Chapter 236: Victory

A thousand years in a single dream, a dream spanning a thousand years—time had passed incredibly long, as distant as a thousand years, yet as eternal as ten thousand.
The cave remained pitch black; all that could be seen was the black hole floating in midair, emitting an overwhelming dark light that devoured everything between heaven and earth.
Whispers gradually arose and quickly spread, reaching every corner in no time. Another match had already ended by now, so everyone naturally turned their attention here. Even the two who had finished their match stayed behind, waiting for the final result.
The noise grew louder—imagine the noise of five hundred thousand people. Finally, even the judges could hold back no longer. At the urging of the spectators and with the signal from the Lord of Wuyou City, they decided to go in and take a look.
But suddenly, as they prepared to investigate, they saw a figure trembling on its feet! In the darkness, no one could tell who it was—was it Rod or Duan Tianren? No one dared speak; they could only pray and grow anxious.
The sky gradually darkened, and dim light shone down. Only then could people clearly see that figure!
“Rod…” someone exclaimed in shock.
Boom! The entire arena erupted in cheers and excitement. Applause rang out nonstop, with shouts reaching the heavens and shaking the world.
“It’s Rod! It’s him—he’s standing up!”
“Where’s Duan Tianren? Where is he?” Seeing Rod, some people began to worry about Duan Tianren.
“Duan Tianren! Duan Tianren!” Cheers spread everywhere. A hero remains a hero, deserving recognition and respect. People hoped to see him as well.
Yet, he remained nowhere in sight.
Finally, the barrier dissipated, and over a dozen figures rushed into the ruins at once.
Ten figures headed toward the black hole, while the others watched in tense silence. As soon as those ten figures reached the edge of the black hole, they saw several mages quickly chanting spells, casting seals and firing spells at it. The warriors, too, exerted all their strength to channel their combat energy toward the black hole.
These people intended to seal the black hole. But where were Rod and Duan Tianren?
Who had won? Rod? Or Duan Tianren?

Seeing Rod stand up, what about Duan Tianren? Had he simply given up? People couldn’t help but worry. At that moment, everyone instinctively stood up and looked down at the stage. Light shone into the deep hole, revealing a scene that left everyone stunned, speechless. Rod stood there, struggling, his Dark Dragon sword seeming dim and lifeless. The tip of the sword pointed at Duan Tianren, who lay on the ground, breathing heavily. He remained calm, staring blankly at the sky, at Rod, without any emotional reaction. Rod’s body swayed, but a faint smile could still be seen on his lips. He had won—Rod had triumphed! With a roar, Rod advanced to the finals once again; he had truly succeeded in securing a spot. disbelief, shock, astonishment—every emotion was present, yet their eyes were fixed only on that exhausted figure. “I won!” Rod said with a harmless smile, looking at Duan Tianren, who smiled back at him. “You won!” Duan Tianren agreed wholeheartedly; he accepted his defeat. The two exchanged a knowing smile. Knight Rod won this match! The referee announced the result just in time, though it seemed unnecessary. Applause erupted, and cheers spread throughout Wuyou City as everyone generously offered their applause, cheers, and blessings. No match had ever received such recognition or respect—even the referee who announced the result felt honored and pleased. New talents emerge from time to time; this time, he witnessed a new star rising. Perhaps he would become the cornerstone of the future Dark Source! No one complained or cursed; there was only heartfelt acceptance. Even those who had placed bets on Duan Tianren, having lost, showed no resentment, only acceptance. This battle of souls, a battle that made souls tremble, had convinced them, leaving them without regrets. With the referee’s announcement, Rod finally collapsed, falling unconscious, and all the cheering ceased. “This kid…” Duan Tianren murmured, looking at Rod lying on top of him with a bitter smile.

He couldn’t stand on his own, but he knew Rod’s injuries were far worse than his own. Though he was slightly stronger, he was able to win thanks to his willpower, forcing himself to ignore the excruciating pain. Victory was all that mattered in his eyes, so in the end, he miraculously stood up and came to his side.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t stand, but that he knew the consequences of doing so—his injuries would worsen, even worse… Looking at Rod, he couldn’t help but feel some concern, along with admiration. Such a young man—victory belonged to him; he wouldn’t tarnish his reputation.

Only he and Rod knew this secret. This match was actually a draw; the final “victory” was merely an illusion. What people saw wasn’t always the truth!

“Rod!” Several figures rushed down from the stage and rushed to Rod’s side, shouting in alarm.

“He’s badly injured. We need to heal him quickly!” Duan Tianren reminded them at the right moment.

“Thank you,” Melon said solemnly after looking at Duan Tianren deeply. He had noticed something.

Carefully lifting the unconscious Rod, he saw a faint, peaceful smile on his lips, filling his heart with complexity. Was it worth it? Was all this worth it? Even sacrificing one’s life?

Internal organs displaced, bones misaligned, covered in wounds—losing most of one’s life—was it really worth it? Perhaps this was the heart of a true warrior, the most terrifying aspect of him.

Walking with slightly hunched shoulders, Melon was lost in thought.

The applause didn’t stop for a long time, continuing until Rod was taken away from the arena by Melon, and even after Duan Tianren was also taken out, the enthusiastic, heartfelt blessings persisted.

This match could definitely be recorded in the annals of the Dark Source—it would surely leave a glorious mark in history.

…

The world seemed utterly dark. He didn’t know how long he had been asleep. Everything around him was pitch black, some parts unfamiliar, some familiar.

Back in the sea of consciousness, Rod couldn’t help but groan. It seemed his injuries this time were indeed severe. How much had he sacrificed for that final strike? He knew well that if Duan Tianren had truly wanted to win, he wouldn’t have had a chance—at least his injuries had been much less severe back then.

A red light flashed in the darkness as Fen Tian appeared beside him. As his beast soul, he could appear in any situation, any moment.

By this time, Fen Tian had grown significantly after its last sleep, its massive body stretching dozens of feet long and exuding great power. Its formidable aura surprised even itself—it had evolved directly to the mid-stage divine level during this sleep, overcoming several obstacles at once! Upon learning this, Rod was overjoyed. Upon closer inspection, Fen Tian had also undergone significant changes; its five claws had turned into saving claws, the most obvious difference. Looking closely, fine silver-white and black threads could be seen within its originally fire-red body, creating a stunning appearance. Not understanding what was going on, Rod decided to put aside these thoughts for now. After emerging, Fen Tian joyfully circled around Rod, filled with excitement. Suddenly, Rod felt a disturbance in his mental energy—the familiar aura appeared once again! Xuan Yuan! That long-absent presence reappeared. This time, Rod was surprised to see a form—a simple, long sword with a transparent appearance, floating in front of him. “Have you taken shape?” he asked, swallowing hard in surprise. “Almost. As long as you break through the divine threshold, I might be able to fully take shape and leave your body!” came the buzzing voice from the transparent sword. After a moment of silence, Rod felt mixed emotions. At this point, he felt reluctant to let it leave his body—what about its future? Would it truly leave? “We have a contract. Don’t worry, I won’t leave you. To fully take shape, I still need some materials. You’ll need to prepare!” said the spirit of Xuan Yuan’s sword, as if reading Rod’s thoughts. This made Rod feel ashamed, almost overcome by selfishness. “What kind of materials?” “The core of a good sword. I will merge my soul and spirit into it and evolve it into the Sacred Sword Xuan Yuan. Also, we need a place with sufficient spiritual energy to do this.” “A good sword? What are the requirements?” “Ideally, a sword with a sword spirit. If the sword spirit perishes, that core would be perfect!” “Understood!” Rod agreed, frowning slightly. Although it was challenging, it shouldn’t be a problem. “Be careful of the Dark Dragon around you. It’s evil. Do you want to help it break its seal? It’s dangerous. Think for yourself!” After a long silence, the sword spirit gave its instructions. “Got it!” The man and the sword exchanged words in a somewhat peculiar but harmonious manner.

Luo De felt that Xuan Yuan had changed. He no longer relied on him, had become mature, and his words now carried a complexity that even Luo De found hard to decipher. These observations inevitably filled him with a sense of loss and sadness. Once, they had been the best partners who shared hardships together! But now…