Chapter 387: On the Verge of Death

Everyone’s gaze toward Rod changed, filled with doubt and uncertainty. Rod’s appearance was so shocking that they were unable to react quickly—his formidable presence and terrifying killing aura. Could he really be Natrod?
Over the past few years, this name had become widely known throughout the Dark Source, but few had actually seen Rod in person. Even Gu Xun, who was there, was seeing him for the first time. Thus, it was inevitable for them to be surprised by his youth, and they also felt some fear due to his terrifying and powerful killing aura.
“Natrod, it’s really you. This is a feud between me and the Black Phoenix Clan. Why have you gotten involved?” Seeing that Rod didn’t deny his identity, Gu Xun asked coldly with a stern expression.
He could sense Rod’s immense strength. Although he had long known that Rod had reached the Yin Huang realm, he didn’t believe Rod could progress to this level so quickly. He originally thought that his own strength at the middle stage of Yin Huang would be more than enough to deal with Rod, but now he realized he was wrong—completely wrong.
Recalling how the Mi Jiao Clan had been destroyed, followed by the fall of Wuyou City, he was well aware of the strength of those two clans. Each had powerful warriors at the level of Yang Xuan realm, yet they had all been killed. This made Gu Xun think that some elder from the Black Phoenix Clan must have stepped in, not expecting it to be this young man. His attainment of the Yang Xuan realm made things much more complicated for Gu Xun.
If it had been those elders from the Black Phoenix Clan, he might not have cared—he knew how to deal with them. But Rod was completely beyond his expectations. At that moment, a sense of foreboding arose in his heart.
“Hmph! You should know what happens when you go against my faction. Although you’ve reached the Yang Xuan realm now, don’t think you can dominate the world just because of that. There are always those stronger beyond! If you withdraw now, in the name of the leader of the pro-war faction, I promise I won’t pursue you anymore. In fact, if you’re willing to help us achieve our great goal, we can offer you endless wealth, power, and even a status equal to mine!” After taking a deep breath to calm himself, Gu Xun spoke confidently to Rod with a smile.
On one hand, he truly saw potential in Rod. Thinking about how young Rod already had reached the Yang Xuan realm, his future was boundless. He might very well reach even higher heights. Any faction would rather not be his enemy.

On the other hand, if Rod stood on the opposite side, Water Screen City might truly be in danger tonight. At the very least, it would take a tremendous effort to protect it. If Rod could switch sides and join them now, the rewards would be unimaginable! Water Screen City would surely be free from any threat. As for the Black Phoenix clan, Gu Xun wasn’t afraid of them either.

“Are you okay?” Rod ignored Gu Xun’s words entirely. He slowly knelt down, carefully picked up Nightingale, and asked softly. At that moment, Nightingale’s face was pale, blood kept flowing from the corners of her mouth, and she was extremely weak, breathing intermittently, which made Rod frown deeply.

“Don’t frown. Hehe, I’m… I’m fine. Don’t worry!” Seeing Rod’s furrowed brows, Nightingale forced a smile to comfort him. Glancing at her comrades who had retreated by now, she felt relieved. Though they looked disheveled, at least they hadn’t suffered serious injuries. Now that Rod had arrived, they should be safe. Nightingale believed that as long as Rod was on their side, they wouldn’t get hurt. In their hearts, Rod had already become an invincible figure.

“Don’t talk!” Seeing Nightingale open her mouth and spit out more blood mixed with foam, Rod felt heartbroken. He spoke in a deep voice. His sharp eyes could see that Nightingale’s condition was critical—her life was hanging by a thread. If it were an ordinary person, they would have died countless times by now. It was only her strong will that allowed her to hold on until now.

“I know my own condition… Don’t worry about me!” Seeing Rod’s frown deepen, Nightingale comforted him with a smile, though her expression carried a hint of reluctance and sorrow.

She knew she probably wouldn’t make it through the day. From their previous encounters, under Gu Xun’s formidable strength, all her internal organs had been damaged, with some even shattered. It was already a miracle that she had lasted this long. Just being able to see Rod one last time satisfied her.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. Remember, we promised to grow old together, to support each other as we watch the sunrise and sunset, to witness the tides rise and fall. Have you forgotten?” At that moment, Rod seemed to have forgotten his surroundings, forgotten that he was still on the battlefield, forgotten the countless enemies around him. All he saw was Nightingale—her pale face and slightly unfocused eyes.

Watching those trembling lips and that faint smile, Rod felt the world spin around him. Was Nightingale about to leave him? Though he refused to accept this outcome, reason kept telling him it was true—Nightingale was truly beyond saving, her internal organs severely damaged, with nothing left to rescue her. At these thoughts, Rod felt dizzy, memories flashing through his mind: from the first time he met Nightingale in the imperial capital, to Iron Bar Town, and now to the Source of Darkness. Along the way, so many memories and beautiful moments had been left behind. But sweet dreams are always short-lived, aren’t they?

“Dying wish!” A cold chill suddenly came from behind. Viski and the others paled, while Rod roared in fury! Turning around, he kicked out with force. Along with a scream, a figure flew backward and crashed heavily to the ground, lifeless. Looking at its chest, a footprint had sunk into it—clearly caused by the ribcage being broken by the kick.

Just moments earlier, taking advantage of Rod’s distraction, a middle-aged man from the pro-war faction had tried to attack him. Unfortunately, in front of Rod, his mid-tier divine strength was as worthless as an ant, unable to resist Rod’s anger and killed on the spot!

“You… you don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine, really fine. You…” Seeing Rod in danger, though it had been resolved, Nightingale was still worried and didn’t want Rod to focus all his attention on her, urging him on.

In the distance, dull footsteps could be heard, with cries of battle filling the city. Loud shouts came from the city gates—it seemed the Black Phoenix clan had already invaded the city.

“Take this first, hurry!” Suddenly, Rod took out a pure white jade box. When it was opened, a chill spread through the air, causing the temperature to drop significantly. Inside the box lay a thumb-sized pure white object, emitting a faint glow under the silver moonlight, giving off a refreshing sensation.

“Colorful Ice Essence!” Gu Xun, who was watching from across, couldn’t help but exclaim in shock.

Indeed, wasn’t this exactly the Colorful Ice Essence he had long dreamed of—something everyone desired? And it was in Rod’s hands, intact! This was a truly rare treasure, appearing only once in a thousand years, and even then only in half. No one could have imagined it would appear here, in Rod’s possession.

With greedy eyes fixed on the jade box in Rod’s hands, Gu Xun’s expression kept changing. He knew best what effects a Seven-Colored Ice Essence could bring—it was a treasure that could help him directly enter the Yang Xuan realm, a thing that could free him from the shackles that had trapped him for so long! Swallowing hard, he gave a glance to the people around him, who silently moved closer to Rod.

“This…” Seeing the screams and expressions of the people across from him, even Nightingale, though foolish, understood how precious this item was. He hesitated to waste it, knowing it might not even save himself. It would be a shame if wasted, but leaving it to Rod could be of great help.

“Swallow it!” Seeing Nightingale’s hesitation, Rod’s expression darkened as he said unhappily. Then, carefully, he placed it at Nightingale’s mouth and forced her to swallow it.

“Foolish!” Suddenly, Rod snapped coldly, “Visky, watch Nightingale and make sure she swallows it!” He then handed Nightingale to the injured Visky, along with the Seven-Colored Ice Essence, saying, “It’s him who hurt you, right? I’ll avenge you!” His expression then turned extremely gentle as he pointed at Gu Xun and said to Nightingale.

Turning back, his gaze toward Gu Xun and the others was icy cold—not that of a human, but rather that of an enraged beast.

“The Seven-Colored Ice Essence isn’t for you!” Rod snarled, realizing their intentions. Immediately, his sword, Xuanyuan, was drawn, and a fierce sword aura sliced through the air, leaving a visible trail as if tearing through space.

Seeing this trail, Gu Xun and the others grew solemn and quickly dodged aside. They saw Nightingale and the Seven-Colored Ice Essence behind Rod, and as the essence was about to be swallowed, they looked anxious.

“Get lost!” Fuming at their continued interest in the Seven-Colored Ice Essence, Rod roared. As the other members of the combat faction rushed up behind him, he let out another shout, and Fan Tian, which hadn’t been used in ages, flew out from his body!

With a long howl, Fan Tian’s hundred-zhang-long body surged forward with terrifying momentum. Rod, meanwhile, focused all his attention on those people.