223: Absolute disadvantage, first experience of the clash of divine kingdoms

The Void Battle Platform was vast and boundless. Underfoot was a pale gray 'ground' that existed between being and nothingness; overhead was an eternally silent dark starry sky. Only the projections of the divine domains (divine kingdoms) of the two combatants, like two suddenly descending floating continents emitting completely different radiances, became the sole focal points and light sources in this void.

Lin Zhou and Qin Qing's divine domains were closely connected. The pale golden Order barrier formed by the Fusion of the [Net of Law] and the [Divine Edict Barrier] resembled a massive, translucent eggshell emitting an aura of majestic light, enveloping the core areas of the two divine domains. On the surface of the barrier, faintly visible legal clauses flowed like living creatures, attempting to construct a piece of 'Order Pure Land' defined by their own Laws, resisting the pervasive 'Conquest Will' from the outside.

However, this line of defense, which they considered quite sturdy, seemed as fragile as glass when facing Xuanyuan Hong's limited divine kingdom, which had only revealed a fraction of its power, enduring unimaginable pressure.

It was not a direct impact at the energy level (not yet begun), but a more fundamental, far-reaching sense of oppression at the rule level.

Xuanyuan Hong's divine kingdom projection hovered quietly several kilometers away. With an area of approximately 120 square kilometers (after limitation), although it did not seem much larger than the coverage of the Lin-Qin alliance (Lin Zhou 85 + Qin Qing 100, but the effective coordinated area after union was about 140 square kilometers), its presence was completely different.

If Lin Zhou and Qin Qing's divine domains were like two newly established towns with just-built walls, still bustling with construction inside, full of vitality and possibility, yet also carrying obvious 'newness' and 'roughness'; then Xuanyuan Hong's divine kingdom was an ancient capital that had endured millennia of trials, long since solidified and impregnable, with every inch of land imprinted with the ruler's will and every building following strict Laws.

Its outline was clearer and more solid, with edges not blurred by energy dissipation but presenting a nearly crystalline, stable texture—a highly condensed and regulated divine kingdom barrier. On the surface of the barrier flowed pale golden, intricate patterns as precise as circuit boards, the external manifestation of its internal 'Conquest Order' rule network. Merely gazing at these patterns gave one the illusion of having their mind drawn in, 'planned,' and 'incorporated' into a grand yet cold system.

The scene inside the divine kingdom was even more heart-stopping. Not chaotic barracks and farmlands, but clearly layered, functionally defined area divisions: the Radiant Plaza where the Holy Radiant Angel Legion stood in orderly formation; the Mountain-Suppressing Hill where the Holy Mark Titan Guard stood solemnly like mountains; the faintly visible energy-flowing Celestial Track Array Node Towers; and at the very core, the shadow of the dark golden throne of conquest, which even from a great distance emitted an aura of ruling over all, making one feel an urge to submit.

The entire divine kingdom was like a massive, precise, cold, and slowly activating war machine. There was no noise, no chaos, only a suffocating, efficient silence.

'His rules... are becoming 'substantialized' and 'spreading outward' to 'set the field.' Qin Qing's cool voice sounded in Lin Zhou's consciousness, carrying unprecedented gravity. 'What my Divine Barrier senses is not simple will oppression, but... the entire external void environment is slowly yet firmly being 'tainted' and 'defined' by his 'Conquest Order' rules.'

Lin Zhou perceived it as well. His deployed [Net of Law] now seemed not like an actively cast net but a reef thrown into turbulent undercurrents, enduring the flushing and extrusion of rule tides from all directions, endless. The 'possibility of multiple Orders coexisting' he defined was like words carved on the reef, being gradually eroded and faded by the tide. The opponent's rules were of too high quality, too 'hard.'

[Before the first divine kingdom collision, rule-level suppression estimate (based on Lin Zhou's perception)]

Xuanyuan Hong's Divine Kingdom (after limitation):

Area: 120 square kilometers.

Rule Completeness (Lin Zhou's estimate): Approximately 70% (referring to the Complete and self-consistency of its internal 'Conquest Order' rule system, as well as its ability to define and control the void environment). This is a typical characteristic after a divine kingdom initially stabilizes, where rules begin to form a closed loop and have a significant influence on the external environment.

Rule Strength/Density: Extremely high. The amount of rule information and constraint per unit area far exceeded that of Lin Zhou and Qin Qing's divine domains.

External Erosion Rate: Slow but continuous, like ink diffusing in clear water, constantly compressing the rule Living space of 'non-Conquest Order' areas.

Lin Zhou & Qin Qing Divine Domain Alliance:

Combined Effective Area: Approximately 140 square kilometers (overlapping parts have Gain, Insufficient coordination at the edge).

Rule Completeness (Lin Zhou's self-assessment):

Lin Zhou (Hundred Schools Divine Domain): Approximately 25% (river of civilization prototype, Initial integration of various school thoughts, but the system is far from complete, with weak influence on external rules, mainly relying on specific skills for active Show).

Qin Qing (Judgment Angel Divine Domain): Approximately 40% (Holy Order system relatively Mature and stable, but more focused on 'Execution' and 'Punishment,' weaker in 'Legislation' and 'Defining Environment').

After union, With the help of [Net of Law] and [Divine Edict] Collaboration, temporary rule stable area completeness estimate: Approximately 35% (mainly concentrated in the core defense lock up).

Rule Strength/Density: Far lower than the opponent's, and unevenly distributed.

Countermeasures: Mainly rely on active skills (Net of Law, Divine Barrier) to construct 'rule fortresses' for passive defense, lacking active, large-scale rule erosion and combat capability.

The gap was comprehensive, generational.

Just as Lin Zhou and Qin Qing Maintain with all efforts defense, attempting to stabilize their footing under this intangible rule oppression, Xuanyuan Hong's first wave of instruction turned into substantial action.

No probing, no flashiness. A Wedge Formation composed of three hundred Holy Radiant Angels, led by the Seraphim Commander (LV52, clad in gorgeous golden battle armor, with six wings on his back, wielding a long sword Burning with pure white holy flames), suddenly transformed into a Brilliant golden stream of light. Instead of charging directly at the front of the Lin-Qin alliance, it arced with a Exquisite Curve toward the Left wing perimeter of the alliance's defense lock up! Their target was clear—the flank of Qin Qing's Judgment Angel Legion, attempting to contain and segmentation, breaking the Wholeness of the alliance's defense.

Simultaneously, ten Holy Mark Titans (average LV48, hero unit Holy Mark Titan Warlord LV55, wielding a giant tower shield Entangled Golden Holy Lightning and a warhammer) They all took a step forward.!

'Thud—!!!'

Even though it was in the void, it seemed as if they had stepped on solid ground, It emitted a deep, resounding boom, like an ancient war drum.! The ten Titans did not disperse but formed a Compact Horizontal Array, like ten move mountains emitting Destructive Holy Thunder Aura, Slow to start yet unstoppable front推进 toward the pale gold Order barrier at the Right in the center of Lin Zhou and Qin Qing's alliance defense lock up!

Their pace was not fast, but with each step, the pale golden rock Texture on their bodies brightened, and the golden Holy Thunder Leap around them violent, Creates a strong resonance with the entire divine kingdom's 'Conquest Order' rule network. The void seemed to Tremor under this同步 pace, and the intangible rule The sense of oppression surged instantly., Concentrated pressure the core of the alliance defense!

That was not all. In the sky above Xuanyuan Hong's divine kingdom, the faintly visible [Celestial Track Array] network suddenly lit up several nodes. Intangible scanning The ripples were like mercury spilling onto the ground., instantly swept over the Order barrier of the Lin-Qin alliance. Lin Zhou immediately felt that his Divine Power consumption for maintaining the [Net of Law] showed Extremely small but Irregular fluctuations do exist! The opponent's Celestial Track Array was attempting to Analysis the rule frequency and structural weakness of his defense layer!

And the Willpower oppression projection from the most core [throne of conquest] shadow suddenly intensified several times, like a substantial Heavy hammer, Slammed hard on Lin Zhou's意识 core! It was a cold, overbearing, Unquestionable will, as if declaring: Resistance is useless; submission or being crushed is your only outcome. This Willpower Impact not only targeted Lin Zhou but also Subtle impact Qin Qing and their core Family, attempting to collapse their Fighting spirit from the spiritual level.

"You take the left-wing angels, I'll handle the frontal Titans! The analytical fluctuations from the Celestial Track Array are interfering with my Divine Power stability, be careful!" Lin Zhou urgently shouted through the communication channel, simultaneously forcing himself to calm his mind, resisting the will impact from the throne of conquest, and focusing most of his attention on the frontal Titan formation pressing forward like a cataclysmic deluge.

Qin Qing didn't hesitate for a moment. With a clear shout, half of her Judgment Angel legion (approximately four hundred units, average LV38-40) immediately split off under the leadership of several six-winged angel heroes, charging toward the left-wing assault of the Radiant Angels' arrowhead formation. Golden Order flames and pure white holy fire instantly collided and surged on the left flank of the Void Realm, unfolding into intense aerial combat and rule confrontation.

And on the frontal front—

Ten Stigmata Titan had already advanced to less than a kilometer in front of the Order barrier! This distance, for Titans, was practically face-to-face!

The Holy Mark Titan Warlord's eyes flashed with golden lightning, emitting a deep battle roar that seemed capable of shattering Souls. The giant warhammer in his hand, entwined with violent holy lightning, along with the fists or weapons of the other nine Titans that had been building momentum, simultaneously rose—and then smashed down!

Their target wasn't a single point on the barrier, but the entire frontal arc of the barrier! They didn't aim to pierce through a point, but to rely on absolute power and rule magnitude to execute an area-of-effect crushing bombardment!

"Not good! Can't take it head-on! Divine domain linkage, all buffer structures activated! river of civilization, stabilize!" Lin Zhou's pupils contracted sharply as he shouted sternly.

He knew that relying solely on this Order barrier formed by the Fusion of the Net of Law and the Divine Edict Barrier absolutely couldn't withstand this combined strike from ten enhanced Titans empowered by the opponent's divine kingdom rules! He had to utilize the structure of the divine domain (divine kingdom) itself to share the impact!

In an instant, at the edge of Lin Zhou's divine domain, all available land structures (reinforced foundations urgently constructed by the Tiangong Dwarves, stabilization Formation Plates arranged by Daoist disciples, and the divine domain's own rule-bearing layers) were all activated to their limits, glowing with various colors of light. The Temple of Civilization shone brightly, and the phantom of that river of civilization roared and surged, attempting to use the "principle" of civilization to stabilize the "foundation" of the divine domain.

Qin Qing also gritted her teeth, injecting more Divine Power into the Divine Edict Barrier, while the judgment sanctuary blazed with light, providing additional rule resilience to the barrier.

However, all of this, in the face of absolute power and rule disparity—

"BOOM——!!!!!!!!"

An indescribable roar! It wasn't sound, but a "thunderous roar" directly affecting the perception of all spectators, triggered by the violent collision, distortion, and vibration of rules and existence itself!

The attacks of the ten Stigmata Titan solidly struck the pale golden Order barrier!

The barrier, like a crystal dome struck by a heavy hammer, instantly caved inward with a terrifying arc! The flowing Law inscriptions on its surface scattered like frightened fish, flickering wildly, then large areas shattered and annihilated! Qin Qing's Divine Edict Barrier dimmed rapidly, emitting a groaning sound of being overwhelmed.

This combined defensive line couldn't hold completely for even a second before extensively cracking and disintegrating near the point of contact!

The remaining, not fully neutralized terrifying impact force, like a breached destructive flood, poured fiercely through the broken barrier gap into the internal space of Lin Zhou and Qin Qing's divine domains!

[Divine Kingdom Collision (First Contact) Damage Report (Lin Zhou Side)]

Collision Point: Central area of the allied defense front.

Attacking Party: Xuanyuan Hong's divine kingdom, Stigmata Titan Guard (ten units, rule-empowered combined strike).

Defending Party: Lin Zhou & Qin Qing alliance, Fusion barrier of [Net of Law] + [Divine Edict Barrier] + divine domain structural buffering.

Rule Layer Confrontation Result: Xuanyuan Hong's "Conquest Order" (70% integrity) overwhelmingly superior to Lin Qin's "Temporary Order Fortress" (35% integrity). Enemy rule penetration extremely strong.

Energy/Physical Impact Result:

Combined Order Barrier: 65% area of frontal contact region penetrated and disintegrated, remaining parts severely damaged, effectiveness reduced by over 50%.

Divine Power Consumption: Lin Zhou instantly lost 8% Divine Power, Qin Qing lost 6% (mainly used to prevent complete barrier collapse and offset part of the impact).

Divine Domain Body Tremors:

Lin Zhou's Divine Domain: Large-scale cracks appeared in the edge bearing layers; external walls of the [Tiangong Workshop] near the impact point showed obvious cracks, some precision instruments damaged; partial side hall eaves of the [Jixia Academy] collapsed; divine domain land plates shifted, causing local "earthquakes," casualties among some low-level followers (e.g., newly migrated small numbers of assimilated orcs).

Qin Qing's Divine Domain: judgment sanctuary light swayed violently, some peripheral affiliated prayer buildings damaged; some angels in formation experienced brief energy disruption due to rule tremors.

Core Buildings/Miracles:

Temple of Civilization: Impacted, temple body slightly shook, but main structure intact; river of civilization phantom fluctuations intensified, autonomously releasing more civilization radiance attempting to stabilize the divine domain.

Temple of Law (Lin Zhou): Due to direct connection with the [Net of Law], suffered backlash; some Law stone tablets inside the temple cracked, functionality temporarily slightly reduced.

throne of conquest Will Impact: At collision moment, will pressure peaked; both Lin Zhou and Qin Qing felt intense dizziness, Divine Flame swayed, follower morale noticeably declined.

Overall Evaluation: First direct confrontation at divine kingdom level, completely disadvantaged; defensive system severely damaged by one strike, divine domain body suffered substantial damage.

"Ugh...!" Lin Zhou grunted, his consciousness projection shaking several times, feeling as if his divine spark had been harshly struck by the impact aftershocks, pain emanating from the not-yet-fully-healed fine cracks. The tremors and destruction feedback from within the divine domain weighed heavily on his heart.

He saw the black smoke rising from the Tiangong Workshop, heard the collapsing sounds from the Jixia Academy, sensed the panic and casualties among his followers... All of this clearly told him how vast the gap was compared to a truly mature divine kingdom.

Qin Qing's situation was slightly better, but the judgment sanctuary's light had also dimmed considerably; her gaze toward Lin Zhou was filled with gravity and concern.

In contrast, on Xuanyuan Hong's side. After executing that earth-shattering strike, the ten Stigmata Titan only paused slightly, adjusted their formation; the holy lightning on their bodies remained brilliant, their aura somewhat depleted but far from exhausted. They were like ten golden war gods, stepping over the shattered Order barrier fragments, steadily advancing further into the internal space of the Lin Qin allied divine domain! Behind them, the scanning ripples from the Celestial Track Array grew denser, and the will pressure from the throne of conquest persisted like a clinging parasite.

On the left wing, although the battle between the Radiant Angels and Judgment Angels was intense, it was clear that the Radiant Angels held a slight advantage in individual strength, coordination tacit agreement, and rule adaptability, gradually gaining the upper hand.

Defeat seemed destined from this first collision.

On the Void Realm observation platform, a collective intake of cold breath was heard.

"Hiss... with just one strike..."

"Completely unable to block it! And that was Lin Zhou and Qin Qing's combined defense!"

"The top student's divine kingdom is too tough! Those Titans' power is more than a tier above Thor's!"

"Rule layer crushing, area and integrity The gap is too big...."

"This is just the beginning... can they last five minutes?"

An atmosphere of despair began to spread.

However, Lin Zhou, trapped in this desperate situation, after the initial tremors and pain, his eyes refocused with sharp light. He quickly scanned the divine domain damage report, his mind operating at an unprecedented speed.

"Can't passively endure attacks like this! His rule system is complete; head-on confrontation has no chance of victory... Must find the 'non-essential redundancy' within his 'perfect system,' or... create an 'accident'!"

His gaze locked firmly on the approaching Stigmata Titan and the faintly visible nodes of the Celestial Track Array behind them.

"Xuan Zhenzi! Master Gongsun! Li Mo! Listen to my command..." Lin Zhou's Divine Thought, carrying a desperate resolve, echoed at the divine domain core.

Even facing a seemingly invincible opponent, even with the divine domain already wounded, the The Way of the Hundred Schools must remain unyielding, seeking that sliver of hope within the desperate situation!