Chapter 365: Close Combat

The scene before eyes was once again shocking. Jiaohong had somehow consumed something, causing his entire body to swell rapidly in an eerie manner.
“Ah… ah…” Pained screams echoed, sending chills down everyone’s spine. Rod wasn’t unwilling to rush over and deal with Jiaohong at that moment, but for some reason, a cyclone formed around his body, as if countless short swords were swirling within, emitting a freezing cold that made it impossible to approach. Although he might have succeeded by forcing his way in with all his combat energy, Rod had another idea at the time—he wanted to see what could cause such a transformation and what would happen to Jiaohong afterward.
In just an instant, an unforgettable scene unfolded. Jiaohong’s body swelled rapidly, cracking open with streams of blood. Yet soon, those wounds healed as if they had never existed! His scales began to fall off before new ones grew, larger than before, radiating intense cold. His senses told Rod that these scales were even more durable!
“Demon Transformation Pill!” Rod couldn’t help but exclaim in shock. It was indeed a Demon Transformation Pill. He had heard of this pill in the Netherworld before—it could boost one’s strength dramatically in a short time, reaching terrifying levels.
However, this pill had terrifying side effects. After taking it, the user would lose their mind, becoming like a bloodthirsty beast. Even worse, nine times out of ten, they would die once the effects wore off. Even if they survived by chance, all their cultivation skills would be lost.
Rod never expected such a pill to appear here. Back in the Netherworld, an elder had told him that this pill could never be successfully crafted—not only because its ingredients were extremely rare, but also because it required the elusive Netherhell Flower, making the success rate just 1%. Even the most skilled alchemists among the trolls couldn’t create it, and only two pills had ever been made in history, both under the help of a mysterious person! Could it be that this mysterious person had some connection to the Mi Jiao clan? Rod’s heart skipped a beat at the thought.
At that moment, the Mi Jiao on the other side had completed its evolution, letting out a earth-shattering roar.

“Retreat quickly! Leave this to me!” Taking a deep breath, Rod shouted at Merk and the others beside him. The current Jiaohong was like a mindless beast—everything it saw was its enemy, its prey for slaughter. Its strength had reached the peak of the Yin Yellow realm in just these short moments, almost on par with Rod’s own strength.

Its blood-red eyes emitted a sinister glow! It resembled a devil in the darkness, radiating killing intent and terrifying aura.

“Be careful!” Sensing Jiaohong’s presence, Merk and the others didn’t hesitate. Realizing something was wrong, they immediately retreated.

“Kill! Kill! Kill!” The demonized Jiaohong let out hoarse, indistinct cries. In an instant, several elders of the Mi Jiao clan beside it were torn to pieces before they could react, unable even to utter a scream.

“Damn it!” With a roar, Rod swung his long sword.

Ding ding ding… The sword struck its scaled armor, producing a clear ringing sound as sparks flew.

The surface was extremely slippery—the moment the blade made contact, it slipped away, preventing Rod from exerting any force. It felt as though all his strength was being wasted against water, even more insidiously slippery.

The same happened with several consecutive swings. Rod frowned deeply. He hadn’t expected his Xuan Yuan Sword, such a sharp and powerful weapon, to fail to harm Jiaohong’s body. This made him feel uneasy and troubled.

“Die!” Continuously under attack, Jiaohong turned to look at Rod, red light flashing in its eyes as it roared hoarsely. Then it lunged at Rod! Five sharp claws, about twenty to thirty centimeters long and radiating icy cold, had appeared on its hands somehow.

“Kid, it won’t work! I can’t focus! Fight him head-on and inject your internal energy into his body! Only then can you strike from within!” Xuan Yuan shouted loudly in Rod’s mind.

“If you’re going to fight, let’s see whose body is stronger!” Taking a deep breath, Rod said firmly. Xuan Yuan’s words made Rod realize this was a true close-quarters battle—there was no other way. Seeing the opponent’s gleaming body, he gasped, filled with dread.

This breakthrough wasn’t just about his strength reaching the Yang Xuan realm—it was also thanks to the help of the Nether Hellfire that Rod’s physical strength had advanced to the ninth level of the physical realm! Now, Rod’s body was beyond the reach of ordinary people. He decided to rely on his brute strength instead of his sword.

Boom, boom, boom… After several collisions, Rod took every opportunity to concentrate his combat energy into a point, transforming it into dark energy that he silently injected into his opponent’s body.

Rod didn’t gain any advantage, which made him frown deeply. Indeed, the opponent’s formidable physique—had he not reached the ninth level of his own physical realm, he likely wouldn’t have been able to hold out. The opponent’s strength gave Rod the impression that their physique might have reached the tenth level of his own realm, or at least the peak of the ninth!

The continuous collisions and close combat caused Rod’s internal energy to surge violently, leaving him in extreme discomfort. As soon as he opened his mouth, a mouthful of blood sprayed out!

“Brother Rod!” In the distance, Lucy and the others couldn’t help but cry out upon seeing the situation. Having been watching closely, they had witnessed everything. Seeing Rod’s attacks prove ineffective filled them with despair, and now witnessing him engage in close combat was even more shocking.

“Damn it, what kind of monster is this? So strong!” Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Dolon said in a deep voice.

“It’s demonized—weapons can’t even penetrate it. Everyone can see that Rod has chosen close combat!”

“Will close combat work? With that body of his…”

The crowd discussed fervently, their voices filled with concern. If Rod failed, no one present would be safe against this monstrous foe.

Boom, boom, boom…

There were no fancy moves, just the simplest collisions. Yet, these primitive, basic clashes were terrifying and chilling. It was a beast-like battle, with continuous roars and flying debris wherever it went. Each collision generated immense force, causing the ground to crack. A fierce wind blew.

Rod had gone numb, feeling as though his entire body no longer belonged to him. Upon closer inspection, his body was completely red, with cracks appearing on the skin surface and traces of blood. His body was swollen. At this moment, he was merely clinging on by sheer willpower.

Seventy-two threads of energy had already been injected into Jiaohong’s body! Rod knew this was far from enough. According to Xuanyuan’s judgment, at least 81 threads were needed to embed these hidden energies within the opponent’s body. Only by gathering them all and releasing them at once could the desired effect be achieved; otherwise, it would be futile and unable to harm the opponent.

Seventy-three… seventy-four… seventy-five… Rod’s vision gradually blurred. Covered in blood, he became a figure of pure crimson. His clothes were torn beyond recognition, giving him a terrifying appearance.

“Brother Rod…”

“Head…”

Heart-wrenching cries came from afar. Rod’s condition was unbearable to watch. Engaging in close combat with such a monster seemed like seeking one’s own death.

Rod ignored the calls from the outside world. Relying on his last vestiges of consciousness, he kept charging forward, being sent flying dozens of meters away after each collision. Then he would gather his strength again and charge once more—repeatedly, in fierce battles. Rod’s blood sprayed everywhere, his appearance grotesque, no longer resembling a human. On the other hand, Jiaohong, with his terrifying physique, seemed unharmed, showing no reaction at all.

Moreover, the more Rod challenged him, the crazier Jiaohong became, as if this close combat had fully unleashed his wild nature. The red glow in his eyes grew stronger, making him resemble a demon.

“Stop it! Stop now…” Lucy cried out loudly, her fists clenched, her face pale, at the sight of Rod.

“Head, stop! You won’t hold out like this!” Viski and the others also couldn’t help but scream. Even those who had endured countless trials of blood and fire over the years found it hard to bear such frantic cries.

But Rod paid no attention. His own wild nature seemed to have been unleashed as well. He roared wildly, charging again and again.

Eighty times… the last time. Rod’s consciousness was already fading. All that remained in his mind was the enemy.

“One last time… just one more time!” Feeling his body reaching its limits, Rod encouraged himself silently. He couldn’t give up. Victory was within sight—he couldn’t just abandon it now.

As the saying goes, “Ninety percent of the journey is done in the last ten percent.” Rod knew this well. Without taking that final step, there would be no victory! The final step was also the most difficult. His body had reached its limit, and he could clearly feel it crumbling bit by bit, with pain radiating from every cell.

“Die!!” Taking a deep breath, Rod unleashed the last bit of strength in his body and roared frantically. Then, with a sudden burst of force, he charged at Jiaohong like a stone.
Bang… A dull thud was heard as the ground where the two collided cracked again. Accompanied by a roar, the ground split open, creating a massive collapse in an instant.
It was during this moment that Rod’s final trace of energy flowed into Jiaohong’s body, consuming almost all of his combat energy and strength.