The Imperial Isolation Chambers were no longer a quiet retreat; they were a fortress built around a crucible. Before Lin Tian, seven shimmering spheres of Golden Immortal Essence pulsed with immense power—the accumulated might of the defeated Obsidian Star Territory leaders. These essences were volatile, but Lin Tian's Divine Nascent Soul viewed them as raw fuel.
Lin Tian, now stable at Golden Immortal Stage 6, sat cross-legged. He had the strategic tools and the resources; now, he would use the conquest of the Obsidian Star Territory to fund his direct ascent toward the Dao Emperor realm.
He began the Elemental Absorption Protocol, a terrifying technique synthesized from the stolen Nine Heavens Dao Archive.
[System Notification: Elemental Absorption Protocol Initiated. Target: Golden Immortal Essence (x7). Warning: Assimilation requires simultaneous integration of Four Core Elemental Essences (Fire, Earth, Water, Wind).]
Lin Tian channeled his core power, drawing the four unique elemental cores he had acquired (Chapter 39, 40) into the very center of his being. He then seized the seven spheres of Golden Immortal Essence. The challenge was not just absorbing the energy, but using the unique elemental balance to perfectly refine the external essence, purging the spiritual flaws left by the defeated Immortals.
Lin Tian activated the Cosmic Flaw Detector, aiming its conceptual power directly at the massive influx of energy. He saw the flaws immediately—residual Dao of Rigidity from the defeated House Lie, political corruption, and ideological weakness woven into the Golden Immortal Essence itself.
Lin Tian used his Dao of Entropy to burn away the corruption. He didn't waste time destroying the flaws; he accelerated their natural spiritual decay, instantly isolating and extracting only the pure, raw Primal Saint Energy contained within.
The internal process was agonizing. The raw Saint Energy surged into Lin Tian's meridians, overwhelming his body. His Perfect Immortal Body—now infused with the elemental fusion—was the only thing capable of withstanding the catastrophic pressure. He felt his bones groan and his spiritual core heat to an impossible temperature.
He spent days in this state of controlled agony, his body acting as the perfect alchemical furnace. Each purified sphere of Golden Immortal Essence added years of cultivation base to his core, pushing his power past its former limits.
He broke through Golden Immortal Stage 7 in a flash of intense golden light. The ascent did not slow. The vast amount of refined energy from the seven Immortals propelled him directly toward the next major bottleneck.
Lin Tian broke through Golden Immortal Stage 8. At this level, pure energy was not enough. He needed conceptual understanding.
He focused his Dao of Entropy power, fusing it with the enormous resources of the Primal Essence Well—the continuous Tier 3 energy source he had secured. He used this fusion to master a complex, secondary conceptual law: the Dao of Strategic Flow.
[BREAKTHROUGH ACHIEVED! Dao of Strategic Flow Mastery Acquired. Conceptual Utility: Allows host to perceive and manipulate the optimal energy pathways in any large-scale battlefield or formation.]
This was the ultimate strategic power-up. Lin Tian was no longer just a tactician; he was now a Conceptual Commander.
The combined power—the seven essences, the four elements, the continuous flow of the Primal Essence Well, and the mastery of two Great Daos—pushed Lin Tian to the absolute apex.
CRACK!
The cultivation chambers groaned as Lin Tian's spiritual boundary shattered. He had completed the final step.
[BREAKTHROUGH ACHIEVED! Golden Immortal Stage 9 (Peak). Host has reached the ultimate threshold of the Golden Immortal Realm.]
Lin Tian opened his eyes. He was now a Tier 3 Peak Golden Immortal, a master of two Great Daos, and the undisputed conceptual superior of any non-Dao Emperor in the Lower Heavens.
Lin Tian's next goal was clear: Dao Emperor Stage. This required a direct confrontation with the existing Imperial structure.
He summoned his two primary martial puppets: Lord Xing and Elder Jiao.
"The time for subtle conquest is over," Lin Tian transmitted, his voice carrying the immovable weight of his new power. "The Golden Immortal realm is complete. We target the heart of the Emperor's power."
Lin Tian directed the Strategic Dao Map toward the domain of Emperor Qin—one of the key Celestial Emperors controlling a massive region of the Nine Heavens.
"The Emperor's territory holds the Primal Chaos Pool—a resource capable of pushing me through the Dao Emperor bottleneck," Lin Tian commanded. "Lord Xing, you will use your Dao of Time to create a long-term, continental-scale Temporal Distortion Field to shield our territory for the duration of the war. Elder Jiao, you will prepare for the ultimate martial siege."
Lin Tian smiled. He was ready to stop playing political games and start waging a full-scale, direct war against the highest rulers of the Nine Heavens. The saga had moved from strategic defense to imperial conquest.