Chapter 194: On the Brink of Life and Death

In the smoke-filled battlefield, Sognar and Lilith searched frantically for a long time but found no trace of Rod, leaving them somewhat disappointed. The chaotic and terrifying scene further shocked them, plunging their spirits low. With the city gates closed and no signs of life within a kilometer, escaping over the walls was nearly impossible under such circumstances, meaning Rod’s chances of survival were slim—something both of them understood.
In a dazed and disheartened state, they slowly approached the Grand Elder of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles, their eyes filled with murderous intent.
The murderous aura was quickly noticed by the skilled warriors present. Sognar and Lilith, those ruthless figures from the dragon race, were well-known. Although they had only left the dragon sacred land just two months ago, they had already become prominent figures known to those well-informed. They also knew exactly how close these two were to Rod. Now that Rod was dead, what would happen to them? It was easy to guess from the reactions of those around them.
Would Sognar, a man who was already domineering among the dragons, show any respect to the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles? Clearly not. Approaching the Grand Elder, he sneered, “Let the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles perish as sacrifices!”
That simple sentence heightened the tension to its peak. The pale-faced Grand Elder and Old Nash exchanged glances, inwardly lamenting their plight. If not for their severe injuries, they wouldn’t fear this man. They could fight, but with such difficulty standing, they had no strength to retaliate.
“Hmph! Rod killed dozens from our Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles clan and the Nash family. It’s only fitting he die now. Heaven may forgive sins, but one cannot escape the consequences of their own actions! This is all his doing—why do you blame us for avenging him?” Ao Ying, the young clan leader of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles, was always arrogant and unrestrained. The insolent words of this middle-aged man made him feel that the honor of his clan had been utterly lost. He wouldn’t stand by idly; he immediately stepped forward to fight back.
“You… have no right to speak to me!” Without even glancing at Ao Ying, Sognar strode forward, ignoring him completely, and went up to the Grand Elder. “Choose how you want to die—tell me yourself!”

The domineering words left everyone stunned. The Dragon Clan truly is a domineering family—like begets like. The few who were together shared astonishing similarities. First, Rod wanted to kill people; the Purple Wing Thunder Eagle Clan, known as the sixth clan, and the Nash Clan were left disabled by his actions, especially the Nash Clan, which lost an arm. Killing so many inside their own mansion was a complete humiliation. Then there was today’s burning of the Purple Wing Thunder Eagle Clan’s mansion and the fierce battle against them, resulting in heavy losses for the Purple Wing Thunder Eagles—though it’s unclear what benefits they gained in return!

Now, Sognar wanted to kill people and force both clans to sacrifice themselves for someone whose fate was unknown—quite arrogant and overbearing. On top of that, Lucy from the Black Phoenix Clan also demanded that both clans sacrifice themselves!

The onlookers couldn’t help but wonder silently: Who are these people? What are their intentions? How did such a group get together? This promised to be an interesting spectacle. Some opportunists already eyed the Purple Wing Thunder Eagle Clan with anticipation. “Young man, it’s normal to be impulsive. There’s no need to turn hostile over some matters. You know better than I do who he is. If he’s not from your Dragon Clan, why get involved in this mess for him? Even if you’re a Dragon Clan member, you can’t represent them in declaring war on us, the Purple Wing Thunder Eagles!” A hint of anger appeared on his face. To be threatened like this in public—how could the elder of the Purple Wing Thunder Eagles maintain his dignity or the clan’s prestige?

“Alright, let’s give them some face. How about putting today’s matters on hold for now? Sognar, first check if Rod is still alive. It would be bad if something happened to him because of our delay, right? We can discuss things slowly—no need to rush!” The atmosphere was tense. Some who knew both sides stepped forward to act as mediators. They hadn’t come to watch a fight!

Although the elder and sixth elder of the Purple Wing Thunder Eagles were either severely injured or on the verge of death, and the clan had suffered losses in battle, many members had arrived. Though none of them were extremely powerful, facing only Sognar and Lilith—two people—they were bound to engage in a fierce battle.

If that happened, they would have no choice but to leave temporarily again. They had come here to investigate what the previous energy surge was all about and to see its final effects and power. They certainly didn’t want to return empty-handed because of this.

“Hmm, Sognar, look at how badly others are injured now. You surely don’t want to be accused of bullying the wounded, right? How about giving this old man some face today? Let’s put this matter aside for now.” Old Bobbi also stepped forward to act as a peacemaker. After all, Dark Moon City was their territory. The ruins left after the recent battle in South City were already enough to trouble and upset him—what if another battle broke out? What would happen then? He certainly didn’t want the destruction to spread any further.

With the persuasion of several people and Lilith pulling him back, Sognar calmed down slightly. He looked at the Grand Elder of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles and Old Nash. “It’s none of your business whether I’m young or not. In terms of status, even that old fool in your family should call me brother. Who do you think you are? I, Sognar, state this clearly today—decide for yourselves what to do. I won’t trouble you now, so as not to let your Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles clan accuse me of bullying. After today, let fate decide each of our fates!” With a cold snort, his eyes narrowed as he leaned forward and spoke fiercely.

“You…” Sognar glared angrily, his arrogance making the two senior elders furious, but they were powerless. Seriously injured as they were, they had no means to retaliate and could only swallow their anger.

“Let’s go, Lilith. We’ll go take a look. For now, let’s spare these people!” Ignoring the angry expressions of the others, Sognar gave them a casual glance before turning to Lilith.

“Let’s go back!” The Grand Elder of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles, his face pale and coughing several times, roared in fury.

Once again, the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles and the Nash family had suffered a great humiliation. Their mansion had been set on fire, they had pursued the enemy, even sending more than a dozen skilled fighters, along with the Sixth Elder and the old man from the Nash family. Yet they were utterly defeated. The enemy’s fate was unknown, while their own forces were nearly wiped out. If not for their good luck in deploying a powerful shield at the end, perhaps not even they would have escaped.

As for that Rod? He didn’t think that guy would continue fighting. Being in the heart of the battle, he was probably already reduced to ashes.

The heavy rain gradually stopped, and a breeze blew after the rain. Dozens of people had gathered in South City, with more arriving continuously. A single battle had unleashed three terrifying forces that had alarmed the entire Dark Moon City. Anyone with even a little strength now wanted to find out what had happened.

“No!” With a grim face, Sognar growled fiercely, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.

“Hold back. Now is not the time to fight. Can’t you see that the Mi Jiao clan is watching us?” Lilith snapped coldly, pulling back the impulsive Sognar.
She hadn’t stopped Sognar’s arrogance earlier because she was also angry. It wasn’t that she lacked the courage or determination to stop him from starting a massacre here, nor was it because of a few words of persuasion from those old men. It was because the six or seven old men from the Mi Jiao clan who arrived one after another were all extremely powerful. This wasn’t the right time to fight. After all, the Mi Jiao clan was allied with the Purple Wing Thunder Eagle clan. If they really attacked in front of them, those clans would have no choice but to intervene, even if they didn’t want to.
“Well… that kid Rod…” Sognar growled anxiously, looking around frantically.
“I don’t think he’ll die that easily. That kid isn’t as simple as you think. Do you really think he can be killed so easily? How powerful is the God-Destroying Thunder Tribulation? It’s not any weaker than that lightning, right? So what? He’s still alive, isn’t he? Can that lightning kill him? Impossible! Let’s go check outside!” Taking a deep breath, Lilith glanced toward the outside of the city and spoke in a low voice. Their last hope lay there. She knew that if there was any chance of survival, that kid must be outside.
“Then let’s hurry. The Purple Wing Thunder Eagle clan won’t let him go, nor will the Nash clan, nor probably the Mi Jiao clan. Nor will those unknown people hiding in the shadows! We can’t let them find that kid first!” Even if Rod was still alive, he would surely be severely injured and on the verge of death. If caught by those people, he would die for sure. They had to act quickly.
After a few flights, the two of them rushed outside the city while everyone else was distracted.
The moment they broke out of the city, two old men from the Mi Jiao clan also cleverly avoided everyone’s gaze and rushed out of the ruins toward the outside of the city. Not only them, but figures also emerged from various places outside Dark Moon City. It seemed the outside had become the second search area!
It was pitch black outside the city. Among the trees, a figure staggered forward, tripping every few steps. By now, his appearance could no longer be seen clearly—mud covered his face completely. Only the blood streak at the corner of his mouth was glaringly visible, along with the occasional spurt of fresh blood, indicating that he was severely injured!

A sense of dizziness overwhelmed him. He didn’t know what he was doing; all Rod knew was that he had to leave this place as soon as possible, the farther the better. The physical injuries were terrifying, and if it weren’t for the magical energy within his body constantly healing him, he would have died long ago. Now, staying here meant only one outcome: death. He knew that the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles would not let him go, nor would the Nash family. There were also other people and forces he didn’t know about, each with their own motives—he couldn’t fall into their hands.