534: Chapter 469: Three Years of Preparation, the Gate of Return to the Ruins Will Appear Again

Three days after the second level of the Temple of Civilization was opened, Lin Zhou was in the technology zone, comprehending the integrated application of "Technology Philosophy" and Mohist Mechanical Arts.

Li Mo's projection hovered beside him, and before them was a huge design blueprint—an improved version of the space-folding grenade; its volume had been reduced to the size of a fingernail, but its power had doubled.

Li Mo's fingers swept across the design, and data streams flashed by like a waterfall.

Suddenly, the entire projection flickered violently; it was not a problem with Li Mo, but rather that the detectors on the perimeter of the Iron Wall Fortress had transmitted an abnormal signal.

Although the Guixu Rift had been closed, an extremely weak space node remained in the depths of the rift.

That node had been dormant for the past three months, but it had suddenly activated at this moment.

It was not a fluctuation of guixu energy, but a tremor at the level of rules—someone had left a final thought in the depths of the Guixu, and the activation time set for this thought was now.

Lin Zhou rushed out of the temple and flew toward the Wall of Heroes.

Golden Scale poked its head out of the Divine Kingdom, its dragon roar filled with unease.

Fifty thousand soldiers arrayed themselves beneath the city wall, and fifty thousand Flying Swords rose into the sky simultaneously.

Su Yueyao's moonlight spread across the city wall, and the silver-white light illuminated the Void Realm.

Qin Qing's Net of Law enveloped the entire fortress.

Deep within the Guixu Rift, that space node exploded.

It was not an explosion, but a collapse at the level of rules.

In the center of the collapse, a phantom emerged—it was not the Lord of Nothingness, nor was it Night Owl, but the Marshal.

His phantom wore the uniform of the commander-in-chief of the Expeditionary Force, his right hand hanging by his side, his left hand behind his back.

His gaze was calm, but there was a hint of bitterness at the corners of his mouth.

"Child, when you see this recording, I will no longer be here." The Marshal's voice came from the phantom, like an ancient bell tolling, "Before Night Owl died, he sealed a prophecy in my core of divinity. I originally did not want to tell you, but after the Hand of Order fused with you, the prophecy would automatically activate."

Lin Zhou's left hand was glowing faintly—the Marshal's Hand of Order Legacy was resonating with that prophecy.

"Three years from now, the Gate of Guixu will officially descend. It is not the gate summoned by the Lord of Nothingness, but the gate of the Guixu itself. Behind the gate is the Origin of the Guixu—the Sea of Nothingness. Once the Sea of Nothingness pours into the New Universe, everything will return to nothingness. No power can stop it."

"However, there is still a glimmer of hope." The Marshal's phantom raised its left hand, and a Star Map appeared in its palm, "The principles of civilization can build the ultimate defense against the Guixu. It is not a city wall, nor a shield, but a defense at the level of rules—using the Way of Civilization as the foundation, the Hundred Schools of Thought as the pillars, and technology as the bricks and mortar to build an invisible Great Wall. This Great Wall can withstand the erosion of the Guixu and delay the spread of the Sea of Nothingness. At least for a hundred years, perhaps longer."

The Star Map unfolded in the Void Realm, marking the edges of the New Universe.

There was a dashed line there, circling the entire New Universe—that was the location of the defense line of the principles of civilization.

The defense line required three thousand nodes, and each node needed a seed of civilization as an energy source.

The nodes needed to be connected by rules, and the connection required essence of order as a bond.

The entire project required massive resources and manpower.

[principles of civilization Defense Line · Preliminary Design]

- Defense line length: Circling the New Universe, approximately 100 million kilometers

- Number of nodes: 3,000

- Distance between nodes: Approximately 30,000 kilometers

- Node energy: seed of civilization (one per node)

- Node connection: essence of order (1,000 units per node)

- Total consumption: 3,000 seeds of civilization, 3 million units of essence of order

- Estimated construction period: Three years (requires full military mobilization)

Lin Zhou's pupils contracted sharply.

Three million units of essence of order, three thousand seeds of civilization.

His river of civilization was only at eighty percent capacity; at most, he could only split off ten thousand seeds, but the essence of order was far from enough.

Three million units would require purifying three hundred million chaos crystals, or destroying thirty guixu energy sources at the level of the Gate of Guixu energy core.

Three years was almost impossible to achieve.

"Captain, the Marshal's prophecy..." Qin Qing walked over, her face pale.

"It is true." Lin Zhou clenched his left hand, the golden light of the Hand of Order flickering, "Three years from now, the Gate of Guixu will open. The Sea of Nothingness will pour into the New Universe. We must build the principles of civilization defense line before then."

"Three million units of essence of order, where will they come from?"

"From the Guixu." Lin Zhou turned around and looked toward the Chaos Star Domain, "Although the Guixu Rift is closed, the guixu energy is still there. There are still a large number of Divine Kingdom wrecks polluted by guixu energy on the edge of the Chaos Star Domain. Each wreck can produce hundreds to thousands of units of essence of order. In the past, we purified four hundred of them and obtained about one hundred thousand units. It is not enough; we need more."

"Three years, purify three thousand locations?" Li Mo's projection calculated quickly, "At the current purification speed of the Civilization Guardian Legion, we can only purify one location per day. Three thousand locations would take three thousand days, more than eight years. It is too late."

"Therefore, we need to accelerate." Lin Zhou walked to the Wall of Heroes and pressed his hand against the wall, "The scientific methodology of the technology zone can double the purification efficiency. The battle rule fragments in the Bingge Cave can increase the speed at which soldiers acquire combat experience by two times, and the Chaos Beast encountered during the purification process can be dealt with faster. There is also Golden Scale's Dragon Breath, which can purify a large area at once."

Golden Scale flew out of the Divine Kingdom, its dragon roar echoing in the Void Realm.

Its Dragon Breath had been strengthened by the Fire of Civilization during the Guixu War, and it could now purify guixu energy within a diameter of one hundred kilometers.

If it were used to assist in purification, the efficiency could be increased tenfold.

[principles of civilization Defense Line · Acceleration Plan]

- Lin Zhou leads the team to purify the core area (two locations per day)

- Golden Scale assists in purifying the peripheral areas (ten locations per day)

- Wang Meng leads the Vanguard Battalion to clear the Chaos Beast in the purification area

- Lei Zhan leads the heavy armored legion to guard the purification area

- Qin Qing, Su Yueyao, and Iron Face rotate to provide support

- Estimated purification speed: Twelve locations per day

- Can purify in three years: Approximately 13,000 locations

- Estimated essence of order to be obtained: Approximately 300,000 units

Three hundred thousand units; it was still ten times short of three million.

It was not enough.

"Captain, do we have any other way?" Su Yueyao asked.

Lin Zhou was silent.

He raised his head and looked at the Marshal's phantom.

The phantom was still there, but it was becoming increasingly faint.

"Marshal, is there anything else you haven't told me?"

The Marshal's phantom smiled, "Child, you are smarter than me. The core of the principles of civilization defense line is not essence of order, nor the seed of civilization, but—people. Three thousand nodes require three thousand people to guard them. Each person is a mobile defense line. Wherever they go, the Fire of Civilization burns. essence of order is just material; people are the foundation."

[principles of civilization Defense Line · True Core]

- Node Guardian: 3,000 people

- Guardian conditions: seed of civilization matured, Rank of divinity LV500 or above

- Guardian mission: Station at the node and maintain the operation of the node with their own divinity

- Advantages: Can move, can fight, can self-repair

- Cost: Guardians need to be stationed for a long time and cannot leave the node for more than three days

Lin Zhou understood.

The principles of civilization defense line was not a dead wall, but a living wall.

Three thousand Civilization Walkers stationed at three thousand nodes would maintain the operation of the defense line with their own Fire of Civilization.

They would not be lonely because there were rule connections between the nodes, and they could perceive each other's existence.

They would not be afraid because the Fire of Civilization would illuminate the darkness.

"From today on, the Civilization Guardian Legion will enter a three-year preparation period." Lin Zhou turned to face the fifty thousand soldiers, "Within three years, we must purify thirteen thousand Divine Kingdom wrecks and obtain three hundred thousand units of essence of order. At the same time, we will select three thousand Civilization Walkers from the entire army to serve as node guardians. Their Rank of divinity must be LV500 or above, and their seed of civilization must be mature."

"Three years from now, the principles of civilization defense line will be built. The Gate of Guixu will return, but the New Universe will not fall."

"Because we are here."

"Civilization forever prospers!" Fifty thousand people roared in unison.

Lin Zhou walked down from the Wall of Heroes and returned to the barracks.

Su Yueyao followed behind him.

"Captain, do you also have to guard a node?"

"My node is at the very front of the defense line. The position directly facing the Gate of Guixu."

Su Yueyao was silent for a moment, "Then I will accompany you."

Lin Zhou shook his head, "Your moonlight needs to illuminate the entire defense line. You will guard the central node."

Su Yueyao looked at him and finally nodded.

Lin Zhou pushed open the door of the barracks, and it had already been converted into a small combat conference room.

The Star Map of the New Universe was spread out on the table, and the locations of the three thousand nodes had already been marked by Li Mo.

He sat at the table and began to plan the three-year preparation plan.

The first year: Purify Divine Kingdom wrecks, accumulate essence of order, and select node guardians.

The second year: Deploy nodes, connect rules, and build the framework of the defense line.

The third year: Strengthen nodes, train guardians, and prepare to face the Gate of Guixu.

Three years, one thousand and ninety-five days; not a single day can be wasted.

He raised his left hand, and the golden Hand of Order condensed in his palm.

The Marshal's phantom had dissipated, but his will remained.

The Way of Civilization is passed down from generation to generation.

Three years from now, the Gate of Guixu will return.

But the New Universe, will not fall.