Chapter 225: The Second Prince’s Invitation

As the eight matches came to an end, evening fell. The second round consisted of four matches, competing for spots in the top four, to be held the day after tomorrow. Everyone knew that the upcoming matches would be even more intense and exciting! Rod also knew that the enemies he would face next would be even stronger than Charles today.

Especially that Ziyang from the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle clan seemed extremely powerful. At least among those who had made it to the top eight, he appeared the strongest. Rod had watched the matches of the others as well and had to admit that each of them was incredibly strong, but they still fell short compared to that man from the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles.

In the second round, Rod’s opponent was a member of the Nash family, at the later stage of the divine level, with strength ranking mid-tier among the eight. Rod wasn’t too worried about this. It would be a good opportunity to settle their old grudges from past encounters.

As night fell, the crowd in the arena gradually dispersed. Rod and his group left the arena from the sides, only to find it still crowded and bustling outside. Rod’s appearance immediately attracted a great deal of attention.

Through today’s battle, he had proven his existence and strength to hundreds of thousands of people. Now, people’s views of him had changed once again. If earlier rumors had been exaggerated, seeing it with his own eyes today made everything completely different.

“The people from the Pro-War faction!” Suddenly, Rod felt the atmosphere become somewhat gloomy. Then he heard Sognar’s voice beside him.

Turning around, he saw a group approaching them from the opposite side. Leading them was a man who seemed in his early twenties, dressed in a pure white robe that exuded a refined elegance, giving off a pleasant impression. His face wore a gentle smile, conveying a kind demeanor. He held a fan, looking very graceful.

Behind him were two elders, seemingly aged, but carrying great danger. When they looked at Rod’s group, a glint in one of the elders’ eyes made them seem unfathomable.

“The second prince of the Pro-War faction’s royal family!” Aida beside him said with a solemn expression. Eirwen also looked serious. It was well known that the Pro-War faction and the Anti-War faction were utterly incompatible. If it weren’t for the existence of the neutral faction and the lingering influence of the trolls, who had disappeared a thousand years ago, the members of these two factions would likely have already started fighting.

“What are they here for?” Seeing several people walking toward him as if looking for him, Rod frowned slightly and asked. He had never had a good impression of the pro-war faction.
“Act according to the situation!” Melon’s calm reply made everyone agree.
“Hehe, Knight Rod! It’s an honor for me, Guyi, to meet again the greatest among us!” Approaching Rod, he put away his fan. The second prince of the pro-war faction spoke humbly, with great grace and elegance—hardly seeming like a bad person at all. Rod thought to himself that this second prince was no ordinary person.
“Hehe, I wonder what the second prince has in mind?” Rod replied evasively.
On the surface, the two sides seemed harmonious and friendly, but in secret, a competition had begun!
“I’ve heard of Brother Rod’s remarkable feats in the past and have always admired him. Coincidentally, I came here to watch the battles, and today I see that his reputation is well-deserved. I’m deeply impressed. It’s truly fateful to meet here! Tomorrow, I’ll host a banquet at my residence. I hope Brother Rod will grace me with his presence!” Saying this, Guyi took out a red invitation from his pocket and handed it to Rod.
Frowning slightly, not sure what was up, Rod accepted it without hesitation at Melon’s subtle signal. “Thank you, second prince, for your appreciation!”
“Hehe, Aida and my cousins Eileen are here too! With Brother Rod’s talent appearing in Dark Moon City, it will surely bring back its glory!” Guyi turned to look at Aida and Eileen, who wore solemn expressions.
“The elders of the Dragon Clan and the Black Phoenix Clan are also here. Perfect! Tomorrow, I’ll host a banquet at my residence. I hope all the elders will grace me with their presence!” With that, he gave a glance, and the two elders beside him handed out invitations to each of them.
Confused, Lilith and BlackBlack曜
Black曜 could only accept the invitations, though their doubts grew even deeper. Everyone could see that Guyi was no ordinary person; they just didn’t know what was behind it all.
“Well, I won’t disturb Brother Rod today. See you tomorrow!” With a slight bow, Guyi left without lingering. Every word he spoke was elegant and elusive.
After Guyi left, the group stood there, looking at each other in confusion.
“Is he your cousin?” Rod finally asked, looking at Aida and Eileen, who seemed angry.
“The demon royal family is one family. It split thousands of years ago due to disagreements. We’re from the same lineage—he’s our cousin!” Aida said gloomily, clearly unwilling.

“Talk about this Gu Yi!” several people said as they walked back.
“The pro-war faction of the royal family has three princes: the eldest prince, Gu Ren; the second prince, Gu Yi; and the third prince, Gu Xun! Among the pro-war faction, these three hold the highest status aside from their royal patriarch!
The eldest prince, Gu Ren, is extremely powerful, nicknamed the ‘War Fanatic.’ His dedication to martial arts is astonishing—already at the early stage of the divine level at just thirty years old, and by now, in his fifties, he should have reached the later stage of the divine level! He has no interest in power and is straightforward, earning great respect within the clan. However, it’s well known he won’t be the next clan leader, but the title of next grand elder seems almost certain to go to him!” As she spoke, Aida glanced at Rod, and the group also looked at Rod. Clearly, this seemingly genius-like guy seemed no match for Rod.
“The second prince, Gu Yi, is unfathomable—the most terrifying of the three princes and the apparent choice for the next clan leader. He has an extraordinary talent for martial arts, having reached the middle stage of the divine level at a young age, on par with Gu Ren. Now forty, he shows signs of breaking through to the later stage of the divine level! What’s even more terrifying is his cunning—meticulous in planning, highly strategic, and extremely intelligent. Even now, most of the affairs of the pro-war faction’s royal family are in his hands! He’s the most inscrutable and the greatest threat!”
“The third prince, Gu Xun, is fierce and brutish, strong in body but simple-minded. He’s the least promising, so there’s not much to worry about!”
Looking at the group, Aida frowned and slowly shared her thoughts.
“Hmm, it seems this second prince isn’t ordinary. He must have some scheme in mind by bringing us here! It seems he came specifically for Rod—there’s definitely some connection, and we’re just props!” With a sigh, Melon also frowned and spoke.
The fact that he personally delivered the invitation to Rod while having his subordinates distribute it to the rest of them reveals a lot.
The group fell silent for a moment, unable to figure out what this guy really wanted.
“Never mind. Since he’s invited us, let’s go and see what tricks he has up his sleeve!” After a while, Sogna said unhappily.
“Yeah, that’s right. It’s good to go and take a look, but everyone must be careful, especially those two old guys—they’re very strong!” Melon added.
The fact that Melon paid them such attention showed how unusual these two were, and everyone became quietly vigilant.

It was already night when he returned to the mansion. Darkness had completely enveloped Wuyou City. Perhaps to celebrate Rod’s first victory, Aida generously treated everyone to a sumptuous meal. After the feast, Rod bid farewell to everyone and went back to his room to recover.

Although today’s battle seemed simple, it had drained a lot of Rod’s mental energy and combat spirit, so he needed to rest and adjust his condition. The wounds on his body were gradually healing. Thinking about today’s battle, Rod sighed inwardly, realizing he still had many shortcomings.

If he could improve his control over mental energy further, Rod was confident he could avoid any injuries. Yet they still appeared, revealing his weakness. He needed to address this flaw as soon as possible—he had to keep improving!

In fact, Rod had overlooked one thing: at his mid-stage divine level, few people could achieve what he had done. Even among those at the advanced divine level, not many could do it—Sognar and the others, at least, couldn’t. This alone showed just how extraordinary Rod was. If others heard his complaints and dissatisfaction at this moment, many might feel too ashamed to live in this world.

In the middle of the night, after finishing his training, Rod went to the lake in the backyard. Gazing at the stars, he felt a sense of satisfaction. With the first battle over, he only needed two more victories—two more wins would be enough to grant him the right to enter the Netherworld. Then he would be one step closer to his goal! With this thought, Rod’s gaze became sharp, and his resolve unshakable.

“Come out!” After a moment, he exhaled and said softly behind him.

As soon as his words faded, a figure slowly emerged from behind the rock and stood beside Rod.

“Aileen?” Without turning to look, Rod asked slowly.

Looking at Rod beside her, Aileen’s face showed a complex expression. For some reason, every time she was around Rod, she felt her heart could never calm down. It seemed that just being in his presence disrupted her state of mind.

“What’s the matter?” Seeing that Aileen didn’t answer, Rod knew he was right and continued asking. After spending time together, Rod could now clearly distinguish between the two sisters. Judging from their auras, he believed Aileen wouldn’t have come to see him for no reason.