The night at Lam Kinh was tranquil and solemn. Silvery moonlight bathed the sweeping temple roofs, the silent stone steles, and the bamboo forest rustling in the wind. But beneath that tranquility, violent undercurrents were surging, ready to engulf everything. A life-and-death chessboard, with the fate of an entire nation as the wager, had been quietly set.
After bypassing the first outpost without making a sound, Tran Kien's group of six showed no signs of joy. They knew this was only the beginning. The deeper they ventured into Mount Lam Son, the more impregnable the defenses would become.
The ancient patrol path of the Imperial Guards wound like a silver serpent, slipping through primeval forests and jagged, cat-ear-shaped rock formations. Guided by the Shamanic Map and Tran Kien's resonance with the Dragon Veins, they moved swiftly and precisely, evading all the patrols roaming the main roads.
"Ahead, about three miles from here, is a canyon," Tran Kien suddenly transmitted his voice, his tone incredibly grave. "There is a very powerful aura hidden there. It is at least at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. Furthermore, there are no less than fifty other Qi Condensation Realm auras. That is likely their temporary headquarters."
"Are they from the Azure Cloud Sect or the Black Dragon Stronghold?" Ly Tin asked.
"The Black Dragon Stronghold," Tran Kien replied, his eyes turning cold. "I could never mistake that sinister, chilling aura."
"Then what should we do?" Trinh Cong asked anxiously. "Should we take a detour?"
"There are no more detours," Uncle Sword shook his head, his gaze as sharp as a sword as he looked ahead. "All other paths have been sealed off. The only way to reach the 'heart of the dragon' is to walk right through this tiger's den."
The situation was exceedingly perilous. A direct confrontation would be no different from throwing eggs against a rock.
Yet Tran Kien merely stared silently at the map, then surveyed the surrounding terrain. He showed not a hint of despair. On the contrary, within his eyes, it seemed as if tens of thousands of stratagems were unfolding.
"We don't need to face them head-on," he said, his voice unnervingly calm. "Though the enemy is numerous, they have weaknesses. Their greatest weakness is their arrogance, and their mutual distrust."
He turned to look at everyone, beginning to outline a plan even more audacious and mad than the spectacle at Ghostgate Canyon.
"In a moment, when we near the canyon, we will split up. General Ly, please head east. Elder Trinh, head west. The two of you don't need to do anything; simply leak a sliver of your auras intentionally, then immediately conceal yourselves. The goal is to cause a disturbance, making it impossible for them to discern our numbers and direction."
"As for Uncle Sword and me," he looked toward the middle-aged man, "we will march straight into the center."
"It's too dangerous!" Ly Tin and Trinh Cong objected in unison.
"This is the only way," Tran Kien stated firmly. "Lam Vy will come with Uncle Sword and me. I need her Lac Viet bloodline to open the final door. But I will not let her face danger."
"My plan is," he took a deep breath, a cold light glinting in his eyes. "To borrow a knife to kill."
He gazed toward a high hill to the southeast. "From what I can sense, there is another group hidden in that direction. Their aura is upright and honorable, not of the demonic path. It must be the Azure Cloud Sect. They are also lying in wait, biding their time."
"Uncle Sword and I will openly enter the canyon. When we are discovered and surrounded by the Black Dragon Stronghold, we will not fight to the death. Instead, we will fight and retreat simultaneously, leading them toward that hill."
"Once the two tigers meet, a battle will be unavoidable. While they are slaughtering each other, we will exploit the chaos, circle around to the back, and head straight for the summit!"
This was no longer a stratagem. This was a gamble! A gamble where the stakes were everyone's lives! One wrong move would lead to eternal damnation.
Uncle Sword looked deeply into Tran Kien's eyes. He saw no recklessness, only a terrifying confidence and calculation. He knew that this youth was no longer just a chess piece. He had truly become a grandmaster capable of controlling the entire board.
"Agreed," Uncle Sword nodded, speaking only a single word. But that one word contained absolute trust.
The plan was set. The five figures moved silently through the darkness like phantoms, advancing toward the canyon.
As they drew near, Ly Tin and Trinh Cong immediately broke off, vanishing into two different directions.
Only three remained. Uncle Sword led the way, with Tran Kien and Lam Vy following closely behind. They no longer concealed their auras, but walked openly and brazenly along the path.
"Who goes there?!"
Instantly, from the shadows on both sides, dozens of underlings from the Black Dragon Stronghold lunged out, encircling them tightly. A scarred man, a peak Qi Condensation Realm cultivator, stepped forward with a sinister sneer.
"Hahaha! Truly seeking your own deaths! To think you would dare deliver yourselves right to our doorstep!"
But as he looked closer, his smile froze. He saw only an old man, a young girl, and a youth. "Where is that Foundation Establishment sword cultivator? Where is the general from the Dingguo Duke's Manor?"
"To deal with small fry like you," Tran Kien said coldly, drawing his dull black saber. "I am more than enough!"
"Arrogant fool!" The scarred man roared, raising his saber. "Kill them!"
A battle erupted. But it was a bizarre battle. Tran Kien and Uncle Sword showed no desire to fight to the death. They merely used simple moves to defend themselves, continuously retreating, step by step, luring the Black Dragon Stronghold forces to follow them.
From the hill to the southeast, the Sixth Elder of the Azure Cloud Sect and his disciples were quietly observing everything.
"Elder," the handsome youth—who had previously encountered Tran Kien at the Treasure Appraisal Assembly—spoke up. "They are surrounded by the Black Dragon Stronghold. Should we intervene?"
The Sixth Elder did not answer. He merely narrowed his eyes, watching the unfolding battle, a cryptic light flashing in his gaze. He had a feeling that things were not as simple as they seemed.
And he was right.
Tran Kien, while "struggling" to defend himself, had "accidentally" led the entire force of the Black Dragon Stronghold straight toward the hill where the Azure Cloud Sect lay in ambush.
"There are people over there!" an underling of the Black Dragon Stronghold suddenly yelled, pointing toward the bushes on the hill.
The scarred man saw it too. He froze. That upright, honorable aura was unmistakable.
"The Azure Cloud Sect! Bastards! We've been tricked!" he bellowed. He assumed this was a trap jointly laid by the Azure Cloud Sect and Tran Kien's group.
"Kill!" Without a moment's hesitation, he ordered. The Black Dragon Stronghold forces, enraged at being deceived, instantly charged toward the hill.
Seeing this, the Sixth Elder's expression changed drastically. "Not good! We've been discovered! Prepare for battle!"
The two tigers, manipulated by an old fox, had finally crossed paths.
An earth-shattering battle between the orthodox and demonic paths, utterly unavoidable, erupted right at the foot of Mount Lam Son.
Meanwhile, three figures exploited the absolute chaos, silently circling around to the back. Following the ancient trail, they headed straight for the summit, where the heart of the dragon awaited.
The life-and-death chessboard had reached its final move.