Chapter 269: Many Benefits

Taking deep breaths of fresh air and sensing the smell of gunpowder around him, Rod realized he had indeed crawled back from the brink of death. Everything finally returned to normal at that moment. Exhaling deeply, his body was covered in wounds. Rod now resembled shattered glass—his body broken and bloody, looking terrifyingly fragile, as if it might break at any moment. Both his mental strength and combat energy had been exhausted in this battle, and his soul was also wounded. His eyelids felt as heavy as lead. His only hope was to close his eyes and sleep soundly. How long had he not felt such exhaustion?

Yet, after just a brief moment of peace, the elements around him erupted again, rushing wildly toward Rod and flooding into his body to quickly replenish his depleted combat energy. But Rod couldn’t care less anymore. He was truly exhausted and lay face up, letting the elements wash over him.

Nearby, Xuan Yuan was also subjected to the violent impact of the elements. After the lightning, he underwent a baptism and survived the thunder calamity. He should have received what he deserved—reaching a new level and ascending to another realm.

The process lasted half an hour before everything finally calmed down.

Outside Dark Moon City and within its walls, everyone continued to watch that direction. After the lightning disappeared, everyone had only one question in mind: Had that mysterious, incredibly powerful warrior truly succeeded? Or had he perished in the storm?

It should be noted that over the millennia, many warriors had crossed the Yin Huang realm, but those who entered the Yang Xuan realm were pitifully few—only three. Could it really be that they were the only ones to reach such a level? Clearly not. Even the weakest wouldn’t end up like this. How could it be that only they had reached this stage over thousands of years?

The reason only they entered the Yang Xuan realm and had their experiences recorded was because the rest failed—99% of them failed.

Would that warrior succeed? The quiet atmosphere was worrying, but worry never lasted long. Moments later, they all felt the elements surging again. This time, the surge covered an immense area, even affecting Dark Moon City.

“He made it!”

“Did he succeed?”

“Heavens! A warrior of the Yang Xuan realm has appeared again!”

Questions and exclamations merged into one in an instant. Gradually, a roar arose, boiling over as everyone was filled with excitement—cheering for the emergence of a powerful Yang Xuan warrior, marveling at it, feeling proud to have witnessed such a warrior’s rise, and satisfied and without regret for having seen the entire process.

However, soon more people began to worry: Was this person a hermit from the outside world or a member of some family? Could his growth pose a threat to others, disrupt the current balance of the Dark Source, or change it? After all, a powerful Yang Xuan warrior certainly had the strength to alter such a balance—he was an existence that defied the heavens.

The surge of elements left everyone with complex expressions and even more complicated feelings. After half an hour, everything returned to calm. Then, a mighty aura soared into the sky like a dazzling beam of light, spreading throughout the Dark Source. All elements and life forms seemed to be drawn toward it, involuntarily turning their gaze in that direction. Especially the elements—some magicians and element-sensitive warriors could sense the plants and elements around them bowing in reverence to the warrior, showing their admiration and respect.

In the forest, all the magical beasts let out loud howls at that moment, howling in honor of the warrior’s birth and in awe of him. Everyone felt an urge to kneel in that direction—such pressure and might had conquered their hearts.

The mighty aura persisted for ten minutes before gradually subsiding. That moment marked the birth of an existence that defied the heavens. At that moment, even the Dark Source trembled and boiled with excitement!

As for the protagonist, Rod, he was completely unaware of anything. His body continued to be transformed as he remained in a deep coma, his brows still tightly furrowed, seemingly in great pain. He was truly exhausted.

The entire area had been utterly destroyed. The once-thick forests were gone, replaced by chaotic ruins with tree trunks scattered everywhere. The ground was full of pits and patches of charred land. Terrifying lightning elements filled the air, making it impossible for anyone to approach.

Silence, tranquility, and deathly stillness replaced the previous chaos. A gentle breeze blew, stirring up dust on the ground. Under the moonlight, the charred patches seemed to reflect its glow. The silver moon illuminated the scorched land, making it dazzling. The chaotic battlefield bore witness to their past glory and sorrow.

Dawn broke, and everything returned to normal. The forest regained its usual peace and tranquility, yet those unforgettable moments would linger with him for life. Gradually, the first rays of sunlight touched the ground and began to spread, lighting up the entire land.

By the time the harsh sunlight woke Rod, it was already noon. The scorching sun hung high in the sky, its intensity unbearably fierce, causing pain to one’s skin. Today was the last day of autumn, and early winter was approaching, so the temperature wasn’t very high.

Rubbing his eyes, Rod was surprised to find that his body no longer ached. He stretched lazily, and suddenly, a series of crackling sounds, like firecrackers, startled him.

His mental energy and combat qi had returned to their best state overnight, especially his soul—its wounds had also healed. All this was far beyond Rod’s expectations. Without time to assess how much benefit he had gained, he turned to look at Xuan Yuan, who lay quietly beside him. A genuine smile appeared on his lips—Xuan Yuan had finally returned and been revived. Now, he could truly fight alongside him.

As for Fen Tian, after observing him, Rod frowned deeply. The injuries it had inflicted were severe. Had it not been for the help of his combat qi core, it might have disappeared. Now, it lay dormant within his core, slowly recovering—this would likely take some time.

His body was covered in a sticky, purplish-black viscous liquid, emitting a foul smell—the result of impurities and blood mixing together. Naked as he was, fortunately, no one was around.

He quickly got up, grabbed a piece of clothing to cover himself, and rushed away into the distance. With such a major incident having occurred the previous day, others couldn’t come to investigate due to the lightning elements. Today, many would likely come to check things out. Not wanting to attract trouble, Rod fled swiftly and took the chance to clean up properly.

Arriving at the familiar Sun and Moon Lake, he glanced at the smaller Moon Lake and smiled bitterly. The last Divine Annihilation Lightning Tribulation had created the Moon Lake, while this current tribulation had turned it into ruins. It seemed this forest had a special connection to him.

After washing up, he finally had the mood to properly assess his current condition. What he saw shocked him—so much so that he almost jumped up.

His physical body had reached the seventh layer, just a few days after entering the sixth layer. Now, he could confidently claim that his physical strength was unmatched across the entire Dark Source continent—few could compare. Even if ordinary imperial-level warriors attacked him with all their might while standing still, they wouldn’t be able to harm him in the slightest! Even sacred-level warriors could hardly shake him; only divine-level warriors might pose a real threat if they attacked with full force. This was his greatest asset. Now, he could be regarded as a human machine, a killing machine—imagine what he could do on the battlefield.

On another front, his combat energy had also reached the advanced stage of divine perfection, just one step away from the Yin Yellow realm—a significant achievement. His combat energy was now purer, and everything was absolutely wonderful!

The core of his combat energy had become more solid. Although it was slightly smaller—now a bit smaller than a ping-pong ball—it was more substantial and useful! The mist around him had become thicker. Having witnessed its power last night, Rod didn’t dare neglect it anymore; it was his ultimate trump card and backup plan.

His mental strength had risen to another level. Rod could faintly sense that his mental strength was now greater than Melon’s. Previously, his mental strength could cover an area of over ten miles! Though he didn’t know how strong Melon’s mental strength was back then, he had a vague sense that he could match him. Now, there’s no need to say more—once he released his mental strength, it could cover an area of nearly fifty miles in an instant. If he wished, who could approach him silently within fifty miles? Let alone ambush him! Everything was under his control.

His soul had also become more solid. Needless to say, it had improved as well. His soul could arguably be considered the strongest of all—unmatched!

The gains were enormous, but thinking back to yesterday’s events, he felt a sense of dread—the cost had also been high.

Looking at Xuan Yuan beside him, the Sword Spirit had said it needed to recover and then disappeared. Rod knew that last night’s events had drained it of too much energy, so he didn’t say much. Now, Xuan Yuan appeared brand new—seemingly simple yet arrogant, seemingly calm yet hiding deadly intent. This was the true ultimate artifact, the greatest weapon in the world.

With high spirits and a wonderful mood, Rod rushed forward in the direction of Melon. Unbeknownst to him, at that very moment, dozens of people had gathered in the ruins where he had been earlier—each one a supreme warrior of this continent! More people kept arriving, even from other parts of the Source of Darkness. The noise was immense; obviously, this forest would not enjoy peace any longer. Unfortunately, they would never obtain any information, leaving it as an unsolved mystery.