348: Chapter 348 Great-Grandfather's Legacy! A Three-Million-Year Capital Strategy

The phantom stood before Lin Chen, his smile identical to Lin Chen's.

The meeting room fell into a deathly silence.

The representatives of the three thousand dimensions were all stunned. They looked at the phantom, then at Lin Chen, and then at the Observer, completely unsure of what was happening.

Lin Chen stared at the phantom, remaining silent for three seconds.

Then, he smiled.

That smile made everyone present tense up—not out of fear, but because the smile and the phantom were so similar that it was impossible to tell who was who.

"Great-grandfather?" Lin Chen spoke, his tone as calm as if he were chatting about family matters. "I thought my Lin family had been a single-child line for three generations."

The phantom laughed.

"It's true that you're a single child for three generations. But I am your great-grandfather—not your direct bloodline great-grandfather, but the successor of the Capital Law."

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow.

"The Capital Law has a succession?"

The phantom nodded.

"The Capital Law didn't appear out of thin air. It is a system of rules created by the first Lord of Capital. That person was me."

He paused and looked at Lin Chen.

"And you are the seventh."

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes.

"What about the first six?"

The phantom's expression became complex.

"Dead. Five died in the Void Erosion, and one died in a dimensional war. I am the only one who survived—strictly speaking, I didn't really survive either."

He pointed to his translucent body.

"I am currently just a projection of consciousness; my original body dissipated three million years ago."

Lin Chen fell silent.

Three seconds later, he asked:

"Why look for me?"

The phantom looked at him with an indescribable emotion in his eyes.

"Because you are the first person to use the Capital Law to combat the Void Erosion. The previous six all chose to evade or endure it head-on. Only you chose to trade."

He raised his hand, and a golden document emerged in the void.

The title of the document was:

「Ultimate Succession Agreement of the Capital Law」

Lin Chen looked at the document, his eyes narrowing.

"Ultimate Succession?"

The phantom nodded.

"Yes. The Capital Law has nine levels. You have currently reached the sixth level at most. The seventh level is 'Rule Trading,' the eighth is 'Dimensional Merger and Acquisition,' and the ninth is 'Causality Securitization.'"

"Once you master the ninth level, you can use the Capital Law to trade anything—including time, space, causality, and destiny."

Lin Chen fell silent.

He looked at the agreement, at the translucent phantom, and at the dumbfounded representatives around him.

Three seconds later, he asked:

"What is the price?"

The phantom smiled.

In that smile, there was gratification, but also bitterness.

"Smart. Knowing to ask for the price."

He pointed to the final clause of the agreement:

"The price is that you must relinquish your position as a permanent member of the Tenth Dimension and enter the 'Capital Abyss' to undergo the nine levels of trials. For each level, you must use your existing assets as a stake. Lose one level, and your assets go to zero. Lose two levels, and your memories go to zero. Lose three levels, and your existence goes to zero."

The entire room gasped.

The Observer couldn't help but speak up: "This is too dangerous!"

The phantom looked at him.

"Dangerous? The Void Erosion is even more dangerous. He can win once, he can win twice, but can he win for a lifetime?"

The Observer fell silent.

Lin Chen looked at the agreement, remaining silent for a long time.

The representatives of the three thousand dimensions all watched him.

Three seconds later, Lin Chen smiled.

That smile was identical to the phantom's—confident, indifferent, as if everything was within his grasp.

"I'll sign."

The phantom was momentarily stunned.

"You're not going to consider it?"

Lin Chen shook his head.

"Consider what? You are my great-grandfather; you wouldn't harm me."

The phantom fell silent.

Then, he smiled.

In that smile, there was gratification, but also relief.

"Good. I'll wait for you."

He raised his hand, and the agreement turned into a golden light, sinking into the space between Lin Chen's eyebrows.

Instantly, Lin Chen's consciousness was pulled into a strange space.

There was no light, no sound, and nothing perceptible.

Only a voice echoed in his ear:

"Welcome to the first level of the Capital Abyss."

"Rule: Use all your existing assets to purchase an answer."

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow.

"What answer?"

The voice was silent for a second.

Then it said:

"Answer: Who am I."

Lin Chen was stunned.

Using all his assets to buy the answer to "Who am I"?

What kind of trial was this?

He was silent for three seconds.

Then, he smiled.

"I'll buy it."

The voice rang out again:

"Transaction complete. Your answer is—"

"You are the seventh Lord of Capital, Lin Chen."

"Congratulations, the first level is passed."

Lin Chen: "..."

He stood there, speechless for a long time.

This trial was way too simple, wasn't it?

But in the next second, his expression changed.

Because he discovered that his assets really had gone to zero.

All dimension points, all shares, all permissions—everything had disappeared.

He had become a person with nothing.

The voice rang out again:

"Welcome to the second level of the Capital Abyss."

"Rule: Use all your memories to purchase an answer."

Lin Chen fell silent.

This level was much more ruthless than the first.

Memories were his most precious possessions.

Su Qingyu's smile, Arrogant Dragon's loyalty, Zhang Hao's Lackey-like appearance, Morgana's sacrifice, Alpha's redemption, Lin Xiao's growth... these memories were the proof of his journey.

But three seconds later, he still smiled.

"I'll buy it."

Transaction complete.

His memory was a complete blank.

He forgot who he was, forgot who Su Qingyu was, forgot everything.

The voice rang out for the third time:

"Welcome to the third level of the Capital Abyss."

"Rule: Use your entire existence to purchase an answer."

Lin Chen stood there, completely bewildered.

He no longer knew who he was, where he was, or why he had come here.

But he instinctively felt that this question had to be answered.

He opened his mouth.

"I..."

The voice was silent.

Three seconds later.

A golden light burst forth.

Lin Chen opened his eyes.

He was still standing in the center of the meeting room, surrounded by the representatives of the three thousand dimensions. The Observer sat in the main seat, and the phantom was still before him.

Everything just now felt like a dream.

But his assets were gone, his memories were gone, and his existence was gone—wait, his assets were still there, his memories were still there, and his existence was still there.

Lin Chen looked down at his hands.

The phantom smiled.

"Congratulations, you passed."

Lin Chen looked up.

"Was that a hallucination just now?"

The phantom shook his head.

"It wasn't a hallucination; it was a simulation. The trials of the Capital Abyss won't truly strip you of your assets and memories. But if you fail in the simulation, your confidence will collapse. If your confidence collapses, the Capital Law will become ineffective."

He looked at Lin Chen, his eyes full of gratification.

"You passed three levels, which shows that your confidence is firmer than I imagined."

Lin Chen fell silent.

Three seconds later, he asked:

"What's next?"

The phantom smiled.

"Next? You have already learned the seventh level."

He raised his hand, and a golden light shot toward the space between Lin Chen's eyebrows.

Instantly, countless pieces of information flooded Lin Chen's mind—Rule Trading, Dimensional Merger and Acquisition, Causality Securitization... all the ultimate profound mysteries of the Capital Law were etched into the depths of his consciousness.

The phantom's figure began to fade.

"Lin Chen, remember."

"The Capital Law is not for ruling; it's for balancing."

"You can use it to save people, and you can use it to kill people. How you choose is up to you."

"I'm leaving."

His figure completely dissipated.

Lin Chen stood there, looking at that void.

A long time later, he said softly:

"Thank you."

The Observer stood up and walked to his side.

"Lin Chen, congratulations. From now on, you are the true Lord of Capital."

Lin Chen looked at him.

"The true one?"

The Observer nodded.

"Before, you were just a user. Now, you are the successor."

He raised his hand and pointed toward the center of the meeting room.

There, a chair appeared out of thin air.

That chair was larger than the others, and the four words 'Lord of Capital' were carved into the backrest.

"Please, take a seat."

Lin Chen walked over and sat down.

The representatives of the three thousand dimensions stood up simultaneously and bowed to him.

Lin Chen looked at them, remaining silent for a second.

Then, he smiled.

"Everyone, there's no need for such formality."

"In the future, just call me Lin Chen."

The room went quiet.

Then, thunderous applause erupted.

In the distance, within the void, a translucent figure quietly watched all this.

It was Lin Chen's great-grandfather.

He smiled.

In that smile, there was gratification, but also relief.

"The seventh is stronger than me."

His figure slowly dissipated.

Before completely disappearing, he said softly:

"The Capital Law has a worthy successor."