Chapter 361: Survival in Desperation

“Hahaha… Jiaohong, are you stupid? Stop talking nonsense here—kill us if you want to, or fight if you want to!” Merk roared loudly, as if Jiaohong’s words were the funniest joke he had ever heard. Yet beneath his laughter lay deep desolation and sorrow. The Black Phoenix clan, one of the four great clans, had once stood at the pinnacle of the Source of Darkness five thousand years ago. Even now, it could still be considered the second most powerful clan. Yet it had never been in such a dire and humiliating situation before. Today, it faced annihilation, its ten-thousand-year legacy about to be destroyed. How many could truly understand the bitterness in their hearts?
“Fine. Since you refuse to show sense, I won’t hesitate to wipe out your entire Black Phoenix clan and erase you from this world!” With a cold snort, Jiaohong spoke indifferently. At this point, the Black Phoenix clan was already at its weakest, too exhausted to cause any trouble—there was only death ahead. Since they refused to surrender, they would be utterly destroyed.
“Fight to the death!” A somber atmosphere spread throughout the world. All the members of the Black Phoenix clan knew they were doomed today. So, they would fight to the end, bringing as many enemies down with them as possible! They were the kind of people who would rather die standing than live on their knees. Seeing the dense crowd of enemies around them, smelling the strong scent of blood in the air, and feeling the pain from their wounds, their wild instincts were fully awakened.
“Give those two girls to me! Kill the rest if you want!” The skeletal old man stepped forward with a sinister smile, staring at Nightingale and Lucy, his eyes filled with contempt.
“Hahaha, I see. Then I’ll leave those two to our ancestor!” After a brief pause, Jiaohong seemed to realize something and laughed too, though with a hint of regret.
Lucy was a powerful warrior at the Yin Yellow realm, while the other woman, though only at the divine level, was no less formidable. Giving such two stunning beauties to their ancestor indeed stirred some jealousy. It seemed their ancestor would gain strength again by using them.

“You wretched dog! Never!” Taking a deep breath, Nightingale snapped coldly. She hadn’t expected to end up like this—she had thought that the first battle against the Death Scythe Squad and the source of darkness would help them gain fame. Now, surviving seemed like a stroke of luck; victory was out of the question. Her heart sank. What would Rod feel if she died here? Could he avenge her? The enemy was far too powerful.

“Hehe, I like this personality!” Instead of getting angry at Nightingale’s words, the old man was extremely excited! How many years had it been since he’d encountered such a woman?

Hearing his words, the members of the Death Scythe Squad and the Black Phoenix Clan glared angrily, wishing they could kill the old man. Unfortunately, his strength was overwhelming, making it impossible to even approach him.

“Enough talk! You two girls, come here!” Before anyone could react, the old man waved his hands sharply, creating a massive suction force. Lucy and Nightingale suddenly found themselves trapped by an invisible force—they couldn’t resist and could only watch as their bodies flew toward him, their eyes filled with disbelief. How powerful could he be to do such a thing?

“Bastard, stop it!” The members of the Black Phoenix Clan were the first to rage, shouting loudly. Several of them rushed at the old man, followed by the members of the Death Scythe Squad, charging at him with murderous intent.

“You’re overreaching! Get lost!” With a low growl, the old man waved his other hand, unleashing an invisible, immense energy that sent the dozens of attackers flying.

“The Yang Xuan realm!” Seeing this, Dolong, who had been frowning the whole time, exclaimed in shock. He was one of those sent flying. Even at the Yin Huang realm, it was impossible to get close to the old man—his strength was already evident.

“The Yang Xuan realm! The Mi Jiao Clan has such a master? How is that possible?” Merk and the others gasped in shock. So far, the source of darkness only knew of one person at the Yang Xuan realm—the Wolf King. There was another? If the Mi Jiao Clan had such a powerful member, they should have used it to elevate their clan’s status long ago. Why hide it until now? No one knew the answers, nor did they have time to think further!

As Lucy and Nightingale neared the old man’s grasp, everyone rushed to rescue them.

Unfortunately, wave after wave of people were either entangled by the enemy or directly sent flying back by the old man, leaving them utterly unable to resist.
“Two little girls, don’t worry! I won’t treat you badly!” Laughing heartily, the old man watched as the two girls flew toward him, his laughter growing louder and more arrogant.
“Miss Lucy!”
“Nightingale!”
Cries of alarm rang out one after another, but no one had the strength to rescue them; they could only watch helplessly as the two girls were about to fall into the old man’s hands.
The situation made Lucy and Nightingale realize the outcome, forcing them to smile bitterly. Their faces turned pale as despair set in.
“Get lost!” Just as everyone was in despair, a furious roar suddenly rang out.
Like thunder from the heavens, it made everyone’s ears hurt. Immediately afterward, a powerful suction force pulled the two girls backward at high speed! At the same time, a figure transformed into white light and charged at the old man, who appeared surprised.
“Boom!” A loud roar echoed, followed by strong winds and swirling leaves. Wild energy spread everywhere, sending several warriors within dozens of meters of the old man flying into the air—most of them shattered to death on impact!
At the same time, the old man let out a muffled groan as he was sent flying backward, while another figure flew back toward the Black Phoenix clan’s camp.
Pfft… With an open mouth, a mouthful of blood sprayed out. It was only after retreating nearly a hundred meters that his figure finally stabilized.
“Brother Rod!”
“Head!”
Upon seeing who it was, cries of shock arose. It was indeed Rod—no one expected him to appear here! He showed up at this critical moment.
Rod was dressed in white, and somehow he now wore a set of armor that was faintly transparent, shimmering with brilliance. Standing there with his Xuan Yuan long sword in hand, he exuded an imposing aura, giving the impression of a god descending to earth.
“Knight Rod!” Not only the Black Phoenix clan but also the Mi Jiao clan was filled with shock. No one expected Rod to appear. Hadn’t he been cultivating earlier? How could he suddenly show up without any notice? And at such a moment? He could even match the old ancestor in just one move… Could it be that…
“The Mi Jiao clan! And the Demon clan too—so many fighters!” With a slight smirk, Rod scanned the entire area before asking in a faint accent.

Wherever their eyes fell, everyone couldn’t help but lower their heads to avoid it. That gaze was as tangible as solid matter, turning into a sharp blade that pierced straight into everyone’s heart, inducing a sense of fear, as if covered by death itself.
“Hmph, Knightrod, even if you show up, it’s useless. The Black Phoenix clan will be destroyed today. Your presence saves my Mi Jiao clan the trouble—let’s destroy them all together!” Jiao Hong said in a cold tone, staring at Rod.
“Hmph, it’s too early to declare a winner or loser! I think your Mi Jiao clan doesn’t need to go either today!” Rod said mercilessly with a cold snort. His domineering words left everyone present stunned.
“Are you that Knightrod? Not bad—truly impressive. An old man like me has been repelled for the first time in nearly a thousand years! You’re the first! Very good! Reaching the peak of the Yin Yellow realm at such a young age—your future is boundless. Perhaps a few months ago, I wasn’t sure I could kill you, but now! You have no choice but death!” At that moment, the defeated old man with withered bones also appeared before everyone, staring at Rod darkly. After a cold snort, his murderous intent became evident.
“I’m old—don’t speak carelessly. It’s not easy to live to your age! Let me see you off today!” With a cold laugh, Rod suddenly rushed at the old man! In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from his original spot, out of everyone’s sight.
“A fight with you!” The old man also roared angrily, his figure vanishing!
Immediately afterward, rumbling sounds filled the air. The atmosphere became chaotic, filled with combat energy. Strong winds howled across the land, carrying fierce sword energy that was extremely sharp. Wherever it passed, destruction ensued—whether intentionally or not by Rod. Each encounter took place in crowded areas, and the sword energy snuffed out many people’s lives before they could react! Cries of pain echoed everywhere.
Too many people died without even understanding what happened, causing chaos and panic among the crowd. Everyone was in fear, scrambling to hide.
“Don’t run! Stay where you are! Kill them—kill the remnants of the Black Phoenix clan!” This scene also panicked Jiao Hong, who roared in anger. He glared fiercely at Nightingale and the others, his murderous intent evident. For the first time, he decided to take action himself!

“Reinforcements have arrived! The Law-Enforcing Elders have come, and the Guardian Elders too!! We have hope!” But just as things seemed to be improving, the excited roars of the Black Phoenix clan pushed the Mi Jiao clan further into despair! The Black Phoenix clan’s reinforcements had arrived—those old guys were here, and with their vast experience, they now held the upper hand! The hard-earned opportunity was about to be lost like this…
“Rod!” Jiao Hong roared in fury, his mouth twisted in anger. It was all because of him; his arrival changed everything. No wonder the pro-war faction had warned him to keep a close eye on him. He had been careless and failed to heed that advice. Now… If only they had followed the original plan and sent the Ancestor to the Nether Mountain to kill Rod, none of this would have happened.