124: In the long river of civilization, a fleeting shadow determines victory or defeat (Part 2)

Silence.

A deathly silence blanketed the crater area, shrouding everything inside and outside the virtual battlefield.

The phantom of the river of civilization, spanning across the Void Realm, seemed to have become the only thing in the Universe.

Its flow was silent, yet more Soul-shaking than ten thousand thunderclaps; its light was not dazzling, yet it seemed capable of illuminating all mist and darkness; its very existence was a silent proclamation, declaring the victory of Order over Chaos, the conquest of civilization over ignorance!

Under the vast pressure of civilization, the Lich Monarch found it incredibly difficult even to maintain its form.

Its translucent grey crystal body was like a weathered sand sculpture; its edges constantly flaked off, dissipating into the most fundamental negative energy particles, only to be directly annihilated by the invisible force field emitted by the phantom of the river of civilization.

Its tattered crown turned completely into fly ash, and the bone staff in its hand shattered inch by inch. The purple Soul fire was as dim as a firefly, flickering and struggling, filled with unwillingness and despair.

It tried to utter a final curse, attempting to detonate its remaining Origin to perish together with that negative energy rift, but under the pressure of the river of civilization, it could not even mobilize a shred of the Law of death! Its existence was being forcibly "erased" from this point in "time" called the present!

Lin Zhou (dominated by the will of the Temple of Civilization) stood beneath the phantom of the river of civilization, his face devoid of sorrow or joy, his eyes as deep as the eternal starry sky. He slowly raised his right hand and gently pressed it downward toward the struggling Lich Monarch and the negative energy rift behind it that was constantly emitting Death Qi.

There was no earth-shattering roar, no dazzling brilliance.

There was only the phantom of the river of civilization spanning the Void Realm, which seemed to ripple slightly with his pressing gesture.

It was as if a pebble had been thrown into a calm lake, sending out ripples.

But these ripples did not act upon the water surface; they acted upon... the Laws, upon existence itself!

An invisible "stream" composed of countless pieces of civilization information, historical fragments, and flashes of wisdom seemed to separate from the phantom of the river of civilization. Seemingly slow, it actually transcended the concepts of time and space, instantly washing over the Lich Monarch and the rift behind it!

Effect of the river of civilization: Trace Existence · Ripple of Purification

Targets: Lich Monarch (Anti-Order/Death Carrier), Negative Energy Rift (Chaos/Source of Death)

Method of Action: Washing at the level of Laws, tracing back its Foundation of existence, and performing "correction" or "erasure".

Specific Manifestation:

For the Lich Monarch: The Law of death constituting its body was forcibly disintegrated, and opposing concepts such as "Order," "Life," and "Wisdom" were injected into its Soul imprint, causing its logic of existence to collapse.

For the negative energy rift: The channel of death Laws connecting the two planes was covered, blocked, and repaired by the principles of civilization.

"Ah——!!!"

The Lich Monarch let out the final shriek of its existence, filled with extreme pain and the sense of total disintegration! Its body was no longer dissolving from the outside; it began to "understand" Order and Life from within. For a pure concentration of death, this understanding was a lethal poison! Its Soul fire, like a blown-out candle, flickered violently for a moment and then completely annihilated, leaving not the slightest trace.

As for the rift that had been constantly spewing negative energy mist, under the washing of the waters of the river of civilization, it seemed to be injected with infinite vitality and Order. The grey-white Death Qi was rapidly dispersed and purified, the edges of the rift began to shrink and close, and finally it disappeared completely, leaving behind only the land that had been slightly purified but still appeared devastated.

With the total annihilation of the Lich Monarch and the closing of the negative energy rift, the remaining undead legion on the battlefield, like marionettes that had lost their source and command, had the Soul fire in their eyes instantly extinguished, clattering into piles of real dry bones and dust, never to make a sound again.

The pervasive negative energy mist also dissipated rapidly under the purification of the rain and the residual Domain of righteousness. It was over.

This sudden and extremely dangerous undead disaster was completely ended in an almost crushing manner before this phantom of the river of civilization that had appeared out of thin air.

"Is... is it over?"

"The undead... wiped out? That terrifying Monarch... disappeared?"

"It's that river! It's the river that Lin Zhou summoned!"

"river of civilization... I think I heard him call it that..."

"Too terrifying... What level of power is this exactly? Is this really something a demigod can master?"

Inside and outside the virtual battlefield, after a deathly silence that lasted for more than ten seconds, a deafening clamor finally erupted, mixed with endless shock, fanaticism, worship, and disbelief!

Everyone—whether students, teachers, referees, or the countless viewers watching the live broadcast via the Star Domain Network—was deeply conquered by the great power of that river of civilization and shocked by Lin Zhou's unfathomable Foundation! The power of the Golden Behemoth had made them feel the ultimate of strength; while the appearance of this river of civilization had let them glimpse... the infinity of the Dao!

The surviving followers of the Cloud City Team looked up at the phantom of the river of civilization in the Void Realm, which was slowly becoming blurry and finally dissipated without a trace. They then looked at Lin Zhou, who was still standing tall but whose radiance had gradually faded, and knelt together on the ground, sending out the most pious and fanatical prayers and praises!

"Praise my god! May civilization flourish forever!"

"Praise my god! May civilization flourish forever!"

The three heroes, Elwin, Bronzebeard, and Snik, had tears in their eyes. They knew they had witnessed a miracle, witnessed the true great power of my god! This made them feel even more honored and firm in their faith than defeating the Golden Behemoth!

Su Yueyao hurried forward and supported Lin Zhou, whose figure was swaying slightly, whose face had instantly turned paler than paper, and who seemed to have had all his strength drained away. That vast will of civilization receded like a tide, sinking back into the Sanctuary deep in his Sea of Consciousness, leaving behind a body that was exhausted, struggling even to remain standing.

"Lin Zhou!" Su Yueyao called out worriedly. She could feel the weakness in Lin Zhou's body; it was a form of overdraw originating from his Soul Origin.

Lin Zhou struggled to lift his eyelids. His eyes regained their usual clarity, though they were filled with extreme exhaustion. He looked at Su Yueyao's beautiful face close at hand, written with worry, and felt the coolness and firmness from her hand supporting his arm. A weak arc barely tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"It's okay..." His voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible, "We... won."

Having said this, he could no longer hold on. His body went limp, and he fell into a deep coma, collapsing into Su Yueyao's arms. This time, it was a true, deep coma; even the mark of the Temple of Civilization had dimmed.

Su Yueyao held him tightly, feeling his weak but steady breathing. The heartstrings that had been tightly strung finally relaxed completely. She looked up at the sky, which had returned to clarity and held only the fresh air after the rain, feeling as if a lifetime had passed.

This battle was too tragic, and too glorious.

The dominance of the Golden Behemoth and the treachery of the Lich Monarch were ultimately eclipsed and defeated before that magnificent chapter of the Hundred Schools and the river of civilization that had appeared out of thin air.

On the high platform, the chief referee took a deep breath and announced again in an incomparably solemn voice, even carrying a trace of respect: "Confirmed, external interference has been cleared, and the threat has been removed. Cloud City Advanced High School, the team of Lin Zhou and Su Yueyao, successfully resisted the unknown attack and guarded the position until the end! The victory in the final is valid!"

"At the same time, in view of student Lin Zhou's outstanding performance and the enormous potential displayed during this unexpected incident, the competition organizing committee will initiate special procedures to provide him with key protection and rewards!"

This time, no one questioned it again. All eyes were focused on the black-haired boy who was being supported by Su Yueyao and was unconscious.

Everyone knew that after this battle, the name of Lin Zhou would no longer be limited to Cloud City, nor would it be limited to the Star Domain High School League! With the body of a demigod, he had invoked the phantom of the river of civilization, and the path of "civilization" he represented would surely shake the entire Federation's upper echelons, attracting endless attention and waves!

An era belonging to "civilization" seemed to be quietly unveiling a corner of its prelude along with the phantom of this river.

And at this moment, Lin Zhou, who was in a coma from exhaustion, did not know any of this. He was just sleeping soundly under Su Yueyao's protection, needing time to repair the trauma and overdraw caused by this great battle.