Chapter 420: The Truth

Standing still, watching the ancient sword charge toward him, Rod felt a mix of emotions, especially upon seeing the gleaming long sword in its hand. Yes, he was very familiar with it—it was the sword that had almost become his own, the famous Sword of Heartbreak.

In the blink of an eye, the ancient sword reached Rod’s face. Its strength far exceeded Rod’s expectations; it had unknowingly reached the Yin Huang realm. Perhaps even many around him were unaware that this young swordsman had attained such a level! If not forced to this extreme today, whether it would have shown such strength remained unknown. At the very least, few knew that this seemingly young third prince had already entered the Yin Huang realm, something many dreamed of achieving.

Although there was still a slight gap compared to Rod, no one now regarded Rod as a young man. In everyone’s eyes, he was nothing short of a monstrous figure. Thus, the young ancient sword could undoubtedly be called a peerless genius.

“Knight Rod!” The ancient sword looked at Rod with a complex expression and called out in a deep voice. It gripped its long sword tighter, its expression shifting constantly, its gaze filled with complexity. Seeing Rod again, it no longer had the same feelings as before.

More than a year ago, when he first met Rod, he was utterly amazed. Rod’s appearance caught the ancient sword’s attention, sparking a desire to nurture talent. Though he knew Rod was an ally of the opposition, he still decided to make friends with him, even offering his own precious sword as a bridge—only to be rejected by Rod, which left him quite disappointed.

It turned out his judgment was correct. In just a year, Rod had become someone he looked up to—a mid-level divine-level brat who not only caused the destruction of his own Lei Yin and Nash families but also ventured into the Netherworld to become the ultimate victor!

Later, he entered the Yin Huang realm, becoming the youngest to do so. At that moment, he became the brightest figure in the entire Dark Source. But this was just the beginning. He then reached the mid-level of the Yin Huang realm, and when he appeared again, he was already at the Yang Xuan realm—now even at the mid-level of Yang Xuan!

All of this had happened in the blink of an eye. The grand plans devised by his own pro-war faction over decades were ultimately ruined by this man! Decades of effort were destroyed in an instant, and now they faced extinction. Thinking of this, the ancient sword felt immense pain, his throat so constricted that he could no longer speak.

Even at this moment, he secretly regretted that if he had killed that guy the first time he met him in Wuyou City when he refused his invitation, such things wouldn’t have happened.
“Gu Jian!” Gu Jian’s expression kept changing; he seemed dazed. Rod also felt deeply moved. If it weren’t for having to stand on opposing sides, Rod would have loved to befriend someone like him! He was different from others—he wasn’t just all appearance!
Rod still clearly remembered his thoughts the first time he met him—he had even feared that guy might strike him from behind. It seemed ridiculous now, but if he had really done so, Rod wouldn’t have the chance to stand against him now. By now, he would likely have already seized the Source of Darkness.
At this moment, the world around the two of them was unusually calm. The soldiers around them wisely refrained from attacking either of them, giving them enough space and privacy.
The next moment, their gazes met in the air—no sparks as expected; both of them remained very quiet.
“You won. Was this all your plan?” After a long silence, Gu Jian asked Rod calmly. It seemed as if, in an instant, he had seen through everything in the world and become desireless.
“You could say that,” Rod replied after taking a deep breath and hesitating for a moment. He wasn’t sure how to put it. In fact, he didn’t even dare say whether it was all his doing, as there were too many coincidences involved.
“You lost to luck!” Rod quickly added.
“Luck? Hahaha… Luck? What a ridiculous joke! I, Gu Jian, never believe in luck!” Gu Jian laughed loudly upon hearing Rod’s words.
Perhaps for him, losing simply meant losing—there was no role for luck. It could only be said that he was inferior to the other party.
Seeing Gu Jian’s reaction, Rod didn’t know what to say either. The two of them remained silent for a while.
“When did you get in touch with the Wolf Clan?” Having lost, yet in such a confusing way, Gu Jian was puzzled. He thought his plan was flawless, but where exactly had things gone wrong? Why had the Wolf Clan turned against them?
“A year ago, in Ice City, when you were preparing to ally with the Wolf Clan to invade the continent, I went there! I fought against the Wolf King! In that battle, the Wolf King had the upper hand, but he still couldn’t win in the end! He agreed to my conditions!” Recalling that time, Rod still felt emotional.

“I see, what conditions did you set!” Gu Jian still asked unwillingly, yet his mind suddenly became clear!
That time, almost all the major families and powerful figures in the Dark Source learned about this incident. Two powerful warriors suddenly appeared in Ice City, one of them so formidable that he could compete with the Wolf King, and in the end, the two were evenly matched.
At first, many people guessed who this person was, but unfortunately, he left no clues at all. Only now do they understand—it was Rod! Sadly, no one could have guessed it would be this newcomer back then. During that year, Rod disappeared without a trace.
“The Dark Source will be reshuffled, with the Wolf Clan getting its own territory! Ice City will be entirely under the Wolf Clan’s control, and no other families shall interfere!” Rod’s answer was simple, yet it was like a thunderbolt!
Gu Jian was stunned. To make such a promise meant the Wolf Clan would officially become one of the rulers of the Dark Source! Even more, the Wolf Clan could gain the status of one of the four major families, on par with the Dragon Clan and the Black Phoenix Clan. Especially Ice City, handed over entirely to the Wolf Clan—this was something their pro-war faction had never achieved, as it was a city of the Demon Clan, with the Netherworld being their stronghold!
“Aren’t you planning to take the Netherworld?” With a cold smile, Gu Jian pressed on. He didn’t believe Rod would be so generous. Even if Rod agreed, would the other families, especially the opposition, agree? They knew all too well what the Netherworld meant.
“The Netherworld will be shared, no longer a domain exclusive to the Demon Clan!”
Now, Gu Jian had nothing to say. With this, even the Wolf Clan couldn’t argue anymore. Control over Ice City, shared access to the Netherworld, and entry into the ranks of the four major families—these conditions were indeed tempting. Even the Wolf King might be tempted. More importantly, having someone who could compete with the Wolf King to act as a mediator would make the Wolf King value them even more.
“When did you manage to plant people inside our pro-war faction? Why have several elders suddenly turned against our clan?” Another question troubled Gu Jian. Their opponents had somehow infiltrated the pro-war faction unnoticed, and the three elders who had entered the city before and were said to be dead now appeared on the battlefield, siding with Rod.

“They never belonged to your pro-war faction! You should be able to guess who orchestrated this plan over a thousand years!” Speaking of these people, Rod felt deeply moved. He had even been unaware of them before, only learning about their secrets recently; perhaps only Melon and others were aware of this matter.

Although the trolls were forced by the demons into the Netherworld, they never lost hope of returning. Over a thousand years, their preparations and plans finally paid off. When the Netherworld was opened, strong warriors were gathered to be chosen as representatives of the Dark Source. In total, seventeen such individuals were selected over the centuries. These people are now absolute powerhouses within the Dark Source, holding significant influence in any faction—especially the pro-war faction. These three elders are three of those seventeen representatives.

They never belonged to the pro-war faction; they belonged solely to the troll race. The trolls had been waiting for this opportunity, just as Rod had been waiting as well. Rod’s arrival was a turning point for them, giving them hope. Their thousand-year plan played a crucial role at this moment!

“The trolls! They!” This time, Ancient Sword’s expression changed drastically—shocked! He stared at Rod, filled with doubt.

It was the work of the trolls! They had managed to conceal their plans for a thousand years, only to reach such a level of preparation. They never lost hope of returning.

“Hahaha… The trolls! It seems we underestimated their strength! Hmph, the trolls are full of ambition. Rod, why do you help them? Don’t forget what will happen once they return!” Ancient Sword laughed bitterly, his tone tinged with desolation.

“I am a member of the troll race!” Rod remained calm, but his words were like thunderous shocks, hard to accept. The trolls, who had hidden their existence for a thousand years, still had members outside. Rod was one of them! Such talent! Only then did Ancient Sword realize that perhaps only the trolls could possess such monstrous talent.

“Fight! I’ve wanted to test my strength against yours for a long time. It’s a pity it didn’t happen before; now… let me see just how strong you really are!” Without saying more, everything became clear. The ancient sword accepted this final outcome. The opponent’s thousand-year plan was indeed beyond the resistance of the pro-war faction. Perhaps their defeat was destined from the start—they just refused to admit it! Now that the situation was settled, the battles around them were coming to an end. Under dual attacks and with internal rebels, the pro-war faction had no chance to fight back. Cries and screams filled the air as the soldiers fled in panic, having lost all will to fight. Those who didn’t run surrendered, and the pro-war faction was finished.