Upon entering the novice continent, Lin Yu planted his World Tree, which expanded his territory daily thanks to the Vigorous Growth trait, granting him a massive advantage over peers stuck in static zones. He quickly unlocked Dave Smith's Secret Garden, gaining access to Plants vs Zombies blueprints like Pea Shooters and Potato Mines, which allowed him to construct a saturated defensive line far beyond what normal lords could afford. When the final trial began, he faced one hundred Extraordinary Creatures across four teleportation arrays, most of whom were Level 20 Blue-quality beings designed to test survival. Most lords struggled to repel the waves, but Lin Yu's Pea Shooters annihilated the Half-beastmen instantly due to the sheer density of fire covering the landing zone. However, the advanced difficulty brought heroes including a wind-controlling Harpy, a fire-breathing Beastman High Priest, and a colossal Ice Mammoth clad in armor. Lin Yu adapted his strategy ruthlessly, using beasts as meat shields to absorb damage and luring the Mammoth with food rather than force since direct combat was impossible. The climax involved a fierce battle against the Blazing Flame Guardian Brules, a level ten boss guarding a gold chest in a cave. After losing several wolves to the bear's fire, Lin Yu lured Brules into his territory where the Nature Dominator trait failed due to faction allegiance, forcing him to rely on coordinated attacks from Pea Shooters and Timid Mushrooms to wear down the bear. Finally, he fed the Mammoth until it left peacefully, securing passage through the eighteen times multiplier trial and earning a double territory expansion reward that set him apart from the competition.

Between the first and second stages, a thirty-day rest period existed in reality, but within the territory, time flowed at a ratio of one hundred to one, meaning three thousand days passed while Lin Yu slept on his home planet. During this interval, the World Tree expanded its domain to over ten thousand square kilometers, transforming a small village into a sprawling metropolis filled with diverse ecosystems. The little sprites, driven by the need to reproduce and produce more natural energy, conducted dangerous experiments on themselves, leading to the creation of the Little Elf Council and the tragic evolution of some into Slimes. One sprite sacrificed her form to become a fruit that matured into Chenxi, a Legendary Elf Hero with mastery over natural energy control. Meanwhile, Lin Yu's wolf companion Phantom absorbed enough natural energy and World Tree essence to undergo a Transformation Tribulation, surviving lightning strikes with the help of a Faraday Cage built by Lin Yu to become a Hero capable of speech and human thought. Lin Yu returned to find his territory teeming with intelligent life and powerful heroes who could now manage construction and combat autonomously, relieving him of micromanagement. He utilized the Spring of Life building to mass-produce hero potential among his subjects, establishing a Training Camp and Wisdom Library to further accelerate development. This era marked the transition from a solitary lord managing every detail to a sovereign presiding over a complex civilization ready for war, fundamentally changing his approach to governance.

The second phase gathered nearly eight hundred thousand contestants on a single continent, competing for the top ten thousand spots based on prosperity and combat power metrics. Lin Yu joined the official Cuiwei Lord Corps to avoid restrictive contracts from clans or gods, choosing freedom over immediate wealth. He dominated the early prosperity rankings by completing thousands of buildings simultaneously, though he dropped later to conserve resources for military expansion. The conflict escalated when Catastrophe Corps camps appeared, sending hordes of skeletons and zombies to attack territories, forcing lords to mobilize. Lin Yu recruited Death Devourers from the Vein of Life building, spending millions of gold coins to amass an undead army that could withstand physical attrition. He allied temporarily with other lords like Li Hua to share intelligence on enemy movements and trade resources for cultivation techniques. A major confrontation occurred in the Land of White Bones, where Lin Yu's forces dismantled a Skeleton King's army using catapults and shape-shifting druids to bypass defenses. By the end of March, Lin Yu secured first place in combat power by digging up hidden graveyards and collecting Calamity Treasure Chests, proving his ability to dominate both economy and warfare. The month concluded with the God of Wealth's Blessing event, scattering treasure chests across the land, followed by the Hero Arena Month announcement. Lin Yu purchased the Peak Arena blueprint, signaling his intent to compete directly with other top heroes in the cosmic arena, solidifying his status as a rising threat among the empire's elite lords who watched his anonymous rise with suspicion and envy.