The azure pillar of light connecting Heaven and Earth atop Flame Mountain slowly retracted, finally merging completely into the small earthen mound. The mountain returned to its inherent, solemn tranquility. Yet, everything had been eternally altered.
Tran Kien stood there, his eyes tightly shut. The pure, majestic Dragon Qi, after propelling his breakthrough to the peak of the late-Foundation Establishment stage, did not vanish. It silently settled, fusing perfectly with his Primordial Chaos Qi. Now, every wisp of energy within his body carried a trace of the Dragon Vein's supreme majesty. The nine-petaled lotus Dao Foundation was also enveloped in a faint golden halo, sturdy and unshakeable.
He opened his eyes. Within his pitch-black pupils, it seemed an entire starry sky was revolving. He could perceive far more than just power. He felt the "life" of this entire island. He heard the whispering of the wind, the joyous rejoicing of the flora. The Seed of Legacy had not merely healed the Dragon Vein; it had forged an unbreakable bond between him and the ancestral legacy.
"It is time to leave."
Old Kinh stepped forward, his expression incredibly complex. The oath of his ancestors had been fulfilled. He was now a free man. But as he looked at the back of the youth before him—a back that, though still young, bore the weight of an entire nation—he knew his own journey was not yet over.
"Lord," Old Kinh suddenly dropped to one knee, his voice deep and resonant. "Though this old man lacks talent, I am also a descendant of the Lac Viet. From this day forth, I am willing to follow the Lord, to serve as an old workhorse, offering my meager strength to the grand enterprise of restoration!"
Tran Kien hastily helped him up. "Elder, there is no need for this. You are my benefactor. We are friends."
"No," Old Kinh shook his head, his gaze resolute. "Before, we were friends. But now, you are the sole hope of the legacy. This old man cannot be disrespectful."
Tran Kien knew he could not sway the old man's iron will. He could only nod. "Very well. From now on, we share the same path."
The two did not linger. They bowed one final time before the prince's tomb, then turned and descended the mountain. As they departed, the nine ancient trees encircling the tomb gently trembled, their rustling leaves akin to a farewell.
They returned to the secluded cove. The dilapidated Ironwood boat still rested there. Old Kinh looked at the vessel, then out toward the misty sea, a trace of anxiety in his single eye. "In its current state, I do not know if it can weather the journey..."
Tran Kien said nothing. He merely stepped forward, placing a hand upon the hull.
He closed his eyes. The Primordial Chaos Qi, carrying a surge of life force from the Dragon Vein, slowly poured into the wood.
A miraculous spectacle unfolded.
The fissures across the hull began to knit together. The snapped mast slowly sprouted verdant, new shoots, which rapidly hardened into wood, as sturdy as before. The tattered sail was mended by an invisible energy. In merely half a sichen, the devastated boat was completely restored, becoming even more robust and spiritually vibrant than ever.
Old Kinh stared, his jaw dropping. This was no longer martial arts; this was divine magic!
"Let us go," Tran Kien smiled faintly.
Once more, they hoisted the sail and entered the misty sea. But this time, it was entirely different.
The moment the boat entered, the dense mist—which could bewilder the very mind—automatically parted to either side, forging a broad path, as if bowing to welcome its king's return. The Mist Soul Snakes and the sea monsters hiding in the fog retreated in terror to the ocean's depths; not a single one dared to draw near.
No tokens were needed, no divination required. The boat glided leisurely onward. In merely half a day, they had pierced the misty labyrinth that had previously cost them three days and three nights to traverse.
When the warm sunlight of the outside world once again shone upon them, both felt as though they had just awoken from a dream.
"Where do we head now, Lord?" Old Kinh asked, his demeanor even more reverent.
Tran Kien gazed toward the north, toward the distant Imperial Capital, where unfinished chess games still awaited. "To the capital."
He had acquired the power; he had obtained the inheritance. It was time to return.
Marquis Vinh An, the Black Dragon Stronghold... it was time to settle those blood debts. Lam Vy, the young girl currently under house arrest in the Imperial Palace—he also had to find a way to rescue her.
But when their boat had been sailing the placid sea for barely half a day, Tran Kien's Divine Sense abruptly detected an incoming threat.
From the horizon, dozens of black dots were rapidly enlarging. They were not merchant vessels, nor were they fishing boats.
It was a fleet of warships!
Over thirty battleships forged of black iron, their bows clad in razor-sharp steel. Aboard were thousands of soldiers in gleaming armor, their martial aura soaring to the heavens. Upon the mast of every ship flew a banner.
It was not the banner of the Great Viet Imperial Court. It bore the insignia of a black flood dragon coiling around a saber.
"The men of Flood Dragon Island!" Old Kinh's complexion underwent a massive change. "The most notorious pirates in these waters! Why would they appear here?"
The fleet moved with terrifying velocity. In the blink of an eye, they formed a gargantuan encirclement, tightly trapping Tran Kien's small boat.
From the largest flagship in the center, a figure clad in black flood dragon armor rocketed out, hovering in mid-air. He possessed a towering physique, and his aura was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.
He looked down at the two men, his gaze like a falcon's, and spoke coldly:
"You two. Have you just emerged from the misty sea?"
Tran Kien and Old Kinh exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking. The anomaly generated when the Seed of Legacy sprouted—that heaven-piercing pillar of light—though occurring on a secret island, had not escaped the eyes of the powerful factions in these waters.
Trouble had come knocking on its own.