Chapter 265: Instant Kill with One Sword, Vampires Retreat

At this moment, Rod appeared utterly ferocious. His twisted face, blood-red eyes, along with the aura and fierce killing intent emanating from him, filled the vampires standing opposite him with deep fear.
As soon as he spoke, the Dark Dragon stirred, and with a powerful strike, he charged at the vampire with unstoppable momentum. By then, Rod had forgotten the words of the mysterious masked man. He had forgotten his own advice to avoid direct confrontation with vampires and werewolves and to stay away from them. Now, rage had clouded Rod’s mind.
He had seen comrades fall before, experienced their deaths, and had even grown accustomed to such things over time. But this was different—these people died trying to save him. He could have avoided such a fate entirely. It was all because of him. If he hadn’t been so reluctant to back down, he could have dodged the attack and escaped the vampires’ assault. If only…
Profound self-reproach filled Rod with fury. With his “Heaven-Shattering Sword” strike, he charged at the vampire with destructive force. A surge of dark light erupted, like flames spreading over dozens of centimeters, resembling a long sword wreathed in black fire—eerily terrifying, as if it could devour the entire world.
Under that single sword strike, the world grew dark. The already pitch-black sky became even darker, and the once-fierce battlefield fell silent. It seemed as though only Rod and his target existed in the world.
Everyone noticed what was happening here. The sheer intensity of that aura was terrifying—so frightening that they couldn’t help but pay attention.
“Damn it, kid! Are you trying to die? Stop now! This will expose your identity!” Inside Rod’s dantian, Xuan Yuan, who had been resting, sensed the situation outside and quickly observed what was going on.
Seeing this scene nearly gave him a heart attack. Rod was on the verge of losing control. If left unchecked, his bloodline would mutate again, pushing him into a frenzied state. The consequences… were unthinkable. Could he still survive in such a situation?
Yet, Rod paid no attention to anything else at this point. Ignoring Xuan Yuan’s calls, he persisted in his mission, charging straight at the vampire across from him.

With the flash of the black sword, a slashing blow aimed straight at the vampire’s chest. To kill a vampire, one must first destroy their heart; otherwise, their astonishing regenerative abilities would make it impossible to kill them.
Fueled by rage and murderous intent, Rod’s eyes turned blood red. At this moment, his figure seemed taller, and an indescribable aura radiated from him—whether it was a solemn or icy presence, or even the aura of a death messenger, no one could say for sure! Meanwhile, the vampire across from him, overwhelmed by Rod’s imposing aura, broke into cold sweat. Standing there, he stared in terror at the man approaching him, unable to move an inch, as if nailed to the ground. He could clearly sense the aura of a superior being—undoubtedly, the aura of a noble of their dark lineage, one he was all too familiar with, having felt it before from the prince himself.
Filled with shock and fear, his pupils dilated as panic and astonishment took hold. He could only stand there, watching as the human’s face grew closer and closer.
With a flash of black light and a dull sound, the vampire’s eyes widened as if they might pop out. Slowly lowering his head, he saw the black sword embedded in his chest. His pupils dilated further before gradually dimming.
“You… you are…” He struggled to raise his hand, pointing at Rod, trying to speak through trembling teeth.
“Death!” Rod knew exactly what he wanted to say; he had guessed it from his gaze.
Earlier, when he entered a frenzied state, his blood surged rapidly, releasing that aura that enveloped the vampire—the aura of demons! He knew the vampire must have identified him through that aura.
Rapidly drawing his sword, he swung it with force, severing the head and sending it flying into the air. A gush of bright red blood splattered onto the ground.
To silence him forever, Rod beheaded him outright. The blood hole in his chest continued to spew blood. A holy-grade vampire, a count among vampires, was killed in just one strike!

Everyone froze in place, including the vampires and mad werewolves. They hadn’t even had time to see what was happening when a head had already been sent flying into the night sky. Although Rod had entered a frenzied state earlier, Xuanyuan’s words still made him aware of his own situation, so he deliberately focused all his energy on his target. As for those around him, they didn’t have time to notice his presence in that brief instant, so they had no idea what was going on.

Killing the vampire, he stood there with his long sword raised toward the night sky, then turned to gaze coldly at the vampires, werewolves, and magical beasts around him. “Kill them! Leave none!” Rod suddenly shouted at everyone. His deep voice, filled with unwavering determination, inspired everyone greatly. After a brief silence, earth-shattering roars erupted.

The death of a vampire count acted like a stimulant, boosting the confidence and resolve of the defenders. It was the first vampire they had killed, the first monster they had defeated. This example made them realize that these creatures were just living beings—no gods, no ghosts, just mortals who could die! Their morale soared, and under Rod’s leadership, a counterattack began.

In groups of five or ten, they formed small teams to focus on a single target and launch fierce attacks. With strong belief and confidence, the previous hopeless situation vanished. The one-sided onslaught was over, and the defenders launched a powerful counteroffensive.

The werewolves were no longer terrifying, the vampires no longer bloodthirsty, and the magical beasts no longer formidable. A brutal battle ensued—the most savage and violent fight yet. The most primitive methods of fighting proved most effective.

Gradually, the werewolves began to fall, and so did the vampires. Screams and howls pierced the sky, while roars of anger and excitement filled the land. The darkness of Iron Bar Town was torn apart by blood.

In such a fierce battle, time passed swiftly. Soon, the entire city was covered in corpses—those of magical beasts, soldiers, reinforcements, werewolves, vampires, and the mutilated remains torn apart by the werewolves. Blood flowed like rivers, reflecting a dark red glow under the moonlight, an eerie sight indeed.

The most active force on the battlefield was undoubtedly the small squad led by Rod, known as the Reaper’s Scythe Squad! With their flexible combat tactics and devastating power, countless magical beasts had died at their hands, and eight out of ten vampires and werewolves had fallen under their assault. An hour later, the initial hundred-strong force of vampires and werewolves that had attacked the city was now down to less than sixty; most of the rest lay forever on this bloody ground, their eyes closed in despair. “Let’s retreat!” the lead vampire shouted at everyone as dawn approached. His body was covered in blood, his long fangs stained bright red, with blood dripping from them. Countless soldiers had died at his hands and through his attacks. Day was coming, and it was time to withdraw. If they continued fighting, their strength would plummet once daylight arrived, leaving them unable to hold their ground. Moreover, after days of intense fighting against the humans’ fierce counterattacks, their losses had been far greater than expected, shocking them. With no other choice, they decided to temporarily retreat and plan their next move carefully. A long howl echoed, followed by more, as the vampire bats took off and flew swiftly away from the city. The werewolves, after the howls, transformed into wolves, ran on all fours, and leaped over the city walls to dash into the Collins Forest. No one wanted or could stop them; being able to drive them back was already a huge victory—a milestone in their history. With the vampires and werewolves gone, the pressure on the city diminished significantly, and the crisis was finally alleviated, giving everyone a brief respite. As dawn broke, even the magical beasts retreated. After over ten days of continuous fighting, Iron Bar Town finally got a chance to breathe and enjoy some peace. Facing the rising sun, everyone wore a genuine smile—a rare moment of calm. It was then that they realized how wonderful peace could be.

Yet, looking at the blood on the ground, the rivers of blood flowing everywhere, the city littered with corpses, and the broken limbs, feeling the ground reflecting red light under the morning sun, they could no longer remain happy. In an instant, they fell into despair and sorrow. Was the temporary peace achieved at the cost of countless lives and blood worth it? How long would it last? The army of monsters loomed ahead, and the mysterious and powerful vampire and werewolf tribes had already begun to appear—where was their army? What would happen once it showed up? And what about the mysterious and powerful demons? Had they also arrived? If so… everything only made everyone’s mood even heavier.