The sturdy Ironwood warship, under the helm of Thiet Phu and the most elite sailors of the Formless Sect, silently departed from Tran Nam Port, merging into the nocturnal embrace of the sea. The south wind blew fiercely, carrying the salty tang of the ocean and a sense of boundless freedom, yet the hearts of everyone aboard were incredibly heavy.
Tran Kien did not remain at the Admiral's Estate. He knew that in this game, he was merely the one planting the seed. Whether that seed would sprout depended on the decisiveness of Ly Kinh Thien and the hidden undercurrents within the imperial court. His current mission was far more urgent and infinitely more perilous.
The Sacred City.
The name pressed down upon his mind like a boulder weighing ten thousand jin. This was no longer a tangible enemy like the Marquis of Vinh An. This was a phantom of history, a power that had hidden itself for a millennium, pulling the strings behind countless earth-shattering conspiracies. Facing such an enemy, all ordinary stratagems could be rendered entirely useless.
He could only rely on one thing: absolute strength, and the guidance of the Lac Viet legacy.
"Exalted Lord," Thiet Phu stepped forward, presenting a detailed nautical chart. "Based on the information you provided and ancient records, we have tentatively pinpointed the location of the Sacred City. It lies within a maritime region known as the 'Black Water Ghost Domain,' a place where even the most audacious pirates dare not approach. Legend has it that the area is shrouded in perpetual mist, teeming with ferocious sea monsters, and plagued by sudden whirlpools capable of swallowing an entire fleet whole."
Tran Kien looked at the chart. The location was incredibly remote and perilous—truly a perfect place to conceal a heaven-shaking secret.
"How are the preparations?" he asked.
"Reporting, the ship has been retrofitted according to your blueprints. The entire hull has been inscribed with low-grade 'Water-Controlling Arrays' and 'Wave-Breaking Arrays.' Dry rations and fresh water have been stocked sufficiently for a three-month voyage."
"Good," Tran Kien nodded. "Pass down the command: all crew to their stations. We shall pierce through the night, using our maximum speed to reach the Black Water Ghost Domain before the hounds of the Sacred Dynasty can catch our scent."
The wooden ship, augmented by array formations, glided through the night like a phantom. Tran Kien did not rest. He sat cross-legged at the prow, his eyes tightly closed. He was performing two tasks simultaneously.
First, he used his Divine Sense to connect with the Shaman's map and the other Lac Viet relics. He was feeling. Feeling for the direction, feeling for the latent dangers lurking deep within the sea.
Second, he was "digesting" the final fragments of the Evil Spirit's memories. Within those fragments were pieces regarding the Shamanic grand array that enveloped the Sacred City. He needed to comprehend it fully in order to find its flaws.
The journey lasted for ten days.
During these ten days, the sea was far from peaceful. They encountered colossal sea monsters and sudden tempests. Yet, under Tran Kien's guidance and Thiet Phu's masterful helmsmanship, the small ship navigated safely past every danger, acting like a true leviathan of the deep.
On the eleventh day, a wall of pitch-black mist, as thick as ink, appeared on the horizon. The mist did not merely obscure vision; it radiated a yin-cold, evil aura capable of corroding spiritual energy.
The Black Water Ghost Domain.
"Exalted Lord!" Every sailor gripped their weapons tightly, their complexions turning grave.
"There is no need to panic," Tran Kien said, having stood up at some point. "This is merely an amplified Soul-Beguiling Array. Sail straight into it."
Without a shred of hesitation, the ship plunged straight into the wall of mist. In that instant, Heaven and Earth seemed to invert. Countless phantoms and mournful shrieks surged from the mist, assaulting the sanity of everyone aboard.
But Tran Kien merely let out a cold snort. He channeled his Primordial Chaos Qi. The sun-star mark upon his forehead blazed with a golden halo.
Solar Essence Guardian!
The righteous, luminous light of the sun spread outward, enveloping the entire ship. Every phantom and wisp of resentment that touched the light let out a miserable shriek and dissipated, like snow meeting the blazing sun.
And so, the ship righteously and forcefully cleaved through the dense layer of mist.
After sailing for roughly one watch, the mist ahead suddenly thinned. A colossal island, as pitch-black as an ancient behemoth, materialized.
Not a single blade of grass grew upon the island. There were only bizarre black boulders and a towering mountain at its center. Atop the peak sat a palace crafted from black jade—majestic and resplendent, yet radiating a heaven-piercing evil aura, half-hidden within dark clouds.
The Sacred City.
But before they could even approach, the water in all four directions surrounding the island suddenly began to boil violently. Four colossal sea monsters—their entire bodies covered in pitch-black scales, possessing horned heads and serpentine bodies resembling flood dragons—erupted from the depths of the sea, surrounding the ship.
The aura radiating from each one of them had reached the Golden Core Realm!
"They are Black Water Flood Dragons!" Thiet Phu cried out in horror. "They are the guardian beasts of the Sacred City!"
Yet Tran Kien did not look at the four demonic beasts. His gaze pierced past them, looking straight toward the palace atop the mountain peak.
He could sense that a far more powerful and perilous aura was up there, coldly observing him.
"Inheritor of Lac Viet," an ancient voice—not belonging to the Evil Spirit, but one far more resonant and majestic—echoed directly within his mind.
"You have finally arrived."
"I have been here, waiting for you... for an entire millennium."
The final game of life and death had officially begun.