The grand hall in the bowels of Flame Mountain, following the condensation of the Golden Core, returned to its inherent stillness. The magma lake no longer churned furiously; it became placid, its blazing red light softening, resembling a colossal heart that had finally found its peaceful rhythm.
Tran Kien stood there, silently experiencing the heaven-shaking, earth-shattering transformation within his body. His Primordial Chaos Qi had undergone a complete metamorphosis, distilled into a chaotic Golden Core that hovered at his Dantian. Within that Golden Core, an entire world seemed to operate. He could sense that with a single thought, he could mobilize a power tenfold greater than before. This was the qualitative disparity between Foundation Establishment and Core Formation.
"We... must return."
His voice was not loud, yet it carried a profound resonance and the weight of passing ages, unlike the voice of a mere youth. Having fused with the complete Solar Essence Guardian and broken through to Core Formation, he seemed to have inherited a portion of the memories and responsibilities of the Lac Viet predecessors.
Old Kinh, recovering from the absolute shock, finally regained his wits. He looked at the faint, sun-shaped mark upon Tran Kien's forehead. In his single eye, there was no longer mere astonishment; there was absolute, unquestioning reverence.
"Yes, Exalted Lord," he bowed. "We shall return."
Tran Kien nodded. He said nothing more. He merely extended a hand and gave a gentle wave.
The space around them suddenly rippled like the surface of a lake. In the blink of an eye, the two vanished from the magma hall, reappearing in the stone courtyard outside the pagoda. The divine ability "Shrinking the Earth into an Inch"—he could now execute it with effortless ease.
They did not linger. They descended the mountain. Passing through the forest, the various spiritual and demonic beasts that had previously only dared to watch from afar now simultaneously bowed their heads. Even the ferocious White Tiger of the Golden Eye obediently prostrated itself upon the ground. They were demonstrating their submission to the true master of this island.
When they returned to the secluded cove, the thirty-plus members of the Sea Dragon Guard, led by Man Nguu, were already waiting. They had sensed the heaven-shaking tremors earlier and were filled with immense anxiety. But upon seeing their Lord return safely, his aura now fathomless and profound, they all breathed a sigh of relief before dropping to one knee in unison.
"Congratulations to the Lord on emerging from seclusion!"
"Rise, all of you," Tran Kien said, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable majesty. "Prepare to weigh anchor. We return."
The black warship, bearing the silver character "TRAN", hoisted its sails once more and departed Flame Mountain. As the vessel sailed out of the misty sea, the colossal mist that had endured for three thousand years, having fulfilled its purpose, slowly, slowly... dissolved into the air, returning the sea to its pristine, azure state.
The forgotten island was, from this day forth, no longer a secret. But no one dared to draw near, for they knew that island now had a master.
The return journey was vastly swifter. With Tran Kien's Core Formation cultivation, controlling the wind-propulsion array became incredibly simple. The black warship glided across the sea like a true killer whale.
One afternoon, as they passed through unfamiliar waters, a Sea Dragon Guard approached to report.
"Reporting to the Lord, there is a large fleet of sailing ships ahead. The banners belong to the 'Three Rivers Merchant Guild', one of the largest guilds in the south. But it appears... they are in trouble."
Tran Kien stepped to the bow. In the distance, he saw a fleet of over twenty large merchant galleons being surrounded by three warships flying the skull-and-crossbones. It was another notorious pirate gang.
Had this been the past, Tran Kien might have chosen to detour and avoid the trouble.
But things were different now.
He looked at the pirate flags, then up at the banner bearing the character "TRAN" fluttering proudly upon his own ship.
"Elder," he turned to Old Kinh. "The new rules of Flood Dragon Island... wasn't there a clause about 'protecting legitimate merchant vessels'?"
Old Kinh froze, then burst into hearty laughter. "Yes, Exalted Lord!"
"Good," Tran Kien nodded. He said nothing more. He merely raised a single hand.
At the tip of his finger, a tiny sliver of silver lightning began to dance. Then, that sliver grew, transforming into a small lightning dragon. With a roar, it shot forth.
It did not fly toward the pirate fleet. It flew straight up into the high heavens.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The lightning dragon detonated in mid-air, forming a colossal character "TRAN" forged of pure lightning. It blazed brilliantly, illuminating a corner of the sky, refusing to dissipate for a long while.
Upon the sea, both the pirate gang and the Three Rivers Merchant Guild stared in astounded horror at the anomaly in the sky.
Then, they saw a black warship, sailing toward them from the distance, neither too fast nor too slow. Upon its black banner was a silver character "TRAN," identical to the one blazing in the heavens.
"It's... it's the ship of the New King of Flood Dragon Island!"
"Heavens! He has returned!"
The pirates, ferocious and arrogant just moments before, turned deathly pale upon seeing that banner, their souls nearly frightened out of their bodies. Without a shred of hesitation, they immediately turned their ships around, fleeing in absolute panic like a pack of stray dogs.
Tran Kien did not give chase. He merely stood there in silence.
The black warship glided past the fleet of the Three Rivers Merchant Guild. From the largest merchant galleon, an old man clad in brocade robes hastily ran out, bowing deeply toward Tran Kien.
"Many thanks to the Exalted Lord for extending a helping hand! This great grace and profound virtue, the Three Rivers Merchant Guild shall engrave into our very bones!"
Tran Kien merely gave a faint nod in response.
The black warship sailed on, leaving behind an astounded merchant fleet, and a new legend beginning to spread across the vast sea.
The New King of the Sea had returned. This time, he did not bring destruction. He brought a new order.
And the saber in his hand was ready to return to the mainland, to reclaim the debts that were long overdue.