Chapter 156: Reunion
It was a residence located relatively near Dark Moon City. Compared to the bustling center, this area was extremely quiet—few pedestrians on the streets, no shops or stalls, making the avenues seem desolate. Surrounding it were separate courtyards, all with their gates tightly closed, giving off a serene atmosphere. This was where the Dragon Clan resided. Looking at this ancient yet grand house with its blue walls and black tiles, it was clear it had a long history.
When they reached the gate, before Rod could step inside, he heard an angry shout. “This is private property. Strangers are not allowed in.” The voice boomed like thunder in his ears, leaving Rod dizzy.
A master, Rod concluded at once. Such formidable strength—clearly superior to his own.
“Who are you? This is the private residence of the Dragon Clan. Do not enter!” Soon after, a middle-aged man strode toward them with an aggressive demeanor, his expression wary as he stared at Rod.
Tall and muscular, wearing a coarse linen vest that revealed well-defined muscles, he exuded an aggressive aura, creating a sense of oppression the moment he appeared. If it were an ordinary person, hearing that voice and seeing him would surely make them back down immediately—after all, the name of the Dragon Clan carried weight. It was obvious this man wasn’t someone to mess with.
As the man approached, Rod wore a smirk. Could it be Sognar? He was puzzled. According to Lilith and the others, after using Dragon Fury, a unfortunate part of Sognar’s dragon soul had been absorbed by the Dark Dragon, trapping him and preventing him from moving far from it. Even with the combined efforts of several elders to seal it, it was hard to maintain the seal for long. Yet now, it seemed nothing had happened. Could it be that his breakthrough had freed him from this restriction?
Rod’s guess was correct. After reaching the upper stage of the divine realm, Dragon Clan members underwent a transformation—most simply, they could take human form! During this process, many of their flaws were corrected.
While the trapped dragon soul wasn’t something that could be resolved easily, fortunately, the Dragon Clan had a rich heritage, countless rare treasures, and many powerful members. With their help, Sognar managed to overcome this difficulty and regain his freedom.
“Kid, I’m talking to you! Bored of living, are you? Don’t you know this is our Dragon Clan’s private estate? Still not leaving?” As Sognar approached Rod, he noticed the man staring at him blankly, his expression constantly changing, and immediately grew wary, shouting in a deep voice. He sensed unease from the man’s body, as well as a powerful energy capable of threatening his own—this was no trivial matter. Now that he had reached the threshold of the later stage of the divine realm, those who could threaten him were all powerful figures, and there were only a few such people—countable at that. Clearly, this man was not among them. Coupled with the man’s flickering gaze, which gave off an uneasy feeling, Sognar grew even more suspicious. His internal fighting energy began to flow slowly, his body tensing, and his gaze sharpened instantly, ready to act at any moment. “What, Sognar? Can’t you recognize me so quickly?” With a slight smile on his lips, Rod found it amusing to see Sognar so nervous. This guy was quite observant. “You… you know me? Hmph. Who are you exactly? Reveal your identity, or don’t blame me if I become ruthless. Many know me as Sognar, but I only know a few. Unfortunately, you’re not one of them. Leave now, or don’t blame me for being merciless!” The man immediately revealed his identity, leaving Sognar stunned before becoming even more nervous and watching Rod with even greater suspicion. Normally, things might have been different, but now, in such a critical situation, there could be no carelessness. The Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan, along with the Demon Clan and the Mi Jiao Clan, had formed an alliance, greatly increasing their strength and posing a huge threat to the Dragon Clan. Caution was essential at this moment. “What? You still want to fight? Don’t think just because you’ve reached the later stage of the divine realm that you’re someone special! Where were you when you were in trouble? Why so arrogant now?” With a thought, Rod didn’t reveal his identity right away, deciding to play around with Sognar and test the true strength of someone at the later stage of the divine realm. Although he often trained with Lilith, who was already at the peak of the later stage of the sacred realm, that was merely practice—there was mutual restraint, and it didn’t allow him to reach his true potential. Now that he had ascended to the early stage of the divine realm, he needed a battle to properly test his skills and see how strong he had become. Sognar was undoubtedly the perfect candidate.
“You… damn bastard! Since you have no shame, I won’t give you any either!” His face turned pale and red alternately—partly out of confusion about the man’s identity, partly from fury. The mocking tone in his words was unmistakable, and Sognar could hardly bear it.
As soon as the words left his mouth, a fist the size of a sandpot slammed toward him. With terrifying force, it seemed to effortlessly tear through the air like a crack in control.
“Not bad, quite strong!” With a swift movement, Rod shifted sideways in a way that seemed like a mere illusion—appearing motionless yet skillfully dodging the fierce punch. He changed his grip to a palm strike and slashed at Sognar’s wrist.
With that attack failing, Sognar wasn’t stupid. It was obvious that Rod could easily dodge his attacks. If he were hit now, the consequences would be severe. He reassessed the man’s identity once more, quickly pulling back his hand before transforming his left hand into a claw and lunging at Rod’s body.
Both men moved in that instant, unleashing immense combat energy that created a howling wind! Boom… Boom… Boom… The two figures clashed rapidly, each collision producing a dull roar, filled with overwhelming power.
It was unclear how many punches they had exchanged or how many times their bodies had touched. A tingling sensation spread throughout his body, especially his palms and arms, which ached from Sognar’s fierce strength.
Rod’s figure kept darting around. No longer hiding, he pushed his speed to its limit, leaving behind afterimages—until even those disappeared. The two of them seemed to vanish from the world, leaving only the fierce wind and traces of combat energy on the ground, along with occasional thunderous collision sounds.
With each collision, Rod felt his soul tremble, as if ascending to a higher level. Each impact brought an inner sense of relief. Gradually, he merged into these clashes, feeling as though his soul could detach from his body to gaze down upon the world—a sensation indescribable.
“Damn you!” Sognar, on the other side, was both shocked and frustrated. At the moment he attacked, he had already judged Rod’s strength—just a beginner at the divine level. Yet Rod’s power and speed were comparable to his own, and worse, he suffered losses in every collision.
That strange combat energy also had an unknown attribute. Not only did it block his own dark combat energy’s devouring ability, but it seemed to even counteract that devouring force. On top of that, it was extremely domineering and fierce, and most importantly, it carried a faint electric element. With each collision, his own combat energy not only failed to function but was also forced back by the opponent’s force, while some electric element seeped into his body. The increasing numbness throughout his body made him suffer greatly. He could only silently call this guy a pervert.
In thousands of years, the only ones who had ever made him feel this frustrated were the man before him and that perverted kid he encountered in the void space—both of them were beyond ordinary people’s ability to understand or see clearly. Both of them were so abnormal that his heart sank, and thinking of Rod’s death brought a sense of heaviness. If it weren’t for their completely different appearances, he would really have linked this young man to Rod—they were too similar.
“Damn it! No matter who sent you or who you are, in the name of the dragon clan, I warn you one last time: don’t challenge our limits. You won’t be able to bear the consequences!” Faced with an impasse, Sognar also lost his patience and shouted sternly.
At that moment, footsteps were heard in the distance. Three or five people quickly ran out of the mansion and arrived at the door in an instant. Seeing the two fighting figures, they all frowned deeply. They were also secretly shocked by the sudden appearance of this person fighting against Sognar. It seemed Sognar was at a disadvantage—this guy was too fierce and domineering. Most unbelievably, his strength surpassed Sognar by two levels.
“Friend, what brings you to our dragon clan’s private territory today? If possible, I hope we can become friends and discuss this properly over a seat?” A loud voice rang out as an old man suddenly shouted at the two fighting figures.
Seeing his clan members appear, Sognar grew angry inwardly. This was a huge embarrassment—failing to handle such a trivial matter might lead to ridicule. Meanwhile, Rod sighed secretly. It seemed his great opportunity to train was gone. He hadn’t had his fill of fighting yet, and now these people’s arrival meant he couldn’t continue. It seemed he would have to look for another chance in the future.
The next moment, a tremendous force suddenly appeared, terrifying in nature, coming from the old man who was squinting at the battlefield. As soon as this force emerged, it acted like a gentle breeze, effortlessly separating the fiercely fighting Rod and Sognar, quickly dividing them apart.