Chapter 304: A Thunder-Shattering Sword Strike

At this moment, Rod’s image grew infinitely larger in everyone’s minds. Especially beneath those dark clouds and under the gloomy flashes of lightning, Rod appeared like a god descending from the heavens, wielding his sword high in the air.

“Break it!” A loud roar echoed across the entire square. The next instant, as the final wave of lightning approached, Rod suddenly leaped into the air, soaring straight toward the clouds—and thus, toward the lightning.

“Damn it! Is that kid crazy? Bastard!” Seeing this from afar, Sognar couldn’t help but curse.

To charge straight into the thunderclouds? That was suicidal! Not only Sognar but also Melon and Gary, two seasoned veterans, were stunned by what they saw. Could such a thing really be done by a human? Did Rod really not care about his life?

They understood what Rod intended—to shatter the thunderclouds at the last moment and end the thunder calamity. But could it truly be accomplished by human effort? At least these two experts at the Yin-Huang realm couldn’t do it.

“Brother Rod…” Lucy clenched her hands tightly, staring in awe at Rod soaring into the sky. She couldn’t help but wonder why he would do this. Hadn’t he handled the previous lightning strikes effortlessly? Why take such a risk? Catching the last lightning strike shouldn’t be a problem—so why… Her heart was filled with confusion.

Meanwhile, the members of the other families watching from afar were also stunned, staring at Rod flying high into the clouds. Seeing that one man and his sword, they were utterly shocked.

“Look! Rod is heading into the clouds! Could he really break the Godly Thunder Calamity?”

“Of course! Why ask? Damn, can he succeed?”

“It’s difficult. Over the past thousand years, many have reached the Yin-Huang realm, but none have dared to do this! It’s probably impossible!”

“Can’t say. Didn’t you see those previous lightning strikes were child’s play for Rod? Maybe he’ll succeed!”

In an instant, hundreds of thousands of people below became agitated, discussing wildly. But there was no doubt—everyone had high hopes for Rod at this moment. They were witnessing a stunning scene, and Rod’s ascent into the sky would surely remain etched in everyone’s hearts forever, unforgettable for a lifetime!

At this moment, whether they were Rod’s friends or enemies, they set aside their former hatred and emotions, watching intently. Everyone harbored a faint hope, hoping for a miracle.

“Boom… boom…” Seemingly sensing someone challenging it, the thunderclouds suddenly became frenzied, spinning wildly as lightning surged. In an instant, just as Rod leaped into the air with his long sword about to touch the thunderclouds, a white lightning bolt the size of a bucket crashed down toward him.

At that moment, the entire world was filled only with the sound of thunder. Who had pierced through a thousand years of time? Who inspired such longing in people’s hearts? Who made countless beings eagerly await this moment?

A blinding white light enveloped the sky, its intense brightness forcing many to close their eyes. Rod’s figure disappeared from sight, swallowed up by the white lightning.

“Will it succeed?” The same question lingered in the minds of hundreds of thousands of people as they waited in silence.

The massive lightning bolt twisted through the air like a fierce dragon, and faintly, a figure could be seen struggling within it.

“Break!” A deep roar suddenly erupted in the silent world.

Immediately afterward, a green light flashed, creating a grotesque illusion—a long sword dozens of feet in length. The sword was raised high and slashed toward the thunderclouds!

Boom… boom… The might of heaven could not be defied. At this moment, the thunderclouds also began to struggle violently. Rod’s bold actions had utterly enraged the heavens!

Thunder roared, white light shone, sword shadows covered the sky, and furious cries filled the air—all combining into a magnificent scene. The people in the square seemed numb, feeling as if they were living in a dream, everything seeming so unreal. Did this really happen today? They doubted it.

Yet this was indeed the truth. At that moment, Rod was fighting against heaven. The roaring continued, the thunderclouds trembled, and the sword shadows shook. Buzzing and roaring sounds filled the air. It was unclear how much time passed during this ordeal. Gradually, only a ball of white light remained in the sky—a blinding light that prevented anyone from seeing what was happening inside. Even powerful warriors like Melon, who were at the Yin Yellow realm, were forced to focus their minds. The oppressive aura emanating from the sky, along with those disorienting roars, were eroding everyone’s spirit. Some weaker individuals even lost consciousness. No one knew what was really going on, what the situation was, or who had won!

After a long, endless period of time, everything began to calm down. The white light gradually dissipated, and finally, those with great strength were able to open their eyes and look up at the sky. It was another scene they would never forget in their lives—a scene they could never overlook! This moment would surely be recorded in history. At that moment, the thunderclouds in the sky were split in two from the middle and gradually disappeared, with the white lightning fading away slowly. Only one man remained—a man who had thrust his sword into the sky—descending slowly to the ground, his face showing pride and a hint of surprise, giving him an otherworldly aura. Though he appeared somewhat disheveled, his heroic spirit, powerful enough to move mountains, could not be concealed, and his natural charisma won over everyone’s hearts. “Whoa…” Everyone was utterly excited, going crazy. “It worked! He actually succeeded!” Sognar shouted excitedly, his face red as if it were he who had accomplished this feat. “Yes, it worked! It really did!” Lilith and Lucy smiled with relief, tears in their eyes as they nodded firmly, looking at the man with the sword raised toward the sky—this man would forever retain this image. “It worked. Knightrod, it worked! He’s insane!” “Not human… truly not human… how could he…” No one knew how to describe this feat anymore. The thunderclouds dispersed, and the sky returned to its clear state, as if nothing had happened. Then, that man and his long sword proved everything before. “Such heroic spirit—who in this world can compare?” Gary sighed bitterly and turned away. It was then he realized he had truly grown old; perhaps the world now belonged to their younger generation. Unlike everyone else’s excitement, the York family, the pro-war faction, the Mi Jiao clan, and other family members who had a poor relationship with Rod had even more complicated expressions—worse than if they had eaten flies! Watching Rod in the distance, their expressions kept changing.

Especially Merkel, the ancestor of the York family, who still planned to deal with Rod after reaching the Netherworld. But with what courage would he have now seeing this scene? The York family was significant, but they wouldn’t dare to offend a powerful warrior at the Yin Yellow realm, especially one so ferocious—a truly terrifying foe! Could offending such a person bring any benefits?

Perhaps if things really escalated, the York family would become the second Purple Wing Thunder Eagle family. In an instant, it seemed as though he had aged dozens of years. With a sigh, he turned to his son and said, “From now on, the York family must not provoke Rod. Those who disobey will be severely punished!” After saying this, he turned and left. The current head of the York family didn’t object to his words, agreeing wholeheartedly.

“Issue orders—from now on, the members of the Purple Wing Thunder Eagle family can do whatever they want; our York family will not interfere!” He then made his own judgments and gave orders.

“I, who advocate warfare, say from now on we must not offend Rod. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, stay away from him!” Gu Yi, the second prince of the war faction, also spoke in a grave tone to those around him, squinting at Rod above as if deep in thought.

“The Mi Jiao clan should no longer deal with Knight Rod, and we should also keep our distance from the Purple Wing Thunder Eagle family!” The Mi Jiao clan made the same decision.

“Let everyone in the Dark Source know by tomorrow that Rod is an honored elder of our Scorpion King clan!” The members of the Scorpion King clan said proudly. Rod’s performance had shocked everyone. If they all knew he was their clan’s highest elder, their clan’s status would surely rise.

“My Black Phoenix clan…”

No one could have imagined that in just this short time, every clan in the Dark Source related to Rod had made their decisions. The clans with grudges against him ordered to avoid him as much as possible and not continue to be his enemies. After all, fighting against such a twisted, Yin Yellow realm tyrant would bring no benefits—instead, it might even lead to disaster. As for the clans with good relations with Rod, they chose to strengthen those ties. Rod’s performance today had earned everyone’s recognition, changing everyone’s view of him once again.

Elements from all around rushed into Rod’s body once more. He enjoyed the influx of external elements to the fullest, ignoring everything else. Of course, if he had known his impulsive actions would cause such a huge reaction, what expression would he have worn? Probably one of helplessness.

In short, what Rhode needs to do now is to consolidate his progress. He has already entered the Yin Yellow Realm, and at this moment he is undergoing his first cultivation within it. Once the cultivation is complete and his combat energy is restored, he will officially become one of the members of the Yin Yellow Realm, stepping into a whole new world of martial arts.