The Cloud Heavens had entered an age of chilling efficiency. The vast, scattered realm, once ruled by the squabbling, corrupt Sovereign's Hall, was now governed by the unwavering authority of the Lin Dynasty. The stability was absolute, enforced by the quiet, lethal presence of Mei Lan. She had executed Lin Tian's strategic purge flawlessly, eliminating the old nobility and cementing her rule from the reconstructed ruins of the former Sovereign's Hall.
Mei Lan stood atop the highest crystalline spire, overseeing the shipment of resources. Her Divine Core now pulsed with the integrated energy of the conquered elemental sects. She had not paused her cultivation since Lin Tian's ascent, pushing her power hard while managing the entire realm.
[Cultivation Status: Grand Unity Immortal Stage 6 (Advanced). Next Breakthrough Imminent. Purity Stability: Maximum.]
She had achieved the Grand Unity level—the same stage as the five Enforcers Lin Tian annihilated—but her Purity Core gave her absolute confidence that she could defeat any single remaining Immortal in the Cloud Heavens. Her reign was unchallenged, but her goal was singular: Preparation.
Mei Lan activated the long-range formation Lin Tian had left her. She sent a pure, coded burst of Sword Intent toward the fractured barrier of the Nine Heavens, aiming for the location Lin Tian had specified.
Lin Tian's mental voice, transmitted across the colossal distance, resonated directly in her consciousness. It was cold, clear, and immensely powerful—far stronger than when he had ascended. Report. State the status of the Cloud Heavens Foundation.
"The Foundation is secure, Master," Mei Lan transmitted, maintaining the formal, functional tone of their professional alliance. "The Sovereign's Hall has been purged. The three Noble Houses are eliminated. All political and martial resistance is neutralized."
Mei Lan then projected the detailed status of the Cloud Heavens Central Treasury—now the Lin Dynasty Treasury—showing the vast consolidation of spiritual wealth, prepared and waiting for extraction. "All resources are organized for immediate, large-scale deployment to Tier 3. I have fulfilled the governance mandate."
Flawless execution, Lin Tian's voice acknowledged. Your loyalty is noted. Now, the status of your cultivation.
Mei Lan projected her core status. Lin Tian instantly analyzed the rapid, perfect growth she had achieved using the political vacuum he created.
[Analysis Complete. Innate Sword Soul has achieved Grand Unity Immortal Stage 6. Host requires final ascension catalyst.]
You are ready, Lin Tian confirmed. The stability of your core is absolute. I require your martial power here. Prepare for the Nine Heavens Ascension.
Mei Lan accepted the command, but she voiced her tactical concern. "The ascent is violent. Your departure weakened the Heavenly Gate. I require a blueprint that bypasses the chaotic void and minimizes external detection."
Lin Tian smiled in the void of the Nine Heavens. The knowledge is already yours.
He directed her focus to a specific, obscure section of the Sovereign's Archive data he had transferred to her—a protocol she had not yet examined: the Tier 2 Flaw Protocol.
"The Heavenly Gate relies on the spiritual equilibrium of the entire Cloud Heavens," Lin Tian explained. "You will use your Purity Core to cause a controlled, minute spiritual implosion at the precise coordinates of the Gate. The resulting spiritual vacuum will pull you through the barrier seamlessly, without external detection. It is a one-way, stealth breach."
Mei Lan absorbed the complex technique instantly. It was terrifyingly risky, but strategically perfect. She was not smashing the gate; she was opening a single, controlled vacuum.
"The breach will require absolute isolation," Mei Lan stated. "The entire continent must be evacuated from the area of the breach, and the remaining energy sealed behind me. I will not compromise the stability of the Lin Dynasty Foundation."
Correct. You will use Elder Mu and the First Elder to prepare the final sacrifice. Use the remaining spiritual wealth of the conquered sects to seal the breach, Lin Tian commanded.
"Master," Mei Lan transmitted, her tone shifting from strategic peer to absolute devotee. "My path is yours. But I require clarity on the final objective."
Lin Tian's mental projection softened, recognizing the gravity of the parting and the depth of her commitment. The Nine Heavens is a realm of ideological control. I require you to maintain your martial independence. You will be my tactical hammer. You will fight those I command you to fight, and you will secure the resources I require. Our destiny is linked to the perfection of the Great Daos.
"Understood," Mei Lan responded. "My blade will serve the Heaven-Shaking Daoist. I will wait for your command after my ascent."
With the alliance reaffirmed and the final commands delivered, the spiritual connection severed. Lin Tian returned to his cultivation in the Nine Heavens, trusting his absolute safety to the competence of his greatest ally.
Mei Lan immediately began the complex, silent preparations. She used the Strategic Dao Map to isolate the precise breach coordinates—a remote, uninhabited cloud island. She dispatched Elder Mu and the First Elder to begin the final, massive resource accumulation and deployment of the sealing arrays.
The Cloud Heavens were about to lose their silent empress, but they would be left with a perfectly managed economy and an immense treasury, waiting patiently for the day the Heaven-Shaking Daoist required their resources for his ultimate conquest.