160: The Mo family's ingenious craftsmanship has led to the rise of numerous architectural wonders.

On the ninetieth day of the simulated Divine Realm, the light of the rules for the end of the assessment slowly faded, casting Lin Zhou's consciousness back into that pure white initial login space.

Fatigue surged like a tide, deeper than when he had left the battlefield. This was not the weakness of Divine Power consumption, but an extreme mental exhaustion brought about by ninety consecutive days of high-intensity deduction, regulation, and guidance. Although the cracks in his Godhead had been repaired slightly and his processing efficiency had recovered to 55% of its normal state, the continuous processing of tens of thousands of microscopic instructions, optimizing agricultural technology, and guiding the spread of ideology still caused this heavily damaged crystal to emit an overwhelmed hum.

However, beneath the fatigue was a sense of overflowing satisfaction and firm confidence.

The light screen in front of him automatically expanded, and the preliminary settlement data for the second round of the assessment was rapidly refreshing.

【Examinee: Lin Zhou】

【Assessment Project: Divine Realm Development and Potential Evaluation】

【Basic Resource Output Evaluation: S+ (Exceeded grain reserve targets by 316%; crop quality and land improvement significantly exceeded expectations)】

【Fated Race Development Evaluation: A+ (Average Rank increased to LV3, potential significantly improved, loyalty and faith conversion rate steadily rising)】

【Environmental Construction Evaluation: A (Overall prosperity of the Divine Realm improved from extremely low to good; preliminary establishment of a sustainable ecological cycle)】

【Technology/Civilization Development Evaluation: B+ (Preliminary establishment of an Elementary agricultural civilization System centered on School of Agriculture Ideology; special achievements are significant)】

【Comprehensive Development Score: Estimated top 5%】 (Final precise ranking to be announced after all examinee data is summarized)

【Reward settlement will be issued after the announcement of the total rankings.】

【You have 24 hours of rest time. Please prepare for the final round of the assessment.】

S+, A+, A, B+... Comprehensive top 5%! This result, even if expected, still invigorated Lin Zhou. Especially under the circumstances where his Godhead was damaged, he couldn't use large-scale miracles, and the starting conditions were extremely harsh, achieving such a result fully proved the huge potential of the "Way of Civilization" in terms of construction and development. The ability of the School of Agriculture Ideology to break through a deadlock had been most forcefully verified.

But he had no time to immerse himself in joy. 24 hours of rest seemed long, but for him, who needed to prepare for the final and inevitably most difficult round of assessment, every minute and every second was crucial.

First, he had to recover and strengthen himself.

He sank his consciousness into his Divine Kingdom (the real Divine Kingdom, not the simulation), feeling the familiar environment filled with the aura of the Hundred Schools and Power Of Faith, which was completely different from the simulated Divine Realm. The Temple of Civilization stood quietly; although it was slightly dimmed due to the previous activation of the Long River, its Foundation was solid. He immediately began to absorb the faith accumulated in the Divine Kingdom and carefully took out one unit of the three units of 【Rule Essence (Damaged)】.

The Rule Essence was like flowing liquid brilliance, emitting an enticing rhythm of rules. Lin Zhou did not absorb it directly but guided it to the core of the Temple of Civilization—beside that still-weak Fire of Civilization. He controlled the Fire of Civilization, attempting to "smelt" and "fuse" this wisp of essence at an extremely slow and gentle speed.

The process was slow and meticulous. The original matter contained within the Rule Essence, which originated from the collapse of the epic building, the gate of death, was further purified of death and chaotic Impurities (which were already very weak) under the smelting of the Fire of Civilization, leaving behind the purest "rule structures" and "energy essence." These pure substances, like the best repair Materials, slowly merged into the cracks of Lin Zhou's Godhead under the guidance of the Fire of Civilization.

Sizzle... A faint sound echoed deep in his consciousness. What came from the Godhead was no longer sharp pain, but a strange sensation mixed with itching and fullness. The cracks were filled and closed at a speed visible to the naked eye (perceived by Divine Thought), and the overall luster of the Godhead also recovered a bit. The processing efficiency slowly increased from 55% to 58%... 60%!

One unit of Rule Essence was exhausted, and the state of the Godhead improved significantly from "moderate damage," approaching the edge of "light damage." The recovery speed of Divine Power also increased by about 15%. Although it was still far from a full recovery, it could now withstand higher-intensity thinking and a low level of active divine spell guidance.

"Enough." Lin Zhou let out a breath of turbid air. He didn't dare to continue using the second unit; he needed to save it for a critical moment. The remaining two units and that dangerous 【divinity crystal (Fragment) of Death】 were carefully sealed away by him.

Next, he began to review the second round of the assessment. The successful application of School of Agriculture Ideology was certainly gratifying, but it also exposed problems: in the later stages of development, after the food problem was basically solved, a Bottleneck appeared in the development of the Divine Realm. A lack of effective tools, weak defensive forces, and insufficient ability to respond to unexpected events (such as the small-scale insect pests and a slight earthquake that appeared in the Late Stage of the simulation) all restricted further high-speed development.

"In the next round, no matter what form it takes, the competition of comprehensive strength will inevitably include defense, military force, and technology. Relying solely on agriculture won't get us far." Lin Zhou's gaze was sharp. "And the best choice to make up for these shortcomings is undoubtedly—the Mohists!"

Mohist ideology integrates logic, creation, defense, and craftsmanship. Its core functions such as "The Exploitation of the Works of Nature," "Non-Aggression Barrier," and "Mechanism Creation" are the key bridges for transforming productivity into comprehensive strength! Especially in a development competition where resources are relatively limited and careful calculation is required, the Mohist philosophy of efficiency, practicality, and emphasis on defense and tool manufacturing has an incomparable advantage.

"And, Li Mo..." Lin Zhou thought of his roommate who was obsessed with Mechanical Goblins. In the previous Alliance battle, the combination of Li Mo's Mechanical Goblins and Tiangong Dwarves had already shown great potential. If the Mohist ideology could be more systematically and deeply combined with Li Mo's research talent in the next round of assessment... He immediately tried to contact Li Mo through the communication function reserved in the login space. Fortunately, Li Mo seemed to have just finished the assessment as well, and the link was quickly established.

"Lin Zhou! How are you? The second round was a development assessment; it was practically a death sentence! My Mechanical Goblins almost turned into scrap metal because of a lack of oil and parts! Luckily, I had a flash of inspiration and used the ferns in the simulated Divine Realm to press oil, and I made replacement gears out of stones and bones..." Li Mo's voice crackled through, carrying the relief of surviving a disaster and a still-vigorous passion for research.

Lin Zhou briefly exchanged information about their situations, learning that Li Mo had also achieved a good evaluation (he was good at mechanical modification and emergency R&D), and then cut straight to the point: "Li Mo, in the next round of assessment, we need stronger comprehensive strength. Your mechanical talent, combined with the Mohist 'The Exploitation of the Works of Nature' and 'Mechanism Creation,' might produce a qualitative change. I have complete Mohist ideology classics and application insights here. If you're interested..."

"The Mohists?! You mean the kind of ideology that can create powerful mechanisms and defensive fortifications?" Li Mo's voice suddenly spiked, filled with excitement. "Yes! I must have it! Lin Zhou, no, Brother Lin! It's a deal. If we can cooperate or be neighbors in the next round, my Mechanical Goblin workshop will be entirely at your disposal! I just want to see what kind of monster my steam mecha can become with the 'Mohist Mechanical Arts' you mentioned! Blueprints! Insights! Send them to me quickly!"

Lin Zhou smiled slightly and organized some basic Mohist Mechanical Arts, energy utilization concepts, and the core essentials of "The Exploitation of the Works of Nature" for improving R&D efficiency into a mental information package and sent it over. He believed that with Li Mo's obsession and talent, he would surely be able to absorb it quickly and produce his own insights.

After ending the communication, Lin Zhou continued to use the remaining time to deepen his deduction of the application plans for Mohist ideology in Divine Realm construction. He simulated various possible environments and resource conditions, designing several sets of rapid R&D and construction processes ranging from simple tools to complex mechanisms, and from defensive fortifications to energy utilization devices.

The 24-hour rest time passed in a flash.

【Preparation time for the final round of assessment has ended.】

【The final round of the College Entrance Exam: The ultimate trial of comprehensive potential is about to begin.】

【Assessment Format: Consciousness access to the ultra-large composite simulated Divine Realm 'New Realm.' Examinees will obtain a piece of 'territory' that has undergone preliminary development, possessing certain basic resources and standardized Fated Races. Assessment Goal: Within a limited time, develop the territory's comprehensive strength to the greatest extent, respond to the periodic 'Void Erosion' impacts, and complete the construction of specific 'Civilization Wonders' or achieve high-level 'Civilization Achievements.'】

【Assessment Duration: 7 days of real time (the time flow rate in the simulated Divine Realm is approximately 60:1, which is about 420 days in the simulated Divine Realm).】

【Core Evaluation Indicators: Comprehensive prosperity of the territory, military defense and counterattack capabilities, speed of technology/civilization leaps, completion of special wonders/achievements, performance in resisting Void Erosion, etc.】

【Special Note: The environment of the 'New Realm' is complex, resource distribution is uneven, and other Examinees' territories exist (cooperation or competition is possible). The intensity of 'Void Erosion' increases over time, eventually triggering the 'Final Tide.' The longer you persist and the better you develop, the higher your evaluation will be.】

【Teleportation beginning...】

Composite simulated Divine Realm! Territory development! Void Erosion! Civilization Wonders!

The difficulty and comprehensiveness of the final round were indeed far beyond the previous ones!

His consciousness traveled through the streaming light and descended once again.

This time, the "land" beneath his feet gave him a completely different feeling.

He stood in the center of a territory of one hundred square kilometers (the area had doubled). It was no longer purely desolate, but a "semi-abandoned" land that had undergone preliminary development but had clearly encountered setbacks.

In the center of the territory was a crude "Lords Hall" (initial building) made of logs and stones, with some dilapidated shacks and fields that were half-cultivated and then abandoned scattered nearby. A river with a fair amount of water but looking slightly turbid flowed through the territory, with a simple wooden pier on the bank. In the distance were low hills and a small, sparse forest. At the edge of the territory, a transparent barrier with weak, flickering energy was faintly visible—this was the initial boundary of the territory and the first line of defense against "Void Erosion."

Initial Territory Scan:

Area: 100 square kilometers.

Terrain: Primarily plains (60%), hills (30%), rivers and lakes (10%).

Resources:

Timber: Sparse woodland, can provide a small amount of timber (slow regeneration).

Stone: Exposed rock layers in the hilly areas, easy to mine.

Minerals: No rich Ore veins discovered, but soil testing contains trace metal particles (needs refining).

Food: The river has a small amount of fish, and the abandoned fields have wild tuber plants; reserves are extremely low.

Special: A weak, unstable "Leyline Spiritual Qi" node sensed in the eastern hills (could be a resource point or an unstable factor).

Initial Buildings: Lords Hall (Lv1, provides basic command and storage functions), Dilapidated Shacks x10.

Initial Fated Race: 1,200 units, Race: Mixed-blood Human Race (Pioneer template). Attributes are slightly higher than the humans in the previous round, average Rank LV2, possessing skills: 【Basic Construction LV2】, 【Basic Collection LV2】, 【Basic Combat LV1】. Status: Fatigued, low morale (due to the abandoned state of the territory).

Initial Threats: Wandering "Void Aberrations" (LV5-LV10, numbers unknown) detected outside the territory barrier. "Void Erosion" Countdown: First wave of impact in 30 days (simulated time).

The conditions were much better than the start of the second round; at least there were basic buildings, a larger population, clearer resource points, and direct threats. But it was also more complex, requiring a balance of development, defense, exploration, and potentially even diplomacy.

Lin Zhou quickly cleared his thoughts. The core strategy for the opening remained stabilizing internal affairs, acquiring resources, and increasing strength to handle the erosion coming in 30 days. The key to achieving this quickly lay in the efficiency and creativity of the Mohist Mechanical Arts, and... getting in touch with allies who might also be in the "New Realm"!

First, he attempted to send an encrypted broadcast message with a unique resonance frequency of the Fire of Civilization and Moonlight through the weak communication array (granted by simulated rules) in the Lords Hall, hoping to contact Su Yueyao or Li Mo. Then, he immediately began organizing his territory and vassals.

"I am the new lord of this land. I shall lead you to rebuild your homes, resist the void, and forge glory!" Lin Zhou's Divine Thought acted like a stabilizing anchor, instantly suppressing the panic of the vassals. "From this moment on, the new law shall be implemented!"

He applied and improved upon his successful experience from the second round, combining the ideologies of the School of Law, School of Military, and School of Agriculture to quickly organize groups:

Construction Team (400 people): Prioritize repairing and expanding the Lords Hall, using it as the core to plan and build the first batch of functional buildings. Simultaneously, build simple wood and stone watchtowers at key locations (such as river crossings and hill passes).

Resource Team (500 people): Divided into the Timber Group, Stone Group, and Exploration Group. Acquire basic resources under the principle of protective extraction. The Exploration Group will focus on scouting "Leyline Spiritual Qi" nodes in the eastern hills.

Logistics and Agriculture Team (200 people): Clear wasteland and attempt to plant cold-resistant crop seeds brought along (the simulation rules allow for a small amount of initial supplies). They are also responsible for food processing, caring for the wounded, etc.

Guard Team (100 people, composed of those with the most combat experience): Responsible for patrolling the interior of the territory and monitoring the movements of Void Aberrations outside the barrier using the newly built watchtowers.

Once the groups were assigned, Lin Zhou immediately used the Civilization: Education divine office to instill the core concepts of "The Exploitation of the Works of Nature" into the backbone members of the Construction and Resource Teams.

This time, it was no longer the delicate sensory guidance of the School of Agriculture, but a more direct and efficient philosophy of process optimization, tool improvement, and structural design!

How to use less wood and stone to build stronger buildings with more space?

How to design more labor-saving and efficient logging and quarrying tools (even if it just meant improving the angle of an axe handle or the fulcrum of a crowbar)?

How to use the terrain and existing Materials to quickly Construct effective, simple defensive fortifications (chevaux-de-frise, pitfalls, parapets)?

How to judge the best mining/logging points by observing rock textures and tree rings to reduce waste?

The rigorous logic and pragmatism inherent in Mohist thought fell like sweet rain into the hearts of these Pioneers who already possessed basic construction skills. Their eyes shifted from numbness to focus, and their movements seemed to gain a sense of order.

Day Five (Simulated Time).

The Construction Team successfully upgraded the Lords Hall to Lv2! The area was expanded, the structure became more stable, and command, storage, and simple workshop areas were initially partitioned. More importantly, under Lin Zhou's guidance, the Construction Team attempted to use natural stone crevices in the Lords Hall basement, combined with simple drainage channels and filter layers, to build an Elementary water purification device, slightly improving the quality of drinking water.

The Exploration Group of the Resource Team returned with critical information: a "Leyline Spiritual Qi" node in the eastern hills was a small, unstable outcropping of an [Inferior Spirit Stone Vein]! Although the grade was low, the reserves small, and the Spiritual Qi too violent to be easily absorbed, it was an energy resource! This was vital for subsequent development, especially for Mohist Mechanisms and potential divine art assistance!

Lin Zhou was overjoyed and immediately adjusted the focus of the Resource Team. While ensuring basic wood and stone collection, he reassigned personnel to establish a simple mining outpost at the vein outcropping and began attempting to mine and initially process these inferior Spirit Stones.

Day Fifteen.

The territory began to take shape. Around the Lords Hall, newly built dwellings (still simple but capable of providing shelter) were neatly arranged, along with a centralized material warehouse and a simple blacksmith shop (utilizing trace metal particles collected and wood charcoal to perform basic metalworking). At several key locations, five wood and stone watchtowers stood tall, expanding the Guard Team's field of vision and defensive range.

It was at this moment that the communication broadcast Lin Zhou had sent out received its first response—it was Li Mo! Furthermore, his initial territory actually bordered Lin Zhou's! They were separated only by a narrow river valley and a small marshland! This was truly a godsend for cooperation!

Through the reinforced communication array in the Lords Hall, the two quickly established a stable connection.

"Brother Lin! It really is you! Haha, my luck is too good!" Li Mo's voice was full of excitement. "My territory is on the other side of the river. It's even worse than yours—lots of stones, very little wood, just some scrap metal Ores that are barely passable. However, my Mechanical Goblins have already built the first batch of [Steam-Powered Drills], and the mining efficiency is top-notch! It's just that the fuel is about to run out..."

Lin Zhou immediately proposed a cooperation plan: "I have a stable output of wood, I've discovered an Inferior Spirit Stone Vein (which can be tested as a high-energy fuel or energy source), and I have preliminary agricultural production. You excel in mechanical R&D and mineral processing. We complement each other. I can provide wood, some food, and share intelligence on the Spirit Stone vein. In return, I need you to help me quickly upgrade the technical level of my buildings and defensive fortifications, and develop mechanisms that can be used for defense and resource collection."

"Deal!" Li Mo agreed without hesitation. "Blueprint sharing! Technical support! I'll have the Mechanical Goblins study how to use your Spirit Stones to replace the steam boilers right away! By the way, the Mohist Mechanical Arts you sent me are incredibly useful; I already have some new ideas..."

Day Twenty.

Lin Zhou and Li Mo's territories began substantial cooperation. A team of Mechanical Goblin engineers crossed the river valley via a temporarily constructed rope bridge and entered Lin Zhou's territory. Simultaneously, wood from Lin Zhou's territory and the first batch of collected, partially refined inferior Spirit Stones (named "furious spirit coal" by Li Mo) began to be transported to the opposite bank.

The Fusion began!

Li Mo's Mechanical Goblins brought standardized part processing concepts, simple gear transmissions, and linkage mechanism knowledge.

Lin Zhou's Mohist thought provided optimized structural designs, energy utilization ideas (how to more stably export the energy of furious spirit coal), and defensive fortification designs under the "Non-Aggression" philosophy (how to use the minimum Materials to form the most effective interception and lethality System).

Under the dual blessing of [The Exploitation of the Works of Nature] (led by Lin Zhou) and [Mechanical Frenzy] (Li Mo's talent), their R&D efficiency produced a terrifying chemical reaction!

Day Twenty-Five.

The first Fusion-type building was completed—the [Mechanical Beast Workshop (Lv1)]!

It was taller and more structurally complex than an ordinary workshop, featuring a standardized part processing area, an energy core debugging area (attempting to utilize "furious spirit coal"), and an assembly testing area. The building itself adopted the reinforced truss structure recommended by the Mohists, making it much more stable.

[Mechanical Beast Workshop (Lv1)]

Function: Can research, produce, and maintain Lv1-Lv20 mechanical creations (currently limited to basic models).

Properties: [Standardized Production] (Manufacturing speed for the same model +30%, cost -10%), [R&D Acceleration] (Efficiency +50% when conducting related research within the workshop).

Energy Consumption: Requires wood, metal, and trace amounts of energy (currently supplied unstably by "furious spirit coal").

On the day the workshop was completed, under the leadership of Li Mo's Mechanical Goblins and the optimization of Lin Zhou's Mohist thought, the first R&D project was launched—the [Psionic-Driven Puppet (Basic Model)]. The goal: utilize the violent energy of "furious spirit coal," combined with buffering and energy-conducting mechanisms, to drive a simple humanoid skeleton (primarily wood and stone, with key parts reinforced with roughly smelted iron), giving it basic hauling, patrolling, and simple combat capabilities.

Day Thirty.

Just before the countdown for the first wave of "Void Erosion" hit zero, the R&D was successful!

The first batch of ten [Psionic-Driven Puppets (Basic Model)] walked off the workshop production line!

[Psionic-Driven Puppet · Basic Model]

Rank: LV15 (Upgradable)

Attributes (Average): Strength 22, Agility 12, Physique (Structural Strength) 25, Energy Core Stability 10.

Talents: [Construct] (Immune to mental effects, unaffected by morale, requires energy to maintain), [Basic Logic Execution] (Can execute simple, clear commands).

Skills: [Heavy Strike LV1] (Consumes energy to perform a powerful physical attack), [Solid Defense LV1] (Consumes energy to briefly increase blocking and damage reduction).

Energy Source: "furious spirit coal" core (Each unit can support continuous activity for approximately 120 hours; energy consumption intensifies during high-intensity combat).

Combat Assessment: Approximately equal to a LV25 ordinary elite human warrior (possesses an advantage against low-level Void Aberrations due to its Construct properties and stable output).

Looking at these ten wooden Puppets, whose steps were slightly heavy but movements firm, and whose eyes (detection crystals) flickered with unstable spiritual light, Lin Zhou and the Pioneers in the territory felt a surge of excitement. This was the first truly "transcendent" force in their hands; though crude, its significance was immense!

Almost simultaneously, the barrier at the edge of the territory emitted a piercing alarm! A grayish-black, viscous, stain-like "Void Erosion" aura seeped in from outside the barrier, accompanied by the howls of dozens of distorted, foul-smelling Void Aberrations (LV8-LV15)!

The first wave of impact had arrived!

"Guard Team, rely on the watchtowers for defense! New 'Puppet Squad,' move forward to the first simple defense line (behind the chevaux-de-frise and pitfalls) for interception testing!" Lin Zhou ordered calmly.

The battle erupted instantly. The aberrations' claws and teeth left scratches on the wood and stone Puppets, but the Puppets' tireless heavy strikes and solid defenses effectively curbed their charge. Combined with the arrows from the Guard Team on the watchtowers (though crude), the first wave of a small number of erosion monsters was successfully repelled outside the barrier, leaving behind over a dozen distorted corpses.

The first battle was a success! More importantly, the feasibility of the "Psionic-Driven Puppets" was verified through actual combat, and data was accumulated.

However, Lin Zhou knew this was only the beginning. As time passed, the erosion would grow stronger, and the monsters would become more numerous and powerful. He had to race against time, guided by Mohist thought, to build more miraculous structures and develop stronger mechanical creations to go further in this ultimate trial.

"Li Mo," Lin Zhou said through the communication array, "we can start researching the blueprints for the 'Spiritual Qi Furnace.' We need a more stable and efficient energy source. Also, the priority for defensive mechanisms, such as automatic ballistae, needs to be raised."

"Understood! I have a new idea for the stability issue of the furious spirit coal. Combined with the Mohist energy-channeling Formation you gave me, it might just work! I'm also modifying the rapid-fire mechanism for the ballistae..." Li Mo's voice was full of drive.

Mohist craftsmanship rises from the ruins.

Mechanical beasts roar under the shadow of the void.

The Fire of Civilization will temper an even more brilliant light through repeated forging and creation. The final round of competition has entered its fever pitch!