An incredibly desolate, ultimate primordial aura washed over their faces, carrying an energy so pure that the Primordial Chaos Qi within Tran Kien's body trembled with joy. The scene revealed behind the stone doors was not a dark tunnel, but an entirely different world, one that only existed in the wildest of dreams.
They were standing on a path of transparent crystal, suspended in an endless void. Above their heads was not a stone vault, but a mystical, deep purple sky. In that sky, there was no sun, moon, or stars; instead, there were rivers of silver light, carrying countless tiny glowing motes, drifting lazily like colossal dragons of the Milky Way. Their gentle, dreamlike radiance illuminated the entire dimension.
Beneath their feet, through the transparent crystal, lay a pitch-black abyss, bottomless and unfathomable. Occasionally, chaotic streams of ash-grey energy would churn up from the depths before dissipating, bringing with them a sensation of fatal peril.
And in the distance, at the center of this fantastical dimension, a spectacle so majestic it robbed one of their breath hovered in the void.
A colossal mountain, taking the shape of an Eastern dragon coiled in deep slumber. Every contour of the mountain, from its majestic horns and impenetrable scales to its razor-sharp claws, was sculpted to perfection. And at the location of that stone dragon's heart, a massive, deep crimson crystal, the size of a house, was slowly beating...
Thump... Thump...
Every single beat was incredibly steady and powerful. A visible ring of crimson life energy rippled outward from the crystal, sweeping across the entire dimension and carrying an unimaginably pure life force. With just a single breath, Tran Kien felt the Primordial Chaos Qi within him replenish slightly.
That was... the Heart of the Dragon.
The origin of the Dragon Vein!
"Heavens above..." Ly Tin and Trinh Cong were utterly dumbfounded by the divine spectacle before them. Even Uncle Kiem, who was always calm, had to suck in a breath of cold air, his eyes brimming with shock.
But just as they were overwhelmed by the grandeur of creation, from the pitch-black abyss beneath the crystal path, low, threatening growls suddenly echoed out.
Grrr... rrrr...
From within the darkness, dozens, then hundreds of pairs of blood-red eyes, like bloody lanterns, snapped open in unison, staring up at the five tiny figures standing upon the path.
Then, massive black silhouettes slowly emerged from the abyss. They had no fixed forms. They were like walking masses of shadows, born of chaotic energy and resentful thoughts. They possessed fangs, horns, and wings, their appearances incredibly ferocious. They were Chaos Beasts, creatures born from the most turbulent energies, the primordial guardians of this place.
Killing intent! A wave of pure killing intent, devoid of reason and driven only by the instinct to destroy, surged up from below, causing even the crystal path to seemingly tremble.
"Everyone, be careful!" Uncle Kiem roared, the wooden sword in his hand buzzing fiercely. "These are not ordinary Demonic Beasts! They are formless monsters; ordinary blades and swords cannot harm them!"
He was not wrong. A Chaos Beast shaped like a colossal black panther suddenly let out a roar, leaping up from the abyss and lunging straight toward them. Its speed was like a bolt of black lightning.
Ly Tin roared, swinging the sword in his hand, channeling all his life's strength into the slash. "Die, beast!"
Slash!
His sharp blade easily cleaved through the black panther's body. But there was no fresh blood, no agonizing shriek. The black panther's body merely rippled like the surface of water before seamlessly reforming, completely unharmed. On the contrary, it had already arrived right in front of Ly Tin, its gaping maw full of shadowy fangs ready to swallow him whole.
"Watch out!"
Uncle Kiem bellowed. His figure blurred, instantly appearing in front of Ly Tin. The wooden sword in his hand did not slash; it thrusted.
An incredibly ordinary thrust. Yet, at the tip of the sword, a speck of silvery-white light condensed. That was Sword Intent, compressed to the absolute extreme.
Thwack!
The wooden sword struck the center of the black panther's forehead. This time, it did not pass through. The beast's shadowy body violently convulsed. The speck of Sword Intent was like a sun, rapidly expanding, burning, and purifying the chaotic energy. The black panther let out a final, agonizing roar before—Poof!—it dissolved into a wisp of grey smoke, vanishing without a trace.
Ly Tin broke out in a cold sweat, staggering backward. Just a hair's breadth more, and he would have lost his life.
But this was merely the beginning. Seeing their kin destroyed, the entire horde of Chaos Beasts below seemed enraged. Hundreds of them roared simultaneously, then, like a black tide, frenziedly swarmed up the crystal path.
"This is troublesome!" Uncle Kiem furrowed his brows tightly. He could kill one, or even ten, but facing an entire pack of virtually immortal beasts, even he would eventually be exhausted.
Trinh Cong and Ly Tin hurriedly stood beside him, backing up against each other, preparing for a battle to the death. Lam Vy was terrified, but she still resolutely gripped her whip, standing behind them.
In this moment where a thousand catties hung by a single thread, Tran Kien, who had been silently observing, suddenly stepped forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Uncle Kiem.
"Uncle Kiem," he said, his voice incomparably calm. "Martial force is useless against them. Let me try."
"What are you planning to do?"
Tran Kien did not answer. He merely closed his eyes. He did not circulate his Primordial Chaos Qi to fight. He did the exact opposite. He completely retracted all of his aura.
Then, using his Divine Sense, he connected with the fragment of the Sun Star Guardian resting in his chest. He did not borrow its destructive power. He borrowed its "radiance" and its "protection."
A gentle, golden halo of light, not blinding in the least, slowly emanated from Tran Kien, enveloping all five of them.
This halo possessed no physical defensive strength. But it carried a pure, warm, open, and righteous aura. The aura of life, of order.
The horde of Chaos Beasts charging madly forward suddenly skidded to a halt in unison as they touched that halo. The ferocity and madness in their blood-red eyes seemed to wane slightly, replaced by confusion and hesitation.
To them—creatures born of chaos and darkness—Tran Kien's aura was like the sun to ice and snow. It did not cause them pain, but it made them uncomfortable, unwilling to draw near.
"It's working!" Lam Vy cried out in joy.
But Tran Kien knew this was not enough. He could only hold them at bay temporarily, not drive them away. He needed something stronger.
He suddenly recalled the predecessors' message. The Heart of the Dragon.
He looked toward the dragon mountain in the distance, looking at the slowly beating crimson crystal. He took a deep breath. He began to walk.
He did not attack, nor did he retreat. Slowly, step by step, he walked forward along the crystal path, heading toward the Heart of the Dragon. The golden halo moved with him.
The Chaos Beasts growled, retreating with his every step, not daring to enter the halo's range, yet refusing to leave. They were like wolves circling a campfire, both afraid and unwilling to give up their prey.
Uncle Kiem and the other three looked at Tran Kien in astonishment, then immediately understood. They quickly followed behind him, huddling within the protective halo.
An incredibly bizarre scene unfolded. Five tiny figures, enveloped by a warm halo, slowly walked along a crystal path. Surrounding them were hundreds of ferocious shadow monsters, growling and baring their fangs and claws, yet not daring to cross an invisible boundary.
The path to the Heart of the Dragon was fraught with peril, but it had been opened using a method no one could have anticipated. Not with martial force, but with the open and righteous legacy of their ancestors.