The transition from the Cloud Heavens (Tier 2) to the Nine Heavens (Tier 3) was not smooth; it was a cosmic ordeal. Lin Tian's Void Step—a technique designed for planar breaches—had worked, but the Nine Heavens rejected his presence with unimaginable force. He was ripped through the intervening void, his Perfect Immortal Body screaming as it was bombarded by pure, chaotic Primal Saint Energy—the raw power of this new, higher tier.
He emerged onto a landscape that defied terrestrial logic. There was no sky, only a swirling, eternal twilight dominated by impossibly distant, massive celestial bodies that were the other Heavens themselves. The ground beneath him was not dirt or stone, but solidified Primal Saint Energy, cold and absolute. The atmosphere was so dense with power that a single breath would annihilate a Tier 1 cultivator.
Lin Tian stabilized instantly, his Grand Unity Peak power surging to meet the challenge. His Divine Nascent Soul frantically began the new adaptation process.
[System Notification: Tier 3 Environment Detected. Energy: Primal Saint Energy. Toxicity: Extreme. Adaptation Mandatory.]
[Warning: Primal Saint Energy is violently corrosive to Perfect Immortal Body. Host must acquire or synthesize Primal Saint Blood immediately. Estimated time before foundation damage: 12 hours.]
The warning was absolute. Lin Tian had gone from master to vulnerable prey in a heartbeat. His previous conquests and resources were useless here.
Lin Tian found immediate shelter within the crystalline structure of the strange landscape and initiated the Observer's Eye. He needed to understand the rules of this realm before he was consumed.
[Observer's Eye Activated. Environment Scan Initiated. Current Location: The Lower Heavens (Tier 3). Dominant Law: The Dao of Constraint.]
The air vibrated with ancient power, and Lin Tian detected a spiritual signature approaching—one that dwarfed the power of Venerable Qiao and Elder Long Wei combined. This was a true master of the Nine Heavens.
The being, Elder Jiao, materialized before the cave entrance. He was immense, clad in robes woven from solidified starlight, and radiated the oppressive calm of a Golden Immortal Stage 3—the entry point to the high Tier. Jiao instantly recognized the catastrophic chaos of Lin Tian's ascent.
"A Tier 2 creature has forcibly breached the barrier," Elder Jiao stated, his voice a deep, resonant chord. "Your kind are not welcome here. Your energy is impure, and your presence disrupts the Dao of Constraint."
Jiao channeled his power, manifesting a massive, golden palm woven from Primal Saint Energy. This was not an attack, but a simple, irresistible expression of the local law: You are constrained; you will be returned to your source.
Lin Tian felt the power—absolute and unyielding. His Grand Unity Peak power was useless against the crushing weight of a true Tier 3 law.
Lin Tian did not resist the Golden Palm. He knew resistance would shatter his Nascent Soul. He activated his Omni-Talent and the Observer's Eye, focusing them entirely on the Elder's technique.
[Observer's Eye Activated. Target: Golden Immortal Jiao's Dao of Constraint. Flaw: Dependence on Static Boundary. Solution: Introduce Infinite Growth Paradox.]
The flaw was subtle: Jiao's Dao of Constraint assumed a finite energy signature. Lin Tian channeled his core energy, not into fighting the palm, but into forcing instantaneous, uncontrolled growth into Jiao's own spiritual structure—an infinite paradox that shattered the logic of the confinement.
Elder Jiao roared, clutching his core. His Primal Saint Energy surged violently, threatening to grow until it consumed his own body. He ripped his golden palm back, staring at the infant with existential terror.
"Impossible! You... you are a logical impossibility! You defy the principle of the Golden Law!" Jiao stammered, fearing the chaotic perfection of Lin Tian's counter-logic.
Lin Tian spoke, his voice cold and absolute, transmitted directly through the spiritual void. I am the Heaven-Shaking Daoist. Your logic is flawed. You will serve me. I require Primal Saint Blood.
Elder Jiao, traumatized by the brief, terrifying overload of his own Dao, recognized the purity of the demand. He saw his own stagnation ending. He immediately bowed, pledging his servitude to the terrifying infant. Lin Tian had secured his first Tier 3 Puppet.
Lin Tian dismissed Elder Jiao's protests and commanded him to immediately secure the most vital resource for his survival. Jiao extracted a portion of his own Primal Saint Blood—the life essence of the Tier 3 realm—and presented it to Lin Tian.
Lin Tian consumed the concentrated blood instantly. The agony of the corrosive Primal Saint Energy subsided, replaced by a sublime, violent energy that began fusing with his Perfect Immortal Body.
[Resource Acquisition: Primal Saint Blood secured. Adaptation Protocol: Saint Blood Fusion Initiated. Progress: 1%.]
Lin Tian then commanded Elder Jiao to construct a massive, permanent cultivation chamber—a fortress to withstand the chaotic laws of the Nine Heavens. Jiao was terrified and driven by the zeal of guaranteed advancement.
As Jiao began his work, Lin Tian realized his greatest immediate challenge: the vast, complex energy of the Nine Heavens was governed by fundamental Great Daos (Laws like Time, Fate, and Destiny). To advance in this realm, he needed a System function capable of tracking and mastering these fundamental concepts.
[System Notification: Strategic Dao Map requires upgrade. New Function Unlock Required: Cosmic Flaw Detector. Objective: Master one fundamental Great Dao (Tier 3).]
Lin Tian smiled. He had secured his base and his first puppet. The game was no longer about resources or territory; it was about conquering the very laws of the universe itself.