Chapter 273: Ice City

It was not until this moment that the young man realized he had almost died—cold sweat poured down his face.
Who was that Rod? The very man responsible for the downfall of the Purple Wing Thunder Eagles and the Nash family. A figure surrounded by legends, a merciless killer—how could he have dared to offend such a terrifying individual? To survive after offending such a supreme villain was already considered lucky.
Although his York family was powerful, it still paled in comparison to the once-mighty Purple Wing Thunder Eagles. If they could bring them to this state, what about his own York family? Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but feel fear, along with resentment and helplessness. He left the hotel in shame, leaving behind scornful smiles from everyone.
Their departure only earned them more contempt—how dare such people show up and embarrass themselves? Did they really think being the son of the York clan made them special? They were reckless. At the same time, they held Rod in even greater admiration.
Truly a legend—ready to fight at any moment, without hesitation. The York family meant nothing to him. Such was a true master, unlike those who only pretended to be strong by borrowing others’ power.
Many others were excited to see Rod in person. To meet the supreme villain of the Dark Source was an immense honor—many wouldn’t get such a chance in their entire lives.
Soon, Rod’s room became the focus of everyone’s attention, with endless chatter.
As for the old man and the girl who had encountered trouble earlier, they felt relieved with the young man’s departure. They exchanged smiles and headed upstairs, looking calm and composed, far from those who had just escaped death by a hair’s breadth.
…
“Damn you, Rod!” Back in his mansion, the young man lost control and vented all his anger. Seeing his disheveled guards only fueled his fury. He had lost face, and he knew that what happened today would likely spread throughout every corner of the Dark Source within days, turning him into a laughingstock for all to despise!
Being slapped in public was utterly humiliating. He certainly wouldn’t just let it go. Yet Rod’s strength made him feel resentful.
“Get out! All of you—leave now! I don’t want to see you!” Distressed and annoyed by his guards’ sorry state, he shouted angrily.

“Young master…” Hearing the boy’s words, the others spoke resentfully. Who would have thought they would encounter that fierce man today? Saving their lives was already considered lucky, yet now they had to bear the young master’s anger—truly a grievous situation.
“Get lost! Do you hear me?” The boy shouted loudly when they still wouldn’t leave.
With no choice, the group left the study in shame, tails between their legs. Only one person stayed behind—the captain of the guard, a martial artist at the initial stage of the divine level.
“Why aren’t you leaving?” The boy asked unhappily, frowning at the man who had followed him for years.
“Young master, it’s just Rod, right? Don’t forget, this is the territory of our Ice City, not his. If the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle can’t defeat him, it’s because of its own incompetence. Can you really swallow this insult?” The man stepped forward with a flattering smile, bowing his head.
“What can we do? Do you have a solution?” The boy asked, squinting at him in doubt.
“Don’t forget, Ice City is our territory. You are the young head of the York family. And don’t forget either—the lord of Ice City is your uncle. The pro-war royal family is your backing! So what’s Rod doing in Ice City? He may be strong, but if the York family can’t deal with him, how can the pro-war faction? Once we get there…” The man leaned in close to the boy’s ear and whispered his plan.
As the man spoke, a faint smile finally appeared on the boy’s face. His lips curled slightly, and his frown faded. After a long while, when the man stepped back, the boy suddenly stood up.
“Will it really work?”
“Sure!”
“Good. Leave this task to you. Don’t disappoint me. If it succeeds, you’ll be rewarded. If it fails, don’t show up to me again!” Delighted by the confirmation, the boy said eagerly. Perhaps this method would indeed work.
His gaze toward the man also softened, filled with anticipation for the plan to unfold.
The man left the room and stepped outside, a cold smile on his lips. “Rod, let’s see what you can do this time. Can you even fly away? After this, I should be able to return to the young lady’s side!”
He turned back to look at the room, his expression filled with disdain—a stark contrast to his earlier flattering smile. No one could look down on him, and no one could bully him. Rod deserved death, and that boy who looked down on him and treated him like a dog deserved death even more.
……

No incidents occurred throughout the night; perhaps the young man was truly scared after being beaten and thus did not come to cause trouble. Early in the morning, Rod, Melon, and their group set off on their journey to Ice City. Just as they left, in a room next to theirs, a woman said to the old man beside her, “Grandpa, they’ve gone!” Hearing the girl’s words, the old man nodded in satisfaction and smiled slightly. These two were none other than the old man and the girl whom Rod had helped the previous night. “Xun’er, let’s go too!” the old man said to the girl after a moment of thought. “Grandpa, they’re heading to Ice City, right? Is Knight Rod that famous guy who’s been in the news lately? You said he offended the young head of the York family—will he be able to get through unscathed? That York is a complete scoundrel!” The girl picked up the bundle on the table and asked the old man worriedly, remembering how Rod had appeared like a god sent to save them when trouble was about to strike last night. Her face turned slightly red. “Are you worried? Don’t worry. The York family? Hmph, they’re just second-rate forces. What about the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles? They’re stronger than them, yet they were destroyed in the end. The York family isn’t worth worrying about—they’re worthless scoundrels!” The old man waved his hand dismissively in response to the girl’s concern, his eyes filled with a condescending attitude toward everyone else. “Heh… You’re right!” The girl smiled and nodded. “Hmm, forget Rod. He has nothing to do with your life. Don’t forget what your mission is!” The old man took a deep breath and looked at the girl meaningfully. His words made the girl pause for a moment before she forced a smile. “I won’t forget. He’s just a passerby! Xun’er knows what’s important!” Yet no one noticed the hint of helplessness on her face, not even she herself. … After this ordeal, three days later, Rod and his group finally arrived in Ice City early in the morning. They could have arrived the previous night, but at Melon’s insistence, they rested outside the city for one night and decided to enter this morning. Ice City lived up to its name—located on the slopes of a massive mountain, it was magnificent, leaving Rod in awe. He wondered what kind of powerful being could have cut through such a huge mountain to create such a vast plain and build Ice City there.

Due to its high elevation, the temperature here is relatively low even in midwinter. Although it is early winter now, there is already a hint of cold, with temperatures much lower than those outside. The entire city is covered in a snow-white hue. It truly deserves the reputation of an Ice City—its snow-white expanse and cold winds reveal its true nature. The buildings here are relatively low; whether to withstand strong winds or due to the local terrain, there are no tall buildings, giving it a simple and pure appearance that evokes a sense of freshness and cleanliness.

The streets are spacious, with buildings neatly arranged in rows, facing south and north, all looking identical with no differences at all—everything is perfectly planned! The streets are also laid out in straight lines, running due south and north as well as due east and west, extremely orderly. At first glance, it gives a very comfortable feeling—no clutter, only order. Even the heights of all the buildings seem to be exactly the same, with no variation. This is clearly the result of careful design and construction, showing great scale!

Within the city, only two tall buildings stand out. One is located in the center of the town; it is said to be the square of the Ice City, with the city lord’s residence at its center—this residence is one of the tall buildings. The other is located due south, a magnificent structure resembling a pagoda—this is the Netherworld, the spiritual heart of the demon race, the sacred land of the demons!

Upon arriving in the Ice City, Rod felt as if he was no longer in the Source of Darkness, as if he were now in a sacred land of ice and snow. What interested Rod even more was that the Ice City was the most prominent and unique among the four major cities of the demon race. This was because it had no royal family, unlike the other three cities: Water Veil City, with its pro-war royal family; Carefree City, with its neutral royal family; and Dark Moon City, with its oppositional royal family. As for the Ice City, it only had the city lord’s residence, as it was part of the pro-war faction under Water Veil City’s leadership. This made it unique.

After observing the city, Rod’s interest grew. He stepped forward. The usually quiet Ice City was particularly lively these days due to the impending opening of the Netherworld, with people coming and going in great numbers.

“Young master, they’ve entered the city!”

“Mm, I know. Prepare to act!”

However, Rod and his group were unaware that the moment they entered the city, they had already attracted attention, and a plan targeting them was already in motion.