The black ship—no, it should be called a small fleet—glided across the surface of the sea like black arrows. The sea breeze was no longer a hindrance; it had become an ally. Tran Kien stood at the prow of the flagship, his eyes half-closed, but his Divine Sense had merged into one with Heaven and Earth, with the rivers and the sea.
He no longer needed to use array formations to propel the wind. He merely used a single thought. The Primordial Chaos Qi within his chaotic Golden Core circulated slightly, connecting with the spiritual qi of Heaven and Earth. The sea breeze immediately obeyed his command, billowing the black sails and driving the entire fleet forward at an unimaginable speed. This was no longer the power of an array formation; this was the true divine ability of a Golden Core Realm cultivator—someone who had begun to take initial control over a portion of the laws of nature.
The Sea Dragon Guards stood silently on the deck. They could sense the transformation of their Exalted Lord. If previously he was a terrifying strategist, a majestic king, he was now akin to a deity, harmonizing with and commanding the very sea itself. The faith and fanatical zeal within their eyes deepened even further.
A journey that should have taken months now required only ten days, and already they could faintly discern the coastline of Dai Viet in the distance.
But as they neared the mouth of the Hong Ha River—the sole waterway leading back to the imperial capital—Tran Kien's Divine Sense abruptly detected a dense, heavy aura of killing intent lying in ambush ahead.
"Halt the ships!" he commanded.
The entire fleet instantly decelerated, coming to a precise halt amidst the sea without a single extraneous sound.
"Exalted Lord, what is the matter?" Barbarian Bull stepped forward.
"There are hounds blocking the path," Tran Kien said coldly. His gaze was fixed on the seemingly tranquil river mouth. "It appears the Marquis of Vinh An has calculated very thoroughly. He knows this is the fastest route if we intend to reinforce the capital. He has already cast a net here."
"Then... do we need to take a detour?"
"A detour?" Tran Kien let out a faint, cold laugh. "Time does not wait for us. Furthermore," he gripped the Lac Hong Saber in his hand tightly, "the time has come to let them know that their net... cannot possibly catch a dragon."
He had no intention of employing stratagems anymore.
He now possessed absolute strength. And he intended to use this battle to announce his return.
"Hear my command!" his voice rang out, echoing across the fleet. "All forces, prepare for battle! Maintain formation! Target: the mouth of the Hong Ha River!"
"Charge straight in!"
"ROAR!!!"
Over thirty voices bellowed in unison, their imposing aura piercing the heavens. These warriors, tempered through blood and fire, harbored not a shred of fear in their eyes—only the exhilaration of battle.
The black fleet no longer concealed itself. Raising the black banners bearing the character "TRAN", they resembled a colossal python, charging headlong toward the river mouth.
As they drew near, from both banks and from beneath the water's surface, dozens of meticulously camouflaged warships suddenly appeared, forming a watertight encirclement. Aboard these ships were not only the remnants of the Black Dragon Stronghold but also experts from a few minor demonic sects that had been bought off by the Marquis of Vinh An. Leading them was an old man clad in blood-red robes, whose aura had reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm. It was none other than one of the remaining Great Protectors of the Black Dragon Stronghold, the Blood Demon Patriarch.
"Hahaha! New King of Flood Dragon Island!" the Blood Demon Patriarch stood atop a large warship, sneering maliciously. "You have finally shoved your head into the snare! Today, this old man shall use your blood to anoint my banner and avenge the Black Dragon Stronghold!"
Tran Kien didn't even spare him a glance.
He merely stood there, his eyes closed. He was communing. Communing with the invisible bronze drum within his Divine Soul, communing with the legacy of his ancestors.
The Primordial Chaos Qi within his chaotic Golden Core erupted.
He no longer needed to lay down an array on the ground. He used himself as the array's core, the entire fleet as the array's foundation, and this very sea as the array compass!
"Lac Viet Heavenly Cycle Array - Outer Layer: Unhindered Lac Feathers - OPEN!"
"OMMM...M...M!!!"
A resonant, invisible drumbeat seemingly rang out from the depths of the earth, from the heights of the Nine Heavens. The tranquil surface of the sea suddenly churned with violent waves. The clear blue sky abruptly drew in pitch-black clouds.
From above the clouds, and from beneath the sea's surface, countless Lac birds—formed from the spiritual qi of the sky and the water—manifested simultaneously. Thousands, tens of thousands of them! Every single one carried a razor-sharp, ethereal aura.
The entire fleet of the Black Dragon Stronghold was dumbfounded. They had never witnessed an array formation so terrifying and monumental.
"It's merely a petty illusion!" the Blood Demon Patriarch roared, attempting to reassure his subordinates, though his own eyes also revealed sheer terror. "Attack! Tear them to shreds for me!"
But it was already too late.
Tran Kien, standing amidst the tempest of spiritual energy, slowly opened his eyes. He merely gently raised the Lac Hong Saber, pointing it forward.
"Kill."
A simple command.
The tens of thousands of spiritual Lac birds, as if receiving the edict of a king, let out ear-piercing shrieks in unison. Then, they transformed into a tempest of emerald-green sword qi—a veritable tsunami of spiritual energy—crashing straight toward the Black Dragon Stronghold's fleet.
"No... impossible..."
That was the final thought of the Blood Demon Patriarch.
"BOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!"
An earth-shattering explosion reverberated across the entire expanse of sea. The tempest of sword qi swept through; nothing could withstand it. The warships of iron and steel, under the assault of tens of thousands of Lac birds, were as fragile as paper boats, torn into shreds.
The demonic cultivators, even those at the Foundation Establishment Realm, only had time to let out a miserable shriek before being pierced by countless streams of sword qi, reduced to a rain of blood.
In merely the blink of an eye.
An entire formidable fleet had been wiped from the face of the sea.
As the spiritual energy tempest dissipated, the sea returned to its peaceful state. All that remained were shattered planks and dismembered corpses drifting upon the surface, dyeing the entire river mouth a crimson red.
Tran Kien withdrew the array, his complexion slightly pale. Unleashing a fraction of the might of this supreme array, even at the Golden Core Realm, consumed no small amount of energy.
But he had done it.
He looked toward the imperial capital, his gaze as cold as ice.
Marquis Vinh An, the first gift I send you—I wonder, are you satisfied?
The black fleet did not halt. They glided past the blood-soaked battlefield, heading straight into the heart of the Hong Ha River. Carrying an unstoppable surge of killing intent and imposing majesty, they advanced toward the very center of the storm.