Lin Tian's journey through the golden rift ended abruptly, not with a gentle landing, but with a crushing, absolute force. He slammed into the foundational layer of the Nine Heavens like a pebble hitting steel. His Perfect Immortal Body, which had survived the Heavenly Tribulation and the brutal chaotic void, immediately protested. The atmospheric pressure alone was monumental, forcing him to instantly expend vast quantities of his newly formed Golden Immortal Qi just to remain conscious.
He opened his eyes. The environment was overwhelming. The air was thick and vibrant, coalescing into swirling currents of Primal Saint Energy—the pure, ancient energy of the Tier 3 realm. It was corrosive, demanding, and utterly suffocating.
[System Notification: Tier 3 Environment Stabilized. Local Law: The Dao of Sovereignty. Warning: Host energy signature is currently unstable and traceable.]
Lin Tian realized his immense power was a liability. His recent, violent ascent meant his aura was leaking, and in a realm defined by absolute authority, that was a beacon for predators. He was in a place that looked like a perpetual twilight, dominated by towering, alien structures built from massive, crystalline Saint-Stone. He had arrived in Constellation City, the political heart of the Lower Heavens.
Lin Tian quickly located a shadow for concealment and began the immediate Saint Energy Adaptation process, channeling the Primal Saint Blood he had acquired in Chapter 46. But before he could fully integrate the energy, a powerful, organized spiritual net descended from above.
"There he is! The anomaly who shattered the Cloud Barrier!"
Three figures materialized around him. They were Immortals of immense power, each radiating the cold authority of a long-established Tier 3 lineage. They were Golden Immortal Stage 5 experts, the enforcers of the Seven-Star Assembly.
The leader, Elder Guan, a gaunt man with eyes like burning amber, carried a shimmering golden net. "We were warned of your coming. Your crude breach of the Heavenly Barrier was an act of war against the Dao of Sovereignty. You are under arrest, source of chaos!"
Lin Tian understood. His ascension, though necessary, had violated the sacred boundaries. He was immediately targeted by the highest law enforcement of the Lower Heavens. He had walked right into a golden cage.
Lin Tian knew the strategic calculus instantly. He was stable at Golden Immortal Stage 1, but against three Stage 5 experts in their native, Saint Energy-rich environment, he was outnumbered and outmatched. He could defeat one, perhaps two, using his Dao of Entropy, but the collateral damage and energy expenditure would expose him to the entire Seven-Star Assembly.
Survival requires submission, Lin Tian concluded. Fighting is inefficient.
He immediately ceased channeling his energy and allowed his Divine Nascent Soul to project a calculated signature of exhaustion and submission. He let the net descend, allowing the potent Golden Immortal Qi to lock down his Perfect Immortal Body.
"Silence him!" Elder Guan commanded, tightening the net. "Bring him to Lord Xing for judgment!"
The three enforcers encased Lin Tian in a thick, shimmering prison of Saint Energy and transported him through the sprawling, crystalline Constellation City. The journey confirmed Lin Tian's strategic hunch: the entire political structure was built on an illusion of perfect control.
Lin Tian was brought before the ruler of the Lower Heavens: Lord Xing, the same Golden Immortal he had converted into a puppet in Chapter 49.
Lord Xing sat upon a throne carved from a single piece of solidified Primal Saint Energy. His face was severe, cold, and immensely imposing. The three enforcers knelt before him, presenting their prisoner.
"Lord Xing," Elder Guan announced triumphantly. "We have captured the Tier 2 anomaly who violated the Heavenly Barrier. The source of the chaos is a mere infant!"
Lord Xing stared at the infant Lin Tian, his public expression one of judicial contempt. Yet, behind his eyes, a silent, terror-filled spiritual acknowledgment passed between him and his master.
Welcome, Master. The Assembly is secured. Your cage is my protection, Lord Xing transmitted through the Vow of Silent Servitude.
Lin Tian confirmed the connection instantly. The Soul Seal was absolute. The political structure of the Lower Heavens, designed to judge him, was already his.
Lord Xing stood and leveled his gaze at the three astonished enforcers. "This anomaly is not a common criminal. He is a high-level spiritual contaminant, dangerous to our political health. He will be held in the Imperial Isolation Chambers—the deepest, most secure vault in Constellation City. I will personally supervise his confinement and interrogation."
The three enforcers were confused by the unusual severity, but they obeyed. Lord Xing had just seized control of Lin Tian's confinement, transforming a prison into the most secure, resource-dense cultivation retreat in the entire Tier 3 realm.
Lin Tian smiled internally. He had entered the Nine Heavens as a target, but the chaos he left behind in the Cloud Heavens was the key to his absolute safety here. He had traded a massive, dangerous battle for a golden cage that would serve as his temporary Tier 3 cultivation base.
His first strategic goal in the Nine Heavens was achieved: maximum security and resource access through established power structures.