429: Chapter 364: Chaotic Starfield, a Land of Chaotic Rules and Life and Death

The roar of the Chaos Beast tide billowed from deep within the rift.

It wasn't an ordinary sound, but a vibration at the level of rules—every roar caused the fortress walls to tremble slightly and sent ripples through the soldiers' Godheads. Grayish-white Chaos energy surged from the rift like a tsunami, dyeing the entire Void Realm a deathly pale.

Lin Zhou stood on the city wall, his gaze piercing through the grayish-white haze as he tried to discern the scale of the beast tide.

He saw it.

One hundred thousand. No, more.

The Chaos Beast swarms were densely packed, pouring out from the depths of the rift like a grayish-white tide that blotted out the sky. They had no fixed forms—some resembled twisted giant pythons, others multi-legged insects, and some were merely shifting masses of Chaos energy. Their eyes lacked pupils, containing only two clumps of grayish-white flame burning with the desire for Chaos and destruction.

[Chaos Beast Tide · Military Intelligence Data]

- Estimated Quantity: 120,000 - 150,000

- Rank Distribution:

- LV200-LV250 (Common): Approx. 100,000

- LV250-LV300 (Elite): Approx. 30,000

- LV300-LV400 (Commander): Approx. 5,000

- Above LV400 (Beast King): At least 3

- Distance from Fortress: Approx. 200 km

- Estimated Arrival Time: Approx. 40 minutes

"Wen Yuan, how much longer for the Formation?" Lin Zhou asked without turning his head.

Wen Yuan stood at the core of the Formation's eye, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Legion Commander, sixty percent of the power has been activated, but to fully stabilize it, I need at least an hour. The Chaos energy erosion is too severe; the Talisman nodes of the Formation are being constantly contaminated. I need time to purify them."

"An hour?" Wang Meng's expression changed. "The beast tide will be here in forty minutes!"

"Therefore, we cannot rely solely on the Formation." Lin Zhou turned to face everyone. "Wang Meng, Tie Xiong, lead your respective units and head out of the city to intercept them. Stall for time and buy Wen Yuan an hour."

"Go out of the city?" Tie Xiong frowned. "Legion Commander, the area outside the city has the highest concentration of Chaos energy. Ordinary soldiers will lose their sanity if they stay there for too long."

"That is why I am issuing each of you a Chaos Resistance Talisman." Lin Zhou took a stack of Talismans from Qin Qing and distributed them to Wang Meng and Tie Xiong. "The Talismans can last for one hour. After one hour, regardless of the battle situation, you must retreat back into the city."

"Yes!" Wang Meng and Tie Xiong took the Talismans and turned to run toward their respective units.

Lin Zhou looked at Qin Shuang. "Qin Shuang, lead the Administration Hall Battalion to set up an Order Domain on the city walls to cover the units outside. At the same time, monitor the direction of the rift. If you spot any signs of a Beast King, report immediately."

"Yes!"

Qin Shuang took her orders and left.

Finally, Lin Zhou looked at Wen Yuan. "Wen Yuan, you only have one hour."

Wen Yuan gritted his teeth. "It's enough!"

Lin Zhou nodded and turned to walk down the city wall.

Outside the city gates, Wang Meng and Tie Xiong had already led their troops into Formation.

The Vanguard Battalion, one thousand strong, consisted entirely of Behemoth Berserkers wielding giant axes and clad in heavy armor. Battle Intent burned in their eyes as the Behemoth Bloodline boiled within their bodies.

The War Hall Battalion, twelve hundred strong, was Tie Xiong's Iron Giant Legion. They held massive shields, resembling mobile fortresses. The words 'Non-Aggression' were engraved on their shields, shining brightly in the grayish-white light.

The two legions, one offensive and one defensive, supported each other like the horns of a bull.

Lin Zhou walked to the front of the Formation, looking at those young, resolute faces, and remained silent for a moment.

"Everyone, this is the first battle of our Civilization Guardian Legion."

"I do not ask you to kill a certain number of enemies. I only ask you to—come back alive."

"Only by living can you continue to protect."

He raised his hand, and the Fire of Civilization emerged in his palm.

The flame rose into the sky, transforming into a pale gold pillar of light that illuminated the entire battlefield.

[Fire of Civilization · Battlefield Blessing]

- Coverage Area: 10 km diameter

- Effects:

1. All attributes of allies within range +20%

2. Damage dealt by allies within range to the Chaos Faction +50%

3. Allies within range are immune to mental pollution

4. Duration: One hour (Requires continuous maintenance by Lin Zhou)

"Civilization Guardian Legion—Attack!"

"Kill!"

Wang Meng was the first to charge out, with the Behemoth Berserkers of the Vanguard Battalion following closely behind like a sharp blade piercing into the vanguard of the Chaos Beast tide.

Tie Xiong followed with the War Hall Battalion, their massive iron shields forming a mobile wall that withstood the counterattacks of the Chaos Beasts.

Lin Zhou stood on the city wall, his hands pressed down into the air to maintain the burning Fire of Civilization. His Godhead was operating at high speed, consuming Divine Power at a rate of five hundred points per minute.

[Lin Zhou · Status]

- Godhead Rank: LV780

- Divine Power Reserve: 280,000 / 300,000

- Fire of Civilization Maintenance Cost: 500 Divine Power / minute

- Estimated Maintenance Time: Approx. 9 hours (Sufficient)

The slaughter on the battlefield was tragic and shocking.

With every swing of their axes, Wang Meng's Behemoth Berserkers could split a Chaos Beast apart. Their Berserk state caused their strength to soar to the extreme, but at the cost of their sanity—if not for the protection of the Fire of Civilization, they would have long been contaminated by Chaos energy.

Tie Xiong's Iron Giants used their shields to form an indestructible line of defense. The claws and breaths of the Chaos Beasts landed on the shields, leaving only shallow marks. Occasionally, a Chaos Beast would break through the line, only to be swiftly killed by the enforcement squad in the rear.

[Combat Data · First Ten Minutes]

- Chaos Beasts Killed: Approx. 15,000

- Ally Losses: Approx. 200 (Heavily Injured)

- Fire of Civilization Coverage: Stable

- Chaos Beast Tide Advance Speed: Contained

"Captain, we can't go on like this." Qin Qing walked to Lin Zhou's side. "The number of Chaos Beasts is too great. Our soldiers' stamina is dropping, and the duration of the Talismans is also decreasing."

Lin Zhou didn't speak, his eyes fixed intently on the depths of the rift.

There, the grayish-white light was churning even more violently. He could feel a more powerful existence awakening.

"The Beast Kings are coming out," Lin Zhou said in a low voice.

As soon as he finished speaking, a heaven-shaking roar echoed from the rift.

It wasn't the howl of an ordinary Chaos Beast, but rather—a crushing pressure at the level of rules.

[Chaos Beast King · Appearance!]

- Quantity: 3

- Rank: LV450, LV480, LV520

- Traits:

1. Chaos Domain (5 km diameter): Rules within the Domain are chaotic; all attributes of non-Chaos units -30%

2. Rule Devour: Can devour rule-based attacks within range and convert them into personal energy

3. Chaos Breath (Enhanced): Godhead integrity of those hit -15%

Three Beast Kings slowly stepped out from the rift.

They were ten times larger than ordinary Chaos Beasts, and the ground trembled with every step they took. Their bodies were covered in grayish-white scales, and Chaos energy surged from the gaps between the scales, twisting the surrounding space into spirals.

"Three of them..." Qin Qing's face turned pale.

Lin Zhou took a deep breath.

"Qin Qing, order Wang Meng and Tie Xiong to contract their Formations and draw closer to the city walls."

"You're going to..."

"I'm going to meet them."

Lin Zhou leaped off the city wall, his body turning into a pale gold streak of light as he charged directly at the three Beast Kings!

"Captain!" Qin Qing cried out, but it was too late to stop him.

Lin Zhou hovered in the Void Realm, facing off against the three Beast Kings.

Their gazes fell upon him simultaneously. Grayish-white flames burned in their eyes, carrying Chaos, destruction, and a hint of... curiosity.

"You want to devour this fortress?" Lin Zhou said calmly. "Then you'll have to get past me first."

He raised his right hand, and the Sword of Civilization condensed in his palm.

On the blade, the Hundred Schools inscriptions flowed, and seven-colored light intertwined.

[Sword of Civilization · Status]

- Attack Power: Full-strength strike of a Mid-Tier Divine Power Intermediate Stage

- Damage to Chaos Faction: +100%

- Special Effect: Can sever 'Chaos Rules'

The three Beast Kings roared simultaneously and pounced toward him!

Lin Zhou swung his sword, slashing at the one in the lead (LV450).

The sword light sliced through the Void Realm and struck the Beast King's head!

[Sword of Civilization · Damage]

- Target: Chaos Beast King (LV450)

- Damage Value: Approx. Full-strength strike of Mid-Tier Divine Power Intermediate Stage × 2 (Chaos Counter)

- Effect: A wound deep enough to see bone was slashed into the Beast King's head, causing a massive leak of Chaos energy

The Beast King let out a roar of pain but did not fall. At the wound, Chaos energy quickly condensed, attempting to repair the damage.

[Chaos Beast King · Self-Healing]

- Self-Healing Speed: Recovers 5% HP per second

- Estimated Full Recovery: Approx. 20 seconds

"The self-healing ability is very strong." Lin Zhou frowned.

The other two Beast Kings pounced from the sides, their giant claws tearing through the Void Realm.

Lin Zhou dodged, but the Beast Kings' attacks carried a 'Rule Chaos' effect; his Godhead trembled slightly, and his perception suffered a slight deviation.

[Lin Zhou · Status]

- Godhead Load: 115%

- Chaos Resistance: 80% (Weakened by Fire of Civilization)

- Current Status: Capable of fighting, but must be cautious

He took a deep breath and unfolded the river of civilization.

Pale gold river water surged from his Divine Kingdom, forming a Domain with a diameter of one kilometer around him. Within the Domain, Chaos Rules were suppressed, and the Beast Kings' strength was significantly weakened.

[river of civilization · Domain Expansion]

- Coverage Area: 1 km diameter

- Effects:

1. All attributes of Chaos units within range -30%

2. All attributes of allies within range +20%

3. Chaos Rule Suppression: Beast King self-healing speed -50%

- Cost: 1,000 Divine Power per minute

The three Beast Kings charged into the Domain at the same time, their speed visibly dropping.

Lin Zhou seized the opportunity and swung his sword at the second Beast King (LV480)!

The sword light struck the Beast King's neck, nearly severing it!

[Sword of Civilization · Damage]

- Target: Chaos Beast King (LV480)

- Damage Value: Full-strength strike of Mid-Tier Divine Power Intermediate Stage × 2

- Effect: Two-thirds of the Beast King's neck was severed, Chaos energy gushing out wildly

The Beast King struggled and fell, but it was not yet dead.

At its wound, Chaos energy was frantically condensing, trying to repair it.

However, under the suppression of the river of civilization, the repair speed was extremely slow.

[Self-Healing Speed: 2% per second (Originally 5%)]

"The second one is temporarily incapacitated." Lin Zhou turned to face the third Beast King (LV520).

This was the strongest one.

It was a size larger than the other two, and its scales were engraved with eerie Chaos runes. In its eyes, the grayish-white flames burned more intensely, as if with a spark of intelligence.

It did not rush to attack but stopped in place and opened its massive maw.

A grayish-white pillar of light erupted from its mouth!

[Chaos Breath · Enhanced]

- Target: Lin Zhou

- Power: Full-strength strike of a Mid-Tier Divine Power High Stage

- Effect: Godhead integrity of those hit -15%

Lin Zhou dodged, but the aftershock of the light pillar grazed his shoulder.

[Lin Zhou · Status]

- Godhead Integrity: 100% → 98%

- Shoulder: Minor Chaos contamination (purifiable)

"That was close," Lin Zhou gritted his teeth.

The Beast King spat again; this time, the light pillar was thicker and faster.

Lin Zhou had no time to dodge and could only withstand it head-on.

He raised the Sword of Civilization, and a pale gold light shield condensed on the blade.

[Shield of Civilization · Defense]

- Defense Power: Can withstand a full-strength blow from a high-level Mid-Tier Divine Power

- Consumption: 2,000 Divine Power

The light pillar collided with the light shield, erupting in a blinding radiance!

The light shield vibrated violently but did not shatter.

[Shield of Civilization · Durability: 100% → 60%]

"I can hold out twice more," Lin Zhou calculated in his heart.

Just then, Wen Yuan's voice came from atop the city wall:

"Legion Commander! The Formation has stabilized!"

Lin Zhou looked back and saw a pale gold light barrier slowly rising over the walls of the Iron Wall Fortress. Countless runes flowed upon the barrier, enveloping the entire fortress within it.

[Iron Wall Guardian Array · Fully Activated]

- Coverage: Fifty kilometers in diameter

- Effects:

1. Allied Defense Power +50%

2. Enemy Attack Power -30%

3. Chaos energy erosion resistance +80%

4. Formation Core Stability: 95%

"Good!" Lin Zhou's spirits lifted.

He turned around and looked at the three Beast Kings.

"It's time to end this."

He contracted the river of civilization, condensing it into a pillar of light that shot straight into the sky.

The light pillar exploded, turning into countless pale gold sparks that showered down upon the battlefield.

Every spark landed on a soldier's body.

[Fire of Civilization · Mass Blessing]

- Coverage: The entire battlefield

- Effect: All allied attributes +30%, lasts for ten minutes

- Consumption: 5,000 Divine Power

"Brothers, charge with me!" Wang Meng roared, leading the Vanguard Battalion in a counterattack.

Tie Xiong followed closely with the War Hall Battalion, their massive steel shields forming a moving wall that crushed the Chaos Beasts.

Qin Shuang's Law Enforcement Team released an Order Domain on the city wall, suppressing the Chaos Beasts' chaotic laws to the minimum.

Wen Yuan's Formation began its counterattack, with countless runes shooting out from the light barrier like a rainstorm falling into the Chaos Beast swarm.

[Formation · Counterattack Mode]

- Attack Power: Kills approximately 1,000 Chaos Beasts per minute

- Consumption: 2,000 Divine Power per minute (provided by the fortress's reserves)

The scales of the battlefield began to tilt.

Lin Zhou withdrew his gaze and looked at those three Beast Kings.

"Now, it's your turn."

He leaped up, the Sword of Civilization burning in his hand.

The first Beast King (LV450) was decapitated by his sword.

The second Beast King (LV480) was pierced through the heart by his sword.

The third Beast King (LV520) struggled to spit out one last breath, which Lin Zhou blocked with the Shield of Civilization before severing its head with a single stroke.

[Chaos Beast Kings · All Slain!]

- Time Elapsed: Approximately fifteen minutes

- chaos crystals Obtained: Approximately 3,000

- Chaos Beast King Cores Obtained: 3

- Lin Zhou's Divine Power Consumption: Approximately 20,000

With the three Beast Kings fallen, the Chaos Beast tide lost its command and began to scatter.

"Pursue them!" Wang Meng led the army to hunt down the fleeing Chaos Beasts.

Lin Zhou landed back on the city wall, his body swaying slightly.

Qin Qing supported him: "Captain, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Lin Zhou shook his head, "just a bit tired."

He looked at the soldiers cleaning up the battlefield, a warm current welling up in his heart.

"We won."

"We won," Qin Qing nodded.

But Lin Zhou knew this was only the beginning.

He looked deep into the rift, where Chaos energy was still churning.

In the deeper reaches of the Chaos Star Domain, even greater threats were waiting.

"Pass down the orders: clean the battlefield, repair the Formation, and replenish supplies."

"In three days, we enter the Chaos Star Domain."

Qin Qing was startled: "Entering the Chaos Star Domain?"

"Yes," Lin Zhou nodded, "Passive defense can never eliminate the threat. Only by taking the initiative to attack can we find the source of the Chaos Beast tide."

He turned and walked down the city wall.

"I need to go prepare."

Three days later.

Lin Zhou stood before the Chaos rift, with Wang Meng, Tie Xiong, Wen Yuan, Qin Shuang, and a hundred elite soldiers behind him.

Everyone wore upgraded rune armor, with Chaos Resistance Talismans hanging at their waists and Rune Collectors and weapons in their hands.

[rune armor · Upgraded Version]

- Defense Power: +50%

- Chaos Resistance: +80%

- Mental Contamination Resistance: +90%

- Materials: chaos crystals + Chaos Beast King Cores

"Captain, we're ready," Wang Meng said.

Lin Zhou nodded and was the first to step into the rift.

Chaos energy rushed toward him, but this time, he felt much more relaxed. The upgraded rune armor blocked most of the Chaos energy out.

[Chaos Star Domain · Interior]

- Rule Disorder: Extremely High

- Time Flow: Ratio to the outside world is approximately 10:1

- Spatial Stability: 45% (frequent folding)

- Chaos Energy Concentration: A hundred times that of the outside world

"This is the Chaos Star Domain?" Tie Xiong looked around, his eyes full of vigilance.

"Yes," Lin Zhou nodded, "Stay close to me, don't fall behind."

The group moved deeper inside.

After walking for an hour, Wen Yuan suddenly stopped and pointed to an area in the distance.

"Legion Commander, look over there."

Lin Zhou followed his finger, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

There was an area where the flow of time was abnormal.

[Time Dilation Anomaly Zone · Observation Data]

- Location: Approximately fifty kilometers away

- Internal Time Flow: One second outside ≈ one hundred years inside

- Range: Approximately one kilometer in diameter

- Status: Stable (seems to have existed for a long time)

"One second outside, a hundred years inside..." Wang Meng sucked in a breath of cold air.

"This is the terrifying part of the Chaos Star Domain," Lin Zhou said. "Rules are chaotic; time, space, and Karma are all uncertain. If you accidentally step into that area, you will die of old age in an instant."

"Then what do we do?" Tie Xiong asked.

"Bypass it," Lin Zhou pointed to another path. "Wen Yuan, mark this area; we must avoid it during future explorations."

"Yes."

The group continued forward.

After walking for three hours, they encountered a Spatial Folding Zone.

[Spatial Folding Zone · Data]

- Type: Möbius strip structure

- Range: Approximately ten kilometers in diameter

- Characteristic: Entrants will be trapped in a loop, never to escape

- Countermeasure: Requires a 'Spatial Anchor' to stabilize surrounding rules

Lin Zhou deployed the river of civilization, the pale gold water flowing around him, forming a stable spatial zone.

[Spatial Anchoring · Effect]

- Folding Frequency: Reduced from once every hundred meters to once per kilometer

- Consumption: 100 Divine Power per minute

- Duration: Can be maintained long-term

"Stay close to me, do not deviate."

The group passed through the Spatial Folding Zone; everyone felt as if they had walked through a maze for a long time, but in reality, only a few minutes had passed.

"This damn place is too eerie," Wang Meng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"That's why we need to be careful," Lin Zhou said. "In the Chaos Star Domain, the most terrifying thing is not the Chaos Beasts, but the rules themselves."

He looked up into the distance.

There was a field of ruins over there.

The style of the ruins was similar to the school he had discovered before—remnants of a civilization from the previous Universe.

"Come, let's go take a look over there."

The group quickened their pace and headed toward the ruins.

The ruins were massive, covering about ten square kilometers.

The architectural style was ancient and grand, with palaces, squares, and altars. However, most of the buildings had collapsed, leaving only broken walls and debris.

Lin Zhou walked at the front, the river of civilization flowing around him, alert for any anomalies.

"Legion Commander, there's writing here!" Wen Yuan shouted.

Lin Zhou walked over and saw a stone stele.

The stele was carved with dense text.

It wasn't the script of this Universe, but that of the previous one—identical to the characters on the bamboo slips he had found in the school.

[Stone Stele · Content (Translation)]

- "We come from the previous Universe and witnessed the descent of the Return to Void."

- "The Return to Void is irreversible, but civilization can be passed on."

- "We established an outpost here to study the rules of Chaos and find a way to combat the Return to Void."

- "But, we failed."

- "Those who come after, if you see this stele, please continue the research."

- "The spark is in the core of the ruins."

"The spark..." Lin Zhou murmured.

He thought of the Fire of Civilization left by The Transcendent.

"Let's go to the core of the ruins."

The core of the ruins was an altar.

The altar wasn't large, only ten meters square. In the center of the altar, a ball of flame floated.

The flame wasn't big, only the size of a fist, yet it emitted a warm, steady light.

That was—the Fire of Civilization.

It shared the same source as the spark left by The Transcendent, but it was even more ancient.

[Fire of Civilization · From the Previous Universe]

- Status: Weak (but not extinguished)

- Source: Unknown (possibly earlier than The Transcendent)

- Effect: Can be fused with Lin Zhou's Fire of Civilization to enhance its quality

Lin Zhou walked to the altar and reached out his hand.

The flame jumped onto his palm, merging with his Fire of Civilization.

The moment they fused, his Godhead shuddered violently!

[Fire of Civilization · Fusion!]

- Quality: High → Peak

- Effects:

1. river of civilization water level +30%

2. Heavenly Pillar height +20,000 kilometers

3. Civilization Affinity +50%

4. New Ability: [Chaos Resistance] — Within the Chaos Star Domain, Godhead integrity will not naturally decline

"Good," Lin Zhou clenched his fist.

He turned around and looked at everyone.

"Continue exploring. There may be even more things here."

The group continued to search through the ruins.

They found a library, an armory, a laboratory... every place held relics of the previous Universe's civilization.

[Exploration Harvest · Summary]

- Fire of Civilization: 1 spark (fused)

- Ancient Books: Approximately 300 volumes (translation required)

- chaos crystals: Approximately 5,000

- Divine Artifact Shards: Approximately 100 pieces (repairable)

- Chaos Beast King Cores: 5

"Legion Commander, these things will be enough to keep us studying for a long time," Wen Yuan said excitedly.

Lin Zhou nodded: "Take them back first and study them slowly."

He looked into the distance, where there were even more ruins and more secrets.

"The Chaos Star Domain is even larger than I imagined."

"But, we will explore it bit by bit."

He turned around and led the team toward the exit.

Behind them, the ruins stood silent in the grayish-white light.

As if waiting for the next person destined to find them.