Chapter 4: Slaying

The sudden violent wind temporarily disrupted the werewolf’s attack, causing it to pause for a moment.
Those watching the battle were also blinded by the sand blown up by the wind and had to close their eyes! No one could see clearly what was happening to Rod at the center of the vortex—even those closest to him, within just six or seven meters, couldn’t see clearly.
Only Rod knew exactly what was happening to him. The elements compressed and gathered around him began to merge with the combat energy he emitted, transforming at an unimaginable speed, as if chemicals had been added, rapidly changing until they once again condensed from gas to solid form. A set of armor formed around him, completely covering Rod.
A thoughtful smile appeared on his lips as he looked at the long sword before him. With a turn, he raised the Dark Dragon sword in front of his chest, slid backward suddenly, as if pulled by some force, gliding backward in a bizarre manner.
At the same time, the long sword, as if having endured countless years, finally reached Rod’s face. It swung down with unstoppable force, carrying a desperate determination to kill.
“A ding…” A clear clang echoed, and Rod was sent flying into the air, drifting backward more than ten meters before he could stabilize himself.
Using the Dark Dragon to support his body, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and gasped for breath. The backward slide, combined with the Dark Dragon’s protection, had helped him absorb most of the opponent’s force. The remaining force was absorbed by his condensed combat energy body. Despite this, the immense force still sent Rod flying along with his sword. But this time, there was no separation of head and body, no blood splashing in the air, no screams or groans—after the clear clang, everything fell silent.
“Cough, cough, cough…” Feeling the pain and chest tightness caused by the severe shock, Rod couldn’t help but cough a few times. He silently thanked luck—at this critical moment, with the help of the Dark Dragon’s force, he had succeeded in forming his combat energy body while dodging, thus saving himself once again.

Looking at the deep cut mark on his chest, he gasped in shock. Despite his own defenses and the Dark Dragon’s protection, such a deep wound had still been left on his Combat Qi True Body, proving just how powerful that attack was. He knew better than anyone the defensive capabilities of his Combat Qi True Body. It could, without exaggeration, allow him to withstand a full-force attack from an imperial-level warrior without dying—even without any defense! Moreover, the opponent’s attack had lost much of its force after two pauses, and with the Dark Dragon’s interference, only about three layers of force reached him in the end. Yet even these three layers were enough to leave such a wound. Without the protection of his Combat Qi True Body, he would likely be dead right now. Of course, Rod couldn’t forget the Dark Dragon’s contribution. If not for the power it unleashed at the most critical moment, if not for that power acting like a catalyst to help him form his true body, it would have been impossible to establish his Combat Qi True Body in such a desperate situation. It could all be attributed to luck and good fortune, which made Rod feel extremely fortunate.

Staring wide-eyed at what was happening before him, not only the werewolves but all the onlookers felt disbelief. Although it seemed like an eternity from start to finish, it was actually only three real seconds. Rod had managed to form his Combat Qi True Body within those three seconds and succeeded. Now, his left shoulder bore the head of a tiger, while his right shoulder featured the head of another majestic animal, both exuding a fierce aura. His entire body was covered in dark red armor, resembling interlocked scales, with a serpentine-like thing coiled around it—truly imposing! Faced with this sight, everyone was not only shocked but also filled with awe. He might have created a miracle—forming his Combat Qi True Body in just three seconds during a life-or-death battle. It might not be said that no one else could do it, but surely no one had ever done it before.

After a brief moment of daze, thunderous cheers and shouts erupted as everyone cheered for Rod’s success. Looking at the man standing there, holding the Dark Dragon Sword like a deity, Nightingale’s gaze became distant as she stared at him in wonder, her lips trembling slightly.

“You… it’s impossible! Mortals are inferior—how could you…?” The attack that seemed sure to succeed ended in such a failure. This human had actually condensed a combat spirit form right before his eyes to block his fatal strike. Staring at this human, the battered werewolf gasped for breath, muttering in disbelief, his eyes gradually losing focus, filled with intense resentment and shock.

“My fate isn’t determined by heaven! Since you’re done, it’s my turn!” Seeing the three men who had originally been chasing the werewolf still in shock, Rod didn’t rely on them anymore. Dressed in armor and wielding a dark dragon sword, he felt an overwhelming urge to conquer everything around him! Full of confidence and fighting spirit, he chose his basic technique.

With a single move, he transformed endlessly—his feet turned into lotus blossoms as he moved left and right with lightness and agility. Moving swiftly and rhythmically, he suddenly had an epiphany, merging the essence of the Shadowless Sword with the techniques of “Breaking the Heavens.” Acting on this sudden inspiration, he used them effortlessly, as if he had practiced countless times.

In a blink, his figure split into two, then four—four figures appeared before the werewolf. Amidst the werewolf’s confusion and terror, the “Breaking the Heavens” sword was thrust forward, like a lightning bolt aimed straight at the werewolf’s heart, with unstoppable momentum.

As a saint-level warrior with rich combat experience, the werewolf quickly glided backward after a brief moment of shock. His long sword wasn’t idle either—he swung it high into the air, creating fierce gusts of wind that spread outward in invisible waves. The sword energy formed waves of attacks, targeting Rod’s four figures without distinction. In this situation, the werewolf’s sword transformed into a beam of white light, surrounded by countless bright white flowers, looking stunning!

“Trying to stop a chariot with your arms—overestimating your own strength!” Rod sneered at the onslaught of sword energy. With his combat spirit form already formed, such attacks were nothing to fear. Without any intention to dodge or resist, he dashed forward in a flash, using his powerful momentum to break through the attack lines. Before the werewolf’s terrified eyes, he arrived right in front of him.

Perhaps due to his injuries, his movements had lost their former agility; perhaps he was already powerless, or maybe because the shock from earlier had not yet subsided. The werewolf suddenly felt helpless, as the human before him seemed like a hellish demon, stepping forward with graceful movements and wielding a soul-sealing weapon to take his life.
“Break!” As the other man stared in terror, four figures merged into one, revealing their true forms. With a fierce shout and a shake of the wrist, the Dark Dragon nodded and lightly touched the opponent’s long sword.
“Aing…” A sharp sound spread around, creating ringing waves that were painfully loud. Then, the snow-white long sword in the werewolf’s hand instantly cracked, breaking into pieces that fell to the ground, leaving only the hilt in his grasp.
Under the opponent’s horrified gaze, Rod mercilessly increased the force, twisting his arm as his long sword spun downward in a fierce strike.
Pfft… Cornered with no escape, the werewolf widened his eyes as the Dark Dragon pierced his forehead, emerging from the back of his skull.
“You… how… how is this possible…” Struggling to lift his hand, he pointed at the human across from him, trembling in disbelief.
The power that the human had unleashed just now terrified him—it carried a familiar aura, something eerily reminiscent of something he knew. In that instant, his strength seemed to far exceed what a royal-level warrior should possess. His power had reached an entirely new level!
Suddenly, as if something sounded, that aura—yes, that very aura was… Realizing this, he widened his eyes, his lips trembling slightly as he stared in disbelief at the man.
“You can die now!” But Rod didn’t give him a chance to speak further. He kicked his Dark Dragon, crushing the werewolf’s chest into a crater. With his eyes wide and still in that pose, the werewolf collapsed in a pool of blood after hitting the city wall violently. His body trembled slightly before he stopped moving, while the wound on his forehead, where the Dark Dragon had pierced through, continued to spew blood.

Those watching this scene from a distance now looked at Rod with a mix of strangeness and shock, along with something else—as this man who kept bringing them shock felt increasingly unfamiliar to them! It seemed like not the guy they used to know. Those who felt it most strongly were Rod’s brothers who had been by his side through thick and thin—Curly and the others! Rod seemed too strange to them; he wasn’t at all like their former leader—completely a different person, especially in terms of his aura! The atmosphere became somewhat strange for a moment.
“Kill! Crush the beast army!” Killing the werewolves, and seeing those people staring at him in daze, feeling their gazes, Rod roared loudly. With morale so high, how could he miss this opportunity? His blood burned with passion, his emotions surged—of course, he should seize this perfect chance to strike hard and drive back the beast attacks, taking control of the situation.