Chapter 34: The Old Man’s Instructions

“Biano! Can you still hold on? But don’t worry—I’ll send you to hell to meet your master soon. Heh, I’m sure he’s been waiting for you for a long time. As for Knightrod, rest assured—our master will deal with him just fine!” The man in black said coldly, looking at the panting old man. Suddenly, his aura surged, and his entire body was once again covered in purple combat energy. The divine-level aura was so powerful that even Rod, lying on the ground, felt as if he were being suppressed by an invisible force, his throat as if gripped by an invisible hand, making it hard to breathe.

His face turned red in an instant. Suddenly, Rod felt a release as if he had returned from hell to the world, gaining freedom. Breathing greedily the fresh air, he looked ahead. At that moment, the old man also released a burst of combat energy, shielding Rod tightly within his own aura to protect him from the pressure of the opponent’s aura.

“Fight!” With a roar, the old man launched an attack first. Tired of the passive situation, he roared loudly, his sword glowing intensely as he fought two opponents at once, even gaining a slight advantage.

Clang… clang… clang… The sharp sounds of combat filled the air as both sides displayed their skills, unleashing various techniques!

Boom… A series of explosions made Rod, Gem, and Sambik dizzy. The occasional bursts of combat energy carried terrifying force—like the sword strike that had landed near Rod earlier, leaving a mark about a foot deep and ten centimeters wide in the ground.

Seeing the mark on the ground, Rod was terrified and took a deep breath. Indeed, this scene wasn’t suitable for him to stay any longer! Not only could he not help the old man, but he might even be a hindrance.

With fierce winds, swirling sword energy, and roaring sounds, the entire area was in chaos, no longer resembling its original state—now a complete ruin.

“Fell, end this quickly!” At that moment, a cold snort came from the old man. He suddenly jumped out of the combat circle and stepped outside, staring coldly at the two opponents with a strange smile on his face.

Without giving them time to react, the old man swiftly swung his long sword, moving as swiftly as a lotus flower, each step unpredictable. His fluid movements and precise steps made him seem increasingly ethereal and illusory.

In no time, his figure split into two, then four, then eight, until the entire scene was filled with his images.
“Damn it, Biano! You’re still using such moves despite being poisoned by the Water of Worry—do you have no fear of death?” Seeing this, the man in black showed signs of urgency and shouted loudly. Three words flashed through his mind, enough to make him tremble—Thunder God Slash! When the Thunder God appears, none can compete; nothing survives in his path. This phrase summed up the power of this move, giving an idea of its terrifying strength.
Today, they had secretly poisoned him to prevent him from using these dreadful moves and unleashing his full power before launching their attack. Unbeknownst to them, this damned guy had recklessly used his moves despite the risk of dying from the poison.
He seemed to have forgotten that they were in a life-or-death battle—either he died or they died; who would care about the consequences?
Their faces paled, and the two men in black quickly retreated to the back simultaneously.
“It’s too late! Die all!”
With a furious roar, the old man spat blood onto his sword and shouted loudly.
As soon as the blood touched the sword, it suddenly glowed brightly. The dark red light was so intense that even Rod couldn’t keep his eyes open.
“Thunder God Slash!” Like a roar from thin air, hundreds of old men raised their swords at once and rushed toward the direction where the two men in black were fleeing, their swords descending silently without a sound—so quiet! Yet everyone knew that the quieter it was, the more dangerous it became.
Whoosh… A fierce wind blew, lifting dust everywhere. The swirling dust blocked everyone’s vision.
At that moment, thunder roared in the sky, and a blue lightning bolt streaked across the heavens before appearing before everyone. Along with the lightning, the old man’s sword also slashed through the air, aiming at the men in black.
“Boom…”
A loud explosion echoed, shaking the ground as if the earth itself were trembling. Even those watching from a distance of over a kilometer, like Kiro, shuddered.
Dust quickly covered everyone’s vision, and after the brief explosion, the scene returned to a rare silence—a terrifying silence!

Everyone watched nervously the area covered in dust, where the final battle had taken place. They all awaited the outcome, especially Rod, who clenched his fists tightly and even prayed silently that the old man would be fine. No one could see clearly what had happened just now, nor could anyone witness how the old man had acted.

“Cough, cough, cough… Ha… Hahaha… Bianuo, you… it seems you’re still affected. Heh, this move of yours must only have exerted less than six layers of power!” As the dust settled, the scene became visible to everyone. There, a man in black was split in two and lay scattered on the ground, blood covering the area. As for that Saint-level man in black, he stood opposite the old man with disheveled hair, blood continuously flowing from his mouth. Half of his mask had been torn off, revealing a terrifying wound on his face.

Watching Bianuo, who was also leaning on his long sword, gasping for breath with blood streaming from his mouth, Rod laughed loudly. “Damn you, die!”

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out, and three sword shadows appeared above the man in black!

Hearing the sound and feeling the icy chill, the man in black’s expression changed drastically. With a gulp… just as he tried to move, he spat out a large mouthful of dark blood!

A dull yet crisp sound came as a spray of blood erupted like a fountain, soaring into the sky. Along with the blood spray was a flying head.

“Little brat, here’s for being so arrogant!” Rod landed in front of the man in black, breathing heavily. Seeing the headless body and the head tracing a graceful parabolic path before hitting the ground, Rod smirked disdainfully.

Standing proudly in front of the corpse, covered in blood, Rod sneered coldly. Yet inside, he felt no fear at all—no tension or unease like after killing for the first time. Instead, he felt relieved, as if he had avenged a great wrong.

Everyone stared in shock, unable to believe what they saw of Rod. They were stunned by the scene. A Saint-level expert had been slain by just one strike? It seemed like an unbelievable joke! If this news spread across the continent, it would surely astonish and confuse countless people, leaving them jaws dropped.

But that was the truth! He had indeed killed that Saint-level warrior, cleanly severing his head with a single strike, without any hesitation.

“Old man, are you okay?” Rod quickly turned to look at the old man, whose lips kept oozing blood tinged with a dark hue. He hurriedly supported the old man’s trembling body and asked anxiously.
“Cough, cough… Wuyou Water truly lives up to its reputation! Time is running out. You must leave this place immediately! Go as far away from this troubled area as possible! Hehe… I originally hoped you would live an ordinary life, but I never expected you to embark on the path of cultivation after all. Well, perhaps it’s fate. Since you’ve chosen this path, work hard! The road ahead will be difficult; you must not give up. Remember, the bloodline you carry doesn’t allow you to bow your head.”
“I don’t know who is guiding you, but in such a short time, they must be at least as good as me. Cherish this opportunity!” A few coughs caused the old man to spit out more blood. With a pained smile on his face, he stared intently at Rod and spoke in a deep voice.
“Why… why are you so strong? Why do those people trouble you? Why did you offend them? Why is my life their target? Do I have anything to do with them?”
Instead of answering, Rod looked at the old man seriously, feeling extremely heavy-hearted at his pitiful appearance. All these mysteries filled his mind, leaving him in confusion.
“You can’t know these now! Knowing them now will only bring harm, not benefit. Wait until the future. Though I don’t expect to see that day, I believe you won’t tarnish your ancestors’ reputation or shame your father! When you’re strong enough, someone will tell you everything!”
With trembling hands, the old man took out a delicate silver-white small iron box and carefully handed it to Rod. His solemn tone made Rod feel uneasy.
As soon as Rod held the box, he felt a cold aura spread throughout his body, instantly energizing him.

“Cough, cough, cough… Let go, let me go! I can’t hold on anymore. Wuyou Water—you might not know it, but it’s the most deadly poison in the world. Giving up resistance and using Thunder God Slash just now allowed the poison to spread to my heart! You guys, run away quickly! Those people won’t spare Rod. I’m sure the second wave is on its way here; maybe they’ve already arrived. Go ahead by yourselves—I’ll stay here to buy you some time!”
“Fang Lai! Don’t try to find out who the killer is until you’re strong enough. Hide your whereabouts and don’t let others know who you are!”
Shoving away Sambik’s outstretched hand, the old man gasped for breath and gave them serious instructions.
“Old man, you…” Seeing blood continuously flowing from the old man’s mouth, Rod was truly worried this time. He quickly supported the trembling man and said anxiously.
“Rod…” Alice rushed to Rod’s group and shouted loudly.
“What do you guys want? Still looking for revenge? You little brat, I’m in a terrible mood right now—better get lost quickly!” Turning around, Rod glared coldly at the three of them and yelled.
“You…”
Startled by Rod’s furious shout, Alice was momentarily speechless. Her face turned red beneath her veil as she clenched her fists tightly. If it weren’t for Kiro holding her back and the old man being there, she would have rushed over to bite that damned guy to death.
“Elder, you’re poisoned. If you don’t want him to die, you’d better take him and come with us quickly. There might still be a chance to save him!”
After carefully observing the old man’s condition, Kiro said in a grave tone. The old man’s complexion was slightly dark, and the blood he spat was already black.
“It’s too late. Hehe… Do you guys have a grudge against this kid? If it’s not a life-or-death matter, then at least consider my old age and let it go. Though this guy likes to cause trouble, he’s not really bad at heart!”
Seeing the three young men appear suddenly, the old man’s eyes lit up slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his lips as he said softly.
“Elder, hurry up and recover. I have an antidote pill here—it’s a precious item given to me by my father for protection. I believe it might help you!”
The old man’s words made Kiro and the others blush. As if suddenly remembering something, Kiro quickly took out a golden pill from his pocket and handed it to the old man.

“Gu Shen Dan!” The old man with the golden pill changed his expression and spoke in a deep voice.
“I never expected you to be his descendant. Then you must know about the Wuyou Water. Though this golden pill is excellent, it’s of little help to me! Well, let it be that I owe you a favor. If I get the chance, I’ll repay it!”
With a sigh, as if thinking of something, the old man said helplessly.
“Wuyou Water?” It was now Kiro who exclaimed in shock.
“I never thought such a thing still existed in this world!” His expression changed drastically as he spoke in a solemn tone.
“Bad news—more people are coming! Hurry, Rod and the others, go quickly! Remember what I said—never look back. No matter what, you must survive. There must be no accidents, or even if I die, I won’t be able to face my master!”
Suddenly, his expression darkened as if sensing something. The old man urgently shouted at Rod, then urged the group to leave.
“Elder…”
“Stop asking questions. Go quickly! There’s no time left. If those people show up, it will be too late. Rod, remember—if you see anyone with the golden eagle symbol on their clothes, don’t approach them. Be cautious at all times! Follow my orders! Go!” Taking a step forward and picking up his long sword again, the old man shouted anxiously.
“Old man… if you’re leaving, we’ll go together~!” Before his words faded, a scream from Rod was heard. Then everything went dark, and he fell backward. With reluctance and confusion, his last conscious thought was of the old man’s anxious expression!
“Stop talking nonsense, young man. Even if I, an old man, trouble you once more, please take this guy away quickly. This place isn’t suitable for you to stay long. Those people are not ones you can fight against. Go! Leave Flaming City!”
Helping Rod, who was about to fall, and handing him over to Kiro and the others, the old man spoke in a deep voice. Although he didn’t know much about this group and even knew they had a feud with Rod, out of instinct, he chose to trust them—especially at such a time. What else could he do if he didn’t?