Chapter 306: Preparing for Action

After discussing for most of the night, Rod, Lucy, and Sognar finally managed to outline the next steps. It was already deep at night, and the three of them hadn’t had proper rest since returning from the Netherworld. As they relaxed, a sense of fatigue quickly spread throughout their bodies.
Lucy and Sognar left Rod’s room at this point, leaving him alone once again. Sitting at the table, gazing at the light before him, he sighed. At least those old guys in the Netherworld had some conscience—they left him two helpers. Otherwise, this task would have been quite difficult. It was good that way, though he wasn’t sure if the eleven inspectors outside would help him. With their assistance…
Thinking of this, Rod’s eyes sparkled with excitement. What an incredible strength—eleven warriors at the Yin Yellow realm all coming to help him! What couldn’t he accomplish with such power? Even taking back the item from the demons wouldn’t be a problem. The reason the Netherworld hadn’t taken action yet was likely due to concerns about revealing their plans too early, allowing the pro-war faction to prepare and counterattack.
With a wry smile, Rod lamented when he had become so greedy. Having Sognar and Lucy to help him was already quite good!
As for the arrangements this time, Rod thought for a moment and felt slightly relieved, assuming nothing major would go wrong. Lucy was following him mainly to gain experience—her strength was already quite formidable, but she still lacked practical combat experience. In such a situation, she could likely defeat anyone on par with her. This was also the main reason Rod took her along; after all, Lucy would become an important member of their organization in the future, and training her only had benefits. To build combat experience, there was no better place than the Battlefield of Death!
Another reason was that Lucy was a mage while he was a warrior. The Battlefield of Death was full of dangers, but with a mage by his side, Rod believed they could achieve twice the result with half the effort and complete the task more smoothly.
Sognar staying at the Source of Darkness was also the best choice—his extensive experience would allow him to handle everything well. Perhaps this plan was indeed the best decision.

In the deep silence of the night, the early winter in Ice City brought its chill. The bone-chilling wind howled wildly through the open windows, even reaching inside Rod’s room, causing him to feel a hint of cold. A figure flashed across the courtyard, heading toward his room! Upon recognizing who it was, he frowned slightly—was it Ada or Eileen? Though he had found a way to distinguish between them after spending so much time together, he still couldn’t tell them apart without speaking. He watched quietly as she approached and signaled for him to open the door. Rod smiled and simply opened it to let her in. “Not asleep yet?” the woman asked with a slight smile as she looked at Rod. After observing carefully and noting the slight differences in tone and voice, Rod quickly determined that it was Ada. A smile appeared on his face—with Ada, he never needed to hide anything. As his first companion, he trusted her completely. “Mm, and you? Why are you out in this cold?” “I was here earlier. Sognar and Lucy were there. It seemed like you were discussing something, so I didn’t go in. When I saw them leave, I came to check!” Lucy replied frankly, which was why Rod liked her the most. “Is there something?” Since Ada had come to see him on purpose at this time, Rod knew she must have a reason. “First, congratulations on reaching the Yin Huang realm. Heh, in just a few years, from being a bronze-level warrior to a strong figure in the Yin Huang realm—you’ve accomplished what others take a lifetime to achieve. Sometimes I envy your luck and talent, and I’m jealous of your speed in cultivation!” Ada said with a complex expression, a bitter smile on her face. She still remembered clearly the first time she met Rod. “It’s just luck. You’re not bad either—already at the early stage of the quasi-divine realm. It won’t be long before you reach the divine realm!” Ada’s words made Rod feel a bit nostalgic. He indeed missed those days—the first mission, the first time facing such a severe life-and-death test, the first time experiencing death… So many memories from that time. “What do you plan to do next?” Ada asked softly after pondering for a moment.

Looking at Aida, Rod felt a surge in his heart; it seemed she had come here to investigate something! After a moment of thought, he said, “I need to go out and handle some matters, find something. Heh, it might take some time. What about you?” Without hiding anything nor being direct, Rod gave an ambiguous answer.

“You’ve reached the core of the Netherworld, so you must know about our opposition group! I won’t beat around the bush—this time I came here for this very reason!” Taking a deep breath, Aida stared intently at Rod before mustering the courage to speak after a long while. There was a hint of hesitation, as if she was considering whether to reveal everything to him.

Unexpecting Aida to come to him for this reason, Rod looked at her in surprise. He wasn’t used to her being so straightforward. Wasn’t she afraid of consequences? He also wondered inwardly—normally, someone like her, who hadn’t yet become the head of the family or a prominent elder, shouldn’t be aware of such things. Yet now she not only knew but also understood clearly. Could there be some hidden agenda?

“You don’t need to doubt me. Remember, you can doubt anyone, but never me. I will never betray or deceive you! That promise will always hold!” Seeing Rod’s confusion, Aida said with a bitter smile.

“Heh, sorry. I know a bit about your affairs!” After pondering for a long time, Rod spoke softly, rubbing his head. Taking another deep breath, he looked up at Aida, his eyes showing a hint of gratitude for her words.

“That’s right. Remember, time can corrupt everything. A thousand years can wash away many things—time is the best corrosive agent! So don’t trust things too easily. What seems true on the surface isn’t always real. You need to look carefully!” After a long pause, Aida tilted her head and spoke after turning her eyes around.

Frowning slightly, Rod heard many underlying meanings in Aida’s words. It seemed this matter was much more complicated than he had imagined. As expected, a thousand years had changed the opposition group, but surely there were still people who supported the trolls. Otherwise, Aida wouldn’t have told him these things or trusted him so much. Perhaps she had known his identity for a long time.

At that moment, Rod became wary of the opposition group. Although Aida hadn’t said it outright, the implication was clear: the current opposition group was no longer the same as before—its internal dynamics were complex!

“Thanks, I get it!” Rod said, nodding gratefully. This news was indeed important and could help him avoid a lot of trouble.
“You’re welcome. Just remember I won’t lie to you. I’ll take care of things on the opposition side, so you can go ahead and focus on your own tasks!” Hearing Rod say this, Ada blushed slightly and spoke in a slightly embarrassed tone.
They chatted casually afterward, avoiding any talk about the Netherworld, and had a pleasant conversation. Rod learned that Ada would be leaving for Dark Moon City the next day, which made him feel a bit disappointed. But thinking that he would be heading to the Battlefield of Death in a few days, he understood. It wasn’t until dawn that Ada left Rod’s room and headed to her own bedroom.
Seeing that it was still early, Rod sat cross-legged and focused on practicing, striving to stabilize his state and master his combat energy more skillfully. Only then could he maximize his combat strength.
The next day, Ada and Eileen led the opposition members on their journey to Dark Moon City. Most of the other major families also prepared to leave Ice City, as not many wanted to endure its winter!
Within a day, Ice City became much quieter, but the hot topics circulating in its streets and alleys remained centered around Rod. Meanwhile, news of Rod as an honorary elder of the Scorpion King Clan spread to every corner of the Source of Darkness, known to everyone. At this moment, Rod’s identity underwent another 180-degree transformation, and people’s gazes toward him changed even further!
It was then that they realized Rod was actually from the Scorpion King Clan. Unintentionally, this news tightly linked the Scorpion King Clan, the Black Phoenix Clan, and the Dragon Clan together, forming a unified force. This news was good news for the Dragon Clan and the Black Phoenix Clan, but it was undoubtedly a bombshell for the war faction, the Mi Jiao Clan, causing them great concern. It seemed their enemies had grown even stronger.
Rod simply laughed it off. It was only a matter of time before others would find out, so it didn’t matter if they knew now. He devoted himself fully to preparing for the journey to the Battlefield of Death.

It’s certain that Sognar will go back with the Dragon Clan. Meanwhile, the Dragon Clan and the Black Phoenix Clan have already started deploying people to monitor the movements of the main combat faction, at Lucy and Sognar’s request! Naturally, the two clans wouldn’t refuse! As for Lucy, after her persistent demands, along with some whining and resistance, she finally got the approval of the Black Phoenix Clan members to stay by Rod’s side and head to the battlefield of death!
Of course, the excuse was to improve her own strength—claiming she had gained enough benefits in the Netherworld and now needed time to digest them before reaching the Yin Huang realm. Upon hearing this, the Black Phoenix Clan was overjoyed, as having another warrior at the Yin Huang realm would completely change their status; an improvement in strength by at least one level was the minimum expectation.
Originally, they planned to have Heibin and Heiyao accompany them for protection, but due to Lucy’s request, they didn’t insist. With Rod by their side for protection as well, they felt even more at ease. Now that everything is ready, Rod and his group are just waiting to take action tomorrow!