Chapter 343: Conditions (Part 1)

“Hmm, Rod’s brother’s friends have come to our manor. They’ll be staying here for a while!” Thinking of the main reason for their visit, Lucy stuck out her tongue sheepishly.
“Friends?” Hearing Lucy’s words, Merk and several law-enforcing elders frowned. It seemed to them that Rod shouldn’t have any friends at all.
“Yeah, they were brought by the Scorpion King clan. Turns out they were Rod’s subordinates back when he was outside the continent. There are about thirty of them. I heard they’ve been training under the Scorpion King clan these past few years and only came here today to meet Rod! They’re very strong. I’m sure even the thirty best young members of our Black Phoenix clan can’t compare to them. Although only three of them have reached the divine level, the rest are at the quasi-divine or sacred levels, their presence is still overwhelming!” Lucy said seriously, recalling the aura she sensed from Skora and the others when she met them.
That aura was so powerful that it even moved her—just imagine!
“Hmm, is that so?” Everyone present knew Lucy well and understood that she wouldn’t lie about such things. Could Rod really have such a secret force? But why had no one heard of it before?
What’s more, this force had been trained by the Scorpion King clan.
The Scorpion King clan was one of the Four Great Clans. Though they were among the elite, a hundred years ago, they were extremely domineering. Everyone flinched at the mention of their name and tried to avoid them. Yet, for some reason, one day a hundred years ago, the Scorpion King clan suddenly changed drastically. All its members became quiet, almost reclusive, and since then, hardly any news about them had come through.
As another of the Four Great Clans, the Black Phoenix clan naturally knew of the Scorpion King clan’s strength—comparable to their own. They were also allies that the Black Phoenix clan and the Dragon clan needed to win over this time. They couldn’t let the war faction secure their support, or the situation could take an unimaginable turn.
Yet, the Scorpion King clan had never given a definite answer, only keeping delaying, leaving everyone puzzled about their intentions. They thought they might want to stay out of the conflict and keep to themselves! Who would have thought there was such a connection involved?
Suddenly, everyone frowned and exchanged glances, as if trying to figure something out.
“Lucy, are you sure they were trained by the Scorpion King clan?” the eldest asked kindly.

“Mm, there’s no doubt about it. The Scorpion King’s clan members have also arrived. Besides, Elder Locke said yesterday that someone would come to look for Brother Rod today!” After pondering for a moment, Lucy replied firmly.
“Mm, okay. You go ahead. We need to discuss something here. If there’s anything, wait until we talk privately, okay?” Hearing Lucy’s firm reply, the elder showed a serious expression and spoke to her.
Lucy was understanding and knew it wasn’t appropriate for her to stay at that moment, so she left the secret room promptly.
“The Scorpion King’s clan~!” After Lucy left, Mork fell into deep thought, his fingers rhythmically tapping on the stone table in front of him, producing a dull sound as he murmured to himself.
“It’s said that Rod is even an honorary elder of the Scorpion King’s clan!” As the Scorpion King’s clan came up in conversation, Rod’s identity, which wasn’t well-known to many, was also brought up.
“Mm, now everyone knows about this. I never expected it to be like this. No wonder. The Scorpion King’s clan seems far from simple. After a hundred years of restraint, what exactly do they want?” The grand elder also spoke in a low voice.
The Scorpion King’s clan seemed increasingly mysterious.
“Anyway, it’s clear that Rod’s relationship with the Scorpion King’s clan is nothing ordinary!” The second elder said gravely. Indeed, everyone knew of the pride of the Scorpion King’s clan. Without a strong relationship or connection, how could they possibly help others train their teams? Moreover, according to Lucy, this team was not ordinary. Even in a large family like theirs, god-tier warriors were extremely rare. This young team already had three such warriors, with the rest at quasi-god and saint levels! Their strength was formidable. Training such a team required a great deal of effort, time, and resources. Those stingy members of the Scorpion King’s clan showed no signs of engaging in a loss-making venture.
“He also has a good relationship with the dragon clan. You all saw Sognar and Lilith—seems the dragon clan intends to help him wholeheartedly!” Mork added with a wry smile.
As they analyzed further, Rod’s identity became increasingly mysterious and complex, hiding many secrets.
“That’s right. Everyone knows of his relationship with the dragon clan!” The grand elder nodded and said gravely.
“Then we…” After sorting things out, they realized that Rod was actually the core of this matter, the key link, forcing everyone to take it seriously.

If before Rod was treated well merely because of his kindness to the Black Phoenix clan and Lucy, things are completely different now.
“We need to discuss this carefully! We can’t let Rod drift away from us. Given the current situation, everyone understands how important Rod is—we must maintain a good relationship with him!” Merk, after all, was the clan leader and had a long-term vision.
“The matter of him training with the Netherhell Fire also needs serious consideration!” The group exchanged grim smiles, realizing that dealing with this issue wouldn’t be that simple for Ah Hong.
…
Rod naturally had no idea what was happening in the secret room. At that moment, he was chatting happily with a group of brothers. After years apart, there was so much to talk about. Of course, meeting again now, everyone felt even more reverence and admiration for Rod.
When they parted last time, several of those present were no less powerful than Rod, some even stronger. But now? In just a few years, things had changed drastically.
Now, upon reuniting, Rod’s strength had reached a level that inspired awe—a legendary realm, the Yin Yellow Realm, which was somewhat embarrassing to think about.
Even Viski and Thiel, who had always been regarded as geniuses, had to admit Rod’s strength! They had originally thought that reaching the divine level would allow them to compete with Rod, but instead, the gap grew wider and wider.
By now, they no longer felt the urge to challenge Rod—they weren’t people without self-awareness!
An entire morning passed quickly. At noon, under Lucy’s leadership, the group quickly settled in. The vast Netherhell Villa appeared before everyone once again! A separate courtyard was allocated to them.
Without much time for small talk, after lunch, Rod received news from Lucy: her request had been answered, and Merk had reached a decision.
With excitement, Rod strode toward Merk’s study. Before reaching it, Lucy gave him a cheeky grin and comforted him, seeing his slight nervousness: “Don’t worry, Father won’t make things difficult for you. He won’t refuse my request to see Grandpa Dolon. They adore me—they’ll definitely agree!”
But Lucy’s reassurance only made Rod smile bitterly. Many things weren’t as simple as they seemed. Her thinking was still a bit naive—after all, she was a young lady who had grown up in a sheltered environment, unaware of the complexities of the world.

Everything else might be possible—thanks to the favoritism she received within her family, she could get anything—but this one thing was impossible. If a family’s most precious treasure were to be lent to outsiders just because of her words, then that family would be doomed; its decline was only a matter of time. Clearly, the Black Phoenix Clan was not such a short-lived family—the title of one of the Four Great Clans wasn’t earned for nothing.

With a slight smile, he patted Lucy’s head. “Don’t worry, wait for my good news!” Rod reassured her.

He knew that success in this matter depended on his own efforts. Only by having sufficient strength could he continue the conversation—this was an unchanging truth.

After knocking, he entered the room. The study was simple and rustic, with a bookshelf filled with hundreds of ancient books. Rod knew that any one of these books could be a priceless treasure if taken outside. They couldn’t be underestimated.

Next was an antique desk and chair. The study wasn’t large, but it felt incredibly cozy.

“Chieftain Moke!” Rod greeted him respectfully. Although his strength now surpassed Moke’s, courtesy couldn’t be ignored.

“Hmm, you’ve arrived! Sit, don’t be shy!” Moke smiled as he gestured for Rod to sit.

Seeing Moke’s smiling expression, Rod frowned slightly. He couldn’t tell what the man was thinking—it always gave him a strange feeling.

“I heard your friends are here today?” Instead of getting straight to the point as expected, Moke asked with a smile.

“Yeah, some old subordinates! It seems I’ll have to trouble you for a while!” Rod replied politely.

“Hehe, no problem. It’s good to have some activity. It’s been too quiet around here!” Moke waved his hand nonchalantly. Indeed, a few dozen extra people in such a large estate wasn’t a big deal.

“I’m not sure what the chieftain wants from me,” Rod asked, unaccustomed to this kind of conversation.

“I’ve discussed your plan to enter the Netherhell Fire for training with a few of the enforcement elders! It’s a bit troublesome. You know the rules!” Moke frowned and rubbed his temples, speaking with a wry smile.

Hearing this, Rod’s heart skipped a beat. Though he had expected such a result, he still felt a bit disappointed when he heard it.

“Well, I’m sorry, Chief Merk. Rod’s demands for this matter are a bit excessive! If that’s the case, if Rod doesn’t want to do it, he won’t trouble the chief!” With a sigh, Rod said disappointedly.
“Hehe, Brother Rod has misunderstood. Actually, it’s not impossible. I discussed this with a few elders this morning! Brother Rod has done me and my Black Phoenix clan a favor, so it’s not entirely impossible to use the Netherhell Fire for cultivation. My Black Phoenix clan isn’t that ungrateful. But there are a few things I need to mention first!” Yet, just as Rod was completely disappointed, Merk’s words made him look up at him in disbelief, eyes wide, wondering if he had heard wrong.