131: With the National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao) approaching, the final sprint begins (Part 2).

At noon, inside the most secluded private room of the "Stardust Cafe."

When Lin Zhou and Su Yueyao arrived, Zhao Hao, Lei Huang, and Yan Li were already there. After a period of treatment and recovery, all three looked much better. Although their auras weren't particularly strong yet, they were full of spirit.

Seeing Lin Zhou enter, Zhao Hao was the first to jump up. With excitement and a hint of imperceptible awe on his face, he slapped Lin Zhou hard on the shoulder (though he didn't dare use too much force): "My man! Lin Zhou! You're really... freaking amazing! I still feel like I'm dreaming when I think back to that Golden Behemoth falling, and that river..."

Lei Huang also stood up, a sincere smile appearing on his steady face: "Lin Zhou, Su Yueyao, we owe you big time for this. Words can't express my gratitude. If you ever need anything from me, Lei Huang, just say the word." His words were concise but held great weight.

Yan Li giggled and leaned toward Su Yueyao, taking her arm: "Sister Yue Yao, your final Moonlight Guardian was so cool! And Lin Zhou... I don't even dare look him in the eye now; it feels like looking at a figure from myth and legend." She had a lively personality, and while her words carried a teasing tone, the gratitude and admiration in her eyes were genuine.

After fighting side-by-side and facing life-and-death trials in the final stages of the league, the relationship between them had clearly grown much closer, with less formality and more sincerity.

"We're all teammates; it's only right to support each other." Lin Zhou smiled and beckoned everyone to sit down. He could tell that these three were truly grateful and worth befriending.

Su Yueyao also nodded slightly, responding to Yan Li's affection and the group's thanks.

After ordering drinks, the conversation quickly turned to the upcoming College Entrance Exam.

Zhao Hao gulped down a large mouthful of iced energy drink and clicked his tongue: "Three hundred billion examinees! Damn, just thinking about it makes my scalp tingle! My Dragon God Domain is decent in Cloud City, but if you throw it into the whole Universe, it probably won't even make a splash."

Lei Huang was relatively calm: "The competition is indeed fierce. But we have our advantages. The experience of the league, especially that final battle, has significantly improved our Heart-Nature and actual combat capabilities. This is something many examinees who just focus on secluded Cultivation lack."

Yan Li nodded in agreement: "Exactly! And we're a team now! We can learn from and push each other!"

Lin Zhou took over the conversation: "Teacher Li contacted me this morning and emphasized the importance of comprehensive ability. We each have our strengths and weaknesses. For the next three months, I think we can form a study group for the exam."

He looked at everyone: "For example, we can conduct regular simulated divine wars to familiarize ourselves with each other's combat styles and race characteristics, and to hone our squad's coordinated combat capabilities. This is vital for the Astral Realm combat phase."

"We can also share some non-core study materials and intelligence, and exchange insights on Cultivation."

"We could even try small-scale resource exchanges, taking what we need from each other."

This proposal immediately received an enthusiastic response from everyone.

"I agree!" Zhao Hao was the first to raise his hand. "My Dragons are strong at frontal assaults, but they lack tactical variety. I need to learn."

"I'm in," Lei Huang said succinctly.

"No problem! Following the top student is definitely the right move!" Yan Li said with a giggle.

Su Yueyao also nodded gently: "Complementing each other's weaknesses will be more efficient."

With the preliminary study group established, the atmosphere became even more harmonious. Everyone began to share their current status and exam preparation plans.

Zhao Hao scratched his head: "I wasn't lightly injured this time, and Dragons recover slowly. It'll probably take about ten more days to fully heal. After that, I'll have to grind levels like crazy to try and get my main Dragons above Rank 40 before the exam. Theoretical knowledge is my weak point; I'll have to memorize like my life depends on it."

Lei Huang said: "My Behemoth Legion suffered significant losses and is currently being recruited and trained. In terms of personal combat power, I need a strong long-range or control-type divine art to compensate for my lack of range."

Yan Li sighed: "My Fire Elf Mage Corps recovers quickly, but they're too fragile and need better survivability. Also, I have major issues with environmental adaptability in certain special planes, so I need to brush up on that knowledge."

Lin Zhou and Su Yueyao also briefly explained their situations, focusing mainly on supplementing theoretical knowledge and honing their actual combat command coordination.

Listening to the discussion, Lin Zhou gained a clearer understanding of this squad's composition. Zhao Hao was a powerful frontal tank and damage dealer, Lei Huang was a fearless vanguard, Yan Li was a high-damage long-range mage, Su Yueyao was a versatile crowd-controller and support, and he himself leaned more toward tactical command, Law control, and all-Domain support. If they coordinated well, they could certainly achieve a 'one plus one is greater than two' effect.

"Since we've formed a team, let's set the first simulated battle for three days from now," Lin Zhou proposed. "The location will be the school's top-tier simulation chambers. We'll get a preliminary feel for each other first, and then make targeted adjustments later."

This proposal was unanimously approved.

After chatting a bit more about exam details and interesting anecdotes, the gathering ended in an atmosphere filled with hope and motivation. After agreeing on the time for the next simulated battle, everyone dispersed to immerse themselves in the intense exam preparations.

Returning to his villa, Lin Zhou did not delay and immediately began the first item of his sprint plan: cramming theoretical knowledge.

He connected to the school's resource database and downloaded dozens of thick electronic classics to his personal terminal, such as "Outline of the History of Deity Development," "Complete Encyclopedia of Known Planes (3rd Edition)," "Construction of Advanced Divine Art Mathematical Models," and "Analysis of Ten Thousand Classic Astral Battles," and began a frenzy of reading and memorization.

With his current Soul strength and Mental Energy at the Peak of the Demigod level, photographic memory was just the baseline; his comprehension and deduction abilities also far exceeded those of ordinary people. The vast ocean of knowledge was like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, quickly absorbed, understood, categorized, and integrated into his own knowledge system. He paid particular attention to plane knowledge and divine system characteristics that might be related to "civilization," "Order," and "the spread of thought," as these held potential benefits for his future path.

Theoretical Learning Efficiency Assessment:

Reading Speed: Average of 10,000 words per minute (effective comprehension and memorization).

Knowledge Integration: Excellent (able to quickly link new knowledge with existing systems to form a network).

Weakness Annotation: Insufficient understanding of certain extremely niche divine systems (such as the Machine Cult or Chaos Evil Gods); some Advanced mathematics applied to ultra-complex divine art models require repeated calculations.

Immersed in study, time flew by. By the time Lin Zhou felt mentally fatigued and prepared to switch projects, the sun was already setting outside the window.

He stood up and walked to the window, looking at the city lights gradually flickering on in Cloud City, feeling a sense of fulfillment.

Theoretical knowledge was the Foundation that would prevent him from making mistakes due to ignorance at critical moments. He was very clear about this.

After a brief rest, his consciousness sank into his Divine Domain, and he began his daily Divine Domain development time.

Inside the Divine Domain, the flow of time differed from the outside world (base ratio 1:10, adjustable). It was currently daytime, a scene of bustling activity.

The Literary Heart Elves were tireless in the library of wisdom and Jixia Academy; the Tiangong Dwarves were sweating profusely amidst the roar of the elemental fusion furnace, the clanging of forging never ceasing; the Law Fishmen patrol was strictly disciplined, weaving through the towns and borderlines.

Lin Zhou's will descended, communicating directly with the three hero units.

"Elwin."

"my god!" Elwin sensed him immediately and put down her book scroll.

"The Elves' Rank progression needs to be accelerated. Release some faith crystals to speed up Cultivation, prioritizing Elves showing signs of Breakthrough. At the same time, you will lead the research on the 'Righteous Qi Arrow Array,' expanding single-target attacks toward area coverage and tactical control."

"I follow your divine oracle!" A light of wisdom flashed in Elwin's eyes as she immediately took the Order and left.

"Bronzebeard."

"Present! What are my god's Orders?" Bronzebeard's voice was like a resonant bell.

"Prioritize the output of the orichalcum vein for forging standard-issue Armor-Piercing Crossbow Bolts and Elemental Resistance Armor. Research into Floating Stone Fragments is to be the highest priority; I need to see a feasibility report on the Levitation Bombing Platform."

"Haha! Leave it to me! I'll make sure those iron lumps fly!" Bronzebeard patted his chest, his fighting spirit soaring.

"Snik."

"my god." Snik's figure appeared before the Temple of Law.

"The Net of Law must be restored to its full strength as soon as possible, and try to connect it with the Hall of Heroes so that the Heroic Spirits can also become nodes of Order. Strengthen the indoctrination of the Law into the newly recruited Fishmen to improve overall discipline."

"Order shall surely shroud every corner of the Divine Domain." Snik responded solemnly.

As Orders were issued one by one, the precision machine that was the Divine Domain began to run at full power for the College Entrance Exam three months away. Resources were efficiently allocated, the races had clear goals, and the hero units performed their respective duties.

After handling the Divine Domain's affairs, Lin Zhou began his personal combat power honing for the day.

He went to the training room in the villa's basement, which was equipped with the highest-grade Law simulators and combat Puppets.

He first familiarized himself with his existing divine arts: Vast Righteous Qi, Legalist Edicts: Judgment Chains, Mohist Non-Aggression: Molten Lava Barrier, School of the Military Battle Array: Wind-Forest-Fire-Mountain, and so on. After promoting to the Peak of the Demigod level, the power, consumption, and control precision of these divine arts had all improved significantly.

Subsequently, he began to try combining different schools of thought to develop new divine arts. For example, incorporating the "concept obfuscation" of the School of Names' Sophistry into Vast Righteous Qi to form a Righteous Qi: Obfuscation Domain, which could cause enemies within the Domain to suffer brief cognitive confusion regarding "good and evil" or "friend and foe"; he also combined the School of Agrarianism's Vitality with the School of Medicine's Benevolence to research area-of-effect sustained healing and status purification Domains... This was a process requiring extensive trial and deduction. Failure was common, but every successful flash of inspiration meant a tangible increase in strength.

By the time Lin Zhou finished his day's Cultivation and returned to his bedroom with a slightly fatigued but excited body, the night sky was dotted with stars.

Lying on his comfortable large bed, he reviewed this productive and efficient day.

Theoretical study, Divine Domain development, personal honing, team communication... everything was now on the right track.

Eighty-nine days until the College Entrance Exam.

Time was tight, but he was full of confidence.

Glory is in the past; the sprint is today.

He closed his eyes, letting his consciousness sink into a warm sleep, accumulating strength for tomorrow's struggle.

Starlight filtered through the window, gently spilling onto his face, as if silently blessing this young deity about to step onto a grander stage.