Chapter 493: Provocation

Boom… Boom…
Continuous explosions and collisions sent chills down everyone’s spine. As the two fought with all their might at extreme speeds, no more than ten people in the arena could clearly see their battle—even Lucy found it difficult to see.
All that could be heard were the earth-shattering roars and collisions, and the flashes of two beams of light clashing. All that could be felt was their fierce momentum and violent energy.
The two figures moved swiftly through the air like meteors. At this moment, neither of them used fancy moves—only direct head-on confrontations.
The dull sounds of collisions made people’s scalps tingle. Lucy, Lilith, Nightingale, and the others were extremely anxious, as if their hearts might burst out at any moment.
Tears welled in their eyes as they clenched their fists tightly, filled with worry. They had witnessed such scenes before—once at Black Phoenix Manor, twice in the homeland of the Mi Jiao tribe, and once in the neutral city of Wuyou. Each time, it was terrifying and heart-wrenching. Now that it happened again, how could they not feel pain and urgency? This time, their opponent was different from before—stronger than anyone they had faced before, beyond their imagination.
This battle was clearly more intense and difficult than any previous one, and far more dangerous! Could Rod hold on?
The women were filled with anxiety but could do nothing but watch from afar, waiting silently, holding onto their belief in Rod, waiting for his victory, waiting for his return.
The two beams of light flashed rapidly above and below, leaving behind shadows and the eerie sound of flesh colliding, which was chilling.
“How is it going?” On the other side, the Wolf Emperor, Dragon Emperor, and others watched the battle intently. They were all powerful beings at the Yang Xuan realm, having attained divine status, and could barely make out Rod and the Demon General’s battle. Seeing this, the Wolf Emperor asked the Dragon Emperor in a deep voice.
“They’re evenly matched!” Taking a deep breath, the Dragon Emperor replied, his brows showing a hint of concern and admiration.

Such a physical confrontation—he thought he couldn’t endure it. The Dragon Clan was always renowned for its physical strength, yet now he admitted he was inferior to others. It was somewhat amusing and hard to accept.
“Even match?” The Wolf King was slightly stunned, a hint of shock appearing in his eyes.
If Rod could match the Demon Marshal in a physical duel, what did that mean? As an ancient clan, the Wolf Clan certainly knew of the terror of the Demonic Clan, especially their physical prowess. How could Rod even match them? He had originally thought delaying time and draining the opponent’s energy would be sufficient. Who would have thought this kid would choose a direct confrontation, so intense and straightforward? He had been worried whether Rod’s body could withstand it, only to be told they were even matched—this was undoubtedly a shock.
“The true form of a troll? It’s beyond your imagination,” Andrews said disdainfully after a light snort at the Wolf King’s astonished expression. Only their own troll clan knew what such a being truly was.
“Hehe, it seems the troll clan has quite a few secrets. Can you teach me this move?” the Wolf King asked, wearing a flattering smile as he looked at Andrews.
“Nobody outside our clan can learn it. It’s passed down through bloodline. If you want to learn it, reincarnate into our troll clan!” Andrews replied indifferently, with a teasing smile on his face.
These words turned the Wolf King’s expression grim before finally falling into despair.
As Rod’s battle with the Demon Marshal reached a stalemate, with neither side gaining an advantage, everyone gradually relaxed. They had gotten used to seeing Rod in a different light—truly, he was an anomaly; no words seemed sufficient to describe him.
“If this continues, Rod has a chance of winning!” the Ancestor, who had finally caught his breath after resting for a long time, said gravely. Looking at Rod fighting in the distance, he showed a hint of relief.
“Mm. Probably!” Several people nodded in unison, their faces filled with excitement.
The possibility of victory was an enticing answer. They knew this wasn’t just the Ancestor’s comfort—it was a genuine possibility.
In the previous battle with the Ancestor, the Demon Marshal had already expended a great deal of combat energy, and his body had suffered some injuries. Rod had capitalized on this by engaging him in a direct physical confrontation.

The strain such combat places on the body is imaginable—ordinary people simply cannot endure it. That’s why only they can engage in such fights. But don’t forget, this kind of battle is also the most deadly form of combat! Choosing such a method was originally Rod’s scheme, yet the Demon General didn’t realize it, which is absolutely fatal! Rod’s goal was simple: to use such battles to worsen the Demon General’s injuries, deepen his suffering, and then seize an opportunity. It seems he has already succeeded to a large extent. Thinking of this, the smiles on several people’s faces grew even wider; they admired Rod to the utmost. The sound of collisions made people’s hearts race. After an unknown duration, after dazzling countless people and turning the entire town into ruins, the two finally parted, gaining a brief respite. At this moment, both of them looked utterly disheveled. Rod’s combat energy armor had completely shattered in the clash, his clothes turned into fragments floating in the air, leaving only that rarely seen set of armor—the Armor of the Divine King—along with a dense layer of scale armor that gave him a ferocious appearance. With blood at the corners of his mouth, a pale complexion, heavy breathing, hair in disarray, and veins bulging all over his body, he looked terrifying. “Rod!” “Brother…” “My head…” Seeing Rod in such condition, cries of shock filled the air, all filled with concern. Hearing these words, Rod smiled bitterly inwardly—his current state indeed seemed rather miserable, no wonder these people reacted like that. Nodding at them, Rod quickly used the little time he had to gather combat energy and recover from his injuries. The trolls had an abnormally fast recovery ability, which Rod was well aware of; even a little time could bring unexpected benefits. The Demon General on the other side wasn’t in much better shape either. With blood at his mouth, bent over, breathing heavily, his face pale, devoid of his former arrogance, his eyes filled with solemnity. His disheveled hair and bulging veins made him look utterly ruined. If observed closely, a faint dark red could be seen on his body—bruises left from the intense collisions.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at Rod, then shifted his gaze to his side where his long sword was still embedded in the ruins. At that moment, he felt a surge of desire!
The body of a troll was truly extraordinary—he had fully experienced just how abnormal such a body could be. He had to admit that he hadn’t gained any advantage in the confrontation and had even been at a disadvantage. What was more fatal was that the injuries from previous battles, though not severe, were worsening due to the intense clashes. With each breath, it seemed as though his body was being tormented by intense pain.
He began to waver, thinking about escaping from this place or picking up his long sword to fight Rod head-on and defeat him completely.
“What? Can’t take it anymore? Hahaha… The bodies of the Demonic Clan are nothing special. It seems you’re done for already. I, Rod, am not someone who abuses power. Take your weapon, and let’s fight again!”
Just as the Demon General’s resolve faltered, Rod’s voice came through at just the right moment, leaving him frozen in place.
A look of embarrassment appeared on his face as he watched Rod ready for battle with bare hands, clenching his teeth tightly.
“Stop talking nonsense. The battle between us isn’t over yet. Since we agreed to fight bare-handed, then it will be bare-handed. How could the Demonic Clan break its word? Don’t underestimate us!” Rod’s words seemed to provoke the Demon General, making him feel utterly humiliated, as if his tail had been stepped on. He shouted loudly, his face turning red and blue in turn.
“That kid has learned this trick too!” In the distance, Sognar smirked slightly and murmured.
At the same time, the Wolf King and the others also breathed a sigh of relief, smiling in satisfaction at Rod.
These were all experienced individuals. How could they miss the Demon General’s expressions and actions earlier? Naturally, they had guessed what he intended to do. If no one had said anything at that moment, it was very likely the Demon General would have picked up his sword and attacked. If that had happened, Rod would have been in danger.
Fortunately, Rod had also noticed his intention and took preemptive action, once again tapping into the Demon General’s pride and exploiting his weakness, provoking him enough to strengthen his resolve and give up the idea of fighting with a weapon.

This provocation proved to be extremely effective. Of course, the more important factor was the innate nature of the Demonic Clan and the pride of their leaders—they would never allow themselves to engage in such actions. It was their arrogance that gave them confidence to defeat their opponents in battles; such despicable behavior was beneath them. From a certain perspective, Rod’s tactics could also be seen as insidious and petty.