The spiritual stillness of the Cloud Heavens shattered, not with an explosion, but with the sudden, overwhelming mental call from the Nine Heavens. Mei Lan, who was overseeing the meticulous storage of Tier 2 Spiritual Jades, froze. The message was concise, absolute, and commanded immediate action: The Nine Heavens are open. The Emperor is crippled. Your ascent is now required. Bring the resources. The next war is martial.
Mei Lan's eyes, sharp and clear with the mastery of her Divine Core, instantly absorbed the tactical situation. Lin Tian had executed his temporal and political gambit, crippling the highest power in Tier 3. Her role was now to act as the massive, material bridge between the conquered realm and the battlefield.
She summoned her two loyal generals: Elder Mu (the perfected Heavenly Immortal) and the First Elder of the Black Sun Sect (the Grand Unity Immortal).
"The Master commands immediate ascent," Mei Lan stated, her voice cutting through the heavy air of the treasury vault. "The time for hoarding is over. The time for deployment has begun."
Mei Lan activated the Strategic Dao Map, the tool Lin Tian had unlocked, projecting the blueprint of the Cloud Heavens' treasury onto the walls. The map shimmered with green resource indicators, confirming the immense spiritual wealth consolidated under the Lin Dynasty.
[Observer's Eye Activated. Target: Lin Dynasty Treasury. Resource Value: Tier 2 Apex. Mission: Tier 3 Martial Deployment Protocol.]
"Elder Mu," Mei Lan commanded. "Your perfected Wood Dao is required. You will oversee the extraction of all liquid and volatile spiritual essences—the Immortal Purity Pills, the Elemental Runoff, and the Spiritual Honeydew. Use a Dimensional Transference Array to stabilize the containers for the Tier 3 void. Efficiency must be 99.9%."
Mu, driven by absolute fanaticism for his master, bowed low. "The resources will be secured and prepared for transport, Mistress. Not a single wisp of Qi will be lost."
"First Elder," Mei Lan continued, turning to the formidable Grand Unity Immortal. "Your Fire Dao and martial strength are required for the perimeter. You will mobilize the remaining disciplined forces of the conquered sects. Any residual element of the former Sovereign's Hall that attempts to observe or interfere with the transfer will be met with immediate and absolute destruction."
The First Elder accepted the command with zeal. He recognized that this was the final, defining act of the Tier 2 conquest. "The borders are closed, Mistress. No one challenges the Lin Dynasty."
Mei Lan then focused on the most complex part of the plan: securing the Lin Dynasty's continued existence in the Cloud Heavens after her departure.
She used the Strategic Dao Map to locate the most stable, neutral political figure she had identified during her reign: Mistress Ming of the Jade Lotus Pavilion (introduced in Chapter 32), the powerful Grand Unity Immortal known for her Elemental Harmonization and non-aggressive stability.
Mei Lan flew swiftly to the Jade Lotus Pavilion. Mistress Ming, sensing the power of the approaching Divine Core, met her with cautious reverence.
"The Blade of Purity," Mistress Ming greeted her. "You have brought a terrifying order to this chaotic realm. What does the Lin Dynasty require of my neutrality?"
Mei Lan did not waste time. She projected the truth of Lin Tian's power and destiny—the conquest of the Nine Heavens—and presented Mistress Ming with a strategic contract: Maintain the stability and political neutrality of the central Cloud Heavens. In return, the Lin Dynasty will guarantee your sect perpetual spiritual protection and provide a steady supply of perfectly purified Tier 3 spiritual essence in the future.
Mistress Ming, shocked by the audacity and the scale of the cosmic endeavor, and intrigued by the unprecedented promise of Tier 3 resources, readily agreed. Mei Lan had secured the stability of her base using diplomacy and strategic exchange, proving her growth beyond mere martial force.
With the political, resource, and defense elements secured, Mei Lan returned to the resource transfer site. The entire wealth of the Lin Dynasty Treasury was now compressed into a massive, shimmering, stable Tier 2 Resource Cube—a cube that pulsed with enough energy to sustain Lin Tian's ascent for centuries.
She placed the Cube within her own Dimensional Repository.
Mei Lan then stood at the final breach coordinate, the same place she had executed the Stealth Breach in Chapter 59. She looked back one last time, confirming the perfect stability of the Cloud Heavens. She was leaving an empire behind.
She focused her Divine Purity Core, channeling her full Grand Unity Immortal power. The command from Lin Tian was clear: Do not use the stealth technique. The Nine Heavens requires a declaration of war. Use brute force. Smash the barrier.
Mei Lan smiled—a fierce, cold expression of pure acceptance. She raised her hand and manifested the Blade of Purity—not as a surgical thread, but as a vast, white column of energy that reached for the cosmic barrier.
She drove the blade into the already weakened, shimmering Heavenly Gate. The attack was absolute, shattering the cosmic veil.
CRACK!
The sound of the collapse ripped across the Cloud Heavens. Mei Lan shot through the wound and into the chaos of the Tier 3 void, her massive Resource Cube traveling safely with her.
[Tier 3 (Nine Heavens) Transition Complete. Mei Lan has arrived. Martial Reinforcements Deployed.]
The Blade of Purity had arrived in the war-torn realm of the Celestial Emperors. The final conquest of the Nine Heavens was about to escalate into full martial war.