Chapter 204: A Turning Point

“Hey, it seems I’ll need to rest for a while again!” Xuan Yuan sighed inwardly, filled with emotion.
In the next moment, Rod felt a cold aura rapidly spreading throughout his body. Wherever it passed, his meridians were greatly nourished, and external elements were drawn in by this force to replenish the loss and consumption of his combat energy. Even Lawrence and the others across from him could clearly sense this.
“Kill him! Don’t give him a chance to recover!” Realizing Rod was quickly recovering, they marveled at the demons’ regenerative abilities—such injuries would have killed most people countless times over, yet he could still fight. At the same time, they were deeply worried and determined not to give him a chance. If he escaped today, he would pose a great threat in the future.
A long howl interrupted their preparations for another attack. With a flash of red light, Fen Tian reappeared beside Rod. About four meters long, Fen Tian hovered in the air around Rod, still bearing the signs of the previous battle.
Glancing coldly at those enemies who had been forced back, Fen Tian growled anxiously, circling closely around Rod as if trying to envelop him entirely.
“Fen Tian! You’ve come. It seems it’s just the two of us now. Well then, let’s fight our way out together. Today, we’ll carve a path through blood; tomorrow, we’ll bring chaos to the continent!” Looking at Fen Tian beside him, Rod showed a rare gentle smile before speaking solemnly. With his sword in hand, under the dark night sky and illuminated by the crimson light of Fen Tian, stained with blood, he appeared like an envoy from the netherworld—sinister and eerie.
“Kill!” With a roar, his combat energy recovered significantly thanks to the cold aura. After observing quickly, he identified the weakest point in the encirclement. He knew this was his last chance—he couldn’t fail. Xuan Yuan was helping him from within, and Fen Tian, despite his injuries, had come to assist. It was all for one final battle—success or death!
The Shadowless Sword was instantly drawn, and eighteen figures rushed forward like ghosts. At the same time, Fen Tian let out a long howl, and fire magic appeared. As the magic was cast, Fen Tian followed closely behind Rod, charging straight at the enemies ahead.

Ah… Cries of pain filled the air. Under Rod’s Shadowless Sword, the surrounding soldiers had no chance to fight back. Soon, several of them collapsed dead on the spot, screaming in agony. After some resistance, Rod’s Shadowless Sword was broken, but only one-third of the defensive wall had been breached. Immediately afterward, Autumn Wind was unleashed, sweeping forward with unstoppable force. A fierce wind blew, leaves flew everywhere, blood splattered, and cries of pain echoed. With Fen Tian’s assistance and the cover of his magic, Rod’s escape this time was much easier than before. At least Fen Tian helped draw much of the attention away, reducing the pressure so that Rod could use his techniques without hesitation. The energy within him also continued to amplify the power of each move, making him even stronger than at his peak.
“Bad news—he’s trying to break through!” Seeing the situation ahead, Kiro’s expression darkened as he spoke in a low voice.
“What should we do…?” John and the others hesitated, looking at Kiro. They should have stepped in to stop him, but now they didn’t know what to do. The demons posed too great a threat to the continent, leaving behind countless terrifying memories and legends. Even their best friends were now wavering.
“Go! Attack!” Taking a deep breath as if making up his mind, Kiro ordered in a firm voice.
“Kiro… you…” Linda, who had just relaxed, cried out in shock upon hearing his words.
Alice and Lucia also stared in disbelief at Kiro, as if he had become someone else—someone they no longer recognized. Kiro’s request to join forces against Rod came as a great surprise to them.
“I’m not going. You go ahead!” Unexpectedly, Viski spoke coldly, showing no intention of joining in.
“I… me too!” Kenny also refused Kiro’s request, much to everyone’s surprise. They would never join forces to chase their captain.
“John, Anderson, let’s go! We must keep Rod here today!” After staring at Viski for a moment and realizing he wouldn’t change his mind, Kiro took a deep breath and quickly called out to Anderson and John.
Immediately, the three of them rushed forward as three separate figures. The situation ahead was critical—Rod was on the verge of breaking through the encirclement. They quickly blocked his path from the outside.

“Get lost!” A fierce shout shattered the last few soldiers trying to block his path. A cold smirk appeared on Rod’s lips as he broke free from the encirclement!
But just then, three dark figures flashed before his eyes, blocking his way once again. It was the three people he knew best—John, Kiro, and Anderson! They stepped in to block Rod’s path at this critical moment.
“You guys are coming too?” Rod asked in a hoarse, terrifying voice, looking at them with a bitter smile. A faint sadness instantly filled the entire forest, and the chill in his heart was beyond words.
“You can’t leave today!” Kiro said softly, his expression complex. Former friends turning against each other like this was hard on everyone’s feelings. But even as brothers, Rod was a demon, and they had the duty to stop him.
“Captain, go! I’ll hold them off!” After hearing Kiro’s reply, Rod was about to act without hesitation when something unexpected happened.
John suddenly shouted, killing a soldier who rushed at him before swinging his sword, forcing the caught-off-guard Kiro and Anderson to step back. They shouted at Rod.
Even Rod was momentarily stunned. He never expected John to help him at this moment. He froze in place.
“John, are you crazy?” Kiro yelled after being forced back. The atmosphere was tense. John’s sudden action clearly showed he intended to help Rod. His change of heart gave everyone a bad feeling—intense anxiety filled them.
“Captain, go! You’re the person I trust the most, John. Leave now! I believe in you!” John raised his long sword in front of him, shielding Rod, and shouted anxiously.
Over time, he had come to see Rod as his elder brother and best friend. He hadn’t intervened earlier because he was waiting for the perfect chance. Now that the chance had arrived, there was no need to hide any longer. Even if the whole world didn’t believe in the captain, he would. Even if the whole world hunted the captain, he wouldn’t. He would always stand by the captain. This was the perfect chance—he couldn’t let the captain die here in regret.
“John, step aside! Are you crazy? Do you know what you’re doing?” Kiro’s shouts and Anderson’s angry cries sounded especially harsh at that moment.

“I’m not crazy; you’re the crazy ones. What are you doing? Hehe, it doesn’t matter. Even if the whole world doesn’t believe in the captain or spits on him and spits on me, I don’t care. Because he will always be the most respected captain in my heart. You won’t succeed today, Captain. Hurry up and leave! There’s not much time left. More reinforcements will arrive soon. If we don’t leave now, we’ll lose our chance!” In response to Kiro and the others’ shouts, John sneered coldly. He wasn’t concerned at all and only urged Rod anxiously.

“Captain, we’re here too. Hurry up and leave! We’ll hold them off here!” Two more dark figures appeared—Wiski and Kenny also showed up beside Rod, protecting him as they shouted.

“Hurry up!” Wiski urged simply.

A wave of warmth suddenly filled Rod’s previously despairing heart, and a rare expression of emotion and tremor appeared on his face. Their unexpected actions brought about a huge turnaround in the situation.

“Go!” Wiski slashed down a Silver Warrior, urging Rod anxiously.

“Kid, hurry up! Otherwise, it’ll be too late! Don’t worry about them!” In his mind, Xuanyuan also sent a weak voice urging Rod to leave quickly—this might be his only chance.

“Argh…” Fen Tian also roared softly, his blood-soaked body making one’s heart ache.

“Be careful!” Footsteps in the distance made Rod realize how serious the situation was. He had to leave immediately—more reinforcements had arrived. He couldn’t stay any longer. As for Wiski and the others, Rod wasn’t worried. With their family’s abilities and strength, they wouldn’t die. He believed this matter would be handled well. Xuanyuan was right—he had to go fast.

“I owe you all one!” With those last words, Rod turned without hesitation and fled into the distance, his figure darting swiftly through the forest, quickly leaving the chaotic battlefield.

As for the pursuers, they had no chance to chase after him as Wiski and the others held them back firmly in the woods.

“Rod…” Watching Rod’s figure dart away and gradually disappear into the forest under the protection of the red “long serpent,” Linda murmured softly. Her expression relaxed, and a faint smile appeared—as long as Rod was safe, that was enough.

……

The voices behind him grew fainter. Rod’s face turned icy. Wiski and the others behind him had clearly started fighting the pursuers. He knew he owed those people their lives this time. He wasn’t someone who couldn’t distinguish right from wrong. If he got the chance, he would return and repay them.

The injuries on his body began to flare up, and a sense of weakness spread throughout his body, making him realize he needed to find a place to rest as soon as possible. As for what happened afterward, he simply didn’t have the energy to observe or pay attention.