Trust and a New Dawn

The terrifying explosion engulfed the entire center of the schoolyard. The blinding golden light forced everyone to shut their eyes. The power of a Golden Core cultivator's attack was truly too horrific, enough to flatten everything within a radius of several dozen meters.

When the light faded, a gaping, scorched black crater was revealed. And at the center of the explosion, there was nothing left.

Lam Minh, along with his Thuan Thien sword, had completely vanished. Vaporized. Turned to dust.

"No... no... LAM MINH!!!"

The desperate screams of To Quyen, Quynh Nhu, and Diep Chi rang out almost simultaneously. They tried to rush towards the crater but were held back by Blacklight soldiers. A grief and loss thicker than the smell of gunpowder filled the air.

The Golden Core commander hovered in the air, looking down at his handiwork, and let out a cold, satisfied snort. "Finally dead. Such a stubborn cockroach."

He turned to give an order to his remaining subordinates. "Retreat!"

The purple space gate opened again.

Just then, the military reinforcements finally swarmed in. General Khang, on his helicopter, roared through the comms: "DO NOT LET THEM ESCAPE!"

But it was too late. The Golden Core creature and its subordinates were about to step through the gate. The battle seemed to have ended in tragedy.

And then...

The most paradoxical, illogical, and insane thing happened.

Right at the center of the scorched black crater, where nothing remained but ash, the air suddenly rippled.

10...

9...

8...

A faint, ethereal figure slowly emerged from the void.

7...

6...

5...

The figure gradually became clearer. It was Lam Minh. His clothes were gone, but his body was completely intact, without a single scratch, without a single burn. His skin even seemed shinier and firmer than before.

4...

3...

2...

The Thuan Thien sword also slowly materialized in his hand, its jade-green light seeming even more brilliant.

1...

[Host has revived.]

[Death in the real world. Completely annihilated by a full-power attack from an Early-stage Golden Core cultivator. An extremely thorough and heroically symbolic death. Recorded as 'Martyrdom'. Received a colossal reward: 35,000 Immortality Points.]

[[INVULNERABILITY] STATE ACTIVATED. TIME REMAINING: 29:59]

0!

Lam Minh opened his eyes.

The entire world seemed to stop.

The Golden Core commander, with one foot already through the space gate, froze. His third eye was open so wide it looked like it was about to pop out. He stared at the naked figure standing in the middle of the bomb crater, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"WHAT... WHAT IS THAT???" he roared through a psychic wave, but his voice no longer held arrogance, only absolute panic and horror. "No... impossible! I pulverized you into atoms! How can you...?"

It wasn't just him; everyone present was petrified.

On the helicopter, General Khang almost dropped his binoculars.

Quynh Nhu, To Quyen, Diep Chi, Ly Thien Ba... they all forgot to cry, their mouths agape, their eyes wide.

Thousands of students and soldiers, all dead silent, as if they had just witnessed a god being reborn from death.

Lam Minh floated lightly out of the crater, completely ignoring his "lack of clothing." He looked at the terrified Golden Core creature and gave a cold smile.

"Surprise, three-eyes?"

He could feel the endless energy coursing through his body. 30 minutes of [Invulnerability], with HP and Energy locked at 100%. Right now, he was immortal, he was invincible.

"Thanks for the 35,000 points," he said, his voice calm. "I really like your gift. Now then, time to return the favor."

He didn't say any more. He raised the Thuan Thien sword.

Activated by the [Invulnerability] state and the massive amount of Immortality Points he had just received, the Dragon Bloodline within him suddenly began to boil. A pure and unprecedentedly domineering stream of Dragon qi flowed into the sword.

The Thuan Thien sword let out a true dragon's roar, and its jade-green glow exploded, transforming into a giant, illusory dragon that coiled around Lam Minh.

His aura at this moment, though his cultivation was still at Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, completely overwhelmed that of the Golden Core cultivator.

"No... no... this is... the Dragon race... RETREAT!!!" the Golden Core commander screamed in desperation, turning to dive into the space gate.

"Trying to leave? Did you ask my permission?"

Lam Minh smirked.

Primeval Dragon God Art – Third Form: Divine Dragon Rends the Heavens!

He slashed his sword towards the space gate.

The jade-green illusory dragon roared and shot forward with unimaginable speed, carrying a power that could shatter space itself.

The Golden Core creature sensed the mortal danger behind him and frantically channeled his Golden Core, creating a thick golden shield to defend himself.

But it was useless.

The Divine Dragon Rends the Heavens pierced through the shield like a hot knife through butter. It pierced through the Golden Core's body and then shot straight into the space gate.

BOOM!!!

The previously stable space gate trembled violently, then shattered like a mirror, creating a chaotic spatial storm.

The Golden Core commander, along with a few unlucky Qi Refining creatures who hadn't made it through in time, were swallowed by that spatial storm, torn to shreds.

[Received 10,000 Immortality Points.]

Everything returned to silence.

Lam Minh landed on the ground, the illusory dragon vanishing. He looked at his naked body, then at the thousands of pairs of eyes staring at him.

He scratched his head and gave an embarrassed smile.

"Can... can someone lend me a pair of pants?"

...

"Can... can someone lend me a pair of pants?"

After that immortal line and a chaotic "wardrobe rescue" led by Quynh Nhu, Lam Minh was quickly taken to a secret Blacklight base. The news of his miraculous victory and unbelievable "rebirth" was sealed at the highest level of confidentiality.

In a closed meeting room, it was just him and General Khang.

The atmosphere was extremely grave. General Khang didn't beat around the bush. He placed a tablet on the table, displaying the video of Lam Minh being engulfed by the Golden Core's energy orb, vanishing, and then regenerating from nothing.

"Lam Minh," General Khang said, his voice deep and heavy. "I promised to trust you. But I think, after what has happened, I, and all of humanity, deserve an explanation. It doesn't have to be the whole truth, but at least let us know who and what we are placing our faith in."

Lam Minh looked straight into General Khang's eyes. He knew this was a decisive moment. A sophisticated lie could help him hide his secret, but it would also create a permanent wall between him and his comrades. On the other hand, a frankness, even an incomplete one, could build a much stronger foundation of trust.

He chose the latter.

"General," he said, his voice calm and sincere. "I cannot tell you where my secret comes from. Not because I don't trust you, but because it involves an existence that even I don't fully understand yet. I can only say that this ability is a talent, a special power that I was fortunate enough to have."

He paused, looking at General Khang. "I know this sounds very irresponsible. But I ask you to look at my actions. From the beginning, and in the future, I, Lam Minh, will always stand on the side of humanity. I will use this very life, no matter how many times I can be reborn, to fight until the day we win back our blue sky. That is all I can promise. Please, sir, trust me."

No tragic story was told. No lie was woven. Just straightforwardness and an ironclad promise.

General Khang looked deep into Lam Minh's eyes. He saw not deceit, but an unshakeable determination, a will that had been forged through things he couldn't possibly imagine.

After a long silence, General Khang let out a long breath, then laughed.

"Haha! Good! Very good!" he slammed his hand on the table. "I don't need to know what your secret is. The promise of a hero like you is worth more than ten thousand explanations. I trust you!"

General Khang's unconditional trust made Lam Minh feel relieved as well.

"However," General Khang continued, his expression turning serious again. "After this incident, you can't return to a normal student life anymore. Your identity has been exposed to the enemy. You must stay at Blacklight."

Lam Minh shook his head. "I'm sorry, General. But I stand by my previous decision. I am still a student. And I have a family. I can't leave them behind."

"But that's too dangerous!" General Khang protested.

"I know," Lam Minh replied. "But that's precisely why I must stay by their side. Besides, General, do you think I am the only one with this kind of power?"

His words stunned General Khang. "What do you mean...?"

"I believe that within the bloodline of every Vietnamese person lies a certain potential. We just haven't found a way to awaken it," Lam Minh said, cleverly planting an idea in General Khang's mind. "Give me time. I won't just get stronger alone. I will help others too."

He looked out the window, towards the distant Hanoi. "And perhaps... the answer doesn't lie in the future, but in our own past. In the legends we have forgotten."

His meaningful words, combined with the discovery of the ancient bamboo scroll, made General Khang fall into deep thought.

Finally, he nodded. "Alright. I respect your decision. You can return. But Blacklight will increase its covert protection for you and your family. Whenever you need us, we will be there."

After that conversation, a new dawn seemed to be breaking for humanity.

The event at Tran Hung Dao High School, though covered up, still provided a huge morale boost. It proved that the Madakaros were not invincible. It proved that humans could also possess extraordinary power.

The ASEAN Army, at the suggestion of General Khang and based on the findings of the Research Institute, began a top-secret project: "Return to the Source." They started to delve deeper into history, into cultural heritage, trying to find clues about the "hidden potential" of their people.

Meanwhile, on a remote, misty island in the East Sea—the Dragon's Abyss.

Lac Long Quan, who had felt the entire battle through the seal on Lam Minh, opened his eyes. A look of satisfaction flashed in his golden eyes.

"This kid... did well," he murmured. "He not only has strength, but also wisdom and determination. He has proven his worth."

He looked towards the distant Great Wall, where the war was still raging on.

"But he alone is not enough. The Ngu Tinh are becoming more and more audacious. They have even started to deploy their Nascent Soul cultivators..."

He stood up, his battle robe fluttering slightly. The aura of a king, a god, a Late-stage Nascent Soul warrior began to radiate, shaking the entire island.

"Perhaps... it's time for me to make an appearance. It's time to let the Ngu Tinh know that this land still has a master."

He looked up to the sky and let out a long, thunderous roar. The roar carried an endless draconic might, crossing thousands of miles of sea, and echoing across the battlefields.

A legend was about to awaken. A king was about to return.

And Lam Minh, on his way home, suddenly sensed a familiar, domineering aura exploding in the distance. He smiled.

"Finally... Uncle has decided to make his move, huh?"