Chapter 274: Lord Gary

“The members of the Dragon Clan and the Black Phoenix Clan should be here by now!” At noon, after everything was settled, Rod said to Melon.
The Netherworld was set to open in a few days, and all parties involved should have arrived by then. As two of the four major clans, the Dragon Clan and the Black Phoenix Clan should have arrived in Ice City to get ready. Of course, what interested Rod even more was who these two clans had sent to enter the Netherworld this time!
“Hehe, Rod, you’re not asking about the Dragon Clan and the Black Phoenix Clan, are you? You’re asking about Miss Lucy from the Black Phoenix Clan, right?” At that moment, Rubio’s words left Rod both amused and exasperated.
This guy, who seemed ordinary and somewhat foolish on the surface, was actually very perceptive—truly embodying the idea of wisdom disguised as simplicity. His words revealed Rod’s true thoughts.
It was indeed the case. Ever since Rod heard that Lucy had gone to their clan’s sacred place, the Netherhell Fire, to train, he had been worried. Logically, she should have emerged by now! Hopefully, nothing bad had happened… That was what Rod cared most about. Unconsciously, this little girl had taken a significant place in Rod’s heart.
“They should be here. Let’s go check them out tonight!” Melon’s reply was simple but hit the mark—this was exactly the answer Rod wanted. After all, he didn’t know the locations of these clans’ residences, but Melon surely did, without a doubt.
An afternoon passed quickly. As night fell, Rod and his group headed outside the hotel. Hearing the discussions around them, Rod felt helpless—it seemed he had truly become the center of attention. No matter where he went, he could hear talk about him!
This time, the discussions turned to Jockel, the young head of the York Clan. Whether intentionally or not, the events from a few days ago had reached everyone’s ears—Jockel, the young head of the York Clan, had been slapped in public by Rod! The arrogant Jockel and his mishaps had become the hottest topic of the moment.
Of course, on a deeper level, people weren’t really concerned about Jockel’s fate but rather wanted to know if Rod was involved in conflicts with the York Clan again.

First were the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles and the Nash family; now both families have been destroyed. Coincidentally, the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles have also joined the York family. Could the flames of war reignite? The fact that the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles have joined the York family already suggests that something interesting will happen between Rod and the York family—something the York family cannot ignore.

Now, with even more reasons, it’s hard not to think of more implications.

“Rod, it seems you’re in trouble!” Rubio said calmly, his smile making one want to punch him.

Yet one had to admit it—he indeed seemed to be in trouble. After all, perhaps only Yorkel resented him, and even if the York family found out, they would only despise him and look for ways to cause him trouble. Now, however, the news had spread far and wide.

This was equivalent to slapping the York family in front of everyone at the Dark Source, leaving them utterly embarrassed. Even matters they originally wanted to ignore now couldn’t be set aside. Otherwise, how could the York family maintain their position at the Dark Source? Whether it was intentional or not, this only added more hostility—his relationship with the York family would no longer be simple.

“One thing to keep in mind: find a solution!” Rod said helplessly with a sigh.

“In Ice City, the York family dominates half of it, and even the city lord has to give them face. Be cautious these days—don’t give those people any opportunities! Pay special attention to the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles family. Since they’ve joined the York family, they’ll surely seize this chance to stir up hatred between the York family and you!” Melon said gravely, clearly also troubled by this situation.

The sudden events soured everyone’s mood, especially Rod’s. Who would have thought his few slaps would be exaggerated into something huge! It seemed these people really had nothing better to do! Was there such a thing as “fan culture” in this era?

Anyway, one thing was certain: the poor always have their faults. These people live at the bottom of society—why can’t they make a name for themselves? All the blame falls on this. They shrink back when faced with problems, stay out of others’ affairs, and just wait to laugh at others. Whenever a topic arises, they spread it wildly as if it were a major event, only caring about others’ affairs. Once they catch a thread, they keep digging deeper, making it more exaggerated with each passing moment.

Since they have this time, they might as well spend more time practicing and improving themselves; perhaps that would bring them many benefits. What good can spreading such rumors do for them?
Rod could only feel helpless inwardly. He let them talk whatever they wanted and remained steadfast on his own path.
Soon, the group arrived in front of a mansion—the Dragon Clan’s mansion. After reporting, two familiar figures, Sognar and Lilith, appeared before Rod! They really had come!
The appearance of another familiar person surprised Rod—it was Gary, the Lord of the Dragon Clan, once the leader of the Void Space and a powerful being at the Yin Yellow realm. He had also come!
“Hehe, kid, what do you think? Surprised that Lord Gary is here? He’s our leader now. Flatter him well, and maybe he’ll do you some favors!” Sognar said jokingly, placing a hand on Rod’s shoulder.
“Lord Gary!” Rod always chose to ignore Sognar’s words and bowed to Gary instead.
“Hmm, not bad. You’ve made great progress!” Gary’s eyes showed a hint of surprise as he looked at Rod, then he said thoughtfully. A being at the Yin Yellow realm might not be able to tell that Rod had reached the later stage of the Divine realm. Perhaps they couldn’t see that he had achieved perfection, but surely they could tell that Rod had made significant progress at this level.
Looking at Sognar, a teasing smile appeared on his face. “Sognar, didn’t you say you had no rival? So, when are you going to compete with Rod?”
“Nonsense, Lord Gary. You don’t have to look down on people like this. This kid? I’m not bragging—I can knock him over with just one hand. He’s just a brat. He was just lucky in that last competition, you know? You underestimate me too much!” Sognar retorted, pouting in dissatisfaction.
Rod secretly laughed. Gary was even more unrestrained, Melon smiled too, and even Lilith shook her head and rolled her eyes at Sognar. Perhaps only this carefree guy hadn’t noticed Rod’s changes yet.

The moment Lilith first saw Rod, she sensed something different—something off in his aura. After observing him further, she was shocked to find that she couldn’t discern Rod’s realm. There was only one possibility: either Rod’s realm had surpassed hers or it was roughly on par. The former was impossible, as she herself was now at the peak of the divine realm. If someone were stronger than her, wouldn’t they be at the Yin Yellow realm? There was only one explanation—this kid must have advanced to the later stage of the divine realm within just two months.

At this realization, her heart rate spiked. Was this still human? It was monstrous! In just two months, first he had leaped from the early stage of the quasi-divine realm to the early stage of the divine realm, then to the middle stage in another two months, and now even to the later stage of the divine realm. Even a rocket wouldn’t be this fast!

Instantly, her gaze toward Rod filled with awe, complexity, and bitterness.

“Melon! I didn’t expect you to be here too. Has this kid been training under your guidance all this time?” Gary then noticed Melon beside Rod, sighed, and spoke with an indescribable expression in his eyes.

“Yeah, that’s right. It’s been so many years since we last met, and you still haven’t changed!” Melon replied with emotion.

From their conversation, Rod understood that the two were old acquaintances with a seemingly good relationship, though he didn’t know exactly what kind of relationship it was.

“Come, let’s go inside and talk,” Gary said after glancing at the street.

After some casual chatting inside the mansion, Rod learned that the Dragon Clan had sent a team of ten this time—utterly formidable. Two warriors at the Yin Yellow realm demonstrated the Dragon Clan’s absolute strength, likely accounting for half of their total combat power. The rest were all divine realm warriors: six at the later stage and four at the middle stage. Additionally, there were dozens of members who had remained in Ice City. Half of this was due to the opening of the Netherworld, and the other half to prevent the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles from causing trouble.

Not long ago, they had joined forces with the Black Phoenix Clan to destroy the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles. Now, their remaining members had defected to the York Clan, posing a threat in Ice City.

What surprised Rod even more was that this time, the Dragon Clan granted Sognar the right to enter the Netherworld. No wonder this guy was so proud—he truly had reason to be proud, as evidenced by his standing out among the many powerful members of the Dragon Clan. Rod also felt that Sognar must now have reached the supreme divine perfection realm! This guy had made remarkable progress over the past half year. It was hard to imagine what level of strength he would have achieved if he hadn’t wasted a thousand years. His talent wasn’t inferior to Rod’s; it was just that Rod had a bit more luck.

“The Black Phoenix Clan hasn’t arrived yet. I don’t know what’s going on. There are still five days before the Netherworld opens. Normally, by now, representatives from several clans should have arrived. This time, neither the main combat force nor the Black Phoenix Clan or the Scorpion King Clan has shown up. Something is definitely fishy!” When Rod asked about the Black Phoenix Clan, Gary frowned and said.

These words plunged everyone into silence. Something indeed seemed wrong, especially with the Black Phoenix Clan. Rod worried that something serious might have happened—could it be Lucy? His heart couldn’t help but tighten with concern.