After settling matters at the academy and ensuring Xiao An's soul was safe within his sea of consciousness, Lam Minh didn't stay any longer. He knew the only way to solve all his problems, from finding a body for Xiao An to confronting the "Saintly Way," was to continuously grow stronger.
And to get stronger, he needed resources. A lot of resources.
He once again left the academy quietly. But this time, his objective was clear.
Among the memories he had absorbed from Black Shadow and Twelfth, there was a piece of crucial information: the location of a large mineral deposit controlled by a Madakaros clan named "Bloodsand."
The Bloodsand clan was not a powerful one; their strength was only average. The strongest in the clan was just a Mid-Stage Golden Core elder. But they were incredibly lucky to have occupied a vast desert in the west and discovered a massive mine of "Azure Star Ore" there.
Azure Star Ore was a higher grade of Spirit Stone than the common ones. Its energy was purer and more abundant, especially suitable for Golden Core realm cultivators. For the Bloodsand clan, this was a gold mine, the foundation upon which they could develop, hoping to one day produce a Nascent Soul expert.
And for Lam Minh, this was the "treasure" he needed.
"A massive Azure Star Ore mine... guarded by a clan that's not too strong. Isn't this a gift from the heavens?" he chuckled to himself.
He had no intention of reporting this to the military. If the military took action, it would be a large-scale war, causing unnecessary casualties and violating the ceasefire treaty. Moreover, after capturing it, the mine would belong to the military, and he wouldn't get much.
His style was always "self-reliance."
He made full preparations. The Iron Horse was fully charged. The storage ring was filled with food and medicinal supplies. The strengthened God-Slayer sword was humming faintly, as if it too was looking forward to a battle.
He set off, one man and his steed, heading west towards the Bloodsand Desert.
The journey took many days. He passed through forests and plains, the terrain becoming increasingly arid.
Throughout the journey, he never let his guard down. He cultivated as he traveled, familiarizing himself with the power of the Golden Core realm. He practiced the "Myriad Waters Return to Origin," and his defensive and recovery abilities grew stronger by the day. He also experimented with new ways of using spiritual energy, such as condensing sword qi into small flying swords and controlling them to attack from a distance.
In his sea of consciousness, Xiao An's soul remained in a deep sleep, enveloped by his Dragon Qi. Occasionally, he would talk to her in his mind, telling her about the scenery he was seeing, even though he knew she couldn't hear. It was a way for him to feel less alone.
Finally, after more than a week of travel, a desert as red as blood appeared before his eyes.
The Bloodsand Desert.
The air here was hot and dry, filled with a faint killing intent. The sand here wasn't yellow, but a dark red, stained by a special mineral.
According to the memories, the main base of the Bloodsand clan and the Azure Star Ore mine were located in the center of the desert, within a massive system of underground caves.
Lam Minh hid his vehicle and began to walk into the desert.
He did not conceal his aura. On the contrary, he deliberately released the powerful aura of a Golden Core expert, like a provocation, a declaration of war.
He had no intention of launching a sneak attack.
He wanted to sweep through them.
He wanted to face an entire clan alone. He wanted to use an overwhelming battle to test his new strength, and also to send a "greeting" to the "Saintly Way" and all the Madakaros forces.
To announce that the lone wolf, Lam Minh, had returned.
And this time, he wouldn't just be a ghost in the night. He would be a storm, wiping out everything in his path.
The moment his aura flared, from deep within the desert, dozens of other auras erupted in response.
The patrol teams of the Bloodsand clan had discovered the intruder.
They were rushing towards him.
Lam Minh stopped, standing in the middle of the vast desert, his hand gripping the God-Slayer.
A cold smile appeared on his lips.
"Come on, then," he said. "Let the party begin."
...
The wind howled across the Bloodsand Desert, whipping up clouds of red sand. Amidst this desolate landscape, Lam Minh stood alone, firm as a mountain, the aura of his Golden Core realm radiating outwards, completely unconcealed.
From the horizon, tiny black dots began to appear, growing larger at a terrifying speed.
It was the vanguard patrol of the Bloodsand clan. About thirty of them, all at the Foundation Establishment realm, led by two at the Peak of Foundation Establishment. They rode on giant desert lizards, brandishing their weapons and roaring savagely.
For a mid-sized clan, this was already a considerable force.
The leading Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, a large, burly Madakaros, saw that Lam Minh was alone and laughed arrogantly.
"Haha! I thought the ASEAN military was attacking. Turns out it's just a foolish lost human! Capture him alive for me! We'll have a grand feast tonight!"
He gave the order, and the Madakaros troops roared in response, accelerating towards Lam Minh, forming an arrowhead-shaped charge.
Lam Minh watched the incoming tide, his expression unchanging. He didn't even draw the God-Slayer.
He just slowly raised one hand.
He circulated his Golden Core. The golden spiritual energy of the Dragon God poured out, condensing in his palm.
He didn't create sword qi or an energy ball. He simply compressed the spiritual energy to its absolute limit.
When the Bloodsand army was only a few hundred meters away, he opened his palm.
Dragon God Break!
An invisible shockwave, created from the explosion of compressed spiritual energy, shot out from his palm.
It had no color, no sound. It just silently swept across the sand.
The Peak Foundation Establishment commander, seeing Lam Minh's action, just sneered. He thought it was just a useless trick.
But a moment later, his smile froze.
The invisible shockwave arrived.
The giant desert lizards leading the charge were, in an instant, struck by an irresistible force. Their massive bodies exploded from the inside, flesh and organs splattering everywhere, creating a gruesome rain of blood.
The Madakaros riding them fared no better. They were thrown off, their armor shattered, their bones broken, dying without a complete corpse.
In the blink of an eye, half of their charging formation was wiped out.
The rest, including the two commanders, frantically reined in their mounts, stopping in horror.
"Wh-what the hell was that?" one of them stammered.
They couldn't understand. There was no sword qi, no fire, no ice. Just a wave of his hand, yet it could create such destructive power.
Lam Minh slowly lowered his hand.
"Appetizer," he said, his voice cold. "A bit bland."
His blatant contempt struck a direct blow to the pride of the Bloodsand clan.
"BASTARD! HE'S A GOLDEN CORE! EVERYONE, SPREAD OUT! SURROUND AND ATTACK HIM!" the Peak Foundation Establishment commander roared, trying to suppress his fear.
The remaining Madakaros snapped out of their stupor and quickly fanned out, surrounding Lam Minh. They no longer dared to attack head-on, but began to use long-range energy attacks, firing at him like rain.
Lam Minh just stood still.
He circulated the Dragon God technique again. A faint layer of dragon scales materialized, enveloping his entire body.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A series of energy balls of various colors hit him, creating a chain of explosions. Dust flew up, obscuring his figure.
"Haha! He's dead! Even a Golden Core couldn't withstand an attack like that!" a Madakaros laughed.
But when the dust settled, their smiles froze once again.
Lam Minh was still standing there, intact, without a single scratch. The dragon scales on his body had only vibrated slightly, easily neutralizing all the attacks.
"Is that all?" he frowned, his voice full of disappointment. "If that's it, then it's my turn."
He drew the God-Slayer.
He didn't need to use the Dragon God Battle Armor. To deal with these small fries, the power of an Initial-Stage Golden Core was more than enough.
He vanished on the spot.
And a true slaughter began.
He appeared behind a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, a single slash sending its head flying.
He flashed past two Initial-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, and two beams of sword qi shot out, piercing their hearts.
He faced a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator head-on, easily parrying its attack with his sword in one hand, then casually cleaving it in two.
He was like a green phantom, a god of death harvesting lives. Every time he appeared, a Madakaros fell.
Absolute fear gripped the remaining ones. Their will to fight was gone. They turned and fled for their lives.
"Don't run!"
Lam Minh gave them no chance. He raised the God-Slayer and unleashed dozens of sword qi beams, chasing after the fleeing enemies.
The last tragic screams echoed, then fell silent.
In just a few minutes, the entire vanguard patrol, over thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators, had been completely wiped out.
Only the two Peak Foundation Establishment commanders were left, standing petrified, trembling.
Lam Minh slowly walked towards them.
"You two," he said. "Take me to your den. Or die here."