192: Starry Night Alarm

The freshman opening ceremony was held on the morning of the third day after enrollment at the "Cosmos Square" in the central area of Xinghai University.

This was a circular plaza with a diameter of over fifty kilometers, suspended directly beneath the core light orb of the continent and paved entirely with pure white jade. At the edge of the plaza stood nine thousand-meter-tall Huabiao pillars, engraved with the achievements and school mottos of past sages of Xinghai University, emitting an aura of antiquity and solemnity. In the center of the plaza was a grand platform built of white jade, shaped like an unfolding book—the Reviewing Stand.

When Lin Zhou and the other freshmen arrived at the edge of the plaza via the unified teleportation array, even though they had already witnessed the grandeur of Xinghai University, they were still shocked by the sight before them.

Over a hundred thousand freshmen had gathered on the plaza! They were lined up neatly according to different colleges and sequences, silent. Everyone wore the uniform scholar robes of Xinghai University, with only slight differences in color and fine patterns representing their respective basic colleges (General, War, Elemental, Life, Mechanical, Mystical, etc.). Young deities from all over the Universe emitted fluctuations of Divine Power of varying strengths and attributes. Together, they formed a silent but majestic ocean of energy, surging against the dense Chaos Origin Qi permeating the plaza, creating a faint, multicolored energy glow in the low sky.

In the sky above the freshman formation, covered by the "xinghai dome," a marvelous change occurred. The light of countless stars seemed to grow brighter, casting down soft pillars of light that focused on the central Reviewing Stand like stage lights. The energy light orb at the center of the dome also slightly adjusted its brightness, casting a warm and solemn glow.

Lin Zhou stood at the front of the General College's freshman formation (a privilege of his top scholar status). Not far from him, Zhao Hao was trying his best to straighten his back, his eyes filled with both excitement and a hint of nervousness at the grand scene. Further away, Li Mo was somewhat distracted, his fingers moving unconsciously in his sleeves, likely still pondering the structure of the Psionic Hybrid Power Furnace he had seen yesterday.

Lin Zhou's gaze swept across the Reviewing Stand. Seats were already set up on the stage, but they were currently empty. His gaze fell on a corner below the stage, where there was a small independent formation. Their numbers were few, but their auras were exceptionally condensed. One figure, as cold and clear as the moon, was particularly striking—Su Yueyao. She seemed to sense Lin Zhou's gaze, tilted her head slightly, and gave him a faint nod as a greeting.

At that moment, the energy glow above the plaza suddenly converged toward the center. Simultaneously, the nine Huabiao pillars lit up, projecting nine thick pillars of light, each carrying a different rhythmic sense of rules, interlacing above the Reviewing Stand into a complex and profound giant formation.

The formation rotated slowly, and the space at its center rippled like water.

An indescribable, vast, and majestic aura, as if carrying endless years and wisdom, diffused from that spatial ripple like a sleeping giant beast awakening, instantly enveloping the entire Cosmos Square!

The hundred thousand freshmen, no matter how proud or flighty they had been before, felt their Souls tremble the moment this aura descended. They involuntarily suppressed all stray thoughts, straightened their bodies, and looked up at the sky above the Reviewing Stand with awe.

Even the dense energy glow on the plaza became docile and orderly under this aura, like subjects paying homage to a king.

A figure stepped out from the spatial ripple.

There was no dazzling divine light, no exaggerated phenomena. It was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties or fifties, with an ordinary face, wearing a simple grey robe, and his hair meticulously combed. He stood with his hands behind his back in the void, calmly looking down at the hundred thousand freshmen below. Wherever his gaze fell, it seemed to pierce through everyone's Soul and potential.

However, it was such an ordinary-looking figure that made all the freshmen, including Lin Zhou, feel an absolute sense of suppression and insignificance originating from the level of life and rules.

[Perception Information (Ultra-High Authority)]:

Identity: Current President of Xinghai University, Xiahou Xuan.

Godhead Rank: God King (great divine power) — [Data blurred, unable to perceive accurately, but the level of pressure far exceeds the scope of a True God]

Divine Domain: [Knowledge], [Legacy], [Starry Sky] (Suspected)

Status: Aura is as deep as an abyss and vast as a sea, faintly resonating with the rules of the entire Xinghai University demiplane, as if he is the Incarnation of this world's will.

Warning: Do not look directly, do not probe, maintain reverence.

God King! great divine power!

This was the highest-ranking existence Lin Zhou had ever seen with his own eyes! Even the demigod Abyssal Lord he encountered in the College Entrance Examination trial, when compared to this ordinary-looking middle-aged president, was like a firefly to a bright moon!

President Xiahou did not speak, but his thoughts rang out clearly in the depths of every freshman's heart on the plaza. It was gentle and steady, yet carried an unquestionable power:

“Welcome, freshmen of the 3,791st class of Xinghai University.”

“I am Xiahou Xuan, the President of Xinghai University.”

The voice echoed directly in their Souls, eliminating the delay and loss of physical sound transmission, and preventing any possibility of not hearing clearly.

“You come from different Star Domains, different cultural backgrounds, and possess different clans and talents. But today, as you gather here, you have a common identity—Star Sea Students.”

“Xinghai University is one of the important cornerstones for the Human Race to explore truth, inherit civilization, and forge the future. Here, you will come into contact with the deepest Knowledge, the most cutting-edge technology, and the most powerful systems in the Universe. You will have a relatively free environment to explore your own paths and practice your own ideas.”

“However,” President Xiahou's tone paused slightly, and the atmosphere on the plaza became solemn, “while you enjoy this freedom and opportunity, I hope you can clearly realize that our Human Race, and even the Universe we inhabit, is not in a state of eternal peace and tranquility.”

He raised his right hand and tapped lightly in the void.

Buzz—

The giant formation above the Reviewing Stand shone brightly, projecting a vivid, immersive 3D image in the center.

The background of the image was the boundless dark Universe dotted with brilliant stars. However, in a certain part of this star sea, a heart-wrenching, writhing, and expanding "wound" appeared!

It was a chaotic region that could not be described with conventional colors. Inside, it was filled with chaotic, mutually annihilating energy flows, twisted rule fragments, and countless unspeakable shadows and whispers composed of pure malice. It was like a poisonous ulcer of the Universe, greedily devouring everything around it—light, matter, energy, and even entire stars and rules!

The image zoomed in, and one could clearly see a solar system that was originally vibrant with several life planets being slowly swallowed by that chaotic region. The star's light rapidly dimmed and distorted, the planets' atmospheres were stripped away, their crusts cracked, and life turned into chaotic nourishment amidst silent screams. The physical rules of the entire system were collapsing, space itself was being torn and crushed, eventually becoming part of the chaotic region, making its expansion area grow by a negligible bit.

[Image Label: Chaos Star Domain Erosion Record (Returned from Frontline Observation Station 'Watch-7', Star Sea Year 3477)]

[Erosion Target: Solar System GX-1147 (Extinguished)]

[Erosion Duration]: Approximately 3 standard years

[Original System State]: Contained 5 life planets, highest civilization level: Planetary Middle Stage, total population approx. 12 billion.

[Observation Results]: Under the erosion of Chaos rules, physical constants failed, life forms disintegrated, and civilization traces were completely erased. High concentrations of 'Nihility Breath' residue detected at the erosion edge.

[Threat Assessment]: Extremely High. The expansion trend of the Chaos Star Domain is irreversible and potentially accelerating. At least seventeen similar erosion points have been confirmed active simultaneously on the outskirts of multiple Star Domains.

Dead silence.

The plaza was as silent as death.

The hundred thousand freshmen, no matter how many romantic fantasies or grand ambitions they had about the path of a deity before, were now shocked by this naked, destructive cosmic picture. That was not a war between deities, but something more fundamental, a more desperate "erasure"!

Many freshmen's faces turned pale, their eyes showing fear, confusion, or heavy sorrow. Many of their hometowns might be on the edge of similar Star Domains, facing this silent threat directly.

Lin Zhou's pupils also contracted slightly. He had seen the Chaos and evil of the Abyss, but this Chaos that devoured everything and returned it to nothingness felt even more... ultimate. Moreover, the term "Nihility Breath" immediately made him think of the whispers emitted by that Broodmother in the trial, and the name "Void Sect."

President Xiahou's voice sounded again, still steady, but with a heavy weight added to it:

“This is one of the threats we face—the erosion of the Chaos Star Domain. It is not a specific enemy, but a manifestation of a 'disease' or 'terminal trend' at the level of cosmic rules. It devours Order, nourishes Chaos, and eventually returns everything to nihility.”

“The Human Race's territory is vast, but we are not without worries. At our frontlines, countless soldiers and deities are using their lives and Divine Kingdoms to build defense lines and slow the pace of erosion. But defense alone is not enough.”

His gaze swept over the young and shocked faces below.

“Xinghai University trains you not just to become powerful individual deities, but also in the hope that you can become guardians of civilization, pioneers, and even... healers.”

“Some of you have Divine Domains suited for war and may head to the frontlines in the future, using your Divine Kingdoms as fortresses and your clans as blades to fight Chaos monsters. Some of you have Divine Domains suited for construction and research and may provide the frontlines with stronger barriers, more effective purification techniques, or new theories to counter Chaos rules. Still others may have unique paths and might find the possibility of dealing with or even reversing this erosion from unexpected angles.”

“This is the responsibility Xinghai University bestows upon you, and the opportunity the era grants you.”

The President's words were like a heavy hammer striking the heart of every freshman. The joy and relaxation of just entering the university halls were washed away by this harsh reality, replaced by a heavy sense of mission and urgency.

“Of course, responsibility and opportunity coexist,” President Xiahou's tone softened slightly. “The university will provide you with resources and an environment for growth. The 'xinghai dome' not only accelerates time, but its Star Power also contains Order and hope, helping you stabilize your Divine Domains and resist Chaos erosion. The school's library, research institutes, Secret Realms, and even frontline internship opportunities... will all be open to the excellent among you.”

“However,” he changed his tone, his gaze becoming deep, “external threats are not the only challenge. Enemies of Order sometimes appear in more hidden and seductive ways.”

He waved his hand again, and the image changed.

This time, the scene was no longer macro, but the ruins of a city inside a Human Race astral realm. The city's architectural style was advanced, but it was now in tatters, the streets covered in dried blood and traces of battle. However, most unsettling were the twisted, eerie symbols carved on many building walls that seemed to suck away all light and hope, along with slogans written in unknown characters filled with negation and destruction.

In the center of the ruins remained a destroyed altar, with several corpses in black robes and distorted faces (appearing either voluntary or forced) scattered around it. The air seemed to still hold an aura of madness, despair, and a certain desecration of the sacred.

[Image Label: Internal Unrest Incident in Astral Realm 'Gray Rock-442' (Suppressed)]

[Nature of Incident]: Confirmed to be related to the instigation of the secret cult 'Void Sect.'

[Cult Characteristics]: Preaches that 'all things eventually return to nihility, resistance is meaningless,' and lures those with weak will or extreme dissatisfaction with the status quo into corruption through mental induction, promises of 'liberation,' or displays of twisted power. Their activities are secretive and their methods eerie, often having unknown connections with Chaos erosion regions.

[Harm Assessment]: Extremely High. Disintegrates Order from within, destroys the Foundation of faith, creates panic and Chaos, and weakens the forces resisting Chaos. Suspected of possessing certain forbidden technologies that twist rules and erode sanity.

“Void Sect...” many freshmen whispered the name with doubt and a chill.

Lin Zhou's heart skipped a beat. Just as he thought! This name, which had appeared in both the trial broodmother's words and the President's mouth, was a real cancer lurking within the Order!

“The moths within are often more lethal than the beasts without,” President Xiahou's voice turned cold. “They deny the meaning of civilization, disparage the value of struggle, and lure compatriots into giving up hope and embracing nihility. They are accomplices of Chaos and traitors to Order.”

“At Xinghai University, we advocate academic freedom, but we absolutely do not tolerate betrayal and destruction. Once anyone is found to be involved with such organizations or spreading their ideas, the school will punish them severely!”

A murderous aura permeated the air. The freshmen felt the resoluteness and warning in the President's words.

“Students,” President Xiahou's voice returned to a peaceful state, but with an unquestionable firmness, “the road ahead is difficult, with internal worries and external threats. But this is the reality your generation of deities must face. Xinghai University will be your strongest support and the furnace in which you hone your edge.”

“I hope that four years from now, when you walk out of the school gates, you will not only be stronger individuals but also stars that illuminate the path of civilization, walls that resist Chaos erosion, and swords that pierce through the lies of nihility!”

“Now, I declare the 3,791st class of Xinghai University freshmen officially enrolled!”

“May Knowledge guide you, may courage accompany you, and may your paths converge into the—Brilliant Star Sea that protects civilization!”

As his voice fell, the nine Huabiao pillars shone brightly again, resonating with the xinghai dome above. The stars in the sky cast down even brighter light, and the central light orb burst forth with a warm and hopeful glow, enveloping the entire plaza.

The shock, fear, and heaviness in the freshmen's hearts gradually transformed into a firm determination and high-spirited morale within this hopeful glow.

The ceremony ended, and the freshmen began to exit in an orderly manner.

Lin Zhou followed the crowd out, the terrifying image of Chaos swallowing the solar system and those twisted symbols of the "Void Sect" still echoing in his mind.

“It seems time is tighter than I imagined...” He looked at the slowly rotating xinghai dome in the distance, his eyes calm and sharp. “The Hundred Schools Society must be established as soon as possible.”

The Fire of Civilization must not only light oneself up but must also converge into a prairie fire capable of illuminating the path ahead and dispelling nihility before the possible night falls.

The alarm bell of the Star Sea has already been rung, and his battle has never stopped.