Chapter 454: Arrival in Ice City

As the group set off on their journey to Ice City, Water Curtain City had completely returned to peace. In fact, even the entire Source of Darkness had calmed down. The war was over, and the pro-war faction had been destroyed. Now, the Source of Darkness was once again at peace. Though it wasn’t as prosperous as before, it was believed it would recover soon and even become better.

As for the Black Phoenix clan, Merk said they would set off in a few days. The distance from here to Ice City was quite short—perhaps even reachable in a single day if desired. Of course, the larger group moved more slowly, but three days would definitely be sufficient.

Water Curtain City still had some matters to settle before officially accepting them, and it turned out to be much more complicated than expected. Fortunately, there were no major issues. Regarding Lucy’s departure, Merk didn’t say much more. Occasionally, when he mentioned that girls grow up too fast to be kept around, Rod would blush with embarrassment.

Lucy, on the other hand, just acted coquettishly. On the contrary, a hint of joy could be seen on her face. This little girl truly had budding feelings—Rod had left an indelible impression on her heart.

The Scorpion King clan also didn’t join them. Worry-Free City needed to be officially accepted, and with the pro-war faction completely destroyed, there was still much work to be done. Their situation was surely not as easy as Rod’s. After all, Rod could just wave his hand and have everything resolved. As for the opposition faction, Rod was a bit worried. With Aida now as their leader, he wondered if anything might go wrong if she left with him. He asked several times, but Aida’s answer was always a smile, assuring Rod that he needn’t worry.

With that, Rod didn’t pay much attention. The group arrived in Ice City in two days.

It was early summer, and the sun was quite intense, scorching the earth and giving off a hot sensation—summer had indeed arrived.

The plants by the roadside were lush and green, presenting a vibrant scene. After the harsh winter, nourished by spring, everything was full of vitality. Perhaps the Source of Darkness was the same way—spring had finally passed, and summer was in full swing. Undoubtedly, everything was moving in a positive direction.

Along the way, the group remained relatively calm, much more relaxed than when they first arrived in Water Curtain City. Plus, with Sognar as the source of humor, there was always laughter around.

This guy always manages to come up with all sorts of ways to draw attention to himself, always provoking the dissatisfaction of several women, which leads to a chase scene. Unfortunately, every time, Sognar ends up as the loser, crying out for mercy. At such times, Rod steps in as a peacemaker to calm things down, and only after Rod’s persuasion do the women agree to stop. What’s puzzling is that Sognar never learns his lesson and keeps suffering repeated losses; his repeated provocations are both amusing and frustrating! However, this situation makes things much more relaxed for everyone—fighting and brawling serve as a way to relieve stress. There’s no need for anyone to worry about matters in Water Curtain City; I believe the Black Phoenix clan can handle things well, and the restoration work is progressing in an orderly manner! In just a few days, Water Curtain City has taken on a semblance of order thanks to the efforts of those small clans. It must be said that these small clans are incredibly capable, and Water Curtain City cannot do without them. On the other hand, the arrival of caravans has also accelerated the city’s recovery! The impact brought by these caravans is beyond imagination. As for the Demon General, Rod sealed his divine essence in that secret chamber, along with the Demon General. There won’t be any problems in the short term; now, all that remains is to wait for the return of the Troll clan. Of course, because of this, Rod’s divine essence cannot be used anymore, and even if the other demon souls appear, it will be difficult for him to detect them, which is somewhat frustrating. … After more than ten people traveling for two full days, they finally arrived in Front of Ice City, showing just how slow their progress was. Under normal circumstances, it should have taken just over a day to get here—all because of Sognar, the culprit. Looking at the quaint Ice City, nestled on this plateau, it still gives off a cool feeling even in early summer. The temperature difference is large, but such weather is quite pleasant and comfortable. The towering city gates remain solemn. This is the only town that hasn’t been affected by war, preserving its simplicity. Perhaps because of the war, Ice City, untouched by chaos, has become especially popular. Thus, today’s Ice City is not what Rod saw when he arrived last year—it’s no longer so quiet but much livelier. Perhaps the only contribution of this war is to have made Ice City more bustling. Hopefully, this liveliness will continue.

In front of the city gate, people came and went in great bustle. As agreed, Ice City had been completely taken over by the Wolf Clan—this no longer mattered. For the demons nowadays, one Dark Moon City was sufficient, not to mention they could also use Wuyou City and Water Curtain City. After all, the Black Phoenix Clan and the Scorpion King Clan each had their own territories; those two cities were merely their bases. In reality, it was still the demons who used them, so losing Ice City wasn’t a big deal! Besides, there were quite a few demon members in Ice City as well; they were just under the Wolf Clan’s management.

The Wolf Clan soldiers were imposing and indeed a formidable fighting force—far superior to those who favored open warfare. Even though their combat skills weren’t as strong as those of the demons, their fighting spirit made them feared by everyone.

“Rod, Lord Knightrod!” Suddenly, there was some commotion. Rod’s identity was quickly recognized when he went through the inspection.

The Wolf Clan soldier who was inspecting Rod exclaimed in surprise, then hurriedly bowed with the highest form of respect due to the Wolf Clan: “Saluting Lord Rod!”

This was an order from the Wolf Emperor. Moreover, rumors about Rod had spread like wildfire during this time. Stories about his divine status and being a god-king—no one knew where these people got such information—but it caused quite a stir. The Wolf Emperor had also issued the highest directive: from now on, Rod would be the most honored guest of the Wolf Clan, and everyone who saw him must greet him with the utmost respect.

Of course, even if he hadn’t said so, the Wolf Clan would have done this anyway. After all, they were a race that valued strength, and they naturally harbored awe and respect for those who were strong.

It was easy to understand the Wolf Clan’s attitude, but Rod wasn’t aware that he had such a high profile in Ice City. The commoners seemed to be cheering at his arrival, which left him puzzled.

Unbeknownst to him, news about him had already spread throughout the Source of Darkness—perhaps only he himself wasn’t aware of it. Who else wasn’t aware of these things now?

What was the best-selling item in the Source of Darkness these days? If you asked, you’d get an answer quickly: brochures about Rod. No one knew who had compiled these, but they detailed Rod’s experiences after entering the Source of Darkness, exaggerating them into something thrilling and gripping, making them the hottest items of the moment. Even some of his experiences on the continent were dug up and compiled into books.

It’s indeed popular and in high demand, almost priceless—so many people are desperate to get it, and after speculation, its price keeps rising, reaching terrifying levels now. Just think, under such circumstances, who wouldn’t know it?
Of course, only Lucy and Ada probably know best who the authors of these two pamphlets are! After all, those little books were given to them by that guy, so it’s easy to guess.
Rod felt a bit uncomfortable among the crowded crowd, while Sognar and Lilith shamelessly stood by as onlookers, dragging Lucy and Ada along with them, acting as if it had nothing to do with them—something that would later cause Rod quite a few headaches.
“Alright, if there are no problems, I’ll go in first. I’ll go find the Wolf King later!” As more and more people gathered, their excited expressions giving Rod chills, he couldn’t bear to stay any longer and had to make excuses to leave.
Entering the city smoothly, still filled with an antique atmosphere that gave a very pleasant feeling—neat buildings, a simple charm, and of course, the leisurely and elegant demeanor of the people living here—all of it fascinated Rod. This place was truly wonderful; if possible, he really wanted to settle here and never get involved in conflicts again.
In the distance, that towering building was the Netherworld. From afar, it looked magnificent. Taking a deep breath, Rod was filled with emotion, clearly remembering what happened when he first came here. Back then, he was under attack by remnants of the Purple Wing Thunder Eagle Clan, members of the Nash Clan, and several major warlike clans here. If it weren’t for Melon helping him, he would have faced serious trouble—just that twisted old man from the Nash Clan alone was enough to give him a hard time.
This place was also a new starting point for Rod. Here, he entered the long-desired Yin Yellow Realm, stepping into a new world of cultivation, which enabled him to reach where he is today. Here, he uncovered the mystery of his origins and learned that his father was still alive…
If there was one place in the Source of Darkness that could be called Rod’s home, it was undoubtedly Hanbing Chen—even Dark Moon City couldn’t compare. After all, this place held his roots.
Beside him, Bianuo was also trembling with excitement. The Netherworld—his master was there, the trolls were there too. They would be returning soon—how could he not be thrilled and excited?

The group did not head to the Netherworld right away but instead made their way toward the city lord’s residence established by the wolf clan. There were still over ten days before the Netherworld could be opened, so going there now would be pointless. It was better to wait until the time came; going now would only lead to frustration. Speaking of frustration, Rod was no less anxious than anyone else. After all, those inside were his relatives, including Nightingale, so it was hard for him to remain calm. Fortunately, he managed to hold back in the end.