The narrow alley leading back to the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Tomes remained as tranquil as ever, seemingly completely isolated from the clamorous world of Azure Province City. The midday sun pierced through the leaves, scattering shimmering golden coins upon the moss-covered bluestone path, creating a scene of utmost serenity.
But this serenity was merely superficial.
Tran Kien and Elder Wei walked neither fast nor slow, yet both could sense that behind them, the entirety of Azure Province City was like a kicked hornets' nest. The news of the earth-shattering event at the Divine Weapon Pavilion's Treasure Duel Assembly was spreading faster than the wind itself.
An unknown old geezer and a Qi Condensation youth had openly challenged and defeated the Divine Weapon Pavilion on their own home ground. The pavilion's guardian treasure, the "Array-Breaking Divine Stele," had not only failed to break the opponent's introductory array, but had also been openly plundered by them in broad daylight. Lu Nhat Thiet, a Foundation Establishment Pavilion Lord, had coughed up blood and fallen unconscious. The century-old prestige of the Divine Weapon Pavilion had been ruthlessly trampled into the dust in the time it takes an incense stick to burn.
Every single detail was like a blockbuster bomb dropped into the already restless lake of Azure Province City, churning up roaring undercurrents.
"Elder Wei," Tran Kien couldn't help but ask halfway through their journey, his voice lowered, "I fear the Divine Weapon Pavilion will not let this go so easily. On the surface, they wouldn't dare act, but in the shadows, I'm afraid..."
"On the surface, they won't dare to do anything," Elder Wei replied, his tone placid but his eyes incomparably sharp. "Their reputation has been ruined; if they were to act openly for revenge, they would only become the laughingstock of the world. But in the shadows..." He paused slightly, his gaze looking off into the distance toward the dense rows of rooftops. "In the shadows, venomous snakes never sleep. This Azure Province City is about to face a storm, my boy. And this storm will not come from just one direction."
He was right. At this very moment, in every corner of the city, undercurrents had already begun to swell.
Within a luxurious tower in the eastern part of the city, the headquarters of the Azure Cloud Sect, the handsome youth from earlier was respectfully reporting the entire incident to a white-haired elder with the transcendent demeanor and bearing of an immortal.
"...That is exactly how it happened, Sixth Elder. The youth's array formation was incredibly bizarre, and the Primal Chaos Qi he wielded did not belong to any cultivation method this disciple has ever known. Furthermore, the old man accompanying him has an unimaginably mysterious background."
The Sixth Elder lightly stroked his long beard. His half-closed eyes slowly opened, gleaming with a shrewd light. "The Lac Viet legacy... The Grand Array of Lac Viet's Heavenly Cycle... To think that things which only exist in the sect's most ancient texts have actually appeared. This matter is not simple. Send men to secretly observe them, but do not act without my orders. I want to know exactly what kind of divine or sacred beings this old geezer and that brat really are."
Meanwhile, in a damp, foul-smelling warehouse in the central market district, a black crow flew down from the roof, landing on the arm of a scar-faced man. He carefully untied a small scroll from the crow's leg, skimmed through it, and immediately burned it to ashes. He turned and walked into the shadows, where a tall, gaunt figure sat, shrouded entirely in black mist.
"Reporting to the Old Devil," the scar-faced man said respectfully. "Xich Vu has just sent word. The youth at the Divine Weapon Pavilion is the very same one who single-handedly ruined his hunt in the Weeping Night Swamp. The old man accompanying him has an unknown background, but he possessed the power to make the Divine Weapon Pavilion swallow their humiliation without daring to retaliate."
The tall, gaunt figure remained silent. A long while later, a hoarse, spine-chilling laugh echoed from the darkness. "Excellent! Truly excellent! A little rat actually managed to unhorse both Xich Vu and Lu Nhat Thiet. The Lac Viet legacy, you say? Hmph, the Black Dragon Stronghold must have a share of anything valuable. Have our people keep an eye on them. But remember, do not let the Azure Cloud Sect discover us. This chessboard is becoming more and more interesting. Let the Divine Weapon Pavilion act as the vanguard hound to bite them first."
Tran Kien and Elder Wei had no idea that they had become the focal point of a much grander game of chess. They strolled leisurely through the alley, as if simply returning from a casual walk.
"Elder Wei," Tran Kien asked, "is this metal fragment... truly a part of the array diagram?" He gently squeezed the relic within his sleeve, feeling its familiar warmth and intimacy.
"Indeed," Elder Wei nodded. "It is a fragment of the Core Layer: The Solar Core Guardian. It does not possess the ability to break arrays; on the contrary, it is a 'key' used to stabilize and empower the formation. In the past, because Lu Thien Cong did not understand its underlying principles and could only sense its tyrannical aura, he mistakenly believed it to be an array-breaking weapon. A disastrous error that has persisted for a full century."
He looked at Tran Kien, his eyes brimming with expectation. "Now it has returned to its true master. You must use your Primal Chaos Qi to nourish it day and night. It will help you gain a profound understanding of the array's 'Guardian' principles, and it will simultaneously serve as an extremely powerful life-protecting magical treasure."
The two finally arrived before the doors of the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Tomes. The ebony doors remained shut, as if all the storms of the outside world could not touch the peace within. Elder Wei flicked his sleeve, and the doors opened automatically.
"Enter," he said. "The winds and waves are fierce outside, but before the storm truly descends, you still have a bit of time. Make use of it to grow stronger. The path ahead of you will no longer be peaceful."
Tran Kien stepped inside, followed by Elder Wei. The heavy ebony doors closed, once again isolating them from the outside world. He stood in the center of the first floor, clutching the metal fragment tightly in his hand. He knew Elder Wei was right. The spectacle at the Treasure Duel Assembly was merely the beginning. A new door had just opened, but at the same time, he had thrust himself into the center of a vortex that was far more dangerous and complex. The Azure Cloud Sect, the Black Dragon Stronghold, and a Divine Weapon Pavilion that hated him to the very marrow of their bones... All of them were ferocious beasts lurking in the darkness.
Yet, within Tran Kien's heart, there was no fear. There was only a blazing battle intent that burned furiously.
So what if there is a storm? He thought, his eyes flashing with an unshakeable resolve.
The path to restoring the legacy of my ancestors was never meant to be a smooth one. To wear the crown, one must bear its weight. You want this legacy? Then you will have to step over my dead body first!