144: Consolidate your understanding, final preparations before the college entrance examination

Time flowed quietly in the cultivation astral Realm; three days had passed in the outside world, but a full month had already elapsed within the Divine Realm.

During this month (Divine Realm time), Lin Zhou did not conduct any radical experiments or expansions.

The immense power and numerous new abilities brought about by his promotion to True God were like a freshly forged, brilliant divine sword whose internal texture had not yet fully stabilized; it needed patient quenching, polishing, and nourishment to truly unleash its sharpness without harming its wielder.

The first thing he did was to stabilize the circulation of Divine Power and the operation of his godhood.

The Fire of Civilization burned steadily, but for the first few days, the efficiency of the Divine Fire converting into Divine Power still fluctuated slightly, sometimes fast and sometimes slow; this was an inevitable process of the newborn Divine Fire fully meshing with the Divine Realm and Lin Zhou's own will.

Lin Zhou spent a large amount of time every day in deep meditation, his consciousness sinking into the godhood crystal, meticulously adjusting the "breathing" rhythm of the Divine Fire as it inhaled and exhaled faith, ensuring that every wisp of converted Divine Power was purer and more docile.

[Divine Power Circulation Consolidation Results]:

Divine Power conversion stability: Improved from an initial fluctuation of ±15% to within ±3% (excellent level).

Divine Power recovery speed: Stabilized at 18 Divine Power/hour (Divine Realm time), a 20% increase from when he first promoted.

Divine Power pool fullness: Currently 4820/5000 (approaching full, and the quality is pure).

Synchronization rate between Divine Fire and godhood: Reached 99.1% (near perfect).

Having stabilized the source of his power, Lin Zhou began to systematically sort through and fuse all the unprocessed reward cards.

After promoting to True God, his control over rules was greatly enhanced, and his efficiency and depth in fusing cards were no longer what they used to be.

First was the most precious Legendary-grade resource card fragment—[Eternal Mine Core (Gold)].

This card had previously only been initially fused, and its effect was limited.

At this moment, Lin Zhou completely "peeled" it away from the Divine Realm rules and suspended it in his palm.

The fragment-shaped crystal core emitted a hazy earthy-yellow halo, with countless miniature mountain ranges and mine vein phantoms flowing inside.

"By the will of a True God, complete the rules, may the earth be eternal, and may the mine veins flourish forever!" Lin Zhou shouted in a low voice.

The conceptual inscriptions representing "Foundation," "Nurturing," and "Resilience" (fusing some characteristics of the School of Agriculture and the Mohist school) in the godhood crystal lit up, and immense Divine Power, mixed with a deeper understanding of the rules of the earth and matter, poured into the card fragment.

"Crack..." A slight cracking sound rang out; it was not that the card was damaged, but that the outer shell representing "incompleteness" and "instability" was forcibly shattered by the power of the True God!

The mine vein phantoms inside instantly expanded and became clear, turning into a solid stream of earthy-yellow light that shot straight into the depths of the Divine Realm's earth, perfectly combining with the nodes fused earlier!

[Eternal Mine Core · Rule Completion Fusion!]

Quality: Improved from "Fragment (Gold)" to "Complete (Gold)".

Effect significantly enhanced:

Daily output of basic minerals (iron, copper, etc.): +300% (originally +150%), with an increased total capacity.

Output probability of rare minerals (adamantine, mithril, star iron): 5% (originally 3%), and the quantity produced each time is increased.

New characteristic: [Earth Vein Nourishment] — Slowly improves the overall solidity and Spiritual Qi affinity of the Divine Realm land, providing a slight bonus to plant growth and building stability.

New characteristic: [Mine Vein Resonance] — When large-scale forging or construction is carried out within the Divine Realm, there is a low probability of triggering mine vein resonance, temporarily improving the quality of related Materials or the success rate of forging.

The moment the Fusion was successful, the earth of the Divine Realm let out a low and satisfied rumble, as if it had obtained a more solid Foundation.

Several newly born mine veins, flashing with various metallic lusters, appeared on the edge areas, and the dwarves of the Tian Gong Institute immediately sensed a more abundant and higher-quality supply of minerals, cheering endlessly.

Next was the Epic-grade building card — [Myriad Phenomena Star Track Observatory (Purple)].

Lin Zhou placed it on the commanding height near Jixia Academy.

The observatory generated automatically, resembling a white jade-like octagonal tower, with a complex and precise crystal star astrolabe on top that could rotate slowly and automatically, creating a weak resonance with the starry sky (connected star map data).

[Myriad Phenomena Star Track Observatory] Fusion successful!

Basic function: Slightly improves the success rate of prophecy, divination, and astronomical Spells within the Divine Realm (+10%).

Active skill: [Star Track Deduction] (consumes Divine Power): Can perform short-term deductions on the auspiciousness or development trajectory of a specific target (such as an individual, event, or location coordinate); the result is affected by the completeness of the target's information and the strength of interference factors, and there is a margin of error. Cooldown: 7 days (Divine Realm time).

Passive effect: [Astral Perception]: Has an extremely low probability of automatically capturing abnormal astral fluctuations or special event signals in the nearby Void Realm (such as small spatial rifts, unmarked resource points, abnormal energy bursts, etc.).

The completion of the observatory added a valuable means of information acquisition and pre-judgment for Lin Zhou; although it had high uncertainty, it might be able to achieve miraculous effects at critical moments.

As for other special curios cards like [embers of the undying fire], Lin Zhou did not rush to use or deeply fuse them.

The rules they contained were of a very high level, and handling them rashly might trigger unknown risks.

He properly sealed them deep within the Temple of Civilization, waiting to be dealt with when his Realm was higher or when there was a specific need in the future.

The third key task was to comprehensively optimize the Divine Realm's rule structure and stabilize the territory after expansion.

The 100-square-kilometer Divine Realm, after undergoing rapid expansion, needed meticulous reinforcement and harmonization of its peripheral rule barriers, internal energy circulation, and rule connections between different areas.

Utilizing the godhood's powerful multi-threaded processing capability, Lin Zhou spent a full ten days (Divine Realm time), like the most brilliant architect, conducting a comprehensive check-up and reinforcement of the Divine Realm's "rule skeleton".

[Divine Realm Rule Consolidation Results]:

Area stability: 100 square kilometers, clear boundaries, no signs of floating or shrinkage.

Rule barrier strength: Uniformly increased to 12 meters thick, with an average strength capable of withstanding conventional attacks from a Lesser Divinity (LV200 - LV300) for 45 minutes.

Internal rule network: The rule threads corresponding to the Hundred Schools of Thought were intertwined more closely and reasonably, and energy circulation efficiency increased to 96%.

Regional synergy: The functional zones such as the agricultural area, industrial area, residential area, and cultivation area complemented and promoted each other, forming a virtuous cycle.

Environmental stability: Spiritual Qi concentration stabilized at 36.2 standard units (Blessed Land level), the climate was mild and pleasant, and the probability of natural disasters was reduced to an extremely low level.

The fourth item, and also the most important one: the consolidation of the strength of his kin and the Breakthrough of the hero.

In one month, under the superior environment of the Divine Realm, sufficient resources (new mineral output), and Lin Zhou's conscious faith inclination and rule nourishment, the average Rank of the three core races finally solidly improved to the critical node of LV30!

This meant they had all crossed the Middle Stage threshold of the Bronze race, and their overall potential and combat power had risen to a higher level.

Confucian Scholar Elves (average LV30): Their literary Qi was more condensed, their application of Vast Righteous Qi was more proficient, and they initially mastered the low-level group buff divine Spell [Literary Agility] (squad-range casting speed +10%).

Mohist Craftsman Dwarves (average LV30): Their strength and Physique grew significantly, their control over fire and metal improved, the popularity of the [Elemental Smelting] skill exceeded 60%, and the quality of the standard equipment forged was stabilized at the "Excellent" level.

Law Official Murlocs (average LV30): Their discipline reached its Peak, their understanding of Law was deeply ingrained, the [Law Command Chain] skill became standard, and the Law enforcement team cooperated tacitly, capable of instantly setting up a small [Order Cage].

And the most exciting Breakthrough happened to the hero Elwin.

As the first hero under Lin Zhou's command, a practitioner and disseminator of Confucianism, after experiencing the baptism of the "Light of Enlightenment" at Jixia Academy, his own unremitting cultivation, and the continuous rule feedback brought by Lin Zhou's use of the [Civilization · Enlightenment] divine office after promoting to True God, he finally touched that solid barrier when the one-month deadline was approaching.

On this day, Elwin was sitting in meditation on the highest "Enlightenment Platform" of the Academy, reviewing Mencius, recalling in his heart the vast scene of the sages of the Hundred Schools protecting the Dao when the Dominator ignited the Divine Fire, as well as the bits and pieces of teaching the elves and spreading Way of Civilization on ordinary days.

His understanding of "enlightenment," his perception of the power of "words," and his cognition of the responsibility of "civilization Legacy" reached an unprecedented height at this moment.

The milky-white Vast Righteous Qi surrounding him was no longer just a gentle radiance, but began to condense, compress, and undergo qualitative change!

Faint golden tiny runes flashed in the righteous Qi; that was a tiny projection of the Fire of Civilization, and also a slight resonance of the [Civilization · Enlightenment] divine office power.

Lin Zhou immediately sensed Elwin's state; his projection instantly descended beside the Enlightenment Platform, not disturbing him, but quietly unfolding the Domain of the [Civilization · Enlightenment] divine office, providing him with the purest wisdom enlightenment and rule support.

"I wish to stand up for others, I wish to achieve for others... Words are the voice of the heart, literature carries the Dao... Within Subtle Influence, there is also great justice!" Elwin closed his eyes tightly, muttering to himself, while his Aura climbed step by step!

LV34... LV34 Peak... The Bottleneck loosened!

"Crack!"

A slight sound like porcelain shattering rang out on the Soul level.

LV35!

Breakthrough successful!

However, the Breakthrough did not stop! The long-accumulated insights and the resonance of the divine office Domain pushed him to continue charging upwards!

LV35 Middle Stage... LV35 Late Stage... until he stood firmly at the Peak of LV35! It was only one step away from LV36!

The moment his Realm stabilized, Elwin suddenly opened his eyes! In his pupils, it was no longer the gentle light of a scholar, but a brilliant golden glow as if tempered by the Fire of Civilization!

He raised his hand, and a milky-white point of light at his fingertip, condensed to the extreme and resembling substance, jumped; inside the point of light, dense golden characters flowed faintly.

He faced Lin Zhou's projection, bowed deeply, and spoke solemnly: "my god! Elwin has not failed the mission, having caught a glimpse of the true meaning of 'enlightenment', and comprehended a new skill — please, my god, bestow a name!"

Following his words, the point of light at his fingertip burst forth, turning into an invisible fluctuation that carried a certain power pointing directly to the heart, instantly sweeping across the entire Enlightenment Platform.

Several young elves not far below the platform who were arguing about the classics were touched by this fluctuation, their arguing stopped abruptly, and expressions of mixed realization and shame appeared on their faces; they actually bowed to each other to apologize at the same time, and then fell into a deeper reflection on the point of dispute just now.

Lin Zhou felt the rule power contained in the fluctuation, which was "using Subtle Influence to touch the heart, distinguish right from wrong, and inspire righteous thoughts," and combined with Elwin's request, he nodded slowly: "This skill sees the truth in the subtle, and reveals the great justice in words. Let it be called — 'Subtle Influence'."

[Hero · Elwin Breakthrough and Comprehended New Skill]:

New Rank: LV35 (Peak)

New Hero Skill: [Subtle Influence] (Active/Domain)

Effect: When Elwin speaks, he can invoke his own Vast Righteous Qi to resonate with the [Civilization · Enlightenment] rule, making his words carry a weak but direct "heart enlightenment" and "truth manifestation" effect.

It can resolve disputes, correct fallacies, inspire morale, and temporarily improve the target's Comprehension Ability (slightly) within a small range.

It has a weak mental deterrence effect on units of the chaotic and evil factions.

Consumption: Literary Qi/mana, depending on the intensity of the effect.

Range: Initially about 50 meters in radius, expanding with the improvement of skill proficiency and Rank.

Cooldown: None, but continuous use increases consumption sharply, and the effect diminishes.

The existing skill [Enlighten All Living Beings] has its effect improved, and can form a combo effect with [Subtle Influence].

Elwin's Breakthrough was like injecting a shot of adrenaline into the booming Divine Realm.

Bronzebeard and Snik heard about it, and although they did not break through immediately, they were deeply inspired and cultivated even harder, with signs of Breakthrough vaguely appearing.

Thus, the one-month (Divine Realm time) consolidation period ended successfully.

[Lin Zhou · Final Status Summary (Before College Entrance Examination)]:

Deity Realm: Faint Divinity (LV101), Realm stabilized, Divine Power abundant.

Divine Realm: Area 100 square kilometers (rules stabilized), average Rank of kin LV30, population about 32,000.

Core Combat Power: Hero Elwin (LV35 Peak, new skill 'Subtle Influence'), Bronzebeard (LV38), Snik (LV36).

Core Buildings/Resources: Temple of Civilization, Jixia Academy (True God level), Temple of Law, Tian Gong Institute (including Divine Fire Forge), Hall of Heroes, Eternal Mine Core (complete), Myriad Phenomena Star Track Observatory, etc.

divine office Authorities: [Civilization · Enlightenment] (Faint), [Law · Order] (Faint), proficient in use.

Special Abilities: Small-range time acceleration (mastered), godhood multi-threaded processing and rule deduction (used freely).

Card Fusion: All reward cards fused, effects maximized.

The exit of the cultivation astral Realm opened slowly, and the real sunlight from the outside world shone in.

Lin Zhou stood up tall, the divine light around him restrained, but he possessed a steady and imposing demeanor like a deep pool or a towering mountain.

He took one last look at the Divine Realm, which was orderly and thriving under the monitoring of his godhood, and his consciousness returned completely to his main body.

Pushing open the door of the quiet room, it was just early morning outside.

Only three days remained until the Human Race college entrance examination of the entire Universe.

Everything was ready.

The next step was to step onto the battlefield that determined the fate of countless people, and with the unprecedentedly solid Foundation and brand-new power obtained from this month of consolidation, strive for a more brilliant future.

Lin Zhou looked at the rising morning sun outside the window, his eyes calm, yet firm as iron.