Two days after the establishment of the Lac Hong Heaven and Earth Formation, Lac Hong Academy was no longer a secret school. It had become a Holy Land, the center of hope and strength for all of humanity.
And Lam Minh, as the Principal, knew it was time to officially sound the drums of war.
He organized a global press conference right in the central square of the academy.
December 24th, 2028, three years to the day after his rebirth.
For the first time, he stood before tens of thousands of people in the flesh, not through a livestream screen. All the major news corporations and reporters from the ASEAN bloc were present. The flashes from thousands of cameras flickered incessantly, like stars on a moonless night.
Lam Minh, in the white formal attire of a principal, slowly walked onto the stage. All noise immediately died down. Tens of thousands of eyes and hundreds of millions of hearts watching through television screens were all fixed on him.
He approached the podium and tapped the microphone lightly to test the sound.
Tap, tap.
"Greetings, my fellow countrymen."
His voice rang out, devoid of arrogance, filled only with confidence and a powerful charisma that resonated in the heart of every listener.
"In 1998, Earth's peace came to an end. It has now been 30 years. Thirty years of suffering, of loss, and of despair."
He paused, surveying the crowd.
"I do not know where you come from, which country you belong to, what ethnicity you are. But here and now, we are all compatriots, we are all comrades. We are walking the same path. The path to reclaim independence for our people, to reclaim the blue sky for our children and grandchildren!"
ROAR!!!
Thunderous applause erupted, unending. Some old soldiers broke down in tears. Young people clenched their fists, their eyes burning with fire.
Lam Minh raised his hand, signaling for silence.
"I," he continued, his voice lowering. "Do not wish to be a hero. I want all of you to be heroes. I only wish to be the boatman who ferries you to the shores of glory."
"Therefore, I, the Principal of Lac Hong Academy, hereby declare! As of December 24th, 2028, we officially establish the 11 Saint-Slaying Squads!"
"Leading these 11 squads are 11 cultivators from the 11 nations of Southeast Asia, the most talented individuals in the academy in terms of cultivation and speed. I call them, the 11 Saint-Slaying Envoys!"
He spoke, his voice turning sharp, filled with indignation. "Your mission is to stand shoulder to shoulder, to support one another, and to fight against an enemy even more dangerous than the Madakaros. Their name is 'Dao Saint of Salvation'. They are humans, yet they have sold out humanity, seeking power upon the bones and blood of their own people! I ask you, are you angry? Do you want to use their blood to wash away the shame of the past 30 years?"
"YES!!!"
A unified roar from tens of thousands of people, like a clap of thunder, echoed throughout the valley. Tears streamed down every face. Tears of outrage, and of hope.
Lam Minh waited for things to settle down.
"Now, allow me to introduce the first 11 Saint-Slaying Envoys of humanity!"
He called out each name with a clear, strong voice. With each name announced, a figure stepped out from behind, standing beside him on the stage, their presence imposing and majestic.
"Vietnam: Le Minh Hao – Lac Hong Warrior! Cultivation: Peak Foundation Establishment!"
A young man with a resolute face, his eyes shining with the indomitable fire of the Lac Hong bloodline.
"Thailand: Anucha Varin – Descendant of the Divine Bird Garuda! Cultivation: Peak Foundation Establishment!"
A youth with an aura as sharp as a hawk, a faint pair of illusory wings visible on his back.
"Indonesia: Raka Wijaya – Descendant of the Nusantara Black Tiger! Cultivation: Peak Foundation Establishment!"
A burly man with dark skin, his aura steady yet filled with the explosive power of a stalking tiger.
"Malaysia: Zulfaqar Iskandar – Malayan White Tiger Warrior! Cultivation: Peak Foundation Establishment!"
A warrior with cold eyes and a proud demeanor, carrying the majesty of the king of the jungle.
"Singapore: Elias Tan – Descendant of the Merlion! Cultivation: Peak Foundation Establishment!"
A young man with a refined appearance, yet hiding the power of the sea and the courage of a lion.
"Philippines: Miguel de Leon – Descendant of the Katipunan Warriors! Cultivation: Late Foundation Establishment!"
A man of small stature but with fiery eyes, carrying the resilient will of revolutionaries.
"Myanmar: Thura Aung – Mandalay White Elephant Warrior! Cultivation: Late Foundation Establishment!"
A large man, as solid as a mountain, his presence gentle yet unshakeable.
"Laos: Somsack Vongchai – Mekong Serpent God (Naga) Warrior! Cultivation: Late Foundation Establishment!"
A youth with a mysterious appearance, his eyes as deep as the river, his aura fluid and ever-changing.
"Cambodia: Chan Dara – Angkor Monkey God Warrior! Cultivation: Late Foundation Establishment!"
A warrior with nimble and cunning movements, possessing the cleverness of the Monkey God Hanuman.
"Brunei: Hassanul Rayyan – Crescent Winged Qilin Warrior! Cultivation: Late Foundation Establishment!"
A person with a regal and elegant bearing, like a Qilin stepping out of the moonlight.
"East Timor (Timor-Leste): Domingos Freitas - Timor Fire Whale Warrior! Cultivation: Late Foundation Establishment!"
A man with the sun-kissed skin of the sea, his body powerful, carrying the strength of the ocean and of fire.
When all 11 stood on the stage, they raised one hand to the sky in unison and shouted.
"WE, THE 11 SAINT-SLAYING ENVOYS, PLEDGE TO FIGHT FOR OUR COMPATRIOTS AROUND THE WORLD, TO DRIVE THE DAO SAINT AND MADAKAROS HORDES BACK WITH NO WAY HOME!"
Lam Minh seized this moment. He summoned the God-Slaying Blade, raised it high, and roared.
"That's right! Right now, you are still small and weak! Strive to break through, to become Golden Core Realm cultivators! This world stage will be yours! Follow me, let us defeat the Dao Saint and the Madakaros together! Fight until they tremble in fear! So that even a hundred thousand years from now, they will never again dare to set foot on our Earth!"
His declaration of war, like a torch, ignited a fire in the hearts of hundreds of millions.
It echoed everywhere, from the bases of the Dao Saint to the warships of the Madakaros.
A new page in human history had officially been turned.
And it would be different. Completely different from Lam Minh's previous life.
...
Lam Minh's impassioned declaration of war, coupled with the debut of the 11 Saint-Slaying Envoys, created an unprecedented media storm that spread everywhere, reaching even the darkest corners.
At the Holy Temple.
In the round chamber, the twelve Holy Envoys sat on their thrones. At the highest position, the Holy Master remained hidden in the shadows, quietly observing the image of the press conference through a water mirror.
When the speech concluded, the water mirror dissipated.
"Interesting," the Holy Master's emotionless voice echoed. "A very interesting little dance by the human race. What are your thoughts?"
Immediately, words of flattery began to sound.
"Hmph, just a bunch of ants posturing before they die," Fifth Eye, the three-eyed one, sneered. "With just one word from the Holy Master, this subordinate will immediately go and fetch that Lam Minh's head."
"Indeed," Ninth Tail, the fox lady, giggled. "They look quite fierce, but they're just a bunch of Foundation Establishment kids. To us, it's nothing more than a joke. We can crush them at any time."
One by one, the Holy Envoys offered dismissive remarks, praising the power of the Dao Saint, believing this to be humanity's final act before its doom.
Only one person remained silent.
It was Zeros, who sat on the throne engraved with the number 9.
The Holy Master seemed to notice the difference. "Zeros, what about you? Have you nothing to say?"
Zeros slowly raised his head. His cold eyes swept across the room before he spoke, his voice as icy and emotionless as his gaze, yet incredibly clear and logical.
"This is not a play. This is a chess move."
The great hall fell silent, all eyes turning to him.
"First," Zeros said. "By publicly identifying the enemy as the 'Dao Saint of Salvation' and the 12 Holy Envoys, he has successfully shifted the conflict. From a war between two races, it has become a war between humanity and a group of 'traitors.' This will enhance their sense of righteousness, ignite hatred, and foster a spirit of unity among all humans. More people will take up cultivation, and their overall strength will increase."
"Second, the establishment of 11 squads and the appointment of 11 'Saint-Slaying Envoys' is a tremendous morale booster. It creates goals, role models for others to follow. At the same time, it also creates a new, more flexible command structure, ready for guerrilla warfare and resource expeditions outside the city walls."
"And third, most importantly," Zeros paused, looking directly into the darkness where the Holy Master sat. "That person named Lam Minh, he is deliberately turning himself into a target. He is openly provoking us to draw our attention, creating a vacuum for other human forces to have time to grow. He is using himself as bait."
Zeros's sharp, logical, and emotionless analysis silenced all the other Holy Envoys. Even First and Second had to look at him in a new light.
In the darkness, the Holy Master seemed to be smiling.
"Excellent! A truly excellent analysis!"
He applauded, the sound echoing throughout the great hall.
"Do you see? This is the thinking of a ruler. Not just knowing how to use one's fists."
He looked at Zeros, his eyes filled with satisfaction. "Zeros, you have proven your worth. You possess not only strength, but also intellect."
A powerful Early Nascent Soul Realm aura erupted from Zeros.
"I declare," the Holy Master's voice became solemn. "Remove Zeros from the position of the Twelfth Holy Envoy. Someone else will take his place."
"From now on, Zeros shall be my adopted son, your Young Master Zeros. His every command is to be treated as my own. Is that clear?"
A surprise appointment, an earth-shattering decision.
The remaining eleven Holy Envoys, including First and Tenth, were stunned. Their faces clearly showed jealousy and envy, but no one dared to object. They could only bow their heads.
"Understood!"
As for Zeros, faced with this supreme honor, his face remained devoid of any emotion. He just quietly stood up and bowed mechanically to the Holy Master. As if all of this had nothing to do with him.
Meanwhile, in the ASEAN bloc.
Under the direction of General Khang and the talent of Minh Thu, an unprecedentedly large media campaign was launched.
Twelve special wanted posters were printed en masse.
On each poster was a sketch of one of the 12 Holy Envoys (based on intelligence and what Lam Minh had seen), along with their name, rank, and the crimes they had committed. Kidnappings, inhumane experiments, massacres... all were listed in detail.
These posters were distributed everywhere, from major cities to small settlements.
The truth was laid bare. Humanity's hatred was pushed to its peak.
"Dao Saint of Salvation" was no longer a vague name. They had become the common enemy, unforgivable traitors.
A wave of cultivation exploded more fiercely than ever before.
Everyone cultivated. Every household cultivated.
All were focused on a single, common goal: Strength.
The strength to personally eliminate the traitors, to reclaim their own future.
The chess game had truly begun.