303: Chapter 238: A Desperate Counterattack, the River of Civilization Charges Through the Enemy Lines

In front of Watchtower No. 7, the silence lasted only three short seconds.

Lin Zhou knelt on one knee, panting heavily. The Ancestral Essence he held in his hand emitted a pure and gentle purple light, a stark contrast to his ashen face. His Divine Power pool was almost dry, with a meager balance of only 873/40000. His Divine Flame appeared somewhat dim due to excessive consumption, and a weak, stinging pain emanated from the core of his divinity. Forcibly activating and maintaining the Yin and Yang Five Elements Demon Refining Array for nearly half an hour, especially by integrating the precious Origin of the Fire of Civilization into it as a 'furnace fire,' had almost drained the foundation he had just established upon advancing to intermediate Lesser Divinity. The burden on his Soul was even heavier, as if he had continuously performed high-intensity Divine Spell deductions for three days and three nights.

However, his deep black eyes shone astonishingly bright. The warm and vast Soul energy fluctuations from the Ancestral Essence in his fingertips, and the slight joyful resonance from the Temple of Civilization, which had successfully purified, refined, and 'harvested' a high-quality Rule Crystal, all told him one thing—he had won the gamble!

"Lin Zhou!" Zhao Hao's anxious voice came through the communication. His Red Dragon had just forced back Chief Mogrosh, who was temporarily dazed by the backlash, and was now circling back to defend. "How are you?!"

"Still... not dead yet." Lin Zhou gritted his teeth, attempting to stand, but staggered. Elena's Literary Heart Elves scholars immediately directed more of the Radiant Virtue Domain's energy towards him. Gentle life and Order power slowly permeated his depleted Meridians and Soul, bringing a touch of warmth. But this recovery speed was a drop in the ocean compared to his massive Divine Power pool and severe consumption.

Inside the tower, the surviving defenders erupted in suppressed cheers, but were immediately overwhelmed by a greater sense of crisis. Because, on the front battlefield, the Orc army did not immediately collapse due to the annihilation of the Ancestral Souls and the chief's injuries. After a brief chaos, under the roars of the remaining shamans and supervisory officers, the dense tide of Orcs began to surge again, heading straight for Watchtower No. 7, which was clearly at the end of its strength! They could see that the terrifying Human Race deity was extremely weak at this moment!

Even more fatal was that in the center of the distant Orc camp, although Skullcrusher Mogrosh's Aura was weak, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and the Ancestral Staff in his hand glowed dimly, his blood-red eyes, filled with venomous hatred and rage, were firmly locked onto Lin Zhou on the tower! The severe blow to a Demigod-Rank powerhouse's dignity did not lead to retreat, but to an even more insane desire for revenge!

"Human Race... insect... how dare you... destroy my Sacred Soul... harm my Origin..." Mogrosh's hoarse voice, like metal grinding, resonated across the entire battlefield through Divine Power vibrations, filled with endless hatred. "I will extract your Soul and burn it on the Ancestral Fire for ten thousand years! Your dependents will become the lowest slaves of my race, never to reincarnate!"

He suddenly raised his staff. Although its light was not as brilliant as before, it still erupted with terrifying blood-red light. "All troops! Charge! Flatten that tower! Tear apart every living thing inside! For the glory of the tribe! For the vengeance of the ancestors!"

"WAAAGH!!!"

The Orc army let out an earth-shattering war cry, re-ignited by the chief's madness and the fury of revenge! The morale that had been somewhat shaken by the purification of the Ancestral Souls was forcibly reversed, becoming even more berserk and reckless! Hundreds of remaining shamans simultaneously waved their totems, injecting their last magic power into the army formation, bestowing Bloodlust (Attack Speed +25%, Pain Sensation -50%) and Stone Skin (Physical Defense +20%) upon the charging Orc soldiers!

The ground trembled! A torrent of steel, fangs, and roars, carrying an Aura that sought to destroy everything, swept towards the tottering tower defense line! The remaining, wounded defenders inside the tower, along with Lin Zhou's nearly exhausted Divine Power, simply could not withstand such a full-force, frenzied charge again!

Despair, once again, like an icy tide, tried to engulf everyone's hearts.

Wang Meng struggled to prop himself up with his great axe. The Behemoth Warriors supported each other, raising their broken shields and weapons again, their eyes resolute. Zhao Hao's Red Dragon let out a mournful Dragon roar, preparing for a final dive. Li Mo's fingers paused on the control panel, all defensive facility energy reserves marked red. Siren's Law Murloc Inquisitors gripped their Law books and chains, their eyes solemn, ready to fulfill their final judgment duties. Elena and the Literary Heart Elves chanted classics in unison, their Vast Righteous Qi, though weak, remained unyielding.

Everyone's gaze once again converged on Lin Zhou. He was the leader, the core, the one who created miracles. This time, could he still create a miracle?

Lin Zhou felt the empty Divine Power pool within him, the weakness emanating from his Divine Flame, and the fatigue in his Soul. Conventional methods were indeed exhausted. A head-on fight? A dead end. Escape? Not to mention whether he could escape the pursuit of the Beast God, the comrades behind him who needed protection, this strategic stronghold, and the Orc captives who had begun to submit... none could be abandoned.

In this desperate situation, he became completely calm. His thoughts were as clear as an ice mirror, reflecting everything.

Power exhausted?

No, there was still a kind of power that had never been truly fully activated.

It was not pure Divine Power, nor was it direct physical or Spell attacks.

It was the foundation upon which he had Transmigrated, survived, developed, and risen—Civilization!

It was the Principle of Civilization, branded deep within his Divine Soul, gathered from the Hundred Schools of Thought, crystallized from the wisdom of countless ancient sages, and carried by the beliefs of hundreds of millions of Human Race!

It was that river of civilization, which had just absorbed the lost seed of civilization and was beginning to materialize from the ethereal, containing infinite possibilities!

Physical attacks can destroy the body, Spells can annihilate energy, but thought... thought can dismantle will, reshape cognition, and... conquer the mind!

Why do Orcs fight? For the glory of the tribe? For the chief's command? For plunder and survival? What is their culture? It is barbarism, conquest, survival of the fittest, blood sacrifice, and ancestor worship.

Then, use the light of civilization—a higher-level, more inclusive, more Advanced, and more 'beautiful' light—to wash over them! To illuminate the 'backwardness' and 'limitations' of their own culture! To provoke the deepest doubts and thoughts within them!

When warriors begin to question 'why they fight,' when shamans begin to doubt 'whether the Ancestral Dao is the only one,' when the entire group begins to yearn for a 'better life' instead of mere slaughter and plunder... their morale, their Battle Intent, their cohesion, will collapse without a fight!

This is not an attack, it is a baptism!

Not destruction, but enlightenment!

In the name of Civilization!

"Betting everything... one last struggle!" A nearly insane glint flashed in Lin Zhou's eyes. He no longer tried to recover his pitiful Divine Power, but poured all his mind, will, and even the deep connections with his Divine Kingdom, his believers, and the Temple of Civilization, into the flowing phantom of the long river deep within his divinity and above the Temple of Civilization!

Communicate with the Temple of Civilization!

"Sanctuary! Help me! Burn the reserve civilization points! At all costs! Manifest the long river!"

Communicate with the Divine Kingdom core!

"All dependents in the Divine Kingdom! Whether Literary Heart Elves, Tiangong Dwarves, Law Fishmen! And the newly submitted Orc Grom! Stop everything you are doing, and pray to me! Gather all your positive beliefs—your understanding of civilization, your hopes for the future, your recognition of Order, your yearning for a better life—all of it! I don't want Power Of Faith; I want... Civilization Power Of Will!"

Communicate with his own Divine Soul Origin!

"Sages of the Hundred Schools! If your spirits are in heaven, if your true spirits still exist within the Sanctuary! Please lend me a hand! Let me spread your Dao, your light, to this world!"

In an instant!

Lin Zhou's Divine Soul seemed to detach from his body, rising infinitely, resonating with a vast, boundless, great river in the ethereal, carrying time and wisdom, surging with countless waves of civilization!

The Temple of Civilization vibrated violently. The reserve civilization points poured out like a flood through an open sluice gate, the numbers frantically decreasing: 152340 → 142340 → 132340... For every ten thousand points reduced, the phantom of the long river solidified by one degree!

Within the Divine Kingdom, across fifty square kilometers of land, all dependents, no matter what they were doing, felt it in their hearts, stopped their actions, and prayed devoutly towards Lin Zhou's direction. The Literary Heart Elves recited 'the analects' and 'Mencius,' the Tiangong Dwarves caressed the core of their mechanisms, whispering 'Universal Love and Non-Aggression,' the Law Fishmen silently recited legal statutes, and even the newly submitted Orc Grom 'Benevolent Heart,' along with three hundred Orc captives, clumsily learned farming postures, picturing the first time they were well-fed, warmly clothed, and free from discrimination... Threads of unseen, intangible Power Of Will, imbued with the yearning for a 'better civilization,' converged across the Void Realm!

Deep within the Temple of Civilization, the true spirits of the nurtured heroes (including Elwin, who had just entered), and the names of the Hundred Schools of Sages engraved on the Sanctuary's steles, simultaneously bloomed with faint light. Phantoms filled with wisdom, benevolence, Order, courage, and other brilliant qualities vaguely appeared, casting their gaze, empowering this long river that was about to manifest!

"In my name, with the Fire of Civilization as the guide, with the Hundred Schools of Thought as the source, with the Power Of Will of all beings as the foundation..."

Lin Zhou's voice no longer came from his throat, but echoed in the heart of every living being like a declaration of rules, whether it was the Human Race defenders, the charging Orcs, or the heavily wounded Chief Mogrosh!

"Manifest—"

"river of civilization!"

"Boom————!!!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no dazzling bright light. But above Watchtower No. 7, the Void Realm of the entire battlefield seemed to be torn open by an invisible giant hand!

A colossal phantom of a river, several miles wide, seemingly endless in length, existing between reality and illusion, flowing with an indescribable color and glow, appeared out of nowhere!

It was not actual river water, but rather a materialized torrent of history, knowledge, thought, art, technology, institutions, morality... all the fruits of civilization! Within the river, countless light and shadow flickered: there were knot-tying records, oracle bone inscriptions, bronze cauldrons, the contention of the Hundred Schools, the Jixia Academy, the Great Wall, Tang poetry and Song lyrics, plows and spinning wheels, medical books and pharmacopoeias, legal statutes, intricate mechanisms... They were not static, but flowing, evolving, endlessly vibrant!

The phantom of the river of civilization emanated an Aura of grandeur, inclusiveness, profoundness, wisdom, and endless vitality. It carried no direct aggression, yet it exuded a supreme civilization Rank suppression! As if before it, all barbaric, ignorant, chaotic, and narrow cultures and ideologies seemed so... primitive and laughable.

【Miracle/Rule Manifestation: river of civilization (Semi-Substantial Projection)】

Manifestor/Controller: Lin Zhou (Burning civilization points, gathering the Power Of Will of the Divine Kingdom's dependents, and invoking the blessings of the Temple of Civilization's ancient sages' will).

Essence: Lin Zhou's embodiment of the Huaxia Civilization (with the Hundred Schools of Thought as its core) rules and spirit, a phased, materialized projection in the external world, existing between illusion and reality, not a complete entity.

Core Effects:

Civilization Rank Suppression: Naturally suppresses targets whose civilization level is lower than the manifesting civilization (judged comprehensively based on cultural complexity, moral standards, technological level, institutional completeness, etc.) on both spiritual and rule levels. The suppression effect depends on the target's civilization Rank difference and individual will strength.

Civilization Information Flush/Baptism: As the phantom of the river of civilization flows, it transmits massive, filtered positive civilization information (daily life scenes, technological achievements, artistic treasures, ideological essence, institutional advantages, etc.) to all intelligent life forms within its coverage, prompting them to compare, reflect, and yearn for this civilization.

Chaos Dispersion/Order Blessing: Within the river's coverage, negative rules and mental states such as chaos, evil, and madness will be continuously purified or weakened, while positive states such as Order, rationality, and kindness will receive implicit blessings.

Fire of Civilization Resonance: Can resonate deeply with Lin Zhou's Fire of Civilization, greatly enhancing the power and range of Fire of Civilization-related abilities, and providing Lin Zhou with temporary rule vision and information processing capabilities.

Consumption: Instantly burns a large number of civilization points upon manifestation (100,000 points in this chapter), and continuously consumes Lin Zhou's Divine Soul power and the Power Of Will gathered by the Divine Kingdom's dependents during maintenance, making it unsustainable for long periods.

Current Coverage: Centered on Watchtower No. 7, with a radius of approximately five kilometers (encompassing most of the main Orc army formation charging head-on).

When this indescribably magnificent phantom of the river of civilization spanned the battlefield, time seemed to freeze for an instant.

Immediately after, the river began to “flow”! Not a physical movement of water, but the countless civilization light and shadows contained within it, like a waterfall, “pouring” down upon the Orc army below! That was not an attack, but a direct infusion of information torrents and scene mapping!

The Orc Berserkers charging at the very front had their blood-red eyes filled with countless light and shadows:

They “saw” Tiangong Dwarves in orderly workshops, forging weapons and tools ten times more refined than the crude iron axes in their hands with precise mechanisms;

They “saw” Literary Heart Elves playing zithers and reading in elegant academies, exuding a tranquility and wisdom that made them feel ashamed of their own inferiority;

They “saw” Law Fishmen judging cases in fair courts, where the weak could be protected and the strong could not act recklessly;

They “saw” vast farmlands yielding bountiful harvests under School of Agriculture Spells, where elders and children could eat their fill and dress warmly, their faces beaming with satisfied smiles they had never witnessed before;

They “saw” clean and tidy hospitals where the injured received timely treatment, instead of being left to fate or abandoned outright as in their tribes;

They even “saw” the naturalized Orc Grom, learning to farm with a smile, living in harmony with other races, no longer needing to plunder and fight just to survive...

At the same time, a grand interrogation stemming from the disparity in civilization Ranks directly impacted their hearts:

“What do you fight for? Only for slaughter and plunder?”

“Your axe, besides destruction, has it ever created anything?”

“Your tribe, besides battle and death, has it ever given you peace and happiness?”

“The Way of your ancestors you believe in, besides demanding your blood and life, has it ever truly led your people to prosperity?”

“Look at the scenes in this river of civilization... isn't that... a better way to live?”

“Roar...?” A leading Orc warrior suddenly halted, his battle axe unconsciously lowering a few inches. A rare look of bewilderment appeared on his ferocious face. The Orcs behind him were successively affected, their charging momentum visibly slowing and becoming chaotic.

The Shamans who were casting Spells were even more affected! Their “channel” of communication with ancestors and nature spirits was forcibly interfered with by a grander, more complete, and more... “correct” “Order rule”! What they “heard” was no longer the vague roars of ancestors or the chaotic whispers of nature spirits, but the clear, rational, and harmonious “Dao sound” transmitted from the river of civilization! The totem light they “saw” appeared so... primitive and crude under the illumination of the river of civilization! A profound doubt and cognitive collapse began to grow in their hearts.

“No... this isn't real! This is an illusion! It's evil Human Race Spell!” Some Shamans clutched their heads and screamed, trying to resist, but the infused information was so real, so detailed, so... attractive! What they had believed in and studied their entire lives seemed to turn into a child's scribble before this river of civilization!

The entire Orc army formation, as if a pause button had been pressed, or like water droplets thrown into a boiling oil pot, violently churned and became chaotic! The charge stopped, the formation scattered, and the soldiers looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion, struggle, and... a hint of unspeakable longing. The WAAAGH!!! war cry died down, replaced by whispers and heavy breathing.

“What... what is this thing?!” Chief Mogrosh Skullcrusher was utterly terrified! As a demigod, his Soul strength was extremely high, so he was relatively less affected, but he could clearly feel that the spiritual link between him and his legion, maintained by savage glory and ancestral faith, was being rapidly eroded and disintegrated by the “principles” contained within this strange river of civilization! What was even more terrifying was that his own Shaman Dao, cultivated based on blood sacrifice and ancestor worship, had its Dao Heart subtly shaken under the illumination of this river of civilization's light! As if voices were questioning whether his path was correct and sustainable!

“No! Don't look! Don't listen! Those are the whispers of demons! Poison that corrupts your Souls!” Mogrosh roared furiously, trying to awaken his subordinates' Battle Intent with a Divine Power roar, “Charge! Kill them all! Warriors of the Horde, only believe in the weapons in your hands and the glory of your ancestors!”

However, his voice seemed so pale and powerless before the vast phantom of the river of civilization. Some Orcs were forcibly pulled back by his frantic will, raising their weapons again, but their eyes no longer held the pure, fanatical Battle Intent they had before, replaced by hesitation. More Orcs fell into deeper confusion, and some even... began to slowly retreat.

“Now!” Lin Zhou suppressed the dizzying sensation of his Soul being almost completely drained, injecting the last bit of guiding power into the phantom of the river of civilization, and fully activating his own weak Fire of Civilization to resonate with the river of civilization!

The flow of the river of civilization became more “surging,” and the scenes emerging within it became clearer, more aligned with “life” and “development,” while reducing direct “combat” and “conquest” scenes. A gentle but firm sense of calling permeated the air.

Finally—

“Clang!”

A young Orc warrior was the first to drop his blood-stained battle axe. He looked at the peaceful and idyllic scenes in the river of civilization, then at the pained faces of his injured companions, and recalled the perpetually scarce food and ever-present death in his tribe. The immense psychological disparity caused him to break down. He knelt on the ground, and in broken Human Race language (perhaps heard from captives before), he screamed towards the tower, “Civilization... Dao... can... can eat? Not... not kill?”

After the first, there was a second, a third...

“Clang!” “Clang!”

More and more Orcs dropped their weapons and knelt. They might not understand many principles, but they intuitively felt the vast difference between two “ways of life.” One, as shown by the river of civilization (even if only fragments), was filled with Order, creation, sustenance, and dignity; the other, which they were experiencing, contained only bloodshed, plunder, scarcity, and constant insecurity. When the most basic desire for survival was ignited by the higher-level vision of a “better life,” doubt and abandonment of the current barbaric path became inevitable.

Not just ordinary soldiers, but even some low-Rank Shamans slumped to the ground, staring blankly at the river of civilization, mumbling, “Ancestors... the path we... we have been walking... is it right? If we could also... build, farm, heal...”

The Orcs' morale completely collapsed. It wasn't crushed by force, but disintegrated ideologically by a higher form of civilization. The army lost its will to fight, turning into a confused, doubtful, and even longing mob for the “enemy's” way of life.

“You... you traitors! Cowards!” Chief Mogrosh trembled with rage at the sight before him, spitting out another mouthful of blood. He knew the tide had turned. Not only because the army had lost its Battle Intent, but also because his own Dao Heart had been impacted, his injuries worsened, and his strength was less than one-tenth of what it was. If he stayed any longer, once that Human Race deity recovered or Human Race reinforcements arrived, he might not be able to leave.

Gazing venomously at the tower, as if to engrave Lin Zhou's appearance deep into his Soul, Mogrosh let out a low growl. Wrapped in a bloody light and his remaining Divine Power, he abruptly fled towards the Orc camp in the rear! He escaped!

With the Chief's escape, the already collapsed Orc army completely lost its backbone. Aside from a few die-hard Berserkers still shouting, most Orcs either knelt in surrender or abandoned their armor and fled in all directions.

In front of Watchtower No. 7, the crisis was averted.

Lin Zhou could no longer hold on. His vision went dark, and he fell backward. The [Ancestral Essence] in his hand rolled to the side. In the last moment before his consciousness plunged into darkness, he saw Zhao Hao, Wang Meng, and others rushing towards him with a mix of surprise and worry, and the slowly dissipating phantom of the river of civilization, which seemed to leave an eternal mark in the sky.

Civilization Baptism, subduing the enemy without battle. The power of ideology, initially revealing its prominence.