Fang Zhouās philosophy of cultivating through spending was no empty boast. He knew that on the path of Cultivation, the importance of resources was self-evident.
The next chance to earn such a substantial amount of contribution points would likely not come until after the Corrosive Poison Series Skill Tree was fully perfected. For this very reason, he couldnāt spend all 4,000 contribution points on stone gambling. He had to reserve a large portion for other potential Cultivation Resources.
After formulating a clear budget, Fang Zhou began to carefully scrutinize each stone, continuously eliminating and filtering his choices.
This stone, black with star-like specks, looks unique on the surface. But its flat, pancake-like shape means that even if thereās a Marvel inside, it canāt be very large.
This black stone is dazzling, but itās only the size of a fist. If it really contains a Marvel, there wouldnāt be many Soul Crystals inside.
This fossil is certainly large enough, but its surface is extremely smooth. Itās probably not what Iām looking for.
Over time, Marvels eroded into solid fossils, which made them virtually immune to most detection methods. The few remaining methods were crude and destructive. Using them would obliterate any potential Marvels within. Therefore, students selecting stones could only rely on guesswork, experience, luck, or even the occasional flash of inspiration. If it werenāt for this, the place wouldnāt be called a casino.
Of course, anything was possible in this vast world. It wasnāt out of the question that a few gentle detection methods existed, allowing students to know in advance if a stone concealed a Marvel.
Fang Zhou knew all this because he had gotten a lot of information from his senior, Gu Yueyuan. Gu Yueyuan had a cold personality, and his only hobby was stone gambling. Fang Zhou had heard some rumors from Gu Yueyuan, but upon investigation, he found that most of these so-called detection methods were just hearsay and couldnāt be trusted.
If such a method truly exists, it must be a secret passed down through a lineage. It would be mastered by only a handful of mysterious individuals and wouldnāt affect the gambling industry as a whole.
Things were better within the jurisdiction of the Sea City Military Academy and the wider Longxia Federation. The further west one went, the more rampant the casinos became. In some lawless regions, large casinos flourished.
The tent Fang Zhou was currently in could barely be considered a small casino. However, for other underclassmen from the military academy, this place was dazzling enough. For them, selecting fossils was purely a matter of random guesswork.
But Fang Zhou was different. He had a cheat.
He looked up at the female student greeting customers, who was waiting quietly for him, and said, "Senior, Iād like to buy some stones. I canāt tell much just by looking. Is it okay if I touch them?"
A newbie!
The word immediately popped into the female studentās mind.
Even the worst gambler would appraise a stone before buying. Theyād observe it carefully, then hold it, feeling the texture and weight of the stoneās skin. If something felt off after a few moments of handling it, theyād give up, not immediately declare their intention to buy. Someone like Fang Zhou, who announces he wants to buy right off the bat, is undoubtedly a stone gambling novice.
Although she thought this, the female studentās expression didnāt change. She maintained her sweet smile and asked softly, "Of course, no problem, Junior."
Fang Zhou didnāt stand on ceremony and immediately reached out to touch the stones. He didnāt know how others did it, but he, Fang Zhou, had a cheat.
Attribute panel, letās gamble!
The attribute panel didnāt actually have a stone gambling function, and Fang Zhou was just as clueless as anyone else about whether a stone contained a Marvel. However, the attribute panelās Perception of Soul Power was extremely sharp, almost a supernatural sense. This ability allowed Fang Zhou to effortlessly sense whether a fossil contained absorbable Soul Crystals simply by touching it and checking the Soul Power section of his attribute panel.
Using a cheatāthat was Fang Zhouās method for stone gambling.
Soon, with the female student watching, Fang Zhou touched dozens of fossils on the stalls one by one. To his great excitement, among these outwardly unremarkable fossils, he sensed clear and distinct Soul Crystal fluctuations from eight of them. This was feedback from the attribute panel, and it was absolutely accurate.
After confirming his targets, although he was extremely excited, Fang Zhouās expression remained perfectly calm.
He first gently pointed to the fossil with the strongest Soul Crystal fluctuation and said to the student, "Iāll take this one."
The female student smiled and nodded, quickly handing the fossil to Fang Zhou.
Fang Zhou pointed again. "And this one."
The female student was slightly surprised; she didnāt expect this student to purchase two at once.
This junior has some real guts. Heās definitely one of the more daring gamblers,
she commented to herself.
But then, Fang Zhou pointed again. "And this one... and that one. Iāll buy them all."
This series of actions left the female student completely stunned. She never expected that the student in front of her was such a big spender.
She reappraised Fang Zhou, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.
This junior is so handsome; his aptitude as a Professional must be extraordinary. His level is Black Iron Lower, so he must be one of the top second-year students.