371: Chapter 306: Refining Purple Qi Improves the Quality of Divine Fire

The cyan jade flying ship carried the members of Honghuang Academy, like ink dissolving in water, silently fading and disappearing into the pale purple Innate Spiritual Qi, leaving this cluster of light floating islands to return to tranquility—if one ignored the two teams busy collecting crystals.

Xinghai University's collection work was efficient and orderly.

Under Su Yueyao's coordination, Bronzebeard led the Tiangong Dwarves to be responsible for extraction and rough processing, Wen Yuan directed the Literary Heart Elves in fine sorting and energy stabilization, while the Law Fishmen stood guard on the perimeter and assisted with transport.

In less than half an hour, the fifty percent of "Eternal Light Crystals" belonging to Xinghai University—a total of about sixty-three pure crystal fragments of varying sizes—were properly sealed in specially made energy-insulating boxes and transported back to the disguised warship.

These crystal fragments ranged from the size of a fingernail to a fist, emitting a soft and constant milky white halo throughout, feeling warm to the touch, with liquid light seemingly flowing slowly within.

Merely being near them could calm one's mind and make one's perception of light, time, and purification-type rules more acute.

"Preliminary detection," Li Mo's voice rang out inside the warship, carrying irrepressible excitement, "The crystal quality is extremely high! The average energy purity reaches the Epic (Purple) Materials standard! The amplification effect on Moon-light, Divine, Prophecy, and Time-type powers is estimated to be between 25% - 40%, depending on the application method."

"It has an extremely high compatibility with Su Yueyao's Moon God Divine Domain, capable of increasing her Moon-light purity by at least 15%, and some core fragments might even trigger the Legacy resonance deep within her Bloodline! Furthermore, it also provides varying degrees of benefits to other Light-type and Order-type followers."

Su Yueyao gently stroked a crystal the size of a pigeon egg, her cool, clear eyes reflecting the warm luster, and she could clearly feel the joy and longing of the Moon-light Divine Soul within her.

"This item... is indeed of great benefit to me. Thank you."

She looked at Lin Zhou, her voice soft yet sincere.

Without Lin Zhou's forceful arguments and clever maneuvering, they wouldn't have even been able to get thirty percent, let alone this precious fifty percent.

Lin Zhou waved his hand, but his gaze lingered more on his own palm—although it was empty, he could clearly perceive a faint yet supreme aura quietly lying dormant deep within his Divine Soul, accompanying the Fire of Civilization.

It was precisely that wisp of [Innate Qi (Weak)] gifted by the Daoist boy Xuan Cheng.

"Let's leave this place first."

Lin Zhou withdrew his thoughts and decisively gave the Order.

Although they had reached a peace agreement with Honghuang Academy, the energy fluctuations here were conspicuous, and it was hard to guarantee that other teams wouldn't be attracted.

In a situation where his own state had not fully recovered and he was carrying a great treasure, returning to their long-established floating island stronghold as soon as possible was the best strategy.

The disguised warship's engine started silently, turning into a glimmer of light, rapidly moving away from the light floating island cluster and heading deep into the Star Dust Fog Sea to the southeast.

Along the way, Li Mo activated the highest level of anti-tracking and concealment programs, and Qin Qing also constantly disrupted the rule traces behind them through the Net of Law.

The journey back was peaceful.

Perhaps it was because the "fame" of defeating the Titan and Discussing the Dao with Honghuang Academy had already spread, or perhaps it was because this area was relatively remote, they did not encounter any interception or prying eyes.

One day later (external time), the warship safely passed through layers of fog and returned to the familiar and reassuring defensive circle of the floating islands.

Central main island, Star Gazing Platform quiet room.

Lin Zhou sat cross-legged, in front of him floated the jade box containing the Eternal Light Crystals, and more importantly—under the guidance of his will, that wisp of [Innate Qi (Weak)] slowly emerged from deep within his Divine Soul.

The Qi was as thin as a thread, no longer than three inches, presenting a deep and noble pale purple throughout, with the shadows of infinite stars being born and dying and the Dao rotating slowly within it.

It had no oppressive pressure, but instead radiated a kind of silent, supreme, and wondrous aura of creation.

Merely by existing in the quiet room, the surrounding Spiritual Qi naturally became active and pure, and even the light seemed softer and clearer.

Su Yueyao, Li Mo, Qin Qing, Zhao Hao, and other core members were all acting as Protectors outside the room.

Su Yueyao's Moon-light shrouded the entire quiet room area, forming the first barrier of purification and protection; Qin Qing's Net of Law covered the inside and outside, alert to any anomalies on the rule level; Zhao Hao led the Dragon group circling in the air to keep watch; Li Mo operated dozens of detection instruments, strictly monitoring all data such as Lin Zhou's vital signs, Divine Power fluctuations, and rule stability.

"Let's begin."

Lin Zhou silently thought to himself, his eyes filled with determination and a hint of solemnity.

Although Xuan Cheng mentioned that this item was beneficial when he gifted it, he also implicitly mentioned that the essence of Innate Qi was extremely high, and even if it was weak, one had to be extremely careful when refining it.

If one's own Foundation was unstable or the path was contradictory, at best it would be difficult to fuse, and at worst it could trigger rule conflicts, damaging the root of the Divine Soul.

But he had absolute confidence in his own path.

Way of Civilization was all-encompassing, capable of absorbing and transforming even the savage power of a Titan, so this wisp of Innate Qi, also a manifestation of the "Dao", should also be able to become nutrients for civilization!

He first adjusted his state, bringing his Divine Power to the most harmonious and peaceful realm, the river of civilization within his Divine Kingdom flowing quietly, and the radiance of the Hundred Schools of Thought each in their proper place.

Then, he carefully guided a wisp of pure Fire of Civilization—not used for attack or defense, but like the gentlest tentacle, slowly reaching toward that wisp of floating Innate Qi.

The moment the Fire of Civilization touched the Qi!

Hum—!

A slight humming sound like the beginning of the Dao seemed to ring out in the quiet room!

That seemingly gentle Innate Qi suddenly lit up, emitting an indescribable mysterious fluctuation!

It was not resistance, but a "natural reaction" of a higher-level existence, like a pebble being thrown into a calm lake.

Lin Zhou felt his consciousness being pulled into a strange scene of the beginning of Chaos and the undifferentiated Grandmist!

Boundless purple Qi filled the air, earth, water, fire, and wind churned endlessly, countless Dao runes flashed and flickered... an ancient, vast, and supreme Concept impacted his mind!

This was not an attack, but the natural release of the "information" and "Dao rhyme" contained within the Innate Qi itself!

Like the imprint left by a supreme existence, it was showing the contactor the most fundamental mysteries and majesty of the Universe!

If one's mind was not firm enough, and one's Dao Heart was not pure enough, it was extremely easy to lose oneself in this vast scene of the "Dao", or even damage one's Divine Soul!

"river of civilization, steady my mind! Wisdom of the Hundred Schools, unravel its true meaning!"

Lin Zhou shouted inwardly, trying his best to stabilize the core of his consciousness.

The phantom of the river of civilization manifested behind him in the quiet room, the sound of the rushing river seemingly telling of the difficulty and resilience of the Legacy of civilization.

In the river, Confucian Righteousness stabilized the mind, Daoist naturalness aligned with the rhythm of the Dao, Legalist Edicts sorted out chaotic information, Mohist logic analyzed rune structures, School of Military strategy dealt with changes... the Hundred Schools of Thought each exerted their strengths, jointly helping Lin Zhou understand and endure this impact of "Dao rhyme".

This was an extremely difficult process.

Beads of sweat instantly covered Lin Zhou's forehead, his complexion flushed and then pale, and his Divine Power fluctuated violently around his body.

Su Yueyao and the others outside the room watched with fear and trepidation, but dared not interfere rashly.

Time passed second by second.

On Li Mo's monitoring data, Lin Zhou's mental fluctuation curve oscillated violently like a roller coaster, and the Divine Soul stability index once approached the yellow warning line, but under the protection of the river of civilization, it never touched the red danger zone.

I don't know how long it had been, but the impact of that vast "Dao realm" gradually weakened and calmed down.

Lin Zhou's consciousness returned to clarity, and he felt a subtle, preliminary "connection" established between himself and that wisp of Innate Qi.

The purple Qi no longer rejected his Fire of Civilization, but instead, as if it had found a home, began to slowly and actively merge into that cluster of golden flame.

Refining, officially began!

The Fire of Civilization wrapped around that wisp of pale purple Innate Qi, like a furnace refining gold, beginning to "calcine" and "fuse" it slowly and firmly.

This was not violent devouring, but a higher-level "assimilation" and "sublimation".

The wisp of the most fundamental "Innate Opportunity of creation" contained in the purple Qi began to be extracted, parsed, and absorbed by the Fire of Civilization bit by bit.

This process was extremely slow and meticulous; every bit of Fusion was accompanied by a subtle adjustment and improvement in the essence of the Divine Fire.

Lin Zhou could clearly feel:

Divine Power purity was increasing: The originally pure golden Divine Power became deeper and more restrained in color, the energy structure became more dense and stable, and the rule power driven and effects caused by a unit of Divine Power were strengthening.

Divine Fire essence was transforming: The core of the Fire of Civilization, that "spark" initially ignited by the Power Of Faith and the principles of civilization, was undergoing subtle changes.

Within its gold, a wisp of noble pale purple was gradually merging!

This purple was extremely faint, yet real, as if it had plated the Divine Fire with a layer of supreme radiance.

Conversion efficiency was optimizing: As the core engine for converting Power Of Faith into Divine Power, the Divine Fire's efficiency directly determined the accumulation speed of Divine Power.

With the integration of the purple Qi, the Divine Fire's "conversion channel" seemed to be widened and optimized, the filtration of Impurities in the Power Of Faith was more thorough, and the conversion process was smoother and more efficient.

The Divine Soul was resonating and growing: As a rule processor and Divine Power container, the Divine Soul also benefited from the nourishment of this supreme Origin Qi.

Its structure was more stable, its ability to parse and carry rules was implicitly improved, and the experience bar was growing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The refining process lasted for a whole day (Divine Kingdom acceleration time, about two hours in the outside world).

When the last wisp of purple Qi was completely integrated into the Fire of Civilization, leaving no distinction between them, the anomalies in the quiet room suddenly subsided.

Lin Zhou slowly opened his eyes.

The divine light in his eyes was contained within, deep as an ancient pool, yet it seemed as if starlight and purple meaning flashed and disappeared.

His entire aura became more settled and harmonious, with less sharpness and more of the Dao rhyme of returning to simplicity.

He first looked within himself to check the results of the refining:

Divine Fire status: At the core, that spark had turned into a pale gold base, with a faint yet incomparably clear pale purple halo lingering in the center!

The temperature of the Divine Fire did not seem to have changed significantly, but its "quality" and "status" had been significantly improved, emitting a more ancient, noble, and closer-to-the-Origin aura.

Divine Power purity: Increased by 10%!

This meant that with the same consumption of 1 unit of Divine Power, he could cast Divine Arts with 10% more power than before, or maintain stronger and longer-lasting rule effects.

Divine Power conversion efficiency: Optimized from the original 1 unit of Divine Power = 10,000 Power Of Faith to 1 unit of Divine Power ≈ 9,500 Power Of Faith!

Efficiency increased by about 5.26%! This was a very considerable progress, meaning his Divine Power accumulation speed was faster and his sustained combat capability was stronger.

Divine Soul Rank: From LV480, the experience bar surged, directly promoting to LV485!

Up 5 levels in a row! This was not just an increase in experience, but a natural sublimation of the Divine Soul's essence after being nourished by the Innate Qi.

Biggest discovery: In the very center of the pale gold and slightly purple Divine Fire core, a tiny Taiji phantom, naturally formed by the flow of golden and purple air currents, was slowly rotating!

Although blurry and intermittent, it did exist!

This Taiji phantom seemed to be a symbol of the interweaving and balance of two Universe (Innate and Acquired?) principles within Lin Zhou's Divine Fire, radiating a mysterious and unfathomable Concept.

[Innate Qi Refining complete]

Divine Fire quality improved: Gained characteristic [Purple Micro-appearance] (Weak).

Effect: Divine Power purity +10%, Divine Power conversion efficiency optimized (1 Divine Power ≈ 9,500 Power Of Faith), resistance and affinity to "Innate" type rules slightly improved, Divine Fire potential limit increased.

Divine Soul promotion: LV480 → LV485.

Derived anomaly: Divine Fire core condensed [Origin Taiji phantom] (Newborn), status unstable, efficacy unknown, symbolizing Dao balance.

In addition to these core changes, Lin Zhou could also feel that his Divine Kingdom's rule network had become more "transparent" and "resilient", seemingly able to carry more complex and higher-level rules.

The river of civilization also appeared more "substantial" and "spiritual", and that newly born [Titan Power] tributary also seemed to have solidified a bit.

"Hoo—" Lin Zhou let out a long breath; this refining, although risky, had huge gains!

Not only had his strength improved in all aspects, but more importantly, he had contacted and fused with a wisp of true "Innate Origin", opening a new window for his future path and making his understanding of the "Dao" more profound.

He restrained his aura and pushed open the door of the quiet room.

Outside the door, Su Yueyao and the others immediately gathered around, and seeing that Lin Zhou was safe and his aura was clearly on a higher level, they all breathed a sigh of relief, immediately showing joy.

"Did you succeed?" Su Yueyao sensed the unique purple charm in Lin Zhou's Divine Fire, her beautiful eyes shining with brilliance.

"Hmm, benefited a lot." Lin Zhou nodded and briefly informed everyone of the main gains.

Li Mo looked at the stabilized data on the instrument, where all indicators had improved, and was extremely excited: "Divine Power conversion efficiency optimized! This is a fundamental enhancement! And the Divine Fire quality improvement... Great! Our overall endurance and burst capability have gone up a level!"

Qin Qing also rarely showed a hint of a smile: "The rules are more stable, which is a good thing."

Zhao Hao chuckled: "Boss is getting more and more powerful! Next time we run into those stuck-up guys, beating them up will be even more satisfying!"

Lin Zhou smiled, but his gaze turned to the Eternal Light Crystal in Su Yueyao's hand.

"Yue Yao, this item is crucial to you; you also need to refine and absorb it as soon as possible to improve your strength."

"Next, the fighting in this endless Star Sea will probably become more and more intense, and we need stronger power."

Su Yueyao nodded gently: "I understand. With this item, I am confident that I can go further on the path of Moon-light."

She paused, looked at Lin Zhou, her voice soft yet firm, "I will not waste the Opportunity you fought for me."

Lin Zhou felt a warmth in his heart and nodded.

He looked at the distant starry sky; on the leaderboard, Xinghai University's name remained firmly at 92nd place (there had been changes during this time).

The improvement brought by refining the purple Qi was internal and had not yet been converted into direct points.

But the growth in strength was real.

Purple Qi refined, Divine Fire sublimated.

Way of Civilization, after fusing with the Innate Opportunity, had its Foundation increased once more.

Challenges ahead remained, but the blade in his hand was now sharper and keener.

It was time to move this top-100 ranking a little higher.