Uncle Kiem's words echoed within the silent great hall, carrying the weight of a thousand catties. All eyes, whether filled with anxiety, trust, or reverence, converged on Tran Kien, awaiting his decision.
The new master of the Holy Land. At this moment, these words were not a title of glory, but a heavy burden of responsibility. His choice would not only affect his own destiny but also the lives and safety of his four companions.
Tran Kien remained silent. He did not rush to answer. He stepped forward, standing before the two massive stone doors.
The door on the left, the Gate of Life, radiated a warm, life-giving aura. He could sense that behind it lay sunlight, fresh air, and the vitality of the outside world. Passing through it, they would be safe; they would have time to prepare and carefully plan their journey to Lam Capital. It was a logical, secure choice, the one any ordinary person would make.
But his gaze did not linger there. He turned to look at the door on the right.
The Gate of Death.
It was deathly still, bone-chilling, and sealed as tightly as if it had been locked away for a millennium. A profound, ancient, and somewhat perilous aura seeped from its cracks, making one feel as though their very soul was freezing over. "The Gate of Death leading to the origin." "Go find the Heart of the Dragon." The messages of his predecessors seemed to whisper in his ears.
He knew what Elder Ve in the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Tomes had taught him: how to use wisdom to analyze, how to choose the most advantageous path. Clearly, walking through the Gate of Life was the wisest choice.
Yet, was the path of the Lac Viet people—the path of those who cleaved mountains, dammed rivers, and battled Fiendgods—ever an easy one?
The legacy he had inherited was not merely power, but an indomitable spirit. A spirit that never retreated in the face of adversity, a spirit that dared to confront the greatest tribulations to seek out its origins. If he chose safety today, chose the easy path, would he still be worthy of his ancestors' trust?
Heart of the Dragon... he muttered. The origin of the Dragon Veins...
That was where the greatest secret was concealed. The Shamanic map, the Lac bird pottery shard—everything pointed in that direction.
"Big Brother Tran..." Lam Vy called out anxiously, seeing him stand motionless for so long before the Gate of Death.
Tran Kien took a deep breath. He turned around, sweeping his gaze across everyone. He saw the worry in Lam Vy and Trinh Cong's eyes, the anticipation in Ly Tin's. Finally, he looked into the profound eyes of Uncle Kiem. He saw no hints or suggestions in the man's gaze—only absolute trust, no matter which path he chose.
That trust was the final push he needed.
"We," Tran Kien said, his voice not loud but incomparably resolute, echoing throughout the great hall, "are going through the Gate of Death."
"WHAT?!" Ly Tin and Trinh Cong cried out in shock simultaneously.
"Young Hero Tran, have you thought this through?" Trinh Cong said hurriedly. "The Gate of Death is nine parts death and one part life! We don't need to take such a risk! The Young Lady's safety is paramount!"
"It is precisely for the Young Lady's safety that we must enter it," Tran Kien replied, his eyes shining with profound wisdom. "Think about it, Old Sir. Marquis Vinh An and the Black Eagle Fort have cast nets everywhere. Even if we exit through the Gate of Life and emerge in a safe location, we will inevitably be discovered sooner or later. When that time comes, it will be an endless hunt all over again. Lam Vy would forever live her life on the run."
He paused, looking directly at Lam Vy. "But what if we can find the 'Heart of the Dragon'? What if we unearth the true ruins of our ancestors and reclaim our forgotten power? Then, we will no longer need to run. We will possess the strength to protect ourselves, to righteously return to the capital and demand justice!"
"Sometimes, the safest path is the most dangerous one. Conversely, the path that seems like certain death might be our only chance at survival!"
Tran Kien's every word was forged of iron and logic, leaving Trinh Cong and Ly Tin stunned, completely unable to refute him.
Lam Vy clenched her small fists. The fear in her large, round eyes was gone, replaced by a blazing fire of determination. "I trust Big Brother Tran! I will follow him!"
All eyes finally converged on Uncle Kiem.
The middle-aged man, the strongest cultivator present, merely looked at Tran Kien in silence for a long moment. Then, he burst into laughter—a hearty, resonant laugh brimming with pride.
"Excellent! Well said, 'a path of death might be the only chance at survival'! Fine! Our Duke Dingguo's Estate has no cowards who only know how to tread the easy path! Today, I want to see for myself just how much trouble this 'Gate of Death' can truly give us!"
The decision had been made.
Without a shred of hesitation, Tran Kien stepped before the silent stone door. He did not push it with brute strength. He recalled the small alcove next to the Vu script on the wall. He retrieved Lam Vy's token, the Lac bird pottery shard, and carefully placed it inside.
Click. The pottery shard fit perfectly into the alcove, like a key turning in a lock.
RUMBLE... RUMBLE... RUMBLE...
The massive stone doors, sealed tightly for millennia, began to violently shake. Stone dust cascaded down. Then, with the heavy, grinding sound of ancient mechanisms, the doors slowly, ever so slowly, opened.
Within, it was not a dark tunnel.
Instead, an incredibly desolate, ultimate primordial aura washed over their faces. It was an entirely different dimension.
They were no longer underground. Before their eyes was a sky. A deep purple cosmos without a sun or moon, but rather rivers of silver light drifting lazily like celestial dragons of the Milky Way. Beneath their feet was not dirt or stone, but a path constructed of transparent crystal blocks, suspended in an endless void.
Far away, at the center of this fantastical dimension, a colossal mountain in the shape of a slumbering coiled dragon hovered in the void. And at the location of that dragon's heart, a massive, deep crimson crystal, the size of a house, was slowly beating...
Thump... Thump...
Every beat caused the entire dimension to tremble in resonance, radiating an unimaginably pure, life-giving energy.
That was... the Heart of the Dragon.
They had truly reached the "origin." Yet, just as they were overwhelmed by this divine spectacle, from the endless void below, dozens, hundreds of low, guttural growls suddenly echoed out.
Enormous black silhouettes, with blood-red eyes glowing like lanterns, had awakened.
The guardians of the Gate of Death had appeared.