Chapter 5: The Turn of Events

“Ah…” A scream was heard in the next moment! Rod rushed into the crowd and immediately attacked the man blocking Victor’s path, slamming a stick he was holding onto the man’s head, causing him to scream in pain.
“Your Sambik grandpa has arrived too!” Sambik and the others froze for a moment before shouting and charging forward. Of course, they wouldn’t stay behind while Rod was fighting.
Chaos ensued, with shouts and screams filling the air.
“Sambik, what kind of trash did you bring with you?!” It was then that Rod realized the object he had grabbed was just a simple wooden stick. Frustrated, he complained.
“Cough cough… Boss, just make do for now. We don’t have much money right now… Just make do… Hehe…” Cambi, who had rushed to Rod’s side using his strength, said awkwardly, his face red. Bringing such a thing into this situation was indeed embarrassing.
“Charge in!” Rod shouted, punching a man who was lunging at him. Nothing else mattered at this point.
With two hands unable to fend off multiple attacks and a significant numerical disadvantage, Rod and Sambik quickly found themselves on the defensive. Even when Cambi and Jerome arrived, it didn’t help much.
Bang… A heavy blow to the back made Rod stagger, almost falling to the ground. The intense pain made his head spin.
The situation was critical. Sambik, Jerome, and Cambi were in no better shape. Within moments, each of them was covered in injuries, and Cambi’s head was already bleeding profusely.
This situation ignited Rod’s fighting spirit. With a roar, ignoring the pain from another blow to his back, he grabbed the broken stick in his hand and charged straight toward Victor.
“Hmph, fools who don’t know death! Finish these guys quickly!” Watching the situation, Victor sneered and shouted. The balance of power was clearly tilted in his favor, so he didn’t need to worry about anything.

A few guys with knives quickly joined the fight! The real knives put Rod and his friends in extreme danger. They had no doubt that if they weren’t careful, they would really be killed by that guy, Vidoc, today—many would surely die at his hands.
“Vidoc, I’m not done with you, damn it!” Rod roared, eyes red, as he charged at Vidoc again! The pain in his own body, combined with the smell of Cambi’s blood and the tragic state of his friends, drove him insane.
Throwing aside the wooden stick that was in the way, he went bare-handed at the guy with the knife who was sneering and approaching him.
Rod was fast, and so was the guy, who swung a knife at him!
He could feel the fierce momentum approaching him, a sharp pain spreading through his nerves, which slightly brought him back to his senses. Seeing the knife about to strike his head, with a hint of defiance in his eyes, he realized it was too late to dodge. With a loud roar, he reached out desperately to grab the knife—perhaps it was his only choice at that moment. In an instant, a surge of heat rushed through his body. A familiar sensation—the faint energy he had cultivated over the past few days suddenly appeared, spreading throughout his body and flowing rapidly. Strangely, it soon reached Rod’s head. Instantly, his eyes felt hot, and a glint flashed through them.
At that moment, the knife falling toward him seemed to slow down, getting slower and slower. The whole world seemed to slow as well, and everyone’s movements appeared crystal clear like in a scene.
It was both fast and slow. Just as the knife was about to strike his head, Rod instinctively reached for the handle of the knife based on what he had seen, then pulled hard under subconscious impulse.
Strange! There was no scene as expected—no screams, no blood, no brains splattered! Instead, Rod stood there coldly, one hand firmly gripping the handle of the knife that was about to hit his head, stopping it from advancing. The scene froze there—both of them, knife and man, standing like statues. He had somehow managed to catch the knife that was swinging wildly toward his head at the critical moment!

“Die!” Before the other could react, Rod suddenly exerted all his strength, concentrating it in one point to snatch the opponent’s long sword and swing it back at the opponent’s arm in a single, seamless motion—as if he had practiced it countless times before.
A miserable scream echoed through the air as blood sprayed like rain. Rod’s face was covered in crimson blood, carrying a faint warmth.
The scream shocked everyone, leaving them dumbfounded once again. Rod had actually torn off the opponent’s arm. The man who had been smirking moments ago now lay on the ground, bleeding profusely and writhing in pain.
“What are you standing around for? Kill them!”
He shouted at the stunned Cambi and the others. Driven by the sight of the blood, he became even more frenzied. Holding his long sword high, he charged toward Vidoc like a warrior.
With the sword in hand, his momentum soared—exuding an invincible aura. At this moment, Rod’s confidence was at an all-time high. Under his leadership, Sambik and the others also charged forward with renewed courage.
Another scream sounded as Rod slashed mercilessly at a man who tried to block his path. Blood flew, and the man collapsed to the ground, screaming in agony.
The situation became completely chaotic—far beyond anyone’s initial expectations.
“Damn it! When did that guy learn martial arts? Weren’t they just useless? Bastard! Where’s Warren? Get him to stop that guy right away! We can’t let him get away with this! A mere beginner daring to act so recklessly!”
After witnessing Rod’s unexpected actions and achievements, Vidoc concluded that he was a martial artist. Based on his years of experience, he quickly determined that Knight Rod was at most a beginner, as his actions clearly showed he didn’t use combat energy—indeed, he seemed unaware of its existence at all.
“Hmph, a beginner? Interesting. Quite lucky, too.”
Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of Rod, blocking his path just in time, forcing the ruthless Rod to stop.
“Get the hell out of my way!”

Rod, already enraged, had no time for such thoughts. Toppling several people in a row had filled him with unprecedented confidence. Seeing another fearless guy stand in his way, he showed no restraint and, just like before, swung his sword at the man instantly.

“Overestimating yourself? Let me show you what true strength is!”

Disdainfully watching Knight Rod’s slashing attack, the man standing in front of him snorted coldly, dodged the strike with a quick movement, and then transformed his palm into a fist, striking Knight Rod’s chest.

With a howling force, before Rod could react, he felt a severe pain in his chest—as if his internal organs had been violently shaken, causing his blood to surge!

The immense force sent him flying like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily to the ground!

With a clear ringing sound, Rod’s grip loosened, and his long sword fell to the ground with a sharp noise.

Gulping hard, he couldn’t help but spit out a mouthful of bright red blood, along with faint blood bubbles. The intense pain made Rod’s consciousness blur slightly.

“Boss…” Several anxious voices came immediately. Seeing Rod’s condition, Sambik and the others rushed over frantically, shouting loudly!

With great effort, Rod picked up the long sword from the ground and used it to prop himself up. Glancing at the man who was coldly staring at him, Rod narrowed his eyes slightly and said indifferently, “Cough, cough… You’re a warrior?”

Rod, bent over, had a pale face, slightly furrowed brows, and messy hair. The faint trace of blood at the corner of his mouth made him look even more exhausted and disheveled.

“Can you still stand?” The man frowned slightly in confusion as he looked at Rod. He had thought he could finish this guy with just one strike, but to his surprise, Rod still stood up.

“I’m not that easy to kill!” Rod retorted coldly.

“Then I’ll see how you die!” Without giving Knight Rod another chance to catch his breath, Walker suddenly accelerated, rushing at Rod with a howling wind.

Ding… Rod barely raised his sword to block, but unfortunately, the opponent’s force was too great—the sword broke with a single punch, sending Rod flying again and crashing hard to the ground!

Watching Walker charge at him again with a cold smirk on his face, he felt the icy chill of death. Perhaps this was the first time he had experienced such an atmosphere! This time, he truly felt death approaching—his opponent’s punching wind could even be heard clearly! Rod could even imagine the pain he would suffer before dying. The opponent’s face grew larger and larger, his sneering expression appearing extremely evil.

Campbell’s roar, Sambick’s Hansen, Jerome’s despair, and those thugs’ smiles, along with Vidoc’s anticipation—each voice appeared in Rod’s mind like a scene from a movie. At that moment, he even felt as if he were an outsider watching the scene.

“I can’t die!” Shaking his head violently, Rod shouted loudly. The energy that had appeared before seemed to respond to his call and reappeared within him.

Wherever it passed, the previous pain seemed to vanish in an instant. At the same time, a warm sensation came from his dantian, quickly mixing with the cold air. This sensation gave Rod an urge to explode.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he quickly picked up a long sword from the ground. Guided by that strange feeling, he leaped up, drawing strength from somewhere unknown, and swung the sword with a whoosh.

The long sword emitted a cold white light, moving at an impossible speed toward Walker.

The icy air spread instantly throughout Walker’s body. His throat felt as if it were being choked, making it difficult to breathe. The sharp sword energy filled him with terror, causing his movements to pause slightly due to Rod’s sudden change. Taking advantage of this pause, the white light flashed, and with a muffled sound, a bright splash of blood appeared.

Amidst everyone’s shocked gazes, the scene fell silent. The two stood face to face, motionless.

Ding… The long sword hit the ground. Rod propped himself up with the sword in one hand, gasping for breath. He felt lucky.

With difficulty, he turned around, his eyes wide with resentment. He glared at Rod, reaching out with a trembling hand to point at him, trying to speak but unable to. The next moment, he collapsed, remaining in that position as his eyes gradually dimmed.

A beginner martial artist? How is that possible? He was a senior martial artist! Why couldn’t he even see Walker’s sword move clearly? Why could Walker knock him down so easily? With a final trace of defiance, Walker slowly closed his eyes.

Walker is dead? It was like a thunderclap, instantly throwing Victor and his gang into chaos. They knew all too well just how strong Walker was—a high-level warrior, someone who had officially entered the realm of martial arts. In a small town like Blaze City, he could be considered a master. At least in the eyes of these thugs, high-level warriors were insurmountable peaks, like gods—no one dared to provoke them, and no one dared not respect them! Yet, such a person had fallen at the hands of Rod, whom they despised?
“Bastards, attack! All of you, go at him! If Rod doesn’t die today, you’ll have to deal with the consequences!” Walker’s death shocked Victor greatly, and he shouted loudly. Having failed even with his top fighter, he felt as if he had been slapped in the face.