Chapter 221: Lucy

With Lilith’s explanation, Rod gained some understanding of Old Nash’s condition. He was shocked—the Nash family was truly ruthless, even going so far as to manipulate an elder. Creating puppets? Implanting demonic will to control someone completely—this was undoubtedly worse than death for a person, especially a strong one.
No wonder Old Nash seemed so dull today; clearly, he no longer had his own thoughts and was completely controlled by others, reduced to a mere tool. The mastermind behind this could only be the head of the Nash family—no one else had the capability.
Fortunately, it seemed to be half of what Lilith had said. Although he had been upgraded after the process, Old Nash still lagged far behind those at the true Yin Huang realm! At least against Melon, who was at the same level, he had no chance to fight back. Being able to protect himself was already quite good.
“Where’s Lucy? She didn’t come?” Rod couldn’t help but ask after looking around. After waiting so long with no sign of Lucy, he grew anxious.
He already understood what had happened to Old Nash and was mentally prepared. But then he thought of Lucy. It had been several months since she left that day. If she knew he had arrived, she should have come out by now.
Rod’s words made the atmosphere grow tense. Sognar and Lilith hesitated to speak, while Hei Yao and Hei Yin from the Black Phoenix Clan exchanged worried looks.
“What happened?” Sensing the tension, Rod asked immediately, a badpremonition creeping in.
Reaching the divine realm meant merely glimpsing the ways of heaven. Ordinary matters wouldn’t cause such feelings. If they did, something serious must have happened. Rod grew anxious right away.
“She returned to the clan and went to the sacred place to train!” Hei Yao said helplessly with a wry smile.
“The sacred place? The Nether Mountains? The Nether Hellfire?” Lilith and Sognar’s expressions changed drastically as they asked.
Others might not know, but the Dragon Clan, one of the four great families, knew much more about such things. A few days ago, when Lucy didn’t show up, Hei Yao simply said she was training within the clan. Since she was training there, Lilith and the others hadn’t worried—nothing could be safer than the Black Phoenix Clan’s stronghold. But now they realized she had gone there to train.

Mount Netherworld, the Netherworld Hellfire—things known to very few, only circulating among the four great families. The terrifying Lilith and Sognado knew somewhat about it. Who would have thought that Lucy would actually go there? They understood all too well what this meant. In the next moment, Lilith and Sognado exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of concern in each other’s eyes.

“Mount Netherworld? The Hellfire—what exactly is going on?” Rod’s expression darkened as he frowned deeply, sensing that something was wrong, especially after seeing Lilith’s expression.

“I never expected… that a pure-blooded member would actually appear in our Black Phoenix clan. It must be your young lady, right?” Melon said thoughtfully, seemingly well-informed about this matter.

Facing everyone’s gazes, Hei Yao and Hei Yin sighed, then looked at each other before nodding in unison. Looking at the group, Hei Yin said with a bitter smile, “Mount Netherworld is the sacred land of our Black Phoenix clan. The Netherworld Hellfire is the primordial fire within Mount Netherworld. Our Black Phoenix clan originally belongs to the Phoenix race, and as everyone knows, we are reborn from fire. But not all fires are useful.”

“Sognado, you must also know that in Mount Netherworld, our Black Phoenix clan is immortal, thanks to the Hellfire. As long as the Hellfire exists, our clan will never perish—we are reborn from fire and return from annihilation! Moreover, practicing in Mount Netherworld accelerates one’s progress. Its presence ensures that our clan will never wither. Many envy this, but who knows that only those with pure blood can enter Mount Netherworld to practice with the Netherworld Hellfire?”

As Hei Yin spoke, he was filled with emotion—many things were hard for others to understand. “Even our Black Phoenix clan can only enter from the mountaintop, using the power of the Netherworld Hellfire to aid in cultivation and rebirth. No one can go deeper. Only those with pure blood can enter.”

“There have been only five pure-blooded members of our Black Phoenix clan in tens of thousands of years. Four of them succeeded, and each successful member has led our clan to new heights! The most recent was six thousand years ago. You all know what happened then—a genius from our clan emerged, went through the trials of the Netherworld Hellfire, returned to the Land of Mystery, led our clan in battles across the land, and eventually became the leader of the four clans. Even the Dragon clan couldn’t match them—thanks to that predecessor’s existence.”

Six thousand years have passed, and our Black Phoenix clan is gradually declining, with the Dragon clan taking precedence. Even the Mi Jiao clan and the Scorpion King clan now pose a threat to us. Our situation is truly precarious! It was under such circumstances that the young lady was born—a pure-blooded descendant. The entire clan rejoiced at this, for everyone knew how important she was to our clan. We treated her with extreme care, afraid of hurting her or losing her. But danger arose when she arrived in Dark Moon City and encountered the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles. Thankfully, Brother Rod stepped in to save her; otherwise… well, we would truly have no face to face our ancestors! On behalf of our Black Phoenix clan, I thank Brother Rod!”

Hearing this, Hei Yao and Hei Yin were deeply moved, still shaken by what had happened that day. Their eyes flashed with cold intent as they harbored fierce hatred and a desire to kill the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles.

“Lucy is the pure-blooded descendant of your Black Phoenix clan!” Lilith and Sognar exclaimed, covering their mouths in shock.

The significance of pure blood was all too clear. Six thousand years ago, though they weren’t yet in this world, they knew from clan records about that era. The Black Phoenix clan’s heroes were invincible, considered the best in the world.

“Yes, Miss Lucy is pure-blooded. Thus, she is the first person in six thousand years to enter the Nether Hellfire for training, and her blood purity is even higher than any before! Three months ago, she returned to the clan. Realizing her own weakness, she insisted on entering the Nether Hellfire to undergo rebirth. At that time, the Nether Hellfire was in an active phase, extremely dangerous. Many in the clan opposed it, but she convinced them all. After choosing the right time, she entered. Six thousand years ago, our ancestors spent only three months there before emerging. Even those before them took no more than four months! Yet now, after three months, there’s still no sign of change. The elders estimate that this time, her rebirth will take over half a year, maybe even longer!” Hei Yin couldn’t hide his concern.

Everyone grew silent. The hall was utterly quiet, the atmosphere oppressive. Lucy, this little girl, had such a remarkable status, bringing immense pressure and worry to everyone.

“Is there any danger?” Rod asked gravely after a moment of thought. What concerned him now was whether Lucy was in danger; he didn’t care at all about whether she would succeed in her rebirth.

“There is! Everything depends on the young lady persevering on her own. The training at the core of the Netherhell Fire is beyond what ordinary people can imagine. Failure means complete destruction and eternal imprisonment without the chance of rebirth!” Hei Yao said with a serious expression.

“Damn it!” Rod thought to himself, feeling some regret for not noticing Lucy’s abnormalities that day. If he had, he could have stopped it from happening.

“The young lady once said to let Brother Rod train hard and strive to enter the Netherworld. If he makes it in time, she will wait for him there. As long as the young lady wishes it, she deserves a spot in our Hei Huang clan!” Hei Yao said soothingly upon seeing Rod’s state.

“Alright, Rod, don’t overthink it. Many things must be faced. Even if Lucy doesn’t enter the Nether Mountain to train this time, she will eventually have to. This is just a great opportunity for her. Don’t worry—the power of pure bloodline is beyond your imagination. Nothing bad will happen!” Lilith comforted him, seeing his furrowed brows.

“Mm, don’t worry. Nothing will happen to the young lady. The elders take turns guarding her—nothing will go wrong. Her importance to our Hei Huang clan is beyond your comprehension,” Hei Yao added.

Seeing their reassurances, Rod forced a weak smile, telling them not to worry about him. Though he said so, his heart was still concerned for that lovely girl.

During the rest of the time, they talked about various events that had happened recently. Rod’s training became the hottest topic, as everyone wanted to know how he could advance again in a short time. Soon, Sognar and Melon clashed again, engaging in lively debates, which gradually eased the tension.

In the quiet of the night, Aida said she had to leave due to some matters. After saying goodbye to everyone, she left first, glancing at Rod reluctantly before promising to see him the next day. Then she rushed off to their lodging. Coming out at night already annoyed many people, and if she didn’t return sooner, the pressure she would face would only increase. For her long-term plans, she knew she had to handle her relationship with those old folks properly. She also kept a watchful eye on her sister Eileen, who kept opposing her—there was something unusual about it.

Tomorrow was the time for grouping. Thinking of this, Rod felt nervous. He hoped his luck wouldn’t be too bad and that he wouldn’t encounter a strong opponent right from the first round. Otherwise, the battles ahead would be tough.