Chapter 140: Encirclement

“No, the Nash family will definitely not let Brother Rod go. We must help!” At that moment, in a luxurious private room inside a large inn in Dark Moon City, a young girl said unhappily to the few elders and middle-aged men before her.
“Lucy, we can’t intervene now. The consequences aren’t as simple as you think. Don’t worry—he’s quite skilled. If he wants to escape, it won’t be a problem. Hei Yao has already gone there and will help him escape if necessary!” An elder in front of her said with a wry smile.
Indeed, this was Lucy. These people were members of the Black Phoenix Clan. They hadn’t chosen to leave Dark Moon City right away, as they were well aware of everything the Nash family had done that night.
“Hmph, just the Nash family? Are we afraid of them? Third Elder, didn’t you say themselves that the Nash family is just a paper tiger? Despite their arrogance now, it’s only because the royal family doesn’t want to deal with them! With such a big move on their part, it must have drawn the attention of the royal family. If we intervene now, we might even be able to join forces with them to eliminate the Nash family! Besides, Brother Rod isn’t fighting them alone. I’ll join too, and I’ll even be the one to kill that guy. You won’t just stand by and do nothing, right?” The girl pouted, came over to the elder, took his hand, and pleaded.
“Cough, cough… It’s not the right time yet, Lucy. Don’t worry—he’ll be fine. Just because he saved you once, our Black Phoenix Clan won’t let anything happen to him. We’re not an ungrateful clan. With the Purple Wing Thunder Eagles eyeing us closely, it’s not the right time to take action! Hei Yao has gone to help that boy escape, so that shouldn’t be a problem. Besides, the Dragon Clan isn’t easy to deal with. There are also those old guys from the Exchange Guild. If the Purple Star VIPs are killed in Dark Moon City, where will their face be? Don’t worry!” Faced with Lucy’s pleading, the elder could only comfort her helplessly. The situation was delicate—any move could have far-reaching consequences. The Nash family had already stirred up chaos, making things turbulent. Whoever stepped into the vortex first would be trapped and unable to escape. Compared to the Black Phoenix Clan, the Purple Wing Thunder Eagles posed the greater threat, so they definitely wouldn’t be the first to act!

“Whatever, if you guys don’t go, I’ll go by myself! What’s the point of escaping this time? Brother Rod is alone, while the Nash family is strong and relentless in their pursuit. Does he have to keep running forever?” The girl said unhappily when she saw the old man not stepping in to resolve the issue.

“You… can’t. This matter must be done according to my plan. If I’m not wrong, the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles will also take action soon. That kid, Proud Eagle, isn’t a good person. Last time, Rod offended him to help you—this time he’ll surely turn against him. If he takes action, shall we act immediately? You must follow my arrangements!” The old man said with a wry smile as he hurriedly grabbed the girl. The people around them also began to persuade her. For a moment, the girl couldn’t think of any solution.

Not only was the Black Phoenix clan troubled at this moment, but the trade fair was even more distressed. Rod, who had just become a Purple Star VIP at their trade fair, had encountered such problems, leaving them deeply worried.

The Nash family was indeed powerful. Although the trade fair wasn’t afraid of them, they didn’t want to start a confrontation over this matter. And Rod couldn’t get into trouble—neither from his status nor as a Purple Star VIP! With no clear solution, the people there debated whether to intervene.

Meanwhile, the Dragon clan also had two opposing opinions! Rod’s arrival had disrupted the original balance, putting the Nash family ahead and making the hidden clans hesitant. The hidden tensions were turning into open conflicts, waiting for various factions to get involved.

The already turbulent Dark Source became even more chaotic.

“Have you lost track of that kid’s whereabouts? Hmph. So what if it’s the Dragon clan? This time, the Nash family will pursue him to the end. I wonder if you Dragon clan is willing to disrupt the balance for him!” At the base of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles, Proud Eagle listened to the report and smirked coldly, then turned to the Third Elder beside him. “Third Elder, do you think it’s time to add some fuel to make things more interesting?”

Hearing Proud Eagle’s words, the Third Elder’s expression remained calm. Thinking of the guy who had humiliated him in front of everyone, he felt furious. But reason told him that it was best for them not to get involved!

“Elder, we must not let this kid go this time. If not for him, that piece of multicolored glass would have been ours. We would have become the sixth family among the six great families. It’s because of him that we lost this opportunity. Moreover, he humiliated our Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle clan in front of everyone—there’s no way we can forgive him. I’m sure our clan won’t tolerate such a person either. We can’t miss this great opportunity!” Seeing the Third Elder hesitating, Ao Ying hurriedly added, fearing the Third Elder might reject his request.

“What do you plan to do?” The Third Elder asked, frowning, already influenced by Ao Ying’s words. His reason was overridden by hatred.

Seeing the Third Elder agree, a cold glint of excitement flashed in Ao Ying’s eyes. “Use others to do the killing!” Those four simple words carried endless murderous intent and chill.

“Nash Clan’s actions this time will surely draw the attention of many clans. It’s not appropriate for our Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle clan to take action directly, but after all, we’re part of the same faction as Nash Clan. If we don’t act, Nash Clan will surely have complaints. So we can show them goodwill, provide some help secretly, and even intervene directly if necessary! As long as we kill this guy, no one will say anything—they won’t turn against us, the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles, or Nash Clan over such a minor issue. It will also serve to establish our authority. If the Black Phoenix Clan shows dissatisfaction with us and decides to act soon to suppress our growth, we must gather more allies to form a faction that makes it difficult for them to strike!

Nash Clan is undoubtedly the best choice. They’re strong in themselves and backed by the entire main battle faction of the demon race. Their power is hardly inferior to that of the royal family, who are currently in the opposition. With such allies, along with those we’ve already won over, even if the Black Phoenix Clan decides to act, they’ll need to think carefully. By showing them goodwill now, we’ll surely strengthen our relationship with Nash Clan. By then…” A cold smile and excitement appeared on Ao Ying’s lips as he spoke at length.

“Haven’t they already started acting? We can take advantage of their momentum. We’ve located the place—let’s send people to surround that area right now. That kid, if not for Nash Clan, will surely try to escape. We can seize the chance to block his escape route! Whether to take action or not will still be decided by us and Nash Clan, right?” Then, Ao Ying laid out his plan.

“Is that so?” The Third Elder frowned slightly, hesitating.

Pao Ying’s idea was indeed good, but implementing it carried some risks. If they weren’t careful, their Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle clan could fall into an irreparable situation. The situation was extremely tense now, and acting rashly might drag the clan into that massive vortex.

“No, we need to consult the clan before doing anything. There will be another chance if we don’t act now. That kid isn’t that easy to kill. Ming Hu is in the Magical Beast Forest. With such a vast forest, it will be difficult for the Nash clan to stop him from escaping. Although he only has the strength of an early-stage divine being, he’s incredibly strong. I think the Nash clan will suffer a great loss this time! Let’s wait and see!” After hesitating for a moment, the Third Elder said in a low voice.

“No, giving up this chance might mean no more opportunities. Once the Nash clan succeeds, we’ll lose this chance! There’s no need to consult the clan. I’m the young clan leader, and my father is the clan leader. I can make this decision. I’ll take responsibility for anything that happens!” Pao Ying retorted coldly, dissatisfied.

Although he was the young clan leader, he had no real power. Usually, even these elders didn’t listen to him, which had made him frustrated for a long time. Now that his enemy was right in front of him and such a great opportunity arose, he refused to give it up, declaring his resolve firmly.

“This…” Seeing Pao Ying’s determination, the Third Elder’s brows furrowed deeply. Could this guy really never achieve greatness? What could be done with such an impatient nature? On the other hand, the hatred in his heart did make him somewhat tempted.

“Very well, you handle this. It’s best if you don’t get involved. I’ll pretend I don’t know!” With a sigh, the Third Elder turned and left, leaving Pao Ying alone in the room, a triumphant smirk on his face.

He then summoned a few skilled members from the clan and made arrangements. They quickly headed toward the outskirts of Dark Moon City as night fell.

As time passed, it grew late. Rod, who was by Ming Hu, sat in seiza position and began his cultivation in a crack in the rock, unaware that various groups were already gathering around him, a newcomer to the Source of Darkness. Several groups converged on this usually unremarkable spot by Ming Hu.

More than a dozen black figures moved swiftly through the forest like lightning, leaving only faint afterimages. In an instant, they reached the edge of Ming Hu, searching for that presence. The group carefully surrounded an area of several hundred meters around Ming Hu, and a siege began.

After the last enhancement, Rod’s six senses were now extremely sharp. He immediately sensed something was wrong, stopped practicing, and stood up abruptly. Holding the Dark Dragon, he watched cautiously around him, feeling more than a dozen faint auras approaching. His heart sank—he knew what was coming had arrived after all. At that moment, the combat energy in his body started moving on its own, and his aura radiated outward unabashedly. Prepared for the worst, he realized he couldn’t overpower those over a dozen people and got ready to break through.