Chapter 254: Sowing Discord

Looking at the Third Elder of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan with sympathy, everyone couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—blame could only fall on him for choosing to be enemies with Rod, for being too confident.
“The Scorpion King Clan, it seems you truly intend to get involved for his sake?” The First Elder asked in a deep voice, tinged with bitterness, his voice somewhat hoarse, clearly under immense pressure as well.
“There’s no other choice!” Lorraine’s reply was simple yet direct—he believed they had to help.
The atmosphere instantly became dreadfully oppressive. With these reinforcements, Rod’s side now numbered over thirty, nearly forty people, while the opposing side was down to just over twenty—showing a huge disparity in numbers.
Moreover, after Rod’s identity was revealed, it was evident that the smaller clans in the opposing camp had begun to withdraw. Now, they had to face the three oldest and most powerful clans within the Dark Source. Those three clans were not ones they could afford to offend, let alone offend all at once.
If they had known Rod’s identity and how things would turn out, they surely wouldn’t have been lured by the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan. Even if forced, they wouldn’t have joined this mission. If given the chance now, they would immediately flee this place, stay as far away from this trouble as possible.
There was unrest among them, with members growing impatient. Even the Mi Jiao Clan and the pro-war faction felt uneasy, looking at the opponents—especially Rod—with complex expressions. Finally, they saw Rod’s true nature. If he really was such a person, perhaps the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan truly lacked the strength to deal with him. No wonder they lost so miserably.
On the other side, Zi Yang’s face turned pale and green alternately as he glared fiercely at Rod. A hint of regret flashed in his eyes—why hadn’t they acted sooner? They had already pushed this guy to the brink. Why waste time on him? If they had struck then, Rod would have been dead by the time these people arrived. How could there be so much trouble now?
Suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply as he thought of a possibility—this guy had been playing them, stalling for time. It had to be that. Realizing this, Zi Yang was overcome by a sudden chill, drenched in cold sweat.

With such an opponent around, how could the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan hope to develop or progress? It would be fortunate if they weren’t destroyed by him.
“Heh, Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles, Mi Jiao Clan, the war faction of the Demon Clan, and these small clans—do you really think our Dragon Clan and Black Phoenix Clan have no one? To dare ambush members of our clans… It seems we’ve been absent for too long and forgotten by the world!” At this most tense moment, as the two sides stood frozen in conflict, two elders from the Dragon Clan and Black Phoenix Clan stepped forward, speaking to the opposing side with a cold smile on their faces.
Ambushing and killing members of two clans—there was no apparent reason for this, and such actions violated the rules of the Dark Source. The victimized clans could certainly hold those responsible accountable.
So when these words were spoken, an deathly silence fell over the opposing side.
The Mi Jiao Clan and the war faction might be in a slightly better position—both were enormous clans that weren’t worried about retaliation from the Dragon Clan and Black Phoenix Clan. As long as they stayed united, everything could be negotiated.
Even the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles and Nash Clan remained calm. Having long regarded the Dragon Clan and Black Phoenix Clan as enemies, they had anticipated this day. Since they were mortal enemies, they were prepared for whatever came. Their expressions of indignation showed their determination.
But the smaller clans on the other side were in an uproar. The accusations from those two clans, along with the Scorpion King Clan—these were all powerful clans that could destroy them with a mere gesture. Their words were like thunder out of nowhere, leaving them at a loss.
“However, I believe everyone has many doubts about this matter. Perhaps, before taking action, you didn’t even know what you were doing—only driven by certain people. I’m sure if you knew who your enemies truly are, you’d choose not to participate!” At that moment, Rod stepped forward at just the right time, standing beside the two elders. He smiled at the agitated members of the smaller clans, took a deep breath, and spoke calmly. He was offering them a way out and also giving himself a chance. After all, if these people could be pacified, the remaining enemies wouldn’t be a problem.

“If those who are not involved can leave now, the Dragon Clan and the Black Phoenix Clan will not pursue this matter further. As for those who stay, they will be regarded as our mortal enemies—there will be no peace until one side is destroyed. I give everyone one last chance to make the right choice!” Rod continued, and his words undoubtedly caused a huge stir. It was as if a fish had been thrown into the opposing camp, causing everything to boil and shake. Under Rod’s incitement, those small clans retreated. “Damn it, do you really believe this guy? Will he really let you go? Can he truly represent the Dragon Clan and the Black Phoenix Clan?” The Elder Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle shouted anxiously, sensing the tension among his people. “I guarantee it. Hehe, if you leave now, I promise this matter will be dropped—never pursued again, as if it never happened. In fact, if you wish, we can even become friends! What do you say?” Before anyone could respond, Rod continued. The elders from the Dragon Clan and the Black Phoenix Clan exchanged glances and quickly agreed with Rod, clearly supporting his plan. The goal was obvious to everyone—Rod was trying to buy over the members of those small clans. If he could get them on his side, not only could they help him deal with the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle, but at the very least, they would retreat. The chatter grew louder, and the members of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle and Nash clans looked extremely angry, glaring fiercely at Rod as if they wanted to swallow him whole! The situation was now one-sided. Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle’s seemingly unbreakable camp collapsed instantly under Rod’s words, on the verge of falling apart, leaving his people extremely frustrated. Fortunately, no clan had chosen to leave yet! As long as this situation persisted, everything would be easier once fighting started. They were eager to provoke a battle between the two sides as soon as possible. “The pro-war faction and the Mi Jiao Clan, I suppose you don’t want to face the three major clans now, right? It seems to bring no benefit to your clans. How about both sides step back? If you leave now, we’ll pretend this never happened and won’t pursue it further. What do you say?” After pondering for a moment, Rod turned to the Mi Jiao Clan and the pro-war faction, noting that although the opposing camp was noisy and full of chatter, no one was retreating.

The fact that no one left in front of them didn’t mean they didn’t want to leave; it was because of the Mi Jiao clan and the Pro-War faction. Once these smaller clans left, not to mention whether the Purple Wing Thunder Eagles would intervene to stop them, even if they didn’t, leaving would surely offend the Pro-War faction and the Mi Jiao clan. Offending these two clans would only bring trouble—why go through such trouble for no reward? Ending up displeasing both sides would be the most tragic outcome.

“Hehe, Rod? My second prince is very interested in you. If you have time, come by more often. You’re most welcome. I’ve offended you greatly today; I’ll definitely come to apologize in person another day. Then we won’t disturb you anymore!” After Rod finished speaking, there was a brief silence. Just when everyone thought no one would speak, someone from the Pro-War faction spoke up. Immediately, all those who had come from the Pro-War faction stood up, ready to leave, not even giving a glance in the direction of the Purple Wing Thunder Eagles.

“Lord Gar, you…” Seeing this, the eldest of the Purple Wing Thunder Eagles became anxious. How could the Pro-War faction of the demon race leave now? Not only would their departure mean losing a powerful ally, but the chain reaction they would cause—once those smaller clans, who were already itching to leave, did so as well, things would get out of control.

“Pro-War faction, do you plan to betray us? Don’t forget that it’s our Mi Jiao clan that’s your ally!” Zi Yang said gloomily, never having felt so frustrated before.

“Threats? Hehe, they’re useless against me. Don’t forget, it’s the Pro-War faction that’s allied with you. We’re just the second prince’s subordinates. Since the second prince hasn’t given orders, we have no reason to act. Besides, the second prince already instructed us that Rod is his friend and his safety must be ensured. Now, I think everyone can see the situation clearly. There’s no need to continue. If you’re dissatisfied, you can complain to the clan leader!” With a cold smile and a disdainful glance at Zi Yang, the leader spoke scornfully.

“Let’s go!” He turned around and shouted loudly. As soon as he spoke, everyone from the Pro-War faction rushed outside and disappeared into the crowd in an instant.

“Let’s go too!”

“And me!”

……

Like a chain reaction, as Rod had predicted, the departure of the Pro-War faction set off a chain reaction. In the next moment, those smaller clans also left quickly.

“You bastards…” Watching one after another leave, those who stayed turned ashen-faced, out of breath, unable to speak, their eyes filled with resentment!