Lin Tian stood amidst the smoking, ruined remains of the Sovereign's Hall, the former apex of the Cloud Heavens. His Grand Unity Peak power pulsed with absolute authority, having successfully annihilated the Grand Unity Enforcer unit and crippled the continent's ruling structure. The Tier 2 saga was complete, but his work was not yet finished.
He activated his spiritual link, reaching across the turbulent Cloud Heavens toward the most stable, purest signature he knew—that of the Innate Sword Soul.
Mei Lan, who was in deep seclusion integrating the last of her stolen resources, immediately received the command. She appeared instantly before him, materializing on a floating shard of jade rubble in the ruined courtyard. Her presence was cold, lethal, and radiating the stabilized power of her Divine Purity Core.
"Master," Mei Lan stated, her voice flat with professional respect, "The chaos is absolute. The Sovereign's Hall is neutralized. Your will is done."
Lin Tian, still an infant but possessing the presence of a cosmic sovereign, spoke through the direct bond of their shared spiritual purity. The Cloud Heavens are closed. I ascend to the Nine Heavens in twenty-four hours. My ascension will be violent.
Mei Lan's cold eyes widened slightly—the only sign of surprise. She immediately understood the magnitude of the statement: Tier 3 ascent was the greatest challenge imaginable.
"Your ascension will create a massive spiritual void," Mei Lan analyzed, her voice sharp with strategic focus. "The remaining Grand Unity Immortals will search frantically for the source of this destruction. They must be controlled."
Correct. You are my final shield, Lin Tian transmitted. Your task is not to conquer. Your task is to govern the chaos.
Lin Tian projected a vast, complex political and resource map directly into Mei Lan's Sea of Consciousness. It detailed the exact locations of the captured elemental sects, the weakness of the remaining noble houses, and the specific coordinates of his hidden resource caches.
"You will move into the central territory vacated by the Sovereign's Hall. You will stabilize the four conquered Elemental Sects (Fire, Earth, Water, and Wind) and govern the southern continent in my name," Lin Tian commanded. "The Lin Dynasty will rule this Tier 2 realm, preparing the resources for my inevitable return."
Mei Lan accepted the command, her Purity Core absorbing the complex strategic data instantly. "The resources will be secured. The political structure will be maintained. But I require a clear strategic advantage against the remaining Grand Unity Immortals. They will unite against the chaos."
Lin Tian smiled—a subtle curve of his infant mouth that held cosmic confidence. He knew he had to equip her with the ultimate deterrent.
"The greatest weapon is their own flaw," Lin Tian transmitted. "You will use the Sovereign's Archive."
Lin Tian projected a perfectly filtered, massive torrent of Tier 2 secrets—the entire strategic resource he had just stolen. This was the most valuable information in the Cloud Heavens: the specific Heavenly Flaws of the major noble houses, the precise cultivation weaknesses of Venerable Qiao and other Grand Unity Peak experts, and the access codes to several neutral spiritual veins.
[Data Transfer Initiated: Sovereign's Archive Protocols. Target: Innate Sword Soul. Integrity: 100%.]
Mei Lan's consciousness was momentarily overwhelmed by the sudden influx of absolute knowledge. She now held the weaknesses of every major power she would encounter for the next millennium. She was no longer just a powerful rogue; she was the most strategically informed person in the entire Tier 2 realm.
"With this knowledge," Mei Lan whispered, her voice tinged with the profound understanding of destiny. "I can defeat any Grand Unity Immortal without a single protracted battle. They will fear the purity of my knowledge more than the purity of my sword."
Your mastery of this knowledge is the final confirmation of your peer status, Lin Tian thought. Do not fail the foundation I am building.
Mei Lan lowered her head in absolute acknowledgment of the power-transfer and the strategic trust. "I will rule this realm, Master. When you require resources for the Nine Heavens, the Cloud Heavens will be your treasury."
"Ascend swiftly, Lin Tian," Mei Lan commanded, her eyes reflecting the silver light of his immense power.
Lin Tian did not look back. He channeled his Grand Unity Peak power, fusing the last remnants of his acquired essence. He looked up, his sight piercing the sky, finding the precise location where the Heavenly Gate—the final barrier to the Nine Heavens—lay hidden.
He rose, shedding the remnants of his infant form and projecting a shimmering, silver image of his true Perfect Immortal Body—a form roughly that of a mature young man—over his small physical frame. He aimed for the very top of the shattered Sovereign's Hall.
His final ascent was not an explosion. It was a conscious, deliberate breach. Lin Tian gathered the full force of his Grand Unity Peak energy and directed it into the cosmic veil, executing the precise counter-logic required to sever the Tier 2 connection.
The sky fractured, opening a silent, golden rift. Lin Tian stepped through, abandoning the ruined Cloud Heavens for the next level of the cosmic saga.
[Tier 3 (Nine Heavens) Transition Initiated. Cloud Heavens Conquest Status: Complete (Puppet Control). Estimated Arrival: 10 days (relative time).]
The golden rift sealed, leaving Mei Lan standing alone, the new, silent ruler of a devastated but secured empire, ready to begin her era of governance and power preparation.