Chapter 346: A Stunning Debut (Part 1)

Looking at this man, everyone’s expressions turned strange. A mid-stage divine-level youth daring to challenge Rod? They exchanged glances in shock, wondering if he’d been kicked by a donkey.
Rod was also amused and puzzled by this man. He remembered that it was this guy who had led the way when they first entered the Netherworld Villa, and he had always treated Rod with hostility. Rod had ignored it, but he didn’t expect such prejudice.
“Hehe, a rival has appeared!” Sognar said in a teasing tone.
“Brother Sognar, what… what are you talking about?” Lucy blushed and complained at Sognar.
“That’s right! This guy can’t stay silent!” Lilith rolled her eyes. Since when did they start joking?
“Rod, do you dare accept my challenge?” Seeing that Rod didn’t step forward, the youth glared at him and shouted, which was both amusing and frustrating. It was hard to tell if he was stupid or what.
“Boss, let me fight for you!” Before Rod could speak, the people behind him couldn’t hold back anymore. Having spent so much time with Rod and even following him out of Iron Bar Town, their trust in him was evident. Now that someone was challenging him, they were the first to feel upset.
They all shouted loudly, their faces red. With the stares from the others around, Rod felt a bit awkward.
“I’ll do it,” said Viski, who had remained silent until now. A sharp glint appeared in his eyes as he spoke in a deep voice.
“Wait…” Rod knew Viski’s strength—he was at the early stage of divine level, seemingly having only reached that level not long ago. The opponent, however, was already at mid-stage divine level. Rod couldn’t help but worry.
“Don’t worry, boss. He can handle it!” Keroth pulled Rod aside and said with a smile, showing no concern at all.
“Mm, he can handle it!” Nightingale nodded in agreement, surprising Rod. He couldn’t figure out what was on this guy’s mind. But seeing their confident demeanor, Rod felt relieved and placed full trust in Viski.
Rod always hesitated to intervene himself, fearing others would accuse him of bullying. It would be best if Viski took action, but doing so meant Rod’s fate now rested on this guy’s shoulders.
“Be careful!” Rod nodded and patted Viski’s shoulder, speaking in a deep voice. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t nervous.

“Don’t worry, I won’t disappoint you!” Hearing Rod’s words, a hint of emotion flashed in Viski’s eyes. He knew what this battle meant to Rod, and that Rod trusted him so much. Of course, he couldn’t let him down. At that moment, he made up his mind—to win this battle at all costs. There was also a greater significance: it was the first time in four years that his group was performing in front of Rod, a chance to prove their strength and the results of their efforts over the years. They couldn’t disappoint him or bring shame to the Death Scythe Squad. As he spoke, Viski stepped forward with light steps, reaching the open space at the front in just a few strides! “What, are you sent by Knight Rod?” The young man sneered, immediately recognizing Viski’s strength. “You don’t have the strength to face my boss yet. Beat me first, and then we can talk!” Viski also left Rod a way out with his ambiguous reply—should he truly fail and disappoint them, it would still give Rod a glimmer of hope. Hearing Viski’s words, the crowd was in uproar. Who was this sudden appearance of a young man? They had never seen him before. But then they remembered a group that had arrived at the Netherman Manor the day before, seemingly Rod’s subordinates. They had never heard of them before. Considering the strength of this group, they couldn’t help but marvel—Rod apparently had a formidable team behind him. What it meant for Viski to fight was obvious to everyone present; they weren’t fools and could more or less figure it out, especially after seeing Viski’s strength. Their attention soon shifted back to Rod. “He represents me in this battle!” Rod said slowly, sensing everyone’s gazes. Hiss… The crowd gasped in disbelief. Such an important task was entrusted to such a person. Although his strength was at the beginner level of divine power, it seemed somewhat inferior compared to Kulok, who was known as a genius within their clan…

Doubt filled everyone’s minds the moment the Enforcer Elder made the announcement—they all thought Rod could use the Netherhell Fire unimpeded, after all, everyone was well aware of the many things he had done. His strength at the Yin Yellow level was no joke; aside from the Enforcer Elder, few others could stop him. Needless to say, Miss Lucy would never side against Rod—everyone knew their relationship. As for the Enforcer Elder’s group, making this decision meant they had already approved of Rod’s actions.

Who else? Really, not many. Now that this young man was representing Rod in battle, it seemed there was hope for a turning point. Everything was changing too quickly.

“Hmph, overestimating yourself. Since you’re seeking death, don’t blame me for not being gentle!” His frivolous tone showed his disdain for Viski. At the same time, a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes—if he could stop Rod, wouldn’t he become a hero of the Black Phoenix Clan?

Would Miss Lucy’s opinion of him change then? What would the other people’s looks toward him be like? Thinking of this, he felt a sense of pride.

Snorting, Viski paid no attention to Kulok’s words. Drawing his long sword, his gaze became extremely sharp. Under the sunlight, the seemingly simple silver sword emitted a faint cold glow. The cold wind seemed to lower the temperature around it by several degrees.

Viski stood there in the wind, his figure appearing infinitely larger. Seeing this, Merk and the Enforcer Elder on the stage instantly became alert, staring at Viski in disbelief. At the same time, several elders of the Black Phoenix Clan also sensed something was wrong.

The drop in temperature wasn’t due to the wind but to the killing aura emanating from this guy. Yes, a very subtle killing aura. What was even more astonishing was that such a young person could possess such power. His aura silently suppressed Kulok completely.

Worse still, Kulok wasn’t even aware of any of this. Was this the difference between flowers grown in a garden and those grown in harsh winds and scorching sun?

Subtly, those who saw the flaws in the situation frowned. Although there was a difference in strength, the outcome of this match seemed to be leaning in favor of that young man. His aura revealed so much—for someone on the brink of life and death, defeating a warrior a level above him was nothing unusual.

As expected, once the battle began, Viski moved at lightning speed, his agility astonishing. In the blink of an eye, he had put Kurokoku at a disadvantage. This was still considering Kurokoku was a warrior; if he had been a mage, he might have already…

His speed was so fast it reached the peak of mid-stage divine level, even faster than Kurokoku’s, completely overwhelming him in speed.

Following that was a barrage of fierce attacks. Without fancy techniques, he used the simplest and most direct moves, yet they were as precise as divine art, always landing in the perfect spot to pose the greatest threat to Kurokoku.

Several times, Kurokoku found himself in dire straits, with no strength left to counterattack.

Everyone was stunned. Was this a beginner divine-level warrior? Could he be someone pretending to be weak? Yet the intensity of his combat energy clearly proved he was indeed a beginner divine-level warrior. What was going on?

Confusion and bewilderment filled everyone’s minds. The more they watched, the more astonished they became. If he hadn’t stopped at critical moments several times, Kurokoku would have been dead by now. Every move was deadly, every strike fatal—this was what true combat techniques looked like.

Rod’s gaze toward him changed slightly, and his look at the group behind him was even more unusual. Were they all like this? It seemed their strength couldn’t be underestimated.

At the front, Mork’s gaze at Rod was even more peculiar. Such a team far exceeded his imagination.

“Alright, let’s end this match here. Kurokoku has lost!” With a sigh, Mork said helplessly. The gap shown in this battle between peers left him at a loss for words—this was the difference between a warrior who had killed and one who hadn’t.

With Mork’s words, the match ended. Kurokoku no longer had his earlier pride; his face was filled with desolation and stupor. He was utterly shocked, his eyes lifeless. If not for someone supporting him, he probably wouldn’t have known how to leave the fighting ground.

“Not bad, good performance!” Seeing Viski return calmly, Rod nodded in satisfaction. He was pleased with the results of their training over the years.

“Is there anyone still unsatisfied?” With one match over, Doron continued to ask.

Silence reigned; no one answered for a long time. It was only when it seemed the announcement would end there that a young man reluctantly stepped forward, wanting to challenge Viski. But this time, it wasn’t Viski who stepped into the ring—it was Thiel. After seeing Viski’s performance, Rod wasn’t too worried about Thiel, as the strength of this newcomer was comparable to that of Kulok before! However, it was evident from his expression that this older man had considerable combat experience.
Yet the match ended without any suspense—Thiel succeeded in his challenge with a decisive advantage! Though not as effortless as against Viski, it was still satisfying.
After the two matches, the results before everyone were like a dream, leaving them in stunned disbelief.