222: In the battle for the semi-finals, they encountered the top student from Xinghai.

[Quarterfinal Special Preparation Secret Realm · Fountain of Time's Echo]

The Secret Realm was not a vast world, but a tranquil valley shrouded in misty fog, spanning only a few square miles. At the center of the valley, a spring no larger than a wellhead flowed silently. The spring water was crystal clear—not liquid, but a highly concentrated mixture of manifested fragments of the Law of Time and pure Order energy. Around the spring, the flow of time was drastically different from the outside world, reaching an astonishing 1:50 ratio (fifty days in the Secret Realm to one day outside). This was Xinghai University's special reward for top students who had Advanced to the quarterfinals, aimed at giving them precious breathing room and development time during the intense competition schedule.

Lin Zhou soaked in the 'Fountain of Time's Echo.' The spring water was cool yet gentle, with threads of time power and Order energy patiently soaking and repairing the fine cracks on his Divine Spark, like the most skillful craftsmen. The [Order Crystal (Blue)] gifted by Qin Qing also floated before him, emitting stable Order fluctuations leaning toward 'Judgment' and 'Justice,' resonating with the Order energy in the spring and accelerating the repair process.

Within the Divine Domain, the Temple of Civilization glowed faintly under the spring's nourishment. The phantom of the river of civilization seemed to solidify slightly, flowing more smoothly. Damaged structures like the [Temple of Law] and [Jixia Academy] were being repaired at a speed far exceeding normal, thanks to the efforts of the Tiangong Dwarves and Elf Priests. Gongsun Li, who had fallen unconscious from exhaustion, had awakened. Though still weak, his spiritual Origin had stabilized under the gentle nurturing of time power. Xuan Zhenzi, meanwhile, used the dense natural and Order aura of this place to regulate himself, showing subtle progress in his Dao cultivation.

Lin Zhou's consciousness immersed itself in repair and comprehension. His battle with Thor, forcibly manifesting the river of civilization, had caused backlash but also given him a deeper understanding of his own path and the use of 'Civilization' power. Collaborating with Qin Qing and practicing the Fusion of Confucianism and Legalism had shown him the possibility of integrating the Hundred Schools of Thought with other Order Systems.

'The Way of Civilization is by no means about working behind closed doors. It requires inclusiveness, collision, and continuous enrichment and development in practice...' Lin Zhou realized in his heart. 'The next step might be to consider how to more systematically 'skillify' and 'systematize' the Hundred Schools of Thought, allowing Society members and even more people to learn and apply them, rather than relying solely on my personal understanding and that of a few Hero Units.'

Fifty days (Secret Realm time) passed in the blink of an eye.

When Lin Zhou rose from the spring, most of the cracks on his Divine Spark had disappeared, leaving only some almost imperceptible lines that would require gradual effort to completely eliminate. His Divine Power reserves, replenished by the spring and his own recovery, had returned to 85% fullness. More importantly, his Divine Flame seemed to have been tempered through this process, burning more stably, with a slightly deeper hue, faintly tinged with the pale golden light of the river of civilization.

Within the Divine Domain, the main structures were repaired, the Followers generally increased by 1-2 Ranks, and the Hero Units returned to peak condition. civilization points had increased significantly due to consecutive victories and the spread of ideas (discussion heat on the Campus Forum), but he temporarily saved them for critical use.

'My condition has recovered by seventy percent. The hidden dangers in my Divine Spark remain, so I shouldn't forcibly manifest the river or perform overloaded rule operations again,' Lin Zhou assessed himself. 'But conventional combat, command and dispatch, and the linkage of Hundred Schools skills are no longer hindered.'

Outside, only one day had passed. The Xinghai University Freshman Cup semifinals were about to begin!

The semifinal draw ceremony took place in the virtual campus square, open for all students to observe. When the images of the quarterfinalists (Lin Zhou and Qin Qing's team; another 'Twin Stars' Alliance formed by two top second-year Geniuses; and two strong teams from the War College and Elemental College, respectively, both third-year) appeared on the light screen, the square was already packed with people.

However, before the draw results were announced, a low and authoritative voice suddenly echoed throughout the virtual square through the highest authority:

'By decision of the Academic Affairs Office and the Competition Committee, given the exceptional level of this year's Freshman Cup, a 'Chief Student Challenge Format' is specially established to better hone top students. In the quarterfinals, this year's Xinghai University Chief Student will serve as the Defender, accepting challenges from the quarterfinal teams in turn.'

'The Chief Student will not use full strength. The scale of his Divine Domain deployed, number of Followers, and Divine Power output will be limited to a baseline 'similar to the total strength assessment of the challenging team.' If a challenger can last for the time it takes an incense stick to burn (about fifteen minutes) without defeat, or achieve specific strategic objectives, they are considered to have passed the challenge and Advanced to the finals. If none of the four teams pass, the Chief Student automatically gains a spot in the finals.'

'Now, let us welcome this year's Xinghai University Chief Student—Xuanyuan Hong!'

As the words fell, the entire square first fell into dead silence, then erupted with earth-shaking uproar!

'Chief Student? Senior Xuanyuan Hong? He's joining?!'

'Holy crap! That's a fourth-year Chief! His Divine Kingdom is said to have eroded three Star Realms!'

'A mid-level Lesser Divinity big shot! Fighting us freshmen?'

'Even with limited strength... he's still the Chief Student! Experience, skills, Divine Domain foundation—completely on a different level!'

'This format... so thrilling!'

'It's over, I feel like the quarterfinal teams are going to be wiped out...'

Under countless gazes of shock, awe, or curiosity, a figure slowly materialized on the central platform of the square.

He appeared to be in his early twenties, standing tall and straight like a pine tree, wearing a simple black robe without excessive decoration. His face wasn't particularly handsome, but his features were sharp and firm—with sword-like eyebrows, starry eyes, a high nose bridge, and deep eyes like ancient wells, seemingly containing endless starry skies and the wisdom of accumulated years. Just standing there, he naturally exuded an aura of profound stability and inherent authority, a unique temperament formed from long-held high positions, mastery of powerful forces, and countless Divine Wars.

Xinghai University Chief Student, Xuanyuan Hong. Divine Spark Rank LV280, firmly standing at the threshold of mid-level Lesser Divinity, not far from the Advanced level (LV500). He was a descendant of a branch of an ancient Divine Lineage within the Human Race, the 'Xuan Yuan Divine Lineage.' Though not from the main line, he had earned a formidable reputation at Xinghai University through his exceptional talent and efforts, with a uniquely developed Divine Domain route.

The phantom of his Divine Domain slowly unfolded a corner behind him for everyone to observe. Though reduced in size and suppressed in energy level due to rule limitations, its vast, complex, and exquisitely fused foundation still made all spectators gasp in awe.

[Chief Student · Xuanyuan Hong (Limited Combat Status) Divine Domain Data (Estimated Observation)]

Divine Domain Type: Order · Conquest Composite Divine Domain.

Divine Domain Area (Limited): Approximately 120 square kilometers (Lin Zhou's current Divine Domain area is about 85 square kilometers, Qin Qing's about 100 square kilometers, but their rule completeness is far inferior).

Divine Domain Status: Already Advanced from 'Divine Domain' to an initial 'Divine Kingdom,' with more stable planar barriers and internal cyclic rules.

Core Follower Composition (Mixed Formation):

Holy Radiant Angel Legion (Main Body):

Quantity (Limited): Approximately 500 units (mostly Four-Winged, with dozens of Six-Winged elites).

Average Rank: LV42-45.

Traits: Highly ordered, possessing standard angel abilities such as [Holy Barrier] (combined defense), [Sword of Justice] (special attack against evil/chaos), and [Healing Light], but with discipline and tactical coordination far surpassing ordinary angel Divine Domains.

Hero Unit: At least one Seraph Commander (LV50+), emitting powerful pressure.

Mountain Titan Guard (Specially Incorporated):

Quantity (Limited): Only 20 Titans.

Average Rank: LV45-48.

Traits: Improved Titans highly fused with Xuanyuan Hong's own Divine Kingdom rules. Their rocky surfaces show a pale golden hue, with attached lightning transformed into holy golden Sacred Thunder, combining the terrifying strength of Titans with some Order traits of angels, with extremely high magic and physical resistance.

Hero Unit: One Stigmata Titan Warlord (LV52+), wielding a giant tower shield and warhammer entwined with Sacred Thunder, like a mobile fortress.

Follower Coordination: Not a simple mix, but an organic, integrated air-ground combat System with balanced light and heavy units. Angels provide mobility, ranged attacks, healing, and aura enhancements; Titans serve as immovable vanguards and core assault forces; both cooperate seamlessly under unified Divine Kingdom rules (Xuanyuan Hong's 'Conquest Order').

Divine Kingdom Miracles/Special Structures Observed:

[throne of conquest]: Core of the Divine Kingdom, exuding rulership and conquest will, greatly boosting follower morale and Execution, possibly with area-of-effect rule enhancement abilities.

[Hall of Heroes (Imitation)]: A faintly visible phantom, possibly capable of summoning or enhancing historical Hero Units.

[Celestial Track Array]: A faintly visible rule network in the Divine Kingdom's sky, suspected to be used for over-the-horizon strikes, rapid troop deployment, or large-scale battlefield monitoring.

Rule Trait (Perception): An extremely stable "Conquest Order." Within the scope of his Divine Kingdom, all forces seem to be integrated into a highly efficient System with "conquest" as its ultimate goal, rejecting chaos and inefficiency. It exerts continuous, invisible rule assimilation pressure on enemies, attempting to pull them into its preset "conqueror-conquered" confrontation rhythm.

Divine Power Fluctuations (After Limitation): Still unfathomably deep, like an abyss or ocean, far surpassing the combined power of Lin Zhou, Qin Qing, and others. In terms of quality, due to his more complete Divine Kingdom, the purity and conversion efficiency of his Divine Power are also higher.

Comprehensive Evaluation (For the Top Four Teams): A despair-level formidable enemy. Even with limited strength, the completeness of his Divine Kingdom, the maturity and power of his follower System, the stability and aggressiveness of his rules, as well as Xuanyuan Hong's own terrifying combat wisdom and experience as the Chief Student, all constitute overwhelming advantages. Holding out for fifteen minutes? For most True Gods, even five minutes would likely be a luxury.

"This is... the Chief Student..." Beside Lin Zhou, Qin Qing's voice carried a trace of barely noticeable gravity. Even she felt immense pressure facing Xuanyuan Hong's limited Divine Kingdom, which only revealed a fraction of its power. It wasn't just a gap in power level, but a comprehensive lag in development degree, System completeness, and depth of rule understanding.

Zhao Hao, Wang Meng, and others turned pale. They had previously been excited about Lin Zhou defeating Thor and advancing to the top four, but now it seemed that compared to the one before them, Thor probably didn't even have the qualification to make Xuanyuan Hong take things seriously.

Xuanyuan Hong's gaze calmly swept over the four teams, pausing for half a second on Lin Zhou and Qin Qing, as if giving an extra glance to this recently famous freshman duo, but without much emotional fluctuation. It was a calmness that resided at a higher level, looking down on the struggles below.

"The rules are clear." Xuanyuan Hong spoke, his voice not loud but clearly reaching everyone's ears, carrying an undeniable tone. "The challenge Order will be decided by drawing lots. I will adjust the scale of deployment based on each team's strength assessment. The challenge begins now."

Soon, the drawing results came out.

The first challenging team was the strong junior team from the Elemental College, specializing in dual elements of flame and ice. They entered the dedicated challenge plane with grave expressions.

The battle process... could be described as brief.

Xuanyuan Hong didn't even deploy the Titan Guard, merely sending out two hundred Radiant Angels to form a simple wedge formation. Under the will enhancement of the 【throne of conquest】 and the assistance of the 【Celestial Track Array】, these angels' actions were precise, efficient, and ruthlessly extreme. They ignored the opponent's carefully arranged ice-fire dual environment, using Holy Barriers to withstand damage and Swords of Justice to precisely eliminate the opponent's core elemental nodes and Hero Units. The opponent's elemental frenzy had little effect when striking the angels' combined defense.

In less than seven minutes, the Elemental College team's divine domain connection was forcibly severed and crushed by the angel legion, their core exposed, forcing them to concede. Throughout, Xuanyuan Hong's Divine Thought seemed to have only issued a few simple commands.

The second team, a strong junior team from the War College, known for their frenzied beast tides and killing machines. They lasted a bit longer, nine minutes. Xuanyuan Hong dispatched fifty angels along with five Stigmata Titans. The Titans acted like indestructible dams, blocking the fiercest beast tide impacts, with Sacred Thunder purifying the bloodthirsty beasts. The angels acted like scalpels, precisely excising the command nodes of the beast tide and the energy cores of the killing machines. The War College team lost without any fight left in them; their savage strength appeared crude and inefficient before the higher-level combination of Order and power.

The third team, the "Twin Stars" Alliance, two top sophomore geniuses with complementary divine domains, one attacking and one defending, cooperating seamlessly. They lasted eleven minutes, the longest so far. They even once used a certain combined divine art to temporarily trap the three hundred angels and ten Titans dispatched by Xuanyuan Hong. But Xuanyuan Hong merely slightly adjusted the enhancement frequency of the Celestial Track Array and had the Seraph Commander personally strike; a concentrated 【Judgment Light】 pierced through their combined defense core, causing their formation to collapse.

Now, it was Lin Zhou and Qin Qing's turn.

The gazes in the square uniformly focused on them. There was sympathy, curiosity, anticipation, but more so, spectacle—the crushing defeats of the first three challengers made any hope seem almost invisible. The Chief Student's strength was comprehensive and despair-inducing.

"Lin Zhou..." Zhao Hao looked over with concern.

"Old Lin, just do your best, don't push too hard." Wang Meng also whispered.

Qin Qing looked at Lin Zhou, her eyes inquiring.

Lin Zhou took a deep breath, feeling the Divine Power within him that wasn't fully recovered but sufficient for a battle, and the high yet grave Battle Intent of the Followers in his divine domain. The Temple of Civilization trembled slightly, the river phantom flowing, as if responding to the external pressure.

The pressure was indeed immense. Xuanyuan Hong's Divine Kingdom was like a meticulously designed, perfectly operating war machine, while they were still apprentices in a workshop who had just crafted a few fine parts.

But... Lin Zhou's eyes became sharp and calm again. Despair? No, this was a once-in-a-millennium trial opportunity! Engaging with such an opponent, even if only holding out for a moment, the experience gained, the understanding of one's own flaws, and the comprehension of higher-level power would be invaluable wealth!

"Qin Qing," Lin Zhou said in a low voice, steady, "remember our last 'Absolute Edict Defense Line'? This time, we need more than just defense."

Qin Qing's gaze sharpened: "What do you mean?"

"Facing such an opponent, purely passive defense will only lead to being gradually eroded and broken like the first three teams." Lin Zhou spoke quickly. "We need to find opportunities within defense, showcase our 'difference,' and even... attempt to 'interfere' with his perfectly operating System. Use our 'reason' to collide with his 'Order.'"

Qin Qing understood. This wasn't for victory (that was too distant), but to demonstrate value, to find a sliver of possibility within the impossible, to leave a mark.

"Good." Qin Qing nodded, the Judgment Hall phantom faintly appearing behind her. "My angels will be your sturdiest shield and sharpest sword."

Lin Zhou looked toward the pair of eyes on the high platform, deep as the starry sky, and said clearly: "Chief Student Senior, we are ready."

Xuanyuan Hong slightly nodded, saying nothing more. Light and shadow flowed, and Lin Zhou and Qin Qing's divine domain projections were cast into a standard, boundless Void Realm battle platform.

Opposite, Xuanyuan Hong's limited Divine Kingdom projection slowly unfolded. This time, the forces he dispatched seemed similar to those used against the "Twin Stars" Alliance—three hundred Radiant Angels (including the Seraph Commander), ten Stigmata Titans. But everyone knew that the same troops could unleash vastly different power in different hands.

The invisible "Conquest Order" rule field began to spread, attempting to envelop the entire platform, pulling the battle into Xuanyuan Hong's rhythm.

Lin Zhou and Qin Qing's divine domains quickly drew close, jointly unfolding.

"Net of Law!"

"Divine Edict Barrier!"

The familiar golden light and Law provisions reappeared, constructing a sturdy Order defense line. But this time, Lin Zhou added something new when defining the rules:

"Within this battle domain, the effectiveness of unilateral conquest will without mutual consensus is diminished! The possibility of multiple Orders coexisting should be acknowledged!"

This was a more "cunning" and fundamental definition, attempting to weaken the absolute exclusivity of Xuanyuan Hong's "Conquest Order" from a conceptual level, striving for a bit of space for the "coexistence" and "harmony in diversity" concepts of the Hundred Schools of Thought.

Simultaneously, within Lin Zhou's divine domain, all Literary Heart Elves, Tiangong Dwarves, Law Fishmen, and even the recently recovered Gongsun Li and Xuan Zhenzi, all took their positions. The Temple of Civilization's light flowed, the river phantom faintly visible above the divine domain, ready to strike.

Qin Qing's Judgment Angel legion was also on high alert, the phantom of the Law Scales hanging high, locking onto the enemy.

The battle was on the verge of breaking out.

Xuanyuan Hong's gaze seemed to pass through the distant Void Realm, landing on Lin Zhou's unique divine domain and that peculiar "river" phantom. For the first time, an extremely faint glimmer of something called interest flashed in his deep eyes.

"Interesting." He murmured almost inaudibly, then, as usual, his Divine Thought issued the first concise command:

"Angel Legion, wedge formation, flank left wing, contain the Judgment Angels."

"Titan Guard, central Breakthrough, crush those... strange buildings and Followers."

"Celestial Track Array, analyze the opponent's rule protection, find the weak frequency."

"throne of conquest, will suppression, focus on that kid with the river phantom."

Concise, efficient, straight to the core. He intended to use an overwhelming force to dismantle this freshman duo's seemingly unique defense System in the shortest time, to see how much real substance lay beneath that shell of "reason."

Facing this overwhelming, unprecedented terrifying pressure, Lin Zhou's pupils contracted, his entire body's nerves tense.

The real test was only just beginning.