The subterranean great hall sank into silence once more. Yet this time, it was not the deathly stillness of a millennial tomb, but rather the solemnity and reverence of a holy sanctuary that had just reclaimed its master.
The four Bronze Warriors remained kneeling on one knee in the four cardinal directions, immovable as mountains, silently fulfilling their duties as Dharma Protectors. The radiance from the fragment of the Sun Star Guardian at the center of the altar had retracted, now emitting only a gentle, warm golden halo that illuminated the silhouette of the youth sitting cross-legged at the very heart of the formation array.
Tran Kien was completely immersed in the boundless sea of knowledge carved upon the altar.
The ancient Vu script characters, which might have appeared as meaningless and dangerous scribbles to others, felt incredibly familiar to him at this moment. Under the resonance of his Lac Viet bloodline and the Primordial Chaos Qi, every stroke and every incantation seemed to come alive, flowing autonomously into his Divine Soul. It was not merely rote memorization, but true comprehension and genuine inheritance.
He witnessed how the predecessors observed the sun, the moon, and the stars to create the Core Layer: Sun Star Guardian. He understood why they had to "borrow the momentum" of the sun rather than absorb it. The power of the sun was limitless; no matter how high a mortal's cultivation base reached, it could never match such cosmic might. One could only conform to and harmonize with it.
He saw visions of his ancestors pounding rice, rowing boats, hunting, and dancing during festivals. These mundane, everyday activities, when combined with the circulation of Primordial Chaos Qi, transformed into the rustic yet deadly martial techniques of the Middle Layer: Hundred Viet Coral. This was not just a formation array; it was culture and life sublimated into power.
And he saw flocks of Lac birds soaring through the heavens. They never flew against the wind; instead, they always rode the air currents to fly faster and further. That was the very quintessence of the Outer Layer: Soaring Lac Feathers. Power did not always mean direct confrontation. Sometimes, following the natural order of the Heavenly Dao was the truest path.
The vague comprehensions he had grasped within the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Tomes were now connected, becoming clear and complete.
Below, Uncle Kiem, Ly Tin, Trinh Cong, and Lam Vy watched in silence. They did not disturb him. They knew this was a fortuitous encounter of a millennium for Tran Kien, and also the hope for their own future.
"Uncle Kiem," Lam Vy stepped beside the older man, who was staring fixedly at the line of Vu script on the stone wall behind the altar. "This text... 'Heart of the Dragon'... what does it actually mean?"
Uncle Kiem did not turn his head, his profound eyes seemingly trying to pierce through the stone wall itself.
"The Dragon, in the culture of the ancients, holds many meanings," he said slowly. "It can be a symbol of emperors, of the Son of Heaven. It can also be a symbol of the forces of nature, of rivers and seas. And most importantly," he paused, "it is the symbol of the 'Dragon Veins'."
"Dragon Veins?"
"Correct. The Dragon Veins are the bloodlines of Heaven and Earth. Wherever a Dragon Vein passes, spiritual energy is abundant, and all living things flourish. The reason Lam Capital is considered an imperial land is precisely because it is anchored by one of the largest Dragon Veins of the Great Viet. The 'Heart of the Dragon' likely refers to the core, the very origin of that Dragon Vein."
"Then 'the Gate of Death leading to the origin' means..." Ly Tin asked in astonishment.
"Perhaps," Uncle Kiem nodded, his expression unprecedentedly grave. "This path is not simply an alternative escape route. It might lead us to a secret even greater than this holy land. But the price to pay is also incredibly high. The Gate of Death is not just an empty name."
Their conversation ceased. The great hall sank back into silence, save for the faint, buzzing hum of the Primordial Chaos Qi circulating within Tran Kien's body.
Time flew by; ten days passed in a flash.
During these ten days, the group made the holy land their home. Uncle Kiem sat in meditation, seemingly gaining his own insights. Ly Tin and Trinh Cong took turns standing guard at the entrance of the ancient waterway while focusing on healing their injuries and cultivating. Lam Vy, after finishing her observation of the murals, also began to learn how to sit in meditation, attempting to sense the pure spiritual energy within the holy land.
As for Tran Kien, he had completely shed his mortal shell.
On the tenth day, he finally opened his eyes.
A profound, radiant, and majestic aura rippled outward from his body. The Primordial Chaos Qi within him was no longer a mere rivulet; it had grown robust and condensed, seemingly on the verge of a qualitative breakthrough. Although his cultivation base remained at the early Qi Condensation stage, his actual combat prowess could likely rival those at the peak of Qi Condensation.
But the greatest transformation lay in his eyes. Those eyes no longer contained just sharpness and calm; they now held the vast tolerance and understanding of one who had witnessed the turning of Heaven and Earth, someone who had touched the very soul of history.
He stood up and descended from the altar. The four Bronze Warriors were still kneeling. He walked up to them, reached out, and placed his hands upon their four bronze masks.
"The ancestors have found peace. Your mission is complete. Rest now."
He did not use force. He merely used a single thought, an acknowledgment from the master of the holy land.
The melancholy green flames in the eyes of the four Bronze Warriors slowly, slowly faded away. Their massive frames shuddered slightly before returning to the stillness of inanimate statues. A mission spanning thousands of years had finally come to an end.
Having done this, Tran Kien finally turned to look at his four companions. "I have memorized everything."
Uncle Kiem nodded. "Excellent. In that case, we should decide on our next path."
He looked toward the two stone doors on either side of the great hall. One door, after the formation was activated, radiated a warm, life-giving aura that led to the outside world. That was the Gate of Life. The other door remained tightly shut and silent, a bone-chilling, abyssal aura seeping from its cracks, its destination unknown. That was the Gate of Death.
"Everyone," Uncle Kiem spoke in a solemn tone. "The path ahead offers two choices:
First, we take the Gate of Life. We will emerge somewhere safe within the Endless Mountain Range, and from there, slowly find our way back to Lam Capital. This path is safe and stable.
Second, we enter the Gate of Death to seek the 'Heart of the Dragon'. This path is nine parts death and one part life. We do not know what dangers we will face; we might even be trapped there forever, unable to return."
He looked at the group, his gaze finally resting upon Tran Kien. "Which choice to make... the decision lies with you, the new master of the holy land."