A Glimmer in Stillness
After Long Ảnh Chủ vanished into the shadows, Bích Hải Island fell silent once more. Only the waves lapped the shore softly, while the silver moon hung suspended high above, spilling its gentle light like silk draped over bloodstained rocks.
Quang Minh sat cross-legged upon a boulder, the watery sword he'd conjured earlier now faded into nothingness. His entire body was soaked in sweat, blood still crusted at the corner of his mouth, his eyes vacant, staring into nothingness.
Nearby, Bích Thủy watched him, her eyes rimmed red, wanting to approach but hesitating, fingers clenching tight at her sleeves.
"Brother… don't push yourself anymore…"
Quang Minh gave no reply. He closed his eyes. In the darkness behind his eyelids, he saw countless shimmering ripples of water, then glimmers of white like snow, transforming at last into rolling mists.
Immersed in Martial Arts
In his ears, it was as though he heard his master's voice from years past:
"Minh, true martial arts do not lie in techniques but in the heart. When your mind becomes still as a placid lake, heaven and earth will reveal themselves. When your mind changes, martial arts change."
Quang Minh shuddered, as if struck by lightning. Until now, he had always relentlessly trained every move and technique, seeking to overcome enemies through skill and sheer strength.
Yet in this moment, after so many battles of life and death, he suddenly understood:
"Martial arts… are not merely for killing."
Lines of luminous insight merged into a river rushing through his consciousness. The techniques he had so painstakingly learned—Condensing Water into a Sword, Condensing Frost into Rain, Dragon Soul Diagram—all those once-etched maneuvers… suddenly felt small.
An Enlightenment
Quang Minh opened his eyes. The moonlight reflected in them, sparkling like stars. Gazing out over the sea, he murmured:
"Water has no shape. Weapons have no shape. My heart… must also have no shape."
Bích Thủy stared at him in confusion, asking softly:
"What… are you saying…?"
Quang Minh turned to her and smiled, a smile calmer than ever before:
"I no longer need forms or techniques. I wish to make my heart like water—hard enough to cut iron, soft enough to embrace all under heaven."
At that moment, the moonlight broke through the clouds, flooding the rocky shore. The waves lapped gently, as if singing a lullaby.
A Breakthrough to a New Realm
Quang Minh drew a deep breath. Slowly, he raised both hands, without sword, without gathering inner force. Merely his bare, empty palms.
Yet the waves suddenly grew still. Thin films of seawater on the rocks began to ripple, then evaporated into silver mist curling around his body.
Bích Thủy cried out in shock:
"Brother… what are you doing?!"
Quang Minh kept his eyes closed, his breathing as calm as a silk thread. The silver mist coalesced into the shape of a dragon, coiling and gliding, its eyes glinting with silvery light.
In that instant, the entire rocky shore blazed with brilliance. All sounds of the sea ceased. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
A powerful aura, profound and serene, radiated from Quang Minh. Gone was the sharp edge of sword energy. Gone was the icy chill of frost techniques. All that remained was an overwhelming, tranquil presence.
A New Path
When Quang Minh opened his eyes, the mist dissipated. The waves returned to their gentle rhythm. Moonlight illuminated his face, now wearing an expression more serene and magnanimous than ever before.
Quang Minh let out a soft laugh and said to Bích Thủy:
"From now on, I shall no longer be bound by techniques. My martial arts… shall exist only within my heart. Those who wish to kill me, I can kill. Those who wish to live, I can spare. I… am free."
Bích Thủy's eyes filled with tears, and she whispered:
"Brother… you truly have become a supreme master…"
Quang Minh shook his head:
"A supreme master? No. I have merely stepped into the gate of martial Dao. Ahead of me… lies a long road no one has ever traveled."
End of Chapter
Far out on the horizon, a band of crimson light appeared. Dawn was coming. Sunlight bathed the sea in golden hues, glittering in Quang Minh's eyes like countless stars.
Quang Minh rose to his feet, staring out over the ocean, and whispered:
"Long Ảnh Chủ, Lê Hoàng Tử… come if you dare. I… am waiting for you."
Bích Thủy stepped forward to grasp his hand, her fingers warm and trembling.
Upon the rocky shore, two figures stood side by side, facing the boundless sea and endless sky. The waves whispered gently, as though eager to continue telling legends yet unfinished.