Chapter 168: Aida

“Damn it, what exactly do you want?” Rod asked irritably, looking at the three women ahead and then at Sognar and Lilith beside him. It seemed these two were determined to drive him to despair today.
“Hehe, nothing much—just taking a walk. Really, you miss such a great opportunity. But then again, you must know you have no chance, right? In front of me, Sognar, you’re like a withered flower—completely unremarkable. It’s only natural to feel inferior!” Sognar sneered at Rod, talking arrogantly with a sense of self-importance.
“Well, since you’re so outstanding, I’ll avoid embarrassing myself here. Shall I leave first?” With a sigh, Rod asked Sognar helplessly.
“That won’t do. How can my greatness and brilliance shine without you, this withered flower, as a contrast? You must stay!” Sognar’s shameless behavior left Rod both amused and exasperated.
Lilith found their conversation amusing. Sognar’s audacity was truly remarkable. Even in terms of appearance, Rod was by no means inferior to Sognar—his sharply defined features had a unique charm that sometimes even stirred feelings in Lilith herself.
Under Sognar and Lilith’s coercion, Rod was led to a small lake in the backyard. It was then that Rod realized this seemingly ordinary villa was actually quite large and impressive. Truly befitting a dragon clan and a prominent family—such a villa must have been built with great effort.
“Hehe, Brother Rod, have we met somewhere before?” Suddenly, one of the two princesses ahead turned to ask Rod, her playful smile hiding deeper meanings.
“Well… I’m a familiar face. Everyone thinks I look familiar. You must be mistaken!” Rod replied perfunctorily, tilting his head slightly. He knew full well that the princess was just trying to tease him.
“Really? I feel like we’ve met before. Sister, don’t you think so?” The woman turned to her companion and asked.
It was then that Rod recognized their identities—the woman in white was Princess Eileen, while the one in pale yellow must be Aida. He immediately felt a headache coming on.

Unintentionally sensing Aida’s gaze on him, Rod felt an urge to flee—having his identity exposed and having done such things made it hard to face others; surely anyone would feel embarrassed!
“Alright, Eileen, let’s go for a walk!” Unexpectedly, while Rod was worried and terrified, Aida chose to avoid the topic.
This surprised Rod, Sognar, and the others greatly. Rod secretly felt lucky, while Sognar and Lilith sighed that they wouldn’t get to watch the drama unfold. Yet all three wondered if things would end so simply—not to mention that a woman surely wouldn’t let this go so easily, and even Aida’s attitude raised doubts!
Was she trying to resolve this privately or something? It was hard to figure out.
Following behind the group, though the crisis had passed, Rod still felt uneasy, unable to express his distress.
Time seemed to drag as the women ahead chatted and laughed, seemingly ignoring and forgetting what had happened earlier, acting as if nothing had happened.
Sognar, who valued women over friends, had already left Rod behind and rushed to flatter the two princesses ahead. But it seemed his efforts went unmet; they paid him no attention. Still, Sognar seemed to have endless energy, his obsequious attitude unwavering.
Watching this, Rod could only force a bitter smile. Fortunately, Lucy still had some conscience, coming over from time to time to talk to him, preventing him from feeling too bored or depressed.
After what felt like an eternity, Rod finally heard words that sounded like music to him—the group was ready to head back.
Rod would have agreed to this proposal with both hands. He didn’t want to stay in this place for another moment, only wishing to leave this troublesome place and those annoying people as soon as possible.
Leaving the lake, the group entered the backyard of the mansion. Including Rod, everyone was settled there to rest. Sognar and Lilith shamelessly stayed too. Thankfully, the place was large enough with plenty of rooms. Seeing Sognar’s smug smile, Rod felt deep disdain. When had this guy become so lustful? Could it be that spending a thousand years in the Void Space had disrupted his hormones?

Without lingering any longer, Rod returned to his room as if fleeing. Only then did he feel relieved. Today could be considered a close call—both with the Scorpion King clan and the two princesses. He wasn’t sure whether it was a sudden surge in his own luck or if greater challenges awaited him to explore and face. But for now, the situation being stable was the only thing worth being grateful for. For some reason, he felt slightly irritable. Resting was out of the question, so he simply sat in seiza position and began cultivating! As he felt the three elements of heaven and earth flowing into his body, Rod’s inner anguish remained unknown to anyone but him. The combat energy within him grew increasingly strange, harder to understand, and this time bomb became more terrifying by the day—possibly capable of sending him to the other side without anyone needing to act. With a grim expression, he had no immediate solution. Fortunately, so far, he hadn’t noticed any effects of this combat energy on him. After 36 cycles, feeling his body filled with energy, he stopped. The initial stage of the divine realm was still a long way from the intermediate stage. He had to reach that level as quickly as possible within half a year. To achieve such progress in half a year, Rod knew it was impossible to stay in Dark Moon City or among the dragon clan. He needed to train harder—only through trials of life and death could he make rapid progress and have a chance of achieving this goal within half a year. He resolved firmly that after dealing with this matter, he would find a place suitable for cultivation. Once he reached that level in half a year, he would visit the Scorpion King clan and then set off for the Thousand Abysses. If possible, all of this had to be accomplished within a year! Time was running out, and the tasks were daunting. Rod felt the burden on his shoulders heavier than ever. He wondered what Nightingale and the others were doing at that moment. Two years of trials of iron and blood might have changed them greatly. He wasn’t sure if he would recognize them when they met again, nor when or under what circumstances it would happen.

“Knock, knock, knock…” A series of knocks pulled Rod’s thoughts back to reality, causing him to frown slightly. It was deep at night—who could possibly come to his room at this hour? What could be the matter? Rod’s first thought was of that vile guy, Sognar. Remembering how he had treated him that day, he felt a surge of hatred and regretted not giving that scoundrel a proper lesson during their confrontation earlier.

Impatiently, he went to open the door. “I mean, will you ever stop? It’s so late—what could possibly be—” His words suddenly stopped as his eyes widened in disbelief and shock, his expression changing drastically.

Standing in front of his door wasn’t Sognar, nor Lilith, nor anyone else—it was Ada. Yes, it was indeed Ada, dressed in a long gown of goose yellow. She had come to see him?

What good could come from her visiting at this time? Could it be to take revenge? Had she deliberately avoided the topic earlier just to take advantage of the situation now? Panicked, Rod’s scalp tingled. “Cough, cough… Um… Princess Ada, do… do you have something on your mind? Look, it’s so late. Shouldn’t we talk about it tomorrow?”

“Why? Don’t you want me to come in and sit? Standing here at this hour could easily lead to misunderstandings. How will you explain that then? That you’ve held me here against my will, or that I’ve come under your threat?” Ada said calmly, smiling faintly at Rod, before stepping straight into the room through the gap beside him, despite his stunned gaze.

Her words were too harsh. No matter what, it would seem like he was at fault. How could he face anyone else if they found out? With a grim expression, he quickly checked around to ensure no one was around before closing the door. Looking at Princess Ada, who was sitting leisurely at his desk, he couldn’t figure out what she was up to.

“Heh, are you afraid others might misunderstand you?” Ada said slowly, looking at Rod.

“No… It’s just not right for a girl like you to come to my room at this late hour. I don’t mind, but I’m worried it might harm your reputation!”

“It doesn’t matter. Everyone will think you held me here. I’m more concerned about what kind of trouble you might get into. Heh, it must be terrifying.”

His expression changed drastically as he cursed under his breath, calling her a fox spirit. Rod frowned at the guy and said, “What exactly is the matter? I think you can tell us now. We’re all sensible people; there’s no need to hide anything.” Not wanting to continue arguing, he realized that dealing with this guy would bring him no benefits and only cause trouble.

“Alright, then I won’t beat around the bush. I certainly didn’t come here this late to watch your sleeping habits or because I’m lonely and looking for someone to talk to. I’m here to tell you two things!” His gaze shifted, and he dropped his previous playful demeanor as Aida spoke calmly.