Chapter 255: Killing

“The tree falls, and the monkeys scatter”—this has always been an eternal truth. In the blink of an eye, fewer than twenty people remained by Zi Yi Lei Ying’s side. Of those, only seventeen could still fight, seven of whom were members of the Mi Jiao clan. The rest were just Zi Yi Lei Ying and the Nash family; the rest had chosen to leave.

The arrival of the Dragon clan, the Black Phoenix clan, and the Scorpion King clan completely disrupted the situation. Since they promised not to pursue those who left, those people were naturally happy about it. It was pitiful for Zi Yi Lei Ying and the Nash family—just look at their darkened faces to see their fury.

Tension was already rising, and the noise from the slopes on both sides only added fuel to the fire, making their situation even worse.

“Damn it! Those who want to leave, go now! I won’t stop you. From now on, have nothing to do with my Zi Yi Lei Ying clan!” Zi Yang roared fiercely at the agitated primitive people on the slopes. At present, his status within the Zi Yi Lei Ying clan was no less than that of the Grand Elder, granting him considerable power.

Most of the people on the slopes belonged to the Zi Yi Lei Ying clan and the Nash family. His words were undoubtedly a warning to those with selfish motives—leaving would mean being expelled from the clan, the greatest punishment possible.

“Heh, Mi Jiao clan, do you still plan to keep helping?” Sogna sneered, looking at the only foreign clan left in the area—the Mi Jiao clan.

With grim faces, they glanced at Rod and his group on the opposite side and then at Zi Yi Lei Ying’s group beside them. The members of the Mi Jiao clan looked extremely displeased. Who would have expected such an outcome?

They resented Zi Yi Lei Ying for being unfixable and hated that their plan had such a critical flaw. Didn’t they understand what this mission meant? They also resented those who left—selfish and opportunistic, abandoning their duties at such a critical moment!

Did they really think leaving would solve everything? Did they really think nothing would happen? Didn’t they realize that today’s action had shattered the existing order, and a storm was coming? Could they really stay safe?

Their eyes flickered as they stared at the overwhelming advantage of their opponents. After a long silence, they finally took a deep breath and asked, “Are you really going to let it go?”

“Yes! As long as we leave, let’s pretend everything that happened before never occurred!” Rod answered quickly, deciding to send these people away first. After all, their goal this time was merely the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle. Using them as a warning was enough. Facing so many forces at once wasn’t a good idea—many ants can still kill an elephant.
“You… do you, the Mi Jiao clan, also plan to withdraw?” The Great Elder of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle couldn’t help but roar in anger, staring at a few members of the Mi Jiao clan beside him and asking in a deep voice.
“Sorry, as you can see the situation here, heh… please forgive our Mi Jiao clan for being powerless!” With a sigh, the leader of the Mi Jiao clan glanced back at the rest of his clan members, waved his hand, and left this troubled place as quickly as possible.
Suddenly, only ten members of the opposing side remained. The situation had completely turned in their favor. Rod and his group had gone from being in extreme danger to holding an absolute advantage in just a short time, with such a dramatic change taking place.
“Hmph, Knight Rod, what exactly do you want?” With a wave of his sleeve and a cold snort, the Great Elder of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle asked sternly, looking at the current situation.
“There are many things—once you choose to do them, you must consider the consequences. If you choose to act, you must be ready to bear those consequences! Since you chose to kill me, you should also be prepared for the consequences of failure, right?” Rod said without sparing any face for those who remained.
The two sides already harbored deep hatred that could never be resolved. Even if they were let go today, they wouldn’t just leave quickly; instead, they would intensify their efforts to get revenge in the future. Being kind to enemies meant being cruel to oneself—especially enemies like these. How could Rod let them go so easily? If he had the chance, he would surely deal with them thoroughly, preferably preventing them from targeting him again in the future.
“Good… very good. It seems we misjudged you, heh… I never expected… I never expected that our Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle clan would end up like this, defeated by just one person. I admit I underestimated you before!” With a bitter laugh born of anger, the Great Elder said.
Looking back at his clan members and those from the Nash clan who followed him, their furious expressions filled him with sorrow.
“Ziyang, lead the team to break through. You must stay safe and report back to the clan accurately!” Taking a deep breath, he turned to Ziyang and said.

“Elder…” Zi Yang grew anxious. Couldn’t he tell the resolute tone in the Elder’s voice? He was leaving instructions for after his death.
“No need for further words. In the name of the Elder, I order you to escort the young clan leader back to the clan. My group will hold off the enemy for you for a while—do not disappoint my expectations!” The Elder waved his hand, signaling to Zi Yang to stop speaking, and then shouted firmly.
“Understood!” With his eyes flickering, Zi Yang glared fiercely at Rod before turning and rushing up the hillside.
“Stop him! Thinking you can leave easily? That depends on your ability!” Seeing Zi Yang turn away, Rod shouted at the people behind him.
The young clan leader! Isn’t that Ao Ying? As long as this guy isn’t dead, he won’t rest in peace. He must not be allowed to escape.
With Rod’s furious roar, battle erupted. The Elder’s group fought desperately, while Rod’s group charged forward. The two sides clashed, but in an instant, the situation became one-sided. Rod’s group held a clear advantage. Sognar and Rod were the first to break through and head up the hillside—their target was Ao Ying.
Behind them, screams echoed as members of the Purple Wing Thunder Eagle Clan fell one after another. As for the Nash Clan, Lilith and Melon took care of them all. Together with Rubio, the three of them managed to hold off the Nash Clan’s members completely, proving that the Nash Clan was truly at its wit’s end.
On the hillside, nearly a hundred descendants from both clans also joined the battle with a fearless spirit. They were formidable and almost caused Rod and Sognar trouble. Watching Ao Ying leave with Zi Yang, though anxious, they were helpless surrounded by hundreds of warriors. Despite their significant strength gap, the enemy’s numbers allowed them to block Rod’s pursuit.
“Rod, see you in the Netherworld in two months!” Zi Yang’s angry shout came from afar, tinged with sorrow.
Having only managed to take the young clan leader and a few members away, Zi Yang knew that the outcome of today’s battle would be the destruction of the remaining nearly a hundred members of the Purple Wing Thunder Eagle Clan. From then on, they would be reduced to second- or even third-rate forces, possibly facing a generational gap. Their glory would be over.
“See you in the Netherworld!” How could Rod fail to detect the provocation in those words? With a cold snort, he replied indifferently.

The blockade could no longer hold, so today, Ao Ying and Zi Yang were allowed to leave. But it didn’t matter; he focused all his attention on those Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles around him. These guys, around his own age, were the future of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles. In today’s battle, they would all perish, and it seemed unlikely that the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles would achieve anything great in the future.

Nearly forty members from the three major families, all god-tier powerhouses—such a lineup was truly luxurious and formidable. The battle progressed smoothly, like a seamless flow. Rod and Sognar were covered in blood, and it was unclear how many of their wounded comrades had died; probably eight out of ten. Continuously, more people rushed forward to assist in the fight. Cries of pain echoed incessantly, and the clashing of weapons sounded like a passionate and tragic symphony, depicting the bloodshed of this battle.

From afternoon to evening, the battle finally came to an end. Of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles and Nash Family’s 107 members, only the eldest and third eldest of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles, along with the Nash Family patriarch, remained alive; the rest were all slain here. The stench of blood filled Upper Valley, appearing even more sinister and glaring under the glow of the setting sun. Bodies lay scattered everywhere, as if 104 lives were telling the story of how brutal the battle had been.

On Rod’s side, after the battle, three members of the Scorpion King Clan were seriously injured, and two members of the Dragon Clan died at first, with four more seriously injured. The Black Phoenix Clan lost one member and had one injured. It was a decisive victory, yet a faint sense of solemnity lingered in the air.

By the time the battlefield was cleaned up, night had fallen. The moonlight cast a gloomy shade over the blood-stained Upper Valley. Only after the bodies were cleared did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

“What are Elder Rod’s plans next?” asked Lorraine from the Scorpion King Clan at that moment.

“I’ll go train with the seniors. In two months, we’ll head to the Netherworld of Ice City!” Rod replied in a deep voice, glancing back at Melon with an air of certainty. Melon had once again demonstrated his terrifying strength—Nash the old man was utterly annihilated without a trace, showing just how formidable he was.

“Then we won’t disturb you any longer. With this side settled, I must return to report and handle some other matters!” Seeing that nothing else needed to be done, Lorraine took his leave.

“Hmm, thank you, Brother Lorraine, for your help this time. I, Rod, will remember this favor!”

“You’re too kind. Then we’ll be leaving first!” With that, the members of the Scorpion King clan left first. Soon after, the Dragon clan and the Black Phoenix clan also left the valley. They had to return as soon as possible to deal with and report on today’s events—this was no trivial matter. Although they said they wouldn’t pursue it, it wasn’t that simple in reality. At the very least, the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle needed to be held accountable.