Chapter 165: Trouble Finally Arrives

“You… you guys…” After being talked at by the two bald men, the two elders of the Black Phoenix clan turned red in the face and were too furious to speak. Fight against those two? Only a madman would do such a thing! Even those supreme beings probably wouldn’t want to. Everyone in the Source of Darkness knew that these two were like sticky stickers—once attached, they couldn’t be shaken off. Losing and getting beaten up was one thing, but winning brought even more trouble. If you defeated them once, they would come after you again and again… until you were bruised and battered. Their reputation for being relentless was well-known. They were persistent, extremely strong, and took pride in their dignity, refusing to suffer any loss. Most importantly, they always attacked together. Who would want to fight against two such people?

Within the Source of Darkness, they were pure evil. Many powerful warriors had suffered at their hands. Those targeted could only sigh in misfortune. It was even said that several powerful warriors, despite defeating them in the end, were harassed endlessly afterward—challenged repeatedly, able to find them no matter where they hid. Some eventually pretended to lose to let them vent their anger, while others hid in the deep forests, afraid to show up again. This showed just how dangerous they were. Fighting against them was nothing short of seeking death.

The elder of the Demon clan and the grand elder of the Dragon clan watched the two Black Phoenix elders suffer in silence, struggling to hold back their laughter, almost pounding their chests in frustration.

“Cough, cough… Um, I mean, you two are both senior figures. This young Rod is just a junior. He didn’t offend you, did he? Give us face this time, how about that? We’ll give whatever compensation you ask for. The moment you two start fighting, you’ll use your Scorpion King clan’s signature skill—space sealing. How can that kid withstand it?” After a while, the Dragon clan’s grand elder finally stepped in as a peacemaker, speaking with a pained expression.

“Old man, what? Do you want to fight? What do we two brothers lack? We’re going to take this kid today. No one should say any more nonsense. Otherwise, don’t blame us for being ruthless. This kid couldn’t even be killed by the God-Annihilating Thunder Tribulation—how can he be considered a junior? Are you sure you can avoid that tribulation? I bet you’ll all end up smashed to pieces when you face it. Who knows what tricks he has? If we don’t seal space, he might even escape!” With a smirk, the two bald men refused to show any respect at all.

His words once again created an extremely awkward situation. The group was too angry to speak, filled with frustration, while the two bald men appeared carefree and self-satisfied! The rest remained expressionless, unable to say a word. After all, Rod was truly extraordinary—they didn’t dare attempt the God-Annihilating Thunder Tribulation. Being reduced to rubble was still a relatively mild outcome; having one’s soul scattered and never being able to be reborn was the most terrifying fate.

At this moment, Rod, who was under control, inwardly groaned in pain. The space around him had been sealed—no wonder he couldn’t move earlier. His heart grew even more bitter. He wondered where he had offended these two. Could it be because he had escaped the God-Annihilating Thunder Tribulation? That was too unfair!

“Hmph. Two seniors, Rod is our brother. We can’t take him away today. If there’s anything to discuss, let’s do it here. He seems to have no enmity toward your Scorpion King clan. Why push him so hard?” Unexpectedly, Sognar and Lilith stepped forward to help Rod.

This moved Rod deeply. In critical moments, it was still these two who could be relied on. He resolved in his heart that after this, he must give them something good as a thank you.

“Hmm? Two descendants of the dragon clan—quite strong. These two kids have progressed fast; they should be able to rank among the top ten of their generation. The dragon clan truly produces many talents. Not bad, not bad. What, do you want to compete with us old guys?” Their eyes narrowed slightly as the two bald men turned their gaze toward Lilith and Sognar and asked.

“Seniors… Brother Rod… Can’t you just ask whatever you want here? He has no grudges against you. Could you show mercy for the sake of our Black Phoenix clan?” Lucy also stepped forward to plead for Rod, inwardly groaning. She knew that Rod had killed an elder from the Red Scorpion clan. Although the Red Scorpions were merely vassals of the Scorpion King clan, they were closely related by blood. Could these two be here because of that?

“Wow, the young man is quite good, and this girl too—she must be the little princess of the Black Phoenix clan. She’s quite beautiful and seems to have quite a lot of luck in love! Girl, it’s not that we don’t want to give you face, but we can’t discuss this here!” The two old men were rather polite toward Lucy, without threats or anger, speaking in a friendly tone.

“As for having no grudges, only this kid knows about it. Everyone knows about the Red Scorpions, our close kin from the Scorpion King clan, and the nature of our relationship goes without saying. But not long ago, an elder from the Red Scorpions was brutally killed by the Ming Lake. Maybe everyone isn’t aware of this!” The two bald men said, looking at Rod with a smirk.

As soon as they finished speaking, Rod and Lucy’s expressions instantly changed. They felt a sense of dread, realizing trouble had finally arrived—the matter had been discovered. They hadn’t expected the Scorpion King clan to get news so quickly. Realizing things couldn’t be resolved peacefully, Rod secretly began to mobilize his combat energy, preparing to fight at any moment.

The rest of the people also looked grim. They were all smart enough to understand the implications, and their gazes toward Rod became even more strange. This kid really had caused quite a stir. It seemed trouble was coming again. Everyone knew well the relationship between the Red Scorpions and the Scorpion King clan—they were practically brothers. Although the Red Scorpions were far weaker, lagging behind the Scorpion King clan by a huge margin, the Scorpion King clan had never neglected their feelings. Now that one of their elders had been killed, things were complicated.

“Hehe, young man, do you have anything else to say? Don’t rush to act. We’ve sealed off the space around you, so you can’t use your strength! We don’t have any ill intentions; we just want to talk to you. There’s no need to kill you now, nor will we rush. After all, you’re a Purple Star VIP of the Trading Hall!”

“And this girl has a good relationship with the Dragon clan. With them around, you won’t die!” the two bald men said, amused, noticing Rod’s movements.

“Elders, it was I who killed that Red Scorpion elder. I admit it, but he attacked me first, so I had no choice but to defend myself. I did this alone—take it out on me!” Rod said with a bitter smile. It was useless to deny it now; he only hoped Lucy wouldn’t get involved!

“I was there too. Brother Rod was forced to fight back—I can prove it! And at that time, Brother Rod was only at the early stage of quasi-divine level. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to confront a divine-level warrior. You all know the gap between them. Brother Rod killing that elder was just luck!” Before Rod could finish speaking, Lucy stepped forward to testify, causing him headaches. He had been trying hard to get this guy out of trouble, but now she rushed in herself!

Lucy’s words left everyone around her stunned for a moment, followed by gasps of shock—how could a warrior at the early stage of the quasi-divine level kill a strong opponent at the early divine level passively, seemingly without suffering any harm? It was unbelievable.
Rod’s gaze was even more peculiar; this kid seemed capable of bringing surprises and surprises to everyone constantly.
“It’s fine. We won’t deal with that little girl. Don’t worry, this has nothing to do with her. We two old men aren’t fools!”
Waving their hands, the two elders of the Scorpion King clan weren’t unreasonable.
“Alright, Brother Sognar, Lilith. I did this, so I’ll take responsibility. If anything happens, I’ll bear it. You don’t need to worry. Since those two elders said they won’t kill me, they won’t. They won’t deceive us. Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon!” With a sigh, he turned to Sognar and Lilith, then turned to everyone else. “Thank you all for today. I, Rod, owe you a favor!” After all, everyone had helped him before, though they hadn’t succeeded.
The spatial restriction on his body had been lifted somehow, and he walked over to Lucy, reaching out to touch her face. “Wait for me. I’ll be back soon! Smile!”
Then he resolutely turned to the two bald men. “Let’s go. Each person must take responsibility for their own actions!” He didn’t give those behind him any time or chance to dissuade him.
“Good. I like the kid’s attitude. You old guys and that little girl, don’t worry. We’ll bring back an unharmed guy!” With a laugh, seemingly satisfied with Rod’s behavior, they patted his shoulder and made the promise.
This promise eased everyone’s worries a bit. Although their reputations weren’t great, their credibility was trustworthy. Since they had said so, there should be no problem.
Nodding and glancing at the group, Rod left the mansion under everyone’s gaze, leaving behind a pile of sighs and concerns.
“Well, now that the two old guys from the Scorpion King clan have left, it’s time for us to get on with our own business. Don’t worry; those two old guys won’t break their word. We’ll just wait for that kid to return!” Sensing the strange atmosphere in the courtyard, the Dragon Clan’s Grand Elder spoke to the group. And amidst sighs, what should have been a lively meeting became somewhat desolate and gloomy.