Chapter 202: Phase Two

“How’s it going? Five days have passed—how’s your training progressing?” Melon asked patiently as he watched Rod wake up from his meditation.
“Not bad. I’ve barely mastered it!” Rod nodded with a wry smile. He had truly underestimated this form of training before; he had almost failed. Thankfully, his efforts over these few days hadn’t been in vain, and he had managed to complete it barely.
The greatest gain wasn’t anything else but the transformation of his combat energy. The set of equipment he was wearing was also very useful—it suppressed his combat energy while indirectly helping to purify and compress it. Combined with the effects of the pool and waterfall, his training progress over these days had been astonishing, even better than a month of regular training. Having experienced the benefits, Rod’s confidence soared; he saw hope—hope of reaching the middle stage of the divine level in the remaining less than two months.
At this moment, Rod was full of fighting spirit.
“Mm, that’s good. Come, give it a try!” Melon said, picking up the Dark Dragon from the ground and placing it in Rod’s hands. The moment Rod touched the Dark Dragon, his expression changed noticeably—slightly strange, though he concealed it well so Rod wouldn’t notice.
Without hesitation, Rod took the Dark Dragon and leaped beneath the waterfall. After taking a deep breath to stabilize himself, he began moving around.
He performed each move with fluid grace, like the flow of clouds. Although his speed wasn’t half as fast as lightning on solid ground, it was still as swift as a gentle breeze—extremely elegant. Achieving such results in just a few days beneath the waterfall and in the pool was quite impressive.
Watching Rod train, Melon smiled in satisfaction, nodding in approval. In just five days, this kid had accomplished what he had taken three months to achieve. Talent was indeed important, but of course, the kid’s hard work also played a role! Effort and reward are often proportional.
Such speed made Melon feel ashamed. How could he have thought he was a genius before? Now he felt like he was nothing. Comparing oneself to others can be deadly—such is the truth.
Beneath the waterfall, there were flashes of swords and blades; in the pool, the water surged. Each move was bold and forceful, yet now there was also a touch of gentleness!
Melon knew that if Rod were to remove the equipment he was wearing at this moment, his changes would be even more evident.

Returning to the shore, he looked at Melon with excitement and said, “Senior, how is it? Is there anything that needs improvement?” Rod humbly sought Melon’s advice.
“Hmm, not bad. There’s some progress, but you still need more explosive power. As a man, you should be more fierce. It’s not in vain that you’ve practiced fire-type combat energy. If I’m not mistaken, you practice more than just fire-type combat energy—there’s also a trace of dark and lightning elements. How is that possible?” Melon nodded, looking at Rod in confusion.
Inside, Rod was shocked—he could sense three types of combat energy in this boy’s energy. Could he be a practitioner of all three? That seemed too exaggerated. Practitioners of two elements could be counted on one hand over thousands of years, while no one had ever mastered three. It was unprecedented and unlikely to be repeated! Could this boy really have done it?
It must require monstrous talent and incredible endurance, especially to master three incompatible types of combat energy.
“Senior, you really saw through it. Well, I don’t know either. I originally practiced fire-type combat energy, and later it merged with dark and lightning elements. The lightning element was obtained during the God-Annihilating Thunder Calamity. Additionally, there’s now a green energy I don’t understand either!” Realizing Melon had figured it out, Rod secretly admired his strength. Truly a master. He then said helplessly with a troubled expression.
If possible, he really wished he had only practiced fire-type combat energy. His strength might not be as high now, but it would still be much better than currently—no more having a time bomb inside him that could explode at any moment, leaving him in constant fear of dying suddenly.
By the time he finished speaking, Melon was standing there frozen, eyes wide, gasping for breath, looking utterly astonished, as if he had seen some monster!
“A practitioner of four types of energy? Was it you who brought about the God-Annihilating Thunder Calamity? How is it that you, kid, can’t die?” One piece of evidence after another came to light, and he couldn’t believe it was this young man who caused it.
Not to mention how monstrous the God-Annihilating Thunder Calamity was—just seeing it would make one retreat, and encountering it would be fatal. Yet this young man survived, standing right in front of him as if nothing had happened. He even acquired the purest and most terrifying form of lightning energy, unintentionally.

Now, another bombshell—someone who can cultivate three attributes is already an unprecedented feat, enough to make people exclaim at such prowess. And this guy claims to be able to master four attributes, plus an unknown one. Damn, is this even human?
Stunned, he stood there, staring in disbelief for a long time, unable to utter a word.
“Elder…” Feeling Melon’s gaze, Rod called out, a bit guilty.
“Cough, cough, cough… What?” Jolted back by Rod’s voice, Melon coughed awkwardly a few times before rushing to ask.
How long had it been since he’d been so flustered? He’d even forgotten. This young man kept surprising him, and the more he interacted with him, the more terrifying he seemed. There were probably many secrets he didn’t know yet. Could he handle them all being revealed at once? He might not even know how he’d die.
“Don’t tell anyone about this. It won’t benefit you. Remember what I said!” Realizing the seriousness, Melon instructed sternly. He knew how much shock and trouble such a revelation would cause.
“Mm, I know!” Rod naturally understood the situation. Only people like Melon and Sognar, whom he truly regarded as friends, would tell him such things. He didn’t bother telling others. Would he really go around shouting on the streets that he was a four-attribute cultivator like a madman? People would probably just think he was insane.
“I’m not sure about the situation inside your body, but it’s likely more complicated than we think. Be careful. There’s always a trade-off—gaining powerful energy comes with great risks. You must maintain balance; if it’s disrupted, it becomes dangerous. Remember this well! It seems this cultivation will definitely help you a lot!” Melon continued giving instructions, secretly relieved.
Cultivating by the pond wasn’t just about helping Rod improve his strength; it also helped hone his patience. With enough patience, he wouldn’t rush for quick results. Rushing would likely trigger the “bomb” inside him, leading to disaster.
“Thank you, Elder, for your teachings!” Rod already knew some of these principles.

“Well, the first phase of training is over. The second phase still takes place here—ten days. The entire pond is a training area. Besides those posts, there are smaller ones at a depth of one meter. You must have noticed this as well; it’s everywhere in the pond. You need to train along the designated routes, treating this place as a battlefield. You must master it within ten days. I’ll come to assess the results then!” After this matter was settled, Melon began to outline the next phase of training. He had originally planned to give Rod twenty days, but it seems he doesn’t need that long at all—ten days should be sufficient.

Hearing Melon’s words, Rod showed a hint of surprise and looked into the water. No wonder he always felt there was something underwater hidden by the greenish water. His guess was correct. Walking up to the edge of the pond and looking closely, he saw numerous dark spots in the hundred-meter-wide pond. The one-meter depth added another layer of difficulty, expanding the range as well. After trying it out, he found that those posts were more than half as thin as the ones he had been using for training these past few days, with a smaller point of focus and a harder time maintaining balance!

What’s more, the tops of these posts rolled away like small balls, making them even smoother. There was only a very small area where one could stand, increasing the difficulty exponentially. With ten days to go, it seemed he would have to work hard again!

Taking a deep breath, he said, “Alright, ten days. I’ll give you a satisfactory answer in ten days!”

“Good, kid. Work hard. I have faith in you. If you do well, you’ll move on to the third phase. If you perform well in this training, how about I take you out for a trip? Those old guys will have to show me some respect. If I take you with me, your enemies won’t dare confront you openly! It’ll be a reward for you!” Melon nodded approvingly and said happily. The more he saw Rod, the more he liked him. He almost wanted to snatch him away and make him his disciple, but he knew that was impossible. As long as those old guys behind him were alive, they wouldn’t allow it.

Even if the kid agreed and he succeeded for now, he didn’t know what those old guys would do to him in the future. He didn’t want to be chased around like a fugitive in his old age.

Still, giving up left him with a sense of reluctance and frustration.

“I’m leaving then. Practice hard, and remember to be patient and calm. Nothing can be rushed; the more anxious you are, the more likely you are to make mistakes and fail. Mindset is very important—you need to work on it!” Before leaving, Melon said something that left Rod a bit puzzled. Despite his confusion, Rod agreed willingly and kept it in mind. He knew Melon wouldn’t harm him or say something pointless; if he said it, there must be a reason.