71: The altar of Shennong was erected, and the fertile soil, cultivated with traditional techniques, yielded abundant granaries. (Part 2)

Although the infiltration of deathly aura was temporarily suppressed, it remained like a sword hanging overhead, and Lin Zhou did not dare to relax in the slightest. He increased the intensity of monitoring in the peripheral areas and simultaneously ordered the Imperial Hospital to step up research on antidotes and protective potions targeting death energy.

The Altar of Shennong played an unexpected role in this process. Under Lin Zhou's guidance, the Wood-attribute and Water-attribute fields among the nine Five-Colored Spiritual Fields began to focus on cultivating Spiritual Plants with purification effects.

In the Wood-attribute Five-Colored Spiritual Field, an originally ordinary heart-clearing grass mutated and advanced into a Purifying Evil Light Lotus after absorbing a large amount of Life Spiritual Liquid and Wood-system Laws. When its lotus flowers bloomed, they emitted a soft purifying halo, providing a continuous dispersal effect against undead and evil energy.

The Water-attribute Five-Colored Spiritual Field successfully cultivated Moonlight Spring-Eye Grass. This Spiritual Plant can spontaneously condense moonlight and clear water to form a small-scale Moonlight Spiritual Spring. The spring water possesses faint healing and purifying properties, sharing subtle similarities with Su Yueyao's Moonlight Divine Power.

These Spiritual Plants were quickly transplanted to the border areas. Combined with the Literary Heart Elves' Vast Righteous Qi, they constructed a defense line of life and Order, effectively curbing the spread of the deathly aura and slowly pushing it back toward the spatial anomaly.

Meanwhile, the construction of the Hall of Heroes also entered its final sprint phase. After consuming almost all the reserved soul-calming wood and faith crystals, and investing 3,000 points of Divine Power, this hall—which served as the resting place for heroes and the Legacy of civilization—was finally about to be completed!

At this moment, in the core area of the Divine Realm, a majestic and solemn palace stood tall, its style blending ancient Huaxia simplicity with divine brilliance. The hall's body was constructed jointly from pitch-black soul-calming wood and snow-white faith crystals. Between the flying eaves and bracket sets, it seemed as if countless heroic Souls were whispering and praying. The hall doors were tightly shut, carved with reliefs of heroic deeds such as Elwin reciting classics, Bronzebeard swinging his hammer to forge, and Snik holding his staff in judgment, emitting a reassuring and heavy aura.

Building Card: Hall of Heroes (Incomplete)

Type: Miracle Building/Special/Legacy

Quality: Epic

Status: Under Construction (99%)

Final Effects:

Home of Heroic Souls (Activated): Automatically receives the Souls of hero units within the Divine Realm who died in battle for the faith (Devout Believers or above, with outstanding contributions), preventing their Souls from dissipating. Current capacity limit: 5.

Heroic Soul Transformation (Activated): Consumes Power Of Faith to transform hero Souls into Heroic Souls. After transformation, they retain most memories and skills, their potential increases, and their loyalty is eternal. Transformation speed: 1 unit/month (fluctuates based on Soul strength).

Heroic Soul Summoning (Activated): Consumes Divine Power to summon Heroic Souls into reality for combat (existence time and strength are positively correlated with Divine Power investment). Alternatively, shapes a temporary spiritual body for them (maintenance requires continuous consumption of faith).

Faith Amplification (Activated): Divine Realm faith production +10%, faith cohesion significantly improved.

Heroic Soul Blessing (Locked): Heroic Souls can bestow part of their power or characteristics upon specific follower races or buildings.

Legion War Array (Locked): Can form Heroic Soul Legions to perform joint combat techniques.

All core followers gathered outside the Hall of Heroes, watching the final ritual with tension and anticipation. Lin Zhou hovered before the hall doors, his expression solemn. He could feel that a faint but pure Soul power had already gathered inside the hall. It was the residual true spirits of all the warriors who had sacrificed themselves for the faith since the establishment of the Divine Realm, drawn here by the Hall of Heroes to await rebirth.

“In the name of civilization, inheriting the will of our ancestors! Hall of Heroes, open!”

Lin Zhou declared loudly, while simultaneously injecting the final 1,000 points of Divine Power and a wisp of pure Fire of Civilization into the hall doors!

“Rumble—!”

The massive doors of the Hall of Heroes slowly opened inward, and endless white-gold light poured out from within—warm, holy, and carrying a familiar aura that brought tears to one's eyes! Within the light, several illusory yet steady figures could be seen slowly condensing.

The leader was burly and held an illusory forging hammer. He was a Heroic Craftsman of the dwarves who had been heavily injured while protecting the furnace during the final exam, and whose Soul had eventually been on the verge of dissipating—Granite Bronzebeard (Bronzebeard's uncle)! He was originally just a Soul fragment, but now, under the power of the Hall of Heroes and the Fire of Civilization, he had condensed into a complete Heroic Soul body!

Heroic Soul Unit: Granite Bronzebeard

Rank: LV20 (Heroic Soul form; Rank is fixed but can increase as the temple upgrades)

Attributes: Strength 35 (-3), Agility 15 (-1), Physique -- (Heroic Souls have no physical body; defense is determined by spiritual body strength and Divine Power blessing), Intelligence 22, Wisdom 20, Spirit 25.

Status: Heroic Soul (Eternal loyalty, fearless of death, can exist without a physical entity)

Skills:

【Master-level Forging】(Retained): Can guide dwarf forging, slightly increasing the efficiency of the Tiangong Workshop.

【Indomitable Artisan Soul】(Heroic Soul Exclusive): When near the Hall of Heroes or the Tiangong Workshop, can slightly increase the equipment durability of allies within range and deal extra damage to undead and ethereal units.

【Heroic Soul Protection】(Requires Summoning): Can consume Divine Power to attach a powerful shield to a designated building or unit.

Existence Requirement: Must be maintained by the Hall of Heroes, periodically consuming a trace amount of faith.

Besides Granite Bronzebeard, the Souls of two Wenxin Elf scholars and a Law Fishman adjudicator who had sacrificed themselves during the early pioneering and battles were also successfully received, turning into Heroic Souls of around LV15. Although their current strength was not as high as their Peak during life, as immortal existences, their strategic significance was immense!

“Uncle!” Hero Bronzebeard looked at that familiar Heroic Soul figure, his eyes brimming with tears, unable to contain his excitement. He had originally thought his uncle had completely dissipated, never expecting his Lord to have such great power to bring back heroic spirits!

Seeing this scene, all the followers were even more ecstatic, their faith reaching an unprecedented climax! To fight for their Lord meant that even in death, their Souls would have a home, and they could even continue to protect the Divine Realm in another form! This completely resolved their worries, causing morale and loyalty to skyrocket!

【Divine Realm Faith Status Updated】: Overall faith level increased, the proportion of Devout Believers has significantly increased, and Fanatic Believers are beginning to emerge! Daily faith production increased by an additional 20%! (Hall of Heroes + Event Incentive)

The completion of the Hall of Heroes was like a shot of adrenaline for the Divine Realm, greatly enhancing its cohesion and war potential.

Just as the Hall of Heroes opened and the entire Divine Realm was celebrating, the deathly aura anomaly in the northeast seemed to be stimulated by this surging power of life and Order, and its fluctuations suddenly intensified!

“Buzz—!”

The spatial ripples expanded, and an unstable, dark passage about three meters in diameter flickered into view! A thicker and purer deathly aura poured out like tangible black mist, even interspersed with the tooth-gritting sound of bone friction and the wailing of Souls!

“On alert! Enemy attack!” Hero Snik immediately issued a warning. The Law Fishman Adjudication Team immediately deployed a small Net of Law. Golden chains of Order appeared in the air, attempting to bind and purify the black mist.

Under Elwin's leadership, the Wenxin Elf Spell Group recited the analects in unison. Vast Righteous Qi transformed into a golden curtain of light, overlapping with the Net of Law to block the erosion of the deathly aura.

The Tiangong Dwarf Breachers, holding war hammers and crossbow bolts flickering with evil-breaking runes, stood ready.

Lin Zhou's gaze was sharp. He could feel that something behind the passage was being drawn over! Was it because of the pure Soul energy emitted when the Hall of Heroes opened? Or the Divine Realm's flourishing vitality?

He could no longer defend passively!

“Heroic Granite Bronzebeard, Snik, Elwin, follow me forward to investigate! Bronzebeard (Hero), command the defense line. If there is any movement, kill without mercy!” Lin Zhou made a prompt decision to take the initiative. With the Hall of Heroes and many hidden cards, he was confident in dealing with the risks.

He personally took action, clearing the way with the Fire of Civilization. The golden flames scorched the black mist of death, making a “sizzling” sound. Heroic Granite Bronzebeard swung his illusory war hammer, emitting an aura of “life” that the undead loathed. Elwin's Vast Righteous Qi and Snik's power of Law protected them on both sides.

The four of them (and the deity) formed a spearhead, cautiously approaching the dark passage.

As they neared the passage, the ancient, decaying death rules—filled with endless resentment—became clearer. Lin Zhou looked through the unstable passage, and his pupils suddenly contracted!

On the other side of the passage was not the undead army he had imagined, but a... shattered graveyard scene. Broken tombstones were scattered about, the ground was grey and desolate underworld soil, and green ghost fires floated in the air. And not far from the entrance of the passage, a skeleton clad in tattered black armor and holding a rusted greatsword, with crimson Soul-fire burning in its eye sockets, was slowly turning around to “look” toward this side of the passage!

Reconnaissance Target: Ancient Skeleton Warrior

Rank: LV25 (Elite)

Attributes: Strength 30, Agility 15, Physique ?, Intelligence 5, Wisdom 3, Spirit 15 (Filled with resentment)

Traits: 【Undead Creature】 (Immune to mental control, fears light and fire, countered by life/holy energy), 【Ancient】 (Defense significantly increased, high resistance to conventional physical attacks), 【Resentment Entanglement】 (Attacks carry mental erosion).

Threat Level: Medium (Single unit)

The skeleton warrior seemed attracted by the aura of the living. It let out a silent roar and, dragging its greatsword, walked step by step toward the passage entrance!

“An LV25 elite undead...” Lin Zhou's gaze hardened. Was this just a sentry? Or an ordinary resident of this shattered graveyard? If it was the latter, the danger of this land of death would far exceed expectations!

But regardless, it must not be allowed to enter the Divine Realm!

“Purify it!”