Chapter 15 — From Ruins to the Dharma Lord's Throne

Returning to Tinh Quang Academy after the expedition to the Ancient God Ruins, the group immediately reported everything they had discovered to Director Hou Đạt Sơn. He sat quietly listening to the whole story, his face becoming more and more serious, until Dịch Phàm told the memory about Black Diem's true motive.

"This is extremely important information," he said, standing up and pacing back and forth in the office, a clear sign of nervousness he rarely showed in front of students. "If the Black Flame is truly seeking to break an ancient seal to unleash power from an age of great war, the consequences will not be limited to a conventional war between alliances. It could be a disaster that engulfs the entire continent."

"We need to notify the White-Winged Alliance immediately," Tuyết Nhi said, her voice urgent.

"I will send an urgent notice today." Hầu Đạt Sơn nodded. "But you must also understand, this is valuable intelligence information, and the White-winged Alliance will need time to verify, mobilize forces, and plan large-scale operations. It may take many months, or even longer, before they can organize a large-scale attack on the Blood Moon Tower."

Dịch Phàm clenched his fists, an irrepressible feeling of restlessness rising in his heart. "Dear dean, I cannot wait for months while my parents are still imprisoned and tortured to nurture Black Flame's plot."

"I understand how you feel." Hầu Đạt Sơn looked at him, his eyes full of sympathy but also containing the severity of someone who had witnessed too many tragedies from hasty decisions. "But you need to think clearly. Blood Moon Tower is protected by the entire force of the Dark Alliance. A group of six people, no matter how talented, cannot unilaterally break in and win against a force of such scale."

The meeting ended without reaching complete consensus. Dịch Phàm left the dean's office with a conflicted heart - he clearly understood that the warnings were well-founded, but with each passing day, he imagined another day of suffering that his parents had to endure.

That evening, the whole group gathered in the private study room, a tense atmosphere prevailed.

"I know the dean is right." Dịch Phàm opened his mouth, his voice low. "But I can't sit still and wait any longer. With each passing day, my parents are closer to having their lifeblood drained by Black Flame for his crazy plot."

"So what are you going to do?" Tịch Dao asked directly. "Charging into the Blood Moon Tower alone? That's tantamount to suicide."

"Not alone," Dịch Phàm replied, his eyes scanning each person in the group. "I want to lead you all there, along with whatever support we can muster from the White-Winged Alliance in the shortest time possible. I'm not saying we have to leave tomorrow. But I cannot accept waiting months when there is still some way to act sooner," Vũ Khanh pondered for a moment, then spoke. "There is a way. If we cannot wait for the entire regular army of the White Wing Alliance to mobilize, we can seek support from smaller, more flexible units — special forces commandos that are accustomed to quick infiltration missions. My father, before withdrawing from the White Wing Alliance, once commanded such a unit. I can contact them for support."

"It's a good start." Tuyết Nhi nodded. "But we also need more time to train and get stronger before actually confronting Black Flame. I don't think you're ready, Dịch Phàm, even though you've made great progress in recent times."

"I know," Dịch Phàm admitted, his voice lowered. "But I also know that if we wait too long, there may be no more parents left to rescue." Heavy silence covered the room for a moment, until Nhược Đông, who rarely spoke, broke the atmosphere. "So let's set a specific timeline. Three months. During those three months, we train as much as we can, gather more intelligence, and seek support from every possible source. After three months, no matter what the situation is, we will be on our way, with or without full support from the White-Winged Alliance."

That proposal received consensus from the whole group, including Dịch Phàm, although he was still impatient to act immediately. But he also understood that impatience and lack of preparation could only lead to disaster, not only for himself but also for those who trusted him.

Before starting the three-month training period, Dịch Phàm visited Bạt Sơn at Te Ban Institute one last time, bringing with him some cakes bought from Khu Chính market to share with the children still remaining there.

"Are you really going to do this?" Bạt Sơn asked, his voice undisguised with concern when he heard Dịch Phàm talk about the plan for the next three months. "Confronting the Black Flame head-on... just hearing it gives me chills."

"I have no other choice," Dịch Phàm replied, his eyes looking far into the horizon. "But I promise you, I won't take any unnecessary risks. I will return, along with my parents."

Bạt Sơn was silent for a moment, then squeezed his friend's shoulder. "You are the most resilient brother I have ever known. I believe you can do it."

The next three months passed with unprecedented intense training intensity. Dịch Phàm not only trained with Tuyết Nhi but also arranged to learn more from some veterans of the Bạch Dực Alliance that Vũ Khanh had contacted, people who had directly fought with the Hắc Toái army and understood their tactics.

The group's strength increased significantly. Bạt Sơn learned how to combine his Earth spirit with more complex group-defense tactics. Tịch Dao trained her fire control to avoid harming teammates in tight spaces. Nhược Đông developed ice moves that could temporarily neutralize an opponent's strength. Vũ Khanh perfected his ability to read battles and plan tactics to near perfection.

Dịch Phàm alone, under the dedicated guidance of Tuyết Nhi and other experienced veterans, achieved an important breakthrough - the ability to maintain a state of balance in the five elements for a long time without consuming too much spiritual energy, while at the same time significantly enhancing the power and scope of the ability to purify evil spirits.

One of the veterans, a middle-aged man with a long scar on his cheek who fought in the same unit as Tần Hạo Nguyên many years ago, especially devoted a lot of effort to teaching Dịch Phàm actual combat techniques that were never fully recorded in the academy books. "Your father was an excellent warrior, but what made him most respected was not his strength, but the way he always put the safety of his comrades first," he spoke during a practice session, his eyes distant and nostalgic. "If you want to become a warrior worthy of his blood, remember that."

That teaching was deeply imprinted in Dịch Phàm's mind, becoming the guideline for all his tactical decisions throughout the remaining training process.

As the three-month period neared its end, the group gathered one last time before the official departure date.

"We prepared as much as we could within the time allowed," Vũ Khanh said, spreading a detailed map of the Borderline Tàn Dạ area and Blood Moon Tower on the table, supplemented with new intelligence from veterans. "The White Wing Alliance has also agreed to send a small commando team to support us, although the regular forces still need more time to fully mobilize."

Dịch Phàm looked at the map, looking at the location of Blood Moon Tower marked with a bright red symbol in the center of Black Cai territory, where his parents had been imprisoned for the past seventeen years. A feeling of both fear and fierce determination welled up in his chest.

"It's time," he spoke, his voice ringing firmly in the silent room. "We will set out at dawn tomorrow, heading straight towards the Borderline. No matter how many dangers lie ahead, I will not back down anymore." The group nodded in unison, each person's eyes filled with unshakable determination. Outside the window, the last sunset of the days of preparation gradually faded, giving way to the darkness of one last night before the fateful journey officially began.

That night, Tuyết Nhi found Dịch Phàm when he was standing alone on the edge of the plateau, looking towards the northern horizon, where Borderline Tàn Dạ was waiting. "Are you afraid?" She asked softly, standing next to him.

"Afraid?" Dịch Phàm admitted without hiding it. "But I'm more afraid of not taking action. I'm afraid that if I wait any longer, by the time I get there it will be too late."

Tuyết Nhi held his hand, a simple gesture but enough to convey all of her support and trust. "Whatever lies ahead, you will not have to face it alone. We have come this far together, and we will go the rest of the way together."

Dịch Phàm gently squeezed her hand, feeling a rare peace amidst the storm of determination and anxiety rolling in his heart. "Thank you, Tuyết Nhi. For everything."