One month.
To the outside world, a month was but the blink of an eye. But for Flood Dragon Island, it was a metamorphosis, a frantic race against time.
Under Tran Kien's absolute command, the entire island had transformed into a colossal war machine, operating with terrifying order and efficiency.
The stratagem of "concealing brilliance and biding time" had been executed to sheer perfection.
Upon returning, Barbarian Bull's fleet announced a "tragic" victory. They proclaimed that although Flood Dragon Island had successfully annihilated Black Water Island, they had suffered catastrophic losses in the process and required a long period to recover. This news was swiftly spread by the eyes and ears of the Marquis of Vinh An and other factions, causing the lurking wolves to temporarily lower their guard.
Little did they know, while they were reveling in their smugness, the fierce tiger they assumed to be grievously wounded was silently sharpening its fangs and claws, making them infinitely more razor-sharp and deadly.
Old Whale, utilizing the vast network of the Three Rivers Merchant Guild, worked without rest. Ship after ship laden with rare Water and Fire attribute ores, along with countless spirit-calming and mind-gathering medicinal herbs, were covertly transported to Flood Dragon Island.
The forging district on the island, under Tran Kien's personal direction, blazed with roaring fires day and night. He was not just an Exalted Lord, nor merely a strategist. He was also a grandmaster of forging.
He combined his profound artifact refining knowledge with the "tempering" principles of his Saber Intent—A Thousand Hammers, A Hundred Refinements—to forge entirely new equipment for his army.
For the vanguard forces, he forged a type of lightweight battle armor named the "Black Water Armor." Forged from Profound Iron and a chilling mineral ore, this armor was not only incredibly sturdy but also allowed the wearer to move effortlessly underwater. Upon each suit of armor, he personally inscribed a simple "Water Repelling Array."
Their weaponry was also replaced. Gone were the assorted, chaotic swords and sabers. All were equipped with a new type of war saber named "Wavebreaker"; its blade was thin yet peerlessly sharp, specifically designed to minimize water resistance.
Furthermore, every man was issued three "Mind-Calming Pills," a medicinal pill Tran Kien had concocted based on an ancient recipe, utilizing the precious herbs Old Whale had procured. These pills could help the user stabilize their mind and divine sense, warding off the beguilement of underwater illusion arrays.
Meanwhile, the vanguard forces, under Tran Kien's direct tutelage, were undergoing a hellish tempering process. They did not solely train on land. For the majority of their time, they were submerged in the sea, learning to fight in an aquatic environment, and mastering coordinated combat under the most extreme and unforgiving conditions.
And Tran Kien did not waste a single second either.
He sat cross-legged atop the highest crag, facing the vast sea. He was not merely cultivating his Primordial Chaos Qi. He was doing something far more crucial: seeking enlightenment.
He unfurled the beast-skin map leading to the Crystal Palace before him. He did not look at its lines with his eyes. He used his heart to feel. He could sense the incomparably pure and majestic Water-attribute aura radiating from it. He was striving to fuse his Saber Intent with the "intent" of the sea itself, preparing for the impending battle in the ocean depths.
The Core Formation Realm! He knew he was but a single step away from this legendary boundary. Perhaps this journey to the Crystal Palace would be the very serendipity he needed to achieve a breakthrough.
One month later. Everything was ready.
The largest black ship, alongside ten of the most agile warships, once again hoisted the black banners bearing the character "TRAN".
But this time, the momentum was completely different. The thirty-plus warriors aboard, clad in Black Water Armor and gripping their Wavebreaker Sabers, stood as silently as statues. The killing intent upon their bodies no longer erupted outward; it was entirely restrained, transforming into a razor-sharp, perilous aura akin to sharks lurking just beneath the water's surface.
"Set sail!"
At Tran Kien's command, this small yet extraordinarily elite fleet silently departed from Flood Dragon Island. Without the beating of drums, without a single word of farewell, they merged into the nocturnal embrace of the sea.
They followed the mysterious ocean currents charted on the beast-skin map. This route was incredibly treacherous and bizarre, passing through waters that even the most seasoned sailors had never dared approach. They saw colossal whales, as massive as small islands, deep in slumber. They witnessed swarms of bioluminescent jellyfish forming a silvery, galactic river beneath the dark sea.
After a five-day journey, they finally arrived at the waters marked upon the map.
The place appeared completely unextraordinary. It was simply the endless, azure sea.
"Exalted Lord," Barbarian Bull asked. "Where are... the Ruins?"
Tran Kien did not reply. He merely stood at the prow, his eyes closed. The Shaman's map, the fragment of the Solar Essence Guardian, and the fragment of the Unhindered Lac Feathers simultaneously vibrated.
He could sense it. Directly beneath this ship, at an unimaginable depth, another dimension, an entirely different world, was calling out to him.
"It is beneath our feet," he said. "Everyone, prepare yourselves. We... are going down."
He did not wait for their reaction. He was the first to act; without a shred of hesitation, he plunged straight into the deep blue waters.
The remaining thirty-plus black shadows, without a single word of doubt, leaped in right after him.
Like stones tossed into a lake, they rapidly sank into the depths, vanishing from the surface, leaving behind only faint, rippling waves.
A journey into the heart of the deep sea, into a sacred sanctuary forgotten for thousands of years, had officially begun.