148: A hundred schools of thought unite people's hearts

With the establishment of the land of Order, forty-seven divine kingdom projections attached themselves to the borders like stars surrounding the moon, bringing Lin Zhou an initial sphere of influence and intelligence network. However, Lin Zhou knew well that this loose Alliance based on "security needs" and "resource trading" was fragile. Once encountered with greater pressure, or if the protection he provided developed loopholes, these dependents would likely scatter like birds and beasts, or even turn against him.

"Relying solely on legal prohibitions and military deterrence can only maintain a superficial Order. To make these Examinees who come from different Star Domains, possess different races, and have experienced different battles truly identify with this place, and be willing to contribute to maintaining this land of Order, or even follow Orders in future potential Alliance actions, something deeper is needed." In Lin Zhou's divine crystal, the inscription representing Confucianism glowed slightly.

He thought of the Civilization · Enlightenment divine office. Education, enlightenment, spreading ideas, and building consensus—wasn't this the best method to solve the current predicament?

"It is not enough to just let them see the scene within my divine kingdom; I must let them understand the 'principles' behind this scene, understand the potential and inclusivity of my path, and understand that in this land of Order, they can not only gain safety but also... growth and hope."

A bold and highly creative plan was perfected in his heart. He would open the first public "Hundred Schools of Thought" enlightenment class in this land of slaughter, the virtual battlefield! Moreover, the audience would not just be his own Confucian Scholar Elves, but also the leaders of all attached divine kingdoms and their core races!

This idea was not a fantasy. Although the virtual battlefield mainly simulated combat, the fidelity of consciousness connection was extremely high, and information transmission and knowledge sharing were entirely feasible. The key was, how could he make those alien races who were accustomed to strength being supreme and fighting for survival, become interested in or even resonate with something as seemingly ethereal as "thought"?

"Interest stems from need. Resonance stems from touch." Lin Zhou's thinking was clear, "They have experienced cruel Early Stage chaotic battles; their races are exhausted, fearful, confused, and full of anxiety about future battles. What they need is not just a place to rest, but a 'guide' that can re-gather morale, clarify direction, and show them another possibility."

He decided to use Jixia Academy as the core, and with the power of the divine kingdom projection, temporarily construct an expanded, consciousness-accessible "virtual lecture hall." The content of the lecture would be the most basic and universally appealing parts of Confucianism—the concepts of "Ren" (Benevolence), "Yi" (Righteousness), "Li" (Propriety), "Zhi" (Wisdom), and "Xin" (Integrity), as well as the concepts of Order, harmony, and education. Combining this with the reality of the battlefield, he would explain why "civilization" and "Order" could bring more powerful cohesion and lasting combat strength.

Soon, a "special invitation" certified by the Net of Law was transmitted to the core consciousness of all forty-seven attached divine kingdoms:

"The Dominator of the Hundred Schools Divine Kingdom will, in one hour (battlefield time), open the 'First Lecture on Way of Civilization' at the core of the divine kingdom, [Jixia Academy]. Theme: 'How to Establish Oneself in Troubled Times? — Also Discussing Order, Benevolence, and Self-Strengthening'. You are welcome to bring your core races (limited to five per divine kingdom) to connect their consciousness and listen. There is no mandatory requirement, but perhaps it can bring some different inspiration to you and your races. There will be a free discussion session after the lecture."

After the invitation was sent, the dependents reacted differently.

Some scoffed: "What time is it now? Still talking about principles? If you have the energy for this, you might as well dig for more ore!"

Some were skeptical: "This Dominator of the Hundred Schools Divine Kingdom does things differently indeed. Listening won't hurt; what if there's some secret to it?"

Others were faintly expectant: "A person who can build such a divine kingdom must have unique thoughts. My race's morale is currently low; perhaps this could really provide some inspiration."

Most were driven by curiosity. After all, simply "connecting consciousness to listen" had almost no cost.

One hour later, inside the virtual lecture hall of Jixia Academy.

The scene was not a physical academy building, but a peaceful and harmonious "spiritual space" simulated by Lin Zhou with Divine Power and rules. In the center was the main podium, where Lin Zhou's consciousness projection sat, with the phantom of the Temple of Civilization and the slowly flowing river of civilization as the background. Around him were hundreds of "consciousness points of light" distributed like stars, each representing an attending audience—including the consciousness of the Examinees from the attached divine kingdoms, as well as the consciousness projections of the core race heroes or elite units they brought.

These consciousness points of light were in various forms—some appeared as beasts, some as elements, and some as blurry human shapes, reflecting the different characteristics of their races. But they were all floating quietly at this moment, waiting.

Lin Zhou's consciousness projection spoke slowly, his voice peaceful yet carrying a power that reached straight to the heart, transmitted through the rules of the divine kingdom to every consciousness point of light:

"Everyone, welcome to this place. At this moment, outside the battlefield, the slaughter continues; inside this place, there is a temporary respite from conflict. I do not wish to preach empty principles, but only wish to discuss with you all: in this virtual battlefield, a place where millions compete, besides the Law of the jungle and crazy fighting, is there any other path to follow?"

The opening remarks immediately attracted the attention of all the listeners. This was indeed their deepest confusion.

"I observed that in the Early Stage of the battlefield, it was chaotic and disorderly, with mutual attacks. Although the brave might gain points, the attrition was huge, and both mind and body were exhausted. This is the inevitability of having no Order. I established the land of Order not just for self-preservation, but also to prove one thing: Order itself is power."

Behind Lin Zhou, the phantom of the Temple of Civilization glowed slightly, and the pale cyan lines of the Net of Law flashed in the Void Realm and then disappeared.

"The power of Order lies in gathering scattered sand, in stopping disputes, and in strict obedience to Orders. You all attach yourselves here and feel the protection of Order; this is proof." He paused, then changed the subject, "However, what is the Foundation of Order? Is it strong deterrence? Is it interest exchange? This can maintain things for a while, but it is hard to maintain for long. I believe that the true Foundation of Order lies in consensus, in education, and in the hearts of the people."

Next, he began to introduce core Confucian concepts, but not by rote; instead, he tightly combined them with the reality of the battlefield:

"What is 'Ren' (Benevolence)? It is not weakness or concession. On the battlefield, benevolence means not killing indiscriminately, not bullying the weak, giving others a chance to breathe, and 'do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you.' Imagine, if everyone engages in plunder and slaughter, eventually everyone will be in danger, and there will never be peace. Conversely, if there is a place that upholds this idea, protects the wounded, then many will be willing to attach themselves, hearts will be won, and strength will naturally arise. My establishment of the land of Order and taking you all in is the practice of 'Ren'."

Many consciousness points of light fluctuated slightly, especially the Examinees whose races had suffered heavy losses and who had themselves been bullied, who felt deeply about this.

"What is 'Yi' (Righteousness)? It is appropriateness. In an Alliance, righteousness means keeping promises, not betraying, not selling out, and helping each other in times of crisis. I set the rules and collect a small fee to maintain Order; this is an appropriate exchange. You all follow the rules and get to rest; this is also righteousness. Without righteousness, the Alliance will disintegrate in an instant."

"What is 'Zhi' (Wisdom)? It is wise trade-offs. Blindly charging is courage, but assessing the situation, temporarily avoiding the sharp edge, and attaching to the strong to plan for the future is also wisdom. Your choice to come here is the embodiment of wisdom."

Lin Zhou's explanation was simple and profound, closely combining Confucian concepts with battlefield survival and Alliance construction, allowing these Examinees and races accustomed to power-thinking to understand the behaviors they were experiencing and choosing from the level of "principles" for the first time.

More importantly, while speaking, Lin Zhou quietly invoked the power of the Civilization · Enlightenment divine office, and with the help of the phantom of the river of civilization and the projection of the Temple of Civilization behind him, integrated the meaning of "enlightening wisdom" and "clarifying principles" of the Fire of Civilization into his words.

This influence was subtle and continuous. The listeners felt their thinking seemed clearer, their understanding of those words deeper, and they even began to reflect on their previous battles and decisions unconsciously.

"My path is called 'Civilization'. It does not just refer to knowledge and skills, but a more Advanced way of survival and development. Govern power with Order, gather hearts with education, reduce unnecessary attrition with benevolence, and plan the future with wisdom. Within my divine kingdom, Elves study classics to cultivate righteousness, Dwarves study mechanisms to increase strength, and Murlocs strictly follow the Law to define Order. Each performs their own duties and lives in harmony, which is why we can stand tall in chaotic battles. This is not the work of a day, but the power of accumulated civilization."

As Lin Zhou spoke, in the background of the virtual lecture hall, fragments of scenes of harmonious operation within the Hundred Schools Divine Kingdom began to appear: Elves Discussing the Dao at the Academy, Dwarves collaborating in forging in the workshop, Murlocs patrolling strictly and fairly... These scenes verified the principles he was explaining and were extremely persuasive.

When Lin Zhou spoke of "education without discrimination" and "teaching students in accordance with their aptitude," it touched those Examinees who had non-mainstream or weak races. They heard for the first time that different race characteristics could be guided towards different, valuable development directions, rather than just comparing racial talents.

The lecture lasted for about one hour (battlefield time). When it ended, many consciousness points of light remained in place, silently digesting what they had heard. Those who had scoffed before now put away their contempt and fell into thought. Those who had been expectant felt enlightened.

In the free discussion session, some dependents began to ask questions cautiously, mostly asking how to initially establish Order within their own divine domains, or how to improve the morale and loyalty of their races. Lin Zhou combined the Legalist concepts of "clear rewards and punishments" and "strict obedience to Orders" with the Confucian concepts of "education and guidance" and "setting an example" to give practical and feasible suggestions.

During the exchange, an unexpected joy occurred.

An Examinee whose race was [Healing Slime] (the one who was good at basic healing earlier), brought a core hero unit—a consciousness projection of a [Slime Elder], a larger Slime emitting a soft white light. Upon hearing Lin Zhou's explanation of "the benevolent love others" and "a healer has a benevolent heart," and feeling the trace of "healing" and "nourishing" meaning in the Fire of Civilization, it suddenly resonated strongly!

The white light consciousness projection fluctuated violently, emitting emotions of joy and realization, and even began to actively absorb the faint light emitted by the Fire of Civilization in the surrounding space! Its form seemed to become more solid and pure!

[Special Event Triggered: Thought Enlightenment Sparks Life Sublimation]

Target: [Slime Elder] (Bronze Lower-Tier Hero, LV31)

Source of Enlightenment: Confucian Benevolence Thought + Fire of Civilization Healing Meaning + Civilization · Enlightenment divine office environment

Effect: This Slime Elder's understanding of "healing," "dedication," and "benevolent heart" has deepened significantly. The skill [Group Healing Light] effect range is temporarily expanded by 20%, consumption reduced by 15%, and a new passive trait is comprehended: [Benevolent Resonance] — When healing friendly units, there is a small probability to slightly improve the target's morale and affinity towards the Order/Good camp.

Subsequent Impact: This Slime Elder and its affiliated divine kingdom have significantly increased their recognition and loyalty to Lin Zhou and the Hundred Schools of Thought.

This unexpected event, like the best advertisement, allowed all the listeners to witness with their own eyes the substantial strengthening and potential stimulation brought by "thought enlightenment"! This was more powerful than any preaching!

After the lecture ended, the consciousness connections were disconnected one by one. But the atmosphere within the land of Order had already changed quietly.

Those Examinees of the attached divine kingdoms looked at the pale golden Hundred Schools Divine Kingdom in the center again; the awe in their eyes remained, but with an added "recognition" and "curiosity" that had not been there before. They began to take the initiative to restrain their races, observe regional rules more seriously, and even began to try to use the concepts they had just heard to comfort and motivate their exhausted races.

Lin Zhou could feel that the faith links from these dependents (although weak and indirect) became clearer, more stable, and even carried a hint of gratitude and yearning. The cohesion of the land of Order no longer relied solely on external security needs, but began to have an internal ideological bond.

[Land of Order · Cohesion Assessment (Post-Lecture)]:

Average loyalty of dependents (to the land of Order): Increased from "interest dependence" (30-50) to "initial recognition" (55-70).

Internal rule compliance rate: Close to 100%, dispute rate dropped by 80%.

Initiative in providing intelligence/resources: Increased by about 50%.

Special talent (Slime Elder) sublimation case: Produced a strong demonstration effect.

Lin Zhou's Civilization · Enlightenment divine office activity/comprehension: Slightly increased.

Just as Lin Zhou was satisfied with the results of the lecture and preparing for further planning, Su Yueyao's Moon Brilliance mark fluctuated again, and this time the message was more concise and urgent:

"The clearing force is moving south faster. The vanguard is suspected to have entered the 500-kilometer range of your area. Their integration method... is quite overbearing, suspected to have a tendency for forced annexation or destruction. Be careful. Also, Zhao Hao's coordinates have abnormal movements, moving towards your general direction, but his state seems poor."

Lin Zhou's eyes sharpened.

The seeds of thought had just been sown, and the vanguard of the storm had already arrived.

The test was about to escalate.