12: The spoils are plentiful, and the Murloc tribe has come to surrender! (Part 1)

The smoke of the divine war gradually dissipated, leaving behind a scene of devastation and a faint, lingering stench in the air. Over a hundred and eighty mutated Kobold corpses lay scattered across the edge of the God Domain, silently testifying to the brutality of the battle—a brutality, of course, experienced solely by the invaders.

[God Domain Status Panel (Immediate Post-War)]

God Domain Name: Hundred Schools Temple (Lin Zhou's Will)

God Domain Area: 12.2 square kilometers (Slightly increased by absorbing stray rules from the battlefield)

God Domain Environment: Orderly Forest (Habitability: 77/100 | New Temporary Status: [Bloody Battleground]: Life energy in this area is active; resource regeneration speed temporarily +20% for 3 God Domain days)

Core Rules: Confucian Education (Stability +30%), Legalist Edicts (Order +45%, increased due to successful defense against foreign enemies), Mohist Mechanisms (R&D/Construction efficiency +50%), Agrarian Fertile Soil (Resource regeneration +100%), Military Conquest (Military unit experience gain +25%, New)

Resource Reserves:

Faith: 3850/5000 (Upper limit increased due to victory, plundered +3000, naturally growing)

Food: 4200 units in reserve (Minor consumption during battle)

Minerals: Stable.

Population:

Literary Heart Elves: 107 (Average LV 11, Hero: Elwin LV 13)

Tiangong Dwarves: 31 (Average LV 1, Stonehammer LV 21)

Lightforged Gnomes: 3 (Average LV 17)

Military Status:

Dwarf Breachers: 15 (Average LV 18, Status: [Victory Inspiration])

Elf Rangers: 40 (Average LV 12, Status: [Victory Inspiration])

Elf Rangers (Elite): 10 (Average LV 14, Status: [Calm])

Casualty Report: 7 lightly wounded (3 Dwarves, 4 Elves), zero fatalities. All wounded have had their conditions stabilized under the life-breath of the Altar of Shennong and the [Minor Radiance] of the Lightforged Gnomes; full recovery expected within one day.

New Assets: [divinity fragment *1], [Rotten Mire God Domain Coordinates (Permanent)]

The joy of victory flowed like a warm current, soaking into every corner of the God Domain. But Lin Zhou did not immerse himself in the joy for long. As a deity, he needed to handle many post-war matters and transform the fruits of victory into tangible power.

First was the battlefield cleanup.

Under Elwin's command, non-combatant Elves and Dwarves began to systematically clear the battlefield. The Kobold corpses were gathered together; this was both a hygiene requirement and a potential source of resources.

“my god,” Elwin requested instructions through prayer, “how should the remains of these filthy creatures be handled? According to the Law and the essence of the School of Agriculture, direct burial might pollute the land, while burning might waste the faint energy and matter contained within.”

Lin Zhou's consciousness swept over the corpses, data flowing before his eyes:

[Mutated Kobold Corpse] *187

Composition: Low-quality flesh (contains faint chaotic energy), diseased glands (toxic, requires processing), bones (average quality), claws and teeth (crude).

Utility Value: Low. Direct decomposition can be converted into a small amount of Faith (approx. 5-10 points/corpse) or basic matter. Special processing might extract special Materials.

“Hand them over to the Tiangong Workshop and the Altar of Shennong for joint processing,” Lin Zhou sent down a divine oracle. “Extract usable Materials, purify the filth, and return the residue to the earth to nourish our domain. Let this also be a test of your skills.”

This divine oracle was intended to promote collaboration and technical innovation between different departments.

Li Mo (guided by Lin Zhou), Bronzebeard Stonehammer, and the three Lightforged Gnomes immediately went into action. They utilized Mohist Mechanical Arts to build temporary decomposition and refining devices, combining them with purifying herbs provided by the School of Agriculture and the life force of the Altar of Shennong to begin the 'harmless resource recovery' processing of the corpses.

In the end, they successfully extracted from these corpses:

[Low-Quality Chaos Crystals] *45 (Can be used to craft one-time explosives or contaminated energy arrows)

[Diseased Toxin Essence] *20 (Highly toxic, requires careful sealing, or can be used to combat poison with poison)

[Reinforced Bone Material] *150 units (Can substitute for some wood or ordinary bone in construction or the manufacture of low-level arrows)

The remaining unusable parts were thoroughly purified by the power of the Altar of Shennong and buried in a specific area. As Lin Zhou expected, under the buff of the [Bloody Battleground] status, that patch of land became exceptionally fertile, suitable for planting special crops with high energy requirements in the future.

This process not only resolved the hidden dangers of the battlefield but also improved the collaborative capabilities of the Tiangong Workshop and the Altar of Shennong, yielding unexpected resources. Li Mo's understanding of energy extraction, the Lightforged Gnomes' precision operations, and the School of Agriculture's grasp of purification all deepened by a level.

Next was the core of the spoils—that precious [divinity fragment].

Lin Zhou placed it at the core of the God Domain and sensed it carefully. It was a crystal about the size of a fingernail, irregular in shape, emitting a faint but high-essence glow. It contained a sliver of Bone Chewer's understanding of the rules of 'Devouring', 'Plundering', and 'Disease', but it was mostly ownerless, pure divine Origin.

[Item: divinity fragment]

Quality: Special (Rule Creation)

Effects:

Can be directly absorbed to increase Divine Fire intensity and Divine Rank experience (estimated to provide the experience required for LV 0 → LV 25).

Can be used as an Advanced material for forging Divine Artifacts, strengthening miracle buildings, or performing special rituals.

Can be used to bestow upon a follower hero, with a very small probability of causing them to ignite Divine Fire (extremely high risk, requires specific conditions).

Note: Contains a sliver of 'Chaos' and 'Disease' rule imprints; direct absorption carries a faint risk of rule pollution.

For the vast majority of demigods, directly absorbing this divinity fragment would be the best way to rapidly increase their strength. But Lin Zhou only pondered for a moment before making a decision.

“My Dao is the Dao of civilization, the Dao of Order. This object contains chaos and disease; although it can be purified, its essence conflicts with mine. Absorption efficiency would be compromised, and it might leave hidden dangers.” His gaze was far-reaching. “Better to use it to strengthen my Foundation.”

He thought of the [General Appointment Platform (Projection)]. The ideology of the School of Military had just shown its power; if he could use this divinity fragment to strengthen the General Appointment Platform, it would surely become more powerful, allowing for better military command and the exercise of the School of Military's power.

“However, the time is not yet right.” Lin Zhou suppressed the impulse to strengthen it immediately. The General Appointment Platform had just been established and had not yet fully fused with the rules of the God Domain. Integrating foreign divinity at this time, especially one with alien rules, was not the best choice. “I must wait for it to stabilize and use the Fire of Civilization to temper this fragment, removing the Impurities before performing the Fusion.”

He temporarily sealed the divinity fragment deep within the Temple of Civilization, using the Fire of Civilization to slowly burn and purify that discordant rule imprint.

Finally, there was the most strategically significant spoil—the [Rotten Mire God Domain Coordinates (Permanent)].

This meant Lin Zhou could take the initiative to launch a counterattack against Bone Chewer's God Domain at any time without waiting for the other party to reconnect. For a weak, rule-conflicting, and hostile neighbor, the best way to handle them was to completely wipe them off the map and turn them into nourishment for one's own growth.

“After this defeat, Bone Chewer's God Domain Origin is damaged, and his followers have suffered heavy losses. Now is his weakest moment,” Lin Zhou analyzed. “One should pursue the defeated foe with leftover strength, and not seek fame by emulating the Hegemon King!”

A counterattack had to be put on the agenda as soon as possible!

But before that, he needed to further consolidate himself and obtain more intelligence regarding the current state of the enemy's God Domain. Rashly entering a God Domain with unfamiliar rules, even if the opponent was weak, could involve traps or unknown dangers.

Just as Lin Zhou was planning the steps for the counterattack, a special prayer from outside the God Domain caught his attention.

The source of the prayer was not from within the God Domain, but from... outside the God Domain barrier, in the distant, unexplored Void Realm of the astral plane! The intent of the prayer was weak and chaotic, filled with despair, supplication, and a hint of... the moist scent of water?

“Great... unknown being of Order... we... sensed... the glorious afterglow... of your battle with evil... please... have mercy... take us in... our broken tribe... willing to offer... faith and loyalty...”

Lin Zhou's heart stirred, and his Divine Thought followed the source of the prayer, extending across the Void Realm.

What entered his 'sight' was a pathetic scene: about seventy strangely shaped creatures gathered on a small piece of Astral Drift-ice that looked like it might disintegrate at any moment. They had streamlined bodies covered in pale blue scales, webbing between their fingers and toes, and heads like fish, yet they possessed eyes full of wisdom and pleading. They were a common astral aquatic race—Murlocs!

This group of Murlocs was in terrible condition, most of them wounded, with only a few tattered bags on the ice. They had clearly undergone a great ordeal.

[Wandering Murloc Tribe]:

Quantity: 73

Average Level: LV 6

Status: [Starving and Freezing], [Exhausted], [Despair], [Tribe Endangered]

Traits (Estimated):

[Aquatic Race] (Extremely strong underwater movement, slow on land)

[Swarm Instinct] (Efficiency and morale slightly increase when acting collectively)

[Order Inclination] (Naturally seeks the protection of a strong Order; high loyalty)

Special Unit: An elderly Murloc Shaman (LV 12, Status: [Dying]), who seemed to be the one conducting the prayer.

While Lin Zhou was observing, he keenly perceived that in the void turbulence not far behind the Murloc drift-ice, several gazes filled with malice and greed were staring fixedly at the poor Murlocs! Those were three Astral Jackals (LV 18-LV 20), waiting like patient hunters for the Murlocs to completely lose their ability to resist, or... waiting for Lin Zhou, this 'unknown existence', to refuse this 'trouble'.

Should he stand by and watch as this group of Murlocs was devoured by the Astral Jackals? Or should he lend a helping hand and accept this seemingly weak and troublesome tribe?

Lin Zhou hardly hesitated.

“I am the lord of this domain, Lin Zhou. I permit your entry!”

Under Lin Zhou's will, the God Domain barrier opened a gentle gate of light in front of the Murloc drift-ice.

The despairing Murlocs were at first incredulous, then erupted into emotional cries of survival, supporting each other as they stumbled into the gate of light. The three Astral Jackals let out unwilling roars but, fearing the rule power emitted by the God Domain barrier, did not dare approach and finally vanished sullenly into the turbulence.

The seventy-plus Murloc refugees appeared by the lake at the edge of the God Domain. They prostrated themselves on the ground, facing the sky and the magnificent will they sensed, expressing their most devout gratitude.

[System Notification]: You have accepted a wandering Murloc tribe (73 members). Detected that this tribe possesses a complete group structure and a faint Legacy of faith; they can be converted into followers.

[System Notification]: Do you wish to convert them into core followers? Yes / No (Note: Conversion requires consumption of Power Of Faith and occupies God Domain capacity. This race's compatibility with the current environment [Orderly Forest]: 45% (Low), requires environmental modification or guidance for them to adapt.)

Looking at this group of weak Murlocs whose eyes were reignited with hope, and feeling their pure, post-survival faith gathering in strands, Lin Zhou knew that a choice filled with both opportunity and challenge lay before him.