209: The Freshman Cup begins, attracting the attention of the entire school to compete for outstanding talents.

Morning at Xinghai University was shrouded in an unusual restlessness and heat.

This restlessness did not stem from a sudden incident; rather, it was like a rising tide, quietly spreading from every corner of the campus and from the deep consciousness links of countless god students. Crowds gathered in front of bulletin boards, notification sounds from personal terminals chimed one after another, and in post-meal conversations, the frequency of the term "Freshman Cup" skyrocketed. Even the ripples of Law flowing through the air, belonging to different divine domains, seemed more active and filled with a competitive edge than usual.

The "Freshman Cup" was Xinghai University's annual top-tier tournament specifically established for first-year freshmen. It was more than just a simple ranking contest; it was the first grand stage for freshmen to showcase themselves, compete for resources, and establish their status at the university level after enrollment. It was also a stepping stone to higher-level opportunities. Its influence and importance even surpassed some regular competitions for upperclassmen to some extent.

As soon as Lin Zhou stepped out of the dormitory building, he felt this oncoming atmosphere of the great competition. On both sides of the road, some public light screens originally used to display campus scenery had all been replaced with uniform, powerful dynamic posters—the background was a vast, rotating nebula, with a longsword burning with divine fire crossed with a thick, mountain-like tome in the foreground. In the center was a huge gold-stamped font: "The 117th Xinghai University Freshman Cup—Divine Domain New Stars, Who Shall Rule?" Below the poster, the registration times, schedule, and most eye-catchingly—the reward preview—scrolled by!

Just that fleeting glimpse of the reward preview was enough to make any freshman's heart race and eyes burn with desire.

“President! President! Did you see? The Freshman Cup! The rewards are so damn generous!” Zhao Hao's loud voice carried from afar as he rushed toward Lin Zhou like a gust of wind, his face flushed with excitement. “Epic cards! Epic cards! And exclusive Secret Realm access! The credit rewards are terrifyingly high!”

Wang Meng followed closely behind. Although he tried hard to maintain his "expert demeanor," the longing in his eyes was equally impossible to hide. “The champion's Epic card seems to be [Spirit Spring]? That's a good item that can directly increase the Spiritual Qi concentration of a divine domain! If my Behemoth had that environment, its growth speed would be a lot faster!”

Li Mo also arrived in a hurry, the data streams scrolling rapidly on the light screen reflected in his glasses. He pushed up his glasses, his tone much faster than usual: “It's not just the champion's rewards. Reaching the top thirty-two guarantees rare cards and a baseline of credits. From the top sixteen, the rewards jump significantly. Top eight, top four... every step offers a substantial, huge upgrade. This is a key opportunity to quickly accumulate Advanced resources and pull ahead of other freshmen. President, we must participate, and we must strive for the best ranking!”

Lin Zhou nodded, his gaze sweeping over the heart-stirring reward icons on the light screen, finally settling on the champion's reward column. There, a phantom of a card emitting a soft purple glow rotated slowly. The card's pattern looked like a spring constantly gushing pale gold spring water, surrounded by misty Spiritual Qi and lush, exotic flowers and plants.

[Freshman Cup Champion Rewards (Partial Preview)]:

Core Reward: Epic Terrain/Wonder Card [Spirit Spring] x1.

Auxiliary Rewards:

“Star Sea Secret Realm (Freshman Exclusive)” Entry Qualification x3 (Can be used personally or traded).

Advanced Credit Card (Contains 5,000 standard credits).

Special Title “Current Top Freshman” (Comes with a slight bonus to reputation and Law affinity).

Temporary access to the library's high-level areas (involving Law analysis, divine domain promotion, etc.) (One semester).

Priority recommendation for joining certain top professors' research teams or military special training programs.

[Epic Card Preview: Spirit Spring (Tentative Name)]:

Quality: Epic (Purple)

Type: Terrain/Wonder Card (Fusible)

Source: Xinghai University strategic reserve / Specific high-resource Secret Realm output.

Estimated Effects (After Fusion):

Core Effect: Forms a “Spirit Spring” within the divine domain, continuously gushing high-purity, high-activity “Spiritual Qi Spring Water.”

Direct Boost: Increases overall divine domain Spiritual Qi concentration by 25%-30% (depending on the divine domain's Foundation and Fusion compatibility), and slowly improves the divine domain environment toward becoming a “Grotto-Heaven.”

Derivative Effects:

Long-term consumption or bathing in the Spirit Spring by followers has a high probability of increasing potential, accelerating Cultivation, and enhancing Physique (slight growth in all attributes).

The fertility, resource regeneration speed, and growth probability of rare plants in the area surrounding the Spirit Spring (radius expands with divine domain growth) are significantly increased.

Can serve as a core energy or material source for refining certain high-level potions, special rituals, and rare buildings (such as the Pill Refining Room or Dao Enlightenment Platform).

Slightly attracts wandering, affine Law fragments or elemental spirits.

Value Assessment: For any deity at the True God stage, this is a strategic resource sufficient to serve as one of the core cornerstones of a divine kingdom. It can directly and permanently increase divine domain potential and development limits, with effects far exceeding ordinary resource cards. It is often unavailable on the market and usually only appears in high-level trades or as rewards for major tournaments.

“Spiritual Qi concentration increased by 30%...” Lin Zhou muttered to himself. This boost was nothing short of terrifying. His divine domain's current Spiritual Qi concentration mainly relied on the previous [dragon vein fragment] and daily management to maintain a good but by no means top-tier level. If he could fuse with the [Spirit Spring], not only would follower growth, spirit plant cultivation, and miracle building operational efficiency improve across the board, but even his own Divine Power recovery speed and his godhead's Law analysis capability might gain indirect benefits. This was undoubtedly a super booster for solidifying his Foundation and accelerating toward a higher Realm.

“I must get it.” This thought was clear and firm.

“Let's go to the activity room.” Lin Zhou withdrew his gaze and led the way toward the Hundred Schools Society. Zhao Hao and the other two immediately followed, while other surrounding freshmen watched them and whispered.

“Look, it's Lin Zhou from the Hundred Schools Society!”

“They're definitely going to participate in the Freshman Cup. I wonder how far they can go.”

“I heard Minister Qin Qing has also confirmed her participation. She's definitely a favorite for the championship.”

“There are also experts from other academies—that ‘Thunder God’ Thor from the Combat Academy, that ‘Ice Queen’ Elsa from the Elemental Academy, and the Saint candidate from the Theological Preparatory Academy... This year's freshmen are ridiculously strong!”

“Will the Hundred Schools Society's flashy fighting style even work in such a head-on, top-tier competition?”

Lin Zhou turned a deaf ear to these discussions. Soon, the four of them arrived at the society's activity room. Many members were already gathered here; Zhou Ming, Ye Wan, Liu An, and others were all present, each with expressions of mixed excitement and tension. Clearly, news of the Freshman Cup had already spread.

“President!”

“The President is here!”

Seeing Lin Zhou, everyone greeted him, their eyes full of expectation. The society had been established for a short time and needed a glorious victory to truly make a name for itself and unite people's hearts. The Freshman Cup was undoubtedly the best opportunity.

Lin Zhou walked to the front, looked around at everyone, and got straight to the point: “I'm sure everyone understands the importance of the Freshman Cup. This is an opportunity, but also a challenge. The society will register for the competition as a team, but in the end, on the field, it will rely more on individual strength.”

He pulled up his personal terminal and projected the detailed tournament rules released officially.

[The 117th Xinghai University Freshman Cup Tournament Rule Details]:

Eligibility: All officially registered first-year freshmen of Xinghai University (no limit on godhead Rank, but requires a solid divine domain Foundation with no major safety hazards).

Registration Method: Register as an individual, but may note the affiliated society or organization (used for group point statistics).

Tournament Stages:

Qualifying Point Matches (Estimated participants: 3000+): All registrants will connect to a unified “Simulated Combat Platform” via the school network for three days of random matchmaking battles. Points are awarded for wins and deducted (a small amount) for losses. Based on the final point rankings, the top 512 will enter the main tournament. This stage focuses on testing basic strength and stability, avoiding the premature elimination of those with bad luck.

Main Tournament Elimination Rounds (Top 512 → Champion):

Top 512 to 256, 256 to 128, 128 to 64: Single-elimination format with random drawing (with a certain balancing mechanism). The match venue is a standardized Simulated Divine Domain combat map.

Starting from the Top 64: “Multiple-Rule Battlefields” (random or designated maps with special environmental rules) will be enabled to increase tactical variables. Matches may include “secondary objectives” (such as resource point capture, target protection, etc.) that affect scoring or even determine the outcome.

Starting from the Top 32: Matches may introduce “Time-Limited Divine Kingdom Collision/Erosion” segments to test hard Law strength and divine domain stability.

After the Round of 16: Some matches may be "semi-public/publicly broadcasted," causing a surge in attention.

Finals: A public holographic projection duel held at Xinghai University's main arena, the "Ring of the Universe," observed by the entire school and some outside guests.

Competition Rules:

Use of disposable taboo items or divine arts that exceed one's own Godhead load is prohibited (subject to strict inspection).

Use of any conventional followers, heroes, buildings, miracles, and divine arts already within one's own god domain before the match is permitted.

Victory Determination: Determined by the System based on a comprehensive score including god domain integrity, follower survival ratio, and mission objective completion if one side's god domain core is destroyed, the main follower legion's losses exceed 90%, a side voluntarily surrenders, or the match time limit is reached.

The combat protection mechanism is sophisticated; follower "death" is a simulation, but it will truly consume the god's mental energy and some faith, requiring time to recover.

Reward Distribution: Distributed collectively after all matches conclude, based on final rankings.

Team Points: Points will be calculated based on the individual final rankings of club members. The top eight clubs will receive the title of "Excellent Freshman Club" and additional resource support.

The rules were clear yet cruel. From the qualifiers onward, it was a struggle to break through thousands of people; every knockout round could be the end.

"Our goal," Lin Zhou's voice was calm yet powerful, echoing in the activity room, "is for at least one person to break into the top eight! As a whole, the society should strive to enter the top eight in team points!"

The top eight! This goal was neither too high nor too low. Xinghai University gathered the elites of the Human Race, and prodigies emerged in abundance among the freshmen. Breaking into the top eight meant defeating at least hundreds of peers or even stronger opponents. But for Lin Zhou, who possessed the Hundred Schools Divine Domain and had experienced multiple real battles and ideological deepening, this was not out of reach. For the other members of the society, it was a direction that required their utmost effort.

"President, what should we do?" Zhou Ming adjusted his glasses, a calculating light flickering in his eyes. "There are two days left until the registration deadline, and the qualifiers start in five days. We need targeted preparation."

"Analyze, prepare, and adjust," Lin Zhou said succinctly. "Li Mo, pull up the public data of currently known top freshmen who might pose a threat to us, including their follower types, known battle records, and preferred tactics."

"Already organizing it." Li Mo quickly operated the terminal. "Qin Qing (Judgment Angel), Thor · Wrath of Thunder (Storm Titan/Suspected), Aisha · Frostwhisper (Frost Elementalist/Suspected), Saint Roland (Holy Light Priest/Theology Preparatory), Darkblade · Shadowsong (Shadow Assassin Clan), Steelbone · Ironhammer (Hill Giant/Mechanical Modification path)... These are the dozen or so people currently with the highest popularity and generally favored. Detailed information is being refined."

Lin Zhou nodded: "Share this data with all members of the Combat Readiness Group. Everyone should analyze the possible counter-relationships based on their own god domain characteristics and think of countermeasures. The Study Group will assist by providing theoretical support and possible technical solutions."

"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.

"Zhao Hao, Wang Meng." Lin Zhou looked at these two combat powerhouses. "You are the keys to the society's push for individual rankings. In the next few days, besides analyzing opponents, you need to seize the time for high-intensity adaptive training. You can spar with each other or use society resources for simulated battles. The focus is on honing your combat capabilities under complex rule environments and tactics for dealing with different types of strong enemies."

"No problem! My hands have been itching for a fight!" Zhao Hao patted his chest.

"My Behemoths need more flexible tactics; this is a good time to practice." Wang Meng also responded in a deep voice, his gaze sharp.

"Tian Gong Institute," Lin Zhou turned to Li Mo and Copper Hammer (communicating via consciousness projection), "your research results, especially the 'Psionic-Steam Hybrid Power' and the 'Weak Rule Perturbation Detector,' must be implemented for small-scale application testing as soon as possible. See if we can provide some practical equipment or tactical assistance for our core followers or hero units before the match. Even a tiny improvement could be the deciding factor at a critical moment."

"Understood! The first practical Mechanical Beast of the hybrid power, 'Mountain-Carrying Pangolin Type I' (focused on defense and load-bearing), has entered final debugging. A prototype is expected to be trial-produced within two days! A prototype of the detector can also be provided for familiarizing with the rule environment!" Li Mo spoke rapidly, his eyes full of drive.

"Everyone else," Lin Zhou finally looked at Zhou Ming, Ye Wan, and other members, "identify and fix your own weaknesses and strengthen your advantages according to your own situation. The society will provide basic training facilities and limited resource support. Remember, this is not just an individual battle; it also concerns the honor of the society. Every victory of yours is a step toward justifying the 'Hundred Schools'!"

"Justify the Hundred Schools!" Everyone's emotions were stirred, and they roared in unison, their eyes burning with fighting spirit.

After a brief mobilization and division of labor, everyone immediately dispersed, each throwing themselves into intense preparation. Only Lin Zhou, Zhao Hao, Wang Meng, and Li Mo remained in the activity room.

"President, your goal... isn't just the top eight, right?" Zhao Hao suddenly chuckled and asked in a low voice.

Lin Zhou glanced at him, neither denying nor confirming, simply saying calmly: "Let's just fight every match well first."

Wang Meng clenched his fist: "No matter who the opponent is, just crush them!"

Li Mo pushed his glasses and analyzed calmly: "President, your newly acquired Water Elemental affinity trait might have unexpected effects in specific environments. We need to simulate several possible water or ice battlefield environments for adaptive training. Additionally, the Legalist 'Net of Law' might have an advantage in the rule-confrontation phase, so we need to practice it in advance..."

Just as the few were discussing details, there was a soft knock on the activity room door.

The door opened, and a figure as cool and clear as the moon appeared at the doorway. With hair like a waterfall and an ethereal temperament, it was Su Yueyao.

She seemed to have just emerged from deep meditation in the Moon God Domain. A faint, cool moonlight aura still lingered around her, making her seem out of place in the slightly heated preparation atmosphere, yet strangely bringing a sense of tranquility.

"Senior Su?" Li Mo was somewhat surprised.

Su Yueyao's gaze fell directly on Lin Zhou, her cold eyes carrying a rare trace of solemnity: "Lin Zhou, in the Freshman Cup, watch out for two people."

"Oh?" Lin Zhou signaled for her to enter. "Please, go on."

Su Yueyao walked in, ignoring the curious gazes of Zhao Hao and the others, and said directly: "One is Qin Qing. Her Judgment Angel god domain has extremely strong suppression against 'non-Order' or 'complex rules.' Your Hundred Schools Divine Domain has a diverse rule composition, which may appear to have more flaws in her eyes. You need to guard against her 'Order Judgment' directly striking your rule core."

Lin Zhou nodded; he had already anticipated this.

"The other," Su Yueyao paused, "is Saint Roland from the Theology Preparatory Institute. His Holy Light god domain seems pure, but some ancient records of my Family suggest that certain extremes of 'Holy Light' might have a... 'purification' tendency toward 'Light of Civilization' or 'Fire of Thought' that is not of its System. You need to be careful with your Fire of Civilization."

Holy Light purifying the Fire of Civilization? Lin Zhou's eyes narrowed slightly. This information was crucial and also hinted at something unusual. Su Yueyao's Family indeed had deep research into ancient civilizations and divinity.

"Thanks for the warning," Lin Zhou thanked her sincerely.

Su Yueyao shook her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over Lin Zhou as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she only said softly: "May you... get what you wish for." After saying that, she turned and left as quietly as she had come.

Zhao Hao scratched his head: "What did Senior Su mean by that? She seems to be paying a lot of attention to you, President?"

Wang Meng was also lost in thought.

Lin Zhou did not explain, but simply kept the name "Saint Roland" in his heart.

The Freshman Cup, a battle gathering the strongest rising stars of Xinghai University, had already begun. The rewards were tempting, the opponents formidable, and the road ahead unknown.

Lin Zhou looked out the window toward the center of the campus, where the future arena would be. His eyes were as calm as an abyss, but deep within, it was as if the lights of the hundred schools were lighting up one by one, and the phantom of the river of civilization was faintly visible.

Top eight? That was only the starting point. He was determined to get the Spirit Spring of the champion. And this competition would be the first clap of thunder to test the quality of the The Way of the Hundred Schools and announce its existence to the whole school and even the wider world.

"Let's prepare," he retracted his gaze, his voice calm but carrying an unquestionable determination.