Chapter 260: Unsealing the Dark Dragon

The landscape before him was lush with green mountains and clear waters, stretching out in vast openness with no traces of footprints—evidently, no one had been here for a long time. Seeing this scene, Rod nodded in satisfaction.
This was exactly the place he needed to find. After making up his mind, he immediately unleashed his mental power to envelop everything around him. With his god-tier mental strength, he could now observe everything within a thousand miles.
The location was about dozens of miles away from Melon’s residence, not very far, but it was well-hidden. After checking thoroughly and confirming there were no issues, Rod finally smiled.
What needed to be guarded now were the magical beasts, to prevent them from interfering while he carried out his plans—otherwise, it would be troublesome.
Thinking of this, Rod pondered for a moment, assessed the surroundings, and then used the method he had employed in the Void Space to dig a hole, concealing it well. He then entered it, leaving no trace from above.
Back in the Void Space, he had survived by this method, so it was easy to imagine that even the magical beasts there couldn’t detect his presence, let alone those here.
Sitting in the cave, he took out his Dark Dragon. His expression was complex. Indeed, he had come here today with the intention of helping the Dark Dragon break free from its seal and fully become his possession. Only by lifting that seal could the Dark Dragon return to its peak strength.
Perhaps at this point, the Dark Dragon could rival the ten greatest artifacts of the Source of Darkness, but Rod’s ambitions went beyond that. He wanted a unique, supreme artifact in the world—and all that required was lifting the seal. Once unsealed, the Dark Dragon would truly be the greatest artifact, unmatched by any other weapon.
Touching the Dark Dragon, feeling the turbulent energy from its blood-red blade and the overwhelming fighting and killing intent within, Rod took a deep breath. It seemed the Dark Dragon too sensed the significance of this day, emitting a low, excited hum. After a thousand years of imprisonment, it was finally about to see the light—how could it not be thrilled?
Looking at the weapon that had accompanied him through these years, Rod’s heart was filled with complex emotions. The moment of unsealing was imminent, yet he still had some concerns—fear that the Dark Dragon might grow too powerful, beyond his control.

Although Lilith had told him before, and the Soul of the Xuanyuan Sword had also told him, that he needed to wait until he reached the later stage of the divine level before he could lift the seal on the Dark Dragon, it was precisely because of this that he waited until today, until he reached this level before taking action. But was it really that easy to suppress it? Everything was uncertain.

Putting down the Dark Dragon and letting it lie quietly beside him, Rod closed his eyes, sinking his mental energy into his body, then began to adjust his state and strengthen his combat energy at the later stage of the divine level.

After completing 36 cycles of cultivation, Rod’s state was adjusted to its optimal level. He then sent his mental energy into his dantian, attempting to make contact with the Soul of the Xuanyuan Sword. Rod knew that it was perhaps the only one who could help him now. If even it could offer no advice or assistance, then maybe no one on the entire continent could help him.

“Have you made up your mind? Planning to start the refinement?” Seemingly sensing Rod’s thoughts, the moment Rod’s mental energy entered his dantian, it was drawn into the sea of consciousness, and the phantom of the Soul of the Xuanyuan Sword appeared before him and asked.

It could be felt that the Soul of the Xuanyuan Sword seemed slightly frowning, deep in thought.

“Mm, I’ve made up my mind. Only by lifting the seal and obtaining the Dark Dragon at its peak can I gain more protection when entering the Netherworld!” In other words, it would help him elevate his strength by one level. It was well known that a divine weapon could help its master reach a higher level and maximize their abilities.

“Can you take shape now?” Seemingly thinking of something, Rod asked in a low voice.

“Mm, I just need to find those materials!” The Soul of the Xuanyuan Sword replied in a deep voice, with a hint of excitement. After thousands of years of waiting, today had finally arrived. Rod’s strength had now reached a terrifying level, having surpassed its expectations in just a few years—how could it not be excited?

Over thousands of years, it had met many people, but none of them had given it any hope or opportunity. Yet now, that hope had appeared in Rod. As Rod’s strength grew, the Soul of the Xuanyuan Sword was now able to take shape within his body. Even if it wished, it could form an energy body in the real world. Everything was ready except for one thing—finding a suitable container so that it could begin the fusion process.

“I’ll help you search for it as soon as possible!” After a long silence, Rod spoke in a deep voice. The Dark Dragon beside him might be the best choice—he knew that—but he didn’t want the Soul of the Xuanyuan Sword to be involved! How could the righteous Xuanyuan Sword merge with the evil Dark Dragon? Even if Rod were willing, perhaps the Xuanyuan Sword itself wouldn’t agree. Besides, the Xuanyuan Sword demanded a divine weapon—a weapon without a soul, and the Dark Dragon clearly didn’t meet that criterion. Perhaps the quasi-divine weapon he encountered earlier, the Red Flaming Sword, which lacked a soul, met its requirements.

“No rush. Take your time. I’ve waited for ten thousand years; I don’t mind waiting a little longer!” Xuanyuan seemed quite calm about this matter. Since he had waited so long, he wouldn’t care about a little more time. A precious sword is hard to come by—he understood that well.

He just didn’t mention that the Heartbreaking Sword given to Rod by the war faction’s second prince might have been another option. Its soul had disappeared, leaving only an empty shell; otherwise, it would surely have been a divine weapon on par with the Dark Dragon.

“What should I be careful about when lifting the seal?” Rod asked after a long silence.

“The Dark Dragon is extremely evil, filled with dark energy and murderous intent that’s hard to resist. Guard your heart and soul tightly—don’t let it control you, or things will get complicated. I can offer some help, but you’ll mainly have to rely on yourself! It holds great power. Even if you’re at the upper stage of the divine realm, you might struggle to control it. Just be careful!” After pondering for a while, Xuanyuan said. Perhaps even Xuanyuan at the peak of his righteous powers couldn’t match the Dark Dragon back then. If not for its overwhelming evil, it would definitely have been a divine weapon that appeared once in ten thousand years. But now…

Xuanyuan felt a hint of concern. He feared that if Rod couldn’t control that terrifying evil and murderous aura and had his soul taken, the consequences would be unimaginable. From then on, Rod would become a demon controlled by the sword spirit, a being that knew only slaughter.

“Your combat energy is very special. It might be of great help—guard your mind and soul, protect your meridians and dantian, and gradually guide the seal to be lifted. Be careful of the sword spirit inside. I’ve observed it for a long time; it’s not ordinary. Don’t let it succeed!” After thinking for a moment, Xuanyuan added.

“I understand!” Rod nodded seriously. He could sense everything Xuanyuan had said. The Dark Dragon was indeed extremely evil, filling him with fear. If it weren’t for the mission to the Netherworld, he might not have chosen to lift the seal—at least not yet.

After discussing everything, Rod felt slightly more relaxed. With Xuan Yuan willing to assist him, his confidence soared—what had been only a 30% chance now rose to at least 50%. The 3,000 units of life energy had already been gathered; what remained was his own vital essence. He took out an ancient container, made marks on his chest, and channeled his combat energy to draw out his vital essence and blood. These fluids contained the essence of a person’s entire being, with every drop being incredibly precious and vital. By the time Rod had gathered enough, his face was pale. He took in some supplements he had prepared in advance and swallowed them, then used his combat energy to help himself recover. As for the blood, it was stored in a special container, ensuring no problems would arise—at least not in the short term. Time passed; perhaps half a day or a day—before he finally restored his body to the ninth level. He then opened his eyes. The critical moment had arrived, and he couldn’t help but feel nervous and worried. He infused the newly gathered energy into the Dark Dragon, once again sensing the overwhelming evil and murderous aura. It was a familiar place—the interior of the Dark Dragon. Rod moved effortlessly to its center. The Sword Spirit of the Dark Dragon was now very different from before; it was even more sinister and energetic. Without the seal restraining it, it would be countless times stronger than Xuan Yuan. “The 3,000 units of life energy are ready. When will you lift the seal for me?” the Sword Spirit asked indifferently upon seeing Rod. “Right now. What do you need me to do?” Rod asked, frowning. The Sword Spirit’s tone was unpleasant, especially with its sinister aura, which made Rod resist deeply. “Really? Hahaha… My Dark Dragon will finally see the light again! Hahaha… Old man, did you not expect this? Did you not think I’d be able to see the light again after a thousand years? Haha…” Hearing Rod’s words, the Dark Dragon seemed to go mad. After laughing wildly, it stared at Rod with excitement. “Hurry up. Just guide those blood marks into my body and use your combat energy to help me break through this seal. You’re now at the advanced godly level, right? That’s good—no problems will arise. Just follow my instructions, and nothing will go wrong!” As he spoke, an almost imperceptible expression flashed in his eyes, but Rod noticed it and grew wary.

“I’ll go out first; let’s get started!” After a moment of thought, Rod said. Things had reached a point where there was no turning back. So, let’s begin.
Returning to the outside world, he took a deep breath and, after much deliberation, opened the stored blood, ready to take action!
“Kid, be careful. That guy is strange—be extremely cautious and don’t give him any chance!” Before starting, Xuan Yuan warned anxiously.