350: Chapter 285: Thirty Days Later, a Bountiful Return Attracts Covetousness

The chaotic halo gradually withdrew, and the pond water returned to tranquility.

Lin Zhou slowly stood up from the Pool of Civilization's Legacy. The clothes on his body had long since transformed under the soaking of the pond water into a special material that fit more closely and flowed with a faint shimmer, outlining a stature more upright and slender than before. His skin was as lustrous as jade, with a hidden glow, as if every inch of flesh and blood had undergone the purest washing and reshaping of Origin energy. Most striking were his eyes; his originally deep black pupils now seemed to contain billions of stars and a flowing epic of civilization. Between their opening and closing, a light of wisdom seemed to flow, carrying a peace and insight born of having experienced the vicissitudes of time.

Just by standing there, the Aura he naturally emanated caused Su Yueyao and Qin Qing, who were acting as Protectors at the edge of the basin, to feel a complex mix of invisible pressure and affinity. It was no longer a simple pressure of Lesser Divinity, but a heaviness closer to the essence and the rules themselves, mixed with a scent of civilization so thick it could not be dispersed.

“How do you feel?” Su Yueyao stepped forward, her beautiful eyes carefully sizing up Lin Zhou. A flicker of a heartbeat she hadn't even noticed herself flashed deep in her gaze. She could feel that Lin Zhou had changed—not just a leap in strength, but a transformation of inner temperament, like a peerless divine weapon finally formed after being tempered by fire and a thousand strikes; though not yet drawn, its sharpness was already showing.

Qin Qing also gripped her sword hilt. She could clearly feel the Law Divinity within her body producing a subtle tendency toward resonance and submission when facing the current Lin Zhou—not directed at Lin Zhou personally, but at the vast, boundless, and bone-deep "principles of civilization" he carried. Her path was originally one of Order and Law, but Lin Zhou's Way of Civilization had now faintly become a higher-level "Total Order" that encompassed Law.

Lin Zhou smiled slightly, a smile that was peaceful yet full of power: “Better than ever before.”

He took a brief internal look, and his own data unfolded as clearly as a scroll:

Lin Zhou's Current Status (Post-Civilization Legacy Baptism · Saturated):

Divinity Level: LV450 (Directly increased by 30 levels! Essential transformation, potential limit measured to have increased by 118%, far exceeding estimates)

Divine Power Reserves: 180,000/180,000 (Upper limit increased by nearly double, and Divine Power purity is 250% of what it was before the baptism)

Divine Fire State: Pure gold, burning steadily, conversion efficiency optimized to 1:8800 Faith.

Divinity Essence: Structure as dense as a cosmic crystal core, excellent rule-bearing capacity, extremely high affinity for concepts such as "Civilization," "Order," "Inclusivity," and "Legacy."

Divine Soul Strength: 95% (Essential increase +80%, near-immortal prototype), thinking speed and information processing capability growing exponentially.

Divine Kingdom Link: Incredibly stable, bandwidth restored to 120%, capable of high-intensity, ultra-long-distance operations.

river of civilization: Width expanded by 85%, depth increased, tributaries densely distributed, stability 99%. Newly absorbed fragments of Myriad Realms civilizations have been preliminarily organized and archived, becoming part of the river's Foundation, available for call and reference at any time.

Divine Kingdom Rule Bearing Limit: +55% (Divine Kingdom area naturally expanded simultaneously to approximately 320 square kilometers).

Special Status:

【God King Divinity Fragment Fusion in Progress】: Absorption progress 0.05%, continuously providing high-dimensional rule nourishment.

【Civilization Legacy Baptism (Perfection)】: All-attribute Foundation has received an epic reinforcement, comprehension of "Civilization" related Laws +300%.

【Myriad Law Affinity (Weak)】: Due to absorbing a large amount of foreign civilization essence, adaptability and understanding of non-hostile alien rules have slightly increased.

Comprehensive Evaluation: Combat power has steadily stepped into the threshold of Mid-Tier Divine Power (LV500+ level); actual combat power may be higher due to civilization characteristics and multiple buffs. The thickness of the Foundation is rare among peers.

Not only that, through the Divine Kingdom Link, he could clearly perceive the earth-shaking changes occurring within his Divine Kingdom. The three core vassal races had completed epic evolutions, their average levels soared, and new talents with infinite potential were added. The entire Divine Kingdom was filled with Spiritual Qi, the rule network was more complete, and the believers' faith was unprecedentedly devout and fanatical; the Power Of Faith provided not only exploded in total volume but also became much purer in quality.

Divine Kingdom Core Vassal Race Current Overview:

Civilization Elves: Average LV52, total number approximately 13,500. New talent 【Words as Law (Weakened Version)】 has seen initial results, with a few outstanding individuals able to weakly influence local rules (such as accelerating plant growth or dispersing negative energy in a small area).

Creation Dwarves: Average LV50, total number approximately 8,800. The 【Hand of Creation】 talent has caused research and manufacturing efficiency to soar; they have begun trying to analyze and repair the wreckage of the 【God-Slaying Saber】 and the 【Heaven-Guarding Shield】, and are designing a new generation of defensive/offensive machinery combining Mohist Mechanisms with some Legacy civilization technologies.

Law Heavenly Decree Envoys: Average LV48, total number approximately 5,200. The 【Heavenly Decree Resonance】 and 【Decree Execution】 talents have made the internal Order of the Divine Kingdom impeccable, greatly increasing Law enforcement efficiency and deterrence.

Total Divine Kingdom Faith Output/Day: Approximately 12 million units (about 7 million before the baptism), and the proportion of devout believers has increased to 89%.

Although Su Yueyao and Qin Qing could not know the specific data, the qualitative change in Lin Zhou's Aura and the vaguely revealed confidence made them understand that the harvest this time was immense, beyond imagination.

“Your improvement... is astonishing.” Qin Qing rarely expressed her feelings directly. “It seems that although we suffered heavy losses this time, the final harvest is enough to make the sacrifices of Wang Meng and Zhou Yan... more valuable.” Mentioning her fallen comrades, her eyes dimmed, but quickly became firm again.

Lin Zhou also restrained his smile and nodded solemnly: “We will keep their sacrifice in our hearts. And bringing these gains back to make The Way of the Hundred Schools even stronger is the best consolation for them.” His gaze swept over the remaining twenty-odd scarred but determined team members. “Time is almost up; the thirty-day limit of the Ancient Battlefield is approaching. We must head to the designated teleportation point.”

He took one last look at the calm Legacy Pool behind him and the silent Monuments of Civilization surrounding it. The pond water had dropped slightly (about 3.5%) compared to before, but it was still vast. In his heart, there was both gratitude and a heavy responsibility—to inherit this Legacy that spanned eras and make the Fire of Civilization burn even brighter.

“Let's go.”

Without hesitation, the team quickly packed their gear (though there was actually little left to pack) and began to retreat along the original path toward the agreed-upon assembly teleportation point from when they entered the battlefield.

The return journey was much smoother than the arrival. On one hand, Lin Zhou's strength had exploded, and the range and quality of his Divine Thought scans had significantly improved, allowing him to avoid most dangers in advance. On the other hand, after the wraiths in the core area dissipated, the overall curse and chaotic energy were slowly receding. Even so, they still encountered several waves of wandering powerful Divine Corpse Grievances and a small group of distorted creatures similar to Chaos Beasts attracted by the scent of the Legacy. However, under the more proficient power of civilization rules that Lin Zhou invoked with every movement (such as the prototype application of Words as Law, the enhanced Net of Law, and the defensive mechanisms temporarily activated by the Creation Dwarves), they were all quickly defeated or purified.

Lin Zhou's New Abilities Initial Display (Examples):

【Glimmer · Definition】: Whispering to a swamp filled with corrosive curses: “This area is temporarily a ‘Clean Land’.” Consuming about 500 Divine Power and cooperating with the Net of Law, the curse effect within a hundred-meter radius was weakened by 90% for ten minutes, allowing the team to pass safely.

【Civilization Radiance · Purification】: Facing a group of LV55 【Corrupted Astral Beasts】, he unfolded the phantom of the river of civilization. Where the radiance shone, the corruption on the beasts' bodies melted like snow, their strength plummeted by 40%, and they were easily annihilated by the team members.

【Divine Kingdom Projection · Support】: Briefly projecting the power of a portion of the evolved Civilization Elf mage corps (about a hundred people) from the Divine Kingdom into reality to jointly cast 【Mass Literary Qi Blessing】, all team members temporarily gained states of "Mental Exhilaration" and "Accelerated Skill Comprehension."

These effortless performances made Su Yueyao and Qin Qing realize Lin Zhou's progress even more intuitively. The strange affection in Su Yueyao's heart became increasingly clear, while Qin Qing gained a deeper understanding of the potential of "Way of Civilization" and became even more firm in her original choice.

After about ten hours of cautious marching, they finally arrived at the designated Teleportation Plaza located in the outer area of the Ancient Battlefield.

Though called a plaza, it was actually a relatively flat open space stabilized by a temporary force field. Huge, constantly flashing cross-spatial teleportation arrays were inscribed on the ground. At this moment, many exploration teams returning from various parts of the battlefield had already gathered here.

The atmosphere was noisy and tense. Almost every team carried injuries, some with severe casualties; everyone's face was written with exhaustion and the relief of surviving a disaster. Occasionally, there were teams with obvious joy, clearly having had a good harvest. The air was filled with the smell of blood, the scorched scent of energy, and the odors emitted by various strange Materials or trophies.

When Lin Zhou's team stepped into the plaza, they instantly attracted a large number of gazes.

The reason was simple—though their team was small (only twenty-odd people) and everyone was injured and in rags, the overall Aura they emanated was completely out of place with their surroundings!

The black-haired youth in the lead (Lin Zhou) had a calm and heavy bearing, his eyes deep as an abyss, with phantoms of civilization epics faintly flowing around him. Though he didn't intentionally release pressure, he caused some nearby explorers of Lesser Divinity to feel an inexplicable palpitation and oppression. The moon-like woman beside him (Su Yueyao) had a temperament as cool and elegant as an immortal; although her moonlight was restrained, her pure and noble divine essence could not be completely hidden. The cold woman holding a sword (Qin Qing) had a Law-based majesty that was gathered but not released, like a sword drawn half an inch from its scabbard.

Even more eye-catching was that the remaining vassal heroes of this team more or less carried a trace of an extremely pure, ancient, and Soul-stirring special Aura—it was the original ripple of the Civilization Legacy that had not yet completely dispersed after soaking! Furthermore, around Lin Zhou, there seemed to linger an even more obscure but terrifyingly high-status God King level rule resonance (from the god-king fragment and true spirit residue)!

Those who could come here were no mediocre hands; their eyesight and perception were quite sharp. In an instant, various complex, greedy, suspicious, and wary Divine Thoughts, like invisible tentacles, swept toward Lin Zhou's team one after another, attempting to discover more.

“It's that team from Xinghai University! They actually made it out?”

“Their numbers have decreased so much... it seems they suffered heavy losses. Wang Meng and Zhou Yan don't seem to be there...”

“Wait! Look at the leader, Lin Zhou! His Aura... how could it have improved so much?! It's only been thirty days!”

“And that ripple lingering on them... Heavens, I've seen descriptions in my Family's secret records; it looks very much like the traces after the legendary ‘Civilization Origin Baptism’!”

“Could they have discovered some incredible ancient ruins? Obtained a Heaven-Defying Legacy?”

“Look at that moon-like woman; she seems to be that Genius from the Su Family, the one with the Moon God Bloodline... they're actually together?”

“Xinghai University is probably going to rise this time... however, an innocent man gets into trouble because of his wealth...”

Whispers and Divine Thought exchanges spread throughout the plaza. Envy, jealousy, curiosity, greed... all sorts of emotions intertwined.

Lin Zhou's expression remained unchanged as he led the team straight to the registration desk of the teleportation array. He had long expected this scene, but the confidence brought by his strength made him fearless. He only needed to register according to the regulations, activate the teleportation, and leave this place of trouble.

The ones responsible for registration and maintaining Order were several Heavenly God-Rank (Mid-Tier Divine Power) envoys jointly dispatched from various top powers, including the Human Race military, several super academies, and the Universe Civilization Research Institute. When they saw Lin Zhou, a flicker of surprise crossed their eyes, but they didn't ask much. They simply recorded the team number and casualty count in a businesslike manner, checking for any prohibited items, such as attempts to smuggle out unpurified high-risk resentment entities.

"Xinghai University, Lin Zhou's squad, registration complete. The teleportation array will activate in half an hour. Please wait in this area during this time; no fighting is allowed," a middle-aged Heavenly God envoy dressed in a military uniform said in a low, stern voice. His gaze lingered on Lin Zhou for a moment longer, and he gave a slight nod, seemingly carrying a trace of imperceptible appreciation.

Lin Zhou nodded in thanks and led his team members to the waiting area assigned to Xinghai University.

However, the tree wants to be still, but the wind keeps blowing.

In the short half-hour they spent waiting for teleportation, at least three clearly malicious Auras and gazes locked onto them, quietly closing in.

The first group came from the northeast corner of the plaza, a group of explorers dressed in magnificent clothes with arrogant Auras, their Divine Domain styles leaning toward sanctity and Order. Leading them was a handsome but somewhat sinister-looking young man with blond hair and blue eyes. He was followed by several powerful attendants, many of whom were at the Peak of Lesser Divinity. Their insignia bore the Star-Crown Emblem unique to the Galactic Empire's imperial Family—this was a branch Family team with deep resources. The blond youth's gaze toward Lin Zhou, and especially Su Yueyao, was filled with undisguised possessiveness and greed.

The second group came from the southwest side of the plaza, a group of explorers with heavy Evil Qi, most of whom bore characteristics of beast or giant Dragon kin. Their eyes were filled with resentment and killing intent toward Lin Zhou, especially a few individuals who bore the faint remains of War God Academy insignias but were deliberately hiding them. Lin Zhou recognized one of them as an elite from War God Academy whom he had defeated in the previous Academy League. Currently, that person was whispering to a figure with a deeper Aura whose face was hidden under a hood, his finger subtly pointing toward Lin Zhou. These were clearly the remaining powerhouses of War God Academy, possibly allied with other factions that held old grudges against Xinghai University.

The third group was the most secretive and eerie. Their Aura was erratic, as if coming from the shadows of the plaza itself, making it difficult to pinpoint specific individuals. However, the icy malice, like a venomous snake staring at its prey, caused Lin Zhou's senses to trigger frequent alarms. The purpose of this faction was unclear, but they definitely came with ill intent.

Su Yueyao and Qin Qing also noticed these malicious gazes and secretly went on guard. The team members gripped their weapons nervously, huddling into a defensive formation.

"It seems some people don't want us to leave in peace." A cold arc curled at the corner of Lin Zhou's mouth, but his eyes remained calm and rippleless. "After the teleportation, I'm afraid things won't be peaceful."

"Soldiers will be met with generals,—" Qin Qing's sword hummed softly.

"—and floods will be met with earth." Moonlight slightly condensed at Su Yueyao's fingertips.

Amidst this tense atmosphere where undercurrents surged and a conflict was about to erupt, the light of the teleportation array began to brighten from slow to fast, and a massive energy hum resounded through the plaza.

"All teams take note! Teleportation is about to begin! Destination: The transit station of the Milky Way Galaxy's Third Star Domain! Team leaders, maintain Order and prepare to endure the space jump!"

The light flared intensely, swallowing the figures of all the teams on the plaza.

At the moment the teleportation light lit up, those three malicious Auras locked onto Lin Zhou's squad followed them like maggots on a bone, quietly tracking their spatial coordinate fluctuations...

After a brief sensation of space-time inversion and pulling, the scene before them changed.

It was no longer the grey, deathly silent Ancient Battlefield, but a brightly lit, high-tech, and bustling giant spaceport—the official transit station for the Ancient Battlefield in the Third Star Domain of the Milky Way Galaxy.

The moment his feet touched solid ground, Lin Zhou's Divine Thought spread out like a tide, instantly scanning the surrounding environment. At the same time, he barked in a low voice to his team: "Don't linger, don't talk to anyone. Follow the planned route and head to Xinghai University's safe house here at top speed!"

However, they had just stepped out of the teleportation array's light pillar and hadn't even taken a few steps—

"Junior Lin Zhou, please wait."

A gentle but unquestionable voice rang out. The blond, blue-eyed youth from the Galactic Imperial branch Family, surrounded by his attendants, stood in their path with a smile. His smile was impeccable, but the greed and condescension deep in his eyes could not hide from Lin Zhou.

Almost simultaneously, on the other side, the group of explorers with War God Academy traces and heavy Evil Qi also closed in, forming a semi-circle to block the flank at the signal of the hooded figure.

And that shadow-born icy malice, though not directly revealing itself, seemed to be everywhere, locking down any possible breakout directions.

People were coming and going within the transit station. Many teams that had just teleported out noticed the anomaly here and stopped to watch, some whispering among themselves, others looking on coldly.

Lin Zhou stopped his pace and slowly turned around. His calm gaze swept over the imperial youth blocking the path and the hooded group on the flank, finally casting a seemingly casual glance at a certain shadow that appeared empty.

"Is something the matter?" His voice wasn't loud, but it spread clearly to the surroundings with a strange penetrating power.

The blond youth's smile remained unchanged. "I am Allen Starlight. I have long admired your performance in the Ancient Battlefield, Junior. I heard that you gained much on this trip and even had the fortune of discovering an ancient civilization's Legacy? Such a heavy treasure concerning the rise and fall of our Human Race's civilization... shouldn't you share it with us, so we can report to the Empire and seek development together?" His tone was high-sounding, but he emphasized the word "share" particularly heavily.

From under the hood, a raspy voice chimed in: "Lin Zhou of Xinghai University used underhanded schemes in the battlefield to harm my colleagues from War God Academy and snatch their opportunities. Today, you must give War God Academy an explanation!"

The two sides played off each other, one using the hat of 'righteousness' and the other using the excuse of 'personal grudge,' directly placing Lin Zhou at the center of the storm. Their intentions could not be more obvious.

Su Yueyao and Qin Qing's faces turned cold, and they were about to step forward.

Lin Zhou lightly raised his hand to stop them. He looked at Allen Starlight and the hooded person and suddenly smiled—a smile carrying a trace of faint mockery and absolute confidence.

"Share? An explanation?" He shook his head slightly. "My opportunities will naturally be used for my Dao to strengthen our Human Race's civilization. As for the colleagues of War God Academy..." His gaze was sharp as a blade as it pierced the hooded person. "If it was an honorable struggle, life and death are up to fate. If someone wants to use this to stir up trouble..."

He paused. Although his full Aura hadn't exploded, a grander and more inviolable civilization's majesty had quietly begun to spread, making many onlookers feel their breath hitch.

"...then by all means, come and try."

As his voice fell, he no longer paid attention to the pale-faced Allen Starlight or the hooded person whose Aura had suddenly become sharp. He turned directly to his team members and said in a heavy voice:

"Let's go."

Having said that, he treated the people blocking the path as if they were nothing and stepped forward.

A fierce glint flashed in Allen Starlight's eyes. One of his attendants stepped forward abruptly, his Peak of Lesser Divinity Aura mixed with the Galactic Imperial Family's unique 'Starlight Suppression' Domain, violently pressing down on Lin Zhou!

"Insolent! How dare you... in front of His Highness..."

However, he didn't finish his sentence.

Lin Zhou didn't even look back; he simply waved his sleeve casually behind him.

There was no earth-shattering energy collision, only a silent, pale-gold ripple—seemingly composed of countless miniature chapters of civilization—rippling out from his sleeve.

The seemingly aggressive 'Starlight Suppression' Domain, upon contact with the pale-gold ripple, silently dissolved and collapsed like a soap bubble in the sun! The attendant who had stepped forward was hit even harder; he let out a muffled groan and stumbled back several steps with a pale face, his eyes filled with horror!

Effortless mastery, the embryonic form of 'Words as Law' combined with the natural suppression of the principles of civilization over specific Domain rules!

The entire area instantly fell silent!

The smile on Allen Starlight's face completely froze, his pupils shrinking. The Aura of the figure under the hood also clearly stagnated.

Lin Zhou didn't stop. He led his squad directly through the imperial attendants, who had momentarily forgotten to block them out of shock, and walked toward the transit station exit. Wherever he went, the crowd subconsciously parted to form a path.

It wasn't until the figures of Lin Zhou's squad disappeared toward the exit that the frozen atmosphere in the plaza suddenly exploded!

"Just now... what kind of method was that?!"

"Prince Alan's 'Starlight Domain' was actually broken so casually?"

"That Lin Zhou... what exactly did he get in the Ancient Battlefield? His strength has increased so terrifyingly!"

"I'm afraid Xinghai University is about to produce a real monster this time..."

Allen Starlight's face was ashen. He stared fixedly in the direction Lin Zhou had disappeared, his fists clenched until they creaked. His attendants were filled with uncertainty.

The hooded person slowly pulled back his hood, revealing the face of an old man covered in scars with sinister eyes. He was an old powerhouse from War God Academy who had graduated long ago, his strength reaching the Peak of Lesser Divinity. Killing intent boiled in his eyes as he whispered: "This boy... must not be allowed to live! The secrets and gains on him must be obtained!"

"Notify our people to follow them! Strike in the 'Shadow Corridor' area leading to the Xinghai University safe house!" Allen Starlight ordered coldly. "Notify the people from 'Shadow Snake'—double their pay. I want them to cooperate and ensure a certain kill with one strike, leaving no traces!"

"Yes!"

The three malicious forces, like sharks smelling blood, after a brief moment of shock, locked onto their target with even more fierce and hidden postures, quietly following behind.

The bustle of the transit station was gradually left behind as Lin Zhou's group quickly entered a relatively secluded metal passage designated for important personnel—officially called the "Safety Passage," but those familiar with the place privately called it the "Shadow Corridor." This was because although it was under some surveillance, the complex pipe structures and energy interference provided convenience for certain actions that couldn't see the light of day.

The light in the passage was somewhat dim, with only the emergency lights on the walls emitting a faint blue glow.

Lin Zhou's steps were steady, but his Divine Thought was like the most precise radar, clearly reflecting in his mind the several Auras far behind that followed like maggots on a bone, constantly adjusting their positions to form an encirclement.

"They've followed us," he calmly transmitted to Su Yueyao and Qin Qing. "Prepare for battle. This place might be a good spot to 'resolve' the trouble."

Moonlight condensed into a blade at Su Yueyao's fingertips, and the Law longsword in Qin Qing's hand hummed as it was unsheathed.

The remaining team members also bolstered their final spirits, activating all the protections and buffs they could use.

The positions of hunter and prey might not have been as certain as some people thought from the very beginning.

Crisis accompanied greed like a shadow. And Lin Zhou, who had just experienced a Rebirth through fire and a massive surge in his Foundation, needed a sufficiently heavy whetstone to verify his brand-new power and... to pay tribute to his fallen companions.