Chapter 149: Rebuilding After Destruction (Part 2)

All those present were powerful warriors. Thanks to their speed, they arrived within the forest in less than a moment. A massive amount of lightning energy filled the air, and nothing could escape their notice. Everyone stopped about a hundred meters away from Ming Lake.

A group of twenty or thirty people stared at the scene ahead, mouths agape, unable to speak, their eyes filled with shock. If they hadn’t come together, they would have thought they had gone to the wrong place. This was no longer the peaceful Ming Lake of before—it was a completely transformed forest.

“Lucy, what are you doing? You can’t go forward—it’s dangerous!” Obsidian shouted, pulling back Lucy, who wanted to rush ahead. He might be able to withstand the lightning energy, but for Lucy, who possessed holy-level strength, it was difficult. The energy was too fierce; one wrong move could result in injury.

“No, Brother Rod… he…” Tears streamed down Lucy’s face as she could no longer speak. The huge lake ahead told her what had happened. The white mist and rushing water made it clear just how drastic the changes had been.

What kind of energy could cause such changes? What kind of power could bring about such upheaval? Could anyone survive such force? No one believed it.

Unable to sense any presence, everyone present swallowed hard, speechless. A brand-new lake had appeared in the former forest, reflecting Ming Lake—this was the result of the final lightning strike.

Not to mention Rod, even these late-stage god-level warriors didn’t think they could survive under such circumstances. An attack of such power was likely beyond even those who surpassed the god level. Secretly, they all sighed.

The battlefield, filled with smoke and chaos, and the intense sound of water made it seem like another world, like a battlefield of gods and demons. A single strike could create a hundred-meter lake—who could deliver such an attack, and who could withstand it?

“The God-Destroying Lightning Calamity!” After what seemed like a long time, one of the elders swallowed hard and muttered to himself, a self-mocking smile on his face.

No matter how strong he was, no matter how mighty, what could he do? In the face of nature, everything was but dust—ultimately destined to be reduced to ashes.

“The Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan and the Nash Family—wait and give the Trading Guild an answer!” With a sigh, several elders let out bitter sighs before turning to leave. After observing the situation, they realized there was no need to stay; the outcome was obvious. As for investigating the area, with thunder and lightning everywhere, it was clearly not the best time—this would have to wait until the thunderstorm energy faded away.

Soon, most people left as well. After witnessing what had happened, everyone seemed to have lost all their strength, looking weak and despondent. Those who practiced martial arts had defied heaven, but now that divine wrath had been shown, they realized their earlier complacency was meaningless—even the most brilliant could not escape divine punishment.

The Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan and the Nash Family also looked pale. Rod’s death was undoubtedly a devastating blow to them, signaling the end of their clans. In less than a moment, the group of twenty or thirty people was reduced to eight or nine. Those from major clans and factions had already left, while the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan and the Nash Family returned to deal with the crisis—failure to handle it properly would bring disaster upon them!

Only Lucy, in tears, and Hei Yao from the Black Phoenix Clan remained where they were. The elders had also left; such an event would surely cause a stir, and they needed to report back to their clans.

The dragon clan members also left the lake shore with gloomy expressions. Aside from Lucy and Hei Yao, Princesses Aida and Eileen stayed behind with a few subordinates, silent. Eileen’s face showed curiosity and confusion. Seeing her sister Aida, who looked gloomy with tears in her eyes, she seemed to understand something. When she turned to look at the lake, a hint of shock appeared on her face—divine wrath was indeed terrifying!

“Brother Rod…” Her soft call was met only by a cool breeze. The silence was terrifying. Recalling the moments spent with Rod over the past few days, and remembering how he had fought bravely for her, her heart ached. She didn’t realize how deeply he had left an indelible mark on her heart—how important he had become to her!

“Miss…” With a sigh, Hei Yao gently called out to Lucy, who looked heartbroken.

“The Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan and the Nash Family—I want them to die with me!” Suddenly raising her head, her eyes flashing with coldness, Lucy spoke each word clearly. Her icy tone made the temperature drop, causing Hei Yao to tremble.

“Miss…” he called out bitterly. This version of Lucy seemed strange to him—she had always appeared innocent since he watched her grow up, yet now she carried such hatred. The icy murderous intent even made him shudder. How much hatred lay hidden within her?
“Uncle Heiyao, get ready. This time, I’ll sacrifice the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle clan and the Nash family at any cost! Contact the Dragon clan and the Exchange Guild; I’m sure they’ll be interested. And you, demons… Heh, if you’re interested, you can join too!” A cold smile that made people uncomfortable appeared on her face as Lucy spoke indifferently. Then she turned and left the lakebank, leaving Heiyao in a daze due to this unfamiliar feeling.
“Brother Rod, this is all Lucy can do for you. Once everything is done, I’ll come back to see you. Wait for me…” Her heart ached as Lucy whispered to herself. Who could understand her pain at this moment?
“Sis…” With Lucy’s departure, only a small group remained by the lake: sisters Eileen and Ada along with a few guards. Watching Ada gaze thoughtfully at the lake, sensing the faint murderous aura, Eileen called out nervously.
Turning with indifference, she asked Eileen, “Who told the Ada family about him by the lake? Who leaked the information? The Ada family can’t investigate this quickly!”
“I… I…” Stunned by Ada’s sudden question and facing her piercing gaze like a blade, Eileen avoided her eyes and stammered, unable to speak.
“I’ll investigate this thoroughly. No one will get away. The Nash family… well done. And the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles too!!” With a cold snort, ignoring Eileen’s reaction, Ada turned and stared deeply at the lake. That man who had fought side by side with her in the Stormwind Mercenaries, who had protected them and fought his way through battles, carrying so much burden—had he really left? Were all his responsibilities forgotten? Ada felt her heart ache, as if her blood were flowing.
“Rod, don’t worry. I’ll give you an explanation! I’ll finish what you started!” Making up her mind, Ada sighed and turned to leave.
“Sis…” Seeing Ada’s change, Eileen felt fear. What if her sister found out it was she who leaked the information? She couldn’t help but worry.

“You… you know him?” Seeing Ada stop in her tracks, Eirwen added as a question.
“You can just act like you don’t know about this. Also, stop pulling those little tricks behind my back. I’m not competing with you—there’s no need for you to perform in front of me. I’m just your sister; you don’t have to treat me as an enemy!” She turned to look deeply at her sister. Others might be deceived by her appearance and think of her as an innocent, pure girl, but having grown up with her, how could she not know certain things?
“Sis… you…” Eirwen’s eyes flickered with shock as she spoke in disbelief, but she received no further reply from Ada.
Watching Ada walk away, she stamped her foot, let out a frustrated grunt, and followed after her.
…
Not long after everyone left, no one noticed that the electrical energy in the air was rapidly gathering. The energy that had spilled out earlier seemed to be drawn together by some force, condensing quickly to form a bolt of lightning that struck the lake.
Once inside the lake, the lightning seemed to come to life, searching around. Upon detecting Rod’s presence, it excitedly rushed toward him like a living being, flashed by in an instant, and then disappeared into Rod’s body.
At that moment, Rod was covered in a faint black glow that enveloped him tightly. He stood quietly at the bottom of the lake, the energy sword created by Xuanyuan having vanished and merged into his body.
His hair floated upward, his face expressionless, with no sign of life at all. It was likely that even if someone found Rod at this moment, they would consider him dead!
After countless cycles of tearing and reformation, Rod’s body had been strengthened to an terrifying degree through these trials. His skin kept regenerating, making it as white as snow and seemingly fragile.
Inside his body, the massive energies still hadn’t ceased moving, continuously washing over every cell and corner. Along with the other energies, Rod’s entire body was undergoing an unprecedented transformation and evolution. If he could persevere through this and emerge stronger, it was obvious he would become a new kind of powerhouse.
By then, he would surely fulfill the saying that “those who survive great disasters will reap great blessings,” gaining tremendous benefits from it.