Chapter 376: Carter’s Mutation

A trace of hatred flashed in his eyes. Carter knew that Rod’s appearance today had put their neutral faction in an extremely awkward situation. The large number of troops they sent out earlier had left them in a position of retreat, with no strength left to fight back.
He couldn’t understand how these people knew about their faction’s secret—a secret that had been kept hidden for a thousand years without anyone discovering it. They had thought they had done an excellent job keeping it secret. Where exactly had the problem arisen that exposed their identity?
By intuition, he felt that the exposure of this matter must be related to Rod. It was just a strong instinct, but it made his hatred for Rod even greater. Seeing Rod’s performance at that moment only heightened his shock. He realized that if he didn’t eliminate Rod today, he would become the greatest threat in the future. So, no matter what the cost, he had to kill Rod right there.
However, the few subsequent encounters left him in an extremely awkward position. Witnessing Rod’s strength, he felt a sense of despair.
“The Yangxuan Realm!” Finally, after all his efforts failed to yield any result, Carter’s face darkened as he stared at Rod in shock. It was only then that he realized he had encountered a warrior from the Yangxuan Realm.
He had already estimated Rod to be very strong, but he never expected him to have reached the Yangxuan Realm. Now he understood why the Black Phoenix clan had avoided destruction—surely it was because of a warrior from the Yangxuan Realm like Rod, whose presence could change many things. Even the death of the Patriarch of the Mi Jiao clan must be directly related to Rod.
Hearing Carter’s words, Rod’s lips curled slightly in a cold smile. “Stop talking nonsense and keep fighting!”
As soon as he spoke, he bent his body and then pushed off the ground with both feet. Immediately, a dull sound came from the ground beneath him. Centered on his standing point, the ground sank inward, with cracks spreading in all directions like a spider web. Rod then used that momentum to dash forward like a beam of white light, heading straight for Carter.
The Xuanyuan Sacred Sword in his hand emitted a buzzing sound as energy was infused into it, creating a long sword aura. His figure seemed to expand dozens of times, and the sword aura was terrifying.
The wind howled, leaves fluttered, and dust filled the air. At that moment, Wuyou City was filled only with agonized screams and the pungent smell of blood.
Rod fought against Carter once again. As expected, Carter was defeated and forced to retreat once more.

A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. Carter glared fiercely at Rod, his eyes filled with determination—resignation, anger, sorrow, an indescribable emotion appearing on his face.
…
“Dad, what’s going on outside? Why is it so noisy?” A little girl’s voice came from a room inside the city. Groggily looking at her parents, she asked in confusion. She had been awakened by the noise and saw her parents worriedly watching outside.
“It’s okay, Yun. Come, come into mom’s arms!” Hearing the little girl’s voice, the graceful woman in her twenties showed concern and pulled the girl into her arms, comforting her.
Looking at her husband, she opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. The battle outside was intense; they never expected Wuyou City to fall into such a situation. The once peaceful night was gone, and their tranquil life might also disappear after tonight. The loud sounds of fighting filled them with anxiety.
The great battle had finally arrived. The offensive by the pro-war faction some time ago had already shocked everyone, followed by the destruction of the Mi Jiao clan. Now it was Wuyou City’s turn?
Wuyou City was supposed to remain neutral—why was it drawn into this war? Was there some hidden truth? Or was it inevitably dragged into this conflict?
The couple waited anxiously, hoping the battle would end soon. Of course, they hoped the neutral faction would win. After living here for decades, they had no idea what would become of Wuyou City if the neutrals failed.
The worst outcome would be Wuyou City’s defeat. In that case, they could only hope the new forces that would take control would maintain the previous peace and tranquility!
Not only this family but the entire city of Wuyou City stayed awake that night. Everyone hid at home, peering through door or window cracks to watch everything outside, to observe the entire battlefield, waiting for the final result.
…
“Nait Rod, this is your fault, hahaha… If that’s the case, even if I die, I won’t let you live easy. Having someone like you as my companion in death is worth it!” Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Carter roared madly at Rod.

Immediately afterward, he reached into his chest and took out a delicate red box. Opening it, what appeared before them was a dark red pill about the size of a longan, emitting a strong fragrance.
“A Demon Transformation Pill!” It was the second time Rod had seen this thing, and he couldn’t help but exclaim in shock!
It was indeed a Demon Transformation Pill. He never expected Carter to possess one. The last time he had seen one was on Jiaohong, who had taken it and transformed into something neither human nor beast, with terrifying strength. Back then, Rod had almost lost his life, and the memory of that battle still filled him with dread. To find it on Carter as well made Rod curse inwardly. Weren’t Demon Transformation Pills extremely rare? Why were they appearing so frequently lately? Could it be that someone had mastered the production method?
Impossible, Rod dismissed that idea right away. That left only one possibility: the trolls had once produced them a thousand years ago, but the success rate was very low, leaving only a few. Those few might have been acquired by the war faction. Now, as their thousand-year plan was about to unfold, these Demon Transformation Pills became their greatest trump card.
It was already impossible to stop Carter. He opened his mouth and swallowed the pill, after which his body underwent a drastic transformation. Every inch of his skin trembled and changed as the terrifying effects of the pill took hold, causing him to shake uncontrollably. The intense pain made him let out agonized screams that were terrifying to hear.
Of course, this situation caught everyone’s attention. At that moment, the forces within Wuyou City were almost completely suppressed. Locke and Merk, along with the members of their two tribes, had taken control of the situation and gained a complete advantage. Victory was just a matter of time. This sudden change forced them to look over quickly.
Seeing what was happening, Locke was initially surprised, then puzzled. Merk and the others, who were aware of the situation, were mostly worried. They looked at Rod anxiously. Last time it was Jiaohong, and Rod had almost lost his life in that battle. This time it was Carter—could Rod endure it?
“Brother Rod! Come back quickly!” Lucy couldn’t help but shout. She still remembered vividly how badly Rod had been injured last time and didn’t want to see him suffer like that again.

“Head!” Nightingale and the others also cried out in shock. In a bloody battle, the members of the Reaper Scythe Squad unleashed their full combat strength like cutting machines, leaving blood and flesh flying wherever they went. By now, everyone was covered in blood, radiating a cold murderous aura that made those around them reluctant to approach them. Especially those who knew these people were Rod’s subordinates were even more horrified.

Such a combat unit as a cutting machine was beyond their comparison. They never expected Rod to have such a team—truly admirable.

“Do you think this will work~!” Unlike the others’ urgency, Rod remained completely calm, his gaze cold as he watched the mutated Carter.

Perhaps if this were the first time he had seen such a scene, he would have faced great trouble, but now it was different. The situation was entirely different now. Having witnessed the power after the transformation, he felt more confident and prepared, so he wouldn’t be so overwhelmed in battle.

Plus, he had already identified the weaknesses after the mutation and could attack by targeting those weaknesses, making his efforts more effective. There was no need to worry—only solemnity, the gravity before battle.

Ahow… In just a moment, Carter completed his transformation. He roared, revealing long fangs, his eyes red, his body covered in scales the size of fingernails, shining brightly under the moonlight, standing out even more on the battlefield.

It seemed as if all combat on the battlefield had stopped. Everyone’s attention was drawn here. Watching the situation, their expressions showed worry, confusion, surprise… all kinds of emotions.

“Will Brother Rod be okay?” Lucy murmured anxiously, clutching her fists tightly, her face pale.

“Don’t worry. He’ll be fine. We need to trust him fully. If he says it can be done, then it can! Don’t forget what happened last time!” Hearing Lucy’s words, Nightingale replied calmly, her gaze distant, as if back at the foot of the Nether Mountain a few days ago.

“Yes, how could I forget? Nothing can stump Brother Rod. He will surely defeat this monster. Sister Nightingale, right?” Hearing Nightingale’s words, Lucy paused for a moment before nodding firmly. Her gaze toward Rod also changed—her worries vanished, and a faint smile appeared on her lips, like that of an ethereal fairy.