Chapter 118 | Stabilizing the New Foundation

Chapter 118: 118 | Stabilizing the New Foundation

For the next three days, the doors of Cloud-Sea Pavilion remained sealed, with Tier 3 isolation formations protecting the chamber from outside disturbance.

Aunt Lin sat cross-legged on a woven spirit-grass mat, dressed in a fresh white robe. Her eyes were closed as she slowly circulated the silvery Liquid Qi within her Dantian.

Her Qi Stagnation was completely gone, but her body still needed time to adjust to the sudden change in her cultivation. The Liquid Qi in her Dantian was far denser than the Qi she had been used to before, and even her strengthened foundation had not fully adapted to it.

She guided the Qi through her meridians carefully, keeping the flow steady. For several breaths, everything went smoothly.

Then the Qi suddenly surged.

Aunt Lin’s brows tightened as the pressure rushed upward through her chest and spread along her heart meridian. Her breathing became uneven, and the silvery Qi inside her body began to lose its steady flow.

Lin Tian opened his eyes.

He immediately crossed the chamber and sat behind her. Placing both palms against her upper back, he sent a controlled stream of golden Yang Qi into her meridians.

"Don’t resist the flow," he said calmly. "Let your Qi follow my guidance."

Aunt Lin’s shoulders relaxed slightly. She stopped trying to force the unstable Qi back into place and followed his guidance instead.

Lin Tian carefully guided the troubled Qi away from the strained point and toward her wider meridians. He moved slowly, adjusting the flow little by little rather than forcing it through.

The silvery Qi gradually became steady again.

A faint tremble ran through Aunt Lin’s body before finally stopping. Her breathing also returned to normal as the remaining Qi settled back into her Dantian.

"I almost lost control," she said quietly.

"You tried to circulate too much at once," Lin Tian replied. "Your cultivation has advanced, but your meridians still need time to adapt."

Aunt Lin nodded and began again.

This time, she reduced the amount of Qi she circulated and kept the flow much slower. Lin Tian watched closely, ready to intervene if the Qi became unstable again.

But nothing happened.

The silvery Qi moved smoothly through her meridians before returning to her Dantian. Her foundation slowly became steadier as her body adjusted to the new level of power.

Madam Shen had remained nearby throughout the process. She watched the changes carefully, her expression becoming more thoughtful as she saw how precisely Lin Tian controlled the Qi.

He wasn’t forcing Aunt Lin’s cultivation forward. He was simply helping her body find the right rhythm on its own.

"Slowly," Lin Tian reminded her. "Don’t rush."

Aunt Lin followed his words. With each circulation, the movement of her Qi became smoother.

The room gradually fell silent again, leaving only the faint sound of their breathing and the soft hum of the isolation formations.

For now, both women remained in meditation, continuing to stabilize their newly formed foundations.

By the end of the second day, Aunt Lin’s cultivation had completely stabilized. The heavy aura of her Foundation Establishment realm could now be controlled and withdrawn at will.

With Aunt Lin’s cultivation stable, Lin Tian moved toward the far balcony of the chamber. The Shadow Web was taking shape, and it was time to call back one of his most trusted hidden operatives.

He took out a dark-jade communication talisman from his spatial ring. It had been specially inscribed to bypass ordinary defensive formations and reach Lady Yun directly.

Lin Tian sent a drop of his golden Liquid Qi into the jade.

A few moments later, Lady Yun’s cold voice came through the talisman.

"My Master. I was waiting for your call."

"The Shadow Web within the Inner Sect is taking shape," Lin Tian said. "I need you back by my side."

Lady Yun paused for a moment before answering.

"I’m finishing the remaining arrangements in the Ghost Market. Give me your order."

"Conceal your presence completely," Lin Tian said, his golden eyes resting on the mist-covered peaks of the Crimson Nimbus Sect. "Enter the Inner Sect quietly and return to my side within five days."

He paused before continuing.

"The situation on Alchemy Peak is about to become unstable. I want you nearby before things become difficult to control."

"Understood, my Sovereign. I’ll be there within five days."

The communication talisman slowly dimmed.

Lin Tian lowered his hand and looked toward the distant peaks. With Lady Yun returning, the Shadow Web would soon gain another capable operative within the Inner Sect.

By the afternoon of the third day, the Cloud-Sea Pavilion was quiet and calm.

Lin Tian sat at the head of a polished spirit-wood desk with several glowing jade slips spread before him. Madam Shen stood beside him with a stack of resource records, waiting for his decision.

"My Sovereign," she began, "the reduction in Elder Liu’s resource supply is working as planned. However, the situation on Alchemy Peak has worsened faster than expected."

She placed a crimson record book on the desk and opened it.

"Elder Liu is becoming increasingly desperate. With the supply of her pure Yang-attribute herbs reduced, the Pill Toxicity in her meridians is worsening. The Phantom Burns have also become more frequent, especially at night."

Lin Tian glanced over the records.

"What has she done in response?"

"She has abandoned her usual pill refinement methods," Madam Shen replied. "Instead, she has started requesting rare herbs with conflicting elemental properties in an attempt to stabilize her Verdant Flame Physique."

She pointed to several entries in the record.

"Weeping-Ice Lotuses, Volcanic-Ash Roots, and several other materials have been requested in large amounts. Their elemental properties conflict with one another. According to the latest reports, the Earth-Fire beneath her chambers has also become increasingly unstable."

Lin Tian’s gaze briefly shifted toward Aunt Lin, who was quietly meditating in the corner of the room.

The concealed flaw Aunt Lin had added to the outer Earth-Fire formation node was working exactly as planned.

Lin Tian returned his attention to Madam Shen’s report.

"She is making the problem worse with every attempt to fix it," he said. "The more conflicting materials she uses, the harder it will be for her to control the Earth-Fire."

He tapped one finger lightly against the desk.

"If this continues, even another Tier 3 cauldron may not hold for long."

Madam Shen nodded. "Do we need to interfere?"

"No."

Lin Tian leaned back in his chair.

"We only need to let the pressure build until she can no longer handle it alone. Once that happens, she will have little choice but to look for outside help."

His eyes settled on the distant peaks beyond the balcony.

"That will be the moment we make our next move."

Madam Shen lowered her gaze.

"Understood, my Sovereign."

Night had fallen over the Cloud-Sea Pavilion, and the inner chamber was quiet beneath the soft light of the moon-pearls.

Madam Shen had already retired for the night, leaving Lin Tian alone on the balcony. A cool mountain breeze moved through his dark robes as he looked over the mist-covered peaks of the Crimson Nimbus Sect.

The balcony door opened quietly, and Aunt Lin stepped outside in a clean golden-brown robe. She stopped a few steps away from him, her expression calm after three days of meditation.

Lin Tian turned toward her. "Your cultivation has stabilized."

Aunt Lin nodded. "Yes. My meridians are still adapting to the increase in Liquid Qi, but I can control it now."

Lin Tian studied her for a moment before nodding. "Your Qi Stagnation is completely gone. From now on, your cultivation will depend on your own effort."

A faint smile appeared on Aunt Lin’s face. "I never thought I would reach Foundation Establishment."

"You earned it," Lin Tian replied. "I only gave you the chance."

Aunt Lin lowered her eyes for a moment before looking back at him. "You gave me more than that. Without you, I would probably still be trapped at the same level."

Lin Tian did not argue. "Then make good use of that chance. Your position in the Artifact Pavilion gives you access to many resources, so use that advantage carefully."

Aunt Lin understood what he meant. "The formations and artifacts?"

"Yes," Lin Tian said. "Any changes you make must remain unnoticed. We are not here to destroy the sect. We are here to gain control from within."

Aunt Lin nodded slowly. "I understand. I’ll keep everything subtle."

Lin Tian looked toward the distant peaks. "Elder Liu is already under pressure. Madam Shen is controlling part of the resource flow, and the hidden flaw in Alchemy Peak’s outer formation is doing its work."

He paused briefly before continuing. "We only need to wait until she reaches the point where she can no longer solve the problem herself."

Aunt Lin followed his gaze toward the mountains. "And then?"

"Then we make our move," Lin Tian replied.

The night wind moved quietly between them as the distant bells of the sect rang through the darkness. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

With Madam Shen controlling the resource flow, Aunt Lin influencing formations and artifacts, and Lady Yun soon returning from the Ghost Market, the Shadow Web was slowly taking shape. It was still hidden from the sect, but its threads were already reaching deeper into the Crimson Nimbus Sect.

Lin Tian looked once more toward the distant peaks before turning back toward the chamber. The next step was already in motion.