530: Chapter 465: The Fusion of the Cave Heavens, the Weapon Cave Enters the Foundation of the Divine Kingdom

On the third day after the Civilization Dragon Vein integrated into the Divine Kingdom, an encrypted communication was sent from the Expeditionary Force Headquarters to the Iron Wall Fortress. The sender was Acting Marshal Acting Marshal Qian Weiguo, and the message contained only one sentence: "The Marshal reserved a reward for you before his death. Coordinates attached." Lin Zhou clicked on the coordinates. The location was on the edge of the Chaos Star Domain, about five thousand kilometers from the Iron Wall Fortress, labeled "Bingge Cave." He recalled hearing this name during the Old Universe era—an ancient Grotto-Heaven, said to be a trial ground left behind by a certain God King-level powerhouse, containing countless sealed War Souls and battle rules inside. After the outbreak of the Guixu War, the Bingge Cave was sealed off by the Expeditionary Force and was never opened to the public again.

[Bingge Cave · Intelligence]

- Type: Grotto-Heaven (Ancient Ruins)

- Location: Edge of the Chaos Star Domain, about 5,000 kilometers from the Iron Wall Fortress

- Status: Intact (not eroded by guixu energy)

- Interior: Ancient War Souls, battle rule fragments, martial arena

- Value: Can significantly increase the combat experience of the vassal races

- Fusion Conditions: Requires the Divine Kingdom Core as the Foundation

Lin Zhou did not hesitate. The next morning, he took the Dragon Vein Golden Scale, Su Yueyao, and Wang Meng, and arrived at the coordinate location through a teleportation array. A massive stone gate floated in the Void Realm, about a thousand meters high and five hundred meters wide. Ancient battle reliefs were carved on the door frame—there were warriors charging with swords, generals waving flags to command, and thousands of troops and horses clashing on the battlefield. On the lintel of the stone gate, two ancient Seal script characters were carved—"Bingge."

[Bingge Cave · Stone Gate]

- Material: Unknown (sturdier than stellar alloy)

- Reliefs: About 300 pieces

- Lintel Characters: Bingge

- Status: Closed (requires a specific key to open)

- Key: Fire of Civilization

Lin Zhou pressed his hand against the stone gate, and the Fire of Civilization gushed from his palm, seeping into the crack of the door. The stone gate slowly opened, revealing a grayish-white Void Realm inside—not the grayish-white of guixu energy, but the grayish-white accumulated by time. The interior of the Grotto-Heaven was a vast Void Realm, about ten thousand kilometers in diameter. Countless battle rule fragments floated in the Void Realm—there were Sword Intents, Saber Qis, spear glows, and arrows. Each fragment recorded the combat experience of an ancient warrior. Countless phantoms also floated in the Void Realm—not heroic spirits, but War Souls. The remnant thoughts of the soldiers who had fallen in the Wars of the Old Universe era were sealed within the Bingge Cave, turning into sparring phantoms.

[Bingge Cave · Internal Data]

- Diameter: About 10,000 kilometers

- Battle Rule Fragments: About 100,000

- War Souls: About 10,000 (Ranks vary from LV100 to LV1000)

- Martial Arena: Located at the center of the Grotto-Heaven, about 1,000 kilometers in diameter

- Core: A golden crystal, sealing the control of the Bingge Cave

Lin Zhou stepped into the Grotto-Heaven. Sensing the intruder, the War Souls turned their heads at the same time. Their eyes were hollow, with no hostility, only Battle Intent. A War Soul clad in bronze armor stepped out of the Void Realm, holding a long halberd, at Rank LV800. It did not speak, but simply raised its halberd and thrust it toward Lin Zhou. The Dragon Vein Golden Scale roared, its Dragon Breath forcing the War Soul back. However, the War Soul did not dissipate; it took a few steps back in the Dragon Breath and then charged once more.

"Golden Scale, stop." Lin Zhou walked up to the War Soul and pressed the Fire of Civilization against its chest. The flames seeped into the War Soul's body, and a trace of clarity appeared in its hollow eyes. It lowered its halberd, bowed to Lin Zhou, and then retreated back into the Void Realm.

[Bingge Cave · War Souls]

- Quantity: About 10,000

- Form: Phantoms

- Rank: LV100-LV1000

- Behavior: Can transform into sparring phantoms

- Trait: Undying (undergoes infinite Rebirth within the Bingge Cave)

Lin Zhou flew to the center of the Grotto-Heaven, where a golden crystal floated—the core of the Bingge Cave. He pressed his hand against the crystal, and the river of civilization surged out from his Divine Kingdom, enveloping the entire Grotto-Heaven. The crystal glowed, and the rule structure of the Bingge Cave began to fuse with Lin Zhou's Divine Kingdom.

[river of civilization · Fusing Bingge Cave]

- Target: Bingge Cave (10,000 kilometers in diameter)

- Fusion Progress: 1%...2%...3%...

- Cost: 10,000 Divine Power daily

- Estimated Fusion Time: About thirty days

Thirty days later, the Bingge Cave completely fused into the Divine Kingdom. It floated to the southeast of the Temple of Civilization, adjacent to the nest of the Civilization Dragon Vein. The entrance of the Grotto-Heaven turned into a stone gate standing on the plains of the Divine Kingdom. The characters "Bingge" were carved on the gate, behind which lay that vast Void Realm of ten thousand kilometers in diameter. The War Souls wandered in the Void Realm, and the battle rule fragments floated within it. The vassal races in the Divine Kingdom could enter the Bingge Cave at any time to battle the War Souls, comprehend the battle rule fragments, and increase their combat experience.

[Divine Kingdom · Fused Bingge Cave]

- New Area: Bingge Cave (Grotto-Heaven)

- Area: 10,000 kilometers in diameter

- Function: Permanent Martial Arena

- Effect 1: Vassal race combat experience gain +200%

- Effect 2: Battle rule comprehension speed +300%

- Effect 3: War Soul sparring (adjustable Rank, LV100-LV1000)

- Cost: None (the Grotto-Heaven operates on its own)

Lin Zhou stood before the stone gate of the Bingge Cave, watching those War Souls. They were no longer enemies, but sparring partners. They would impart their combat experience to the vassal races entering the Grotto-Heaven, then dissipate in battle, only to undergo Rebirth within the Grotto-Heaven. An infinite cycle, never-ending.

"Captain, this Grotto-Heaven is perfect for training recruits," Wang Meng said as he stood behind him, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Not just recruits. Veterans need it too." Lin Zhou walked into the Grotto-Heaven and reached out to touch a battle rule fragment. The fragment merged into his palm, and a stream of Sword Intent rushed into his consciousness—it was the combat experience of an ancient Sword Cultivator, different from the sword techniques he had learned from the Shushan Sword Classic, far more fierce and direct.

[Bingge Cave · Battle Rule Fragment]

- Type: Sword Intent

- Origin: Ancient Sword Cultivator

- Effect: Sword technique proficiency +5%

- Cost: None

Lin Zhou walked out of the Grotto-Heaven and returned to the Wall of Heroes. He gathered the entire army and announced the opening of the Bingge Cave.

"Starting today, every soldier of the Civilization Guardian Legion can train in the Bingge Cave for two hours a day. The War Souls will battle you, and the battle rule fragments will help you comprehend. Your combat experience gain speed will increase twofold, and your battle rule comprehension speed will increase threefold."

Fifty thousand people cheered simultaneously. Wang Meng was the first to rush into the Bingge Cave, battling a Rank LV800 War Soul. He was knocked down seven times, but on the eighth attempt, he finally struck the War Soul's chest. The War Soul did not dissipate; instead, it bowed to him and retreated back into the Void Realm. Within just half an hour, Wang Meng's combat experience surged by ten percent.

[Wang Meng · Bingge Cave Training (First Time)]

- Opponent War Soul: LV800

- Number of Battles: 8

- Wins: 1

- Combat Experience Gained: +10%

- Godhead Rank: LV520→LV525

Su Yueyao also walked into the Bingge Cave. Instead of battling the War Souls, she sat at the edge of the Grotto-Heaven, comprehending the battle rule fragments. Moonlight fused with the Sword Intent, forming a silvery-white shield around her—not a defensive shield, but an offensive shield that could reflect enemy attacks.

[Su Yueyao · Bingge Cave Comprehension]

- Comprehended Fragment: Moonlight Sword Intent

- New Skill: Moonlight Reflection (reflects 50% of damage when attacked)

- Comprehension Time: One hour

Qin Qing entered the Bingge Cave to battle a Rank LV600 War Soul. Her Net of Law continuously evolved during the battle, upgrading from 'Define Illegal' to 'Define Invalid'—any enemy snared by the Net of Law would have all their skills rendered ineffective.

[Qin Qing · Bingge Cave Battle]

- Opponent War Soul: LV600

- Number of Battles: 5

- Wins: 3

- New Skill: Net of Law · Define Invalid

- Effect: All skills of the snared enemy are rendered ineffective

Lei Zhan led the Heavy Armored Legion into the Bingge Cave. Three thousand Iron Rock Giants and three thousand War Souls formed arrays and charged at each other—shield wall against shield wall, sword array against sword array. The shield walls of the Iron Rock Giants were continuously reinforced during the battle, increasing their defense by twenty percent.

[Lei Zhan · Bingge Cave Training]

- Opponent War Souls: 3,000

- Training Method: Military array charge

- Shield Wall Defense: +20%

- Soldier Combat Experience: +15%

Lin Zhou stood before the stone gate of the Bingge Cave, watching the soldiers fighting fiercely in the Grotto-Heaven. The Golden Scale coiled upon the stone gate, its dragon roars echoing through the Grotto-Heaven. The War Souls' Battle Intent grew even stronger amidst the Golden Scale's roars, and the soldiers' morale soared even higher.

One month later, the average combat experience of the Civilization Guardian Legion had increased by 120%, and their average Godhead Rank had risen from LV350 to LV400. For the legion of fifty thousand, the number of battle-ready soldiers increased from thirty thousand to forty-five thousand.

Lin Zhou stood on the Wall of Heroes, looking in the direction of the New Universe. The Fire of Civilization from one hundred thousand towns resembled a sea of stars in the night sky. The stone gate of the Bingge Cave stood tall in the Divine Kingdom, and the War Souls wandered within the Grotto-Heaven.

"Captain, the effect of the Bingge Cave is better than expected," Qin Qing said as she walked over.

"Yes. The speed of combat experience gain has exceeded our expectations. In another two months, the average Godhead Rank of the entire army will break through LV500."

"By then, we can wipe out all the remnants on the edge of the Chaos Star Domain."

Lin Zhou nodded. He walked down the city wall and returned to his barracks. The Fire of Civilization burned, illuminating the path ahead, as well as those never-resting War Souls within the Bingge Cave.