3: A blessed land, a first experience of the fusion of a hundred schools of thought!

The [Small Iron Mine] card emitted a warm green light in Lin Zhou's hand, its inherent power of laws resonating subtly with his Divine Realm.

Without hesitation, Lin Zhou's consciousness sank into the core of the Divine Realm, guiding this Small Iron Mine to merge with the realm itself.

"Merge, [Small Iron Mine]!"

The card transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the earth of the Divine Realm. At the edge of the realm, near the chaos barrier, an area of ground bulged slightly, the rock structure shifted, and exposed mineral veins glittered with a metallic luster. A simple, law-formed mine entrance quietly appeared.

[System Prompt]: Successfully merged Small Iron Mine [Small Iron Mine]! [Divine Realm Interface Updated]:

Resource Output: Added [Iron Ore], daily output +300 units.

Divine Realm Area: Slightly increased to 3.2 square kilometers.

Environmental Change: Added terrain [Small Mineral Vein].

Almost the instant the fusion was complete, Lin Zhou felt the Divine Realm's laws embrace and accept this "foreign" card exceptionally smoothly, with almost no resistance.

"Of course, the inclusivity of the [principles of civilization], combined with the foundation of Order laid by Confucian thought, makes the Divine Realm's integration of such 'ordered' resources extremely high," Lin Zhou realized. "If it were a chaotic or evil-aligned Small Iron Mine, it probably wouldn't be this easy."

The Literary Heart Elves gathered curiously around the mineral vein. Naturally close to nature, they felt somewhat unfamiliar with the act of "excavating," but under Elwin's guidance and the hints of the divine oracle, several stronger elves tried using hard stones they found to knock off some dark-green ore.

"The great god has bestowed upon us hard stones!" one elf said, holding a piece of ore and feeling its texture, so different from wood and plants, her eyes filled with wonder.

"This might allow us to craft sturdier tools and sharper arrowheads," Elwin analyzed wisely, already beginning to think about how to utilize this new material. They transported the ore near the Jixia Academy, as being there seemed to accelerate their understanding and learning process.

Lin Zhou watched this scene with satisfaction. Followers with the potential for independent thought and learning were far more valuable than tools that only knew how to execute Orders. This was precisely the power of "enlightenment" from the Hundred Schools of Thought.

He noticed that because he had successfully merged the Small Iron Mine and initiated a new form of production, the interface of the Temple of Civilization had also changed.

[Temple of Civilization Interface]:

Civilization Level: Dawn of Enlightenment (60/10,000)

civilization points: 600

Unlocked Thought: [Confucianism] (Glimpse of the Threshold) - Unlock Progress 2%.

Unlockable Thoughts: (List omitted)

Exchangeable Items: (Unlocks after [Confucianism] reaches 'Initial Success')

Civilization Wonders: Not yet unlocked

New Entry: [Technical Threads] - Detected followers beginning to utilize minerals; prerequisite conditions for unlocking [Mohist] thought have been partially met. (Current Progress: 1/3)

"Mohism..." Lin Zhou's eyes flickered. Mechanical arts, the concept of non-aggression, logical reasoning... this was indeed a shortcut to rapidly increasing strength. It seemed he needed to guide the elves to put more effort into this area to meet the unlocking conditions.

Just then, Teacher Li's voice came through the Divine Realm link again, carrying a hint of solemnity:

"Attention all students! The grade 12 first semester mid-term mock exam will begin in one hour!" "The background for this assessment: our school, in conjunction with several nearby high schools, has jointly discovered and marked a newborn [Stone Age Ruins] Blessed Land. This mock exam will take place within that Grotto-heaven." "Assessment format: Consciousness Projection. You will dispatch a portion of your followers' consciousness to project onto random spawn points within the Blessed Land." "Assessment objective: Survive for 24 hours (Blessed Land time) within that Grotto-heaven and obtain as much 'Fire of Civilization' as possible." "Assessment rules:

Direct divine wars between candidates are prohibited within the Blessed Land, but follower projections may freely compete, cooperate, and battle.

'Fire of Civilization' can be obtained through exploration, conquering native creatures, completing specific events, and spreading faith and knowledge.

Final rewards will be based on the 'Fire of Civilization' point rankings and are quite generous, including rare Small Iron Mines, clues for race cards, etc." "Special Note: Unknown risks exist within the Blessed Land. Although the death of a follower projection does not affect the original body, it will result in the loss of some mental power and faith, affecting the assessment score. Please act with caution!"

[Stone Age Ruins] Blessed Land! Fire of Civilization points! Rare rewards!

As soon as the news broke, all the students grew excited. A Blessed Land meant opportunity—the possibility of obtaining special resources, traits, or even heritages that were hard to find in the outside world!

Lin Zhou's heart also raced. Race card clues! Currently, he only had the Literary Heart Elves, and his follower structure was singular. If he could obtain a new race, especially one like Dwarves who excelled at forging, and combine them with Mohist thought, the development of his Divine Realm would enter the fast lane!

"I must seize this opportunity!"

He immediately began preparations. Consciousness projection required the consumption of faith power to maintain, and the strength of the projection was tied to the original body, with limits on quantity. According to the detailed rules Teacher Li sent afterward, at his current level of Faint Divinity (though he was only a demigod, the uniqueness of his Divine Realm was defaulted by the rules to the Faint Divinity tier), he could project a maximum of 100 follower units and needed to designate one Hero unit to lead them.

"Elwin." Lin Zhou chose this loyal and wise elder without hesitation. "Select 99 clansmen who have reached LV4 and have the best mastery of Vast Righteous Qi."

"By your will, my god." Elwin took the Order and quickly screened out the strongest group of elves. Having gone through the baptism of the small competition and daily cultivation, their levels had all increased, and their understanding of Confucian thought had deepened by another layer.

Lin Zhou consumed 200 units of faith reserves (accumulated from previous competition rewards and daily output) to stabilize the projection channel and maintain the projection's existence.

[Projection Legion]:

Hero: Elwin (LV 6) - Status: [Divine Blessing] (All attributes +5%)

Wenxin Elf Warriors * 99 (LV 4)

Average Attributes: Strength 5, Agility 12, Constitution 6, Intelligence 9, Wisdom 9, Charisma 16

Equipment: Simple Wooden Bow (Attack +2), Crude Leather Armor (Defense +1), small amount of Iron-tipped Arrows (Attack +3) (simply polished using the newly produced iron ore)

Status: [Divine Blessing] (Morale +10%), [Filled with Righteousness] (Can trigger a more stable Vast Righteous Qi domain)

Special: All units have mastered [Basic Vast Righteous Qi Channeling].

Ready!

An hour later, a grand pulling force descended. Lin Zhou split off a wisp of consciousness and attached it to Elwin. Together with the projections of the ninety-nine elf warriors, they turned into streaks of light and plunged into an unknown channel... After a brief shift in time and space, his consciousness cleared.

What met his "eyes" was a vast, primitive world filled with a wild aura. Towering ancient trees blotted out the sun, giant ferns were everywhere, and the air was thick with the smell of damp earth and a faint scent of blood. The roars of unknown beasts echoed from the distance, filled with a sense of danger.

[System Prompt]: Entered [Stone Age Ruins] Blessed Land. Current Area: Primitive Jungle. Survival time and Fire of Civilization points calculation starting.

Elwin cautiously scanned the surroundings and quickly ordered: "Maintain formation, stay alert! Sense the environment!"

The elves dispersed as instructed, using their superior agility and perception to scout the situation.

Soon, information was gathered:

There was the sound of a river to the southeast; footprints of a large feline (LV 15 Sabertooth Tiger) were found near the water source.

There were signs of smoke to the northwest, suspected to be a gathering place for intelligent beings.

Scattered primitive humans (LV 3-5) wearing animal skins and using crude stone spears and axes were found in the nearby jungle, fearfully avoiding the attacks of wild beasts.

The faint sounds of battle and the dying screams of followers came from other directions—clearly, other students' projection legions had already clashed with native creatures or each other.

"Directly hunting wild beasts or plundering primitive human tribes would certainly gain points quickly, but the losses would be significant, and making enemies of these primitive natives would likely make subsequent actions difficult," Lin Zhou analyzed quickly while observing through Elwin's perspective.

He saw an orc projection legion (evidently belonging to some student) besieging a small primitive tribe. Although they killed several tribal warriors and snatched some things, they also lost over a dozen orcs, and the remaining primitive humans scattered into the jungle with eyes full of hatred.

"Brute force is a poor tactic," Lin Zhou made his decision.

"Elwin, approach the tribe to the northwest. Try to communicate and show goodwill. Our goal is the 'Fire of Civilization,' and spreading civilization and enlightening the masses can ignite that flame in itself!"

"Understood, my god," Elwin replied, catching his meaning. She led the elves, reining in their hostility and advancing toward the smoke with steady steps.

Soon, a small tribe located in a hollow of a cliff appeared before them. About fifty primitive humans, barely clothed and looking thin and sallow, huddled around a weak campfire, their faces filled with fear of the jungle's dangers. Their tools were extremely crude—spears and axes tied with stone flakes. Seeing a group of "well-equipped" (relative to them) and extraordinary-looking elves appear, they immediately grew tense. The men picked up stone spears while the women and children hid behind them, letting out threatening grunts.

Elwin stopped and motioned for the elves to lower their bows. She stepped forward alone, using the technique of [Subtle Influence] to give her voice a soothing power:

"We are travelers seeking wisdom and Order, not your enemies." "We sense your hardship and fear, and we are willing to share knowledge to help you resist danger and find peace."

Through the power of the divine oracle, her words allowed the primitive humans to understand the general meaning. The primitives looked at each other, still wary, but their hostility lessened slightly. An exceptionally strong hunter (LV 6, the tribal chief) hesitantly stepped forward, gesturing and pointing deep into the jungle while mimicking the roar of a beast, then pointing at several wounded tribesmen with a look of pain and helplessness on his face.

Elwin understood; they were plagued by wild beasts. She gestured back, and an elf stepped forward to cast [Minor Healing]. A soft green light enveloped the wounded, and their wounds stopped bleeding and scabbed over at a visible speed.

This scene left all the primitives stunned! Soon after, a burst of cheers erupted, mixed with awe and joy! The way they looked at the elves instantly shifted from wariness to something bordering on worship!

"Wisdom... Order... Help..." The tribal chief clumsily repeated the keywords from Elwin's words, then suddenly knelt down in worship, and the other primitives followed suit.

[System Prompt]: Your actions have been interpreted by the local intelligent beings as a 'miracle' and a 'gift of wisdom.' You have successfully spread initial concepts of Order and benevolence, gaining +50 'Fire of Civilization' points! The tribe's attitude toward you and your followers has changed to [Worship]!

A successful start!

Lin Zhou's spirits rose. These 50 points were likely more than what those classmates who had been fighting tooth and nail for half a day had earned! Moreover, he had achieved this without shedding a drop of blood, gaining a potential vassal and a source of faith!

Elwin struck while the iron was hot, commanding the elves to help the tribe reinforce their camp. They used vines and timber from the jungle, combined with some simple mechanical principles (instilled by Lin Zhou through a divine oracle), to set up several ingenious traps and warning devices.

"This place can use the mountain's terrain to set an ambush..." Elwin pointed to the narrow passage at the tribe's entrance, the embryonic thoughts of the School of Military regarding 'geographical advantage' naturally surfacing in her mind as passed on by Lin Zhou. She directed the primitives to move stones and set up obstacles.

Lin Zhou watched as Elwin combined simple military concepts with the actual situation, feeling gratified. At the same time, an idea popped up:

"Mere concepts and simple help aren't enough. To truly gain their recognition and spread civilization, something more practical is needed... Perhaps, I can try an initial attempt at... Mohist Mechanical Arts?"

Although he hadn't formally unlocked Mohist thought, his knowledge from his previous life and the existence of the Temple of Civilization gave him a beyond-human understanding of the word 'mechanism.' He concentrated his mind and, through a divine oracle, transmitted basic physical concepts like 'levers,' 'pulleys,' and 'bow tension,' along with a vague concept for a large ballista made from tough wood and vines, to Elwin and several highly intelligent elves.

"This is... the Way of Creation bestowed by my god!" Elwin received the information and, though it felt profound, under the long-term influence of the Jixia Academy and a sudden flash of inspiration, she actually managed to understand part of its essence!

She immediately gathered the elves and the skilled hands among the primitives. Using available materials—hard ancient wood branches, elastic animal tendons and vines, and ground stone flakes for arrowheads—they began attempting to build it!

The process was not smooth, failing several times. But with Lin Zhou's occasional key pointers, the clever hands of the elves, and the labor of the primitives, a crudely structured yet chillingly murderous super-large ballista—or rather, a [Mechanical Creation: Ballista] that conformed to the rules of this world—was actually created!

[System Prompt]: Under your guidance, your followers have successfully manufactured a [Simple Ballista] that surpasses the current era's background! [Simple Ballista] (War Machine/White Common)

Attack Power: 80-120 (Special effect against large units, includes weak 'Armor Piercing')

Range: 150 meters

Trait: Long preparation time, requires 3 people to operate.

Note: A preliminary manifestation of civilized wisdom, containing weak principles of Mohist Mechanical Arts. Gained +100 'Fire of Civilization' points!

When this massive object was set up at the tribe's entrance, its vine bowstring as thick as a child's arm tightened, and a sharpened giant wooden bolt was loaded, all the primitives let out a thunderous cheer! They now possessed a powerful weapon to combat fierce beasts!

However, the good times didn't last. More than half of the assessment time had passed, and just as Lin Zhou's 'Fire of Civilization' points steadily rose to nearly 300 through continuous teaching and helping the tribe develop—placing him among the top ranks—a crisis finally descended.

Perhaps attracted by the vitality of this place and the commotion from the elves' healing and construction, a massive creature stepped out from the depths of the jungle with earth-shaking strides!

It was a LV 20 [Elite Mammoth], over five meters tall, covered in thick long fur, with tusks like giant scimitars! Its crimson eyes scanned the tribe, letting out a deafening roar, clearly viewing them as prey or provocateurs!

"It's... it's a giant beast!" The tribal chief was pale with fear. The projection armies of other students felt this terrifying aura and retreated one after another, suffering heavy losses; no one dared to face its edge.

"Prepare for battle!" Elwin commanded loudly, alarmed but not panicked. The elves quickly drew their bows and notched arrows, while the primitives nervously operated the sole ballista.

"Fire!"

Elwin gave the Order the moment the mammoth entered range!

Whiz—! The massive bolt left the string with a shrill whistle, plunging fiercely into the mammoth's shoulder blade!

Puchi! Blood splattered! The mammoth let out a roar of pain and rage. The bolt was deeply embedded in its thick hide and muscle, but it didn't cause a fatal wound; instead, it completely enraged the beast!

Lowering its head like a moving hill, it charged madly toward the tribe! It smashed through countless trees along the way, appearing unstoppable!

The elves' rain of arrows hit it like a mere itch! The stone spears thrown by the primitives were even more useless!

"Hold steady! Aim for its eyes! Again!" Elwin forced herself to stay calm, directing the primitives operating the ballista to reload.

But the mammoth was too fast! Just as the second bolt was loaded, it had already charged within a hundred meters! The massive pressure was suffocating!

At this critical moment, Lin Zhou's consciousness shifted slightly, consuming 100 units of faith to remotely empower this ballista attack!

"As steady as a forest, Immovable as a Mountain!" Elwin had a moment of clarity, shouting out the military essentials contained within the divine oracle to stabilize the army's morale.

The winch was turned to its limit with all their might! Swish—! The second bolt, carrying a faint shimmer of Faint Divinity, shot with even greater speed and a more precise angle toward the mammoth's mouth, which was wide open in rage!

Puff—! This time, it was a piercing wound! The bolt entered through the mouth and nearly exited through the back of the neck!

The mammoth's forward momentum came to a grinding halt. It let out half a shrill wail before its massive body collapsed like a falling mountain, kicking up a cloud of dust!

[System Prompt]: Successfully killed a LV 20 Elite Mammoth! Gained +200 'Fire of Civilization' points! Your followers have shown wisdom, courage, and cooperation in a desperate situation, earning a special evaluation! Your leadership and wisdom have been recognized by the Grotto-heaven rules!

Silence!

The entire tribe, and even the other candidates' projections observing in secret, fell into a deathly silence!

Then, a thunderous cheer erupted from the primitives who had survived the ordeal! They circled the mammoth's corpse and that magical ballista, leaping and shouting. The way they looked at the elves and Elwin was filled with incomparable fanaticism and faith!

[System Prompt]: The local tribe's faith level in you has increased to [Fanatic]! They can now provide special faith 'Wildfire' (effect pending analysis). Gained +100 'Fire of Civilization' points!

The extraction force of the exam's end arrived at the right time.

Lin Zhou's projection army, under the reluctant and almost pilgrimage-like gaze of the primitive tribe, turned into flowing light and dissipated... his consciousness returned to his domain.

Lin Zhou immediately checked his gains.

[Midterm Mock Exam Results]:

Final Points: 658 (Rank: 1/Yuncheng No. 1 High School, Overall Rank: TBD)

Evaluation: SSS (Breaking the deadlock through wisdom and enlightenment, creatively using knowledge beyond the era, gaining faith without shedding blood, and remaining calm in the face of danger to reverse a desperate situation)

Main Rewards:

Grotto-heaven Core Reward—[Toughness Totem] (Special Card/Rare-Blue)

[Dwarf Miner] race card clue (Issued to the domain log, requires specific conditions to trigger)

Large amount of Divinity Crystals (Faint) * 10 (Can be used to accelerate cultivation or as premium currency)

[Toughness Totem] (Special Card/Rare-Blue)

Effect: After fusion, all followers in the domain gain the permanent trait [Toughness Lv1].

[Toughness Lv1]: Constitution +1, resistance to physical impact and vibration-type damage +10%.

Fusion Requirements: None. Domain possesses a foundation of Order, perfect fusion possible.

"Good stuff!" Lin Zhou didn't hesitate, immediately fusing this totem card that emitted a blue light and was carved with abstract primitive patterns. A thick and solid wave of power swept through the entire domain. All the Literary Heart Elves felt their bodies become sturdier, and their tolerance for physical damage increased.

[Domain Interface Update]:

Core Followers: Literary Heart Elves - New permanent trait [Toughness Lv1].

Next, he checked that crucial clue.

[Domain Log]:

Record: Performed excellently in the [Stone Age Ruins] Grotto-heaven, gaining recognition from the 'Fire of Civilization,' triggering the hidden clue—[Lost Sound of the Forging Hammer].

Clue Description: Ancient records mention that on a certain floating meteorite in the Astral Turbulence Zone [Grey Rock Trail], a dull forging sound echoes, seemingly related to a lost dwarf clan. (Note: Preliminary mineral smelting technology and sufficient exploration power are required before attempting to pursue this.)

"Grey Rock Trail... dwarf clan..." Lin Zhou noted this key information. This would be his next major goal.

Finally, there were those ten [Divinity Crystals (Faint)]. Each one contained pure rule power; although the amount was small, for him at the demigod stage, they were undoubtedly treasures. He carefully stored them in the domain's core; they would be important sustenance when igniting the divine fire.

After this battle, Lin Zhou's domain foundation had advanced further. He looked at the elves and (future) dwarves in the domain who were cheering because of the rewards and starting to spontaneously research how to improve that ballista, a surge of pride and ambition in his heart.

With Confucianism as the foundation, Mohism emerging, and the School of Military budding... a corner of the grand blueprint of the Contention of a Hundred Schools had quietly unfolded.

And his gaze was already cast toward that Astral Realm named [Grey Rock Trail], toward that Lost Sound of the Forging Hammer.