289: Chapter 224: Fire Seed Fusion, Temple Upgrade, Long River Condensation

The fist-sized pale gold seed of civilization sank into the shimmering phantom of the Temple of Civilization at the center of his brow.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no violent loss of energy control. It was a deeper, more fundamental blending, like a trickling stream flowing into the ocean, like a scattered wanderer returning to the mother's embrace.

But deep within Lin Zhou's Sea of Consciousness, this "trickle" stirred up tempestuous waves.

An unimaginably vast torrent of civilization information, historical dust, thoughts of ancient sages, racial memories, and rule fragments... transformed into the purest flood of "Civilization Radiance," surging frantically along the channel constructed by the divine fire and the Sanctuary!

Lin Zhou felt like a small boat on a stormy sea, liable at any moment to be smashed and submerged by this angry tide of information. A debilitating tearing sensation came from his Divine Soul, and his consciousness felt as if it were about to be washed into countless fragments, scattered into that endless river of civilization.

[Warning! The impact of the Civilization Origin information flow has exceeded the current Divine Soul bearing threshold by 125%!]

[Sanctuary filtering mechanism operating at full power! Diverting to the river of civilization!]

[Warning! The phantom of the river of civilization is nearing saturation!]

[Initiating emergency plan: Consuming civilization points to strengthen the host's temporary Divine Soul bearing capacity! Consuming civilization points to stabilize the structure of the river of civilization!]

At the edge of his consciousness, the grand and indifferent prompts of the Temple of Civilization rang out continuously, acting like a final anchor. Lin Zhou gritted his teeth and held on, focusing his entire mind on a single point—it was the core belief he held when expounding Way of Civilization, the Foundation of his path in practicing the Hundred Schools of Thought, and his identification with and persistence in the civilization Concepts of "inclusivity, keeping pace with the times, and people-oriented"!

"I am an inheritor of civilization... not one who passively endures the dust of history... but a successor who actively chooses, integrates, and blazes new paths!"

"The Hundred Schools of Thought shall be used by me! The river of civilization shall be carried by me! The essence of the past is my cornerstone; the path to the future lies beneath my feet!"

His inner realization was as firm as a rock. The surging flood of information, though massive and chaotic, began to change under the filtering and diversion of the Temple of Civilization and the "screening" of Lin Zhou's own path.

Some purely negative, desperate, and distorted memory fragments of destruction were directly isolated and purified by the Sanctuary, turning into nothingness.

Some overly trivial and insignificant civilization details were diverted to the "tributaries" or deep "riverbeds" of the river of civilization phantom, temporarily sealed away.

But those truly essential "points of light"—containing flashes of civilization wisdom, the spiritual imprints of ancient sages, and core rule imprints—were guided to merge bit by bit into Lin Zhou's Divine Soul, the structure of the Temple of Civilization, and that surging phantom of the river of civilization!

This process was slow and arduous. Every second, Lin Zhou endured immense pressure and baptism at the level of the Divine Soul. His divine body trembled slightly within the spherical space, his face flickering between light and dark, and his aura fluctuating. At the center of his brow, the phantom of the Temple of Civilization sometimes appeared as clear as a solid hall and sometimes as blurred as a candle in the wind. Behind him, the phantom of the river of civilization was even more turbulent, with various broken yet coherent strange scenes constantly flashing in the waves.

Zhao Hao and the other three, guarding by his side, had their hearts in their throats. They could see the difficulty of Lin Zhou's state and feel the increasingly dense, Soul-shivering yet yearning Civilization Radiance and ancient rhythms in the surrounding space. They could not help, only do their best to stabilize themselves while remaining alert for any possible accidental interference.

Time passed minute by minute. At the level of consciousness, it felt to Lin Zhou as if thousands of years had gone by.

He "saw" Suiren-shi drilling wood to make fire, lighting the first glimmer of civilization (Rule fragment [Civilization Origin · Fire] absorbed; divine fire Foundation slightly strengthened; affinity for the Concepts of "Light" and "Hope" increased).

He "heard" the mysterious wailing of ghosts and gods when Cangjie created characters, a vibration of the rules of heaven and earth (Concept imprint [Civilization Carriage · Script] obtained; latent increase in the cultural propagation efficiency of the dependents; personal Divine Word power +5%).

He "experienced" the hardships and benevolence of Shennong tasting the hundred herbs (Legacy of [Civilization Foundation · Medicine] completed; School of Medicine related skill effects receive a permanent 5% bonus).

He "watched" the world-shaking battle between the Yellow Emperor and Chiyou, comprehending the initial cruelty and necessity of the School of Military's conquests (Concept [Civilization Protection · Weaponry] absorbed; battle will of the School of Military dependents slightly strengthened).

He "followed" the abdication of Yao and Shun, experiencing the original ideal of "the world for the public" (Idea [Civilization Governance · Benevolent Rule] integrated; latent increase in the governance efficiency of the Divine Kingdom).

He "witnessed" Great Yu holding a plow, passing his home three times without entering, using immense perseverance and wisdom to divert the floods and delineate the Nine Provinces (Strong epic resonance with [Civilization Struggle · Nature] and [Civilization Construction · Engineering]! A large number of related rule insights and spiritual imprints integrated!).

Effect: The disaster resistance of the Divine Kingdom's environment is significantly improved; dependents (especially Tiangong Dwarves) gain +15% efficiency and +10% inspiration rate when conducting large-scale engineering construction; Lin Zhou himself gains the temporary status [Great Yu's Spiritual Imprint]: willpower checks receive an extra bonus when facing great difficulties, and endurance is increased.

He "listened" to the benevolence of Tang of Shang "leaving three sides of the net open," and felt the rhythm of the rise and fall of dynasties (Initial contact with the Concept of [Civilization Cycle]; deepening of governance comprehension).

He "strolled" through the Rites and Music of the Western Zhou, feeling the initial establishment of Order and norms (Rule fragment [Civilization Order · Rites and Music] absorbed, creating synergy with the School of Legalism's Order and the School of Confucianism's rites and laws; internal harmony of the Divine Kingdom improved).

He "immersed" himself in the golden age of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, where a Hundred Schools of Thought contended and ideas exploded! Confucius traveled through various states, enduring hardships yet never ceasing his songs and teachings, with three thousand Disciples, teaching all without discrimination (Epic resonance with [Civilization Enlightenment · School of Confucianism]! A vast torrent of Enlightenment Concepts, benevolent spirit, and academic thought washed over him!);

Laozi rode a green ox west out of Hangu Pass, leaving behind the five thousand words of the tao te ching to expound the ultimate truths of heaven and earth (Core Concept of [Civilization Philosophy · School of Taoism] integrated! Understanding of "Dao," "Nature," and "Non-action" leaped forward!);

Mozi hurried about crying out for Non-Aggression and Universal Love, his followers ready to go through fire and water without turning back (Strong spiritual imprint resonance with [Civilization Ideal · School of Mohism]! Logic, creativity, and the spirit of sacrifice deepened!);

Sun Tzu wrote the Thirteen Chapters of the Art of War, elevating warfare to art and philosophy (Essence of [Civilization Strategy · School of Military] absorbed!);

Shang Yang moved the pole to establish trust, and Han Fei wrote books to set forth his theories, as the sharp edge of the School of Legalism first appeared (Core Concepts of [Civilization Law · School of Legalism] completed!);

There were also the School of Agriculture, School of Medicine, School of Names, School of Diplomacy, School of Yin and Yang... the brilliance of countless ideas intertwined and collided!

Effect: The Hundred Schools of Thought system is completely integrated within Lin Zhou's heart; it is no longer a scattered skill tree but forms an organic whole! All skill effects based on the Hundred Schools of Thought receive a permanent baseline increase of 5% to 15%! The speed at which dependents comprehend the Hundred Schools of Thought +20%! Lin Zhou's own ability to unify Way of Civilization undergoes a qualitative change!

Scene after scene, segment after segment, some clear, some blurred, some grand, some subtle. There were brilliant creations, tragic sacrifices, flashes of wisdom, and painful lessons. This was not just an infusion of information, but a spiritual resonance across time and space, a "consecration" of civilization inheritance!

As the essence was continuously absorbed and integrated, Lin Zhou's Divine Soul began to transform, becoming more resilient and transparent, with bearing capacity and comprehension greatly enhanced. The phantom of the Temple of Civilization at the center of his brow also gradually became solid, stable, and filled with inner light. More delicate and profound patterns began to appear on the surface of the Sanctuary, and its structure seemed to be undergoing fine-tuning and optimization, becoming more compatible with the integrated Origin of the seed of civilization.

The most significant change occurred in the phantom of the river of civilization behind him!

The originally translucent and slightly illusory river began to solidify at a visible rate after absorbing a massive amount of civilization essence (including both the precipitated and the integrated)! The color of the river water changed from pale gold to a heavier, deeper dark gold, as if what flowed was not water but molten civilization epics. The river surface widened, the waves became more powerful, and the sound of the waves hitting was no longer an illusory sound of water, but a civilization symphony faintly carrying the sounds of bells and chimes, Rites and Music, clashing weapons and armored horses, and the recitations of ancient sages!

More importantly, the images emerging in the river were no longer just fleeting fragments. Some key, strongly resonant epic scenes began to appear and flow stably and periodically in certain "stretches" of the river:

Somewhere in the upper reaches of the river, the towering figure of Great Yu controlling the waters held a plow to guide the floods, with the phantoms of the mountains and rivers of the Nine Provinces rising and falling; his indomitable will turned into the sound of waves, sung eternally.

In a section of the middle reaches, the scene of Confucius traveling through the states flowed leisurely. The Master and his Disciples were weary from travel yet firm in gaze, as the clear sounds of lecturing and the golden characters of "the benevolent love others" rippled with the waves.

The purple Qi of Laozi emerging from the pass, the wit of Mozi stopping Chu from attacking Song, the formation maps of Sun Tzu's military drills, the resolve of Shang Yang's reforms... one after another, clearer and more vivid epic scrolls floated in the dark golden river, together forming the most dazzling scenery in the long river!

Even the key events Lin Zhou himself experienced, such as the struggle of the College Entrance Examination, the establishment of the society, and the exploration of the Grotto-Heaven, condensed into newer, shimmering 'Contemporary Waves,' merging into the downstream of the river and becoming a new link in this civilization Legacy.

This river was transforming from a 'phantom' into a true [river of civilization · Semi-Entity] with substantial influence and the power of laws!

[Hint: seed of civilization (Incomplete) Fusion progress: 65%... 70%... 80%...]

[Temple of Civilization Origin being replenished... structural optimization and upgrade in progress...]

[New core function unlocked: [Civilization Deduction] (Elementary)!]

Function Description: Consumes civilization points to simulate and deduce the possible processes and outcomes of specific events, technological developments, divine war strategies, and civilization evolution, based on the Temple of Civilization and the river of civilization. Deduction precision and scope are affected by the Sanctuary's Rank, civilization points invested, and the host's relevant knowledge and information completeness.

Elementary Effect: Can perform small-scale tactical deductions (such as an encounter), preliminary feasibility deductions for a single technology, and vague deductions for short-term events (within a few days). Deduction results have high reference value but are not absolutely accurate.

Consumption: Consumes varying amounts of civilization points based on the complexity and precision of the deduction target (minimum 100 points).

Cooldown: No cooldown, but continuous deductions will significantly increase consumption and reduce precision.

[Hint: The river of civilization has completed preliminary substantialization (Progress 42%)!]

Current Status: [river of civilization · Semi-Entity (Prototype)]

New Attributes:

Civilization Protection: Within the coverage of the river (currently covering the Divine Kingdom and a small surrounding area), followers' mental resistance is +20%, and their resistance to the erosion of opposing Concepts such as 'Chaos,' 'Destruction,' and 'Nothingness' is significantly enhanced.

Historical Projection: Can consume Divine Power to briefly summon phantoms of epic scenes recorded in the river (such as the phantom of Yu the Great, the phantom of Confucius, etc.) to assist in combat or perform specific actions (such as Enlightenment, water control, or setting up formations). The phantoms possess some traits and abilities of the corresponding epic figures, but the duration is short and the consumption is enormous.

Rule Carrier: The river can serve as a high-level carrier and buffer for the Divine Kingdom's rules, improving the stability of the Divine Kingdom's rules and resistance to external rule erosion (+15%).

Information Sedimentation: Automatically absorbs, filters, and settles information flows related to civilization within the Divine Kingdom and its surroundings, slowly increasing the river's depth and the host's civilization insights.

[Personal Status Updated]

Divinity: LV150 (Bottleneck completely loosened, conditions for Breakthrough to Lesser Divinity met; requires accumulation and opportunity).

Divinity · Civilization: Total amount increased to 2.2 units! (Obtained from fusing the spark's core Origin) Purity improved, activity greatly increased.

Divine Power Limit: Increased to 18,000 (limited by the un-broken Divinity, but potential has increased).

civilization points: 650 points remaining (heavily consumed during the Fusion process).

Divine Soul Strength: Significantly improved; current capacity is approximately 180% of deities at the same level.

Bloodline Resonance: Innate Human Race Bloodline mark preliminarily Awakening (1%), all attributes hidden growth, significantly increased perception and affinity for things related to the Huaxia Civilization system.

Divine Kingdom Linkage Feedback: The Divine Kingdom's rule network has become more stable and active due to the substantialization of the river. Overall Spiritual Qi concentration increased by 5%, followers' (especially Literary Heart Elves) average intelligence attribute +1, and small-scale Epiphany phenomena have occurred.

When the Fusion progress reached 90%, the surging torrent of information finally began to weaken and level off. The final 10% of the Fusion was a natural process of nurturing and stabilization.

Within the spherical space, the filled pale golden civilization glow began to slowly retract, converging toward Lin Zhou, who sat cross-legged in the center. The echoing epic song of civilization also gradually faded into a low hum, becoming a faint background rhythm.

Lin Zhou opened his eyes.

In his eyes, scenes of star rivers evolving and civilizations rising and falling seemed to flash by before finally returning to a deep calm. But beneath that calm was a light of wisdom more profound and resolute than ever before.

He slowly exhaled a breath of turbid Qi, which even contained faint golden specks—extremely fine, miscellaneous information dust that had been expelled after being absorbed by his body.

"Boss!" "Lin Zhou!" "Captain!"

Zhao Hao and the other three immediately surrounded him, their concern evident. They could feel that the Lin Zhou before them seemed different. His aura was more restrained, but standing beside him, they couldn't help but feel an involuntary sense of awe and affinity, as if they were approaching not a person, but a monument of civilization, a river of history.

"I'm fine," Lin Zhou said with a smile, his voice carrying a hint of raspiness from not speaking for a long time, but sounding more steady. "The Fusion was successful. The gains... far exceeded expectations."

He briefly shared several key changes, highlighting the new [Civilization Deduction] function and the attributes brought by the semi-substantialization of the river of civilization. Li Mo exclaimed repeatedly, immediately wanting to study the algorithm logic of the deduction function. Zhao Hao and Wang Meng showed intense interest in the fact that 'Historical Projection' could summon Yu the Great or Confucius to fight (despite the enormous consumption). Qin Qing focused more on the 'Civilization Protection' and 'Rule Carrier' attributes, believing they were crucial for dealing with high-level enemies or rule-suppression environments in the future.

"How do you feel?" Qin Qing looked at Lin Zhou, her cool eyes carrying a hint of inquiry.

Lin Zhou felt the new power coursing through his body, as well as the clearer and more intimate Temple of Civilization and the surging river deep within his Soul. He slowly said, "I feel... like I have truly taken over the torch of the Legacy. The road is still long, but the direction has never been so clear, and my steps have never been so steady."

His gaze fell back onto the Ancient Bronze Lamp on the stone platform, its light now restrained as if it had completed its mission. The lamp was still ancient and simple, but without that bit of flame, it seemed to lack a Soul. However, a faint resonance came from the Temple of Civilization; the lamp itself was a treasure that could serve as an excellent carrier for the Fire of Civilization or a base for a special wonder.

As the spark was taken and the Fusion completed, this core of the ruins, which had slept for untold millennia, seemed to have reached a critical point. The spherical space began to vibrate slightly, and the light from the Cloud-Patterned Stones on the four walls began to flicker, a sign of spatial instability appearing.

"This place is no longer safe; the ruins might start to close or collapse," Lin Zhou decided immediately, waving his hand to put away the Ancient Bronze Lamp (temporarily storing it in the Sanctuary space). "Let's go, let's leave here first!"

The five of them quickly returned the way they came. The faint light in the passage had dimmed considerably, and the stairs seemed to be vibrating slightly.

When they finally rushed out of the passage and back into the circular hall, they found that the Nine-Layered Jade Platform in the center had completely dimmed, and the jade wall runes around it were rapidly extinguishing. The entire ruins, as if losing its core power source, were gradually falling into silence and closure.

"Quick! To the entrance!" Lin Zhou took the lead, and everyone sprinted toward the entrance of the corridor they had come from.

Just as they stepped into the corridor and rapidly retreated, a low rumbling sound came from behind—the sound of spatial structures shifting and giant rocks falling. But they had no time to look back and could only run with all their might.

It had taken a long time to come in, but going out felt much faster. Perhaps it was because the rules of the ruins were failing, or perhaps it was because everyone's strength had received a hidden boost under the radiance of civilization.

Finally, the gap of the dark golden palace gate they had initially entered appeared ahead. The five filed out, standing once again on the square covered with Bagua patterns.

Looking back, they saw the towering dark golden palace gate slowly closing. The Bagua runes on the gate spun rapidly, and finally, the light completely faded, turning into two cold and heavy ordinary metal gates with no more divine fluctuations. The gap disappeared completely, as if it had never been opened.

At the same time, the entire underground ruins space began to vibrate violently, with rubble falling from the ceiling.

"The Grotto-Heaven is collapsing! We must leave here immediately and return to the entrance teleportation point!" Lin Zhou shouted, leading everyone toward the exit based on his memory of coming in.

While moving through the vibrating ruins passage, Lin Zhou split his attention to sense the changes within his Divine Kingdom, as well as the brand-new Temple of Civilization and the surging semi-substantialized river in his mind.

The spark was fused, the Sanctuary upgraded, and the river preliminarily condensed.

A new chapter was about to officially unfold as they left these ancient ruins.