149: With its power beginning to take shape, the diverse schools of thought are winning people's hearts.

The echoes of the Hundred Schools of Thought lecture continued to ferment within the Order for several hours (battlefield time). The kind of enlightenment and resonance brought about by the collision of pure ideas was, for the Examinees and their kin who had long been immersed in slaughter and crisis, akin to sweet rain after a long drought.

Lin Zhou clearly perceived that the 'atmosphere' of the Order had undergone a qualitative change.

Previously, although the forty-seven dependent divine kingdoms had gathered, they remained in vigilant silence toward one another. The activities of their kin were limited to the most basic rest and resource gathering, and a repressed, fragile calm that could snap at any moment permeated the area. Now, however, a subtle 'vitality' began to flow.

The dependents were no longer just huddled within their own projection ranges. They began to try adjusting their internal management according to some of the concepts heard in the lecture: some Orc gods began trying to restrain their kin from meaningless brawls, replacing them with more organized training; some Elemental gods tried giving higher-intelligence elemental units more autonomy to observe their reactions; and even two gods who had previously had minor friction over resource trading conducted a somewhat clumsy but successful 'reconciliation talk' under the witness of the Net of Law.

A more intuitive change was reflected in the core kin who had the good fortune to attend the lecture. The numb, fearful, or purely battle-thirsty light in their eyes was replaced by a faint trace of 'thought' and 'realization.' Execution might not have skyrocketed immediately, but the resilience of their fighting will and the depth of their understanding of Orders had perceptibly improved. In particular, the sublimation case of the [Slime Elder] had become a role model that all dependents talked about with relish, inspiring them to explore potential points of convergence between their own paths and the Hundred Schools of Thought.

"The seeds of thought have been sown, but they need more systematic and continuous watering to take root and sprout, and truly transform into the cohesion and combat power of the Alliance." Lin Zhou examined the changes in the Order and made his next decision.

He decided to further open some functions of the Jixia Academy—naturally, a version that was highly simplified and adjusted to adapt to the virtual battlefield environment and the understanding of alien kin. Within the boundaries of the Order, he marked out a special 'Dependent Zone' and, using his Divine Power combined with the [Civilization · Enlightenment] divine office, temporarily constructed several simple phantoms of [Enlightenment Schools]. These schools were not as magnificent as the Jixia Academy of his home nation, but they likewise radiated a gentle light of enlightenment.

"Order: All dependent divine kingdoms within the Order may select a small number of kin with potential, high plasticity, or high loyalty (three to five per divine kingdom) to enter the Enlightenment Schools to receive basic enlightenment in Order concepts, the spirit of cooperation, and simple combat technique optimization. This is a trial; participation is voluntary, with no mandatory requirements."

Once the Order was issued, it stirred up waves once again. This time, there were far fewer voices of doubt; there was more eagerness to try. Having witnessed the power of ideological enlightenment (the Slime Elder case), who wouldn't want their core kin to also gain potential improvements?

Very quickly, the first batch of 182 elite kin (projections) from different races were carefully sent into the Enlightenment Schools by their gods. These kin were diverse in form: strong Tauren warriors, agile Forest Elf archers, steady Rock Golems, and even a few swamp giant toads that looked dull-witted but were immensely strong.

Inside the school, the one presiding over the enlightenment was not Lin Zhou himself, but several 'Enlightenment Phantoms' formed by his Divine Thought combined with Elwin's [Education of the Masses] skill template. These phantoms did not possess independent consciousness, but they could follow set programs to instill core concepts into these alien kin in the simplest and easiest-to-understand ways (combining images, mental transmission, and simple demonstrations):

Order and Cooperation: Through simulated small-scale skirmish scenarios, demonstrate the difference in battle results between chaotic charges and orderly cooperation, emphasizing the importance of formation, cover, and focused fire.

Loyalty and Trust: In the form of simplified fables, explain why loyalty to the collective (divine kingdom, Alliance) is ultimately beneficial to individual survival, and how trusting companions allows for greater power.

Basic Combat Technique Optimization: Tailored to different racial characteristics, provide extremely basic force-application techniques, energy-guiding tips, or simple combined attack formations (e.g., how Tauren can launch cluster charges more effectively, how Forest Elves can use the environment for coordinated shooting).

The entire process was immersed in the 'Domain of Enlightenment' created by the [Civilization · Enlightenment] divine office, and it triggered a partial resonance of the rules of the Jixia Academy itself.

After the first day (battlefield time) of enlightenment concluded, the effects were immediate!

[Enlightenment School · First Day Effect Assessment]: Average Loyalty of participating kin (to their respective gods and the concept of the Order): Increased by 8-15 points (the magnitude of the increase varies based on the base value).

Execution/Discipline Assessment: Increased by approximately 12% (understanding and accuracy of Order Execution).

Basic Combat Technique Mastery Optimization: Average increase of 10% (limited to taught content).

Special Effect Trigger (Group): [Initial Opening of Learning] — Under the resonance of the Enlightenment Domain and Academy rules, all participating kin gain the temporary status [Faint Spark of Intelligence].

[Faint Spark of Intelligence] Effect: Wisdom attribute temporarily increased by 1-3 points (depending on racial base), skill learning and experience acquisition speed +15%, lasting until the start of the next day's enlightenment.

Trigger Range: The first batch of 182 kin and their 39 associated divine kingdoms (some divine kingdoms sent multiple).

This was just data from the direct participants. What was even more astonishing was the ripple effect! When these enlightened kin returned to their respective divine kingdoms, their changes—eyes clearer, movements more orderly, faster responses to divine instructions, and even occasionally offering simple tactical suggestions—were immediately noticed by other kin. The power of role models is infinite, especially living role models right by one's side.

"It really works! After my Tauren chieftain came back, he actually knew how to keep his subordinates in formation!"

"My Forest Elf archer's shooting accuracy has improved! They seem to understand how to coordinate with each other better!"

"That Rock Golem... it actually saluted me just now! Before, it would just stand there stupidly!"

The feedback from the dependent gods quickly gathered to Lin Zhou, and their joy was overflowing. They had originally only held a 'let's try it out' mentality, and they hadn't expected such tangible gains! This completely ignited their enthusiasm.

"I implore the Dominator to expand the enlightenment quota!"

"We are willing to pay more resources, just give us a few more spots!"

"My main combat unit hasn't had a turn yet, can we arrange priority?"

Demand soared instantly. Lin Zhou took the opportunity to adjust the rules, moderately increasing the daily enlightenment quota and introducing a 'Contribution' mechanism—dependent divine kingdoms that provided more effective intelligence, resources, or performed actively in defense missions could receive more quotas. At the same time, the enlightenment content also began to be fine-tuned based on feedback, adding some more practical small tips targeting the commonalities of different races.

The cohesion of the Order began to accelerate and grow like a snowball!

First, the original forty-seven dependent divine kingdoms saw an unprecedented rise in loyalty and centripetal force. They began to truly regard this place as a 'homeland' and a 'land of hope,' actively maintaining Order, contributing strength, and communicating and cooperating with each other more frequently. Several divine kingdoms with good relationships even began, with Lin Zhou's tacit approval, to attempt small-scale, mixed kin training with the Order as an intermediary (under the monitoring of the Net of Law), exploring the possibility of joint operations.

Second, there was an astonishing siphon effect! The reputation of the Order, that it 'not only provides safety but also improves the strength of kin,' spread like it had wings across a wider area of the battlefield. Many low-to-mid-level Examinees who were struggling in the distance or were full of fear toward the Northwest clearing forces began to see it as a life-saving straw and started trying every means to approach the Order and apply for dependency.

Just three days (battlefield time)!

The number of dependent divine kingdoms skyrocketed from forty-seven to over two hundred! The actual control range of the Order (including the dependent zone) expanded to a radius of nearly thirty miles!

Lin Zhou had to consume more Divine Power to maintain and expand the coverage of the Net of Law, establish clearer zoning management (core zone, old dependent zone, new dependent zone), and enable more simplified versions of [Enlightenment Schools] to meet demand. The projection of the Jixia Academy appeared increasingly magnificent within the area, and the range covered by the light of civilization grew wider and wider.

[Order Alliance · Three-Day Development Data]: Total number of dependent divine kingdoms: 215 (continuing to increase).

Total estimated number of indirectly controlled kin projections: Over 70,000 units (although combat power varies, the quantity is huge).

Core management framework prototype: With Lin Zhou as the core, and the earliest batch of high-performing, high-loyalty dependent divine kingdoms (about twenty) as the backbone, a preliminary hierarchical management System was formed, responsible for daily Order maintenance, intelligence gathering, and resource scheduling (basic).

Cumulative benefited kin from Enlightenment Schools: Over 800, with an average overall efficiency increase of about 18% for their divine kingdoms (relative to before joining), and loyalty stabilized at 70-85.

Resource pool (virtual): The total 'protection fees' and contributed resources collected daily are substantial; after maintaining the operation of the Order, there is a surplus, which can be used for temporary reinforcement of defense or rewarding outstanding contributors.

Intelligence network: Coverage has expanded significantly, with an increasingly clear grasp of the movements of the Northwest clearing forces, information on strong individuals in other areas, and the distribution of resource points.

A thousand-person-scale Order Alliance, with 'Hundred Schools of Thought' as an implicit bond, 'Order' as the physical foundation, and Lin Zhou as the absolute core, had risen strongly on the edge of the Myriad Worlds battlefield! It was no longer just a shelter, but a quasi-military political entity with clear rules, upward mobility, common concepts, and a certain potential for war!

Of course, rapid expansion also brought challenges: friction between old and new dependents, the fairness of resource allocation, the sharp increase in peripheral defense pressure, and the test on Lin Zhou's personal energy and Divine Power. But relying on the powerful multi-threading capability of his divine personality, the rigid constraints of the Legalist Edicts, and the constantly deepening ideological identification, these problems were resolved or alleviated one by one within a controllable range.

Just as Lin Zhou was busy integrating this new force and starting to plan specific schemes to deal with the Northwest clearing forces, two messages that arrived almost simultaneously interrupted his work.

The first came from an emergency alert from the Order Alliance peripheral patrol (composed of multiple mixed dependent divine kingdoms): "About 350 kilometers to the northwest, a large-scale rout of divine kingdoms has been discovered! The number exceeds thirty, and they are fleeing toward our area! The pursuers... are huge in scale, very fast, and have extremely high energy fluctuations! Suspected... suspected to be the vanguard main force of the clearing forces!"

The second was a weak, intermittent, yet familiar irritable consciousness link request, directly attempting to access Lin Zhou's divine kingdom core—it was Zhao Hao!

"Lin... Lin Zhou! Damn! Finally... found you! Quick... connect! There's a pack of mad dogs chasing behind! My Dragon... can't hold on much longer!"

Lin Zhou's eyes suddenly became as sharp as a knife.

The garden of thought had already begun to bloom, and the iron hooves that trampled everything and the blood-bathed old friend had knocked on the door at the same time.

The storm had truly arrived.