The conclusion of the game in the Thang Long Imperial Capital came and went as swiftly as a tempest. Marquis Vinh An, a paramount official who had once held the power to overturn the court, had ended his life in the most pathetic manner conceivable, turning himself into a sacrifice for an even grander conspiracy. His death triggered the total collapse of his faction. Under the combined efforts of Duke Dinh Quoc and Tao Chinh, the remaining wings of the Marquis's Estate were swiftly uprooted. The Imperial Court of Dai Viet, following an earthquake of epic proportions, temporarily returned to peace.
However, all those involved knew this was merely the calm before an even more catastrophic storm. The "Sacred Dynasty"—the very name hung like a dark cloud over the minds of those standing at the pinnacle of power.
Tran Kien did not linger in the capital. After concluding his strategic discussions with Duke Dinh Quoc and Tao Chinh, he quietly departed into the night.
The identity of "Ve Nhan," the Strategist of the Six-Feathered Gate, having excellently fulfilled his mission, was publicly declared by Tao Chinh to be "grievously wounded during the pursuit of rebels, requiring a return to his hometown for recuperation." It was a flawless pretext to vanish from the eyes of the world.
He did not travel alone. This time, he was accompanied by someone else: Uncle Sword.
The Great Sword Cultivator of the Duke's Estate had been assigned a new mission: not merely to protect, but to walk alongside and assist the inheritor of the Lac Viet legacy.
"Where are we heading first?" Uncle Sword asked as the two exited the capital, standing upon a hill to take one last look at the majestic citadel.
"To the South," Tran Kien replied, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. "Before I go dragon hunting, I must gather my sharpest blades."
The journey south lasted nearly a month. This was no longer a desperate escape filled with peril. Tran Kien traveled openly and righteously. He did not conceal his identity, nor did he flaunt it. He restrained his Golden Core Realm cultivation, appearing only as an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator. Yet, anyone harboring ill intent who met his profound gaze or sensed the invisible Sword Intent radiating from Uncle Sword unconsciously backed away.
Throughout the journey, he cultivated incessantly. The wound inflicted upon the Dragon Veins in the capital seemed to affect him as well. He could sense a stagnation in the flow of spiritual qi between Heaven and Earth. He knew he had to be faster. He had to find the Sacred City and heal the Dragon Veins before all of Dai Viet suffered the consequences.
Finally, after nearly a month, they arrived at Trấn Nam Cảng (Southern Guard Port). The southern seaport was bustling and clamorous. But when a colossal warship, flying a black banner bearing the silver character "VO" (Formless), slowly docked, the entire port fell dead silent.
Thiet Phu, Old Whale, Ly Tin, and the core members of the Formless Sect and Flood Dragon Island were already waiting. They had not merely been waiting. Over the past month, under Tran Kien's remote directives, they had transformed Trấn Nam Cảng into one of their secret bases.
"We pay respects to the Exalted Lord!" Hundreds of voices rang out in unison, their momentum piercing the heavens.
Within a grand hall requisitioned as a temporary meeting place, Tran Kien sat in the head seat. Below him were his most loyal subordinates. The Blood Fiend Guards of the Formless Sect, the Sea Dragon Guards of Flood Dragon Island, and the trusted soldiers of Ly Tin. A terrifying military power had taken form.
He wasted no breath on pleasantries. He recounted the entire conspiracy of the Sacred Dynasty—concerning the Dragon Veins and the survival of Dai Viet—for all to hear.
The grand hall was plunged into shock and indignation. Though some were demonic cultivators and others were pirates, they were ultimately people of the Viet lands. National pride and reverence for their roots still flowed through their bloodlines. The Sacred Dynasty's intent to obliterate the Dragon Veins and destroy this land had touched the reverse scale of everyone present.
"We await the Exalted Lord's command!" Thiet Phu was the first to drop to one knee. "Even if we must climb mountains of blades or plunge into seas of fire, this subordinate will follow the Exalted Lord to the very end to eradicate those national traitors!"
"ERADICATE THE TRAITORS!" The rest dropped to their knees in unison, their battle-will surging to the heavens.
Tran Kien nodded. He knew the hearts of the army were unified. Now, it was time to prepare for the final war.
"Old Whale, Thiet Phu," he commanded. "Expend all our financial resources. Purchase the finest artifact-refining ores and the rarest medicinal herbs. I want the entire fleet retrofitted within a month, equipped with the most powerful spirit-cannons and defensive arrays."
"Ly Tin, Trinh Cong," he continued. "You two shall oversee the training. I want you to integrate the terrestrial tactics of the Blood Fiend Guards with the naval tactics of the Sea Dragon Guards into one seamless unit. I require an army capable of fighting anywhere."
"As for me," he stood up, gripping the Lac Hong Saber. "I will enter secluded meditation." He looked toward the vast sea. "In one month. When everything is ready."
"We depart."
"Target: The Black Water Ghost Domain!" he roared, his voice echoing throughout the grand hall. "For the legacy of our ancestors, and for the peace of the hundred clans. We depart!"