The atmosphere inside Lin Tian's hidden cave was one of focused intensity. He sat cross-legged, surrounded by the subdued glow of the Fire and Earth Elemental Essences—two of the four pillars he required for his complete Perfect Immortal Body. His Divine Nascent Soul hummed with anticipation, ready to integrate the remaining two elements: Water and Wind.
Mei Lan had secured the Wind Elemental Essence through pure, chaotic force, but the Water Element remained locked in the rigid control of the Azure Wave Sect.
Lin Tian activated his Observer's Eye, scanning the political and martial landscape of the Immortal Cloud Continent. The Sovereign's Hall was still paralyzed, crippled by the false "Ascendant from the Sunken Heavens" threat he had fabricated. The Black Sun Sect, under the control of the First Elder, was successfully consolidating the former Mountain Dao territory. The time for a surgical strike on the Azure Wave Sect—the last bastion of Water Qi—was now.
[Observer's Eye Activated. Target: Azure Wave Sect. Status: Politically Stable (Isolated). Defense: Tier 2 Grand Array (Water-aligned). Required Acquisition: Water Elemental Nexus.]
Lin Tian needed to disrupt their political stability first. The Azure Wave Sect was built on reputation and meticulous adherence to the rules. He channeled his command through the deepest bond of the Soul Seal to his two most crucial puppets: Grandmaster Wei (the Tier 1 political asset, now on the Cloud Heavens) and the First Elder (the Tier 2 military asset).
"First," Lin Tian commanded Grandmaster Wei, whose presence was subtle but influential even among the Immortal elite. "You will leak fabricated intelligence to the Sovereign's Hall. The Azure Wave Sect is hoarding unique, high-tier resources meant for the continental defense array."
Wei's mental response was immediate: The implication of treason is clear, Master. The political turmoil will be immense. The Sovereign's Hall will be forced to act.
The political squeeze began. The Sovereign's Hall, already terrified of Lin Tian's fabricated "Ascendant" threat, immediately suspected the Azure Wave Sect of treasonous self-interest. They issued a high-level Inquiry Edict, ordering the sect to expose their internal resource reserves for examination. This was Lin Tian's masterstroke: the inquiry forced the Azure Wave Sect to divert their attention from external security to internal politics and defense of their reputation.
The second command went to the First Elder of the Black Sun Sect. "You will redirect your conquering forces. Abandon the Mountain Dao conquest for 24 hours. Launch a large, ceremonial siege on the Azure Wave Sect's territory, forcing them to engage their main defensive array."
The First Elder, though a Grand Unity Immortal, recognized the tactical genius. "Master, we cannot defeat their main array. Our Fire Qi will be useless against their Water defense."
"You will not defeat it," Lin Tian corrected. "You will over-stress it. Use your full power to activate their Nine Seas Defense Array. When the formation is at peak output, I will strike the exposed flaw."
The coordinated squeeze was executed flawlessly. While the Azure Wave Sect's political leaders were distracted by the Sovereign's Edict, the Black Sun Sect's fire legions launched a devastating, continuous spiritual siege against the outer perimeter. The Azure Wave Sect, caught between political treachery and martial attack, was forced to pour all its spiritual energy into maximizing the Nine Seas Defense Array.
Lin Tian and Elder Mu flew covertly toward the besieged sect. The defensive array, shimmering like liquid sapphire, was operating at maximum capacity, using vast quantities of pure Water Immortal Qi. The spectacle of the battle was deafening, but Lin Tian and Mu were invisible within a cloak of Mu's now-perfected Wood Dao—the element that feeds Water.
Lin Tian activated the Observer's Eye on the peak-output array.
[Observer's Eye Activated. Target: Nine Seas Defense Array (Tier 2 Peak Output). Flaw: Over-Compensation. Vulnerability: Spiritual Resonance Feedback.]
The defense was designed to constantly draw spiritual energy from the surrounding water sources, but at peak output, the inflow created a minute, rhythmic spiritual resonance feedback loop—a flaw designed for stability, but which, if hit by perfect purity, would instantly paralyze the energy flow.
Lin Tian did not wait. "Mu, hit the resonance point. Use your Wood Qi, but this time, match the precise frequency of the array's flow. Do not destroy; paralyze."
Elder Mu, now serving a strategic genius, executed the complex command perfectly. He launched a concentrated beam of his Perfected Heavenly Immortal Qi, mimicking the array's frequency but injecting a counter-resonance signal directly into the flaw.
The effect was not destructive; it was paralyzing. The massive, beautiful Nine Seas Defense Array froze mid-flow, locking into an immovable state of peak spiritual tension. The Azure Wave Sect forces inside were now immobile, unable to move or channel their energy.
Lin Tian smiled. The siege had worked.
Lin Tian and Mu slipped through the paralyzed defense array. They bypassed the immobile Water cultivators and flew directly to the Water Elemental Nexus, the very core of the sect's power.
The Azure Wave Sect Master, a Grand Unity Immortal, was paralyzed mid-breath, his face a picture of absolute terror. He stared at the infant master who had penetrated his ultimate defense without effort.
Lin Tian used his Observer's Eye to locate the Water Elemental Essence—a core concentration of flowing blue Qi. He needed the resource, but he also needed the political assets.
Lin Tian used the spiritual silence to project a clear, commanding thought directly into the Sect Master's paralyzed mind: Swear fealty to the Heaven-Shaking Daoist. Pledge your lineage's absolute loyalty. I will purge the flaws in your Water Dao and grant you Ascension.
The Sect Master, recognizing the Divine Purity of the command, mentally collapsed. He pledged.
Lin Tian commanded Mu to extract the Water Elemental Essence—a surging spiritual liquid that instantly filled a specialized storage seal.
[Resource Acquisition: Water Elemental Essence (Core) secured. Three elements now available for Perfect Immortal Body refinement.]
[Strategic Dao Map Unlock Progress: 75%]
Lin Tian released the array, and the Nine Seas Defense snapped back to life, shielding a now-loyal sect. He left the Azure Wave Sect politically crippled but martially intact and utterly subservient.
Only the Wind remains, Lin Tian mused. But Mei Lan already secured that. The time for acquisition is over. The time for integration begins now.