Chapter 210: Evil Intent Enters the Heart

“Who are you!” A dark figure appeared ahead. Seeing Rod raising his sword toward him, the figure shouted loudly, drawing the attention of others as well.

In an instant, several people gathered around Rod’s location, their faces twisted in anger as they stared at this reckless intruder who had dared to enter their stronghold.

“The one who will take your life!” With a cold snort, Rod didn’t say another word. He raised his sword and charged forward. A dark flash of light—like a dark dragon—appeared, leaving a trail before emitting a muffled sound. Blood sprayed everywhere. The man who had spoken widened his eyes in shock and could say nothing more. Blood gushed from his arteries as he collapsed backward.

“Bad news! An attack! Someone has launched a surprise attack!” The people who had just arrived changed color at this sight and quickly raised their voices in alarm.

The once quiet stronghold became chaotic, filled with screams and battle cries. In less than a moment, dozens of people rushed over, their faces grim and armed, looking extremely fierce.

Rod simply stood there quietly, observing everything without intending to attack right away. Let them shout—it would gather everyone together, saving him the trouble of searching one by one.

“Knight Rod! It’s Knight Rod!” Someone shouted first, and the news spread rapidly throughout the stronghold like lightning. The newcomers paled instantly.

“Knight Rod, it’s really you! I was right!” Victor, who had rushed forward, stared at the man standing across from him and shouted loudly, his face twisted in rage.

Nothing had changed—he still looked exactly as he remembered, a face he could never forget. His guess was correct; it was indeed the giant he had encountered before, now coming after him.

“Knight Rod, why… why did you have to come? We have no grudges between us. You…” The leader of the group shouted at Rod, his voice trembling.

It’s definitely a demon. Despair grew in his heart. It was said that Knight Rod possessed imperial-level strength, and with his demonic origins, he was far beyond their reach. He had already believed Victor’s words from the valley, which was why he chose to retreat. He never expected this devil to follow him, and the purpose was obvious—to kill him and silence him.

Just now, he had sent someone to the imperial capital to report the situation in hopes of receiving rewards from the empire. His heart skipped a beat—he realized he might not get that honor after all.
“Kill!” He counted the number of enemies—more than those he had encountered in the canyon earlier, with all the key figures present. With a cold smirk, Rod snarled and charged at them without caring about their words.
His combat energy was at its peak, with deep yellow golden light flashing around him, creating illusory figures that moved through the crowd. Wherever he passed, blood sprayed and screams filled the air.
“Kill! This devil won’t spare us! Fight to the end! Countless riches await us!” Seeing this, both the leader of the bandits and Vidoc knew it was over. Cornered, they could only defend themselves, suppressing their fear to fight back.
“Foolish!” Rod paid no attention to their actions. With a cold glance, he accelerated, and in an instant, over a dozen lives lay at his feet. He felt no pity for them—unknown to him, they had killed countless innocent people. Today, he was simply eliminating some scum and vermin from society.
His Shadowless Sword was unleashed, and with eighteen slashes, bodies fell everywhere, blood covering the slope. Corpses lay scattered, and blood flowed like a small stream downward.
“Naitrod, I’ll fight you to the death!” As his brothers fell one by one and his entire empire was destroyed, the bandit leader’s eyes turned red. Apart from the man he had sent out, everyone else in the stronghold had died. Only he, Vidoc, and two other brothers remained. But the demon showed no sign of stopping—escape was impossible. Desperate people will do anything; when the desire to survive overcomes fear of death, fear disappears entirely.
“Foolish!” With a single sword strike, the bandit leader’s head was thrown into the air, glowing brightly against the backdrop of blood and the setting sun. Before he could even scream, this silver warrior was killed on the spot.
With a cold smirk, he approached Vidoc with his sword in hand. “I said never let me see you causing trouble again. Since you chose to defy me, you must bear the consequences!”

“Hmph, Knightrod, you demon! I regret not destroying you back then out of weakness. I never expected you to grow so strong. Everything I have today is thanks to you—neither human nor demon. Stop pretending here! No matter what happens, I, Vidoc, will continue!” With a cruel smile, Vidoc roared loudly, his agonized expression making one feel pity. Even Rod was slightly stunned, not expecting this guy to still maintain such determination in the face of death!

“Die!” But this didn’t shake Rod’s resolve. If one doesn’t act for oneself, heaven and earth will punish them. He would never give others a chance to harm him.

With a single swing, his sword severed the opponent’s sword blocking him. The sword broke, and the man died. Full of regret, Vidoc fell at Rod’s hands once again after a year. Perhaps no one could have predicted this, not even himself. He never thought Rod’s growth would far exceed his imagination in just one year, reaching such a level.

After dealing with the last bandit, Rod sheathed his sword and sighed. Even he could feel that since that day, his desire to kill had grown stronger, more bloodthirsty, and more ruthless. He had done such things today, but a month ago, he would never have committed acts of mass murder and extermination. It seemed as though some desire was urging him to keep committing such bloody acts.

After pausing for a moment and confirming there were no survivors, he sheathed his sword and slowly headed toward Blackstone City.

……

“Demonic intent fills his heart. Hey, is it fortune or disaster? Could this be fate?” Rod didn’t know. Meanwhile, Xuan Yuan within him sighed secretly as he watched Rod do all this.

Once a symbol of justice, he now followed a devilish master. Was it out of helplessness or something else? He saw everything Rod did. Today’s Rod seemed unrecognizable—his changes were too great.

Even he realized he seemed to have been influenced by Knightrod. Observing Knightrod’s cold expression, he knew that the awakening of his bloodline had left behind demonic seeds. The demon heart was now irreversible. He only hoped Rod could still distinguish right from wrong in the future.

He had seen killing and committed massacres before. Hadn’t he done the same when following that person? The carnage couldn’t even be described—great achievements come at the cost of countless lives. He also hoped that in the end, Rod would turn to the right path like that person and not remain evil forever.

Under the glow of the setting sun, as darkness gradually covered the land, Rod rushed desperately toward Blackstone City. After bypassing the canyon, he reached the main road and let the gentle breeze wash away the bloodstain from his body as he continued to sprint toward Blackstone City. Finally, just before night fell completely, he arrived at the town.

Blackstone City’s night scene was bustling, though not as lively as that of the capital, it had its own unique charm. The guards at the entrance were extremely strict, with multiple layers of checks that made Rod frown secretly. Fortunately, he had brought a mask; otherwise, the consequences could have been disastrous.

Unbeknownst to Rod, as he managed to enter the city, a group was rushing toward them along the route between the capital and Blackstone City. Meanwhile, in another stronghold, a man, horrified by the gruesome sight inside, shouted angrily with red eyes, and soon his followers also rushed toward Blackstone City.

Beneath its calm surface, Blackstone City was rife with hidden turmoil, with a storm brewing, ready to erupt at any moment.

Sitting in a hotel, savoring the fine wine and listening to the chatter of the mercenaries around him, Rod smiled bitterly inwardly. He had learned much of what he wanted to know, especially that he had been listed on the Blacklist under an S-class pursuit mission, with a bounty of 500,000 gold coins—a sum that even tempted him. The fact that someone was trying to kill him filled him with dread. If that person truly intended to kill him, cold sweat broke out on his forehead—his life would be in real danger.

“It seems there’s no place left to go!” Feeling lost, with the entire continent hunting him—along with the Mercenary Association, the Warriors and Mages Association, and the Church of Light—these forces posed a huge threat to him.

“First, to Collins Forest!” After brief hesitation, Rod made up his mind. His target was Collins Forest, the best place to hide and train for now. His top priority was to avoid the pursuit of stronger enemies and improve his own strength. As for all the other curiosities and mysteries about his origins, he could only address them after gaining more power. Only by surviving could he have a chance—something Rod understood better than anyone else.