By the time Lam Minh returned to the coastal city, it was nearly dawn. The fires had died down, leaving only columns of gray smoke rising from the rubble and a thick, acrid smell of burning in the air.
The rescued civilians had gathered in the square, their faces etched with fatigue and fear, but a light of hope had returned to their eyes. When they saw Lam Minh descend from the sky, they all knelt in unison.
"Thank you, divine being, for saving our lives!"
"Please accept our deepest respects, divine being!"
Lam Minh hastily used a gentle wave of spiritual energy to lift them up. "Everyone, please don't do this. I am not a divine being; I am human, just like all of you. Please stand up."
He wasn't used to this kind of praise and worship. He had only done what he believed was right.
He quickly contacted General Khang, reporting the situation and coordinates. An ASEAN naval relief fleet was immediately dispatched.
While waiting, Lam Minh walked a circuit around the city. He looked at the ruined houses, the silent streets, his heart heavy. Although he had arrived in time to save most of the people, there were still some who hadn't been so lucky.
He also tried to search for more clues about the "Saintly Way," but everything had either been destroyed in the battle or wiped clean by them before they retreated. The enemy was exceedingly careful.
A few hours later, the first warships of the relief fleet appeared on the horizon. Soldiers and medical personnel quickly came ashore, bringing food, water, and medical supplies. They began the relief work, evacuating the civilians.
Lam Minh did not appear before them. He just watched quietly from a distance, ensuring everything went smoothly. Only when the last ship carrying the civilians had departed did he turn and disappear into the mainland.
His mission here was over.
His journey back to Lac Hong Academy was no longer rushed. He walked slowly, thinking as he went.
The battle with Twelfth, the encounter with Tran Trung, and especially the spiritual confrontation with the Holy Master had left him with too many questions.
How powerful was the "Holy Way of Salvation," really? How could they control even the Madakaros?
Who was the Holy Master? Why did he know about him? And what realm had his power reached that he could launch a spiritual attack from such a great distance?
And finally, what was his true identity? The Golden Turtle's words echoed in his head. "You are not a random choice of fate. You are the one chosen by fate itself."
He felt as if he were being pulled into a vortex of colossal secrets and conspiracies, far beyond a simple war between two races.
He stopped by a stream and splashed water on his face to clear his head. He looked at his reflection in the water. A young face, yet it held a pair of deep eyes, containing thoughts that did not belong to his age.
"Forget it," he sighed. "Overthinking won't help. I just need to get stronger. When I'm strong enough, all the secrets will have to reveal themselves."
He decided to temporarily set those questions aside. The priority now was to continue cultivating, solidify his Golden Core realm, and prepare for the next confrontation. He knew that after this incident, the "Saintly Way" would certainly not leave him alone.
He took out Twelfth's Peak Golden Core. It was the most precious spoil of war he had obtained. The energy within it was incredibly pure and potent.
He didn't absorb it right away. He just held it in his hand, feeling the flow of energy, using it to compare and understand the Golden Core realm.
He realized that Twelfth's Golden Core, though powerful, possessed a malevolent aura, not as pure as his own Dragon God Golden Core.
"This is probably the difference between the righteous path and the evil path," he thought.
He decided to use this core, not to increase his cultivation level, but as a material, to test something he had been contemplating for a long time.
A bold idea involving his Thuan Thien Sword and the refining techniques he had "learned" from the memories of his enemies.
He wanted to create a new "toy" for himself. A toy that could deliver a big surprise to those who were hunting him.
...
Lam Minh did not return to the academy right away. He found a secluded valley with a waterfall and a hidden cave, deciding to stay there for a while to carry out his plan.
He needed a place of absolute quiet, where he would not be disturbed.
His idea was simple yet incredibly bold: Refine Twelfth's core and use its essential energy to strengthen the Thuan Thien Sword.
This was no easy task. Artifact refining and pill concocting were two completely different fields, requiring extensive knowledge and experience. But Lam Minh had an advantage that no one else possessed: the memories of countless enemies he had absorbed. Among them were the memories of Madakaros who specialized in artifact refining and "Saint Children" who were well-versed in various formations and talismans.
He was like a chef with a thousand recipes from all over the world. Now, he would combine them to create his own unique dish.
He began his preparations.
He used his Golden Core spiritual energy to create a simple refining furnace from stone and clay. He inscribed it with fire-gathering and energy-stabilizing formations he had learned.
Then, he placed Twelfth's core inside the furnace.
He didn't use ordinary fire. He used the very flame condensed from his own Golden Core spiritual energy, the "Golden Core True Fire," to smelt the core.
This was an incredibly difficult and spiritually draining process. The core of a Peak Golden Core expert was extremely hard and stable. It took Lam Minh nearly three days and three nights of continuously maintaining the True Fire to slowly liquefy it.
The core melted, turning into a black liquid sphere, suspended in the middle of the furnace. Within it lay a colossal source of energy and a malevolent black aura.
The next step was also the most difficult: purification.
He had to use his spiritual sense and Dragon Qi to completely eliminate the malevolent black aura, leaving only the purest form of energy.
He closed his eyes, his spiritual sense transforming into thousands of thin threads, weaving into the black liquid sphere. At the same time, the Dragon Qi from his Golden Core was channeled in, beginning the "cleansing" process.
An invisible battle took place inside the furnace. The black aura shrieked in resistance, but under the suppression of the pure yang Dragon Qi, it was slowly eroded, pushed out, and turned into wisps of black smoke that rose and dissipated.
This process took another five days.
Finally, the black liquid sphere had completely transformed. It became as transparent as glass, radiating a pure and powerful energy.
Lam Minh let out a sigh of relief, his face slightly weary, but his eyes shone with satisfaction. He had succeeded in the first step.
Now, for the most crucial part: fusion with the Thuan Thien Sword.
He summoned the Thuan Thien Sword, letting it hover above the furnace.
Using his spiritual energy, he slowly guided the sphere of pure energy upward, allowing it to envelop the sword.
The Thuan Thien Sword, as if sensing a great "tonic," vibrated with joy. The Sword Soul within it awakened on its own, beginning to frantically absorb the energy source.
Lam Minh did not interfere; he just stood by, using his spiritual energy to maintain the stability of the process.
The jade-green body of the sword began to glow. The ancient patterns on its blade seemed to come alive, becoming clearer and more mystical. The sword's power was increasing palpably.
But Lam Minh wanted more than just that.
He took out the fragments of the Rhinoceros Crystal he had acquired before. He also tossed them into the furnace, using the True Fire to melt them down into a purple crystalline solution.
Then, he guided that solution, slowly pouring it onto the sword's body.
The purple crystalline solution, upon contact with the scorching hot blade, did not evaporate. On the contrary, it seeped inside, fusing with the sword's material, making the blade not only sharper, but also many times harder and more durable.
The entire fusion and strengthening process lasted for another day and night.
When the light finally faded, a completely new Thuan Thien Sword appeared before Lam Minh's eyes.
It retained its old shape, but the jade-green body now had mystical purple veins, sparkling like stars. Its aura was not just sharp, but also carried a heavy, profound stability.
Lam Minh took the sword, feeling a connection even stronger than before. He felt as if this sword had now truly become a part of his body.
He swung it lightly.
SWOOSH!
No sword qi flew out. But a large rock several dozen meters away was suddenly sliced in two, the cut as smooth as a mirror.
This was sharpness that had reached its absolute limit, capable of cutting through matter without the need for energy.
"Excellent!" Lam Minh laughed heartily. "From now on, I'll call you... God-Slayer."
He was pleased with his new "toy." With this sword, his combat power had risen another level.
He was about to sheathe the sword when he suddenly sensed something unusual.
From deep within the cave he was in, from behind a rock wall, a very faint but incredibly familiar aura, which had just been disturbed by the sword's power, had accidentally leaked out a sliver.
This aura... was exactly the same as the aura of... the Storage Ring that Lac Long Quan had given him.
"Impossible..." he was stunned. "Could it be that here... there's another ring?"
He walked over to the rock wall, using his spiritual sense to investigate.
Inside the thick layer of rock was a small space, concealed by an extremely sophisticated barrier.
And inside that space was not a ring.
It was a human skeleton, which had dried out long ago.
And on the finger of that skeleton, was a ring identical to his own.