Chapter 447: Return

“How is it?” The atmosphere in the city lord’s mansion was gloomy as the Wolf King asked in a deep voice.

“Still no news!” Merk said helplessly with a grim face. It had been two days already. Rod had set off for Ice City to search for the trolls the previous morning, and now it was evening on the second day, yet there was still no news.

Water Screen City had been searched almost thoroughly, which was truly frustrating.

“Do we really have to dig through the ground?” With a long sigh, Doron said with a bitter smile. All possible places had been searched, but nothing was found. Escape was out of the question, which posed a real dilemma.

Digging through the ground sounded easy said, but in practice it was extremely difficult, even impossible. In such a large city like Water Screen City, could it really be fully searched? The group faced their greatest challenge.

“Rod should be returning soon. Let’s wait for him and see if he has any news,” Lilith suggested.

No one disagreed, clearly agreeing with this plan. All that needed to be done was to guard Water Screen City as well as possible to avoid any problems!

……

The wind howled around them as darkness fell gradually. The scenery outside rushed past quickly. Under the dim light, the green trees by the road receded rapidly, giving off a serene, almost darkly colored atmosphere.

Traveling along the rugged mountain paths, Rod chose not to take the main roads to save time.

Ahead, the silhouette of Water Screen City finally appeared, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief. He had finally made it back.

He had spent the entire previous day traveling to Ice City, entered the Netherworld, met with Elder Andrews, and after some discussions, it was already late at night. After resting for a while, Rod set off immediately for home and finally arrived in Water Screen City as dusk fell.

Upon reaching the city gates, the strict security made Rod feel somewhat relieved—these guys hadn’t slacked off after all.

His arrival was noticed right away. Black Silver and Obsidian were on duty today. They were excited to see Rod and quickly opened the gates to let him in, then rushed him toward the city lord’s mansion.

Inside the hall, the Wolf King and the others were worried about searching for the demon souls. Rod’s sudden appearance brought hope to everyone, and their faces lit up with excitement.

“How did it go?” The Wolf King was the first to rush over to ask, as he was extremely concerned about this matter.

“Have you found a way?” Merk and the others also looked at Rod with hope, awaiting an answer!

Seeing everyone in such a state, Rod found it somewhat amusing. Perhaps because he had found a solution, he was in high spirits and smiled broadly. “We’ve found someone from the troll tribe. Elder Andrews gave me a way. We’ll set off soon—we must catch that guy today!” Rod said cheerfully.

“Good, that’s great!” Hearing Rod’s words and seeing that he had indeed found a solution, everyone let out a long sigh of relief, their anxious hearts finally calming down.

“What’s going on? Tell us!” The Wolf King asked curiously.

“A divine essence. Elder Andrews said that using a divine essence can help locate those demon souls!”

“A divine essence?” Hearing this, several people were both amused and frustrated, their expressions turning grim. In fact, only Rod in the entire world possessed a divine essence, so it seemed only he could handle this task.

“After finding that guy, don’t destroy his physical body—just imprison him using the divine essence. One divine essence can only imprison one person! So be careful. After imprisoning him, wait until the trolls return before dealing with exile!” Rod continued, explaining the gains from their trip to the Netherworld and sharing the methods to deal with those demon souls.

“There’s now a big problem!” Thinking of what Elder Andrews had said about the demon souls, Rod frowned slightly. “This time, there aren’t three demon souls—there should be four. The troll tribe’s ancestor discovered four of them. One of them is extremely powerful, with his aura hidden so well that we didn’t even notice him!”

“Four? Extremely powerful? Could it be that demon general?” This news surprised everyone.

Someone who could hide their aura so well was undoubtedly a strong opponent. If even a being at the level of a troll tribe ancestor considered him powerful, then he must be an extremely powerful figure. Could it really be that demon general? Everyone felt uneasy.

“No, he’s not that kind of person. As I said, it’s very likely one of the Four Demon Marshals!” Rod replied with a wry smile, his brows furrowed.

The hall fell silent instantly, the atmosphere heavy.

Demon Marshals—what kind of existence were they? They were the most powerful beings beneath the Demon God, with strength above the middle stage of the Mysterious Yellow Realm. Even if they had just recovered, their strength was beyond what ordinary people could match. At least among those present, only Rod and the Wolf King could compare to them; the rest were powerless.

If they’re at a loss even against a demon general, what about a demon marshal? In an instant, everyone felt the pressure on their shoulders soar dramatically, making it hard to breathe.
“That’s right—exactly a demon marshal! Once it finds a host, its strength can instantly return to the Yin Huang realm. With a little time, it should be able to reach the Yang Xuan realm, and a year would be enough for it to return to the Xuan Huang realm!” Rod said in a deep voice.
“No, we must find it as soon as possible. If necessary, go look for it first. The divine essence of a God King has a wide search range—within a hundred miles. Even if we search bit by bit, we must bring it out. We can’t give it time; otherwise, no one will be able to confront it in a year.” The Wolf King made a quick decision.
“That’s not necessary. Demon souls have requirements when choosing hosts, and the concealed demon marshal has even stricter demands. There’s no need to worry too much!” Rod then repeated what Andrews had told him.
“So, everyone must train hard to obtain divine essences. Only by having divine essences can we ensure we won’t be possessed by those demon souls. Their mental strength is immense. Once they target someone, that person has little chance to resist—unless your mental strength surpasses theirs, which is highly unlikely!” Rod gave these words with solemnity.
This was a serious matter. He didn’t want to end up fighting with his friends, with whom he had shared life and death, wielding swords in a life-or-death struggle—a scenario undoubtedly the cruelest. On the other hand, if these people obtained divine essences, it would be a huge help to him as well, especially when dealing with future demon souls.
“That’s true. We must act quickly. Also, remind everyone to be careful and avoid being targeted!” The Wolf King nodded in agreement.
Everyone in the hall fell silent, their mood suddenly becoming heavy. They realized that training was urgent, and only now, when it was time, did they realize how weak their strength was, which inevitably brought frustration. The pressure on their hearts increased instantly.
“First, find those in Water Curtain City! The trolls should be of great help once they return. With so many strong warriors, if nothing goes wrong, the trolls will immediately have three or more divine essences!” The Wolf King, who knew the trolls well, said confidently.
“Hmm, that’s true. But will they really retire? Although they’ll continue to help us, it will be somewhat inconvenient. If needed, I can give Water Curtain City to the trolls—it was originally their city after all!” Merk asked hesitantly.

“That’s right. Our Scorpion King clan can also give up Wuyou City. There’s no need to retreat in order to avoid conflicts. Wuyou City isn’t that important to our Scorpion King clan—it’s not essential to the point of being indispensable!” Locke spoke on behalf of his clan, expressing their thoughts.

The goal of both parties was clear: to hold back the Troll clan. After all, the Troll clan was extremely important at this moment. In the face of the war between gods and demons, what was a little loss of interest compared to that? After each such war, the major clans would suffer heavy losses. The once ancient Eight Great Clans were now reduced to just four. With the destruction of the Mi Jiao clan, the Wolf clan took its place, still forming the four great clans. But could these four clans survive after another war between gods and demons? No one knew for sure. At least in terms of their current strength, they not only wouldn’t be able to survive but might not even have a chance to win. The situation was fraught with danger, and interests were not the top priority at this time.

The Wolf King also vented his opinions, his message simple: he hoped the Troll clan would contribute more. Of course, if they wished, his own Troll clan could grow even larger, as no one would object given their strength.

If the Gate between Gods and Demons hadn’t been opened, these people might still have suppressed the Troll clan, but now that was impossible. Pressuring them now would be like inviting disaster upon themselves.

“There’s no need for that. They’ll go to the Ten Thousand Mountains and use it as a settlement. Everyone can rest assured. If nothing goes wrong, the Troll clan will gain five divine essences right away, which will be a great help to us!” Rod said with a smile. It seemed everyone’s minds had finally aligned.

“Five divine essences!” Even though they knew the Troll clan was powerful, everyone was still surprised. At least five—meaning there might be even more. One clan being this strong was quite astonishing. The others exchanged glances, not knowing what to say. They could only sigh at the huge gap and feel a sense of relief that they weren’t enemies. At the same time, they felt ashamed—if the Troll clan returned strongly and tried to reclaim all the towns, they truly wouldn’t have the strength to resist.

“Mm, that’s right. Elder Andrews said at least five, which will help us a lot. So there’s no need for everyone to worry too much!” Nodding, Rod also spoke with relief. This seemed to be the best answer Andrews had given him before he left.