After the Rain, the Sky is Clear Again

The appearance and earth-shattering power of Lac Long Quan came as a massive shock not only to the Madakaros but to all of humanity.

When the video of the battle was released (edited, of course, to conceal overly sensitive details), the entire ASEAN bloc exploded. The image of a platinum-haired man single-handedly repelling three Nascent Soul experts and an army of tens of thousands became an immortal symbol.

People began to call him the "Silver-Haired War God," the "Guardian Deity," the "Returning King." His true identity remained a mystery, kept at the highest level of military secrecy. But his existence became a powerful spiritual medicine, igniting an unprecedented flame of hope in the hearts of every citizen.

Just as Lac Long Quan had predicted, the Madakaros, after being thoroughly routed and terrified by the power of the Dragon race, for the first time in history, took the initiative to propose "negotiations."

A temporary ceasefire agreement was signed. The boundary remained the Great Wall. The Madakaros were not allowed to attack the interior, and in return, humanity would not proactively attack the outside.

A fragile balance, a temporary peace, had been established. The pressure that had weighed on the Great Wall for decades was finally eased.

While the whole world was in an uproar, Lam Minh was quietly "recuperating" in a special military hospital, under the direct care of... Lac Long Quan.

When he woke up, he found himself in a luxurious room, his body almost fully recovered. His "uncle" was perched on the sofa, gnawing on a chicken leg while watching TV.

"Awake, are you, kid?" Lac Long Quan glanced at him. "You slept for three whole days and nights. What a lazy bum."

"It's your fault for showing up late," Lam Minh grumbled, sitting up. He could feel his body brimming with energy. The Dragon qi that Lac Long Quan had transferred to him had not only healed his wounds but had also helped him perfectly consolidate his Late-stage Foundation Establishment realm.

"By the way, what's the situation outside?" he asked.

Lac Long Quan tossed him a tablet. "See for yourself. Thanks to you and me, humanity is enjoying some rare peaceful days."

Lam Minh scrolled through the news, seeing the immense changes that had taken place. He couldn't help but marvel. The power of a peak expert could truly change the world.

"So... what do we do next?" Lam Minh asked.

"You just rest for now," Lac Long Quan said. "As for me, I have to go 'talk' to the old geezers in your High Command. We need to establish some new rules."

With that, he vanished.

In the following days, Lam Minh enjoyed a true vacation. But he was by no means lazy. He knew this peace was only temporary. He needed to become even stronger.

He looked at his status panel.

[Name: Lam Minh]

[Cultivation: Late-stage Foundation Establishment (Foundation Perfected)]

[Immortality Points: 200,120/160,000]

"Finally... it's enough!"

He had enough points to break through to the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm. But he wasn't in a hurry. He wanted to use this time to prepare in the best way possible, to ensure that the final breakthrough of the Foundation Establishment Realm would be perfect.

Meanwhile, his friends came to visit.

To Quyen, Quynh Nhu, Diep Chi, and Ly Thien Ba appeared at the hospital together. Seeing him safe and sound, all four of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"You... you made everyone worry again," To Quyen said, the rims of her eyes a little red.

"Hmph! You troublesome punching bag! Always playing the hero alone!" Quynh Nhu scolded, but her voice couldn't hide her concern.

"Master! You are truly the idol of my life!" Ly Thien Ba exclaimed with adoration.

Lam Minh looked at his friends and smiled. "Sorry for making you all worry. But I'm back now."

They told him what had happened while he was "unconscious." About how the "Silver-Haired War God" had become a symbol, about how the entire ASEAN bloc was celebrating the temporary peace.

"Now, the Great Wall has been partially opened," To Quyen said, her eyes lighting up. "Many areas outside have been cleared by the army and confirmed to be safe. They're organizing expeditions, both to survey resources and to search for forgotten historical relics."

Lam Minh's heart pounded when he heard that. "Really?"

"That's right," Quynh Nhu continued. "Blacklight is also forming elite squads to carry out exploration missions in more dangerous areas. I've already signed up for a spot!"

This is it! The opportunity he'd been waiting for!

The world beyond the wall. A vast world, full of danger but also containing countless opportunities and resources. It would be the perfect stage for him to roam, to "farm points," to search for Spirit Stones, and to prepare for the path to the Golden Core Realm.

And most importantly, it was where the Dragon's Abyss was located.

"Excellent," Lam Minh said, his eyes shining brightly. "I want to join too."

"You?" all four said in unison. "You just recovered!"

"I'm fine," Lam Minh said, standing up and stretching. "Besides, how could I let you all go into such a dangerous place alone? As the captain, I have to go along to 'protect' you, right?"

He winked at them.

A new journey, a new adventure, was about to begin. This time, it wouldn't be passive defensive battles, but proactive explorations, filled with mysteries and Lam Minh's "mischief" under the "protection" of his Uncle Lac Long Quan.

The fun was only just truly beginning.

...

Lam Minh's decision to "go out and play" received enthusiastic support from the "Seed Squad," but met with fierce opposition from General Khang.

"No! Absolutely not!" General Khang's voice over the phone was resolute. "You are a national treasure, our strategic trump card. How can we let you risk going outside the wall? What if something happens?"

"General," Lam Minh said calmly. "Do you think keeping me locked in a glass cage will be safe? The enemy isn't stupid; they will surely find a way to assassinate me. Instead of sitting around waiting to die, I'd rather take the initiative to go out and find opportunities to get stronger. Besides, I'm not going alone; I'm going with my team."

"Your team?"

"That's right. Quynh Nhu, a member of Blacklight. Ly Thien Ba, a powerful Awakened. To Quyen, a scientific mind who can analyze any situation. We can support each other."

General Khang was still hesitant. "But..."

"General," Lam Minh interrupted. "Do you trust me?"

This question was posed once again. General Khang was silent for a long time. Finally, he sighed. "Alright. I agree. But on one condition. All of your team's actions must be reported and must be within the framework of missions assigned by Blacklight. Absolutely no unauthorized actions."

"Understood, sir. Thank you, General," Lam Minh smiled. He knew this was just a nominal restriction. Once he was outside, with the sky high and the sea wide, who could stop him from doing what he wanted?

After getting permission, Lam Minh began to prepare for his first "hunt."

The first thing he did was break through.

He found a quiet place in the Blacklight training area and began the process of condensing his power to advance to the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm. With his foundation already perfectly consolidated and a large number of Immortality Points, this breakthrough went quite smoothly.

The Primary Core within him was tempered one last time, becoming as transparent as a diamond, the energy inside condensed to the extreme. His power once again soared. He felt that with just a thought, he could condense the spiritual energy in the air into droplets of water. This was an extremely refined level of energy control.

[CONGRATULATIONS, HOST, FOR SUCCESSFULLY BREAKING THROUGH TO THE PEAK FOUNDATION ESTABLISHMENT REALM!]

[Remaining Immortality Points: 40,120]

[Next Goal: Early Golden Core Realm (0/320,000)]

"320,000 points... Dammit, it doubled again!" He swore out loud. "Looks like this hunt has to be very 'bountiful'."

He also didn't forget to check the Simulation menu.

[Unlock Early-stage Golden Core Simulation: Requires 300,000 Immortality Points.]

[Unlock Early-stage Nascent Soul Simulation: Requires 1,000,000 Immortality Points.]

Looking at the zeroes on the screen, Lam Minh's eyes went blurry. His path of grinding was truly a road with no end in sight.

After his breakthrough, he began to equip himself. He used the huge amount of military merits he had accumulated to exchange for the best equipment in the military store. A new suit of combat armor, lighter and more durable. An upgraded version of the "Iron Horse" all-terrain armored vehicle, capable of short-term optical camouflage. And many kinds of high-grade elixirs, medicines, and food supplies.

He didn't forget to prepare for his teammates either, "advising" each of them on choosing the most suitable equipment.

Meanwhile, To Quyen and Minh Thu (working remotely) were not idle either. They collaborated to create an extremely modern mobile communication and tactical analysis system, integrated into a military-grade tablet. It could hack into satellites, analyze terrain, forecast weather, and even analyze the weaknesses of various types of Madakaros based on collected data.

Finally, after a week of preparation, the "Seed Squad" was ready for its first mission.

Their mission, assigned by Blacklight, was to "Conduct geological surveys and search for traces of ancient settlements in the Wolf Fang Canyon area, about 200km west of the Great Wall."

This was a mission of medium difficulty, suitable for a new team like theirs.

Before they set off, Lac Long Quan "visited" him again.

"Heard you're going out to 'cause some trouble,' kid?" the uncle said, perched on his windowsill, gnawing on a piece of bread.

"I'm going on a mission, not to cause trouble," Lam Minh grumbled. "And why are you here, Uncle? If you have no business, don't bother me. I'm busy packing."

"I came to give you this," Lac Long Quan tossed him a small brocade pouch.

Lam Minh opened it. Inside was a black ring that looked very ordinary.

"A ring? Are you proposing to me? I'm not interested in 'uncles,' you know," Lam Minh teased.

"This kid!" Lac Long Quan almost choked on his bread. "This is a Storage Ring! A type of mobile storage space. The space inside is as big as a warehouse. Use it to store your junk. Who goes on a mission carrying a whole instrument case?"

Lam Minh's eyes lit up. A Storage Ring! This was truly a legendary divine artifact! With it, he could carry the Thuan Thien sword and a whole bunch of other things without fear of being discovered.

"Whoa! Thanks a lot, Uncle!"

"No need," Lac Long Quan waved his hand. "Consider it a 'protection fee' for your trip. Remember, even if you're acting alone, be careful. Don't 'die' on the battlefield, there'll be no one to collect your body."

Lam Minh broke out in a sweat. This uncle, even though he didn't know about the system, had some very "in-sync" thoughts with him.

"I know," he replied.

"Good. Go on. Have fun wrecking the place," Lac Long Tuan said, then vanished again.

Lam Minh put the ring on his finger, feeling how incredibly convenient it was. He put all his belongings, including the Thuan Thien sword, inside the ring.

"Alright. Everything is ready."

He looked towards the west, where undiscovered lands lay, where fat prey awaited.