201: Wang Meng was completely convinced by the skillful use of force.

"Judgment—Termination!"

Iron Face's cold voice fell like a final gavel.

The trident, imbued with the thick power of Law Enforcement, pierced with incomparable precision into the wide-open mouth of Mountain Splitter as he roared in pain. The tip of the trident pierced through the soft tissue of the upper palate, reaching straight into the brainstem area!

The milky-white light of the school's combat protection mechanism reached an unprecedented brightness at this moment, instantly enveloping Mountain Splitter's massive body like a cocoon of light!

Buzz—

With a slight tremor at the level of the laws, the light dissipated.

Mountain Splitter's figure had disappeared from the spot, leaving only a few wisps of pale golden light points slowly dissipating. This represented that the unit had been judged as "withdrawn from battle" and had returned to its Divine Domain for Legacy repair. Although he would not truly die, the fact that he was completely "killed" in this battle, along with the faith and time required for Rebirth, was clear and unmistakable.

Thump, thump... almost at the same time Mountain Splitter disappeared, the two elite Behemoths (LV31, LV30) following closely behind, stunned by the sudden change, also flickered with the faint light of combat protection. Although they hadn't suffered fatal wounds like Mountain Splitter, their health had long been ground down below the safety line by previous harassment, the baptism of Ballista bolts, and the subsequent finishing blows from the Law Fishmen. Now that their leader was "dead," their morale collapsed, and the System judged them as having "lost effective combat capability," forcibly removing them from the battlefield.

In just three seconds, the most elite and impactful vanguard of Wang Meng's Behemoth Legion was completely eradicated!

"Roar... woo..."

The remaining dozen or so ordinary Behemoths (average LV28-LV29), having lost their hero unit's leadership and the support of the elite units, saw their charge's momentum completely collapse. They stopped at the edge of the riverbed, looking at the dwarf shield wall on the opposite bank—seemingly weak but now radiating an unsettling sense of Order and killing intent—as well as the faintly visible Elf Rangers and those deep blue, nightmare-like merman law enforcers. They let out low growls filled with resentment, confusion, and a hint of... fear.

These giant beasts, known for their strength and Berserk nature, felt for the first time a stifling helplessness and a bone-deep exhaustion when facing a "weak" enemy. The Berserk state's glow on their bodies had long since dimmed or disappeared, replaced by weakness and physical exhaustion from prolonged chasing, harassment, and accumulated injuries. A few heavily injured Behemoths even began to pant slightly, their massive bodies swaying.

In the Divine Domain link, Wang Meng felt even worse than his followers.

He felt as if someone had slammed a heavy hammer into his Divine Soul core; his vision went dark, and even his Divine Fire shook violently!

Mountain Splitter was a core hero he had poured massive resources into cultivating. He was not only the Soul of the Behemoth Legion but also carried an extension of some of his "Berserk" and "Strength" divinity fragments. Now that he was "killed" and removed, although the core divinity was unharmed, the backlash from the forced severing of that tight link, along with the faith upheaval and slight disorder in Divine Domain rules caused by the hero unit's "death," caused him instant pain and emptiness at the Divine Soul level.

What made his heart race even more was the warning for his Divine Power reserves!

[God Panel (Battle Mode · Wang Meng)]:

Godhead Level: LV201 (Early stage of Lesser Divinity)

Current Divine Power Reserve: 437/12500 (3.5%)

Divine Power Recovery Speed (Battle Environment): 15/minute

Divine Fire Status: Slight Tremor (Hero Unit Death Backlash)

Main Consumption Items:

Maintaining Behemoth "Berserk" state (Group): Cumulative consumption of approx. 3800 Divine Power.

Mountain Splitter Hero Berserk Enhancement (Individual): Consumed 850 Divine Power.

Two "War Cries" (Aura Morale Boost): Consumed 600 Divine Power.

Divine Thought Overclock Command (Countering Harassment): Continuous consumption, approx. 450 Divine Power.

Repairing lightly injured followers (caused by previous harassment): Approx. 200 Divine Power.

Warning: Divine Power reserves below 5%, nearing depletion! Continuous high-intensity divine spell support is about to be interrupted!

"How is it possible... how could it be consumed so fast?!" Wang Meng roared inwardly, but more than that, he felt a chilling sense of disbelief.

He didn't consider his use of Divine Power to be refined, but it certainly wasn't wasteful. The Behemoth followers' combat style was naturally a "one-wave flow," using extreme attacks under a Berserk state to quickly destroy the opponent. Investing a lot of Divine Power for this was worth it. According to past experience, against opponents of the same level or even slightly stronger, this "Charge-Berserk-Crush" tactic usually secured victory before half the Divine Power was consumed.

But what about today?

The charge was repeatedly delayed and diverted by inexplicable traps and terrain.

After the Berserk state was activated, the enemy didn't engage in frontal combat at all, being as slippery as loaches and wasting the duration of the state.

The most elite vanguard seemed to have actively crashed into a carefully woven death trap, held by chains, and then was "insta-killed" by a focused fire of ranged, melee, crowd control, and burst damage... all within just ten-odd seconds!

And throughout the process, his Divine Power was like a floodgate opened, pouring out crazily, yet he had seen almost no decent results—except for those insignificant wooden arrow towers destroyed at the beginning and a few unlucky Elf Rangers (who were quickly rescued).

What about the opponent?

Wang Meng endured the Divine Soul discomfort and projected his perception toward Lin Zhou's Divine Domain. Although battle mode prevented him from peering into detailed data, he could make a rough judgment through rule fluctuations and battlefield performance.

In Lin Zhou's Divine Domain, those core miracle buildings—the academy radiating the light of books and Order, the cold and majestic Temple of Law, the clanging Tiangong Workshop, and that farmland area that had just shown strange vitality—were all completely intact! Their brightness even seemed to have increased compared to before the war? The losses among the followers were even more minuscule! The dwarf shield wall stood firm, the Elf Rangers were still agile, and those damned merman law enforcers were even growing braver as they fought!

"How could his Divine Power last this long? His followers' attributes are clearly not high! Those mechanisms, those halos, those strange Domains... which one doesn't consume Divine Power?! For a Faint Divinity who just ignited his Divine Fire, how high could his Divine Power limit be?!" Wang Meng's thoughts were in chaos. How could he know that Lin Zhou's consumption mode was completely different from his?

Lin Zhou's Divine Power consumption was mostly "upfront investment" and "precise triggering."

Constructing the composite trap zone (Mohist): This consumed material reserves and the labor time of the Tiangong Dwarves. The Divine Power investment was mainly in the final activation of the "Linked Iron Chains" runes, a one-time consumption of about 150 Divine Power.

Maintaining the "Swift as the Wind" guerrilla tactics (School of Military + Elf Agility): This mainly relied on the Elf Rangers' own stamina and skills. Lin Zhou only needed a very tiny amount of Divine Thought guidance and the initial blessing of Lingbo Step (totaling about 80 Divine Power).

Confucian Righteousness Domain (Confucianism): This was spontaneously chanted and activated by the Wenxin Elf scholars, relying on the Jixia Academy miracle building's effects. Lin Zhou only needed to provide the initial "ignition" and a tiny amount of Divine Power to maintain resonance (about 50 Divine Power/minute).

Net of Law and Judgment (Legalism): Relying on the Temple of Law, this was triggered by the Law Merman Enforcement Squad's own conviction and training. Lin Zhou provided "authorization" and "enhancement" at critical judgment moments; while the consumption was larger, it was infrequent (the ultimate judgment on Mountain Splitter consumed about 200 Divine Power).

Ballista fire and runes (Mohist + Materials): Consumed physical bolts and pre-charged runes; Divine Power consumption was minuscule.

Daoist Spirit-Disturbing Array (briefly interfering with mechanisms): One-time setup consumed 100 Divine Power.

School of Agriculture Fertile Soil Technique terrain modification (early preparation): Consumed 150 Divine Power, but the effect lasted the entire match.

Lin Zhou's Divine Power was like lubricating oil in a precision instrument, used on the most critical moving parts and moments, pursuing "efficiency maximization" and "result-to-cost ratio." Meanwhile, Wang Meng's Divine Power was like shoving coal into a steam boiler, pursuing "power maximization," resulting in most of the energy being wasted on driving the massive machine while it spun idly and fighting against omnipresent "friction."

The battlefield situation had tilted completely.

Having lost their charging momentum, their hero's leadership, and Divine Power support (Wang Meng was no longer able to cast any group divine spells), and being physically and mentally exhausted, the Behemoth group turned from invincible war beasts into slow-moving, flaw-riddled giant targets before the Hundred Schools allied forces.

Lin Zhou did not waste the opportunity.

"Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain—shift from defense to offense." His Divine Thought spread calmly through the entire army. "Swift as the Wind, continue harassment and restrict movement. Fierce as Fire, cover with ballistae and focus strikes on joints and wounds. Immovable as a Mountain, advance steadily and compress their space. Enforcement Squad, roam and hunt down stragglers and the heavily wounded."

The Orders were concise and clear.

The subsequent battle was almost a mirror reversal of the previous stage, but even more one-sided.

The Elf Rangers completely let loose. Their arrows no longer sought to be fatal but focused on the Behemoths' eyes, nostrils, ear canals, and wounds left from previous fighting. They harassed to the extreme, making the remaining Behemoths incredibly irritable, yet they couldn't catch or hit anything.

The Tiangong Dwarves' ballistae began an orderly "roll call." Without Divine Power protection and hero inspiration, the defense of the Behemoths' hides seemed to drop. Bolts imbued with "Armor Piercing · Sharpness" runes began to cause damage more effectively. Although single-hit damage wasn't high, it was very substantial when accumulated. The Behemoths tried to charge and interrupt the Ballista fire, but the soft sandy ground, their own exhaustion, and the dwarf shield wall's steadfast defense under the Literary Heart Elves' "Righteous Qi" made their impact appear weak and clumsy.

The Law Merman Enforcement Squad acted as battlefield scavengers. In groups of three to five, like schools of deep blue piranhas, they keenly caught every Behemoth that was isolated, injured, or had its movements deformed after being focused on by the ballistae, launching swift and fatal combined attacks. Their attacks were efficient and cold; every strike inevitably took a large chunk of flesh or caused damage to a critical part.

Wang Meng's Divine Power finally hit rock bottom.

[Divine Power Reserve: 22/12500 (0.18%)]

The Divine Fire became dim and weak due to excessive extraction and backlash. He couldn't even maintain the most basic clear Divine Thought command. The pain, exhaustion, confusion, and faint fear transmitted from his followers hit his already fragile Divine Soul like a tide.

He watched his Golden Behemoths, which he was once so proud of, flicker with combat protection light one by one under the dazzling cooperation of Lin Zhou's followers, then helplessly disappear from the field. The remaining few were forced into a corner of the Divine Domain's core area, covered in scars, their eyes glazed, making a final, futile resistance.

Defeat was certain.

And it was a thorough defeat, from tactics to strategy, from resource consumption to the final result!

"Phew..." Wang Meng let out a long, incredibly difficult Divine Thought fluctuation that seemed to carry the scent of rust. He closed his eyes, no longer looking at the desperate battlefield scene.

A few seconds later, he reopened his eyes. All the anger, resentment, and arrogance had vanished, leaving only deep exhaustion and an... unprecedented clarity and bitterness.

He actively severed the Divine Thought link with most of his followers, keeping only the most basic connection. Then, toward the infinite heights of the combat space—also the direction of Lin Zhou's Divine Thought core—he sent a public rule request containing his surrender.

"I, Wang Meng, surrender."

The voice wasn't loud, even somewhat raspy, but it echoed clearly in the public channel of the link between their Divine Domains.

As the surrender message was accepted by the rules, all remaining Behemoths on the battlefield simultaneously lit up with milky-white light and then disappeared. The drifting smoke, scattered bloodstains, and wreckage of broken traps... all traces of battle began to slowly fade and repair under the effects of the combat space's rules.

The followers in Lin Zhou's Divine Domain all stopped their actions. The Elf Rangers stowed their bows, the Dwarf Shield Guards lowered their giant shields, the Ballista crews stopped loading, the Wenxin scholars stopped their chanting, and the Law Merman Enforcement Squad lined up neatly. Iron Face bowed slightly toward the Divine Domain core and then silently retreated into the shadows. The entire process was quiet, rapid, and orderly, forming a sharp contrast with the efficient and cold killing just moments ago, further highlighting a heart-pounding sense of discipline.

Two beams of divine light fell onto the open ground in the center of the combat space, condensing into the figures (consciousness projections) of Lin Zhou and Wang Meng.

Lin Zhou still had that calm appearance—black hair, black eyes, a slender build, and deep eyes. No excitement or pride from just winning a fierce battle could be seen, as if he had merely completed a daily practice.

Wang Meng appeared quite disheveled, his face pale and his eyes filled with complex emotions as he looked at Lin Zhou. The aggressive Aura he had displayed earlier was completely gone. He reached into his robe (a consciousness projection simulation) and pulled out a palm-sized, dark brown token made of a material that was neither metal nor wood. It was carved with a relief of crossed swords and a shield, and a faint energy luster flowed across its surface.

[Item: Training Ground Token (Special Functional Card · One-time Use)]

Quality: Excellent (Green)

Effect: Holding this token allows one to activate the 'Realistic Environment Simulation' function of the campus public Divine Domain training ground once. (Supports up to Lesser Divinity level; battlefield environment, opponent type, and intensity can be customized for tactical drills or practical training for followers.)

Source: Specially approved reward from the Xinghai University Combat Academy.

Note: Obtained by Wang Meng for his outstanding performance in the freshman practical assessment.

Wang Meng said nothing more, simply stepping forward two paces and handing the token directly to Lin Zhou.

Lin Zhou glanced at him and, without any hypocritical refusal, reached out to take it. The token felt slightly heavy and warm to the touch, and he could sense the stable regulatory energy contained within. "Thank you." He nodded, his voice calm.

The corners of Wang Meng's mouth twitched as if he wanted to smile, but he didn't succeed. He withdrew his hand and remained silent for a few seconds, his gaze sweeping over the dissipating battle traces around them, especially the dried riverbed area—where the sand pits caused by the special chains and the deep furrows plowed by the Behemoths' struggles were still vaguely visible.

"I..." Wang Meng's voice was somewhat dry. He paused for a moment as if organizing his words. Finally, he looked up, his gaze fixed straight on Lin Zhou, and uttered the words that he himself found somewhat humiliating, yet had to admit:

"For the first time, I felt like... a clumsy punching bag."

The sentence was spoken softly, but the frustration, self-deprecation, and a faint hint of realization within it were incredibly clear.

"Your dwarves, elves, mermen... taken individually, my Behemoths could beat ten of them!" Wang Meng's emotions seemed to grow agitated, and his speaking speed increased. "Power, defense, explosive force—total crushing dominance! If it were a head-on charge, one wave would have collapsed your lines!"

"But... there are no 'ifs'." Lin Zhou interjected calmly. He looked at Wang Meng, his eyes devoid of a victor's mockery, instead carrying a serious, investigative tone. "Your Behemoths are perfect individual units for a charging cluster, but war is not a gladiator arena. Your tactic is 'breaking skill with force,' while my approach is 'breaking force with skill, and governing change with Order.' Your strength is not wrong, but the way you use that force, and the way you respond to 'skill' and 'change,' can be adjusted."

Wang Meng listened blankly. If Lin Zhou had said these things to him before the battle, he would have only scoffed, considering them nothing more than the excuses of the weak. But now, after personally experiencing the painful process of being 'toyed with' and 'ground down' throughout the entire match, every word hit his perception like a hammer.

"Terrain, traps, harassment, control, focused fire, morale, rhythm, attrition..." Lin Zhou listed them off. "These factors together constitute the battlefield. Your Behemoths' power is concentrated on two points: 'charging' and 'close-quarters burst.' What I did was make it impossible for you to charge smoothly, making your bursts hit empty air or be absorbed, while using all the other factors to continuously wear down your strength, stamina, Divine Power, and... fighting will."

"My followers are weak individually, so I use coordination, formations, Auras, and mechanisms to compensate, forming a System. Your followers are strong individually, but your System seems... to rely too much on their individual strength and your Divine Power buff. Once the charge is blocked and Divine Power runs low, the System becomes rigid and easily targeted."

Wang Meng fell into deep thought. He was not a dull person; it was just that his previous combat style and Family Legacy (the traditional development route of the Behemoth Divine Domain) had limited his thinking. Lin Zhou's analysis, combined with the actual battle, was like a key opening a door he had always ignored.

"The Hundred Schools Society..." Wang Meng murmured. He remembered the club Lin Zhou had founded, which he had initially dismissed as just "engaging in some empty, flowery thoughts." "What you used... was that the 'Hundred Schools of Thought'?"

"A part of it," Lin Zhou nodded. "Military Strategy, Mohist Mechanisms, Confucian Righteousness, Legalist Edicts, Daoist Nature, Agrarianist Geopolitics... they are not merely thoughts, but can be manifested as regulatory powers, integrated into the development of the Divine Domain, and used to guide the behavior and warfare methods of followers... the 'Dao'."

Wang Meng's eyes lit up for a moment, but then dimmed again as he shook his head. "Your stuff... is too complicated. My Behemoths only have combat and roaring in their heads. You want them to learn this?" He imagined a Behemoth behemoth holding a book or studying mechanism blueprints and found it incredibly jarring.

"It's not necessarily about directly studying the classics." Lin Zhou smiled. This was the first time Wang Meng had seen Lin Zhou give a noticeable smile, though it was faint. "Thought can be transformed into more direct things. For example, can the formation changes and coordinated attacks of the School of Military be integrated into the Behemoths' charging Ranks to give their impact more layers and variation? For instance, when facing complex terrain or enemy harassment, instead of just charging blindly and relying on Divine Power, can simple tactical discipline (similar to the Legalist 'Strict Adherence to Orders') be used to reduce chaos? Or, how to better utilize the Behemoths' own 'Berserk' trait to avoid needless consumption and explode at the most critical moment?"

Wang Meng's eyes grew brighter and brighter. Lin Zhou wasn't talking about empty theories; he was giving specific, seemingly feasible directions for improvement that fit the characteristics of his followers! These directions didn't require his Behemoths to become scholars or craftsmen, but were optimizations and supplements based on their nature as a combat race!

"I..." Wang Meng opened his mouth, a flash of struggle crossing his face, but it was ultimately replaced by a sense of resolve. He suddenly cupped his fists toward Lin Zhou and bowed deeply in a very solemn manner, almost like a military salute.

"Student Lin Zhou! In this battle, I, Wang Meng, am thoroughly defeated! The token belongs to you, as it should! Furthermore..." He straightened up, his face flushed with excitement. "I want to join your Hundred Schools Society! Not just in name, I truly want to learn something! I... I can pay membership fees! Contribute resources! I can even be the vanguard when it's time to fight!"

This transformation was a bit sudden, but combined with Wang Meng's straightforward (or rather, single-minded) personality, it seemed perfectly reasonable. He admired the strong, but he wasn't incapable of accepting defeat, especially when that defeat opened new horizons and showed him a stronger path. He essentially craved to become stronger, and Lin Zhou clearly possessed methods he didn't understand that could make him and his Behemoths more powerful.

Lin Zhou looked at the fervent, unfeigned desire for battle (and learning) in Wang Meng's eyes and pondered for a moment. Wang Meng's strength was unquestionable, his potential was huge, and while his personality was blunt, he was a man of his word. Furthermore, his background (a child of the military) could potentially bring in additional resources and connections. His joining would be of great benefit to the newly founded Hundred Schools Society, especially in terms of strengthening its 'martial force'.

"The Hundred Schools Society welcomes any fellow traveler interested in exploring the path of civilization and power," Lin Zhou said slowly, his tone becoming more formal. "But the society has its rules. You need to identify with our basic philosophy, abide by our internal regulations, and undergo a certain assessment. If you truly wish to join, you can first go to the society's temporary base to pick up an application form and the regulations to read carefully. There will be an entry evaluation in three days."

He didn't immediately agree just because the other party had admitted defeat, but instead maintained principles and procedures. This actually made Wang Meng respect Lin Zhou even more. He felt that this manner of doing things was exactly how a group that truly did great things and had Order should behave.

"Fine! In three days, I'll definitely be there!" Wang Meng nodded vigorously, a fighting spirit igniting in his eyes as if he had found a new goal.

The combat space completely dissipated, and the consciousness of both individuals returned to their respective Divine Domain cores located in the university dormitories.

Almost simultaneously, in the 'Practical Combat' section of the Xinghai University internal campus forum, a video record of a just-concluded public viewing room titled "Freshman Challenge: Behemoth Crushing Style vs. Mysterious Multi-Follower Coordination Style" was automatically uploaded (with both parties' default permission for public release) and began to spread at an astonishing speed!

The video thumbnail was the exact freeze-frame of the Golden Behemoth 'Mountain Splitter' being trapped by iron chains and subjected to the combined attack of ballistae and the Lawful Merman Enforcement Squad—an incredibly impactful image.

The view count broke five thousand within ten minutes!

The reply section was being flooded at lightning speed!

1L (Anonymous): "Holy crap! What did I just see? A Behemoth got kited to death?"

2L (Combat Academy Noob): "That dwarf shield formation combined with the elf Aura actually tanked a Behemoth's slowed charge?! How were those defense stats calculated?"

3L (Rune Department Student): "The focus isn't defense! It's those traps and mechanisms! Especially the chains that locked down the Behemoth hero at the end! The rune combination on them is interesting. Requesting an analysis from the pros!"

4L (Anonymous): "What the hell are those deep blue mermen? Their attacks have special effects? The DPS is so high!"

5L (Info Expert): "The combatants: Wang Meng, a direct descendant of the military's Wang Family, Behemoth Divine Domain, one of the representatives of the power faction among the freshmen. Lin Zhou, the top scholar of the College Entrance Examination, the one who founded the 'Hundred Schools Society'! His followers are elves, dwarves, and mermen; they look pretty ordinary..."

6L (Analysis God): "Ordinary? Is the person above blind? Look at their coordination! Look at their rhythm control! Wang Meng's Behemoths never once got to charge comfortably from start to finish! His Divine Power was ground down until it was dry! This command artistry and tactical conception are absolute perfection!"

7L (Fangirl #1): "Senior Lin Zhou is so handsome! He looks so charming when he's calmly giving commands! And Wang Meng's expression when he admitted defeat, haha!"

8L (Traditionalist Supporter): "Crooked ways! Cultivating followers is the foundation! This kind of tricky tactic is useless when facing a true powerhouse's Divine Kingdom crushing you!"

9L (Hundred Schools Society Onlooker): "Is the person above salty? Useful or not, a win is a win. I heard Wang Meng was beaten into submission and straight up asked to join the Hundred Schools Society after the battle!"

10L (Seeking the Truth): "For real? That stubborn mule Wang Meng would submit? And even join proactively?"

11L (Eyewitness): "It's absolutely true! I was there (watching)! Wang Meng personally said 'like a clumsy punching bag,' then cupped his fists and asked to join! Lin Zhou told him to follow the rules for assessment!"

12L (Strategy Department Senior): "Interesting. Lin Zhou's tactical System seems to integrate several completely different power forms and can effectively coordinate them. Although the followers' base attributes aren't high, the buffs and tactical advantages brought by the System are obvious. Worth watching."

13L (Ad Space): "Hundred Schools Society is recruiting! Exploring new paths for the power of civilization! For details, please consult..."

14L (Prophet): "I have a premonition that this year's freshmen are going to see a change in the weather. The Hundred Schools Society is likely to become a dark horse."

The discussion below the video grew more and more heated—controversy, admiration, analysis, curiosity... all sorts of voices intertwined. The name Lin Zhou and the 'Hundred Schools Society' entered the vision of many Xinghai University students in such a powerful and concrete way for the first time, stirring up no small wave.

Inside the dormitory, Lin Zhou slowly opened his eyes, holding the warm Training Ground Token in his hand.

Inside the Divine Domain, everything was as usual. The followers had already begun post-battle rest and training. The Temple of Civilization stood quietly, emitting an ancient Aura.

"Wang Meng... is indeed a talent worth cultivating," Lin Zhou thought to himself. "His joining can fill the gap in the society's high-end martial force. Moreover, his military background might have other uses in the future."

"However, today's battle also exposed some problems. The 'Linked Iron Chains' has too high a requirement for Materials and cannot be normalized. The 'Net of Law' effect of the Lawful Merman Enforcement Squad is still too weak, limited by my divine Rank. Facing a True God who possesses regulatory divine arts or large-scale attacks, the current tactics still need further adjustment and deepening..."

His thoughts had already flown to the next step of development. Defeating Wang Meng was just a beginning. The road of the The Way of the Hundred Schools was still very long.

Outside the window, the night sky of Xinghai University was deep, with stars twinkling like the gaze of countless deities watching over this land full of opportunities and challenges. And the legend belonging to Lin Zhou and the Hundred Schools Society was turning to a new chapter.