109: Pre-battle preparations: A hundred schools of thought converge into one strategy (Part 2)

Finals Day, early morning.

Virtual Battlefield, the atmosphere of the Central Arena had already reached a boiling point! Countless spectating consciousnesses, like stars, filled every seat. Every major media platform in the Star Domain pointed their lenses at this final stage. Would the established powerhouse Cangqiong Academy defend its glory, or would the dark horse Yuncheng No. 1 High School create history? The suspense was about to be revealed.

Yuncheng No. 1 High School preparation area.

Lei Huang, Yan Li, Su Yueyao, and Zhao Hao (spectating) were all gathered. Everyone's eyes were focused on Lin Zhou, who had just finished his secluded meditation and teleported from his personal space.

At this moment, Lin Zhou's aura was restrained, and his eyes were as calm as an ancient well. But upon closer inspection, one could see that beneath that calm lay a storm and wisdom that seemed capable of sweeping through heaven and earth. A night of deduction had not left him withered; instead, it had subjected his mental will to a thorough baptism and sublimation.

"Lin Zhou, how is it?" Lei Huang asked impatiently, his voice tinged with tension.

Yan Li and Su Yueyao also cast questioning glances.

Lin Zhou didn't answer directly. Instead, his gaze swept over everyone before he spoke slowly, his voice steady and powerful: "In this battle, our chances of winning are still not high, but it's not like we don't have the strength to fight."

He paused and continued, "The core tactic I've developed can be summarized as—'Exchanging space for time, overcoming barbarism with order'."

"Exchanging space for time? Overcoming barbarism with order?" The others pondered these words carefully.

"How exactly do we execute it?" Su Yueyao asked the key question.

Lin Zhou raised his hand, and Divine Power surged, sketching a simple map of the Honghuang Mountain Realm and the simulated dynamics of both teams before them.

"Hao Tian's Golden Behemoth Royal Lineage possesses invincible strength; it cannot be faced head-on. Our primary goal isn't to defeat it, but to restrict it, isolate it, and make its strength useless by preventing it from being effectively utilized, causing it to lose coordination with Cangqiong Academy's other units!"

"Step one: construct a 'Mobile Depth' and an 'Orderly Quagmire'!" Lin Zhou pointed to the map. "Utilizing the complex terrain of the Honghuang Mountain Realm, we will not hold a single point but instead conduct a large-scale, planned mobile transfer. Lei Huang, your remaining Thunder Giants will no longer serve as the main tanks. Instead, they will act as a mobile obstacle force, using the aftershocks and thunder from [War Stomp], combined with the terrain, to constantly create small-scale landslides and minefields. They will delay the Golden Behemoth's pursuit route, seeking not to harm the enemy, but only to obstruct."

"At the same time, Classmate Su, your Moonlight Power will no longer be used solely for healing and defense. I need you to cast [Moonlight: Mist Illusion]. It's not for attacking, but for obscuring vision and interfering with perception, further increasing the difficulty for the Golden Behemoth to lock onto and pursue us, expanding our strategic mobile space."

Lei Huang and Su Yueyao's eyes narrowed as they quickly grasped Lin Zhou's intention. This was to abandon head-on clashes and use constant movement and environmental interference to pull the Golden Behemoth around, exhausting its stamina and patience, creating time and space for other tactics!

"Step two: implement 'Systemic Stripping' and 'Targeted Strikes'!" Lin Zhou's finger moved to Cangqiong Academy's other units. "The Golden Behemoth is the core, but it's certainly not everything. The Storm Giants provide long-range support and crowd control, the Silver Pegasus Knights are responsible for mobility and harassment, and the Spirit Dragons are mysterious and unpredictable. What we need to do is utilize the brief time gaps and local advantages created during our maneuvers to concentrate our forces and prioritize clearing these support and coordination units!"

"Yan Li, your Phoenix has the heaviest task! I need you to find opportunities, regardless of the cost, and use the purification and penetration properties of the Phoenix flames to launch surprise attacks on the Storm Giant spellcasting units! Interrupt their chanting and break their formation! Even if you can only take down one or two, it will be a massive victory!"

"My Hundred Schools Kin will be responsible for pinning down the Silver Pegasus Knights and seeking opportunities to carry out precision strikes on isolated Spirit Dragons or Storm Giants."

Yan Li took a deep breath and nodded heavily. This was an extremely dangerous task, but it was also key to breaking the opponent's perfect system.

"Step three, which is the core—'Orderly Suppression' and 'Rule Dissolution'!" Lin Zhou's gaze became incredibly sharp. "This step will be executed by the main force of my Hundred Schools Kin. During our maneuvers, we will select key nodes and set up a composite 'Hundred Schools Forbidden Domain'!"

"This 'Forbidden Domain' is not a single Domain. It is founded on the order established by the Legalist Net of Law, with the Confucian Vast Righteous Qi for area purification and mental interference, the Daoist 'Quietude and Non-Action' to calm the bloodlust, the School of Names' Sophistry to confuse perceptions of distance and power, and the School of Diplomacy's 'Maneuvering' to disrupt their coordinated command! Five schools working together will form a targeted area of chaotic rules!"

"The purpose of this 'Hundred Schools Forbidden Domain' is not to physically block the Golden Behemoth, but to trap it in an awkward situation where it has 'strength but nowhere to use it'! Its power will be dispersed and guided into empty space by the rules of order; its perception will be confused, making it difficult to lock onto a real target; its frenzied Battle Intent will be subtly weakened by the sense of quietude; and its connection with its teammates will be interfered with by the Techniques of Diplomacy!"

Lin Zhou's speech quickened, sparks of wisdom flashing in his eyes: "When the Golden Behemoth is constantly delayed and isolated, when its support units are cleared one by one, and when it falls into the quagmire of rules in the 'Hundred Schools Forbidden Domain'... its absolute advantage in strength will be infinitely compressed! And time is on our side! The longer it drags on, the more its frustration and flaws will increase! Cangqiong Academy's overall coordination will also develop cracks because its core is restricted!"

"This is 'exchanging space for time'! Using vast strategic depth and constant movement to gain time for weakening and counterattacking!"

"This is 'overcoming barbarism with order'! Using the complex rules of civilization and order to restrain and dissolve extreme barbarism and destructive power!"

These words were like the sun breaking through the clouds. For Lei Huang, Yan Li, and the others who had felt despair, a clear path—though still treacherous—filled with hope appeared before their eyes!

This tactic utilized everyone's remaining strength to the extreme and perfectly played to the characteristics of Lin Zhou's Hundred Schools Divine Domain! It wasn't the courage of a fool, but the scheme of a wise man!

"Brilliant!" Zhao Hao shouted excitedly in the channel. "Fighting like this, there might really be a chance!"

Fight intent reignited in Lei Huang and Yan Li's eyes. They had a clear direction and knew what they needed to do, even if their roles were no longer the main attackers but had become key support and surprise units.

Su Yueyao looked at Lin Zhou, her cool eyes shimmering with extraordinary light. She hadn't expected Lin Zhou to conceive such an exquisite and grand tactic in such a desperate situation. This was no longer just a battle; it was more like an artistic arrangement.

"Of course, this tactic carries immense risk," Lin Zhou added calmly. "It's a huge test of our execution, coordination, and Divine Power endurance. If any link fails, we could lose everything. Especially... Hao Tian himself. He will never sit by and watch us complete our layout; he surely has hidden trump cards we don't know about."

"But this is our only chance." Lin Zhou's gaze swept over his teammates. "Everyone, are you willing to follow me in this risky strategy and fight for this slim chance of survival?"

"Fight!" Lei Huang growled.

"I will give it my all!" Yan Li said decisively.

Su Yueyao nodded slightly, her Moonlight Power already beginning to circulate.

Just then, the countdown notification for the finals rang out over the arena like the final war drums.

[The Star Domain High School League Finals are about to begin! Please, contestants, enter final preparations! Ten, nine, eight...]

Lin Zhou took a deep breath, going over the tactical details he had deduced countless times in his mind one last time, his gaze becoming incredibly firm.

"Let's go. Let's go meet this... Golden Behemoth!"

A flash of light passed, and the four from Yuncheng No. 1 High School stepped onto the final battlefield.