Chapter 337: Return

Secrets can’t be kept forever. The contents of the meeting between the major families of Water Screen City soon reached everyone’s ears. Immediately, the entire Dark Source began to stir. This already turbulent situation was thrown into further chaos by this new development. The pro-war faction wanted to ally with the Wolf Clan—many could see what this meant. Perhaps Dark Source was about to enter another era of turmoil, or perhaps its power structure would undergo another purge. After such a purge, new forces would surely emerge, while some existing forces would disappear silently. The appearance of the Wolf Clan had completely changed Dark Source as it was before.

At that moment, on the path leading to Dark Moon City, two voices walked side by side, moving slowly in an air of leisure. “Brother, do you think the Wolf Clan will agree to the pro-war faction’s demands?” It was a young girl, extremely beautiful, with a gentle smile and an innocent appearance, breathtakingly lovely. Her white clothes made her seem to blend into the icy landscape, with goose-feather-like snowflakes falling heavily, covering the ground in thick layers. Yet, if anyone were present, they would be surprised to find no footprints left in their wake. The snowflakes even bounced back a centimeter away from their bodies, never touching them.

“What if they agree? What if they don’t?” The man replied with a faint smile, as if it had nothing to do with him. “But… if they agree, our Black Phoenix clan and the Dragon clan will be in trouble, especially the opposition. Sister Aida is part of the opposition. Once the pro-war faction allies with the Wolf Clan, the first ones they’ll target will surely be the opposition,” the girl said anxiously. “The opposition?” The man frowned slightly, murmuring to himself as if lost in thought. “Don’t worry. Things aren’t that bad. Let’s go back and discuss it with Brother Melon first. Hehe, since you’ve reached the Yin Huang realm this time, your Black Phoenix clan will be happy for quite some time!” But soon, the man regained his calm smile and spoke slowly, his eyes filled with unwavering determination, as if everything was under his control. “Brother Rod is underestimating me. How can Lucy compare to you? Brother must be on the verge of reaching the Yang Xuan realm!” His words made the girl’s face flush slightly as she spoke in a low voice, filled with a hint of envy.

The man and woman were Rod and Lucy, returning from the Forbidden Land of Divine Sorrow. They moved slowly, without any rush, and after nearly two months, they finally returned safely to the Heart of Darkness.
They were naturally aware of the meeting among the major families this time.
“The Yang Xuan realm?” At the mention of this level, a bitter smile appeared on Rod’s lips. Although he was now at the peak of the Yin Huang realm and had even begun to touch the boundaries of the Yang Xuan realm, truly entering that realm was no easy task. There was a sense that crossing this threshold would be extremely difficult—even though it was just a small step away, taking that step was far from simple.
“It’s not that easy!” Thinking of this, Rod said with a helpless bitter smile.
“It’s already a miracle that in less than half a year, Brother has reached the upper stage of the Yin Huang realm. Don’t underestimate yourself. For others, reaching the Yin Huang realm is an unattainable dream. We’ve done it, and Brother has achieved something others can never do—creating a miraculous speed of cultivation. If Brother says he can’t do it, then Lucy would be utterly ashamed!” Lucy spoke sincerely. Reaching the peak of the Yin Huang realm in less than half a year would surely shock countless people—it was practically an impossible miracle.
“You’re not bad either. Being at the middle stage of the Yin Huang realm, you’re also considered a strong fighter!” Rod said with a smile.
Indeed, Lucy’s progress was evident to all. Reaching the middle stage of the Yin Huang realm in half a year was an unimaginable speed. After all, it usually takes at least ten years for an average person to progress from the initial stage to the middle stage, and that’s assuming they have excellent aptitude!
Which person who has entered the Yin Huang realm lacks aptitude?
“Alright, Brother, stop teasing Lucy!” Rod said, and Lucy blushed slightly as she acted coquettishly.
The two strolled through the icy landscape, chatting and laughing, creating a unique atmosphere.
Five days later, they entered Dark Moon City. Winter’s Dark Moon City presented a different kind of beauty, breathtaking.
At the same time, another astonishing news came— the Wolf Clan had agreed to ally with the pro-war faction. This news was truly shocking and made the Heart of Darkness tremble.

Hearing this news, the two were slightly stunned before quickly speeding up to head toward where Melon was. Returning to this familiar place, the one where they had made their breakthroughs, Rod was filled with emotion. Their arrival naturally couldn’t go unnoticed by Melon, who soon appeared in front of them along with Rubio. “You…” Melon’s expression changed drastically as he looked at Rod, speaking in disbelief. Turning to Lucy, he also showed surprise: “It seems I’ve really aged. This world belongs to you young people; it’s time for us to retire!” This remark sparked widespread admiration—someone at the later stage of the Yin Huang realm, stronger than him, and another at the middle stage. It was hard to imagine what heights these young people would reach in the future. How long had he been in the Yin Huang realm? Not much, and he felt somewhat ashamed. This time, Rod also clearly saw Melon’s strength—reaching the peak of the middle stage of the Yin Huang realm, almost at the later stage, slightly stronger than Lucy, but still a bit behind him. This discovery also made him feel ashamed. “Brother Melon, you’re joking. Rod’s success today is all thanks to you!” Rod could sense the bitterness in Melon’s heart—after nearly a thousand years of cultivation, one could imagine his current state of mind. “Well, this is all the result of your own efforts. Don’t underestimate yourself. It’s good you’re back. Let’s go somewhere. As for you, Lucy, if you don’t come back soon, your Black Phoenix clan will cause me trouble!” Waving his hand, Melon, being a straightforward person, spoke generously. Thinking about the Black Phoenix clan’s behavior lately, he smiled wryly. Lucy was their treasure—half a year away, no wonder they were worried; they might even send someone to the Battlefield of Death to look for her. “Where to?” Rod asked in confusion. Hearing Rod’s question, Melon frowned slightly and sighed, “You must have heard about the Wolf Clan. They’ve allied with the Pro-War faction!” His tone was extremely serious. “Yeah, I heard,” Rod nodded, smiling without showing any signs of tension. “Oh no, now we’re in big trouble. With the Wolf Clan allied with the Pro-War faction, the Pro-War faction has become even more unstoppable. The Wolf Clan sending members to assist on the continent has freed up the Pro-War faction, and the Dark Source has already been stirring. This has completely exposed things! I think big things will happen soon.”

The Dragon Clan, the Black Phoenix Clan, and the opposition will all be hit hardest, especially the opposition, who are already at odds with the pro-war faction. Now…” Melon said bitterly, his face full of concern.
“Enough, let’s not talk about it. Let’s go and take a look first. Oh, and Lucy should come too—otherwise, those old guys from your Black Phoenix Clan won’t let me go!” Melon said with a smile as he looked at Lucy.
“Where to?” Rod asked, frowning slightly.
“This time, Lucy is the host. Hehe, we’re going to the Black Phoenix Clan!”
Slightly surprised, Rod hadn’t expected it to be the Black Phoenix Clan. It seemed that both the Dragon Clan and the opposition would go there as well. What about the Scorpion King Clan? They should have gone there right after coming out of the Netherworld, but they haven’t. Would they show up this time?
Rod increasingly found the Scorpion King Clan hard to understand. They hid so many secrets that it was impossible to know what they were planning.
Without delaying further, the four of them quickly set off toward the Nethermountains, where the Black Phoenix Clan resided.
“Rubio, why are you so quiet?” Along the way, Rod didn’t hear Rubio say anything. He asked in confusion, as Rubio didn’t seem like someone who stayed quiet.
“Hey, the gap between us is getting bigger and bigger. You’ve already reached the Yin Yellow realm, while I’m still at the middle stage of the Divine realm. I don’t even know when I’ll be able to reach the later stage of the Divine realm!” Rubio said helplessly, looking grim.
His clan originally had poor talent and aptitude. Reaching the middle stage of the Divine realm was already quite impressive, but advancing to the later stage was extremely difficult.
Everyone knew this. Hearing his words, Rod also sighed slightly—there was really nothing he could do about it!
“Take your time. Don’t worry, it will work!” he could only say to comfort him.
This also explained why Rubio had changed so much after meeting him this time. So that’s how it was.
After some comfort, Rubio’s mood improved a bit. But it couldn’t be completely resolved. Rod frowned, wondering if the Netherhell Fire could help him. If so, maybe he could give him some later! Rod truly wanted to help Rubio, as the two had a good relationship, and a stronger Rubio would definitely be a great asset to him.
After ten days of travel, the group finally arrived outside the Hundred Thousand Deep Mountains. The Nethermountains, where the Black Phoenix Clan lived, were located within these Hundred Thousand Deep Mountains.