307: Chapter 242: Transformation Successful, Divinity Advances to 300

In the isolated quiet room, time seemed to have lost its meaning; only the faint humming of energy flow remained, along with that divinity crystal slowly rotating and gradually transforming within the Fire of Civilization.

Lin Zhou sat cross-legged beside the anchored [Divinity Extraction Device], eyes slightly closed, his mind completely immersed in the subtle changes at the level of his Soul.

His perception penetrated through the Temple of Civilization, like the most precise probe, observing everything happening within the [Forbidden Divine Stone] container.

That wisp of flame from the Origin of the Temple of Civilization, seemingly weak, contained the supreme principles of civilization such as inclusion, Order, Legacy, and Enlightenment.

It did not burn violently; instead, like the most patient craftsman, using rules as a chisel and time and will as furnace fire, it was meticulously "sculpting" and "recasting" that [Divinity (Ancestral)].

Wrapped in the golden flame, the internal structure of the lavender crystal was clearly illuminated.

Lin Zhou "saw" that the core of the crystal was woven from countless fine, dark purple glowing rule threads.

Among these threads, most represented "resilience," "Legacy," "tribal bonds," and "primitive awe and utilization of nature"—these were relatively neutral or even positive rule fragments, flashing with relatively bright, stable purple light.

But intertwined among these bright threads were some "Impurities" threads, deeper in color, almost black-purple, constantly emitting an aura of chaos, ignorance, blood worship, and narrow-minded xenophobia.

These were the negative rule imprints derived from the "barbarism," "blood sacrifice," "survival of the fittest is the truth," and "those who are not of my race are all sacrifices" inherent in the Orc ancestors' Dao due to the harsh living environment and low level of civilization.

Although these Impurities threads occupied only a minority, they permeated the entire divinity like toxins, affecting the purity and bias of the whole divinity.

The goal of the Fire of Civilization was precisely these "Impurities."

The flames seemed to possess spirituality, splitting into countless golden fire threads thinner than a hair, precisely wrapping around those black-purple Impurities threads.

There was no intense confrontation, but rather a higher-level "dissolution" and "Fusion."

The principles of civilization contained within the golden fire threads—"rationality," "benevolence," "Order," and "inclusivity"—contacted the "barbaric," "ignorant," and "xenophobic" Impurities rules, much like sunlight hitting ice and snow; the latter quickly softened, decomposed, and the negative energy and chaotic thoughts contained within were burned and purified.

Meanwhile, the more basic "substances" (which can be understood as some kind of rule pheromones) that constituted the rules themselves were absorbed and analyzed by the Fire of Civilization, converted into pure, non-attributed rule nutrients, which in turn nourished the Fire of Civilization itself, and even slightly replenished the previously consumed civilization points (negligible).

The process of stripping away Impurities was slow and steady.

Each dissolution of an Impurities thread made the light of the lavender crystal purer, and the color gradually transitioned toward a brighter, more transparent purple-gold.

Those rule threads representing positive attributes like "resilience" and "Legacy," under the nurturing and combing of the Fire of Civilization, not only retained their original characteristics but seemed to be endowed with new meanings: "resilience" was no longer just the brute force to endure suffering, but also included the indomitable spirit to protect the seed of civilization and persist in beliefs; "Legacy" was no longer just the mechanical transmission of Bloodline and ancestor experience, but also included the accumulation of knowledge, the Enlightenment of thought, and the passing of the torch of civilization.

The entire transformation process lasted nearly ten hours.

When the last wisp of black-purple Impurities thread turned into blue smoke in the Fire of Civilization and completely dissipated, a silent, clear chime seemed to ring in the quiet room.

In the [Forbidden Divine Stone] container, the Fire of Civilization slowly converged and returned to the sanctuary deep within Lin Zhou's divinity.

Left in its place was a crystal of the same size, but now pure and bright purple-gold throughout, with countless tiny points of light swirling inside like stars, emitting an aura that was warm, profound, wise, resilient, and full of vitality and Order.

[Transformation Complete!]

[Obtained: Divinity (Civilization) 1 unit.]

[Transformation Consumption: 10,000 civilization points.]

[Current civilization points balance: 42,340.]

[Divinity (Civilization) Characteristics]:

Highly pure: No chaotic, evil, or narrow-minded bias.

Highly compatible: Perfectly compatible with the host Lin Zhou's Way of Civilization (centered on Hundred Schools of Thought, inclusive, rational Order, people-oriented, pursuing development and transcendence).

Rule tendency: Strengthens "Legacy" (knowledge, thought, skills), "Order" (stability, harmony, jurisprudence), "resilience" (indomitable will for civilization survival and development), "Enlightenment" (opening of wisdom and innovation) and other related fields.

Application directions:

Direct absorption: Increases divinity Rank and potential, slightly enhances the effects of existing divine office [Education] and [Law], and may trigger new insights.

Divine Art/Rule development: As a core Materials, assists in developing or strengthening divine arts, miracle buildings, and follower talents related to civilization.

Divine Artifact/Sacred Object casting: Can be used as a core to cast Divine Artifacts or sacred objects containing the principles of civilization.

Follower blessing: After dilution, can be used to bless core follower heroes, enhancing their potential and compatibility with Way of Civilization. (Risk: Requires strict control of dosage and compatibility of the blessing target.)

"It's done!" Lin Zhou opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them, the previous fatigue largely dispelled by an excitement welling up from the depths of his Soul.

He carefully picked up the container, feeling the intimate fluctuations coming from that purple-gold divinity crystal, which resonated perfectly with his own divine fire and Temple of Civilization.

This was the nourishment that truly belonged to him, capable of perfectly advancing his path!

Without much hesitation, he adjusted his breathing, bringing his state to its peak.

Guided by his Divine Thought, that purple-gold [Divinity (Civilization)] crystal slowly floated out of the container and hovered before his glabella.

The next moment, the phantom of the Temple of Civilization at the core of his divinity vibrated slightly, his divine fire flickered, producing a gentle yet firm suction force.

The purple-gold crystal turned into a stream of light and submerged into his glabella.

Boom—!

It was not an explosion, but a deeper, rule-level Fusion and sublimation!

Lin Zhou felt as if his Divine Soul had been plunged into a warm ocean formed by countless civilizations of wisdom and the long river of history.

A vast yet non-chaotic stream of information washed over his consciousness; it was the weight of civilization's Legacy, the hardship of establishing Order, the indomitable shouts of resilience, and the brilliance of wisdom sparks bursting forth...

This information was not forcibly instilled, but rather like memories already existing deep in his Bloodline being awakened, completed, and strengthened.

His divinity—the core crystal floating above the divine fire, carrying all his rule insights and Divine Power calculations—began to undergo visible changes!

The originally slightly hazy outline of the crystal became clear and sharp, and more complex and profound natural patterns appeared on its surface. Looking closely, those patterns vaguely formed simplified symbols of books, rulers, plows, swords and shields, scales, and other icons representing Hundred Schools of Thought and the fruits of civilization.

The volume of the crystal expanded slightly, and the intensity of the rule fluctuations it emitted jumped up a level!

[Absorbed Divinity (Civilization) 1 unit!]

[Divinity core rules completed and strengthened...]

[Divinity Rank upgrading... LV280 → LV285 → LV290...]

[Divine fire intensity increased synchronously, Divine Power conversion efficiency slightly increased...]

[Divine Power pool limit expanded... 40,000 → 45,000 → 50,000...]

[Divinity calculation and rule processing capabilities significantly enhanced...]

[Highly compatible divinity integration detected, triggering deep resonance...]

[Divinity Rank: LV295... LV298... LV300!]

[Promotion successful! Current divinity Rank: LV300 (Lesser Divinity · high-tier threshold)!]

[Divine Power pool limit solidified to: 60,000.]

[Divine Power natural recovery speed increased by 50% (original base recovery speed was about 0.5%/hour of Divine Power limit, now increased to 0.75%/hour).]

[Divinity potential assessment: Excellent (due to the uniqueness of Way of Civilization and multiple fortuitous encounters).]

The moment the Rank finally settled at LV300, a sense of power, clearer and stronger than at any previous time, flowed through Lin Zhou's entire body!

It was not just the surge in total Divine Power (from 40,000 to 60,000, an increase of 50%), but an all-around improvement brought about by the transformation of the essence of his divinity!

He felt his thinking speed was faster, his perception of rules was keener, the consumption when casting divine arts seemed to have decreased, and the flow of Divine Power was smoother and more majestic.

The feeling of weakness and overdraft was swept away, replaced by abundant power and firmer confidence in his own path.

This was not just an accumulation of quantity, but a leap in quality!

From LV299 to LV300, it seemed like only one level away, but it was a key step from "Lesser Divinity mid-tier" to "Lesser Divinity high-tier"!

It meant that his divine kingdom's rule-bearing capacity, his control over a wider range of belief, and his "weight" at the level of Universe rules had all been significantly improved.

In the eyes of many forces, a Lesser Divinity high-tier above LV300 could already be considered a backbone force, qualified to hold some important positions or guard a region.

However, the changes brought by the promotion were not over yet.

Just as his divinity stabilized at LV300 and the resonance between the Temple of Civilization, divine fire, and divinity reached a peak, a profound stream of information naturally emerged in the depths of his Soul, combined, took shape, and finally turned into a clear, new ability that he could understand and use.

[Comprehended Divine Art: Civilization Enlightenment]

Type: Auxiliary/Buff rule divine art.

Consumption: Depends on the number of targets, strength, potential, and depth of Enlightenment. Minimum consumption 100 Divine Power/unit (for shallow Enlightenment of ordinary intelligent creatures), maximum no limit (for deep wisdom infusion to hero units or specific targets).

Effects:

Wisdom enhancement: Temporarily (duration depends on consumption, usually ranging from a few minutes to several days) increases the target's intelligence and wisdom attributes, enhancing their logical thinking, comprehension, learning speed, and creativity. The magnitude of the increase is positively correlated with the target's basic potential, current state, and divine art consumption.

Comprehension acceleration: Significantly accelerates the target's speed of comprehending and mastering knowledge, skills, and rules (especially in fields related to civilization, Order, and creation).

Inspiration triggering: Has a low probability of causing the target to have a "flash of inspiration" during Enlightenment, breaking through a long-troubling Bottleneck or generating new, valuable ideas.

Order affinity: Slightly increases the target's affinity and acceptance of Order, rules, and civilization concepts.

Limitations:

Cannot forcibly increase wisdom beyond the target's Soul-bearing limit.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

The effect is greatly diminished on targets that are already set in their ways, have extremely rigid thinking, or are filled with strong hostility.

Excessive or frequent use may lead to the target developing dependency or mental fatigue.

It cannot directly grant knowledge; it can only enhance the ability to acquire and digest knowledge.

Casting Method: Can be single-target or group-based (range and consumption increase drastically). Usually performed through language, writing, light and shadow, or mental guidance.

“Civilization · Enlightenment...” Lin Zhou understood in his heart that this was exactly the manifestation of the rules of the concepts of “Enlightenment” and “Legacy” within Way of Civilization! It did not directly grant power, but rather opened up wisdom, ignited the sparks of thought, and accelerated the pace of growth. For spreading civilized thought, cultivating talent, and even accelerating the development of one's own followers and naturalized races, it possessed incalculable value!

He slowly exhaled a mouthful of turbid Qi, the divine light in his eyes restraining itself, but his entire aura became more settled and heavy, like a mountain that had accumulated endless knowledge and history. He checked his own status:

【Lin Zhou】

Godhead Rank: LV300 (Lesser Divinity · High-tier)

Divine Power: 3520/60000 (A portion was consumed during the absorption of divinity and the promotion process; it is naturally recovering at a rate of approximately 450 units/hour)

Divine Fire Status: Burning steadily, pale gold, with the Fire of Civilization brand clearly visible at the core.

divine office: 【Education (Faint)】, 【Law (Faint)】

Core Followers: Civilization Elves, Creation Dwarves, Tianxian Mermen (all within the Divine Kingdom).

Special Assets: Temple of Civilization (Bound), Divinity Extraction Device (Shared by the team), Naturalized Orc Camp (Grom Benevolence and 327 others).

civilization points: 42340.

Feeling the surging power within his body and his mastery of the new divine art, Lin Zhou's heart was filled with joy and anticipation. He did not stay in the quiet room any longer; he packed up the device (which was already turned off), settled the rental fee (deducting another few dozen merit points), and left the area.

When he returned to the team's public rest area, Zhao Hao and the others immediately gathered around. They all keenly sensed the change in Lin Zhou's aura—it was more unfathomable, and the fluctuations of the rules were more harmonious and stable.

“Breakthrough?” Zhao Hao's eyes lit up.

“LV300?” Wang Meng clicked his tongue as he felt the faint pressure.

Li Mo had already pulled out a testing instrument, though he was stopped by Lin Zhou with a smile.

Qin Qing nodded slightly: “Congratulations. The rules are more solid, and the light of Order is becoming purer.”

Lin Zhou nodded with a smile: “I was lucky enough to succeed; my godhead has been promoted to LV300. Additionally, I gained some insights and obtained a minor auxiliary divine art.” He did not elaborate on the specific effects of 【Civilization · Enlightenment】, only glossing over it vaguely. His teammates were tactful enough not to ask further; divine arts involved the secrets of one's personal path, and unless actively demonstrated or needed for cooperation, they generally wouldn't pry.

“Just right,” Lin Zhou remembered something, “I want to go to the naturalized orc camp to take a look and test the auxiliary effects of the new divine art. Do you all want to come along?”

The group naturally had no objections; they were all very interested in the current state of those “civilization-seekers.”

The group arrived once again at the settlement area on the edge of the base. In just less than two days, the appearance here had changed again. Over a dozen simple semi-subterranean houses had basically been completed; although crude, they were arranged neatly, forming the prototype of a village. The area of reclaimed land had doubled, and the newly sown 【Hard-Shell Spirit Wheat】 seeds were already sprouting spots of tender green shoots under the residual effects of the 【Fertile Soil Technique】 and the orcs' clumsy but meticulous care. The medical shed was still busy, but the queue was smaller, indicating that the initial treatments were quite effective.

Grom Benevolence was by the field ridge, gesturing and speaking to several dozen orcs to explain the key points of irrigation (fresh water drawn from the base was being diverted through crude channels). His teaching was still blunt, but it had become much more organized.

Seeing Lin Zhou and the others arrive, Grom immediately stopped his teaching and walked over quickly, respectfully placing his hand over his chest in a salute: “Lord, everyone.”

Lin Zhou nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the orcs who had stopped their work and were looking over with curiosity and awe. He could feel that the originally thick aura of chaos and violence on these orcs had faded significantly, replaced by a sort of unfamiliar exploration of a new life and a faint expectation. The “civilization Power Of Will” they provided was still weak, but it was more stable.

“Grom, how is the learning progress? Is everyone adapting?” Lin Zhou asked.

Grom answered honestly: “Reporting to the Lord, everyone... is working very hard. Building houses and reclaiming land, though tiring, makes everyone very happy when they see the results. Learning to plant and water... is slower; many people are clumsy and can't remember the steps. But no one is lazy.” He paused and added, “Baroque and a few others had complaints at first, but now they are working honestly too; they just learn the slowest.”

Lin Zhou followed his gaze and saw the orc with a scar on his face, Baroque, frowning at a crooked water channel, seemingly unsure of how to correct it.

“It's okay to be slow; the key is having the heart to learn,” Lin Zhou said. With a thought, he decided it was the perfect time to test the effect of 【Civilization · Enlightenment】. “Grom, pick a few who find learning the most difficult but have a fairly serious attitude, including Baroque, and call them over.”

Although Grom was puzzled, he immediately complied. Soon, five orcs including Baroque (all young and strong warriors, looking muscular but with somewhat bewildered eyes) were brought over, standing somewhat nervously before Lin Zhou.

Lin Zhou didn't say much. With a slight movement of his Divine Thought, he communicated with his godhead and locked onto these five orcs. He raised his hand, and a layer of pale gold, soft, and wisdom-filled halo swirled around his fingertips.

“Relax your minds and feel carefully.” Lin Zhou's voice seemed to carry a peculiar rhythm, echoing directly in the hearts of the five orcs, as well as Grom and the other nearby orcs.

The next moment, he flicked his finger, and five rice-grain-sized pale gold halos flew out, precisely sinking into the brows of the five orcs.

【Divine Art: Civilization · Enlightenment (Shallow · Group) Activated!】

Targets: Five orcs (LV18-LV22, Intelligence/Wisdom attributes generally below 15).

Consumption: Approximately 800 Divine Power (average of 160 per person).

Estimated Effect Duration: Approximately 30 minutes.

Estimated Increase: Temporary boost to Intelligence/Wisdom attributes by about 5-8 points (relative to their base), significantly accelerating information reception, understanding, and memory capacity.

The five orcs shuddered, their eyes showing a brief moment of blankness. Then, a strange change occurred within them. Their eyes, which were originally somewhat cloudy or filled with irritability, instantly became much clearer! The confusion and impatience on their faces quickly faded, replaced by a light of focus and thought.

Baroque suddenly lowered his head, looking at the crooked channel at his feet, then looked up at the main channel Grom had demonstrated earlier. His brow furrowed at first, then slowly smoothed out as he muttered to himself: “Here... dig a bit deeper... the soil there needs to be patted firm... otherwise the water will leak... the flow should be this way...” He suddenly crouched down and began gesturing with his hands; although his movements were still clumsy, they clearly had a method to them.

Another orc warrior, who previously couldn't remember the spacing and depth for sowing, was now staring at the field ridges, his fingers unconsciously pointing in the air: “One step... two seeds... depth... one knuckle... too shallow and the birds will eat them... too deep and the sprouts won't come out...” He actually began to repeat the key points the elf “teacher” had explained earlier, and his phrasing was much clearer!

The other three orcs also showed similar changes; some began to carefully observe how the wooden beams of the houses were joined, while others developed a keener discernment for the scent of the herbs in the medical shed...

Grom watched this scene in shock. As a newly awakened Civilization Hero, his perception of this “opening of wisdom” change was even more acute. “Lord... this... this is?”

“A small trick to help them learn better.” Lin Zhou smiled slightly, feeling the consumption of Divine Power and the effect of the divine art. The result was even better than he had expected. These orcs had low base wisdom, so an increase of 5-8 points brought about a transformative change. Although it was only a temporary effect, this 30-minute “high-efficiency learning” experience was enough for them to remember many key points and establish initial “learning” confidence and methods. More importantly, this miraculous experience of “sudden realization” would further deepen their yearning for the mysteries and benefits of Way of Civilization.

He looked at Grom: “This effect will only last for about half an hour. While it lasts, take the things you find hardest to teach and the most core concepts, and hurry to teach them one more time. Afterward, they might learn much faster than before.”

Grom snapped out of his daze and immediately lifted his spirits. He gathered the five orcs to the side and began to re-explain the core skill points of irrigation, sowing, and house reinforcement with a faster speaking rate and clearer logic. This time, the five orcs listened exceptionally carefully, their questions hit the mark, and their learning efficiency soared visibly! Grom roughly estimated that what they mastered in this half-hour might be more and more solid than what they had learned in the previous two or three days!

“This... this level of increase...” Li Mo was nearby quickly recording data, his eyes shining, “Based on behavioral observation and energy fluctuation back-calculation, their information processing speed, comprehension, and short-term memory... have increased by at least 200% to 350%! And this is only a shallow effect! If applied to hero units or for deep Enlightenment...”

Zhao Hao and Wang Meng also watched in amazement. Qin Qing was lost in thought: “Opening wisdom, accelerating Legacy... this divine art is of incalculable value for Enlightenment and the construction of Order.”

Lin Zhou felt the clearly growing “civilization Power Of Will” in the orc camp because of this small “miracle,” as well as the increasingly firm light of faith in Grom Benevolence's eyes, and he understood in his heart.

Godhead promoted, new art established. The spread of civilization required not only showing beauty but also practically helping followers grow. And 【Civilization · Enlightenment】 was exactly such a key, capable of accelerating this process, allowing the seeds of civilization to take root and sprout in a shorter time.

The successful transformation was not just an increase in power, but also the broadening and practice of the path. Lesser Divinity high-tier was just a new starting point.