The year-end reunion dinner continued amidst resounding laughter. Fine wine, warm food, and most importantly, the gathering of family and friends, washed away all the worries and fatigue of a tumultuous year.
Mr. Lam Dao, after a few glasses of strong liquor with his newfound "old friend," was already tipsy. He slung an arm over Lac Long Quan's shoulder, slapping him heartily on the back, with the air of sworn brothers who had been separated for years.
"My friend... to be honest," Mr. Dao slurred. "You look... about my age... but how are you so strong! You can drink forever and not get drunk! Later... later you have to teach me a few tricks!"
Lac Long Quan, an existence who had lived for thousands of years, could only smile wryly and nod repeatedly at this. He had no idea that this "old friend" was actually his own ancestor.
Lam Minh watched this scene, shaking his head with a smile. He was happily chatting with his young cousins, occasionally glancing at the three girls sitting nearby. They were no longer "glaring" at each other, but were cheerfully talking with Mrs. Mai and the aunts, a picture of perfect harmony.
He felt a complete sense of peace and happiness. A happiness that, in his past life, he had never dared to dream of.
BOOM! BANG! BANG!
Exactly 00:00.
From outside, the first bursts of fireworks shot into the sky, exploding into brilliant, colorful flowers that illuminated the night. The cheers of people from all over echoed in the distance.
A new year had arrived. A new beginning, bringing faith and hope to all of humanity.
Everyone in the house rushed out to the balcony to watch the magnificent fireworks display.
"So beautiful!" Lam An exclaimed.
"Happy New Year!" everyone raised their glasses together.
Lam Minh stood there, watching the happy smiles on the faces of his parents, his sister, and his friends. He felt that all his sacrifices, all his battles, were truly worth it.
But...
Suddenly, the smile on his lips vanished.
He felt it.
He turned his head and looked towards Lac Long Quan.
At the same time, Lac Long Quan, who had just clinked glasses with Mr. Dao, also paused. The smile on his lips also disappeared.
He looked at Lam Minh. The eyes of the uncle and nephew met. Without a word, they both understood.
Lac Long Quan laughed, a cold laugh that was a complete contrast to the cheerful atmosphere around them.
"They really know how to pick a time," he said, his voice lowering. "Nephew, let's go!"
With that, he put down his wine glass, stood up, and looked out the window, his gaze as sharp as a knife, piercing through the brilliant fireworks to the higher sky.
Lam Minh also nodded. He clenched his fists. "Damn bastards."
Their sudden change left everyone bewildered.
"What's wrong, son?" Mrs. Mai asked worriedly.
Lam Minh and Lac Long Quan only had time to hastily reassure everyone.
"It's nothing. Just a few annoying flies coming to 'wish us a Happy New Year.' We'll be right back."
Before anyone could react, Lac Long Quan did something astounding.
With one hand, he tore open the space beside him, creating a pitch-black portal. With the other, he grabbed Lam Minh by the collar and dragged him away.
"Hey... wait a minute, uncle..."
They disappeared into the spatial portal, right before the stunned eyes of everyone.
30 seconds later.
High above the clouds, over the airspace of the ASEAN bloc.
Lam Minh and Lac Long Quan appeared.
And standing opposite them was a formation that could make one despair.
Six figures were hovering in mid-air.
In the lead was a familiar dark figure, its shape indistinct, but radiating the terrifying pressure of a Peak Nascent Soul. The Holy Master.
The other five stood behind him, their auras no less powerful.
One was Zeros, the Young Master of the Dao Saint, his Early Nascent Soul aura as cold as ice.
The other four were the Holy Envoys from Ninth to Twelfth, all at the Early Nascent Soul Realm.
Six Nascent Soul Realm experts. A lineup sufficient to flatten several planets.
They had chosen the exact moment of New Year's Eve, the moment when everyone was most unguarded, to launch a surprise attack.
"These cockroaches really know how to ruin the moment," Lac Long Quan said while cleaning his ear, his voice full of contempt, as if facing six Nascent Soul experts was no big deal.
The Holy Master laughed, an emotionless laugh that echoed through space. "I know today is your New Year's Eve. So I came especially to give you some 'New Year's gifts.' Do you like them? Hahaha..."
"No need for gifts," Lac Long Quan interrupted. "Leave your lives behind as a gift, and I'll accept."
"I don't think so."
Just then, the space next to the Holy Master rippled once more. Another figure slowly emerged.
It was Faker, the lord of the Madakaros clan, another Peak Nascent Soul.
The situation, in an instant, had become incredibly dangerous.
Two people, facing seven Nascent Soul experts, two of whom had reached the Peak.
Lam Minh's heart sank. He knew this would be the most difficult and dangerous battle yet.
He and Lac Long Quan couldn't let this battle happen here. The power of a battle at this level, even just the aftershocks, would be enough to destroy the cities below, causing extreme panic among the people on New Year's Eve.
They had to lure the enemy elsewhere. Or, end this battle very quickly.
But how?
...
The air high above the clouds became thick, stretched taut like a soon-to-break string. The combined pressure from the seven Nascent Soul Realm experts of the Dao Saint and Madakaros factions formed an invisible mountain, weighing down on the entire space, causing even the surrounding clouds to dissipate.
This was an unbalanced fight. Anyone could see that Lac Long Quan and Lam Minh's side was at an absolute disadvantage.
Faker, the Madakaros lord, looked at Lac Long Quan with the eyes of a cunning old fox, a glimmer of amusement and curiosity within. "Lac Long Quan, I must admit, you are very strong. You are a legend. But today, you are alone, plus a Golden Core brat who has just grown his feathers. Do you think you can stand against us?"
"Against beasts like you, we don't need many people," Lac Long Quan sneered, glancing at Lam Minh beside him with a look of "trust." "I have a god-damned nephew here, you know. He alone might be able to take on all of you."
Lam Minh, who was bracing himself against the pressure, could only widen his eyes upon hearing this, retorting to Lac Long Quan. "What are you talking about, uncle? There are seven Nascent Soul Realm experts! Do you see me as a punching bag?"
The Holy Master, still hidden in the darkness, had lost his patience. His emotionless voice rang out, carrying an irresistible command. "Enough talk. Today, both of you must die here. Go!"
With that, a pre-arranged battle plan was set in motion.
The Holy Master and Faker, two Peak Nascent Soul experts, the leaders of two forces, aimed for a single target: Lac Long Quan. Two terrifying auras locked onto him, giving him no chance to interfere in Lam Minh's fight.
The remaining five Holy Envoys, including Zeros and the Envoys from Ninth to Twelfth, turned to Lam Minh in unison. Their eyes were like those of hungry wolves staring at a lamb.
Five Early Nascent Soul Realm experts, each with a different cultivation technique, a different divine ability. The space around Lam Minh began to distort. Dark energy, Ice energy, Destruction energy... formed a chaotic storm of power, ready to swallow him at any moment.
"Nephew, if you don't show what you've got now, then when!" Lac Long Quan shouted, his tone like he was watching an entertaining play.
"I know, I know, you talk too much!" Lam Minh retorted, not to be outdone.
The uncle and nephew, despite being in a life-or-death situation, showed no fear whatsoever. On the contrary, they had a strange, tacit understanding.
It seemed as if they had discussed everything beforehand.
Neither Lam Minh nor Lac Long Quan had any intention of confronting the enemy head-on.
Lac Long Quan, instead of defending against the attack of the two Peak experts, did something no one expected. He swung his hand, not to create a divine ability, but to use his own tyrannical Dragon Power to slash violently at the void.
SWOOSH!
Space was torn apart, creating a pitch-black, chaotic, and dangerous rift.
At the same time, Lam Minh also acted. He looked at the five Holy Envoys preparing to strike, then suddenly roared, his voice full of contempt and challenge.
"You hairy dogs! Listen up! Whichever one of you manages to bite me, I'll reward you with a bone!"
Without waiting for them to react, he turned and plunged straight into the dark spatial portal that Lac Long Quan had just opened.
Zeros and the other four Holy Envoys were stunned for a moment, then fury erupted. They were lofty Holy Envoys, Nascent Soul experts, yet they were being insulted like this by a Golden Core brat.
How could they stand it?
"AFTER HIM! CAPTURE HIM ALIVE FOR ME!" Zeros roared, then also dove into the spatial portal. The other four followed without hesitation.
In an instant, only Lac Long Quan, the Holy Master, and Faker remained in the sky.
"Well?" Lac Long Quan looked at his two strongest enemies, a provocative look clear on his face. "We're old too, shouldn't we find a quiet place to drink tea and watch the young ones perform?"
The Holy Master sneered. "Don't think I don't know you're deliberately leading the battlefield away from humanity. Fine. I'll humor you."
The Holy Master and Faker glanced at each other, then also led the way into the spatial portal.
Lac Long Quan watched them go, the smile on his lips fading, replaced by a grave expression. "This is going to be a tough fight."
Then, he followed them in.
...
When Lam Minh passed through the spatial portal, the scene before him had completely changed.
He was hovering in an endless, dark space. Below him was the beautiful, blue planet Earth, looking incredibly fragile. Surrounding him were countless twinkling stars.
They were outside the atmosphere.
"Whoa! It's really hard to breathe!" Lam Minh felt his chest being squeezed. "Did we run out of places to fight, old man? What's the big idea bringing me out here?"
Choosing the battlefield above the atmosphere had completely suppressed the combat power of a Golden Core cultivator like him. The air here was so thin it was almost imperceptible. The spiritual qi was also extremely sparse. He couldn't fight for long. This playground was clearly for Nascent Soul experts.
Just then, Lac Long Quan also stepped out of the spatial portal, laughing heartily. "Haha! This place is spacious, plenty of room for you to lead those guys on a merry chase. Just wait a bit, once I'm done with these two big dogs, we'll be finished."
The battlefield had been moved to outer space. A much larger playground.
Lam Minh looked at the five Holy Envoys who had also just appeared, hovering opposite him. He knew this was a real challenge.
But he wasn't flustered at all. In fact, a confident smile bloomed on his face.
"Alright. If you insist. This humble monk has never been afraid of anyone."
With that, he held nothing back.
Dragon God Battle Armor! Maximum activation!
The black and red battle armor appeared, shining brightly in the dark space. The giant dragon wings spread to their full extent.
The Late-stage Golden Core in his body spun at a terrifying speed, creating a tyrannical aura.
The layer of clouds beneath his feet was also blown away by that aura, creating a large empty space, as if cowering before his power.
He was ready for a 1-versus-5 battle among the stars.