337: Chapter 272: Angels in Confusion, Faith Shaking, Front Collapses

The golden pattern of the character 'Benevolence' was like a pebble thrown into the calm lake of Holy Light; the ripples it stirred spread and amplified rapidly, eventually evolving into a terrifying tidal wave that shook the very Foundation of the Angel Legion's faith.

For those Angel Warriors whose foreheads or wing edges manifested the pale gold 'Benevolence' patterns (primarily concentrated among the Angel Warriors and some Cherub Priests, mostly between Level 42 and 46), their initial feeling was not the thrill of betrayal, but a bone-deep confusion and cognitive dissonance.

From their infancy—or rather, from the day they were molded by the Divine Rule—the teachings they received and the creeds engraved in the depths of their Souls were 'The Divine is One, all heretics are evil.' The meaning of their existence was to serve the Divine, spread the Holy Light, and purify heresy. This was the absolute cornerstone that constituted their faith and power.

However, at this moment, on this battlefield covered by Divine Rule, another set of rules—completely different yet equally containing powerful Order and moral force—Domain of Rites and Laws—actually recognized them! It did not recognize their 'divinity,' but rather the parts of their behavior that aligned with 'humanity and righteousness,' 'steadfastness,' and 'altruism.' Based on this, it defined them as 'Benevolent,' and even faintly bestowed upon them the potential title of 'Saint'!

It was as if a splash of another color had been forcibly mixed into a beam of absolutely flawless white light, and they were told: this color is equally beautiful, and by certain standards, equally 'pure white'!

"I fight for the Divine, I perform divine deeds, my existence is a part of the divine brilliance... but this 'Benevolence'... where does it come from? Why can it leave a mark upon me?" A Level 45 Angel Warrior, whose 'Benevolence' pattern was clearest on his forehead, felt his Holy Light longsword tremble slightly. He looked blankly at his hands, which still glowed but were no longer 'pure,' then at his comrades around him who also bore the patterns and looks of confusion, and finally toward His Highness Michael, who sat high upon his throne, his Holy Light burning with rage.

"Your Highness... are we... are we still the one and only, supreme Divine?" another Cherub Priest murmured softly. Pale threads of light from the 'Benevolence' character were entwined around the edge of her holy halo. This caused her syllables to falter with an imperceptible stiffness when she chanted the Holy Hymn, and the flow of Holy Light was no longer perfectly smooth.

Such doubts spread like a plague among the angels marked by the golden 'Benevolence' patterns. They did not immediately defect, but cracks appeared in their absolute faith in the 'One Divine.' These cracks manifested directly in their combat:

Hesitant Attacks: Facing the charging Behemoth Giant Beasts or Law Fishmen, the Holy Light slashes they swung were no longer so decisive and sharp, with their power dropping by an average of 15%-20%.

Diffused Defense: The condensation speed of their Holy Light shields slowed, their strength weakened by about 10%, and their resistance to non-divine damage also saw a slight decline.

Disrupted Coordination: The angel battle formation, originally as precise as clockwork, developed subtle disconnects and loopholes due to these 'nodes of doubt.' The charge of the Seraph Vanguards and the shield wall of the Angel Warriors were no longer seamless, and the coverage of the Cherub Priests' buffing divine arts developed blind spots.

Weakened Faith Feedback: Their response to Michael's Divine Power slowed, and the efficiency and purity of the Power Of Faith they provided dropped.

"Bastards! That is the sorcery of a false god! It is a delusion! A profanation!" Michael was both shocked and enraged. He could clearly feel that his control over this portion of the angels was rapidly slipping away! Even more terrifying was that those golden 'Benevolence' patterns were like maggots on a bone; they were not only absorbing and converting divine energy to sustain themselves, but the rule information they contained—'whosoever is benevolent may be called a saint'—was constantly impacting and dismantling the angels' perception of the 'One Divine.' He frantically mobilized his Divine Power, attempting to use even stronger Holy Light to directly 'burn' away those golden patterns and forcibly stabilize the angels' faith.

Divine Purification · Seraph's Wrath!

Surging Holy Light, like a volcanic eruption, poured out from Michael's Divine Throne, turning into a pure torrent of light that swept toward the anomalous angels. Wherever the golden light passed, the 'Benevolence' patterns flickered violently, distorted, and began to dim. The confusion in the eyes of some angels was forcibly dispelled, replaced once again by resolute Holy Light.

However, this forced purification consumed an enormous amount of energy and treated only the symptoms, not the cause. The golden patterns were only temporarily suppressed; the 'seeds of doubt' rooted in the angels' cognition had not been uprooted. More importantly, how could Lin Zhou give him the chance to leisurely 'put out the fire'?

"The enemy is in chaos; the opportunity has arrived!" Though Lin Zhou's face was pale and his Divine Power nearly exhausted, his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's as he seized this fleeting flaw. "Ai Wen, Ao Qin, maintain Domain of Rites and Laws and continue applying influence! Wang Meng, Zhou Yan, Qin Qing, Su Yueyao, hear my command—all forces attack! Target: the areas of shaken faith, strike straight at the core!"

The Star Sea Allied Forces, having long been building momentum, erupted like a long-suppressed volcano!

Wang Meng led the Behemoth elite squad (though few in number, all were fierce warriors). Amidst the roar of a Level 48 Behemoth Chieftain, they activated 'Fierce as Fire,' turning into several streaks of grey lightning that tore through the air, slamming hard into the area where the Angel Warrior formation was most chaotic and the golden patterns flickered most densely! The Behemoths' claws and fangs, pitted against Holy Light shields and blades greatly weakened by shaken faith, achieved overwhelming results! Claws easily tore through the dimmed shields, and fangs crushed the hesitant Holy Light swords as their savage strength threw the formation into complete disarray!

Zhou Yan's Lava Titan Legion advanced steadily like moving mountains, crushing in from the flank. The heavy footsteps of the Titans shook the earth, and their massive lava fists, carrying heat and destruction, sent several Angel Warriors flying or shattered temporary Holy Light barriers with every strike. They did not seek speed, only absolute destruction and advancement, clearing obstacles for the Behemoth assault and the following troops.

Qin Qing's Judgment Angel Legion played an unexpected role at this moment. Although they did not share the same origin as Michael's angels, they both belonged to the side of Order, and Qin Qing's Judgment of Law focused more on 'convicting behavior' than 'judging faith.' Her angels deployed the Net of Law, specifically 'defining' the angel units affected by the golden 'Benevolence' patterns whose attack and defense showed flaws as 'Order Disruptors' or 'Battlefield Negligents,' applying additional rule suppression and judgment damage. Meanwhile, her Holy Light Binding Chains precisely entangled the elite angel units attempting to reorganize the formation or responding actively to Michael's purification power, creating opportunities for the frontal assault troops.

Su Yueyao's Moon Palace Kin did not participate in a large-scale direct battle, but she personally channeled pure Moonlight Divine Power through a special link, continuously pouring it into Lin Zhou to help him stabilize his Divine Kingdom and sustain the consumption of Domain of Rites and Laws. Simultaneously, she used the cool moonlight to purify the frenzied aura on the battlefield, soothing the emotions of their own kin while keenly sensing the weakest links in the enemy's faith network, relaying them to Lin Zhou in real-time as tactical references. Her presence was like a cool, bright moon illuminating the chaotic battlefield, providing crucial support for Lin Zhou's command.

Lin Zhou himself sat at the center. Although the river of civilization was slightly dimmed due to the massive consumption, the Confucian and Legalist branches within it still surged, continuously providing ideological empowerment and rule backing for Domain of Rites and Laws and the kin fighting on the front lines. Like a master chess player, he moved every piece, rapidly converting local advantages into a total victory.

Faced with this multi-angled, multi-layered, and precision-targeted onslaught, Michael's Angel Legion fell into an unprecedented predicament. One portion of the angels had their combat power greatly reduced and their formation thrown into chaos due to shaken faith; another portion, unaffected by the golden patterns, fell into the passive state of fighting individual battles due to the anomalies of their comrades and the collapse of the formation. Michael himself was exhausted, needing to maintain the Divine Rule against Domain of Rites and Laws while also being distracted by purifying the internal Ranks and directing the deployment, with his Divine Power and mental energy draining like water.

The defeat was like an avalanche; once it began, it was difficult to stop.

The Angel Warriors' defensive line was torn open with several massive gaps by the combined efforts of the Behemoths and Titans.

The charges of the Seraph Vanguards were repeatedly interrupted by the Net of Law and Holy Light bindings, making it impossible to form an effective counterattack.

The chanting of the Cherub Priests was drowned out by the roars, screams, and whispers of doubt on the battlefield, causing the effects of their divine arts to be greatly discounted.

Though the two Archangels were brave, repelling several raids targeted at Michael's throne, they could not reverse the overall decline.

Forty-five minutes later, another core of Michael's Divine Kingdom—the Holy Light Source (which provided continuous energy replenishment for the Angel Legion)—was destroyed by a 'Leyline Shock' from Zhou Yan's Lava Titan Lord. Deprived of a stable energy supply, the combat effectiveness of the front-line Angel Legion declined further, and the momentum of the rout became irreversible.

Michael's face was ashen, his eyes burning with the fires of humiliation, but he knew that continuing would only lead to even more tragic losses and might even shake the Foundation of his Divine Kingdom. He stared hard at Lin Zhou's Divine Kingdom in the distance, as if to brand the figure who had brought him three consecutive defeats into the depths of his Soul. Then, with extreme reluctance and almost through gritted teeth, he spat out two words:

"I concede."

"The third match is over! The winner: Xinghai University, 'Civilization' (Lin Zhou)! Total score 3:1! Xinghai University wins the Junior Division Championship of this year's Galactic Elite Academy Exchange Competition!" The System's judgment echoed through the arena, bringing this dramatic and brilliant final to a close.

Inside and outside the Pantheon Arena, there was first a moment of silence, followed by an explosion of sound far more intense and complex than any before! Cheers, gasps, doubts, and incredulous discussions intertwined. Xinghai University, a team not generally favored before the match, had actually defeated the powerful Galactic Royal Academy to seize the championship!

The Xinghai University platform was instantly submerged in wild joy. Wang Meng roared excitedly toward the sky, Zhou Yan laughed honestly, and Qin Qing's tightly clenched fists finally relaxed, a smile of relief appearing on her cool face. Vice Dean Wang Zhenyue was so excited he threw a fierce punch into the air.

Su Yueyao immediately flashed to the side of Lin Zhou, who had just been teleported back and was nearly unable to stand. She supported his arm, unreservedly pouring pure and gentle Moonlight Divine Power into him to nourish his overextended Divine Soul and body. Looking at Lin Zhou's pale face, which wore a smile of victory, her eyes were full of heartache and pride as she whispered, "You did it."

Lin Zhou used her support to stand steady and gave her a weary but sincere smile: "We did it together."

Just then, an unexpected scene occurred within the Valley of Judgment, where the battlefield had not yet fully dissipated.

Three Angel Warriors (at levels 43, 44, and 45), on whose bodies the golden 'Benevolence' patterns had not yet fully faded and whose wings were stained with the dust of battle and traces of natural spiritual light, actually broke away from the angel Ranks that were slowly dissipating and returning to Michael's Divine Kingdom. They glanced at each other as if they had made a certain decision, flapped their wings, and flew toward the position where the Xinghai University's Divine Kingdom had last appeared before vanishing.

Under the gaze of countless shocked eyes, these three angels hovered in the void. Facing the direction where the phantom of Lin Zhou's Divine Kingdom was fading, they placed their hands on their chests and performed a solemn gesture that was not a purely divine etiquette. The leading Level 45 angel looked up; his eyes still held confusion, but more so a thirst for new knowledge after breaking free from a cage. His voice, transmitted through the rules, was clear and solemn:

"Guide of Civilization, Law-giver of Etiquette."

"We... harbor doubts."

"We venture to ask..."

"What is... 'Supreme Benevolence'?"

These words were like the tolling of a great bell, ringing across the just-ended battlefield and into the hearts of countless spectators.

Angels, divine creations, had actually taken the initiative to ask the 'heretic' who defeated them about the ultimate questions of philosophy and morality after their defeat!

This scene was more Soul-shaking than any victory in battle! It symbolized that Lin Zhou's 'Way of Civilization' had not only defeated the opponent at the level of rules but had truly shaken and even... enlightened the originally absolutely closed Souls of faith at the level of thought!

Supporting Lin Zhou, Su Yueyao clearly felt his body tremble slightly. Lin Zhou looked at the three angels with their clear and persistent gazes and the shimmering golden patterns on their foreheads. In his weary eyes, an unprecedentedly bright luster suddenly erupted.

It was not the pride of a victor, but the heartfelt joy and... responsibility of seeing a 'spark' ignited and seeing 'reason' being heard.

He gently pushed away Su Yueyao's support (though he was still weak), straightened his spine, and faced the three angels—and the void that had witnessed the clash of ideas. He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet it seemed to carry the heavy echoes of the river of civilization:

"Supreme Benevolence..."

"The road ahead is long and arduous, but I shall search high and low."

"This question is excellent."

He did not give an answer immediately, because the pursuit of 'Supreme Benevolence' was itself the eternal driving force and goal of civilization's progress. But this brief response and attitude were worth more than a thousand words.

Upon hearing this, the confusion in the eyes of the three angels seemed to dissipate somewhat, replaced by a deeper realization and contemplation. They bowed with hands on chests once more, then turned and flapped their wings. They did not return to Michael's Divine Kingdom but turned into three streaks of light, disappearing into the depths of the energy turbulence within the Valley of Judgment that had not yet fully settled, their whereabouts unknown.

This scene added a legendary and meaningful footnote to Xinghai University's championship coronation.

Lin Zhou knew that the grievances with the Galactic Royal Academy and Michael might not be over. But for now, victory belonged to Star Sea, to Way of Civilization.

And the gates to the Ancient Battlefield had swung open for them.