The wind died down—not because it fell still, but because it was utterly crushed under heavy pressure.
At this moment, the entire expanse of the Bach Dang River was no longer just a river; it had transformed into an active naval battlefield.
Dozens of black battleships completely blanketed the water, their massive hulls looming like monolithic phantoms. Upon the decks, glowing crimson eyes snapped open. No sound was made. There was only raw, suffocating pressure.
Van Thien stood his ground, his breath ragged and heavy. Beside him, Bao Uyen gripped his hand tightly.
Their gazes never strayed from the front lines.
Aboard the command vessel, the Red-Eyed Black Dragon stood tall, both of his arms spread wide.
"This…"
"…is my domain."
BOOM!!
A crushing shockwave of pure pressure descended, causing the earth to fracture.
Van Thien gritted his teeth.
"Their numbers are too overwhelming…"
Thousands of warships began their steady, ominous advance toward the shoreline.
Van Thien stood firm, tightening his fists into a white-knuckled grip.
"What do we do now…?"
Suddenly, an echo resonated. Extremely faint.
Thud.
A single beat. It wasn't loud, yet it distinctly did not belong to the present era.
Thud.
The second beat. The wind violently shifted directions; the rolling waves froze in their tracks.
Sensing something deeply amiss, the Red-Eyed Black Dragon froze.
"What is this…?"
Thud… Thud…
The steady rhythm of war drums. Slow. Heavy. As if echoing from the deep confines of the earth. Beneath Van Thien's feet, the ground vibrated softly—not from the mechanical thrumming of the battleships, but because an ancient force was awakening.
The surface of the river began to alter. The chaotic waves synchronized into a single, unified pulse—like a steady breath. Van Thien's eyes went wide.
"This sensation is..."
The necklace around his neck flared with a blinding light. But this time, it was no longer the familiar cyan radiance; it radiated a profound, ancient golden hue. A gold from the distant past, calling out to him.
The wind blew backward as the space directly ahead split open. It was not a jagged rift like the ones torn by the Slayers, but a majestic gateway billowing with thick, white mist.
From within the mist, a footstep emerged. Slow. Each step caused the surrounding space to warp under its gravity. The footstep planted firmly upon the water, as unyielding as a mountain cliff.
A man.
Armor clad. It was not the sleek, modern alloy of the current era. Ancient plate armor encased his torso, each metallic plate meticulously interlocked like the pristine scales of a dragon.
Twin circular mirror-guards on his breastplate and back reflected a faint, weathered gleam, as if they had journeyed through hundreds of years.
His lower body was shielded by layered fish-scale tassets, every stride generating a heavy, resonant metal thrum.
A tiger-headed helm covered half of his face, leaving only a pair of deep, absolute, and motionless eyes exposed.
A dark crimson cloak draped behind his back, embroidered with intricate dragon motifs that billowed gently in the rising wind.
His hands were casually resting behind his back. His gaze was serene, yet deep as the ocean abyss. His majestic aura radiated absolute authority, his sharp and resolute eyes paired with a long beard that exuded an overwhelming, awe-inspiring presence.
TRAN HUNG DAO.
No introduction was required; no title needed to be spoken. By his mere presence, the entire world fell into a dead silence. Around his silhouette, halos of ancient golden light radiated outward. Amidst the golden aura, the ethereal illusions of sweeping chim hạc birds soared gracefully in rhythmic patterns, the faint sound of their beating wings echoing like a heroic saga echoing across centuries.
Van Thien stood completely paralyzed.
"My Lord..."
Tran Hung Dao did not immediately look at him. His piercing gaze was directed outward at the river, assessing the dark armada.
One second. Two seconds.
He spoke softly. His voice was low, not loud, yet it resonated across the entire expanse.
"This river has its master."
"This land possesses its spirit."
"Those who trespass… shall find nothing but their burial."
BOOM!!
An invisible wave of raw pressure expanded outward. The black battleships shuddered violently. Though they were merely spoken words, every single soldier aboard the fleet felt the devastating weight of the man's presence. Their bodies trembled, their legs instinctively stumbling backward as an unprecedented wave of sheer terror filled their crimson eyes.
"…Impossible…"
"…This river… still retains a fragment of that presence…?"
For the first time, a flicker of genuine shock flashed within the eyes of the Red-Eyed Black Dragon.
"You... what exactly are you?"
The Lord offered no response, merely taking another step forward.
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon glared at him. Though a hint of hesitation lingered in his eyes, his lips curled into a cold, defiant smirk.
"Our burial, you say…?"
"Haha… Fascinating. Truly fascinating."
"But you stand entirely alone."
"While behind my back lies an invincible, supreme armada."
"It remains to be seen who will be the one… buried in this place."
Hung Dao Dai Vương stood unyielding, his majestic eyes gazing calmly at the tyrant and the colossal army backing him.
Seeing the silence, the Red-Eyed Black Dragon laughed scornfully.
"Haha!"
"What's the matter…? Terrified already?"
"It seems you amount to nothing more than this."
While his arrogant laughter still echoed, a distinct sound sliced through the chaos.
Crack.
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon snapped his gaze downward.
"…?"
Gurgle… Gurgle…
"What is that sound?!"
The enemy soldiers heard it too, a wave of panic instantly rippling through the ranks.
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon could not comprehend what was happening.
And then—
Snap! Crack!
Before the soldiers could process the noise, a voice screamed out:
"The ship is sinking! The ship is actively sinking!"
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon whipped his head around.
"What?!"
More soldiers shrieked from different sectors:
"Over here too!"
"The hull is breaching! We're going under!"
Crack!
Splush!
Vessel after vessel began to list heavily, slowly swallowed by the river.
As the warships groaned and foundered, a microscopic ripple sliced cleanly through the surface of the water, gliding silently and undetected toward the flank of another massive ship.
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon scanned the chaos frantically.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
At that moment, Hung Dao Dai Vuong, who had been resting his hands behind his back, slowly lowered his arm. His fingers lightly brushed against the hilt of his sword.
Amidst the utter panic of the soldiers aboard, a compact whirlpool manifested directly beneath the hull of a ship. The water did not flood the vessel naturally; it was violently dragged downward by an invisible, localized gravitational vacuum.
Amidst the frantic screams, a freezing shroud of mist billowed up from the surface of the river. And then, from within the heart of that emerald, motionless expanse, a pale yet heavily calloused hand, dripping with river water, slowly clamped onto the flank of a rocking warship.
The hand did not tremble in the slightest. The moment it gripped the wood, deep fractures instantly webbed outward from the tips of his fingers. The churning river surrounding his grip suddenly froze, flattening like a polished mirror as a cold, emerald-green light radiated outward.
The soldiers above shrieked in sheer terror:
"What is that hand?!"
From beneath the hand, a long mane of jet-black hair slowly emerged from the water. The droplets falling from his hair did not mix back into the river; instead, they transformed into tiny, sparkling particles of light before vanishing into thin air.
His eyes slowly materialized. They held no blind hatred, only the deep, piercing coldness of a midnight river. Upon closer inspection, he was a legendary warrior. Though only his upper torso cleared the surface, it revealed a massive, heavily muscled frame that looked as if it were sculpted from solid river stone. His wide, piercing eyes were absolute and radiant beneath the dark waters. He possessed a square jawline, his long black hair floating loosely around him like strands of wild seaweed, projecting a presence that was both feral and deeply majestic. His expression remained entirely serene. In his submerged hand, he held a rusted iron spike that radiated a freezing, suffocating aura.
As he fully surfaced, his gaze did not direct toward the enemy fleet. Instead, it locked respectfully onto the man standing upon the stone bank.
Yes—toward Hung Dao Dai Vuong.
Hung Dao Dai Vuong stood tall, looking down at the legendary diver. He spoke, his voice low yet saturated with absolute majesty:
"Yết Kiêu, you have kept them waiting a bit too long. Let them witness that this river bed holds far more than just fish and shrimp—it carries the very soul of our Southern Land!"
Yet Kieu offered no verbal reply. He merely answered with a slow, silent nod—an unyielding oath that had never faded with the dust of time. Then, his gaze snapped sharply around, locking his eyes dead onto the Red-Eyed Black Dragon.
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon felt a crushing pressure emanating from the warrior beneath the water.
"Hmph…"
With a snarl, he raised his hand.
The soldiers aboard immediately thrust their heavy spears downward into the water, but Yet Kieu had already dissolved back into the depths. The surface of the water turned dead silent, leaving nothing behind but passing waves. The soldiers stood completely bewildered.
On the shoreline, Van Thien remained paralyzed with awe.
"That person is…?"
Tran Hung Dao turned his head. For the very first time, his eyes looked directly into Van Thien's. He pointed his finger toward the vast expanse of the river, his voice frigid yet carrying immense weight:
"The one who holds the fatal weakness of the enemy armada. The person whom this Bach Dang River has chosen to pass judgment upon them. That is Yết Kiêu!"
He locked his gaze onto Van Thien.
"…You."
"…You stand upon this very river."
Van Thien caught his breath.
"…And you…"
"…wish to protect it?"
A single second passed. Zero hesitation.
"I want to protect this river."
A brief silence fell.
Tran Hung Dao offered a sharp nod.
"…Then listen closely."
He spun on his heel, his hand sweeping outward toward the open water.
"Though the enemy vessels are vast in number, we can still drag every single one of them to the bottom of this river."
"Do not engage them in a head-on battle."
"Instead… lure them to that location."
His eyes sharpened to a razor edge.
"…The location where…"
"…we once annihilated an empire."
Van Thien's eyes widened. As he opened his mouth to speak, he caught the absolute gravity and unwavering resolve in the Lord's gaze. He understood exactly what Hung Dao Dai Vuong meant.
The wind ceased. Beneath the water, sharp, pointed shapes flickered briefly once more.
On the opposing side, the Red-Eyed Black Dragon barked commands to the troops across the decks:
"Find that diver beneath the water! Move!"
On the shore, Van Thien planted his feet, flexing his arms as a massive aura of cyan-blue energy detonated outward, enveloping his entire frame.
"Let's ride."
The war had officially entered a brand-new phase.