The sheer volume of Immortal Purity Pills and spiritual runoff stolen from the Azure Sea Sect filled the space around Lin Tian with a suffocating, dense fog of Immortal Qi. In the seclusion of the cave, Elder Mu stood watch-a devoted, fearful puppet whose entire existence now revolved around serving the infant master who promised him the ultimate spiritual fix.
Lin Tian, now a nine-month-old Heavenly Immortal (Stage 1), was cultivating intensely. The immediate goal was survival: forcing his Divine Nascent Soul to convert the overwhelming, corrosive Immortal Qi into a stable, usable energy. His Divine Purity was already filtering the toxicity, but the process was agonizingly slow, demanding constant, precise control.
Lin Tian knew he couldn't afford years of slow adaptation. The presence of the Divine Purity signature on the Cloud Continent was a beacon. He needed to accelerate his integration to Stage 3 quickly to gain defensive mobility and disguise his core.
He activated the Observer's Eye on his own internal process.
[Observer's Eye Activated. Target: Tier 2 Cultivation Adaptation. Current Purity Rate: 72%]
The Cosmic Purity Flux was a theoretical concept drawn from the Ancient Divine Records he had synthesized in the Imperial Library-a method of forcing the Immortal body to accept the new energy by flooding it with energy of superior purity. It was the only way to accelerate the process, but it required pushing the Immortal Purity Pills past their rated capacity.
Lin Tian mentally commanded Elder Mu. "Prepare the Immortal Purity Pills. All of them. Grind them into a single, concentrated spiritual paste."
Elder Mu paled. "Master! That many pills consumed at once will overload the system! Even a Grand Unity Immortal would rupture!"
"The flaw is in the pills efficiency, not my core's capacity," Lin Tian transmitted dismissively. "Do it. I require acceleration."
Elder Mu obeyed, setting about the painstaking, terrifying task of grinding five hundred high-grade pills into a single, shimmering paste. The resulting spiritual essence was so potent it looked like liquid light.
Lin Tian consumed the paste.
The effect was immediate and catastrophic. The raw, overwhelming power of five centuries' worth of spiritual energy slammed into his Divine Nascent Soul. Instead of feeding him gently, the energy tried to expand outward, threatening to rupture his Perfect Immortal Body from the inside.
Lin Tian met the chaos with absolute control. He activated the Cosmic Purity Flux, using his Omni-Talent to force the violent spiritual energy into a compressed, circular path. The energy didn't just flow through his meridians; it was immediately subjected to the Divine Purity filter of his core.
The filtering process was terrifyingly fast. Impurities-spiritual sludge, residual mortal influence, and minute traces of the Azure Sea Sect's foundational Qi-were stripped away and violently expelled from Lin Tian's skin as black vapor.
Elder Mu watched, horrified, as his infant master was shrouded in the chaotic smoke of his own purification.
[Adaptation Progress: Stage 2 (Integration) Achieved. Progress: 30%]
The chaotic energy subsided, and Lin Tian felt a massive, fundamental shift. He had bypassed the long, corrosive adaptation phase entirely. His Divine Nascent Soul now hummed perfectly in tune with the Tier 2 Immortal Qi.
Lin Tian emerged from the chaotic energy, his skin flawless and his eyes focused. He had achieved stability, but he needed to repay his loyal puppet and ensure his utility remained maximal.
He turned his Observer's Eye on Elder Mu again. The Elder had served perfectly, but his internal Wood Dao Flaw-the one that had caused him agony in Chapter 28-was a liability.
[Target: Elder Mu. Flaw: Wood Dao Technique corruption. Fix Protocol: Synthesis of Celestial Wood Dew. Required Herbs: Cloud-Palm Fruit (High-Tier).]
Lin Tian realized he still needed resources he didn't possess. The required Cloud-Palm Fruit was a Tier 2 high-tier item, far beyond the wealth of the defeated Azure Sea Sect. He needed to find a new source of wealth.
Lin Tian commanded Elder Mu: "You have served well. Now, you will secure the final cure for your Dao."
Elder Mu, fueled by the hope of true cultivation freedom, trembled. "Master, command me! What is required?"
"The Cloud-Palm Fruit. It resides only in the territory of the Black Sun Sect, a formidable Tier 2 power. They are arrogant and heavily guarded," Lin Tian transmitted. "You will go there. You will use your knowledge of Tier 2 formations to secure one fruit. If you fail, your Dao will forever remain crippled."
Mu bowed low, the challenge of infiltrating a major sect now appearing trivial compared to the agony of the purification process. "I will not fail, Master. My ascent is your priority."
Lin Tian smiled. He was not sending Mu to steal; he was sending him to scout and create chaos. The Black Sun Sect was a major power; defeating them required more than just purity-it required political setup.
Lin Tian, now comfortable in the Tier 2 realm, began to plot. He needed to leverage the chaos that Mei Lan was still creating and the instability of the Azure Sea Sect to gain entry to the political structure of the Immortal Cloud Continent.
He used the last of the Azure Sea Sect's seals he had acquired. He subtly channeled his energy to forge a massive, fraudulent Imperial Decree-not from the Mortal Realm, but from a powerful, unknown Tier 3 (Nine Heavens) source. The decree was simple: Investigate the treachery of the Azure Sea Sect and secure their leadership.
Lin Tian had no intention of reporting the sect. He intended to sow discord. He commanded Elder Mu to deliver this forged Tier 3 decree to the Sovereign's Hall-the central political structure of the continent.
[Strategic Maneuver: Political Deflection Initiated. Target: Azure Sea Sect. Projected Outcome: Tier 2 political chaos and investigation, securing host's anonymity.]
Lin Tian smiled. The chaos was spreading. He had turned the Azure Sea Sect's destruction into his political shield. Now, he would wait for the sovereign powers to deal with the fallout while Elder Mu set the stage for the next heist at the Black Sun Sect.