General Lin Zhao was beaming. His son, Lin Tian, looked robust and healthy. The chaotic energy Elder Mu had warned about was gone, replaced by a deep, almost untouchable serenity.
"The Silver Stream Springs truly are miraculous," the General declared, lifting Lin Tian high and laughing, his massive military frame radiating relief. "The Emperor's physicians couldn't heal this, yet a simple journey to the mountains cures my heir."
As General Lin Zhao savored the victory, the guards were packing the last supplies. But one of the Lieutenants, a Foundation Establishment cultivator named Wei, approached with a look of unease.
"General," Wei murmured, lowering his voice. "I don't wish to disturb your joy, but the spring… it's dead. The Silver Stream is barely a trickle, and the spiritual energy that permeated the entire valley last night has completely vanished. It's barren rock now."
General Lin Zhao frowned, then shrugged it off. "Perhaps the spiritual energy was exhausted by healing Tian'er. It served its purpose. Let us depart."
Lin Tian, now sitting upright in his father's arms, mentally scoffed. Exhausted? No, Father. The Spirit Vein was efficiently emptied and refined into one perfect Divine Golden Core. And now, the true trouble arrives.
As the General's contingent began its slow, winding descent, a thunderous roar echoed from the mountain peak. Three figures, moving with incredible speed, descended upon them, kicking up a storm of dust and rock.
The leader landed first. He was a stern man in elaborate, azure robes—Sect Master Luo, the ruler of the Azure Water Sect. His face was contorted by a furious mixture of shock and rage. He was at the peak of the Mortal Realm: Soul Transformation Stage 9.
The General's guards instantly drew weapons, forming a defensive shield around Lin Zhao and the infant.
"General Lin Zhao!" Sect Master Luo's voice was like grinding stone. "What have you done to my mountain?!"
General Lin Zhao, a powerful figure in his own right and a Core Formation expert, remained calm. "Sect Master Luo, your words are bold. I am on Imperial authorized travel for my son's health. We used the known Silver Stream Springs, nothing more."
"Lies!" Sect Master Luo screamed, his Qi surging violently. "My Qi-gathering Formation is shattered! The Azure Spirit Vein that has sustained my sect for two hundred years—it is empty! It was siphoned clean between sunset and sunrise! Your military presence here is no coincidence!"
The General's face tightened, sensing the genuine spiritual calamity in the air. This was far beyond a dispute over a hot spring.
Lin Tian, held securely, activated the Observer's Eye.
[Target: Sect Master Luo. Status: Soul Transformation Stage 9. Flaw: Cultivation unstable due to reliance on external Spirit Vein Qi. Current Intent: Overwhelming Rage (Danger Level: High).]
Lin Tian knew a direct fight would be a disaster. The General was strong, but a Stage 9 expert could wipe out his entire escort. He needed to manipulate the conflict to force the Sect Master to retreat without resorting to violence.
I need a distraction, and I need to prove his flaw is internal, not external, Lin Tian analyzed.
He used his Minor Qi Guidance to subtly project a minute amount of his Divine Golden Core energy—so small it was almost invisible—into the air, carefully directing it toward the Sect Master.
Sect Master Luo immediately staggered, clutching his chest. "What… what was that feeling? That oppressive purity?"
Lin Tian seized the opportunity. He focused the spiritual energy from his tiny body to push a single, powerful command into the General's mind, not as telepathy, but as a sudden, clear thought that General Lin Zhao would assume was his own brilliant intuition.
'Sect Master, your energy is volatile. The Vein was corrupted by its own stagnation. You are protecting a flaw.'
General Lin Zhao stepped forward, his eyes burning with conviction. "Sect Master, I sense your fury is covering a deeper fear. Your Vein did not sustain your sect, it made you dependent! I suggest you check your Sect for internal weakness, rather than blaming an Imperial General and his sick infant son for your own stagnation!"
The words struck a nerve. Sect Master Luo paled, the subtle push of Lin Tian's Divine Qi amplifying his own internal doubts about his reliance on the Vein.
Just as the Sect Master was wavering between attack and retreat, a second wave of disturbance erupted from the mountain.
It wasn't external lightning this time. It was a massive, searing Sword Intent—a spiritual pressure so sharp and pure it cut through the air, sending tremors through the mountain peaks.
This energy felt impossibly clean, aggressive, and utterly dominant. Sect Master Luo's eyes widened in horror.
"That... that Sword Intent! It's the energy I was suppressing in the servant dormitories! It's awakened! The resources are gone, and the monster I caged is free!" Sect Master Luo roared, suddenly abandoning the General's party. The appearance of the Sword Intent was far more terrifying than confronting an Imperial General.
With a final, desperate snarl, Sect Master Luo ordered his disciples: "We return to the Sect! Find that servant girl! She must be stopped before she levels the mountain!"
The threat vanished as quickly as it arrived, leaving General Lin Zhao and his men breathing heavily. The General looked at his son, then at the mountain, then back at his son.
"Tian'er," he whispered, holding the quiet, innocent baby close. "You truly are a blessing. The moment we arrived, your illness vanished, and the troubles of this place became someone else's."
Lin Tian, resting his head on his father's shoulder, felt the satisfying click of a successful maneuver. The Lin Clan is safe, the resources are secured, and the female lead's story arc is now officially engaged. It's time to move on to the Nascent Soul realm.
Lin Tian let out a soft, contented sigh, looking every bit the perfectly healed infant.