Xuan nodded; he understood Old Zhou's concerns. The levels of the Infinite Flow Space were fraught with unknown dangers; a slight misstep could cost them their lives. Following the instructions, the group arrived at the level's entrance. The entrance was a massive stone door, surrounded by a mysterious aura that sent chills down their spines. The stone gate was carved with grotesque patterns, like demons from hell, baring their fangs and claws, eager to devour everything. "Ready?" Li Xuan took a deep breath and looked at his companions. "Ready," Mu Yang, Lin Yu, and Sister Wu answered in unison, their eyes filled with determination and resolve. Li Xuan stepped through the stone gate first, the others following closely behind. As soon as they entered, the light suddenly dimmed, and everything around them was shrouded in a mist, so dark they couldn't see their own hands. Li Xuan felt a chill wash over him, and a nameless fear spread through him. He gripped his dagger tightly, warily scanning his surroundings. Suddenly, he sensed something approaching from behind…