The skies above the Mountain Dao Sect's territory were ablaze, consumed by a destructive, orange-red hue. The entire region was under siege by the massed forces of the Black Sun Sect, driven by the First Elder's zealous obedience to Lin Tian's covert commands. The air was thick with the scorching heat of Fire Immortal Qi, a relentless assault designed to melt the foundational structures of the earth.
Leading the charge was Elder Mu, the newly perfected Heavenly Immortal. He flew with terrifying, focused energy, not motivated by hatred, but by the efficiency of his Master's strategy. He had been sent to locate the Earth Vein Nexus—the precise spiritual heart of the Mountain Dao Sect—and seize its core Earth Elemental Essence for Lin Tian's elemental refinement.
The Mountain Dao Sect met the assault with grim determination. Their cultivators, masters of defensive and heavy-weight Earth Immortal Qi, had erected massive, tiered spiritual shields. Their formations glowed jade and granite, designed to absorb and deflect the elemental aggression of fire. The Black Sun Sect's fire techniques, however, were erratic—still destabilized by the spiritual flaw Mu had planted, causing unpredictable power surges that made their attacks powerful, but strategically clumsy.
Elder Mu found the weakness instantly. He activated the Observer's Eye and scanned the vast defensive matrix of the Mountain Dao Sect.
[Observer's Eye Activated. Target: Mountain Dao Sect Defensive Array. Flaw: Rigid Purity Protocol. Vulnerability: External Earth Source Injection.]
The defense was flawless against Fire, but its sheer rigidity made it blind to deception. Mu realized the array assumed all Earth-aligned Qi was benign. Mu channeled a devastating amount of his own Wood Dao Qi (the element that draws strength from Earth), but he disguised it using the subtle frequency signature of a distressed Earth Elemental Vein. He bypassed the Black Sun forces and flew to the edge of the array, launching a specialized technique—a refined version of a rare spiritual lure.
The defensive array, sensing the massive, distressed Earth signature, attempted to absorb the incoming Qi to stabilize itself. This was the moment of fatal logic failure. Mu's disguised Wood Qi surged past the outer shield, overwhelming the internal stabilization matrix. The Earth defense did not break; it seized, locking down into a state of paralyzed, immovable rigidity.
The Black Sun Sect's forces—unaware of Mu's sabotage—saw the defense lock and screamed in delight, pouring every ounce of their Fire Qi into the now-exposed structure. BOOM! The immense influx of Fire Qi detonated against the paralyzed Earth defenses. The spiritual shields did not shatter; they liquefied, instantly boiling the stone defenses into a massive, blinding torrent of superheated lava that rained down upon the Sect's lower ranks.
The destruction was absolute. Mu plunged through the gap created by the destruction, flying directly into the remnants of the Sect's main temple. He found the Mountain Dao Sect Master—a dignified, powerful Grand Unity Immortal Stage 3—already defeated by the catastrophic failure of his own defensive system.
"You... you betrayed us with Wood Qi!" the Sect Master spat, bleeding spiritual essence.
"I merely exposed the flaw in your logic," Mu corrected, channeling Lin Tian's cold purpose. "Your system was inefficient."
Mu used the Observer's Eye to locate the most potent part of the Nexus—the Earth Elemental Essence. He knew he couldn't take the entire vein, but he could take the concentrated core. He delivered the final ultimatum.
"Swear fealty to the Heaven-Shaking Daoist. Pledge your life to protect his interests, and he will use his Divine Purity to mend the flaw in your Earth Dao and ensure your lineage continues."
The Sect Master, watching his world burn and realizing the terrifying power that commanded Mu, had no choice. He pledged his loyalty. Lin Tian had acquired his third, immensely powerful puppet and secured his next element.
Mu immediately extracted the concentrated Earth Elemental Essence—a shimmering, jade-colored spiritual liquid.
[Resource Acquisition: Earth Elemental Essence (Core) secured. Resource available for Perfect Immortal Body refinement.]
[Strategic Dao Map Unlock Progress: 50%]
Mu left the wreckage to the Black Sun Sect forces, who were busy securing the valuable land and resources left behind. He flew back toward Lin Tian's location, the stolen elemental essence safely secured.
Miles away, hidden near the desolate Void Peaks, Mei Lan felt the energy surge. The massive, targeted destruction was too precise to be mere chaos.
She looked toward the distant plumes of spiritual smoke rising from the former Mountain Dao territory, her Purity Core humming with recognition. That precision... that flaw manipulation... Mei Lan mused, her eyes cold but impressed. The Infant Master's influence is growing faster than the chaos I create. He is building his empire, and he used my fighting style to do it.
She understood the command clearly: Lin Tian was carving up the Cloud Heavens, and the elemental wealth was the next phase of his ascent. She knew she needed to strike her own claim on the Tier 2 resources before his absolute control made it impossible. She turned her focus back to the vast, abandoned spiritual garden she had located, knowing her period of passive cultivation was about to end. She had to accelerate her own power to maintain her peer status.