Chapter 490: A Battle with You

“Hehe, it seems they’ve truly declined. That’s good too—this saves my Demon Army from a great battle when it returns!” The Demon General said indifferently, pouting slightly, before turning to leave.
Everyone clenched their fists but couldn’t say a word. Who could stop him? Who could halt his momentum?
Seeing the Demon General about to leave, everyone grew anxious but was helpless, their hearts filled with bitterness.
At that moment, everyone turned their gaze to Rod, hoping this genius would step forward. Perhaps only he could withstand the Demon General’s might now.
“I’ll fight you!” Finally, at the very moment the Demon General was about to leave, Rod suddenly stood up and spoke in a deep voice.
Those words instantly energized everyone, who focused all their attention on Rod. Watching him, they thought to themselves that perhaps it was indeed time for a change—now was the age of the young.
“Oh? You want to fight me?” The Demon General, who had just turned to leave, stopped and asked Rod curiously.
“A fight!” Rod’s voice was firm, unwavering. His expression was serious, his eyes sharpening instantly as he gripped his Xuanyuan Sword tightly, ready to move forward.
“Rod!” The Wolf King and others watched him worriedly, their faces filled with bitterness.
Everyone had seen the Demon General’s strength—could Rod match him? Even after fighting the Ancestor and suffering heavy losses and injuries, could he still compete? No one had confidence in his victory.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine!” Sensing their concern, Rod took a deep breath and smiled. Yet his smile seemed bitter and helpless.
“Be careful!” After staring at Rod for a long time, the Wolf King sighed helplessly.
Around him, the Dragon King and others nodded at Rod, urging him to be careful. They also exchanged glances, seemingly making up their minds—if Rod failed in this battle, they would step in without hesitation to continue fighting until the Demon General was subdued. Otherwise, in a few more years, no one would be able to match him.

After giving those people a deep glance, Rod turned to the severely injured Ancestor before him and said, “I will restore the glory of the troll race from hundreds of thousands of years ago today!” With that, he resolutely stepped forward.
“The glory of the troll race from hundreds of thousands of years ago!” Hearing Rod’s words, Andrews and the Ancestor were both stunned. They murmured to themselves, a glimmer of brightness appearing in their eyes.
What a glorious and wild era that of the troll race! Could he truly restore it? The two felt that perhaps through him, the troll race could regain its former glory!
A relieved smile appeared on their faces—finally, such an unparalleled genius had emerged among the trolls again. Both sighed, realizing that perhaps they had indeed grown old, and the troll race needed such strength to gain new momentum.
“Big brother…” A clear voice came from behind. Turning around, they saw Lilith and Lucy looking at them worriedly, their faces filled with anxiety.
“I’ll be fine!” Rod stopped in his tracks, looked at the two women, and nodded to reassure them.
“You will definitely win!” Inspired by Rod, Lucy and Lilith said firmly.
“Rod, don’t forget our promise!” A voice came from another direction—the side guarded by the Scythe of Death Squad. It was Nightingale, who also stepped forward to give him instructions.
“I’ll never forget it!” Rod replied solemnly, though a hint of pain and guilt arose in his heart.
That promise—to grow old together, supporting each other as our hair turned silver, watching the sunrise and sunset—seemed so distant now. It seemed he couldn’t offer her the peaceful life she desired, at least not in the short term. Rod felt he owed Nightingale so much, yet there was so little he could offer in return.
“I’ll take you to the seaside someday!” Taking a deep breath, Rod smiled faintly.
In the distance, Nightingale nodded firmly, tears in her eyes—whether of happiness or worry, it was hard to tell.
“I’ll fight you!” Walking up to the Demon General, Rod raised his long sword and said solemnly.
“Rod? The divine aura of a God King resides within you, doesn’t it?” the Demon General asked with a teasing look. He was somewhat arrogant; to him, Rod posed no threat—just a martial artist at the later stage of Yang Xuan, with an insurmountable gap between them.

“That’s right!” Rod replied coldly, his fighting spirit surging in an instant. Combat energy surrounded him as purple-golden energy gradually emerged, elevating him to a new realm and conveying the might of a celestial warrior. His purple-golden armor displayed his regal presence, leaving countless people in the distance utterly awestruck. Those who might have doubted Rod before now had no such doubts left—his aura alone was beyond anything they could match or compare to.
It even gave the impression of being no less formidable than the former patriarch, showing just how powerful Rod truly was.
“Not bad. You can be considered a genius. It’s a shame you met me too early!” After staring at Rod for a while, the Demon Marshal spoke with some emotion, seemingly impressed by Rod’s talent as well.
These words shocked everyone. For the proud Demon Marshal to acknowledge and praise Rod was as unbelievable as a pig climbing a tree.
“You must stay today!” Rod remained unmoved, speaking in a cold tone.
“Heh, then we’ll see if you have the ability. Today, I’ll enjoy playing with you and see just how weak this continent has become. Compared to hundreds of thousands of years ago, you’re far behind.
What do you think would happen if you, this Divine King, died here today? What would those 360 gods do? Your divine realm will surely be doomed to failure without a leader!”
Seemingly thinking of something amusing, the Demon Marshal laughed loudly, his eyes once again filled with amusement.
“Enough talk. Let’s fight!” With his long sword raised, the Xuanyuan Sacred Sword around his hand emitted a purple-golden glow, burning like a brilliant flame, like a soaring dragon with its mouth open, ready to attack.
“Then let me experience the strength of this generation’s Divine King!” With a light snort, the Demon Marshal also aimed his dark sword at Rod. His black aura, in stark contrast to Rod’s purple-golden energy, gave off a chilling feeling, as if it belonged to demons from the netherworld.
Wind howled, dust filled the air, and both men’s fighting spirits surged simultaneously. Rod’s murderous intent was released without restraint, instantly dropping the temperature around them to freezing point, as if winter had arrived, evoking a sense of dread.

Kill aura—this was Rod’s kill aura. Years of slaughter had forged a terrifying aura around him.
The moment this aura appeared, it immediately caused a stir. Everyone was moved at that instant, even those who knew Rod best, like Nightingale. Usually, Rod kept his kill aura hidden well, blending it into his combat energy so that others couldn’t sense it. If they did, it was only faintly, insignificant.
But now, it was completely different. This aura was unimaginably powerful. Especially the warriors on the continent showed expressions of horror.
Could this be the kill aura of a young man in his early twenties? To them, it seemed as though the gentle-looking young man standing before them was no longer the same person, but rather a devil even more terrifying than the Demon General—a Asura from the Netherworld.
Staring in shock at this young man, they had no idea what kind of trials and experiences could produce such an aura, or how much bloodshed and struggle it would take to cultivate such power.
The Pope frowned slightly, looking at Rod with a hint of weariness. Compared to the aura of light and purity, they truly despised this cold aura that made people feel uneasy.
“Big brother!” Lucy clenched her fists tightly, murmuring anxiously. She had seen Rod like this before—when he was at the quasi-divine level and encountered the young master of the Nash family on that hillside. She had felt it then, when both were on the brink of death. That was the first time they fought side by side, and it was then that Rod protected her! It was also on that day that Rod’s extraordinary journey in the Source of Darkness began.
Over the years, others might not know, but Lucy was well aware of the hardships and trials Rod had endured, and how much suffering he had gone through.
Lilith, on the other hand, was also one of those who knew Rod best. She gently held Lucy’s hand, filled with concern. Others only saw Rod’s glorious side, but how many had seen how much he had sacrificed behind the scenes, how many trials he had faced, and how many times he had teetered on the edge of life and death? Since the beginning in the Void Space, how many days had he not survived through trials of blood and fire? His life had always been one of constant battle.

Such suffering cannot be understood by others. Killing intent? What is this killing intent anyway? It is the result of years of survival! It is accumulated through the path he has forged step by step with his own strength. The blood that stains him from injuries is not that of his comrades or friends, but that of his enemies—those evil enemies.