The journey to Dawn Lotus Mountain required passing through territories controlled by the Righteous Verdant Sect—staunch enforcers of Heaven's Will Protocol restrictions. Liu Yun and Chen Xia traveled under the guise of medicinal herb merchants, concealing their true cultivation behind specialized suppression techniques from the Phoenix Sovereign Manual.
"Your cultivation methods differ fundamentally from standard paths," Chen Xia observed as they ascended narrow mountain trails. "You absorb energy directly rather than cycling it through traditional meridian refinement."
Liu Yun nodded. "The Devouring Sky Scripture prioritizes efficiency over arbitrary restrictions. Why take centuries to achieve what can be accomplished in decades?"
"The official doctrine claims such methods corrupt one's spiritual foundation," she replied, though her tone suggested skepticism rather than belief.
"Propaganda to maintain control through artificial scarcity," Liu Yun dismissed. "The Six Immortal Sects restrict access to higher cultivation realms to preserve their dominance."
They paused at a vantage point overlooking the valley below. Dawn Lotus Mountain rose before them—its peak perpetually shrouded in mist that glowed faintly during sunrise and sunset. According to the Phoenix Sovereign Manual, this phenomenon resulted from boundary thinning between mortal and immortal realms occurring at regular sixteen-year intervals.
"The nexus point activates tomorrow at dawn," Liu Yun stated, consulting stellar positions. "We must establish the foundation array tonight during the Yin hour."
Chen Xia produced a jade box containing five specially prepared formation flags they had crafted according to the manual's specifications. "These required three days of blood refinement. The materials were expensive."
"The result will justify all costs," Liu Yun assured her. "When properly activated, this nexus will create a localized weakening of the Heaven's Will Protocol, allowing accelerated cultivation within its influence."
As darkness fell, they made their way to five precisely calculated positions around the mountain's mid-section. Chen Xia placed each flag according to Liu Yun's instructions, her movements displaying the natural affinity for formation techniques characteristic of her Phoenix Pavilion bloodline.
"The manual suggests these formations originally served as meditation amplifiers for the Emperor's armies," she commented while activating the third flag with a drop of her blood. "Not as weapons or direct Protocol counter-measures."
"Initially, yes," the emperor's voice acknowledged through Liu Yun. "Yuhuan discovered their boundary-affecting properties later, during our campaign against the Celestial Courts."
Liu Yun relayed this information, noting Chen Xia's intense interest whenever the emperor shared historical details about her ancestral lineage.
"What was she like?" Chen Xia asked while they prepared the fourth flag. "My ancestor, Feng Yuhuan."
Liu Yun allowed the emperor's memories to flow through their shared consciousness. "Brilliant but ruthless. She developed cultivation techniques that others thought impossible, often testing them on herself despite tremendous risk."
"The family histories describe her as pursuing 'cultivation without compromise,'" Chen Xia nodded. "A philosophy my line has maintained through generations, despite persecution."
As they positioned the final flag, Liu Yun detected spiritual fluctuations approaching from the valley below. "We have company. Righteous Verdant Sect patrol—four cultivators at Foundation Establishment realm."
Chen Xia tensed, hand moving to her sword. "If they discover these formation flags..."
"Continue the preparations," Liu Yun instructed. "I will handle the interruption."
He descended toward the approaching patrol, adjusting his appearance and aura to project the image of a common medicinal herb gatherer. When the green-robed cultivators intercepted him on the mountain path, he affected an appropriately startled demeanor.
"Blessings, honored cultivators," he greeted with a peasant's bow. "This humble gatherer seeks night-blooming spirit moss for his master's remedies."
The patrol leader, a hard-faced woman with the rigid bearing of a sect enforcer, studied him suspiciously. "Dawn Lotus Mountain is restricted during celestial convergence periods. State your sect affiliation and present proper gathering permits."
Liu Yun maintained his subservient posture while subtly activating the Phantom Mist Scripture—a technique allowing spiritual manipulation of perception. "Forgive this ignorant one's trespass. My master sent me without explaining proper protocols."
As he spoke, tendrils of jade-colored energy imperceptibly infiltrated the cultivators' spiritual senses, subtly altering their perception without triggering defensive responses.
"Who is your master?" demanded another patrol member, a young man whose hand rested on his sword hilt.
"Physician Wong of Clear Creek Village," Liu Yun fabricated smoothly. "He treats the mountain villages when sect healers are unavailable."
The patrol leader's expression softened slightly as the perception manipulation took effect. "Clear Creek lies beyond our jurisdiction. You should know better than to enter restricted areas without authorization."
Liu Yun bowed repeatedly. "This one begs forgiveness and will depart immediately."
"See that you do," she commanded, gesturing toward the valley path. "And inform your master that proper protocols must be followed during next month's Celestial Alignment Festival. All cultivation activities require sect approval during sensitive astronomical periods."
Liu Yun thanked them profusely while retreating down the path. Once beyond their sight, he circled back using concealment techniques, returning to Chen Xia at the formation site.
"The flags are positioned," she reported. "But that patrol's mention of the Celestial Alignment is concerning. The Righteous Verdant Sect must suspect something about boundary thinning periods."
"They know something happens during astronomical convergences but lack complete understanding," Liu Yun clarified, taking position at the formation's center. "Their restrictions are precautionary rather than informed."
As the Yin hour approached, they began the activation sequence described in the Phoenix Sovereign Manual. Chen Xia circulated her spiritual energy through specialized meridian paths while Liu Yun channeled the emperor's power into the central convergence point.
The five flags glowed crimson, ethereal phoenix wings briefly manifesting above each before sending energy streams toward the mountain peak. These streams penetrated the perpetual mist, causing it to swirl and condense into increasingly structured patterns.
"First barrier response detected," Liu Yun announced as resistance manifested against their formation. "The Protocol's enforcement mechanisms engage automatically when direct manipulation is attempted."
Chen Xia grimaced with strain as the resistance intensified. "The manual mentioned counter-pressure but not this magnitude."
"The Protocol has evolved over five millennia," Liu Yun explained, increasing power output to compensate. "Its defensive adaptations exceed Yuhuan's original calculations."
"Channel my essence directly," the emperor instructed. "The Protocol recognizes my energy signature from its original implementation."
Liu Yun complied, allowing more of the emperor's corrupted energy to flow through their shared spiritual core. The jade pendant in his palm pulsed with sickly brilliance as tyrannical power surged into the formation.
The effect was immediate—the resistance patterns faltered, their structured opposition briefly disrupted by energy they recognized but couldn't properly categorize. In that moment of confusion, Liu Yun forced the formation to completion.
The mist crown of Dawn Lotus Mountain suddenly parted, revealing a swirling vortex of multicolored energy—direct exposure of the boundary between realms normally hidden from mortal perception.
"The first nexus is activated," Liu Yun confirmed as stabilizing energy patterns locked into place around the vortex. "It will remain accessible for seven days before the natural cycle closes it."
Chen Xia stared in wonder at the swirling energies above. "The boundary between mortal and immortal realms... just as the family histories described."
"Tomorrow at dawn, we ascend through the nexus to establish the connection properly," Liu Yun instructed. "For tonight, we cultivate in its presence to acclimate our spiritual cores to boundary fluctuation."
They settled into meditation postures beneath the swirling vortex, absorbing the unique energies now flowing freely from the weakened boundary. Chen Xia followed Liu Yun's instructions for specialized meridian circulation, her Phoenix bloodline naturally resonating with the boundary energies.
"I feel my cultivation foundation restructuring," she murmured after several hours, amber eyes glowing with absorbed power. "The artificial constraints... dissolving."
Liu Yun nodded. "The Heaven's Will Protocol imposes artificial limitations on cultivation speed and methodology. Direct boundary exposure temporarily negates these restrictions."
By dawn, both had experienced significant advancement—Chen Xia breaking through to early Foundation Establishment eighth stage, while Liu Yun consolidated recent gains from his sovereign explorations.
As the first rays of sunlight touched the mountain peak, the vortex stabilized into a translucent pathway stretching upward into realms beyond normal perception.
"Now we ascend," Liu Yun announced, rising to his feet. "The Phoenix Sovereign Manual indicates we must place the emperor's marker at the upper terminus to establish permanent resonance."
Chen Xia stared at the ethereal pathway with momentary hesitation. "The histories warn that unprepared cultivators who enter boundary zones risk spiritual dissolution."
"Your bloodline provides natural protection," Liu Yun assured her. "Additionally, the formation flags create stabilization fields specifically calibrated to your energy signature."
Together they began ascending the luminous pathway, their physical bodies gradually transitioning to pure spiritual manifestation as they approached the boundary threshold. The experience defied conventional cultivation understanding—simultaneously ascending and descending, expanding and contracting.
At the uppermost point of transition, where mortal realm thinned to near transparency, Liu Yun extracted a jade talisman bearing the emperor's personal sigil. Following precise instructions from the Phoenix Sovereign Manual, he embedded this marker into the boundary fabric itself.
The effect rippled outward instantly—the boundary structure reconfiguring around this intrusion, attempting to reject it before gradually accepting and incorporating it into its pattern. When stabilization completed, a permanent resonance link had been established.
"The first nexus is secured," Liu Yun confirmed as they descended back to the mountain. "Eight remain before the Protocol's foundation can be directly challenged."
Chen Xia's expression combined wonder with calculating ambition. "If a single nexus produces such advancement opportunities, what might nine connected points create?"
"The complete dissolution of artificial cultivation barriers," Liu Yun stated. "A return to true cultivation principles where advancement depends solely on individual potential rather than sect restrictions."
As they gathered their formation flags and prepared to depart before Righteous Verdant Sect patrols discovered the activated nexus, Chen Xia studied Liu Yun with renewed assessment.
"Your goal extends beyond personal advancement," she observed. "You seek to fundamentally transform the cultivation world's structure."
Liu Yun's cold smile revealed nothing of his deeper intentions. "I seek power without arbitrary limitation. If existing systems must fall to achieve this, so be it."
Chen Xia nodded, apparently satisfied with this alignment to her family's generations-long resistance against the established order. "The second nexus location?"
"Eastern Sea Abyssal Trench," Liu Yun replied. "We have thirty-two days before its boundary thinning cycle begins."
Together they descended Dawn Lotus Mountain, leaving behind the first active crack in the five-thousand-year-old cultivation restrictions that had shaped the Nine Provinces since the Demon Sword Emperor's defeat.