163: Dominating the data, they won the championship again in the second round.

The brilliance of the Legalist Law Net flowed slowly at the level of the territory's rules, like cold and precise blood, maintaining the efficient operation of this war machine known as the "New Realm territory." The aftermath of the second wave of Void erosion had not yet fully subsided, but orders for repairing fortifications, treating the wounded, replenishing losses, and researching new equipment had already been precisely delivered to every relevant unit through the Law Net.

Lin Zhou stood on the observation deck at the top of the Lords Hall, his gaze piercing through the gradually thinning gray mist, falling upon the deeper darkness outside the territory covered by the rules of the simulated divine domain. He could feel that the "breathing" of the Void erosion was becoming heavy; the interval between the next impact might shorten, and the intensity would continue to rise.

Just then, a grand, indifferent fluctuation of rules that transcended the will of individual deities swept across the entire "New Realm" without warning, penetrating the barriers of every territory and sounding directly in the depths of all Examinees' consciousness:

[The final round of the College Entrance Examination, the first stage of the Comprehensive Development Assessment, begins now.]

[Assessment Basis: Data collection and rule calculation of the comprehensive development of each territory within the past 120 days (simulated time).]

[Assessment Dimensions: A total of ten core indicators, including total resources and reserves, number and quality of vassals, technological research and application, territory construction and prosperity, order stability and efficiency, external defense and exploration, special achievements and Breakthroughs, potential growth, and sustainability.]

[The assessment results will be ranked across all examination halls as a significant component of the final score and will influence the resource allocation and event trigger probabilities in subsequent assessment stages.]

[Organizing data... Generating rankings...]

[The list of the top 100 in the first stage of comprehensive development and key data comparisons will be announced shortly.]

It's here!

Lin Zhou's spirits rose, and all stray thoughts were instantly suppressed. This was not only the final judgment of the development over the past 120 days but also a precious opportunity to glimpse the strength of other top Examinees and position himself in the overall situation! What kind of evaluation would the brilliance of the Hundred Schools of Thought—Confucian Teaching, Mohist Heavenly Craft, Legalist Edicts, and the School of Agriculture's Foundation—blooming on this simulated land, earn?

Throughout the "New Realm," in countless territories, whether Examinees were still licking their wounds or preparing their troops, they all held their breath, waiting for the list to be revealed. Tension, expectation, unease, ambition... various emotions surged through the invisible network.

After a moment of silence, a giant golden light screen that spanned the entire sky of the "New Realm" and could be clearly seen from anywhere slowly unfolded!

At the top of the light screen was the grand title: "New Realm · Top 100 Comprehensive Development List for the First Stage."

The list rolled up from the 100th place. Following each name on the list was a string of concise but key data: approximate territory coordinates (blurred), core vassal types, total resource score, technology score, construction score, and so on.

100th... 90th... 80th... The list didn't scroll fast, enough for every examinee to see the information clearly. Every time a name appeared, it would trigger a wave of energy, strong or weak, in the sky above its corresponding territory—an outward manifestation of the ranked person's uncontrollable emotions.

Lin Zhou watched calmly. Among the early rankings, he saw a few IDs he vaguely remembered, some he had heard of in previous chaotic battles or rumors. Their development data was indeed commendable, with total resource scores often in the millions of standard units and technology scores reaching the "Good" level. But his heart remained untroubled; he knew the real contest was at the top.

60th... 50th... 40th... As the list reached the middle, the data began to look impressive. Total resource scores broke ten million, technology scores reached "Excellent," and even items like "Special Achievement: Preliminary Analysis of Low-level Void Energy" and "Special Achievement: Domestication of Local Demonized Creatures" appeared. These Examinees clearly had their own characteristics and had found development paths that suited them.

30th... 20th... 15th... At this level, every name exuded an unignorable aura of power. Total resource scores were easily over twenty million, technology scores were stable at "Excellent" or even "Outstanding," the average Rank of vassals generally reached LV10 or higher, and the territory prosperity score was extremely high. Lin Zhou even saw a familiar ID at 15th place—"Qin Qing" (Judgment Angel Divine Domain). In her data, the "Order Stability and Efficiency" score was as high as 92 points, ranking first among all Examinees in that category! Clearly, she had also pushed Legalist or similar orderly thoughts to the extreme.

10th, 9th, 8th... Brilliant names appeared one after another, each with data more exaggerated than the last. The Examinees watching the list were already numb, left only with pure curiosity and awe for those at the top of the pyramid.

7th place: An ID featuring "Elemental Fusion." The total resource score wasn't the highest, but the "Technological Research and Application" score reached a staggering 95 points!

6th place: An ID skilled in "Intensive Undead Production" (not "Nether Bone"). The number of vassals had ballooned to a terrifying fifty thousand, but the quality score was lower.

5th place: Zhao Hao! Although his Red Dragon vassals didn't grow quickly in number (about three thousand), their average Rank reached LV25! Individual combat power was extremely formidable. Resource acquisition seemed to rely on high-risk hunting and plundering, and the total resource score was also as high as thirty-eight million! "Special Achievement: Hunting a Void Lord (Juvenile)."

4th place: An extremely low-profile ID he had never heard of. The data was terrifyingly balanced, with every item around 90 points, no obvious weaknesses, and the highest total score.

3rd place: Su Yueyao! The development data of her Moonlight Divine Domain was elegant and powerful. The number of vassals was moderate but the quality was extremely high (Moonlight Elves average LV22), the territory environment score was 98 points (the highest in the field), and she had "Special Achievement: Purifying a Medium-sized Void Pollution Node" and "Special Achievement: Cultivating the Moonlight Holy Spring." Total resource score was forty-five million, and the technology score was 88.

2nd place: When it appeared, the entire "New Realm" seemed to fall silent for a moment. ID: "The Exploitation of the Works of Nature" (suspected to be Li Mo's pseudonym or someone with similar ideals). His data... it didn't look like he was developing a territory, but rather conducting a frantic industrial revolution!

Total Resources: 52 million units (mainly concentrated in minerals and energy).

Technological Research and Application: 99 points! (A landslide first place)

Key Data: Architectural wonder [Core of the Earth Furnace (Prototype)] completed, [automated puppet production line] x3, [three-dimensional rune defense array] coverage 60%, total number of psionic mechanical units exceeded eight hundred (average Rank LV18)!

Special Achievements: "Achieving Preliminary Energy Self-circulation," "Completing Deep Integration of Rune Technology and Mechanical Transmission," "Constructing a Mobile War Fortress (Embryonic Form)."

Weaknesses: Vassal quantity and quality scores were low (mainly Mechanical Goblins, average Rank LV15), order stability score was average (75 points), and territory environment score was extremely low (40 points, due to excessive industrial destruction).

Seeing this, a smile played on the corners of Lin Zhou's mouth. It was indeed Li Mo's style—extreme and efficient. It wasn't surprising his ranking was so high.

Then, first place... At the top of the light screen, the last line of information slowly emerged with a dark gold light that was more brilliant and heavier than the other names:

[1st Place: Lin Zhou (Civilization Divine Domain)]

[Territory Coordinates: (Highly Encrypted)]

[Core Vassals: Mixed-blood Human Race (Pioneer Template) → Undergoing transformation through Civilization: Education.]

[Comprehensive Development Total Score: 9,850,000] (Theoretical maximum 10,000,000)

Immediately following was a detailed and terrifying comparison chart of the ten core indicators, as well as Lin Zhou's score and ranking in each category!

1. Total Resources and Reserves:

Lin Zhou's Score: 9,700,000 units (converted to standard energy, including spirit plants, minerals, food, etc.), ranked 1st.

2nd Place ("The Exploitation of the Works of Nature"): 5,200,000 units.

Lead margin: 86.5%!

2. Number and Quality of Vassals:

Lin Zhou's Score: Total of 1,250 vassals, average Rank LV12 (thanks to consumption of spirit plants and education), 12 hero units (preparatory), potential assessment: S (Extraordinary), ranked 1st.

2nd Place (Su Yueyao): Average vassal Rank LV22, but the total number is small, potential assessment A+.

Combined quality and potential score lead margin: 35% (Special Jury Note: Lin Zhou's vassals achieved leapfrog collective evolution and hero Awakening from a low starting point; the evaluation of the growth curve and potential dimension is extremely high).

3. Technological Research and Application:

Lin Zhou's Score: Score 96, ranked 2nd (second only to Li Mo's 99 points).

Core Technologies: [Dragonblood Rice (First Generation) Spirit Plant Cultivation System], [spirit energy furnace (Experimental Type)], [Spirit-powered Puppet Series], [Net of Law (Territory Version) Management System], [Simple Rune Application (Defense, Energy Guidance)].

Gap with 1st place: 3 points (mainly in industrial scale and depth of automation).

4. Territory Construction and Prosperity:

Lin Zhou's Score: Score 94, ranked 1st.

Key Data: Territory utilization rate 85%, building completeness (covering production, defense, residence, education, management) 92%, environmental coordination 88% (maintaining good ecology during rapid development).

2nd Place Score: 89 points.

5. Order Stability and Efficiency:

Lin Zhou's Score: Score 98, ranked 1st (tied with Qin Qing).

Key Data: Policy execution rate 100%, resource utilization rate 98.2% (highest in the field), internal conflict rate 0.01% (extremely low), wartime mobilization efficiency 95%.

Legalist [Net of Law] and [Holding Names Responsible for Reality] were specially noted as "Efficient Management Paradigms."

6. External Defense and Exploration:

Lin Zhou's Score: Score 90, ranked 3rd.

Key Data: Successfully resisted two waves of enhanced Void erosion, excellent annihilation records, territory barrier integrity maintained above 85%, preliminary external reconnaissance System established.

Trailing behind Zhao Hao (high hunting score) and another examinee specializing in defense.

7. Special Achievements and Breakthroughs:

Lin Zhou's Score: Cumulative extra points +500,000, ranked 1st.

Achievement List:

[seed of civilization]: In an extremely barren environment, successfully cultivated and optimized a new type of high-value spirit plant [Dragonblood Rice (First Generation)], establishing a sustainable spirit plant agricultural System. (+200,000)

[Heavenly Craftsmanship]: Achieved a creative combination of Mohist thought and basic industry, researching and applying key technologies such as [spirit energy furnace] and [spirit-powered puppets]. (+150,000)

[Merit of Civilization]: The System promotes Confucian Teaching, significantly improving the overall quality of the vassal race and guiding the mass birth of high-potential 'Reserve Hero' units, creating a paradigm for the leapfrog development of low-starting-point vassal races. (+100,000)

[Law · Order]: Established and operated an efficient [Net of Law] management System, achieving near-zero internal friction in resource allocation and decree execution, providing new ideas for large-scale territory management. (+50,000)

8. Potential Growth and Sustainability:

Lin Zhou's Score: 97, Rank 1.

Proctor's Comments (Summary): This examinee's development model possesses both explosive power and a deep Foundation. The Spirit Plant System ensures long-term resources and vassal race potential, Mohist Technology provides military force and productivity, Confucian Teaching solidifies talent and civilization heritage, and Legalist Edicts ensure efficient operation. Each System forms a positive interaction, the growth curve is healthy and full of stamina, and the sustainability assessment is 'Optimal.'

9. Civilization/Race Feature Fusion:

Lin Zhou's Score: 99, Rank 1.

Comments: His 'Hundred Schools Civilization' System demonstrates extremely high inclusivity and adaptability, producing deep resonance and positive promotion with the standardized Human Race vassal race template. The vassal race's cultural prototype is highly unified with the deity's path, showing distinct characteristics and immense potential.

10. Comprehensive Risk Resistance and Adaptability:

Lin Zhou's Score: 92, Rank 2.

Comments: He performed excellently in dealing with multiple challenges such as Void Realm erosion, resource Bottlenecks, and internal management, showing strong System resilience. He has not yet undergone extreme sudden destructive strike testing.

In the ten core indicators, Lin Zhou took first place in eight of them! He ranked second and third in the other two! With a terrifying comprehensive total score close to full marks, he stands high at the top of the list!

On the light screen, to more intuitively display the gap, a bar chart comparing the main data of Lin Zhou with the second place (Li Mo) and third place (Su Yueyao) was even generated. The golden bars representing Lin Zhou's data far exceeded the second place by more than 30% in multiple categories such as total resources, vassal race quality (comprehensive), construction prosperity, order efficiency, special achievements, potential sustainability, and civilization Fusion. In some categories (such as total resources and special achievements), it was even a multiple-fold difference!

Shocking!

Unsurpassable shock!

In the entire 'New Realm,' countless Examinees looked up at the name hanging high at the top of the list and the long string of suffocating data behind it, falling into a dead silence.

Those Examinees from traditional prestigious clans, who possessed rare vassal races and were confident in their development, now felt their faces burning as if they had been fiercely slapped by an invisible hand. The resource accumulation, vassal race Rank, and special buildings they were proud of appeared so thin and one-sided in the face of Lin Zhou's data, which was blossoming in all areas, deeply rooted, and carried strong civilization characteristics!

"Hundred Schools Civilization... what on earth is that?!"

"Dragonblood Rice? spirit energy furnace? Net of Law? Mass-producing Reserve Heroes? How... how did he do it?!"

"Close to full marks... is this really an examinee taking the exam with us?"

"Civilization Divine Domain... I've never heard of such a development path before..."

Whispers of astonishment, doubt, jealousy, and disbelief spread through the invisible consciousness network. The name Lin Zhou, along with his mysterious 'The Way of the Hundred Schools,' was imprinted in the hearts of all Examinees following the rankings with an unprecedentedly powerful stance.

Above Zhao Hao's territory, a hearty laugh rang out: "Hahaha! Good! Lin Zhou, you truly are the brother I recognized! This first place was won with backbone!" He didn't seem to care much about his own sixth-place result.

In Su Yueyao's territory, the cold moonlight rippled slightly. She stared at Lin Zhou's name and data on the light screen, a flash of complex color in her eyes—there was admiration, relief, and a trace of... curiosity and inquiry that was hard to detect.

In Li Mo's territory (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature), the roar of machinery seemed to pause for a moment, and then his excited mumbling was heard: "Damn! Brother Lin is still a beast! I only got second after mining and building machines like crazy... but his method of farming plus managing people really has something to it. I'll have to find him to exchange ideas later..."

Qin Qing saw that her order efficiency score was tied for first with Lin Zhou, but her total score only ranked fifteenth. Her cold face showed no expression, but a sharp glint flashed in her eyes as if she were re-evaluating something.

As for those Examinees hidden in the shadows who also achieved good rankings (such as the fourth-place Balanced Developer) or had special purposes, they all marked the name 'Lin Zhou' as a target requiring key attention or even vigilance.

Outside the virtual battlefield, in the real Proctoring Center.

The huge main screen was displaying the complete data of the New Realm's Top 100 list, especially Lin Zhou's crushing data comparison chart.

"First in eight out of ten categories... a total score close to the theoretical maximum..." A middle-aged Proctor sucked in a breath of cold air. "This Lin Zhou's development comprehensiveness and System maturity shown in the simulated divine domain simply don't look like those of an examinee who just finished high school education. His 'Hundred Schools' System seems to already possess the characteristics of a small-scale civilization prototype."

"Especially this 'Net of Law' management efficiency and resource utilization rate, 98.2%!" Another Proctor focused on internal affairs development had burning eyes. "This has already touched the edge of management at the rule level! Many True God Rank lords might not be able to achieve such refined zero-internal-friction control! This is not just a thought; it is almost the manifestation of the 'Dao'!"

"And the stimulation of vassal race potential." An elderly Proctor responsible for vassal race cultivation assessment stroked his beard and pondered. "Starting from the standardized Human Race template, in just one hundred and twenty days, the average Rank was raised to LV12, twelve Reserve Heroes were born, and the group potential rating is S... This civilization capability is inconceivable. What he ignited is not just a divine fire, but more like a seed of civilization that can illuminate and ignite the light of wisdom in mortal beings."

The white-haired elderly Proctor in the main seat remained silent for a long time before slowly saying: "In the first round of chaos, he defeated the strong as the weak, unified the scattered sands, and reversed the undead calamity, showing the sharpness of 'breaking' and leadership charisma. In the second round of development, he painted on a blank sheet, opening up fertile land in the wilderness, showing the Foundation of 'establishing' and creative wisdom. In this first stage of the final round, he has further shown the rigor of 'governing' and the potential of 'integrating'... This youth's ambitions are by no means limited to a single corner. His 'Dao' might truly open a new path for our Human Race."

"Continue to focus on him and raise the monitoring level. Meanwhile..." A sharp light flashed in the elder's eyes. "Organize some of his non-core data from the first stage (such as details of some special achievements and outlines of some technological principles) into 'Excellent Development Cases' and submit them to the core databases of Xinghai University and several top academies. It is time for the higher-ups to see this rising 'anomaly.'"

Inside the New Realm, Lin Zhou naturally could not hear the discussions and tremors from the outside world. He calmly looked at his own brilliant data on the light screen, not feeling much self-satisfaction.

Data crushing was just the result. What truly gratified him was that the Hundred Schools of Thought had withstood the test on this simulated land, proving its feasibility, superiority, and infinite potential as a complete civilization development path.

"The first stage is over, and I'm ranked first... This means that in the following assessments, I might face more severe challenges, or I might obtain certain advantages or trigger special events." Lin Zhou's mind whirled. "Resource tilt... what will it be? Event triggers... the intensity of the Void Realm erosion will likely be adjusted based on the ranking."

As if to confirm his guess, the grand and indifferent voice of the rules rang out again:

[First stage assessment ended. Ranking rewards are being distributed...]

[First Place (Lin Zhou) obtains:]

'New Realm' Resource Priority Allocation Right (Weak): For the next three days (simulated time), the natural regeneration speed of basic resources (wood, stone, common minerals) in the territory +20%.

Special Building Blueprint: [Star Gazing Platform (Incomplete)] (Can be used to observe Void Realm energy flow, predict erosion nodes, and slightly increase inspiration for research activities in the territory).

'Civilization Wonder' Construction Guide (Clue): Obtain preliminary clues and some prerequisite hints regarding the construction of a specific 'Civilization Wonder' in this 'New Realm.' (Completing the wonder will bring huge buffs and scores)

Void Realm Erosion Intelligence (Partial): Learn the estimated time of the next large-scale erosion 'Tide' (sixty days later) and the possible main threat types (mixed 'Corrosion,' 'Mental,' and 'Physical Sea').

Special Attention Mark: Your territory has been vaguely perceived by certain ancient existences or powerful competitors in the 'New Realm.' (Whether it is a blessing or a curse remains unknown)

[The second stage of the assessment will officially begin in twenty-four hours (simulated time). During this period, Void Realm erosion will switch to a low-intensity continuous harassment mode. Please all Examinees make good use of the rest time to consolidate development and face challenges.]

[Final Tip: Ranking is not the end; survival and development are endless.]

Rewards and challenges coexist. The priority allocation right and the Star Gazing Platform blueprint are solid benefits, and the wonder clue is a long-term goal. However, that 'Special Attention Mark' made Lin Zhou frown slightly.

"Perceived by certain existences... is it a blessing or a curse?" He pondered, his gaze once again casting toward the deep darkness outside the territory. There, more invisible gazes seemed to be passing through the afterglow of the rankings, focusing on this land that had just begun to show its prominence.

"Soldiers will be blocked by water and earth." Lin Zhou collected his thoughts, his eyes becoming sharp and determined again. "The priority now is to use these twenty-four hours and the rewards obtained to further consolidate advantages, especially to build the 'Star Gazing Platform' and crack the wonder clues."

"Li Mo, Su Yueyao," he sent out a message through the encrypted channel, "The first stage is over. I've got some new things here regarding observation and wonders that might help with subsequent defense and development. If you're interested, we can share some intelligence and discuss the possibility of cooperation."

Data crushing was just the beginning.

The true contest, following the revelation of the rankings and the arrival of 'Special Attention,' had just entered a more complex and dangerous deep-water zone. Could the seed of civilization continue to set the prairie ablaze in this crisis-ridden 'New Realm' and eventually forge that legendary 'Wonder'?"}],