146: In the initial chaos, everyone fought their own way and slaughter ensued.

The first battle repelled the Orc Divine Kingdom and occupied a small Energy Crystal Mine, allowing Lin Zhou to gain a temporary foothold on the edge of the Myriad Worlds Battlefield. However, this peace lasted for less than half an hour (battlefield time).

With the full arrival of over a million Examinees' Divine Kingdom projections, the entire Myriad Worlds Battlefield became like a lake with a giant rock thrown in, completely boiling!

Centered on Lin Zhou's coordinates, within a radius of over a hundred kilometers, the light of Divine Kingdoms descending appeared one after another. The flashes of energy explosions and the roar of rule collisions merged into a single sound. The lead-gray sky was dyed with various mottled colors, the dark red earth trembled continuously, and simulated scorching earth-fire and chaotic energy flows gushed from the cracked fissures.

Chaos was the only main theme in the Early Stage of the battlefield.

The Examinees came from all corners of the Universe's Human Race territory, with vastly different backgrounds, strengths, personalities, and tactical concepts. There were no rules, no allies, only the most primitive survival instinct and elimination pressure. Many gods who weren't very strong but thought they had a chance chose the most aggressive approach—in the first few hours after landing, they frantically attacked all other perceived Divine Kingdom projections nearby! They attempted to seize points, eliminate the weak, and quickly accumulate an initial advantage through continuous raids and melees before the truly strong could fully integrate resources and stabilize their defenses.

Even worse, some Divine Kingdoms with special concealment or high-speed mobility became "vultures" and " Jackal" on the battlefield, specifically roaming the edges or chaotic zones of the battlefield, waiting for an opportunity to ambush those Divine Kingdoms that had just experienced battle and were not at full strength, or to plunder resource points amidst the chaos.

Lin Zhou's Hundred Schools Divine Kingdom radiated a stable and unique civilization glow. Against the chaotic battlefield background, it was like a lighthouse in the dark night, inevitably attracting a large number of ill-intentioned gazes. Moreover, he had just fought a battle and occupied a resource point; in the eyes of some "hunters," this was simply the perfect prey.

"The first wave is here." Lin Zhou's Godhead Crystal operated efficiently, monitoring energy fluctuations within a fifty-kilometer radius. Almost as the warning sounded, three small-scale Divine Kingdom projections (all under sixty meters in diameter) in the southeast, in a triangular formation, approached his position at high speed with obvious malice and greed! These three seemed to have reached a temporary and fragile alliance.

"A motley crew," Lin Zhou assessed calmly. These three Divine Kingdom projections had mixed auras and small scales, clearly being the kind of opportunists who felt they had no hope of advancing through normal development and intended to gamble on the initial chaos. Their tactical intention was also clear: to apply pressure from three directions simultaneously, leaving Lin Zhou unable to attend to everything at once.

"Elwin, long-range alert, free fire to delay them."

"Bronzebeard, reinforce the barrier nodes, prepare the Dwarven defensive line."

"Snik, increase the activity of the Net of Law, Law Official Murloc enforcement teams prepare to deal with infiltration."

Lin Zhou quickly issued instructions, his Divine Thought clear and stable. Having experienced the Heart Demon trial and True God consolidation, his will was already as firm as a rock and would not be disturbed by such a chaotic scene.

The projection of the Hundred Schools Divine Kingdom shimmered, and the river of civilization projection accelerated its flow, emitting an aura of "stability" and "order." The blue-gold light of the Temple of Law was particularly conspicuous, as invisible Nets of Law extended nearly a thousand meters from the Divine Kingdom's core. Although their power decayed with distance, they were enough to form the first layer of warning and delay barriers.

Those three Divine Kingdoms stopped about two kilometers from Lin Zhou's Divine Kingdom, seemingly somewhat wary of the rule barrier that was clearly much more stable than theirs. But they did not give up; instead, they each opened gaps and released their forces.

From the left Divine Kingdom emerged about two hundred hissing, slimy-skinned [Swamp Lizardmen] (all LV26-28 projections), holding poisoned bone spears, attempting to flank and find weaknesses in the barrier.

The middle Divine Kingdom released about one hundred and fifty [Goblin Marauders] (all LV25-27 projections) wearing tattered leather armor and holding scimitars and grappling hooks. They moved agilely, attempting to approach quickly for harassing attacks.

The right Divine Kingdom sent out about one hundred [Shadow Walkers] (all LV27-29 projections) shrouded in a faint black mist, their forms blurry and hard to distinguish. They were clearly assassin-type followers skilled in stealth and assassination, targeting the Elwin long-range units or possible weak points inside the Divine Kingdom.

"As expected, all kinds of monsters and freaks are appearing," Lin Zhou thought. "Elwin, cover the goblin cluster directly ahead with fire to disrupt their charge. Bronzebeard, once the lizardmen on the left enter three hundred meters, prioritize striking with Rune Turrets. Snik, the Shadow Walkers on the right are yours; use the Net of Law in coordination with the enforcement teams. You are authorized to use 'Judgment'."

"Understood!"

The battle erupted instantly!

Elwin commanded four hundred Confucian Scholar Elves, and a dense volley of [Righteous Arrow Rain] precisely covered the goblin cluster charging at the front. The attached evil-breaking effect was exceptionally effective against these chaotic-evil alignment goblins, immediately shooting down over thirty. The remaining goblins' charging momentum stalled, and their formation became scattered.

On the left, five [Simple Rune Turrets] that had just finished charging let out a low roar, and five balls of scorching [Explosive Rune Shells] whistled out, exploding in the lizardman ranks attempting to approach! Fire and shockwaves swept through dozens of lizardmen, causing significant casualties and, more importantly, disrupting their flanking rhythm.

On the most dangerous right side, those one hundred [Shadow Walkers], under the cover of the faint black mist, approached the Divine Kingdom barrier like ghosts. They seemed to possess some kind of short-range "Shadow Jump" ability, allowing them to flicker rapidly in the shadow zones outside the barrier, searching for rule gaps or energy weak points to attempt infiltration.

However, all their actions were under the exceptionally sharp order monitoring of the Net of Law after its activity was increased!

"Illegal stealth units detected, coordinates marked, count ninety-seven... one hundred." Snik's cold and precise conscious fluctuations sounded on the enforcement team channel. Three hundred Law Official Murloc enforcement teams were already waiting in formation, their [Spears of Order] slightly raised, tips locked onto those blurry dark shadows outside the barrier.

Just as several Shadow Walkers successfully found a barrier node that hadn't fully recovered from previous collisions and had slightly weak energy fluctuations, and were about to join forces to launch a [Shadow Thrust] for a brief penetration—

"In the name of the Dominator's Law, you have lurked and spied with ill intent. Your actions have violated the Laws against 'Illegal Intrusion' and 'Intentional Sabotage'—Judgment!"

Snik's Divine Thought struck like a cold gavel! The projection of the [Book of Law] in his hand suddenly flipped open, and the blue-gold light of Judgment instantly locked onto those Shadow Walkers attempting to break through, and through their shadow links, it faintly radiated toward others of their kind nearby!

[Hero Skill: Judgment (Snik) activated!]

Target: 7 [Shadow Walkers] (LV27-29 projections) attempting to break through the barrier node.

Skill Effect: Based on the Legalist rule of "No Exemption from Punishment," applies immediate rule-based punishment to locked targets based on their "crimes" (Illegal Intrusion, Intentional Sabotage).

Actual Effect:

Forced Reveal: Under the light of Judgment, the target's shadow concealment effect is forcibly broken, and their forms are completely exposed.

Rule Suppression: Greatly weakens their abilities related to "Shadow" and "Stealth" for a short period (-60%).

Immediate Damage: Based on the severity of the target's "crime" and Snik's Divine Power intensity, deals a high amount of Holy/Order attribute damage!

"Sss—!"

Those seven directly locked Shadow Walkers were engulfed in eerie blue-gold flames (a manifestation of rules), letting out shrill Soul screams that were not physical sounds! Their already relatively fragile projection bodies, under the order Judgment specifically designed to counter chaos and concealment, were like snowmen encountering a blazing sun, instantly disintegrating and vanishing!

[Instakill!]

Killed: 7 [Shadow Walkers] (LV27-29) projections.

Collateral: About twenty nearby Shadow Walkers were affected by the afterglow of the Judgment light, their concealment effects greatly reduced, their movements delayed, and their minds wounded.

Consumption: Snik's upkeep points consumed: 15 (Hero skills have a large consumption).

"Now! Enforcement team, Spears of Order, throw!" Snik seized the opportunity.

The Law Official Murloc enforcement teams, who had already locked onto their targets, threw their [Spears of Order] in unison! Nearly a hundred short spears shining with blue-gold light, like precise javelins, shot toward those Shadow Walkers forced to reveal themselves or whose movements were restricted!

"Puff, puff, puff..." Another group of Shadow Walkers was pierced by the power of Order and vanished.

The infiltration threat on the right was quickly dismantled with heavy losses under Snik's precise "Judgment" and the enforcement team's timely follow-up. The remaining Shadow Walkers retreated into deeper shadows in terror, not daring to approach easily again.

The enemies on the front and left also suffered significant losses and their offensive was thwarted under the coordinated strikes of the elves and dwarves. Seeing that the sneak attack had failed and the frontal assault had incurred heavy losses, those three opportunistic gods immediately intended to retreat, scurrying away with their remaining troops.

The first wave of the joint attack was easily repelled, taking about twenty-five minutes (battlefield time).

But this was only the beginning.

Over the next two-plus hours (battlefield time), Lin Zhou's Hundred Schools Divine Kingdom was like a magnet in the chaotic battlefield, or like a piece of mouth-watering fat, suffering continuous attacks!

The second wave came from a flying Divine Kingdom with a small number of [Harpies] (all LV28-30 projections), attempting harassing attacks from high altitude, but were repelled by the elves' [Righteous Arrow Formation] and the aerial area-of-effect deterrence (weak effect) of Elwin's [Subtle Influence].

The third wave was a group of irrational charges by dozens of LV25-LV30 [Berserk Elemental Spirits] (unowned wild monster projections) spontaneously formed by the battlefield's chaotic energy. After being weakened by the order field of the Net of Law, they were cleared by the Dwarven line and Rune Turrets.

The fourth wave was a Divine Kingdom of similar scale to Lin Zhou's but with a gloomy style (suspected Undead type), which released a large-scale [Weakness Curse] from a distance, attempting to weaken the attributes of Lin Zhou's followers. It was mostly neutralized by the natural purification of the river of civilization projection and the group [Heart-Clearing Righteous Qi] guided by Elwin. Seeing it was ineffective, the opponent retreated decisively.

The fifth wave consisted of two Divine Kingdoms that seemed to have had a previous grudge, erupting into a fierce firefight less than five kilometers from Lin Zhou's Divine Kingdom. Stray bullets and energy afterglows occasionally splashed onto Lin Zhou's barrier. Although the threat wasn't great, it was quite annoying. Lin Zhou had to slightly adjust the barrier's energy distribution, focusing defense on the affected direction.

The sixth wave was the most dangerous one. An Insectoid Divine Kingdom about 120 meters in diameter, which had been hiding further away, suddenly launched a surprise attack, judging that Lin Zhou's state might have declined after multiple attacks! Over 1,200 various Insectoid projections (Drones, Hydralisks, Zerglings) surged like a black tide, including several LV33 [Insectoid Guardian] elite units.

Facing this most powerful attack, Lin Zhou finally used more True God means. He activated part of the authority of his [Law · Order] divine office, temporarily constructing several [Order Barriers] (consuming Divine Power) on the path of the insect tide, greatly delaying its speed, and used Snik's [Word of Law: Slow] Domain to divide the insect tide. Elwin fully exerted [Subtle Influence], using "Aggression is unjust, leading to one's own destruction" as the core intent to continuously interfere mentally with the relatively simple collective consciousness of the Insectoids, causing their charging coordination to drop. Ultimately, the insect tide lost over forty percent of its strength under the three-dimensional fire net of the elves and dwarves. Seeing the task was impossible, the Insectoid god decisively cut his losses and withdrew the remaining forces.

The seventh wave, as the sky (simulated) grew dark, was a "Scavenger" squad (about fifty units, mixed races) composed entirely of high-agility, high-concealment units, attempting to steal some of the collected Ore from the Energy Crystal Mine while Lin Zhou's attention might be scattered after the major battle. However, their every move was already under the monitoring of the Net of Law. They were caught red-handed by the Law Official Murloc enforcement team that had been lying in wait. Snik once again launched "Judgment," and in coordination with the enforcement team's encirclement, they annihilated the incoming enemies and seized the small amount of other resources they carried.

Three hours (battlefield time), seven waves of attacks, with varying intensities and different methods.

When the last sneak attacker was pinned to the edge of the mine by the Law Official Murlocs' Spear of Order, and a strange calm temporarily returned to the battlefield, Lin Zhou's Divine Kingdom projection still stood tall. The pale gold light of civilization appeared increasingly warm and firm in the darkening sky.

[Summary of the Three-Hour Defense Battle]:

Repelled Attack Waves: 7 waves.

Cumulative Kills of Enemy Projection Units: Approx. 1,850 units (including wild monsters).

Our own losses： Zero deaths！ Total minor injuries： elves41 name， dwarf29 name， Fishman17 name. All the injured have been nourished by the laws of God's Kingdom and by healers.（ elves兼职） Stable recovery under care.

Divine Kingdom Barrier Integrity: Currently 88% (dropped from an initial 95%, after multiple impacts, especially the Insectoid impact which consumed more), currently recovering slowly.

Resource Point: [Small Energy Crystal Mine] is being mined stably, with a cumulative gain of about 150 units of virtual energy crystals (can be used to maintain buildings, accelerate recovery, or for temporary enhancement).

Cumulative Points (Estimated): 23 points from the first battle + approx. 185 points from subsequent kills = around 208 points (specifics subject to battlefield System settlement).

Hero Status: Elwin's upkeep points consumed: 65 (frequent use of Subtle Influence), Snik's consumed: 40 (two Judgments and maintaining Net of Law activity), Bronzebeard's consumed: 30 ( Command, Defense and Engineering). All are within controllable limits.

"Zero deaths..." Lin Zhou reviewed the battle report, feeling not much joy but a sense of natural steadiness. This was thanks to sufficient preparation, reasonable configuration, the use of divine office authority, and the excellent performance of the hero units. Especially Snik's "Judgment," which was exceptionally effective when dealing with high-threat individuals or small groups of elite infiltrators, serving as the "sniper rifle" of the defensive System.

The chaotic Early Stage seemed to have come to a temporary end. Most of the surviving Examinees had realized the cost of blind attacks and began to enter a relatively cautious development or lurking stage. But Lin Zhou knew the real test was still ahead. As the safe zone shrank, even more powerful and organized opponents would eventually appear.

Just as he was about to further plan his next moves, deep within the Godhead Crystal, that Moonlight Mark once again sent a clear fluctuation. This time, it wasn't a greeting, but a brief piece of battlefield intelligence tinged with concern and a hint of gravity:

"Lin Zhou, about eight hundred kilometers northwest of your position, high-intensity rule convergence fluctuations have been detected. It's suspected that top Examinees have begun clearing the area and integrating. The scale is... very large. Be careful. Also, that kid Zhao Hao seems to be fighting fiercely with someone about three hundred kilometers southeast of you. Do you need to pay attention?"

Lin Zhou's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked toward the deep lead-gray horizon in the northwest.

Top Examinees clearing the area... Is the chaotic elimination round finally entering the next stage?