Chapter 238: Recovery

“How is it? Is it still not working?” In a daze, Rod heard Lilith’s worried voice.

“No, it’s not working!” He heard Ada’s voice, tinged with tears.

There was also Sognar’s questioning voice.

It seemed distant, yet at the same time right by his ear. The farthest and closest distances merged at this moment, indistinguishable from each other, like a thin line on the horizon.

Hearing these words related to himself, Rod felt warmth in his heart, as if bathed in spring sunlight, feeling utterly relaxed.

His combat energy had been sorted out by now and returned to calm. Perhaps this could be considered a blessing in disguise—not only had his combat energy been integrated, but it also dispelled Rod’s concerns. Once integrated, it was extremely stable and unlikely to cause any trouble unless something extraordinary happened.

More importantly, Rod felt that after that life-or-death battle, coupled with the effect of that gentle energy, his strength had improved significantly. He was just one step away from reaching the ultimate divine realm. With a little more effort, he could achieve this level. All these feelings were so wonderful that it felt like a dream, filling him with secret joy.

“No, I need to go back!” At this moment, Lilith’s cool voice became clearer to Rod. It seemed she had thought of something, clearly worried about her own matters. With such friends, what more could he ask for?

“I’ll go with you!” came Sognar’s voice, firm and resolute.

“You stay behind to protect Rod!” Lilith firmly rejected Sognar’s idea.

Amid their conversation, Rod gradually regained control over his body, emerging from his mental sea and returning to his physical form.

That long-lost sense of control returned. He knew he had to recover quickly, otherwise Lilith might do something unpredictable—something that wouldn’t end well for the dragon race.

“Brother Rod is moving!” As the two argued, Ada’s words silenced the room.

“Really!”

“I want to see!”
Lilith and Sognar rushed over eagerly. Upon checking, they found that neither Melon nor Rubio was there today, and Eirwen was also nowhere to be seen. Only the three of them were present.

To their disappointment, they saw no signs of Rod moving at all. They thought Ada must have been mistaken due to her concern.

Actually not. Just in that moment, Rod’s fingers did move slightly. Perhaps because he hadn’t controlled them for so long, he felt somewhat unaccustomed to his own body—his whole body seemed locked, unable to move an inch. It took him all his strength to barely manage to move his fingers a little.

“No, I really didn’t missee it. It’s true!” Sensing Lilith and Sognar’s doubt, Aida said urgently.

“Take another look!” Lilith remained calmer.

For a while, Rod was watched intently by those people like a rare treasure, and he could clearly feel their gazes.

Finally, after a moment, his palm moved slightly—a tiny movement that they all saw clearly.

“He really moved! Haha, this kid! I knew he wouldn’t die so easily!” Sognar laughed out loud.

“Be quiet! Doesn’t he seem seriously injured?” But Lilith immediately dampened their enthusiasm.

“Seriously injured? I think he’s not much worse off than me!” Sognar pouted innocently, though he didn’t dare argue in front of Lilith—clearly, Lilith had left a deep impression on him, enough to make someone like him tremble.

Eventually, the familiar sensation grew stronger, and Rod slowly opened his eyes. The bright light was so harsh that he couldn’t help blinking, taking a long time to adjust.

All of this was observed by those people, who waited patiently, filled with excitement and smiles on their faces.

“Li Xuan Dan—truly one of the three great sacred medicines!” Lilith murmured in admiration.

Although the effect of Li Xuan Dan took a bit longer to show, it eventually worked. What would these people think if they knew that Rod had used it to merge his abnormal fighting energy? Would they be angry at his lack of effort, or condemn him as a tyrant? At least someone like Sognar would go crazy.

Adapting to any environment, they eagerly gathered around Rod, staring at him like exotic animals.

“Brother Rod, are… are you okay?” Aida asked uncertainly. Rod’s confused gaze made her worry.

“Kid, are you dead? Say something!” Sognar boasted arrogantly.

“Sognar, get lost! Rod, ignore him. You don’t know who’s most worried about you!” Lilith said with a smile—finally showing a smile for the first time in days.

“I’m hungry!”

A sentence that would shock everyone suddenly came out of Rod’s mouth at just the right moment, leaving the others stunned, as if they were looking at a monster.
“I’ll go prepare some food for you!” Aida said hurriedly, then rushed outside, filled with excitement and happiness. As long as Rod woke up, everything else didn’t matter.
“Damn you, you idiot! Can you only think about eating? Well, and sleeping. Do you even know how much time has passed? You bastard!” Sognar finally lost his temper and cursed.
“Well, I can also make money. I remember someone promised to give me a threefold profit. How about that?” Rod said, looking at Sognar with a smirk.
Silence fell instantly. Only Lilith could help but smile bitterly—these two were truly… a pair of clowns.
“You… you… I have to go! I have things to do!” After a moment of stiffness, Sognar fled in panic, wanting to leave this damned place and get away from this evil guy! Want his money? Was that not asking for his life? It was outrageous—asking about this right after waking up. Was there any justice in this?
“Give it to me first!” A voice behind him made him almost fall over in shock.
“Damn you, how dare you! I’ve been worried nonstop these past few days while you were unconscious. I even found lots of good things to nourish you. Now that the money’s gone, if you don’t give it, I’ll take your life!” Sognar gave up pretending and declared to Rod with defiance.
“Alright, you two, stop arguing. Let’s talk about this in a few days!” Lilith’s words made Sognar think he’d met the wrong person. Wasn’t this just a way to wait until Rod recovered and then work together to demand repayment? Sognar began considering whether to go somewhere to hide for a while.
“How long was I asleep?” Rod asked, coming back to his senses.
“Six days!” Lilith replied with a sigh.
“Damn, what about the finals?”
“How dare you ask! Zi Yang from the Purple Wing Thunder Eagle is now very famous. Since you were injured, I let you withdraw. Now that guy Zi Yang is the champion, living in glory!”
“What a shame!” It was indeed a pity, and Rod felt somewhat disappointed.
“It’s okay. Isn’t the most important thing already achieved?” Lilith comforted him.
“That’s true!” Rod nodded thoughtfully.

“Alright, you should rest and recover first! The Netherworld will open in three months, and you need to prepare well! By the way, that Duan Tianren has come by several times these past days, saying he wanted to see you, but Sognar sent him away each time. What do you think…” Thinking of Duan Tianren’s repeated visits, Lilith sought Rod’s opinion. Originally, since Rod wasn’t awake, she wouldn’t have agreed, but now that he was awake, she needed to listen to his thoughts. After all, Duan Tianren seemed like a decent person, quite pleasant to look at, and she didn’t dislike him at all.
“If he comes again, let him in. I’d like to meet him too!” Rod still felt emotional when thinking of Duan Tianren.
Soon, Lilith and Sognar left the room, leaving Rod alone. Gazing at the sunlight outside, he felt a surge of joy—life felt wonderful. He had learned a lot from this confrontation, which left a deep impression on him. As Lilith said, he had ultimately secured a spot, fulfilling his mission. He really owed a lot to Duan Tianren for that.
…
The news that Rod had regained consciousness spread quickly throughout the mansion. Melon, Rubio, and even Eileen came to check on him, with Melon expressing deep admiration.
As time passed, night fell. Lying quietly in bed, feeling the onset of darkness, he realized he hadn’t enjoyed such a peaceful day in a long time.
Duan Tianren arrived as promised the next day! This time, surprisingly, he wasn’t rejected. Instead, guided by Sognar, he entered Rod’s room.
Rod’s injuries had healed remarkably well, far beyond everyone’s expectations. After a night of rest, he was full of energy, with no signs of having been on the brink of death! He could walk independently, aside from a slight sense of weakness, he appeared just like any other person.
“Hehe, I’m glad everything’s fine now. That puts my mind at ease!” Duan Tianren said with emotion upon seeing Rod.
There were only the two of them in the room, enjoying the view of the lake outside, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
“I thank you for being lenient this time,” Rod said after a moment of thought.
“Nonsense! Everything you have was earned through your own strength. There’s no such thing as me being lenient!” Duan Tianren waved his hand dismissively, showing great generosity—this was what Rod admired most about him.
“I’ll remember this favor.”
“As you wish. I don’t mind having one more person owe me a favor, especially someone with such a bright future as you!” Duan Tianren was surprisingly unreserved.
“Hahaha…” The two exchanged glances and burst into laughter simultaneously.

Next, the two had a casual conversation, mainly about kendo and martial arts. There was a sense of regret for not meeting earlier, and they got along extremely well, as if they had finally found a true friend after countless attempts. They exchanged polite compliments, offering each other their highest praise. The morning passed quietly.

“You’re awake. I have to go now. If fate allows, we’ll meet again. But I think we’ll see each other soon. Your kendo is quite good; sooner or later, you’ll be better than me. Heh, enough nonsense. Be careful on your trip to the Nether Realm in three months, especially beware of those from the pro-war faction!” Seeing that it was getting late, Duan Tianren said he had to head back to Water Curtain City that day and bid farewell, giving serious warnings, clearly already considering Rod his best friend.

“Mm, I know. I’ll visit Water Curtain City if I get the chance. Heh, I’ll definitely seek you out to spar when we meet again.” After standing up to exchange pleasantries, Rod sighed, reflecting on how it’s easy to find many people but hard to find a true friend, feeling quite reluctant at parting.