388: Chapter 323: Rewards Settlement, Void Divinity Gains a Wisp

Consciousness broke free from the brief weightlessness and white light, senses reconnecting with reality.

The smell lingering in the nose was no longer the pungent mix of scorched battlefield earth and Zerg bodily fluids, but the unique scent of the tournament's preparation space, tinged with a faint aroma of energy freshener and ozone. There were no insectoid shrieks or the roar of energy explosions by the ears, only suppressed breathing, occasional groans of pain, and the faint clamor of other possible waiting spaces in the distance.

Lin Zhou's feet stepped onto the solid, cold floor—this was the exclusive preparation space for the Xinghai University team, a silver-white hall of about three hundred square meters that had undergone spatial expansion. Soft light curtains flowed along the walls of the hall, displaying real-time information such as team points, rankings, and the match schedule.

His arms felt heavy; Su Yueyao was still unconscious, her body cold. Only the slight rise and fall of her chest and a trace of warmth from the remaining [Guanghan Tears] jade pendant proved she was still alive. Lin Zhou knelt on one knee, carefully adjusting his posture to let Su Yueyao lean against the crook of his arm. At the same time, his other hand remained pressed against her back, continuously channeling the gentlest nourishing Divine Power converted from the Fire of Civilization. Like a trickling stream, it protected her life force and Divine Soul, which were as fragile as a candle in the wind.

His movements were extremely gentle, as if treating fragile glazed glass, and deep in his eyes were unconcealed worry, heartache, and a hint of lingering fear. If not for Su Yueyao's final, all-consuming strike... the consequences would have been unthinkable.

“Yue Yao...” Qin Qing also stumbled down beside them, her face pale, her Law robes torn in many places, and her aura withered, though she was much better off than Su Yueyao. She immediately stepped forward to help Lin Zhou stabilize Su Yueyao, while taking out several bottles of healing potions emitting a crisp medicinal fragrance from her storage equipment ([Starlight Life-Sustaining Liquid], Epic quality, quickly stabilizes injuries, replenishes Origin Qi), carefully attempting to feed them to Su Yueyao. However, Su Yueyao's teeth were tightly clenched, making it difficult for the potion to flow in.

“The Divine Soul and Bloodline Origin have been depleted too heavily, and she has fallen into the deepest level of self-protective slumber... Ordinary potions will hardly be effective.” Qin Qing's voice was hoarse and filled with anxiety, “We must find a divine object capable of repairing the Origin as soon as possible, or request a powerful deity skilled in this path to intervene...”

Lin Zhou's heart sank, and he nodded without speaking. He simply increased the Divine Power he was channeling into Su Yueyao's body by another notch, while simultaneously diverting a strand of his mind to communicate with the [Imperial Hospital] (Rare-grade building, effect: Follower injury and illness healing speed +50%, can research low-level potions) within his Divine Domain. Although the grade of the Imperial Hospital and the current level of the School of Medicine followers were far from sufficient to treat injuries involving the Divine Soul and Bloodline Origin like Su Yueyao's, they could at least provide some theoretical auxiliary ideas or refine some low-level Medicinal Pills to bolster the Foundation, which was better than nothing.

Just as Lin Zhou was trying his best to stabilize Su Yueyao's injuries while quickly thinking of a treatment plan—

Buzz!

In the center of the preparation space, a brilliant golden pillar of light descended from the sky, projecting onto the floor and forming a complex, constantly rotating formation. Immediately afterward, several figures stumbled into the formation—they were the other surviving members of the Xinghai University team.

Wang Meng was covered in blood, his left arm unnaturally twisted and clearly broken, but he still forced himself to stand straight, his wide eyes scanning the hall. Upon seeing Lin Zhou and Su Yueyao, he visibly breathed a sigh of relief and asked in a muffled voice, “Captain, Senior Su, she...”

Li Mo's projection was somewhat flickering, as his main body had clearly consumed a massive amount of energy while assisting in the defense of the Mechanical Divine Domain, and might have even suffered some internal injuries. He pushed his non-existent glasses frames (a habitual gesture), his voice carrying static-like interference: “All personnel teleportation complete... Survivor statistics: Lin Zhou, Su Yueyao (severely injured and unconscious), Qin Qing, Wang Meng, Li Mo (Projection), Zhao Kong (Remote support, 70% loss of followers), Sun Xiaoyu (Healing specialization, Divine Power exhausted)... a total of seven people. The other thirteen team members... signals have disappeared, confirmed as... fallen.”

The last word was spoken by Li Mo with great difficulty. Despite being mentally prepared, hearing the exact number caused the atmosphere in the hall to instantly become heavy to the extreme. Thirteen classmates and comrades who had spent day and night together were left forever in that dungeon. This included several early core members of the Hundred Schools Society.

Qin Qing closed her eyes, clenching her fists until her knuckles turned white. Wang Meng gave a low roar and punched the wall flashing with light curtains, producing a muffled thud.

Lin Zhou's heart also felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand. Teacher Elwin's soul and form were completely destroyed, Su Yueyao was critically injured, and thirteen teammates had fallen... The price of this battle was truly too heavy. But he knew that now was not the time to indulge in sorrow. He was the captain, the pillar of support, and he had to stabilize the situation.

“Their sacrifice will not be in vain.” Lin Zhou's voice was low but firm, his gaze sweeping over the remaining team members. “We survived and completed the mission. Now, prioritize treating the wounded and recovering your status. Li Mo, report the damage to our Divine Domains and followers, and prioritize using reserve resources for repairs. Qin Qing, Wang Meng, you two should also handle your injuries and recover your Divine Power as soon as possible. As for Yue Yao... I will find a way.”

Hearing this, everyone forcibly suppressed the grief in their hearts and nodded. Each found a relatively intact spot to sit cross-legged and adjust their breathing, or used the potions and divine arts they carried for treatment. Li Mo's projection flickered as he began to communicate remotely with his main Divine Domain through a special link, assessing the losses and issuing repair commands.

Lin Zhou also temporarily gathered his thoughts. While maintaining his nourishment of Su Yueyao, he sank his consciousness into his own Divine Domain.

Within the Divine Domain, the scene was slightly better than before, but it was still shocking to behold.

The grayish-white cracks in the sky had stopped spreading. In fact, after the river of civilization was retracted and nourished by the gift from the Broodmother's fall, they began to show signs of extremely slow self-mending, though the speed was very sluggish. The massive pits and grayish-white 'rust' areas on the earth, left by the erosion of the 'Annihilation' rules, had also stopped expanding. Faint pale-golden civilization radiance flickered at the edges, attempting to penetrate, purify, and repair, but this too would be a long process.

The most intuitive part was the buildings. The main hall of Jixia Academy was missing a corner, the outer walls of the Temple of Law were covered in gray patterns, and the interior of the Tiangong Workshop had turned to dust... All damaged buildings were in a 'broken' state, requiring a massive investment of resources and Divine Power to repair, rather than the irreversible erasure seen during the 'Annihilation'. This was a fundamental difference, meaning the Foundation was not destroyed.

The panic among the followers was greatly soothed after the fall of the Broodmother and the return of Lin Zhou's consciousness. Under the organization of the remaining Hundred Schools scholars (Wenxin Elf Priests, Tiangong Dwarf Elders, Law Fishmen judges, etc.), the surviving followers began to orderly clear the ruins, help the wounded, tally the losses, and attempt to rebuild temporary shelters in less damaged areas. Although the sea of faith was still turbulent and filled with sorrow and lingering fear, it no longer gushed with a large amount of despair-filled Impurities as before. Instead, because of the belief in 'surviving a disaster' and 'the deity finally defeating a powerful enemy', it began to produce purer and more steadfast Power Of Faith, slowly replenishing Lin Zhou's Divine Power consumption.

[Divine Domain Status Update:]

- Stability: 71% (Stopped declining, slowly recovering)

- Area Loss: Fixed at 6.3% (Completely annihilated areas cannot be recovered, but remaining areas are stable)

- Follower Population: Approximately 897,000 remaining (Loss of about 103,000), casualties have been basically controlled, and emotions are gradually stabilizing.

- Core Building Damage: Average 42% (Requires a large amount of resources and time to repair).

- Resource Point Loss: 37 locations (Permanently disappeared), production efficiency of remaining resource points has dropped by 30% due to environmental damage.

- Current Faith Output Efficiency: Recovered to 55% of the normal value and is slowly rising.

- Natural Divine Power Recovery Speed: Due to Divine Domain damage and faith quality, it is approximately 40% of the normal state.

“It is a blessing that the Foundation is not destroyed.” Lin Zhou felt slightly relieved. As long as the Divine Domain, the followers, and the faith remained, everything could be rebuilt and restored. Although the losses were heavy this time, he had also obtained a portion of the Broodmother's Origin nourishment and the 'Ancient civilization spark' mark; in the long run, it might not all be bad.

Just as he was starting to sort out the state of the Divine Domain, the largest light curtain in the center of the preparation space, as well as the tournament communicators worn on everyone's wrists, vibrated simultaneously, emitting a soft golden light.

[All-Universe Academy Championship—Phase Two 'Watching Over the Kindling' Team Cooperation Dungeon, all participating teams have completed settlement!]

[Now announcing Phase Two overall rankings, group rankings, individual contributions, and reward distribution!]

It's here! Lin Zhou's spirit was roused. He temporarily set aside the affairs of the Divine Domain and looked up at the light curtain. Qin Qing, Wang Meng, and the others also finished their meditation one after another and looked over. Even the unconscious Su Yueyao's eyelashes seemed to flutter slightly due to the rule fluctuations permeating the space.

First, a dense list of teams and points emerged, then quickly scrolled and sorted, finally freezing.

[Second Stage Total Ranking (Top 1000 Teams):]

1st Place: Honghuang Academy Main Team (Points: 98,500)

2nd Place: Eternal Divine Court Main Team (Points: 96,200)

3rd Place: Abyss Contractor Academy Main Team (Points: 95,800)

...

[15th Place: Xinghai University (Milky Way Galaxy) (Points: 88,700)]

15th place! Just as the summary said, the group's total ranking jumped to 15th! One must know that after the first stage's Endless Star Sea Elimination Battle, Xinghai University's ranking was still at 87th. In this team dungeon, thanks to Lin Zhou's command and performance at critical moments, especially the contribution of the final kill on the Broodmother, the ranking was pulled up by more than seventy spots! This is a massive leap! It means that in the upcoming third stage one-on-one elimination tournament, they will obtain relatively favorable seeding and positions!

Following that was the detailed contribution ranking for Lin Zhou's group (consistent with the in-dungeon settlement) and the corresponding basic reward distribution. Xinghai University took first in the group with 52% contribution. According to the tournament rules, they will receive 40% of the group's total reward pool (the remaining 60% will be distributed among other teams based on their contribution ratios).

[Xinghai University (Lin Zhou's Team) Second Stage Reward Settlement:]

1. Basic Points Reward: +50,000 points (already included in the total ranking).

2. Resource Card Pack (Epic) x 3: Contains random epic-quality resource cards (minerals, terrain, and wonders).

3. Race Card Pack (Rare) x 2: Contains random rare-quality race cards (core/support races or special talents).

4. Special Item: [Team Resurrection Token (Weak)] x 1 (During the tournament, it can resurrect one team member who fell during this stage; the resurrected state is severely injured and requires self-recovery; limited to one use).

5. Tournament Honor Points: +1,500 points (can be used in the tournament mall to exchange for special items).

Team Resurrection Token! Seeing this, a light flashed in the eyes of Lin Zhou, Qin Qing, and the others! This meant they could choose to resurrect a teammate who had fallen in the dungeon! This was undoubtedly a godsend! Although the post-resurrection state was poor, at least the person was back! As for whom to resurrect, it required careful consideration, preferably a member who could immediately form combat power or had a key role.

The rewards were not over yet. The light screen continued to display additional rewards for individual contributions, especially for those who made key, decisive contributions in the dungeon.

[Individual Special Contribution Reward (Lin Zhou):]

Detected that participant Lin Zhou took on the role of temporary commander-in-chief in the 'Watching Over the Kindling' dungeon, effectively integrating the power of five teams and constructing an S-rank defensive formation; in the final battle, he independently supported the Civilization Shield to resist the Broodmother's devouring, then used special means to fuse Divine Domain rules, enduring the Broodmother's 'Rule Annihilation', and finally, with the assistance of teammates, completed the fatal blow to the Broodmother's main body. Outstanding contribution, evaluation: SSS-rank!

[Reward Issuance]:

1. Individual Points: +30,000 points (not included in the team total, only used for individual ranking and certain special exchanges).

2. Special Divinity: [Void Realm Divinity (Faint)] x 1 strand.

3. Godhead Potential Enhancement Crystal x 1 (Can slightly increase the growth limit of the Godhead and rule-bearing capacity).

4. Civilization Special Building Blueprint: [Star Gazing Platform (Epic)] x 1 (Can significantly enhance the sensing of astral power, the effect of prophecy skills, and the early warning capability for special events within the Divine Domain).

5. Tournament Special Privilege: Unlocks purchase eligibility for some items in the 'Advanced Material Exchange Area'.

Void Realm Divinity! As expected!

Lin Zhou's gaze was firmly locked on that second reward. A faint but complete strand of [Void Realm Divinity]! This wasn't those broken rule fragments, but a condensation core containing the Origin rules of the 'Void Realm' concept! For any deity, divinity is the key to igniting the divine fire and upgrading the Godhead—a treasure that can be sought but not easily found! And the 'Void Realm' attribute is even rarer and more powerful, involving space, concealment, and even higher-dimensional rules!

Without the slightest hesitation, with a thought from Lin Zhou, that rewarded strand of [Void Realm Divinity] appeared directly in his Sea of Consciousness through the tournament System's special channel.

It was a tiny filament of light that changed shape constantly, as if carved from the deepest purple crystal. It seemed not to exist in any dimension, yet it truly emitted strange rule fluctuations of 'nothingness', 'inclusivity', and the 'prelude to annihilation'. It floated quietly before the Temple of Civilization, forming a subtle contrast with the river of civilization flowing in the hall and the Fire of Civilization burning within.

Lin Zhou took a deep breath and carefully guided this strand of Void Realm Divinity toward the Temple of Civilization with his Divine Thought. He did not intend to directly fuse it into his own Godhead (that would require a long time to digest and might cause rejection), but instead planned to let the Temple of Civilization and the river of civilization perform a preliminary 'analysis' and 'assimilation' on it, using civilization's characteristic of encompassing all things to transform it into a part of his own Foundation.

Sensing this external but high-level rule crystal, the Temple of Civilization vibrated slightly. The temple doors opened invisibly, and a small stream branched off from the river of civilization, like a gentle arm, softly wrapping the amethyst-like divinity and pulling it into the temple.

The process was unexpectedly smooth. The river of civilization's characteristic of 'all rivers flowing into the sea' and 'passing on the torch' seemed to have a natural affinity for concepts like 'Void Realm' that lean toward 'nothingness' and 'inclusivity'. The amethyst divinity fell into the river without causing a violent conflict. Instead, it was like a drop of ink in water, slowly spreading out, releasing and dissolving its contained void rule information bit by bit into the river.

At the same time, Lin Zhou could clearly feel that his connection channel with the Divine Domain seemed to be plated with a very faint, almost imperceptible purple shimmer. This shimmer spread along the connection channel back toward the edge of the Divine Domain.

Within the Divine Domain, in the peripheral areas that were damaged and where rules were slightly thin due to resisting annihilation, the Void Realm rippled slightly. A translucent purple membrane, so faint it was almost invisible and existed between being and non-being, quietly emerged. Like a giant, soft eggshell, it gently wrapped around the entire Divine Domain.

[The river of civilization successfully performed a preliminary analysis and fused the 'Void Realm Divinity (Faint)'.]

[Obtained passive effect: Divine Domain basic rules gained 'Void Realm Adaptability'.]

[Void Realm Membrane (Divine Domain Trait)]:

- Effect 1: Defensive power increases by 10% when the Divine Domain suffers attacks such as 'Space Severing', 'Banishment', or 'Dimensional Disturbance'.

- Effect 2: The Divine Domain can 'simulate' a Void Realm environment to a certain extent, reducing the consumption and risk of moving or hiding in the Void Realm or similar harsh environments (specific effects depend on the severity of the environment).

- Effect 3: Resistance to 'Void Realm Energy' of the followers within the Divine Domain is slightly increased (+5%), with a very low chance of Awakening mutation talents related to the 'Void Realm' (other conditions must be met).

- Current Coverage: 100% (Completely covers the Divine Domain).

- Maintenance Consumption: None (Naturally maintained by the fused river of civilization rules).

It's done! Although it was just a preliminary effect brought by a faint strand of divinity, the traits of 'Void Realm Adaptability' and 'Void Realm Membrane' undoubtedly opened a new door for Lin Zhou's future development. This meant his divine kingdom would no longer fear conventional spatial attacks, and in the future, he could even attempt to explore some dangerous Void Realm regions or ruins!

The light screen for reward settlement gradually dimmed.

Lin Zhou withdrew his mind, glanced at Su Yueyao who was still unconscious in his arms, and then looked at the [Team Resurrection Token (Weak)] floating in the team reward list, a flash of determination in his eyes.

"Li Mo, immediately tally the specific situation of all fallen teammates, their Divine Domain specialties, and the immediate combat power they might form after resurrection. We need to decide on the candidates for resurrection."

"Qin Qing, Wang Meng, hurry and recover. The third stage's one-on-one elimination tournament will likely start very soon; we must face it in our best state."

"Yue Yao..." Lin Zhou lowered his head, looking at Su Yueyao's pale face, his voice low but incredibly firm, "I will definitely find a way to save you."

The tournament was still ongoing, and the ranking had jumped to 15th.

Rewards obtained, Void Realm Divinity fused, and the divine kingdom gained new traits.

But the road ahead was still full of thorns.

Su Yueyao's injuries, the choice of which fallen teammate to resurrect, and the even more brutal one-on-one elimination tournament next...

Challenges arrived one after another.