The great hall of the Divine Weapon Pavilion, originally a stage for extravagance and power, had now transformed into an eerily silent arena. Every gaze, be it curious, disdainful, or intrigued, converged upon the figure of the indigo-robed youth standing alone in the center of the hall.
Tran Kien, that youth, had become the epicenter of the storm.
Upon the high dais, Lu Nhat Thiet stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His arrogant face had grown gloomy, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold sneer. He simply did not believe that an unknown old geezer and an early Qi Condensation stage brat would dare challenge the century-old prestige of the Divine Weapon Pavilion. This was a humiliation, and he would wash it away using the most ruthless method possible.
"Excellent," Lu Nhat Thiet said, his voice as cold as ice. "Since you are so eager to seek death, then begin! Lay out your pathetic array so that everyone here can broaden their horizons!"
Tran Kien did not reply. He did not look at Lu Nhat Thiet, nor at the ancient metal fragment upon the stone pedestal. He merely closed his eyes slowly.
The clamorous world around him seemingly vanished. In his mind, only absolute stillness remained. The images of the Summary of the Hundred Viet Array Formations and his insights into the Grand Array of Lac Viet's Heavenly Cycle appeared with crystal clarity, as if carved into his very soul. The milky-white Primal Chaos Qi within his body, having grown significantly stronger after three months of cultivation, began to circulate with steady calmness. He needed no array flags, nor an array compass. Just as Elder Wei had said: to those who cultivate the path of Lac Viet, the fleshly body is the magical treasure, and one's aura is the tool.
Tran Kien began to move.
His footsteps were not fast, but they were exceptionally firm, possessing a bizarre, underlying rhythm. With every step he took, it seemed to perfectly harmonize with a certain cadence of Heaven and Earth. The heel, the toe, the distance between two steps—everything was precise down to the millimeter. He was using his very footsteps to lock down the "momentum" of the array. Simultaneously, the Primal Chaos Qi within his body, guided by his divine sense, began to pour out from the Bubbling Spring acupoint beneath the soles of his feet. Like thin, invisible threads of silk, the Qi silently spread across the granite floor, connecting the points his feet had just traversed.
"What... what is he doing?" a young cultivator asked in astonishment.
"No array flags, no array compass... is he intending to lay an array bare-handed?"
"Hmph, he's just putting on a show!" a disciple of the Divine Weapon Pavilion sneered.
Even the handsome youth from the Azure Cloud Sect furrowed his brows, doubt flickering in his eyes. He was also well-versed in array formations, yet he had never before witnessed such a bizarre method of array setting. Only Elder Wei, still sitting quietly in a secluded corner, allowed a satisfied smile to trace the corners of his mouth. Not bad. He has already understood that the array formations of the Lac Viet people do not lie in material objects, but in 'intent'.
Tran Kien kept his eyes closed, utterly immersed in his own world. His footsteps grew faster and faster, his moving figure creating blurry afterimages. Thirteen footsteps, corresponding to the thirteen crucial nexus points of the Ten Thousand Li Soaring Crane Array. These thirteen points, once interwoven by the Primal Chaos Qi, formed the invisible, gargantuan schematic of a crane, enveloping a vast expanse in the center of the great hall.
The moment his final footstep landed, Tran Kien abruptly halted. He stood at the position of the "crane's head," his two hands forming a simple incantation gesture in front of his chest.
"Arise!"
He shouted lightly. Instantly, a fantastical scene unfolded. From the invisible points upon the floor, streams of milky-white Qi abruptly flared up, glowing brightly like tiny stars. They rapidly extended, interconnecting with one another, tracing out the colossal diagram of a crane that emitted a soft, gentle light.
But that was not all.
From the center of the array diagram, the Primal Chaos Qi condensed, transforming into the shapes of soaring cranes. These were not the blurry, skewed phantoms from when he had first started practicing. These cranes appeared incomparably lifelike. Snow-white feathers, long beaks, tall legs—every single detail was vividly realistic. Furthermore, a gleam of spiritual light shone within their eyes, making it seem as if they possessed their own sentience.
One, two, ten... then fifty! Fifty snow-white spiritual energy cranes flapped their wings, soaring gracefully within the confines of the array. They did not fly chaotically; rather, they followed a profound and mystical trajectory. At times they converged into the shape of an arrow, at times they scattered like a net, and at times they circled around Tran Kien as if protecting their master.
The entire great hall sank into absolute silence. The silence of utter shock.
"This... this is the Ten Thousand Li Soaring Crane Array?" The youth from the Azure Cloud Sect could not restrain himself from leaping to his feet, his usually proud face now brimming with disbelief. "Impossible! This is merely an introductory formation, how could it possibly condense illusions with such sentience? Furthermore... he is merely at the early Qi Condensation stage!"
The fire-robed elder of the Divine Weapon Pavilion was also forced to stroke his beard. His previously lethargic eyes were now wide open, gleaming with astonishment and greed. "This is no ordinary spiritual energy... This aura is unimaginably pure and harmonious... Just what kind of cultivation method is this?"
Up on the high dais, the sneer on Lu Nhat Thiet's face had vanished completely. He sensed danger. He was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet he could sense that if any single one of those spiritual energy cranes were to self-detonate, the explosive force would be enough to threaten mid-Qi Condensation cultivators. Fifty of them combined represented a power that could not be underestimated. He realized he had severely misjudged this old geezer and this brat. But now, the arrow was nocked on the bowstring; it had to be fired.
"Merely some cheap parlor tricks!" Lu Nhat Thiet roared, attempting to conceal the shock in his heart. "So what if they possess sentience? In the face of the 'Array-Breaking Divine Stele', all of this is mere illusion!"
He turned around, solemnly placing both hands upon the bronze-colored metal fragment, and began to circulate the spiritual power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Deep golden spiritual energy surged out in rolling waves, pouring into the metal fragment.
"BUZZ!"
After absorbing a sufficient amount of spiritual energy, the ancient metal fragment suddenly vibrated intensely. The array patterns carved upon it lit up with a brilliant glow. An ancient, desolate aura—ten times more tyrannical than before—erupted, blanketing the entire hall. That aura carried the pride and majesty of a lost era, causing the souls of everyone present to tremble.
In that instant, Tran Kien felt it most distinctly. That metal fragment seemed to be "calling out" to him, "calling out" to the Primal Chaos Qi within his body. A bloodline connection stemming from ancient antiquity.
Lu Nhat Thiet hoisted the metal fragment up, aiming it directly at Tran Kien's array. The corners of his mouth twisted into a savage smile. "Little brat, watch as I crush your pathetic array into dust! I will let you know that the legacy of the Lac Viet people is nothing but a pile of trash!"
With that, he let out a furious roar, channeling the entirety of his spiritual energy to activate the true might of the fragment. A bronze-colored pillar of light, bearing a destructive aura, shot forth from the metal fragment, hurtling straight toward the soaring flock of white cranes.
The battle between the legacy and the thief had officially begun.