416: Chapter 351: The Backbone of Humanity, the Pillar of Civilization

The projection of Mount Buzhou finally dissipated completely.

The last ray of light from the Innate runes flickered in the Void Realm like a dying firefly, then extinguished forever. The dust of the rules raised when the mountain collapsed drifted slowly in the Void Realm, like gray-white snow covering the edges of the Star Sea Divine Kingdom projection.

[Projection of Mount Buzhou — Completely collapsed.]

- Residual energy: 0%

- Core rules fragment: Collectible (approximately 3 units of Innate Divinity can be refined)

- Impact: Honghuang Academy Team Luck - 15%

Pan Qian stood in the Void Realm, watching his Mount Buzhou disappear inch by inch, his eyes calm.

There was no sadness, no unwillingness, only a faint sense of relief.

"Three thousand years of Legacy..." he murmured. "Today, it ends in my hands."

He reached out and caught a piece of the falling rule dust. The dust dissolved upon contact, turning into a faint wisp of Innate Spiritual Qi that dissipated between his fingers.

"No, it is not an end." Lin Zhou's voice came from afar, hoarse yet clear. "It is a rebirth."

Pan Qian looked up at Lin Zhou.

Lin Zhou's state was terrible—his godhead integrity was only at 38%, his Divine Power reserves were at zero, the water level of his river of civilization had dropped to 15%, and his entire aura was as weak as a candle in the wind. Qin Qing supported him, while Wang Meng and Zhao Hao guarded him on the left and right, fearing he might collapse.

But his eyes remained bright.

"Rebirth?" Pan Qian repeated.

"Yes." Lin Zhou nodded. "Mount Buzhou has fallen, but the sky has not collapsed. Because, what supports the sky has never been a mountain, but people."

He raised his hand and pointed to his chest.

"This is the true Pillar of Heaven."

Pan Qian was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Perhaps you are right."

He turned around, preparing to leave.

"Captain Pan Qian." Lin Zhou called out to him.

Pan Qian turned back.

"Can you give me some of the fragments of Mount Buzhou?"

Pan Qian was stunned for a moment: "What do you want it for?"

"I want to integrate it into my river of civilization." Lin Zhou said earnestly. "Mount Buzhou is the Pillar of Heaven, the backbone of the Human Race. It should not disappear; it should become a part of civilization."

Pan Qian was silent for a long time.

Then, he smiled.

"Alright."

He raised his hand, and the rule dust drifting in the Void Realm seemed to be summoned, beginning to converge toward his palm. The dust condensed into a fist-sized, dark golden, irregular crystal, with faint Innate runes flowing on its surface.

[Core fragment of Mount Buzhou (Epic/Materials)]

- Source: Mount Buzhou projection core

- Contains rules: Innate Dao of "Supporting the Heaven"

- Refinable: 3 units of Innate Divinity, or used to fuse/strengthen Divine Kingdom rules

- Special attribute: If integrated into a Divine Kingdom with "Civilization" as the core, it can trigger hidden effects

Pan Qian handed the crystal to Lin Zhou.

"Here you go."

Lin Zhou took the crystal; it was heavy in his hand, as if he were holding up a mountain.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Pan Qian shook his head. "It was you who gave it a new home."

He took one last look at the rule dust dissipating in the Void Realm, turned around, and disappeared into the depths of the Void Realm.

This time, he was truly gone.

[Honghuang Academy Team — All members evacuated.]

[Xinghai University Team — Advanced to the Top 5!]

The match notification sound rang for the last time.

Lin Zhou held the dark golden crystal, silent for a long time.

"Captain, we won!" Wang Meng roared excitedly, breaking the silence.

"We won!" Zhao Hao also breathed a sigh of relief, the Dragon Legion behind him letting out a heaven-shaking roar.

Qin Qing did not cheer; she just looked at Lin Zhou quietly, her eyes full of heartache.

"Captain, you should rest."

"Mm." Lin Zhou nodded, storing the Mount Buzhou fragment into the core of his Divine Kingdom.

A white light flashed, and the entire Xinghai University Team was teleported back to the preparation space.

The door of the medical pod closed slowly, shutting out the noise of the outside world.

Lin Zhou leaned against the head of the bed, holding a warm cup of spiritual spring water in his hand, but he did not drink it. His gaze fell on the ceiling, where a light screen was playing the highlights of the battle just now on a loop.

In the footage, Mount Buzhou collapsed, the Pillar of Heaven held up the sky, a Great Wall of flesh and blood spanned the Void Realm, and the phantoms of millions of ordinary people built a line of defense with their bodies...

"Captain, what are you thinking about?" Qin Qing asked softly, sitting by the medical pod.

"Thinking about Mount Buzhou," Lin Zhou replied.

"Mount Buzhou?"

"Yes." Lin Zhou put down the water cup. "Do you know the legend of Mount Buzhou?"

Qin Qing shook her head.

"In the mythology of the old Universe's Huaxia, Mount Buzhou was the Pillar of Heaven, supporting the heavens and the earth. Later, the Water God Gonggong fought Zhuanxu for the throne, and in his rage, he struck Mount Buzhou. The Pillar of Heaven snapped, the sky tilted to the northwest, and the earth sank to the southeast."

"The Pillar of Heaven snapped, so did the sky collapse?" Qin Qing asked.

"No." Lin Zhou shook his head. "Nuwa refined five-colored stones to patch the sky and severed the legs of a giant turtle to establish the four poles, only then did the heavens and earth stabilize again."

"Therefore, Mount Buzhou was only 'one of them,' not the 'only one.'"

Qin Qing was lost in thought.

"Pan Qian's Mount Buzhou is an 'Innate' Pillar of Heaven. It supports an 'Innate' Order—pure, solid, and unshakable. But once it falls, that Order collapses."

"And our Civilization Pillar is an 'Acquired' Pillar of Heaven. It does not support a fixed Order, but 'possibility'—countless people, countless choices, countless futures."

Lin Zhou raised his hand, and a faint wisp of the Fire of Civilization appeared in his palm.

"If the Pillar of Heaven breaks, it can be re-erected. If the Order collapses, it can be rebuilt. As long as people remain, civilization will not perish."

Qin Qing looked at the flame, an indescribable emotion welling up in her heart.

"Captain, when did you think of all this?"

"Inside the tripod," Lin Zhou said. "When Pan Qian analyzed the river of civilization, I saw the phantoms of those ordinary people—farmers, craftsmen, soldiers, mothers, children... They had no names, no achievements, but they are the Foundation of civilization."

"At that moment, I understood."

"Understand what?"

"Understand—Mount Buzhou is not a mountain; it is people."

Lin Zhou clenched his fist, the flame burning between his fingers.

"It is people who support the sky."

The lights of the medical pod flickered, and Lin Zhou closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the core of his Divine Kingdom.

In the Temple of Civilization, the river of civilization was still flowing, but the water level had dropped to a historic low—15%. The flow of the river was also much slower, like an injured giant panting with difficulty.

But the core of the river—the Fire of Civilization—was still burning.

The flame was not large, only the size of a fist, but it was warm and firm.

Lin Zhou walked to the center of the Sanctuary, where two fragments were floating.

One was [god-king godhead fragment (Gold)], 80% integrity, mostly dimmed.

The other was [Core fragment of Mount Buzhou (Dark Gold)], with faint Innate runes flowing on the surface.

The two fragments, one on the left and one on the right, floated on either side of the Fire of Civilization, as if waiting for something.

"Do you want to fuse them?" A voice suddenly rang out in the Sanctuary.

Lin Zhou turned back and saw Pan Qian's phantom standing at the entrance of the Sanctuary.

It was not his physical body, but a projection of his Divine Thought.

"How did you get in?" Lin Zhou was somewhat surprised.

"After the qiankun tripod recognized you as its master, I still have a trace of connection with it." Pan Qian's phantom walked into the Sanctuary and looked around. "Your Sanctuary is very special."

"Thank you." Lin Zhou did not ask about his intentions, but answered his question. "Yes, I want to fuse them."

"The god-king fragment represents 'power,' and the Mount Buzhou fragment represents 'Order.' Do you want to integrate them into the river of civilization?"

"Yes."

"The risk is very high," Pan Qian said earnestly. "The 'power' of the god-king fragment is overbearing, and the 'Order' of the Mount Buzhou fragment is exclusive. The 'inclusiveness' of the river of civilization may not necessarily be able to contain them."

"How will I know if I don't try?" Lin Zhou smiled.

He walked to the Fire of Civilization, reached out, and pushed both fragments into the flame simultaneously.

The moment the fragments touched the flame, the entire Sanctuary shook violently!

[Temple of Civilization · Fusion Attempt]

- Fusion targets: [god-king godhead fragment] + [Core fragment of Mount Buzhou]

- Fusion medium: Fire of Civilization

- Risk: High (may trigger rule conflicts, leading to damage to the Sanctuary)

- Estimated time: Unknown

The god-king fragment touched the flame first.

Countless golden, overbearing God King runes appeared on the surface of the fragment. The runes exuded an aura of "I am the only one supreme," attempting to resist the "Enlightenment" of the flame.

The Fire of Civilization did not retreat.

It burned quietly, "warming" the runes bit by bit.

It was not destruction, but—persuasion.

The golden color of the God King runes gradually turned from dazzling to soft. Those overbearing auras of "I am the only one supreme" also gradually transformed into the firmness of "protecting all living beings."

[god-king godhead fragment · Fusion progress: 10%... 20%... 30%...]

The Mount Buzhou fragment followed closely behind.

Dark golden Innate runes appeared on the surface of the fragment, exuding a thick and heavy aura of "supporting the heavens and earth." It did not resist the flame, but actively approached it, as if it had found its home.

[Core fragment of Mount Buzhou · Fusion progress: 20%... 40%... 60%...]

The Fusion speed of the two fragments far exceeded expectations.

Because they had found a common goal—to support the sky of civilization.

[Fusion progress: 50%... 60%... 70%...]

Pan Qian's phantom stood to the side, watching this scene, his eyes full of complex emotions.

"So, they were waiting all along."

"Waiting for what?" Lin Zhou asked.

"Waiting for a place that could contain them."

He turned around and walked toward the entrance of the Sanctuary.

"Lin Zhou, your Dao of Civilization is the most special Dao I have ever seen."

"It is not strong, but it can contain everything."

"Perhaps, this is the true 'eternity'."

His phantom dissipated at the entrance of the Sanctuary.

[Fusion progress: 80%... 90%... 100%!]

Both fragments merged into the Fire of Civilization simultaneously.

The flame surged violently!

It expanded from the size of a fist to the size of a human head! The color of the flame turned from pale gold to dark gold, and then from dark gold to seven colors—Confucianism's benevolence, Legalism's justice, Mohism's love, Daoism's nature, School of Military's courage, School of Agriculture's diligence, School of Medicine's benevolence, School of Names' debate, School of Diplomacy's weighing of pros and cons, School of Miscellaneous' inclusiveness...

The ten colors intertwined and flowed in the flame, finally merging into a brand-new color—not gold, not seven-colored, but transparent.

A transparent flame.

It was not dazzling, not scorching, yet it made people feel warm.

As if it were light itself.

[Temple of Civilization · Evolution!]

- New trait: [Civilization Pillar] (Permanent)

- Effects:

1. Divine Kingdom stability + 50% (The Pillar of Heaven supports the Divine Kingdom rules)

2. river of civilization recovery speed + 100% (The Pillar of Heaven provides a "riverbed" for the river)

3. Godhead defense + 30% (The Pillar of Heaven can withstand partial attacks)

4. Can manifest "Pillar of Heaven phantom" for defense or attack (Consumption: 1000 Divine Power per minute)

- Pillar of Heaven phantom traits:

- Height: Controllable (up to 100,000 kilometers)

- Defense: Can withstand full-force attacks from a Peak Mid-Tier Divine Power (LV600)

- Attack: Can cause "rule suppression" on targets (300% extra damage to "Innate" type rules)

- Special effect: The Pillar of Heaven is engraved with the Human Race epic from drilling wood for fire to the Hundred Schools of Thought Contending; for every epic segment displayed, the Pillar of Heaven power + 10%

Lin Zhou looked at the transparent flame, an unprecedented sense of stability welling up in his heart.

It was as if his Divine Kingdom finally had a "backbone."

"Civilization Pillar..." he murmured.

He reached out his hand and made a grasping motion in the air.

In the core of the Divine Kingdom, a transparent pillar of light shot up into the sky! On the pillar of light were carved countless reliefs—from ancient ancestors drilling wood for fire, to the casting of bronze tripods in the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties; from the Hundred Schools of Thought Contending in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, to the unification of script and writing in the Qin and Han dynasties; from the poetry and songs of the Tang and Song dynasties, to the sprouts of technology in the Ming and Qing dynasties; from the struggle for survival in modern times, to the exploration and heritage of the Star Sea era...

Each relief told a story.

Each story was a piece of history.

Each piece of history was a cornerstone.

The cornerstones formed steps, and the steps led to the heights.

The heights were the future of civilization.

[Civilization Pillar · Current status]

- Height: 1,000 kilometers (can grow)

- Epic display: First stage (Drilling wood for fire → Hundred Schools of Thought Contending)

- Current power bonus: + 100% (due to displaying ten epic segments)

- Consumption: 0 (permanent structure, no need to consume Divine Power)

Lin Zhou withdrew his hand, and the pillar of light slowly retracted back into the core of the Divine Kingdom.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

"Civilization Pillar, it is done."

In the medical pod, Lin Zhou opened his eyes.

Qin Qing was still by his side, looking at him with concern.

"Captain, you had your eyes closed for a long time just now, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Lin Zhou sat up. "I built a Pillar of Heaven in my Divine Kingdom."

"A Pillar of Heaven?"

"Yes, the Civilization Pillar." Lin Zhou smiled. "From now on, our Divine Kingdom will not collapse."

Qin Qing was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

"That's good."

She stood up, walked to the light screen, and pulled up the advancement list.

[All-Universe Academy Championship — Top 5 list]

1. Xinghai University (Milky Way Galaxy)

2. Void Contractor Academy

3. Element Ring Academy

4. Mechanical Divine Domain Team

5. Holy Light Hall Academy (Eliminated, replacement?)

"That's not right, wasn't Holy Light Hall eliminated by us?" Qin Qing frowned.

"That was the Top 10 match. The Top 5 is re-ranked." Li Mo's phantom explained. "We defeated the Honghuang Academy Team, and our points skyrocketed, currently ranking first. Void Contractor is second, Element Ring is third, Mechanical Divine Domain is fourth, and fifth is... Honghuang Academy Team? They weren't eliminated?"

"Although the Honghuang Academy Team lost to us, they were undefeated before, so their points are still very high." Qin Qing said. "So, the Top 5 are: us, Void Contractor, Element Ring, Mechanical Divine Domain, Honghuang Academy."

"That means we have to fight another round?" Wang Meng asked.

"Yes." Qin Qing nodded. "Top 5 to 3, 3 to 2, and then the finals."

"How many more matches?"

"At least two matches."

Lin Zhou looked at the list on the light screen and was silent for a moment.

"Who is the opponent for the next match?"

"The draw hasn't started yet." Qin Qing said. "However, according to the rules, we, ranked first, would face the Honghuang Academy ranked fifth... But they have already lost to us, so we might get a bye or have a redraw."

"Don't worry about who the opponent is." Lin Zhou shook his head. "We just need to do our best."

He stood up, walked to the light screen, and looked at his reflection.

The lights of the medical pod shone on his face, reflecting a pale complexion and tired eyes. But, deep within those eyes, a transparent flame was burning.

"Captain, your injuries..." Qin Qing hesitated.

"It's nothing." Lin Zhou moved his shoulders. "The godhead integrity is recovering, and the river of civilization is also rising back. With the newly forged Civilization Pillar, in three days, I should be able to recover to 70% of my Peak period."

"70%, is that enough?"

"It's enough." Lin Zhou nodded. "The Dao of Civilization does not rely on brute force, but on faith."

He turned around and looked at everyone.

"As long as faith exists, civilization exists."

Everyone was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly.

On the light screen, the four words "Xinghai University" shone brightly at the very top of the Top 5 list.

And Lin Zhou stood before the light screen, his back as straight as a pine.

As if he himself were a Pillar of Heaven.