188: Divine Realm Stable

In the following days, Lin Zhou's life entered a regular and fulfilling rhythm.

The external clamor had not completely died down. Every day, there were still various invitations, interview requests, and even tentative contacts from certain forces trying to reach him through various channels. However, Lin Zhou strictly adhered to his plan. Except for a few official procedures that required his personal signature or confirmation (such as the Ministry of Education commissioner delivering and activating the "Mythic Grade Card Draw Opportunity"—which he chose to keep for the time being without using immediately), he declined everything else or let his parents and the community handle it on his behalf.

He devoted the vast majority of his time and energy to the repair of his Godhead and the reconstruction of his Divine Domain.

Inside the quiet room, days passed one by one.

The third, fourth, fifth... divinity crystals were like the most precious supplements, absorbed and refined by Lin Zhou in a cautious and orderly manner. He strictly controlled the interval between each absorption to be more than five days. During these periods, he gently nourished his Godhead by continuously injecting faith crystals and handled the specific affairs of the Divine Domain's reconstruction.

As the divinity crystals turned into powder one by one, the scene within the Godhead space underwent a significant change.

The initial state of "broken porcelain," covered in hideous cracks and looking as if it would completely shatter at any moment, was gone for good. Although cracks still existed, most had become thinner and fainter, changing from penetrating main cracks into relatively subtle lines. The light of the Godhead's core crystal had also recovered from a dimness near extinction to a weak but stable and continuous pale gold.

Under the bonding of the pure rule power provided by the divinity crystals, the broken rule fragments were repositioned and reconnected. The stability of the entire Godhead space steadily improved, and the constant feeling of weakness and stinging pain originating from the Origin significantly weakened.

When the power of the eighth divinity crystal was completely absorbed and fused, Lin Zhou's Godhead finally reached a key turning point.

Within the Godhead space, a crisp and melodious "ding" sounded, as if from the depths of the Soul.

It wasn't a physical sound, but a resonance and proclamation at the level of rules.

The Godhead core crystal floating in the center of the space saw most of its surface cracks disappear or become extremely subtle, radiating a warm and restrained pale gold luster. Inside the crystal, the previously stagnant and chaotic rule pathways began to flow and circulate slowly and orderly once more.

A weak but definitely present Divine Power fluctuation quietly emerged from the center of the crystal, like the first warm current gushing under the ice in early spring. This newborn Divine Power did not immediately dissipate but was spontaneously absorbed and stored by the crystal itself—although the storage efficiency was extremely low and the capacity was very small, it marked that the Divine Power conversion and storage functions had finally recovered!

Lin Zhou's consciousness immersed itself within, carefully feeling this hard-won change.

[Godhead Status Panel (Moderate Damage)]:

Integrity: 33.5% (Cumulatively absorbed eight divinity crystals, integrity increased from 12.7% to 33.5%)

Stability: Medium (Has left the danger zone, can withstand a certain load)

Divine Power Conversion/Storage Function: Recovered (Basic)

Current Divine Power Conversion Efficiency: Approx. 1 Divine Power/2 hours (Extremely low, but operational)

Current Divine Power Storage Limit: Approx. 50 points of Divine Power (Extremely small, but storage space has been opened)

Rule Processing Capability: Low-level Recovery (Can perform medium-load rule analysis and basic control)

Divine Fire: Still extinguished, but the perception of the embers is slightly clearer, appearing to have an extremely faint "temperature."

Priesthood Sprouts (Education/Law): Activity increased, existence can be vaguely perceived, but still cannot be formally activated or used.

New Trait: Due to the massive absorption of divinity crystals for repair, the Godhead's affinity and adaptability to rule power have slightly increased.

33.5% integrity, medium stability, and the recovery of basic Divine Power conversion and storage functions!

Although the conversion efficiency was pitifully slow (at most 12 points of Divine Power converted a day) and the storage limit was only a mere 50 points—not even enough to perform a decent miracle—this was undoubtedly a huge milestone! It meant the Godhead had left the category of "severely damaged" and entered the stage of "moderately damaged but with partially recovered functions." The most dangerous moment had passed; subsequent repairs could be more relaxed, and he could start trying operations that required Divine Power consumption.

Lin Zhou's heart settled. There were two divinity crystals left; he planned to use them later to consolidate this state first.

The preliminary recovery of the Godhead brought the direct impact of significantly enhancing his control over the Divine Domain. Previously, many things could only be vaguely ordered and executed by Fire Hammer and others; now, he could intervene and plan more clearly and directly.

During this period, with the continuous investment of resources and the joint efforts of the surviving followers, the reconstruction of the Divine Domain had also made astonishing progress.

First was the continuous injection of faith crystals. A stable input of five million units daily nourished the parched Divine Domain like sweet dew. This high-purity faith was not only used to maintain the temple's operation and accelerate the nurturing of Heroic Spirits but also formed a faint "Faith Spirit Mist" throughout the Divine Domain that favored the recovery and growth of the followers. In this environment, the surviving followers recovered from their post-war trauma extremely quickly, and their mental state and physical fitness were steadily improving.

Secondly, the effects of the "Comprehensive Resource Pack" began to show. Through the Bronze Key, Lin Zhou gradually extracted resources with high compatibility.

A batch of [star iron] and [Mithril Ore] were prioritized for the Tiangong Dwarves and Mechanical Goblins to repair and upgrade key forging furnaces and mechanical production lines. Seeds of [Dragon-Patterned Wheat] and [Moonlight Grass] were carefully cultivated in new experimental fields by experts from the School of Agriculture; they were growing well and were expected to provide food and medicinal Materials superior to ordinary spiritual plants after harvest. [Sound-Absorbing Stone] and [Spirit-Warming Jade] were used to rebuild the Foundations and core areas of the Jixia Academy and the Temple of Law, enhancing the buildings' stability and functionality.

Healing and repair cards from the "Post-War Emergency Aid Pack" were also used appropriately. A Rare-grade [Earth Healing (Green)] terrain card was fused, accelerating the natural recovery of the war-scarred surface within the Divine Domain; several [Mass Healing Scrolls (Blue)] helped the last batch of seriously injured personnel fully recover; and of the three "Divine Domain Repair Consultant" services, Lin Zhou used one to invite an expert-level True God (Faint Divinity Peak) specializing in ecological recovery and architectural planning, who provided valuable optimization suggestions for the overall reconstruction layout of the Divine Domain.

Under the joint efforts of all parties, the appearance of the Divine Domain changed with each passing day.

The main structure of the Jixia Academy had been rebuilt. Although the interior decorations and book collection were far from recovered, it could already reopen for classes. The new person in charge, "Hui Yan" (a Wenxin Elf, Rank LV31), lived up to his name with prominent wisdom attributes. After Elwin's sacrifice, he proactively took up the heavy responsibility of Confucian Teaching. Though slightly immature, he was full of enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility. Under his presidency, the Academy not only taught Elwin children but also began trying to open enlightenment classes for the studious among the dwarves and fishmen, as the Confucian thought of "Education for all without discrimination" began to spread more widely.

On the ruins of the Tiangong Workshop, a new joint workshop was established with a larger scale, more reasonable structure, and a style that fused dwarven sturdiness with goblin precision. Under the leadership of the leader "Fire Hammer" (Rank LV34, injuries basically healed) and the Mechanical Goblin representative "Gear" (Rank LV29), research and production efficiency recovered rapidly, even surpassing previous levels due to the acquisition of new Materials and a more rational layout. New [Psionic-Steam Hybrid] technology began to be popularized, and the performance of mechanical creations steadily improved.

The Temple of Law was rebuilt on its original site, with a more solemn and cold style. The new Law enforcer "Tie Mian" (a Law Fishman, Rank LV32) was as his name suggested—strict in Law enforcement and impartial, implementing the Legalist spirit of "No Exemption from Punishment" to the extreme. Under his iron-fisted governance, Order within the Divine Domain was methodical. Even during the reconstruction period when resources were relatively tight, there were few violations of Law or discipline. Although the Net of Law could not manifest because the Godhead was not fully recovered, its invisible majesty was already deeply rooted in people's hearts.

Under the guidance of Qing Lin (Rank LV33, already able to move out of bed), the [Imperial Hospital] not only restored its medical functions, but the newly built [Hundred Herb Garden] has also begun to take shape, growing various herbs collected from resource packs and the wilderness. The number of Medical Apprentices has also increased, and they have begun to systematically study the knowledge in the "Shennong's Classic of Herbal Medicine (Rubbing)" (the basic version Lin Zhou exchanged for 80,000 civilization points).

Other miracle buildings, such as the [Altar of Shennong] and the [Martial Temple], have also begun reconstruction on their original sites. Although progress varies, all have laid their Foundations and are beginning to take shape.

Regarding the population, with the improvement of the environment and the assistance of a small amount of universal "Life Nourishing Potion" from the reward resources, the divine domain welcomed a small post-war baby boom. Combined with the absorption of scattered refugees (mainly wild followers or small tribes who lost their deities in previous trials), the total population is steadily recovering.

The most important change occurred after Lin Zhou began the Fusion of the [world stone fragment].

When his godhead integrity reached 33% and the divine domain's "post-war weakness" state was nearing its end (less than five days remaining), Lin Zhou decided the timing was ripe. He chose a morning in divine domain time to begin the Fusion of this epic wonder card in the square in front of the Temple of Civilization—the core area of the divine domain.

The process was smoother than he had anticipated, but also more grand.

When Lin Zhou guided that Chaos-colored crystal with his Divine Thought, slowly sinking it into the core of the divine domain's earth, the entire divine domain shook!

It was not a destructive earthquake, but a deep pulsation, as if the earth were stretching its limbs and the world were breathing. Centered on the point of Fusion, ripples of Chaos-colored light spread out. Wherever they passed, the soil became more solid and heavy, and the Spiritual Qi floating in the air seemed to be organized and purified by an invisible force, becoming more active and easier to absorb.

At the edge of the divine domain, the area that was originally blurred and bordered the Void Realm began to undergo a strange transformation. An extremely thin but definitely present light membrane, appearing as a translucent pale gold, slowly closed from the edges toward the center like ripples on a water surface. This light membrane was not a physical entity but a manifestation of rules; it was the most Elementary [Rule Barrier], spontaneously formed after the divine domain's own rules were nourished by the Origin of the world stone fragment!

Although this barrier was so thin it was almost transparent, and its defensive power might not even block a charge from a LV10 monster, it symbolized the divine domain's evolution from a relatively loose space maintained by Lin Zhou's Divine Power into a prototype of a "Divine Kingdom"—a Small World with its own preliminary rule boundaries and relative independence!

The Fusion process lasted for fifteen full divine domain days (about ten hours in the real world). During this period, all followers within the divine domain felt a sense of security, warm and full of power, originating from the earth. The efficiency of labor and cultivation both improved.

When the last trace of the Chaos ripples dissipated and the world stone fragment completely merged with the core of the divine domain, Lin Zhou immediately sensed a comprehensive leap in the divine domain's data!

[Divine Domain Core Data (After Fusion with world stone fragment)]:

Divine Domain Name: Hundred Schools Temple (Divine Domain)

Divine Domain Rank: True God Rank (Faint Divinity)

Divine Domain Area: 60 square kilometers (Actual area 50 square kilometers, potential limit 60 square kilometers, already reached the limit. Due to the world stone fragment increasing the area limit by 20%, the original 50 square kilometer limit has increased to 60 square kilometers. The divine domain's automatic expansion potential is at full capacity, and the current actual area is at the potential limit value.)

Divine Domain Status: Stable Reconstruction Period ("Post-war Weakness" 3 days remaining)

Core Rule Barrier: Nascent (Pale gold translucent light membrane, covering the edges of the divine domain. Physical defense is extremely weak, but it possesses preliminary rule isolation and identification functions, capable of slowly resisting faint external rule erosion.)

Rule Carrying Capacity: Medium (The world stone fragment increases carrying capacity by 15%; the divine domain can stably carry all current thought Systems and buildings, with a small amount of redundancy.)

Spiritual Qi Concentration: Relatively Rich (Increased by about 8% compared to before the war; some areas can reach the "Rich" level due to special buildings or terrain.)

Core Followers:

Literary Heart Elves (Confucianism): Population approx. 3,950, average Rank LV32 (Hero unit: Hui Yan LV31, Talent [Wide Learning and Strong Memory]).

Tiangong Dwarves (Mohism): Population approx. 4,380, average Rank LV31 (Hero unit: Fire Hammer LV34, Talent [Divine Craftsmanship]; Synergetic Hero: Gear (Mechanical Goblins) LV29, Talent [Precise Calculation]).

Law Fishmen (Legalism): Population approx. 2,920, average Rank LV31 (Hero unit: Tie Mian LV32, Talent [Unselfish and Just]).

Affiliated/Contract Units: Approx. 2,850 (Including a small number of native Water Spirits, Goblin Engineers, post-war sheltered refugees, etc.).

Total Population: Approx. 14,100 (Continuing to grow slowly).

Faith Daily Production: Approx. 150,000 units/day (Production is steadily recovering due to population recovery, environmental improvement, and extremely high follower loyalty).

Divine Power Daily Production: Approx. 0.5 points/day (Godhead conversion efficiency is extremely low, mainly relying on extraction from faith crystals).

Divine Power Reserves: 42/50 points (Slowly recovering).

Number of Fully Fused Cards: 11 (Added [world stone fragment (Purple)]).

Temple of Civilization Status: Under repair (Functions basically restored).

Hall of Heroes Status: Operational (Elwin integrity: 15.2%).

The area is stabilized at 50 square kilometers (potential 60 square kilometers), the average Rank of the core three follower races exceeds LV30, and the total population has broken through 14,000, steadily marching toward 20,000!

Most importantly, that pale gold Rule Barrier, symbolizing the prototype of a Divine Kingdom, has preliminarily taken shape!

This means that Lin Zhou's divine domain has completed its transformation from a "demigod territory" to a "stable True God divine domain," and has touched the threshold of a "Divine Kingdom" ahead of time! This undoubtedly laid a solid Foundation for his future development, far surpassing those of the same Rank.

Standing on the newly built high platform in front of the Temple of Civilization, Lin Zhou looked down at the completely refreshed divine domain below.

In the distance, the pale gold Rule Barrier was like an inverted bowl, gently enveloping the 60 square kilometers of land. Outside the barrier were the distorted and changing currents of the Void Realm; inside the barrier was a vibrant and orderly home. Sunlight filtered through the translucent barrier, casting a sacred golden edge over the entire divine domain.

In the fields, farmers worked diligently; in the workshops, the clanging of forging and the hiss of steam could be heard; in the schools, the sound of clear reading drifted with the wind; on the streets, the Law enforcement teams patrolled with steady steps; in the hospital, the fragrance of herbs permeated the air... The wounds of war were not yet completely healed, many buildings remained simple, and the population was far from reaching its Peak. But the spark of hope had been reignited, and the Order of civilization had been rebuilt, becoming more resilient than ever before.

Core heroes such as Fire Hammer, Qing Lin, Hui Yan, and Tie Mian now stood solemnly behind Lin Zhou, looking at this home they had protected and rebuilt with blood and sweat, their eyes filled with pride and determination.

"Dominator, we... we did it." Fire Hammer's voice was slightly choked.

Lin Zhou turned around, his gaze sweeping over these loyal followers, and he slowly nodded.

"Yes, we did it. But this is only the beginning." His voice was calm and powerful, spreading across the platform. "Elwin's sacrifice and the blood of countless warriors have forged today's Foundation. We must make this divine domain not just a place for survival, but a place for the Legacy of civilizations, a land where the hundred schools of thought flourish, and the base of a future Divine Kingdom!"

"We obey the Dominator's command!" everyone responded in unison, their voices shaking the clouds.

Lin Zhou looked into the distance, his gaze seemingly piercing through that pale gold Rule Barrier and casting toward the depths of the endless sea of stars.

The goals of the first volume—solidifying the Foundation, accumulating capital, igniting the divine fire, and stabilizing the divine domain—had been more than accomplished.

Next would be a broader stage, more intense collisions, and deeper explorations of civilization.