Chapter 139: Exposure of Location

The moon was dark and the wind strong, enveloping the entire land in darkness. A gentle breeze blew, accompanied by the rustling of leaves. This breakthrough took Rod a full day—since last night until now, an entire day! The result left Rod quite satisfied. Feeling the combat energy filling his body, he couldn’t help but smile.

Unaware that he had now become a thorn in someone else’s side, his situation was extremely precarious.

By the edge of the small lake, enjoying the coolness, he unleashed the Dark Dragon skill, creating gusts of wind that sent ripples through the air. The calm forest was disturbed as leaves flew everywhere, and the lake’s mirror-like surface also rippled under the impact of these gusts.

After reaching the mid-stage of the quasi-divine level, another powerful move emerged—the fifth sword technique, Earth Splitter. Unlike the previous moves, it lacked their terrifying intensity and grandeur, appearing instead calm and unremarkable. It seemed utterly ordinary, with a slower speed than Shadow Breaker and less devastating power than Autumn Wind and Dragon Sweeper.

Yet after relentless practice, Rod could sense its true horror. As the saying goes, returning to simplicity—after reaching a certain level, one returns to nature, to simplicity. This seemingly ordinary move actually contained endless variations, achieving a true balance of hardness and softness. It could be fast or slow, as swift as the wind and as steady as a pine tree, moving gently yet with unwavering stability.

After dozens of repetitions, Rod had roughly grasped the essence of this move. He combined it smoothly with the previous techniques. The deeper he understood this sword art, the more astonished he became. He could only describe it in a few words—endlessly variable, eerily complex, and immeasurably profound.

After completing another round of practice, Rod slowly ended the exercise, standing still and exhaling a puff of air. The breeze stirred his hair as his mind felt clear and open.

…

Late at night, in Dark Moon City, the streets were still brightly lit, showcasing the city’s never-ending glow. Lights and revelry were everywhere, and the streets were bustling with people.

Not only was the annual trade fair attracting many people, but today the actions of the Nash family, a prominent clan in Dark Moon City, also added color to the city’s nocturnal atmosphere. With the city gates sealed, many people were unable to leave, so they settled down to enjoy what could be called a night market. Thus, Dark Moon City at this time was hardly any less lively than during the day, with no trace of the usual nocturnal gloom.

Inside a large mansion in Dark Moon City, the place was brightly lit and crowded. In the main hall, a middle-aged man sat firmly in the foremost seat like a rock, flanked by two rows of elders, all over fifty years old, with a few looking so frail they seemed on the verge of collapsing!

Behind those two rows of elders stood several rows of middle-aged men, each with a robust build and an imposing, aggressive aura. Outside the hall as well, dozens of members stood in neat rows, ranging in age from sixteen to fifty!

The atmosphere was somewhat gloomy and strange. Everyone wore serious expressions, as if facing a great threat, creating a highly eerie mood.

“Damn it! How did he get away? How did you fail to seal off the area? How could someone like him slip through? Whatever it takes, dig through the earth if necessary to find him! He must not escape! Blood for blood—what if he’s from the Dragon clan? This matter won’t be settled until one of us dies!” The middle-aged man at the center roared loudly, panting after hearing a report from a man in black.

Indeed, this was the base of the Nash family. At this moment, aside from a few elders who were in seclusion or on missions, all the rest of the family members were gathered here. There were no fewer than ten god-tier warriors, four of them at the mid-stage of godhood, and one even at the late stage! Their strength was evident.

“Have you found out where he is? It hasn’t been two hours since he left Dark Moon City. He can’t have gone far. Send out Thunder Eagles to search—he must not escape!” After pondering for a moment, the middle-aged man ordered again.

“Clan Leader, isn’t this approach too…” The elder who had remained with his eyes closed until now finally spoke up, concerned about the drastic measures being taken.

“My Nash family must show its strength; otherwise, those people won’t even know we exist. They dared to attack my son, Karen. If we don’t avenge this, we’ll become a laughingstock. This must not happen—that guy must pay with his blood. There’s no need for further discussion!” He raised his hand to silence the other elders, his decision firm and unchangeable.

Turning to look at the people outside, he said, “A Da, lead the first squad and get ready to act. Inform us immediately once you spot the target. If necessary, we can deploy the guard team!”

These words caused shock among everyone, even the elders could hold back their reactions, but their voices were silenced by the middle-aged man’s gaze.

The family guard team was the most powerful and secretive force, composed of elite members within the family. Many of those standing behind them in the hall were part of this guard team—ranging from those at the mid-stage Saint level to over half at the advanced Saint level, a quarter at the early Quasi-God level, and even at least five at the mid- to advanced Quasi-God level. Their strength was undeniable. The two team leaders were even at the God level. Such a team should only be used in extreme crises and kept secret, but now they were being deployed—clearly, the elders were growing dissatisfied with this middle-aged man.

The pain of losing his son had driven him close to madness, leaving only hatred and a desire for revenge in his mind.

“Who’s there? Come out!” With a fierce glare in his eyes, the middle-aged man roared loudly, his voice so intense it hurt everyone’s ears. Some of the weaker members turned pale, while others couldn’t resist, blood trickling from their lips.

“Hehe, truly worthy of being the head of the Nash family. I’ve come here at the orders of my lady to assist you. There’s no need to search for the person you’re looking for—he’s by Ming Lake. Just go there and take action!”

As the air rippled, a black figure appeared before the middle-aged man. Due to the mask, no one could see his face. However, from his voice and slender build, it was clear he was a woman.

“Who is your young lady? Why do you want to help us? State your purpose quickly, or don’t blame me if I become ruthless!” Looking at the man in black with confusion, the middle-aged man was secretly astonished—turns out he was a spatial magician of high rank, and he had been so close to him all this time without realizing it. At this thought, he was filled with horror. Such a powerful person was merely a servant of someone else—what kind of organization could possess such strength! Why did he want to help him? What were his intentions? Having been in this society for so long, the middle-aged man naturally knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch. Bill surely wouldn’t help him so easily.

“My young lady said you’ll know when the time comes. If the clan leader feels guilty, he can consider it owing a favor to my young lady and repay it when there’s a chance later. I won’t trouble him. Also, tell him that we’re all members of the same faction. We should unite to deal with outsiders and not allow them to act recklessly here. Kill one to warn others—blood for blood. I’ve delivered my message; I won’t stay any longer!” As he spoke, his figure gradually became translucent and vanished before their eyes, disappearing without a trace, which once again shocked everyone.

“Damn it! By Minghu Lake, Ah Da, I’m entrusting this task to you. Lead Team One and Team Two and go kill that bastard!” Watching the woman disappear, the middle-aged man felt frustrated. Her unpredictable strength worried him—was she an enemy or a friend? Why help him? Everything seemed like a mystery.

“Clan leader, could this be a trap?” Finally, another elder couldn’t help but ask. Who knew if such good fortune was real or not?

“Even if it’s a trap, I want to see who exactly wants to deal with our Nash family. This time, we’ll eradicate them completely. It seems these people really think we’re weak cats if we don’t show strength! Those bastards… Well, that’s enough for now. That kid is just at the beginning stage of quasi-divine level. That mysterious girl has left his side, and fighting alone, she can’t cause much trouble. We must kill her this time. Everyone, rest assured!” After saying this, the middle-aged man stood up and headed inside, leaving a group of elders looking at each other in confusion. They sighed deeply at the clan leader’s impulsiveness. All their years of restraint and deception had gone to waste because of this incident, and they lamented deeply.

Under the cover of night, the dozen-plus members of the two teams in this large mansion scattered and rushed toward Ming Lake outside Dark Moon City at a speed that was astonishing! At this moment, Rod stood there with his sword, enjoying the tranquility of the late night, feeling at ease. Unaware of it, two teams brimming with murderous intent were closing in on his location. A life-or-death battle was about to unfold, and Rod’s adventure after entering the Source of Darkness truly began from this moment. Beneath the peaceful night sky, icy murderous intent was brewing.