186: Abundant Resources: The Foundation of a Divine Kingdom

The title of top scholar exploded across the Star Domain like a clap of thunder; the chain reaction it brought was far more than just the glory of those gilded characters on the rankings.

Within ten minutes of the results being announced, Lin Zhou's personal terminal completely descended into a "communication disaster."

The notification sounds were continuous like popping beans, and the communication request list refreshed and piled up frantically at a speed of dozens per second, breaking four digits in the blink of an eye and continuing to skyrocket. The caller IDs jumping on the screen came from all over the world, with various identities:

【Cloud City Third Divine Realm High School · Principal's Office】, 【Xinghai Star Domain Education General Administration · Commendation Office】, 【Cloud City Administrative Hall · Mayor's Private Line】, 【Human Race Xinghai Theater Seventh Army · Recruitment Publicity Office (Special Recruitment)】, 【Xinghai Daily · Chief Reporter】, 【Universe Deities Weekly · Special Editor】, 【Longteng Chamber of Commerce · Cloud City Branch (Investment Intent)】, 【Zhao Clan Divine Realm Group · Human Resources Department (Genius Introduction Program)】... There were even some mysterious numbers labeled "Unknown Source (High-level Encryption)" and "Cross-Star Domain Communication (Insufficient Permissions)."

Besides communication requests, the message inbox exploded instantly. Congratulations, interview invitations, cooperation intentions, recruitment promises, and even some inexplicable attempts to claim a connection or provocative remarks surged in like a tsunami. The civilian-grade intelligent butler equipped on the terminal had long since overloaded, emitting a piercing warning sound, and the filtering function had completely failed.

Lin Zhou looked at the Chaos on the screen expressionlessly and directly activated the terminal's highest-level "Information Barrier"—this was a temporary privilege automatically unlocked by his status as the College Entrance Examination top scholar. Instantly, all communication requests and messages not on the whitelist (limited to immediate family and Ministry of Education officials) were forcibly silenced and moved to the background queue. The terminal's buzzing stopped abruptly, and the world became quiet.

He needed time to think and space to handle more urgent matters—receiving and processing the "top scholar rewards" that were enough to drive any True God crazy.

However, the tree wants to be still, but the wind does not stop.

Soon, a commotion came from outside the door. Through the window, Lin Zhou saw that a large crowd had gathered on the streets of the residential area below at some point. There were media reporters carrying cameras, citizens who seemed to have come spontaneously to congratulate him holding banners and flowers (many of whose faces Lin Zhou vaguely recognized from the school's commendation ceremonies or local news), and some well-dressed figures with extraordinary auras who were clearly representatives of various factions, trying to negotiate with several community workers and school security guards who had rushed over upon hearing the news.

He even saw a few juniors wearing the uniforms of Cloud City Third High School, excitedly standing on tiptoe to peer toward his window, holding small handmade signs.

The influence of a top scholar hit him in the face for the first time so directly and surgingly. This was only in Cloud City, and the news had just spread. One could imagine that in the broader Star Domain and even among the higher-ups of the Human Race, the ripples caused would only be greater.

“Xiao Zhou...” His mother, Zhang Xiulan, walked over with some concern, “There are so many people outside, and reporters say they want to interview... Should we...”

“Don't pay them any mind, Mom.” Lin Zhou shook his head. “The official rewards should arrive soon. Until then, we won't see anyone. The community and the school will handle it.”

Sure enough, not long after, two Advanced official hovering cars painted with the logo of the Xinghai Star Domain Education Bureau and featuring mild anti-detection spiritual glows, escorted by four security vehicles, passed through the crowd and slowly landed in front of the unit building where Lin Zhou's home was located. The car doors opened, and several staff members in formal uniforms, their expressions serious with a hint of respect, stepped out. Leading them was a refined middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, whose epaulets showed his Rank as a Senior Affairs Officer of the Education Bureau.

Accompanied by the community head and school leaders, they made a brief statement to the surrounding media and crowd (the content was nothing more than “Please maintain Order, respect the privacy of the top scholar and his family, official procedures will proceed in an orderly manner”), then went straight upstairs to Lin Zhou's door.

A knock sounded at the door, unhurried and carrying the unique sense of official regularity.

Lin Zhou opened the door himself.

Outside, the refined middle-aged affairs officer had a standard yet friendly smile on his face as he bowed slightly: “Student Lin Zhou, congratulations on being honored as this year's Human Race College Entrance Examination top scholar, winning supreme glory for the Xinghai Star Domain and Cloud City. I am the Senior Affairs Officer of the Xinghai Star Domain Education Bureau, Zhou Wenyuan. I have been ordered to come and deliver and witness part of your College Entrance Examination rewards and assist in handling related matters.”

His attitude was impeccable, maintaining official solemnity while fully expressing respect for the top scholar. The staff members behind him also looked straight ahead with upright postures.

“Officer Zhou, please come in.” Lin Zhou stepped aside.

Zhou Wenyuan entered the Lin family's simple living room with two assistants, while the others stood guard at the door. Lin's father and mother stood aside somewhat cautiously. Zhou Wenyuan politely congratulated them as well and invited them to witness the proceedings.

Everyone took their seats (Zhou Wenyuan insisted that Lin Zhou sit in the seat of honor). Without much small talk, Zhou Wenyuan went straight to the point.

“Student Lin Zhou, according to the ‘Human Race College Entrance Examination Reward Regulations’ and the results and evaluation you achieved this time, the list of rewards you should receive has been reviewed by the Universe Human Race Ministry of Education headquarters, and the Xinghai Star Domain Education Bureau has been authorized to issue the first batch of physical rewards and grant certain permissions.”

He signaled the assistant beside him to open a silver briefcase. Complex runes flowed on the surface of the box, requiring Zhou Wenyuan's own biological information and specific commands to open.

Click.

The box opened, and inside was not a physical object but a miniature, stably rotating silver spatial vortex, emitting faint spatial fluctuations.

“First, the basic resource rewards,” Zhou Wenyuan said, while taking out a scroll emitting a faint golden light from his breast pocket and unfurling it. The terms written in divine script were clearly visible. “Based on your status as ‘top scholar’ and your ‘first in history’ evaluation, the basic faith crystal reward you receive is: one billion units.”

One billion!

Although Lin's father and mother didn't have a deep understanding of the specific value of deity resources, they knew this was an astronomical figure and gasped.

Lin Zhou was also slightly shaken. faith crystals are the solidified form of purified Power Of Faith, purer than original faith, easier to absorb and utilize, and one of the hard currencies among deities. For him, who had just experienced a great battle, whose divine realm was in ruins, and whose godhead was shattered, this was undoubtedly timely help.

A True God (Faint Divinity)'s normal daily production of faith, depending on the number and quality of their followers, generally ranges from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of units of original faith. Converted into Divine Power, at a conversion ratio of 1 Divine Power = 10,000 faith, the daily Divine Power income is only a few to a few dozen points. One billion faith crystals is equivalent to 100,000 points of Divine Power! This is enough to make an ordinary Faint Divinity True God instantly “rich,” supporting the rapid development of their divine realm for a long time, and even serving as important “fuel” for repairing a godhead or performing large-scale miracles.

“The rewards will be issued in the form of standard faith crystals of the highest purity.” Zhou Wenyuan tapped the silver vortex with his finger. “Considering your current divine realm status and damaged godhead, direct infusion poses risks. The Ministry of Education has specially approved that this reward be deposited into the ‘Human Race Talent Special Resource Account’ bound to your identity. The account has been opened, and you can extract it to your divine realm as needed through a Divine Thought link at any time. The extraction process will be assisted and stabilized by the account's intelligent System.”

The assistant operated for a bit, and a glimmer of light shot out from the vortex, merging into the personal terminal on Lin Zhou's wrist (which was already bound to his Divine Thought). Lin Zhou immediately felt a virtual “account interface” added to his consciousness.

【Human Race Talent Resource Account (Owner: Lin Zhou)】

【Current Balance】: faith crystal: 1,000,000,000 units

【Extraction Permission】: Daily limit of 10,000,000 units (can apply for temporary increase)

【Subsidiary Functions】: Faith purity detection, extraction process stability assistance, large transfer audit (requires reporting), etc.

The daily extraction limit of ten million is to prevent divine realm instability or lack of self-control caused by suddenly obtaining massive resources. A very reasonable protective measure. One hundred thousand Divine Power—even if ten million faith crystals (equivalent to one thousand Divine Power) were extracted every day, it would take a hundred days to extract it all, enough for him to plan its use carefully.

“The second item,” Zhou Wenyuan continued, his expression becoming a bit more solemn. “Based on the extraordinary rule control, civilization diversity, and divine realm development potential you demonstrated in the trial, the Ministry of Education has specially awarded you an extremely precious epic-level wonder card—【world stone fragment】.”

He operated the silver vortex again. This time, a strange crystal about the size of a fist, showing a chaotic color and with countless scenes of worlds being born and dying flowing on its surface, slowly emerged from the vortex. It didn't emit any strong energy fluctuations, but it had an indescribable sense of “heaviness” and “Origin,” as if it were a cornerstone carrying the weight and rules of a world.

The moment the crystal appeared, the space in the living room seemed to freeze for an instant, and the light around it underwent a subtle distortion.

Zhou Wenyuan's assistant quickly activated several portable stabilizers to return the environment to normal.

“【world stone fragment】,” Zhou Wenyuan's voice carried a hint of imperceptible envy and awe. “Legend has it that it is a fragment formed by the condensation of the most core Origin rules and matter after the collapse of an ancient super-giant world. It cannot directly provide faith or Divine Power, but its value is far above ordinary resources.”

He signaled that Lin Zhou could sense it carefully.

Lin Zhou's Divine Thought carefully reached out (his godhead was damaged, so he didn't dare use force) to touch that chaotic crystal.

Instantly, a vast, ancient stream of information, seemingly originating from the beginning of heaven and earth, poured into his consciousness:

【Epic Wonder Card · world stone fragment】

Type: Rule/Origin Wonder (One-time Fusion Card)

Quality: Epic (Purple) (Near the threshold of Legend)

Source: Remains of an unknown ancient world collapse

Effects:

Divine Domain Potential Increase: Upon Fusion, permanently increases the Divine Domain area limit by +20% (calculated based on the area at the time of Fusion). The current Divine Domain area is 50 square kilometers; after Fusion, the limit can be raised to 60 square kilometers. This increase is a potential unlock, requiring subsequent resource investment for actual expansion.

Rule Carrying Capacity Strengthening: Permanently increases the stability and carrying capacity of Divine Domain rules by +15%. This means the Divine Domain can withstand more complex and powerful rule Systems (such as the coexistence of multiple ideological Systems, high-level wonders, powerful external cards, etc.), reducing the risk of rule conflicts and enhancing the overall resistance of the Divine Domain (including resistance against external rule erosion, such as Abyss pollution).

Origin Nourishment: The shard contains a trace of World Origin power, which will be slowly released during the Fusion process, nourishing the core land of the Divine Domain and slightly increasing the natural regeneration speed of resources (+5%), Spiritual Qi concentration (+3%), and the Innate potential of the followers (implicit, taking effect slowly).

Divine Kingdom Keystone: This item is one of the high-quality keystones for constructing a stable Divine Kingdom (a target for the Late Stage of a True God). Fusing it early can lay a solid Foundation for future Divine Kingdom promotion, reducing the difficulty and risk of advancement.

Fusion Requirements: True God Rank or above; complete control over the Divine Domain core; it is recommended that the Divine Domain be in a relatively stable state (the current post-war weakened state of the Divine Domain may increase Fusion risk and time).

Fusion Time: Estimated 7-30 Divine Domain days (depending on the state of the Divine Domain and level of control).

Remarks: This item is extremely rare and can only be obtained by those with great merit or peerless talent. Use it wisely; it may become the key starting point for your Divine Domain's transformation into a true Divine Kingdom.

Area limit +20%! Rule carrying capacity +15%! There are also Origin nourishment and Divine Kingdom keystone effects!

Lin Zhou was shocked. The value of this thing was indeed difficult to estimate. For a deity aspiring to climb to higher divine Ranks and build a powerful Divine Kingdom, this kind of wonder that could solidify the Foundation and enhance potential was more precious than being given a billion faith crystals! It didn't solve a temporary need, but rather the ceiling of long-term development!

"This card requires you to personally fuse it into the Divine Domain core," Zhou Wenyuan said. "Given the current state of your Divine Domain, I suggest you recover slightly before proceeding. The Fusion process may involve some fluctuations. The Education Bureau can apply for the right to use a temporary, protected 'Meditation Secret Realm' for you if needed."

"Thank you, I will consider it." Lin Zhou nodded and carefully took the Chaos crystal. It felt heavy in his hand, as if he were holding a miniature mountain. With a thought, he temporarily stored it in the storage space of the Temple of Civilization—it was relatively independent and safe there.

"The third item is a comprehensive resource pack." Zhou Wenyuan pointed to the silver vortex, from which an ancient-looking bronze key flew out. "This is not a physical object, but a coordinate key for a resource storage space. It contains a series of rare resources matched and packaged by the Ministry of Education's intelligent System based on your Divine Domain's follower types, trial performance, and future development tendencies. There is a wide variety, including but not limited to: high-tier minerals ([star iron], [Mithril Ore]), spiritual plant seeds ([Dragon Pattern Wheat], [Moonlight Grass]), special building Materials ([Sound-Absorbing Stone], [Spirit Warming Jade]), follower growth aids ([Wisdom Enlightenment Fruit], [Bloodline Purification Potion (General Low-Tier)]), and so on, with a total value equivalent to about fifty million faith crystals. You can use the key to extract required resources from the nearest 'Human Race Resource Distribution Node' at any time; the key has a spatial identification function."

Another generous supplement! These resources could greatly accelerate the reconstruction of the Divine Domain, replenish war losses, and even provide new possibilities for the development of his followers.

Lin Zhou took the bronze key and put it away as well.

"The above are the first batch of physical and resource rewards to arrive." Zhou Wenyuan closed the silver briefcase, and the spatial vortex disappeared. "The remaining rewards, such as one hundred thousand 'Human Race Contribution Points,' have been credited to your identity account and can be queried and used through the Human Race internal network; the 'Exclusive Mythic Resource Card Draw Opportunity,' involving high-level rules and luck, will be opened for you by personnel dispatched directly from the Ministry of Education headquarters within three days, carrying a 'Fate Compass (Replica)'; the 'Human Race Assembly Library · Secret Collection Area Reading Access' has been bound to your identity information, and you can visit it at any time within the validity period through specific teleportation arrays or virtual links; as for the admission qualifications for the nine top academies and the 'Prodigy' agreement, the recruitment heads of each academy are expected to contact you successively within the next 24 hours, and you can choose for yourself."

Everything was clearly organized and well-arranged. The Human Race authorities clearly had a mature and efficient process for dealing with rewards and follow-up matters for top geniuses.

"In addition," Zhou Wenyuan paused, his tone becoming even gentler, "given the heavy losses your Divine Domain suffered in this trial, especially the sacrifice of your core follower hero, the Education Bureau has specially approved an additional 'Post-War Emergency Aid Pack' for you. It contains some healing and repair cards and resources (up to Rare grade), as well as the right to apply for 'Divine Domain Repair Consultant (Expert Level)' services three times for free. I hope it helps you through this difficult time."

This was an unexpected surprise and also reflected the Human Race's care for geniuses. Lin Zhou thanked him sincerely: "Thank you for the Education Bureau's concern."

"You earned it." Zhou Wenyuan smiled, then said solemnly, "Student Lin Zhou, the title of top scholar is both an honor and a responsibility. In the future, you will become a role model for countless followers and carry more expectations of the Human Race. I hope you remain modest and prudent, move forward steadily, and grow into a pillar of support for our Human Race soon."

"I understand," Lin Zhou replied seriously.

With the official process completed, Zhou Wenyuan and the others did not stay long. After congratulating him again, they politely took their leave. They still needed to deal with the media and various factions downstairs, performing official explanations and guidance work.

As the Education Bureau personnel left, the doorstep temporarily regained its peace (the area downstairs was still lively, but isolated outside the neighborhood by security personnel). Lin's father and mother looked at their son with pride, relief, and a hint of daze in the face of the sudden, massive change.

"Xiao Zhou, keep these things safe. You'll have to manage your own path from now on." Lin Jianguo patted his son's shoulder, his many words condensed into a simple piece of advice.

"Dad, Mom, don't worry." Lin Zhou looked at his parents, his heart feeling warm.

He returned to his room and closed the door; he needed to deal with these rewards immediately.

First was the one billion faith crystals.

His consciousness linked to the newly opened resource account, but he was in no hurry to extract a large amount. With a damaged Godhead and a weakened Divine Domain, having too much high-purity faith flood in at once was not a good thing. He set a daily automatic extraction of five million units of faith crystals (equivalent to five hundred Divine Power), which would be slowly injected into the Divine Domain core through the account's stability aid function, prioritized for:

Maintaining the basic operation of the [Temple of Civilization] and accelerating the nourishment of the [Hall of Heroes] (a fixed daily investment of ten thousand civilization points to speed up Elwin's recovery).

Assisting the natural recovery of the Divine Domain and providing a higher quality faith environment for the surviving followers to accelerate their post-war recuperation and Rank recovery.

Accumulating a portion to prepare for the subsequent use of divinity crystals to repair the Godhead and the Fusion of the [World Stone Shard].

A continuous stream of pure faith crystals, like a trickling stream, began to flow into the parched Divine Domain. Although it was a drop in the bucket compared to the massive damage, it was like rain after a long drought, bringing a trace of vitality to the entire Divine Domain. The spontaneous repair speed of the ruined buildings seemed to quicken slightly, and the spirits of the followers improved at a visible rate.

Next, he looked at the [World Stone Shard] stored in the Temple of Civilization.

The Chaos crystal floated quietly, emitting an alluring aura. But Lin Zhou suppressed the urge to fuse it immediately. The Divine Domain was currently in a "post-war weakened" state, and the Godhead itself was broken and battered. Fusing such a wonder that involved fundamental rules at this time was too risky. He had to wait until the Godhead was repaired to a certain extent and the Divine Domain was basically stable.

"I need the Godhead integrity to recover to at least 25% and for the Divine Domain's 'post-war weakened' state to end," Lin Zhou estimated. "First, put all efforts into repairing the Godhead."

He took out the second [divinity crystal], preparing for the second absorption. With the experience from the first time and the slight increase in Godhead stability, this process should be smoother.

Just as he was about to sink into Cultivation, his personal terminal emitted a specific notification sound—it was from the whitelist.

It was Su Yueyao.

Lin Zhou clicked on the message. There was no text, only a crystal-clear snowflake pattern that seemed to be condensed from moonlight, slowly rotating and dissipating on the terminal screen, leaving behind a hint of cool Moonlight aura and a short Divine Thought message:

"Congratulations. The gift is prepared. See you in the Star Sea."

It was concise but carried her characteristic coldness and sincerity. The Moonlight aura contained in the snowflake instantly calmed and cooled Lin Zhou's mind, which had become somewhat cluttered from receiving so many rewards and information. He didn't know if the "gift" she mentioned referred to the previously agreed-upon joint research or something else.

The corner of Lin Zhou's mouth curved imperceptibly as he replied with two equally brief words: "Same to you. See you in the Star Sea."

Putting down the terminal, Lin Zhou's gaze became calm and firm.

The clamor would eventually pass, and the glory would be left behind. The real challenge lay in how to use these resources and this starting point to walk every subsequent step well.

Repairing the Godhead, rebuilding the Divine Domain, fusing the World Stone, studying the various schools of thought, awakening the heroic spirits, stepping into the Star Sea... the path was right beneath his feet.

He slowly closed his eyes, holding the divinity crystal, and his consciousness sank once more into that Godhead space covered in cracks. The pale gold light of rules began to mend the scars of civilization bit by bit.