Lin Tian sat within the hastily erected, crystalline cultivation fortress secured by Elder Jiao. The structure, built from solidified Primal Saint Energy, was cold and absolute, mirroring the unforgiving nature of the Nine Heavens. Lin Tian was entirely focused on the process of Saint Blood Fusion, letting the essence of his first Tier 3 puppet slowly integrate with his Perfect Immortal Body.
He had achieved a crucial, temporary stability, but to advance, he required the next System Unlock: the Cosmic Flaw Detector. The requirement was simple: Master one fundamental Great Dao.
Lin Tian activated the Observer's Eye and directed it toward the fundamental spiritual currents of the Lower Heavens. The air was no longer permeated by simple energy; it was defined by vast, invisible principles.
[Observer's Eye Activated. Target: Fundamental Great Daos. Analyzing Accessibility and Strategic Utility.]
The System provided a dizzying array of conceptual data, showing the complexity of the foundational laws that governed this Tier 3 realm. Lin Tian considered the available Great Daos: the Dao of Earth offered stability and high defense; the Dao of Void promised instantaneous infiltration and escape, but possessed extreme difficulty; the Dao of Time was forbidden and catastrophically volatile; and the Dao of Entropy offered organized decay and flaw acceleration, possessing apex strategic utility.
The obvious choice is Earth, Lin Tian mused, recognizing the stability it offered. But the Heaven-Shaking Daoist is not defined by stability. I am defined by optimization and destruction of flaws.
His gaze settled on the Dao of Entropy. The System's analysis confirmed its perfect synergy: Entropy's core principle is the law that ensures all complexity tends toward disorder. By mastering it, Lin Tian could weaponize his vision, accelerating the natural, inevitable decay of his enemy's spiritual existence without wasting time on subtle sabotage.
He mentally chose the path: I will master the Dao of Entropy.
Lin Tian issued a command to Elder Jiao, who was still recovering from the trauma of his servitude. "I require the full, unedited ancestral records concerning the Dao of Entropy," Lin Tian transmitted. "Do not bring me techniques for mastery. Bring me records of failure-all sects, all individuals who have attempted and failed to grasp the principle."
Elder Jiao, utterly subservient, complied, risking the political ire of the Lower Heavens to collect the forbidden scrolls. He returned with massive amounts of documentation detailing centuries of catastrophic failures.
Lin Tian activated the Observer's Eye on the mountain of failed records. He was not looking for the key to the Dao; he was looking for the common error-the flawed logic that crippled every aspiring master.
[Processing: 4,500 records of failure. Common Flaw Detected: Ideological Resistance to Finality. All cultivators attempted to use Entropy for creation or preservation, violating its core law.]
Lin Tian realized the simple, philosophical error: The Dao of Entropy was the Dao of ending. To master it, one had to accept and embrace the absolute termination of all things.
Lin Tian began cultivating. He channeled his Primal Saint Blood and pushed his Omni-Talent to accept the principle of ultimate spiritual destruction. His chamber filled with a swirling spiritual aura that was terrifyingly cold and absolute. Lin Tian was cultivating the end of all things.
The effort was profound. Lin Tian pushed his consciousness to the very edge of the Principle of Destruction. He accepted the ultimate collapse of his own existence as the foundational truth of the Dao.
CRACK!
His Divine Nascent Soul resonated with the cosmic frequency of the Dao of Entropy. He had mastered it flawlessly.
[BREAKTHROUGH ACHIEVED! Dao of Entropy Mastered (Initial Stage).]
[System Notification: Cosmic Flaw Detector Unlocked! Allows host to scan the foundational Dao structure of any Tier 3 entity, artifact, or territory for vulnerabilities. Tier 3 Strategic Supremacy Gained.]
The effect of the unlock was immediate and overwhelming. Lin Tian's spiritual vision expanded exponentially. He was no longer just scanning energy flows; he was seeing the fault lines in reality. He saw the flaw in Elder Jiao's fortress, the fracture in the distant mountains, and the ideological weakness in the political structure of the Lower Heavens.
Lin Tian smiled. With the Cosmic Flaw Detector, the chaotic, vast territory of the Nine Heavens was now his personal, complex blueprint. He was ready to begin his total strategic takeover. His first target was the political apex of the Lower Heavens, the Seven-Star Assembly-the fragile ruling body that maintained the illusion of order.