Luy_Nguyen_Van

In the late Trần Dynasty of Đại Việt (ancient Vietnam), the kingdom is in turmoil. The royal court is weakened, and threats from the Champa kingdom loom at the borders. The martial world is shaken by the legend of the Long Tàng Secret Manual, a martial arts scripture hidden beneath the waters of Lý Sơn Island. This manual not only contains supreme martial arts techniques but also a map of the nation’s dragon veins — knowledge that could either save the country or bring it to ruin if it falls into the wrong hands.

Phạm Quang Minh, a young disciple of the Thiên Vân Sword Sect, carries the sorrow of his exterminated clan and becomes the sole keeper of the secret manual. Wandering to the shores of Lý Sơn, he encounters Nguyễn Bích Thủy, known as the Bích Hải Dragon Maiden, the daughter of a former naval commander wrongfully executed for treason.

Initially enemies, Quang Minh and Bích Thủy gradually come to understand each other, realizing they are both children of men betrayed by the court. They join forces against the sinister Huyết Kiếm Sect, led by the formidable Lê Hồng Liêm, who seeks the manual to sell its secrets to Champa and dominate the martial world.

Their struggle entangles other factions:

Cửu Lạc Society, a neutral but cunning group.

Kim Xà Sect, spies serving Champa.

Hoàng Tùng Lâm, known as “The Lone Sword of Đại Lý,” a righteous warrior from the Tày ethnic group, harboring a vendetta against Huyết Kiếm Sect.

Through treacherous battles across beaches, mountains, and hidden caves, Quang Minh and Bích Thủy’s bond deepens, yet they remain torn between love and the debts of family and nation.

In a climactic battle atop Lý Sơn, Bích Thủy sacrifices herself to save Quang Minh. With her dying breath, she entrusts him with the Bích Hải jade pendant, the only proof of her father’s innocence.

Devastated by her death, Quang Minh destroys the Long Tàng Manual, refusing to let it fall into any faction’s hands. He then defeats the Huyết Kiếm Sect, but the kingdom remains unstable.

Choosing to leave the martial world behind, Quang Minh retreats to the Bạch Mã mountains, becoming a legend whispered among rivers and seas. It is said that on moonlit nights over the waters of Lý Sơn, one can still hear the mournful flute of the Bích Hải Dragon Maiden echoing across the waves.

The Chronicle of the Hidden Dragon in the Azure Sea

The moon tilted westward, casting a pale silver glow over the cold grey stone of Severed Soul Ravine. The midnight breeze whispered through the crags, rustling the leaves like the sighs of ancient warriors long gone.

Quang Minh stood still at the center of the field, his eyes sharp like drawn swords, sweeping calmly across the shadows.

Across from him stood Linh Vô Hận—the Sinister Sword Guest—draped in a blood-red cloak, eyes deep as the abyss. In his hand he gripped the hilt of a jet-black sword. He was the last inheritor of the Sinister Sword Codex, a sword art shunned by orthodox schools yet feared for its overwhelming lethality.

"So… you've mastered the True Soul Sword Will?" Linh Vô Hận's voice was cold as the frost on a tombstone.

Quang Minh said nothing. He drew his Bamboo Blue Sword from its scabbard. A clear, crisp hum echoed into the ravine like a bell tolling before a storm.

"Tonight, let it be decided."His voice was calm. Each word fell like a drop of dew, soft yet resolute.

Two figures flashed forward like shooting stars, sword shadows weaving in blinding arcs. Linh Vô Hận unleashed the move "Shadowless Sinister Mirage", his sword splitting into a hundred illusory forms, each infused with murderous intent. It was a deceptive technique that attacked both the body and the spirit.

Quang Minh did not retreat. He answered with "Heavenly Clarity Amidst Jade Dew," the fourth form of the Heartless Sword Canon. This move was serene and gentle, like autumn mist drifting across a quiet lake—yet hidden within was a counterforce that dispelled chaos with tranquility.

"You cannot kill me… because you do not yet understand the sword."Quang Minh's voice was low, almost whispering.

He followed up with "Heart-Piercing Thrust", a straightforward, unfanciful strike aimed directly at the opponent's heart. There were no feints, no flourishes—only unyielding intent.

"You think a move so simple can defeat me?"Linh Vô Hận laughed madly. His body whirled into a crimson blur as he executed "Soul-Reaping Afterimage," a sinister technique designed to strike from the dead zone behind the target.

The swords clashed. Sparks flew. The sound of steel against steel echoed down the ravine.

Quang Minh staggered three steps back, blood at the corner of his lips. Yet his gaze remained serene, as if the wound didn't matter.

"The sword… is not only for killing."

Linh Vô Hận's pupils contracted. In that split second, Quang Minh released his final move—"Water Reflects the Heart of Heaven"—a technique that merged clarity of mind and precision of intent. His blade moved like a gentle stream, seemingly powerless. Yet as it met Linh Vô Hận's killing aura, it dissolved the aggression entirely—like water swallowing flame.

The Sinister Sword snapped in two.

Linh Vô Hận stood motionless, his sword arm lowered, blood flowing freely from his shoulder. He stared at Quang Minh—not with hatred, but with a strange, solemn silence.

"I have lost… not to your technique, but to your heart."

The Severed Sword, the Disrupted Heart – A Duel of Ultimate Techniques