92: On the arena, still waters run deep, revealing extraordinary effects (Part 1)

The defense battle on the Meteor Plains ended with the temporary retreat of Dome Academy. The refined gold vein remained in the hands of Yuncheng No. 1 High School. Although the defensive fortifications were severely damaged, the core circle was still intact. That Star Titan, with its chest covered in cracks and its starlight dimmed, stood like a giant trophy, silently telling the story of the fierce battle and the miraculous reversal that had just occurred.

According to the virtual battlefield rules, Yuncheng No. 1 High School had successfully held off this wave of attacks and gained precious time to regroup. The countdown numbers on the light screen in the sky began to jump, giving both sides a chance to reorganize.

In the team channel, the atmosphere was lively but carried the exhaustion of having survived a disaster.

"Damn it, we finally held on! Lin Zhou, what was that move you used just now? That was too awesome!" Zhao Hao's voice was filled with excitement and lingering fear. His Red Dragon kin had suffered significant losses and needed time to resurrect and recover.

"It's a Domain targeting emotional drives." Lin Zhou spoke concisely, not going into the profound mysteries of Daoist thought, as now was not the time. "Everyone, hurry and recover. Star Meteor won't give us too much time."

Lei Huang said in a deep voice, "My Thunder Giant's Divine Power is over-consumed, and I need at least ten minutes to recover basic combat capability."

Stone Breaking Heaven's situation was the worst; his Mountain Giant had been almost crippled, and the 【Earth Bulwark】 skill had entered a long cooldown. Pale-faced, he smiled bitterly and said, "I might need longer; the frontal pressure was too great."

Yan Li and Zhou Feng also reported the damage to their respective kin.

Su Yueyao's cold, clear voice sounded: "The Moon Elf will prioritize healing heavily injured units, but my Divine Power is limited, and I cannot fully restore all combat strength." Her Moonlight Divine Power had been heavily consumed while supporting the 【Pure and Inactive Realm】 and subsequent healing.

The situation remained grim. Although the enemy had been repelled, their own side had also suffered heavy losses. Could they hold out against the next attack?

Just then, the grand announcement of the virtual battlefield sounded:

【Detected that the divine domain core of "Stone Breaking Heaven," a member of the Yuncheng No. 1 High School team, is severely damaged, and kin combat power has lost over 70%. Meeting the mandatory protection mechanism, he is eliminated. His defensive area will be managed collaboratively by the remaining team members.】

【"Bronzebeard" (Magnetic Storm Dwarves divine Domain), a member of the Dome Academy team, has had his core tactical unit 【Electromagnetic Matrix】 overloaded and destroyed. Kin combat power has lost over 65%. Meeting the mandatory protection mechanism, he is eliminated.】

Two announcements sounded in succession. A bitter expression appeared on Stone Breaking Heaven's face. His light screen began to blur, and his figure gradually became ethereal. "Brothers, it's up to you now..." Leaving behind these words, he disappeared from the battlefield.

Everyone was silent. Although they had expected it, the elimination of a teammate still made the atmosphere heavy. At the same time, the opponent also had one person out, so it was a tie.

【The team arena match segment is about to begin! Please submit the starting lineup for both teams within 60 seconds. The arena match uses the "Divine Domain Projection 1V1" mode. The winner stays on the field, the loser is eliminated, until one team is completely defeated. The arena match results will directly affect the final resource point determination and morale bonuses.】

A new competition format!

A team arena match! This was an absolute collision of individual strength, and also the key to breaking the stalemate and winning an advantage and breathing room for the team!

"An arena match!" Zhao Hao's eyes lit up. "I'm good at this! Lin Zhou, let me go first! My Red Dragon just needs to vent!"

Lei Huang also looked at Lin Zhou, his eyes full of Battle Intent. His Thunder Giant was suitable for such frontal hard clashes.

Yan Li and Zhou Feng were also eager to try.

Lin Zhou swept his gaze over everyone, analyzing quickly. Zhao Hao's Red Dragon attacks were violent but had high consumption, and sustainability was an issue; Lei Huang's Thunder Giant was strong frontally but lacked mobility; Yan Li's Phoenix had aerial superiority and sustained fire damage, but its defense was weak; Zhou Feng's Shadow Demon Wolf was good at sneak attacks and harassment, not a frontal arena specialist.

And himself... he had just used the 【Pure and Inactive Realm】, consuming significant Divine Power and mental energy, but the recovery speed of the Fire of Civilization was extraordinary, and the Hundred Schools Kin had suffered relatively less damage in the previous defense battle, so their state was still acceptable.

More importantly, he needed to verify and perfect the effects of the 【Pure and Inactive Realm】 on different opponents. In team battles, it was area suppression; in 1V1 duels, would the effect be more concentrated and significant?

"No, I'll go for the first match." Lin Zhou made his decision, his tone calm but unquestionable.

"You?" Zhao Hao was stunned. "Lin Zhou, your Domain is strong, but the arena match is a hard clash. Your kin..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was obvious. In their previous impression, Lin Zhou's kin (Literary Heart Elves, Tiangong Dwarves, Law Fishmen) tended towards support, control, and defensive fortifications; their frontal assault capability didn't seem outstanding.

"I need to collect more data to perfect my Domain." Lin Zhou explained, "Besides, my kin are not without the strength to fight."

With a thought, the phantom of his divine Domain appeared beside him. One could see the Literary Heart Elves, led by Elwin, quickly reciting classics within the 【Jixia Academy】 to recover mental energy and Divine Power; the Tiangong Dwarves, under Bronzebeard's command, were urgently repairing the 【Tiangong Workshop】 and damaged war machines; the Law Fishmen stood solemnly before Snik's Temple of Law, the light of the 【Net of Law】 flickering. Although the entire divine Domain had experienced the flames of war, it revealed an orderly and rapidly recovering resilience.

Divine Domain Status: 【Hundred Schools Divine Kingdom (Projection)】

Area: 35 square kilometers (suppressed by virtual battlefield rules)

Core Kin:

Literary Heart Elves (LV28 - LV32): Quantity approx. 350. Status: 【High Morale】, 【Vast Righteous Qi Saturation 75%】. Hero Unit: Elwin (LV35).

Tiangong Dwarves (LV26 - LV30): Quantity approx. 300. Status: 【High Battle Intent】, 【Artisan Fire Activity 70%】. Hero Unit: Bronzebeard (LV33).

Law Fishmen (LV25 - LV28): Quantity approx. 280. Status: 【Strict Discipline】, 【Law Power Reserve 80%】. Hero Unit: Snik (LV32).

Miracle Buildings:

【Jixia Academy】: 【Education】 effect ongoing, kin experience gain +15%, skill comprehension speed +10%.

【Temple of Law】: 【Order】 Domain basic effect active, rule stability within the divine Domain +10%.

【Tiangong Workshop】: 【R&D】 and 【Production】 efficiency +25%, mechanical unit combat power +15%.

Environmental Attributes: 【Dragon Vein Spiritual Qi (Weak)】 — Continuously and slowly recovers kin status and Divine Power.

Seeing the orderly recovery speed of Lin Zhou's divine Domain and the calm state of his kin, Zhao Hao and the others said no more. Lin Zhou had already won the right to speak with his strength.

"Be careful." Su Yueyao said softly, her eyes falling on Lin Zhou with a hint of imperceptible concern. She had just merged her Divine Power with Lin Zhou's to construct the Domain, so she best understood the uniqueness and potential of his power, and she also understood that his move was intended to test the waters and share the pressure for the team.

Lin Zhou nodded slightly to her and then submitted his name.

On the other side, in the Dome Academy's lineup.

Star Meteor looked at the name "Lin Zhou" submitted by Yuncheng No. 1 High School on the light screen, his eyes cold. It was this guy who used that weird Domain to destroy his perfect offensive, leading to the damage of a precious Star Titan and even indirectly causing a teammate's elimination.

"Thunder, you go." Star Meteor said to a tall teammate beside him, around whom electric arcs were faintly jumping.

"Leave it to me, Captain!" The god named Thunder licked his lips, a look of battle-hungry excitement on his face. "I will electrocute his fragile elves and dwarves into charcoal! Let's see how he can cast that damn Domain!"

Thunder's divine Domain was 【Thunder Nagas】, a powerful ocean-type kin that naturally controlled lightning power and could enter a 【Berserk】 state under extreme anger, greatly increasing combat power. In his view, Lin Zhou's kin, which leaned towards control and support, could not withstand the lightning charge of his Naga army in the confined space of the arena.

The 60-second countdown ended.

In the center of the virtual battlefield, a huge circular arena slowly rose. The surface of the arena was engraved with complex runes, capable of withstanding the aftermath of god-level kin battles. The light screen around the arena isolated the inside from the outside, forming an independent 1V1 space.

Lin Zhou and Thunder's figures appeared simultaneously on the command platforms at both ends of the arena.

【Arena Match Round 1: Yuncheng No. 1 High School Lin Zhou (Hundred Schools Divine Domain) VS Dome Academy Thunder (Thunder Naga Divine Domain)!】

The whole audience was watching!

Whether it was the countless consciousnesses watching from outside the virtual battlefield or the team members on the battlefield, all eyes were focused here.

"It's started! It's that Lin Zhou who uses the strange Domain!"

"His opponent is Thunder! Dome Academy's heavy attacker! The berserk state of the Thunder Nagas is very terrifying!"

"I wonder how Lin Zhou's Domain works on a single target? The Naga's berserk state is the ultimate in emotion-driven power!"

Amidst the discussions, the battle officially began!

"Descend! My Sea of Thunder!" Thunder laughed wildly, taking the lead in deploying his divine Domain projection.

"Rumble—!"

It was as if a thundercloud storm had descended on one side of the arena! In that divine Domain, one could see an ocean filled with reefs and whirlpools, with dark clouds covering the sky and electric snakes dancing wildly. Amidst the waves, Naga warriors with human bodies and snake tails, possessing four or six arms, emerged! They (Nagas are mostly female in appearance) held lightning spears or thunder tridents, dangerous arcs jumping around them, their cold snake-like pupils filled with belligerence and wildness.

Enemy Divine Domain Status: 【Sea of Thunder (Projection)】

Core Kin: Thunder Nagas

Naga Thug (LV30 - LV33): Quantity approx. 400. Attribute bias: Strength 35, Agility 32, Physique 33, Intelligence 18, Spirit 22. Skills: 【Lightning Strike】, 【Thunder Throw】. Traits: 【Ocean Affinity】, 【Lightning Resistance】.

Naga Berserker (LV32 - LV35): Quantity approx. 150. Attribute bias: Strength 40, Agility 28, Physique 38, Intelligence 15, Spirit 25. Skills: 【Heavy Strike】, 【Thunder Blast】. Traits: 【Ocean Affinity】, 【Lightning Resistance】, 【Berserk (Inactive)】.

Naga Thunder Caller (LV28 - LV31): Quantity approx. 50. Attribute bias: Strength 20, Agility 25, Physique 26, Intelligence 35, Spirit 38. Skills: 【Chain Lightning】, 【Thunderstorm】. Traits: 【Ocean Affinity】, 【Lightning Resistance】, 【Elemental Focus】.

Hero Unit: Naga Queen (LV38) - Possesses skills 【Queen's Command (Increases attack speed and damage of surrounding Nagas)】, 【Ultimate Berserk (Guides herself and a large number of Nagas to enter Berserk simultaneously)】.

Environmental Attributes: 【Thunder Field】 — Continuously deals slight lightning damage to enemy units and adds a 【Paralysis】 chance, enhancing friendly lightning skill effects.

This was an elite legion with powerful attributes, both offensive and defensive, and possessed explosive berserk capabilities! Especially those 150 Naga Berserkers; once 【Berserk】 was activated, their strength and attack speed would soar by over 50%, and their Physique would also be greatly enhanced, becoming terrifying killing machines!

In contrast, Lin Zhou's Hundred Schools Kin seemed to fall completely behind in basic attributes. The Literary Heart Elves and Law Fishmen were even more inclined towards magic and crowd control, and their physical frames were relatively fragile.

"Hahaha! See that! This is absolute power!" Thunder laughed triumphantly, commanding the Naga legion to charge. "Crush them! Let the thunder purify everything!"

The Naga Thugs hissed, riding the waves, and launched the first wave of impact with their lightning spears! The Naga Berserkers followed closely behind, like heavy tanks. The Naga Thunder Callers in the rear began to chant, the thunderclouds in the sky became lower, and electric light gathered!

Facing this thunderous offensive that resembled a natural disaster, Lin Zhou's expression was calm. His divine Domain projection stood steadily on the other side of the arena, the Hundred Schools Kin ready for battle.

"Elwin, Aura of Righteousness Barrier, defend against the first wave of ranged attacks."

"Bronzebeard, ballista array, aim at the Naga Berserkers, delay their charge."

"Snik, prepare the Net of Law, focus on binding the hero unit, the Naga Queen."

He calmly issued Orders. At the same time, the Fire of Civilization in his Sea of Consciousness began to fluctuate at a unique frequency, resonating with the Pure and Inactive Concept of Daoist thought.

He did not immediately deploy the Domain. He was waiting, waiting for the Naga legion to enter the optimal range, waiting for their emotions to be completely ignited by the battle, waiting for the critical point where 【Berserk】 was about to be triggered!

The Naga legion's speed was extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, they had crossed half the field! The electric light thrown by the lightning spears began to bombard the 【Aura of Righteousness Barrier】 supported by the Literary Heart Elves, stirring up ripples. The Tiangong Dwarves' ballistae roared, and specially made armor-piercing bolts shot towards the Naga Berserkers. Although they were parried by weapons or blocked by thick scales, it indeed slowed their pace.

"Useless! This kind of tickling attack!" Thunder sneered, seeing the vanguard troops already approaching a hundred meters in front of Lin Zhou's formation. A fierce look flashed in his eyes. "Naga Queen! Command! Prepare for Berserk!"

The Naga Queen raised the golden trident in her hand and let out a sharp hiss! A violent Battle Intent swept through the entire Naga legion like a storm!

All the Nagas, especially those Berserkers, turned blood-red in the eyes instantly! Muscles bulged, veins popped, and the lightning around them changed from blue to a dangerous crimson! A destructive aura began to condense!

The 【Berserk】 skill was about to be activated!

That was the moment!

A sharp light shot from Lin Zhou's eyes!

"Tao Follows Nature, Pure and Inactive!"

"Domain, expand!"