Chapter 258: The Change of the Dark Dragon

Of course, even if Rod himself caught the attention of those people, he probably wouldn’t show any excitement! In his eyes, those people were merely those who had gone through the same stages he had, and one day he would surpass them and stand above them!

Upon arriving at the foot of the city, construction was still in full swing. For three full days straight, without any interruption, work had been carried out in the most brutal and direct manner. As a result, the moat was almost complete, taking on a crude appearance. Today was the fourth day, and if nothing went wrong, it should be finished by dawn the next day. The next step would be filling it with river water, and it was time to prepare for that. Although it was just a simple jump across the river—or rather, an obstacle—it could have unimaginable effects.

Everything here was on track, so there was no need for him to worry. With a slight smile, he led his group straight toward the camp.

Along the way, soldiers and warriors came and went everywhere. Some, like them, had just returned from the front lines after fierce battles, while others were preparing to go into battle. There were also injured soldiers and logistics personnel—creating a very lively scene.

Turning to look at Nightingale beside him, Rod couldn’t help but frown. This girl seemed determined not to leave at all, sticking closely to him. As they neared Camp 13, she still followed closely behind his group, which put him in a difficult position. Moreover, Rod knew it wasn’t the time to reveal his identity; it wasn’t appropriate for her to stay with him for too long, otherwise, his identity could easily be exposed.

“You… are you from that camp?” Thinking of this, Rod couldn’t help but ask Nightingale.

“No… I’ve only been here for a day. If you don’t mind, can I… stay with you?” She pursed her lips and spoke in a low voice, her eyes flickering with complexity.

“What? Hey, beauty, you want to live with us? Our camp is full of tough guys. Living with us—aren’t you joking?” Nightingale’s words made everyone widen their eyes. Before Rod could make a decision, Curly was the first to shout exaggeratedly.

“No! You can go to another camp—there are camps prepared especially for you!” By then, Rod had also realized this and took a deep breath before firmly refusing.

“Hehe, no need to go to the trouble. Our 13th Camp already has one of these tents. Head, you probably don’t know yet—it’s less than 300 meters away from our tent. It’s a great place, but sadly we’ve never been able to get in!” Curlie nodded in agreement with Rod’s words, excitedly speaking. His enthusiastic expression showed that this was a topic that really interested him.

Nightingale didn’t respond immediately to their words. Instead, she stared intently at Rod, her eyes filled with curiosity. After a night, she was completely convinced that this man was indeed Knight Rod, without any doubt.

That night also made her think of more things. Driven by these thoughts, she put aside her doubts for now, deciding not to pursue immediately why Knight Rod was here and why he appeared in such a state. She needed an opportunity—a better one than the current one.

“Well, maybe you should go stay over there!” Curlie’s words surprised Rod slightly, but he quickly agreed. Anything would do to get rid of this guy for a while.

“Good idea!” After some thought, Nightingale accepted their suggestion without hesitation, deciding to stay at the tent in the 13th Camp that Knight Rod and the others mentioned. The main reason was that it would allow her to get closer to Knight Rod and learn more about him. Additionally, she needed his help to accomplish certain tasks.

Only after settling Nightingale did Rod breathe a sigh of relief. He returned to his own quarters and checked the time—it was almost noon, with little time left for rest. So, he simply sat cross-legged on the bed and began practicing.

A night of fighting had greatly depleted his combat energy. If he didn’t replenish it promptly, he wouldn’t be able to fight again that night. As for sleeping, that might be a luxury he couldn’t afford right now—there wasn’t even a moment or bit of energy to waste on it.

As the combat energy surged in, Rod’s lips gradually relaxed, a faint smile appearing on them. He could sense that there were countless people practicing within this tent and even in Area C—the elemental energy was extremely active! There was no need to exert any effort; the elements rushed toward him on their own. He could clearly feel the presence of several powerful mental forces, which made Rod feel somewhat ashamed. Just how formidable must their masters be? He had always thought his own mental strength was quite good, but now he realized it was far from sufficient.

There were also scattered mental energy fluctuations numbering in the hundreds, which Rod could sense. As for everyone in his tent, he could clearly perceive the fluctuations in their mental energies—even Kerode was no exception. Although his strength might be inferior to Kerode’s, Rod’s mental strength was by no means weaker; in fact, it was even stronger.

Everyone was making the most of the remaining time to restore their strength. On such a dangerous battlefield, having more strength meant a greater chance of survival—a fact everyone understood. Thus, no one was slacking off at this moment.

Fortunately, they were located on the outskirts of Collins Forest and the Dark Source; otherwise, Rod would have been worried about so many people practicing simultaneously, especially with so many strong individuals. The absorption of elemental energy under such conditions would be terrifying. Without sufficient supplies, Rod feared a elemental vacuum might arise here.

Thanks to the active elemental environment, Rod’s training efficiency was more than double usual. It seemed that in little time, his combat energy had grown significantly. The previously somewhat empty meridians in his body became filled once again, and a warm aura spread throughout his body instantly.

Wherever it reached, the internal and external injuries left from the fierce battles at night were rapidly healing. His extraordinary healing ability was once again on display, highlighting its greatness. Especially the wounds from his battle with the Flaming Lion were healing at an astonishing speed.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but Rod felt that his combat energy had circulated through his meridians thirty-six times before finally stopping. By this point, he realized that his injuries had recovered by six or sevenrecovered (recovered), no longer affecting his combat abilities at all.

Opening his eyes and looking up, he saw that it was already late in the evening outside. The sky was painted in a reddish hue, as if stained with blood, exuding a striking beauty. The overwhelming scent of blood made him feel nauseous! From time to time, shouts of battle could be heard from the distant city walls, letting Rod know that fierce fighting was still ongoing.

A day had passed, and the most dangerous night had arrived once again, bringing another tough battle! Looking back, inside the camp, aside from two people still asleep, everyone else was immersed in cultivation. It seemed unlikely they would recover anytime soon. To restore their strength, at least some time was needed—probably until nightfall.

With nothing much to do and it still being early, Rod took out the Dark Dragon he carried on his back. Gently stroking it, his thoughts were drawn back to last night’s encounter with the Flaming Lion. The power of his final move, that sword strike, was beyond even his own belief. Although its destructive force was immense, Rod knew it was impossible to unleash such power under those circumstances. As he had felt, it was the Dark Dragon’s sudden transformation at the critical moment that brought about such an effect.

Staring at the completely black Dark Dragon, he gently stroked it while listening to its cheerful murmurs, observing carefully in case he missed any detail.

Frowning slightly, he noticed that the sword’s surface no longer appeared entirely black but had taken on a hint of purple, shifting from pure black to dark purple. There was now an eerie aura and charm about it! This discovery made Rod suspicious. He was certain it wasn’t just a dye but part of the dragon’s natural color, as there was no trace left on his hand after touching it.

Gently shaking the Dark Dragon, its murmurs grew louder, seeming to carry a bloodthirsty joy. Under the slanting sunlight, a glint of light traced across the sword’s surface, making it appear lively, as if it were a living creature, which amazed Rod.

It seemed the dragon’s weight had also decreased, a discovery that left Rod even more puzzled. Since he arrived in Iron Bar Town and changed his appearance, he had also helped conceal the Dark Dragon, yet he hadn’t noticed this subtle change. Now, many doubts arose. Rod could even conclude that these changes must have occurred after the battle against the beast horde—only during that time did the Dark Dragon have the opportunity to change. And the faint scent of blood on it seemed to convey another message: in just a few days, it must have been stained with blood countless times! Perhaps this was the reason behind the Dark Dragon’s transformation.

With a hint of excitement, just as he had assumed, the changes should only progress in a positive direction! Full of boundless hope, he slowly released a bit of mental energy to approach the Dark Dragon, being extremely cautious for fear of any mishaps, as he tried to uncover the secrets within the Dark Dragon in search of information useful to him!