431: Chapter 366: Civilized Order, a Miraculous Effect in Suppressing Chaos

The aftermath of the collapse of the Rule vortex slowly dissipated in the gray-white Void Realm.

The Chaos energy receded like a falling tide, scattering from the area previously occupied by the vortex, revealing a relatively "clean" space. Lin Zhou stood in the center of that space, the river of civilization flowing around him, its pale golden water swallowing and purifying the remaining fragments of Chaos one by one.

[river of civilization · Absorbing Rule Fragments]

- Obtained: Chaos Rule Fragment × 47

- Converted: Order Essence × 12 units

- Effect: river of civilization water level + 2%, Rule Resistance + 5%

- Current water level: 97% (nearly saturated)

"Captain, your river... is absorbing those fragments?" Wen Yuan pushed up his glasses, his eyes full of disbelief.

"It's not absorbing, it's converting." Lin Zhou raised his hand, and a piece of newly purified Order Essence appeared in his palm. The essence was pale golden, crystal clear, like a drop of solidified sunlight. "Chaos Rule Fragments contain the possibility of 'Order'. The function of the river of civilization is to 'extract' the Order hidden within the Chaos."

He handed the essence to Wen Yuan: "Take it for research. Maybe it can be used on the Rune Armor."

Wen Yuan took the essence, his eyes shining: "Legion Commander, this thing is ten times more precious than a chaos crystal! If energy production..."

"No energy production." Lin Zhou shook his head. "A single Rule vortex can only refine a dozen or so. Besides, you've seen the risk of destroying the vortex."

Wen Yuan fell silent. In the battle just now, Lin Zhou was almost hit by the shadow of the Return to Ruin, and his Divinity integrity dropped by 10%. If they encountered a stronger vortex, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Let's go, continue forward." Lin Zhou turned around and looked into the distance. "There are more vortexes over there."

The team continued to push deeper.

The gray-white mist grew thicker, and the concentration of Chaos energy rose from 120 times that of the outside world to 150 times. The durability of the Rune Armor was slowly decreasing, and the Divinity burden on the soldiers was becoming heavier.

[Team Status · Deep in Chaos Star Domain]

- Current Location: Approximately 400 kilometers from the entrance

- Chaos energy concentration: 150 times that of the outside world

- Divinity burden: Average 125% (moderately overloaded)

- Mental corruption index: 41% (approaching the warning line)

- Rune Armor durability: 75% - 85%

"Captain, the soldiers' condition is not good." Qin Qing walked to Lin Zhou's side and lowered her voice. "The mental corruption index has already reached 41%. If this continues, some soldiers might lose control."

Lin Zhou frowned.

Mental corruption was the most insidious killer in the Chaos Star Domain. It didn't directly damage the Divinity, but slowly eroded consciousness, causing hallucinations, emotional outbursts, and even turning against their own side.

"Speed up, find the next target, and return immediately after solving it." Lin Zhou ordered.

Just then, Wen Yuan's Rule detector emitted a shrill alarm.

[Rule Detection · Emergency Alarm]

- Large-scale Rule abnormality detected

- Range: Approximately 50 kilometers in diameter

- Abnormality type: Rule Chaos + Rule Devouring + Rule Mutation

- Threat level: SSS

- Distance: Approximately 15 kilometers ahead

"What is that?" Wang Meng asked.

"It's not a vortex." Wen Yuan stared at the screen, his face pale. "It's... a living Rule aggregate. Bigger and more dangerous than a vortex."

Lin Zhou took a deep breath.

"Go take a look."

The team accelerated.

Fifteen kilometers in the Chaos Star Domain was like fifteen light-years. Space folding, time distortion, Karma inversion... every step was filled with unknown dangers.

But, Lin Zhou's river of civilization flowed around him, blocking all chaotic Rules on the outside.

[river of civilization · Domain Expansion]

- Coverage: 2 kilometers in diameter (expanded)

- Consumption: 2000 Divine Power per minute

- Effect: Rule stability within range + 50%, friendly unit mental corruption index - 20%

Under the protection of the river, the team's travel speed was much faster.

Finally, they reached their destination.

The scene before them made everyone gasp.

It wasn't a vortex, but a huge "cocoon" made of countless Rule fragments.

The cocoon was about five kilometers in diameter, with gray-white light flowing on its surface. In the light, countless Rule fragments were rotating, colliding, merging, and splitting, like a living womb gestating some kind of existence.

[Rule Cocoon · Data]

- Diameter: 5 kilometers

- Composition: Approximately 100,000 Rule fragments

- Center: A mass of Chaos energy, estimated Rank LV600+

- Characteristics:

1. Rule Devouring: Those who approach will have their Divinity Rules stripped

2. Rule Gestation: A kind of "Chaos creature" is being gestated inside

3. Rule Radiation: 80% of all Rule-type effects within range fail

4. Return to Ruin Connection: The cocoon has a weak connection to the Return to Ruin

"What is it gestating?" Tie Xiong's voice was a bit dry.

"A Chaos Beast King? Or something even more terrifying?" Wang Meng gripped his battle axe.

Lin Zhou didn't answer. His gaze fell on that mass of Chaos energy. He could feel that the existence inside the cocoon was awakening.

"We can't let it finish gestating." Lin Zhou said. "Wen Yuan, is there any way to destroy it?"

Wen Yuan quickly calculated: "Conventional attacks will be absorbed by the Rule fragments. We need a force capable of 'straightening out' the chaotic Rules to disintegrate the structure of the cocoon from the inside."

"Straightening out chaotic Rules..." Lin Zhou was thoughtful.

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

"Can the river of civilization do it?"

Wen Yuan was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up: "Yes! The essence of the river of civilization is 'Order', while the essence of the cocoon is 'Chaos'. If we use the river to wash the surface of the cocoon and 'straighten out' the chaotic Rules, the structure of the cocoon will collapse!"

"Then let's try it."

Lin Zhou leaped up and hovered above the cocoon.

He opened his arms, and the river of civilization surged out from his Divine Kingdom, like a bursting flood, pouring onto the surface of the cocoon!

[river of civilization · Flushing]

- Target: Rule Cocoon

- Effect: "Straighten out" the chaotic Rules on the surface of the cocoon

- Consumption: 5000 Divine Power per minute

- Progress: 1%... 3%... 5%...

On the surface of the cocoon, the gray-white light began to tremble.

Those rotating Rule fragments, under the flushing of the river, gradually stopped their chaotic movement and began to arrange themselves in an orderly fashion. Like a scrambled puzzle being pieced back together by an invisible hand.

[Rule Fragments · Straightening Progress]

- Straightened: Approximately 5000

- Remaining: Approximately 95,000

- Estimated completion time: Approximately 3 hours (at current speed)

"Too slow." Lin Zhou gritted his teeth and injected more Divine Power into the river.

[Consumption: 5000 → 8000 → 12000 Divine Power/minute]

The flow of the river surged, and the flushing speed doubled!

[Straightening Progress: 5%... 10%... 15%...]

The Chaos energy inside the cocoon began to fluctuate violently, as if it felt a threat. A low roar, emitted from the level of the Rules, came from inside the cocoon.

[Existence inside Cocoon · Awakening]

- Status: Enraged

- Reaction: Starting to absorb surrounding Rule fragments, accelerating gestation

- Estimated full awakening time: Approximately 1 hour

"It's accelerating!" Wen Yuan exclaimed. "Legion Commander, it wants to be born early!"

"Then don't let it come out!"

Lin Zhou gritted his teeth and shrank the coverage of the river of civilization, compressing it from a two-kilometer diameter to five hundred meters, concentrating it all on the top of the cocoon.

[River · Concentrated Flushing]

- Coverage: 500 meters in diameter

- Flushing efficiency: + 200%

- Consumption: 15,000 Divine Power per minute

At the top of the cocoon, a large number of Rule fragments were straightened out. The gray-white light began to fade, revealing the structure underneath — it was a thin film made of Chaos energy. Under the film, a huge, curled-up figure could be vaguely seen.

"I see it!" Wang Meng exclaimed. "There's something inside the cocoon!"

"No matter what it is, don't let it come out!" Lin Zhou roared. "Everyone, attack the top of the cocoon!"

Wang Meng, Tie Xiong, Qin Shuang, and a hundred elite soldiers launched attacks simultaneously!

Behemoth battle axes, steel giant shields, lights of judgment, rune cannons... all attacks were concentrated on the top of the cocoon!

[Joint Attack · Data]

- Attack power: Average Peak Lesser Divinity

- Focused fire effect: Cracks appeared on the top film of the cocoon

- Crack depth: Approximately 1 meter

- Film thickness: Approximately 10 meters

"Continue!" Lin Zhou ordered.

The second wave, the third wave, the fourth wave...

The cracks became deeper and wider.

The existence inside the cocoon let out an angry roar, and Chaos energy poured out from the cracks, trying to repair the damage.

[Film · Self-healing]

- Self-healing speed: 0.5 meters per second

- Attack destruction speed: 1.2 meters per second

- Net progress: 0.7 meters per second

"Enough!" Lin Zhou retracted the river and condensed it into a huge Sword of Civilization.

The sword was a hundred meters long and ten meters wide, and the blade was flowing with Hundred Schools inscriptions and colorful light.

[Sword of Civilization · Super Large]

- Attack power: Peak Mid-Tier Divine Power full-strength strike × 5

- Consumption: 80,000 Divine Power

- Special effect: Can cut through "Chaos Rules"

"Civilization — Slash!"

The sword light cut through the Void Realm and slashed fiercely at the top of the cocoon!

Boom — !!!

The film on the top of the cocoon was slashed open by the sword!

Gray-white Chaos energy sprayed out from the opening like blood. The existence inside the cocoon let out a shrill roar, and the curled-up figure began to struggle, trying to crawl out from the opening.

Lin Zhou saw part of its body — gray-white scales, countless tentacles, and a constantly changing core like a nebula.

[Existence inside Cocoon · Partial Data]

- Rank: LV650+ (High-level Mid-Tier Divine Power)

- Form: Indeterminate (mixture of octopus + giant beast + nebula)

- Characteristics:

1. Rule Dominator: Can define rules within range

2. Child of Return to Ruin: Direct connection to the Return to Ruin

3. Chaos Body: 80% physical immunity, 60% energy immunity

"Don't let it come out!" Lin Zhou roared. "Wen Yuan, use the rune cannons to seal the opening!"

Wen Yuan led the soldiers of the Research Hall and placed dozens of rune bombs around the opening.

[Rune Bomb · Data]

- Quantity: 50

- Power: Each equivalent to a full-strength strike of a Peak Lesser Divinity

- Detonation method: Remote control

- Effect: Can temporarily seal the opening and prevent the existence inside the cocoon from escaping

"Detonate!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Fifty rune bombs exploded at the same time, blowing the opening even larger — but the exploded Chaos energy formed a temporary barrier, temporarily trapping the existence inside the cocoon.

[Temporary Barrier · Status]

- Duration: Approximately 10 minutes

- Stability: 65%

- Number of impacts by the existence inside the cocoon: 3 impacts, barrier integrity 85%

"Ten minutes..." Lin Zhou gritted his teeth. "Enough."

He expanded the river of civilization again. This time, instead of flushing the surface of the cocoon, it surged into the interior of the cocoon!

[river of civilization · Internal Flushing]

- Target: Core of the existence inside the cocoon

- Effect: Use the power of Order to "straighten out" the chaotic Rules of the existence inside the cocoon

- Consumption: 20,000 Divine Power per minute

- Estimated completion time: Approximately 8 minutes

The river surged into the cocoon and collided violently with the Chaos energy of the existence inside!

Sizzle — !!!

Like cold water poured into boiling oil, the space inside the cocoon shook violently. The Chaos energy tried to swallow the river, but the power of Order in the river "straightened out" the Chaos one by one.

[Existence inside Cocoon · Status]

- Chaos integrity: 100% → 90% → 80% → 70%

- Straightened Rule fragments: Absorbed by the river

- Rank of existence inside cocoon: LV650 → LV600 → LV550 (continuously dropping)

"It's working!" Wen Yuan said excitedly.

The existence inside the cocoon let out a desperate roar, crazily impacting the temporary barrier. The integrity of the barrier was dropping rapidly — 85%... 75%... 65%...

"Captain, the barrier can only last for another five minutes!" Qin Qing said anxiously.

"Five minutes, that's enough."

Lin Zhou gritted his teeth and pushed the flow of the river to the limit.

[Consumption: 20,000 → 30,000 → 40,000 Divine Power/minute]

[Chaos integrity: 70% → 60% → 50% → 40%]

Four minutes.

Barrier integrity: 65%... 50%... 35%...

Chaos integrity of the existence inside the cocoon: 40% → 30% → 20%...

"Final blow!"

Lin Zhou condensed the final Fire of Civilization, turning it into a small sword, and stabbed it into the core of the existence inside the cocoon!

[Fire of Civilization · Core Purification]

- Target: Core of the existence inside the cocoon

- Effect: "Ignite" the chaotic Rules in the core and convert them into Order

- Consumption: 10,000 Divine Power

The core was ignited, and the Chaos energy began to burn!

Not destruction, but — conversion.

The gray-white Chaos energy, under the burning of the Fire of Civilization, gradually turned pale gold. Those chaotic Rule fragments were straightened out one by one and merged into the river.

[Existence inside Cocoon · Status]

- Chaos integrity: 20% → 10% → 0%

- Conversion: The existence inside the cocoon has been "civilized"

- New form: Rule Spirit (Order side)

- Rank: LV500 (Early-stage Mid-Tier Divine Power)

The cocoon completely collapsed.

Gray-white fragments splashed everywhere and were then absorbed by the river. The existence inside the cocoon was born from Chaos and reborn in the Fire of Civilization.

It was no longer a Chaos Beast, but — a Rule Spirit.

[Rule Spirit · Data]

- Rank: LV500

- Form: Pale golden humanoid creature, three meters tall, surrounded by Order runes

- Characteristics:

1. Order Affinity: Can sense chaotic Rules within range

2. Rule Combing: Can slowly "straighten out" chaotic Rules in a small area

3. Civilization Resonance: When resonating with the river of civilization, all attributes + 50%

- Loyalty: 100% ("Purified" by the Fire of Civilization, regards Lin Zhou as its master)

The Rule Spirit hovered in the Void Realm, looking at Lin Zhou. There was no hostility in its eyes, only gratitude.

"Master." Its voice was clear and gentle. "Thank you for freeing me from the Chaos."

Lin Zhou looked at it and was silent for a moment.

"What is your name?"

"I don't have a name. Master can give me one."

Lin Zhou thought for a moment: "Let's call you 'Xu'. The Xu of Order."

"Xu..." The Rule Spirit murmured, then smiled. "Good name. Thank you, Master."

Lin Zhou nodded and turned to look at the team.

"Clean up the battlefield and collect the Rule fragments. Return to the fortress in ten minutes."

"Yes!"

The team began to get busy.

Wen Yuan walked to Xu, pushed up his glasses, and looked at it curiously: "Can you sense chaotic Rules?"

"Yes." Xu nodded. "I can sense chaotic Rules within a radius of one hundred kilometers."

"Then can you help us find other Rule vortexes and Chaos Beast nests?"

"Yes."

Wen Yuan looked at Lin Zhou excitedly: "Legion Commander, with Xu, our exploration efficiency can be increased tenfold!"

Lin Zhou nodded but didn't speak.

His gaze fell into the distance. There, more gray-white lights were flickering. Every light was a threat.

"Xu, lead the way."

"Yes, Master."

Xu floated to the front of the team, its body surrounded by flowing Order runes, illuminating the mist ahead.

The team followed behind it, advancing deeper into the Chaos Star Domain.

Behind them, the remains of the cocoon slowly dissipated in the gray-white light.

In front of them were more unknowns and more challenges.

But Lin Zhou knew that as long as the river of civilization was still there, and as long as the Fire of Civilization was still burning, nothing could stop them.

Because Order would eventually triumph over Chaos.

Because Civilization would eventually illuminate everything.