"DIE!"
A single word. It contained no killing intent, no fury, yet it carried an unquestionable majesty that brooked no defiance. It was not the command of a youth, but the judgment of an entire sacred land, the will of the Dai Viet Dragon Vein that had slumbered for thousands of years.
"ROARRRRR!!!"
The colossal golden dragon, forged from the purest draconic aura, seemed to heed the command. It threw its head back toward the heavens and unleashed an earth-shattering, heaven-shaking roar. This dragon's cry was not ferocious; rather, it was majestic and stirring, like the beating of war drums from the era of King Hung's founding, like the martial proclamation of Prince Hung Dao before the Battle of Van Kiep. It carried the unyielding soul and will of an entire nation.
Under that heaven-shaking, earth-shattering pressure, all those charging up the mountain peak were stunned, their souls trembling. They were not merely facing a power, but facing history itself, facing the very origin of the land upon which they stood.
The Sixth Elder of the Azure Cloud Sect was the first to sense the fatal danger. He stopped dead in his tracks in horror, his usually calm face now overflowing with terror. The greed in his eyes was completely extinguished, leaving behind only the primal instinct for survival.
"RETREAT! EVERYONE RETREAT!!!" he shrieked madly at his disciples. "This is not a supreme treasure! This is the Soul of the Dragon Vein! Whoever trespasses will be eradicated by Heaven and Earth!"
But it was too late.
The magnificent golden dragon gave them no time to flee. It did not swoop down to tear them apart. It only made a single movement.
It flicked its tail.
A tail flick that seemed incredibly gentle.
Yet, a tangible, golden wave of energy, carrying the crushing weight of an entire mountain range, swept across the slopes of Mount Lam.
"BOOMMMMM!!!"
There was no ear-piercing explosion of spiritual energy. There was only an incredibly heavy, dull thud. Anything caught in the path of that energy wave, be it millennium-old ancient trees, sturdy boulders, or cultivators at the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment Realms... all were soundlessly crushed into fine dust.
There was no fresh blood, no corpses. There was only absolute destruction. Over half of the experts from the Black Dragon Stronghold and other demonic factions—those who had charged to the very front—were erased from the world, leaving not a single trace behind.
The wrath of the Dragon Vein was not a slaughter, but a "cleansing." A cleansing of the filth that had violated the sacred land.
"Ah... Ah... Save me!"
The survivors, including the Sixth Elder and the men of the Azure Cloud Sect, completely collapsed. They cast aside their weapons, cast aside their dignity, and madly turned around, trampling over one another as they fled down the mountain like a pack of beaten stray dogs.
The golden dragon did not give chase. It merely hovered above the mountain peak, its majestic dragon eyes coldly watching the panicked remnants flee, like a sovereign looking upon rebels who had suffered their divine punishment.
Tran Kien stood there, silently observing it all. He felt no joy after borrowing this power to annihilate his enemies. In his heart, there was only sorrow. The heritage of the ancestors, the power of the Dragon Vein, was originally meant to protect the nation and forge an era of peace. Yet today, it had to be used to slaughter the very children of this land, those who had forgotten their roots due to greed.
He slowly retracted his divine intent. The colossal golden dragon raised its head to the sky, let out one final roar, and then transformed back into a pillar of golden light. It returned to the depths of the cave, restoring peace to the peak of Mount Lam.
The clearing returned to its inherent tranquility, leaving only terrifying scars across the mountain slopes as a testament to the recent wrath.
Uncle Sword and the other three finally dared to breathe heavily. They stepped forward, looking at Tran Kien with incredibly complex gazes. There was shock, there was reverence, and there was even a hint of unfamiliarity. The youth before them seemed to have truly shed his mortal shell, transforming into an existence they could no longer see through.
"Is... is it over?" Lam Vy stammered.
"Not yet," Tran Kien shook his head, his voice tinged with exhaustion. Controlling such a majestic power, even for a brief moment, had nearly drained all of his mental energy. "This is only the beginning."
He looked toward the distant imperial capital in the south, his gaze becoming profound. "We have only severed a few tentacles of the octopus. Its head, the Marquis of Vinh An, is still sitting comfortably in the capital. Only when we uproot that foundation will this Dai Viet truly achieve peace."
He turned to look at everyone. In his eyes, there was no longer any youthful naivety, but rather the vision of one who shouldered the destiny of a nation.
"General Ly, I must trouble you to immediately return to Kinh Province and reorganize the forces of the Duke Dingguo's Estate, preparing for a great war to come. Investigate the mole; we cannot allow that venomous snake to remain hidden any longer."
"Understood!" Ly Tin did not hesitate in the slightest, solemnly accepting the command.
"Elder Trinh, I must trouble you to escort Lam Vy... no, the Young Lady, along a safe route back to the capital first. Report everything that has transpired here to Duke Dingguo."
"And what about you, Young Hero Tran?" Trinh Cong asked with concern.
Tran Kien looked toward Mount Lam, then down at the matte black saber in his hand.
"I will not be going with you all," he said. "The targets of the Marquis of Vinh An and the Black Dragon Stronghold are the Young Lady and myself. If we travel together, it will only increase the danger. I will take a different path."
"My own path."
He knew he had acquired strength and inherited the legacy. But he still possessed too many flaws. He needed time, he needed tempering, he needed true life-and-death battles to completely master this power, to perfect the Saber Intent of the Hundred-Forged Heavenly Hammer, and to truly be capable of laying down the Lac Viet Heavenly Cycle Array.
He would not run. He would turn this entire Dai Viet into his tempering grounds. He would travel to the most chaotic places, confronting the most wicked of villains. He would use blood and fire to forge his own path to becoming a supreme expert.
So that one day, when he returned to the imperial capital, he would no longer need to rely on schemes. He would use the very saber in his hand to openly and honorably stand before the Marquis of Vinh An and collect this blood debt.
Uncle Sword looked at him, seemingly understanding it all. He offered no words of dissuasion. He merely stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Remember," he said. "You are not alone. Duke Dingguo's Estate, and I myself, will always be your most steadfast backing."
Tran Kien nodded.
The chessboard at Lam Kinh had concluded. But an even grander game of chess, with the entire realm of Dai Viet as its board, had only truly just begun. The youth from Fallen Leaf Town of yesteryear had now truly stepped onto the path of a legend.