Chapter 377: Mad Monster

Everyone was worried about Rod, while even more were astonished by the changes in Carter after taking the Demonization Pill. It was the first time they had seen such transformations; the last time Jiaohong changed, only the members of the Black Phoenix clan had witnessed it. Thus, in addition to shock, they were filled with confusion!
Yet everyone could clearly sense Carter’s aura surging at that moment, his entire presence radiating a terrifying intensity that spread everywhere. Those near him could hardly hold their ground, especially the weaker ones, whose faces turned pale as if an invisible hand was squeezing their throats, preventing them from breathing.
“Rod! You’re… going to die!” Carter’s consciousness, now mutated, was gradually fading, and he could even speak poorly. At this point, he had completely turned into a beast, with only a murderous instinct in his eyes—no trace of humanity left. As for Rod, perhaps due to his last-minute obsession, he still remembered this name.
His eyes were red, like a red sun, standing out sharply even in the darkness. His scales emitted a cold glow, radiating an icy aura.
“Hmph… death-defying!” Rod glanced indifferently at the mutated Carter, showing no signs of tension. A scornful smirk appeared on his lips. Unlike the first time he saw Jiaohong transform, Rod was no longer surprised—let alone worried.
One can only fall into a pit once; falling twice means that person is unfit. Rod certainly wouldn’t suffer at the hands of this monster a second time.
Having learned from the previous experience, Rod had already figured out this monster’s weaknesses and knew how to deal with it, making it much easier.
“Big brother!”
“Head, move aside quickly!”
Rod paid no attention, but those watching from afar were terrified, especially Lucy and the others. Knowing the power of this monster and seeing it charge at Rod who remained motionless, they couldn’t help but scream.
“Don’t worry, he’ll win. Nothing can stop him. Didn’t he kill that guy last time? What more now?” Seeing Lucy’s pale face, Nightingale whispered words of comfort, though her own eyes revealed deep concern—her subtle reactions betrayed her feelings.

The scenes of the battles from a few days ago inevitably surfaced in Nightingale’s mind—Rod covered in blood, fighting that monster like a beast, those terrifying collisions, those heart-wrenching clashes, the brutal situation—all things she didn’t want to see. She didn’t want Rod to face such danger again.

Hadn’t he worked hard to cultivate over the years just to help share the burden with Rod? She thought that reaching the divine level would greatly assist him, but now she realized all her efforts were in vain. She realized she was still so weak, while the gap between them grew wider and wider.

A roar echoed through the air as Carter transformed into a monster and charged forward like a gust of autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves. Those who couldn’t escape in time became victims, knocked to the ground and reduced to piles of flesh before they could even scream!

Thirty meters, twenty meters—before long, it was right in front of Rod. Finally, Rod started to move. With a swift motion, the Xuanyuan Sacred Sword disappeared from his hand. Clenching his fists and letting out a cold snort, he charged at Carter with all his strength. Amidst everyone’s screams, he wore a smile as the first collision took place.

Bang… A muffled sound that was hard to describe came as the two collided.

With the experience from the last battle, Rod handled this time much better. Coupled with his physical adjustments over the past period, his strength had reached its peak, making the situation completely different—he didn’t suffer much at all.

His inner energy successfully penetrated Carter’s body, yet Carter was unaware of it.

They separated after just one clash, and the next moment, they charged at each other again, fighting like wild beasts gone mad, terrifying everyone around.

The sounds of collisions, along with the flying debris and wood shards, along with the innocent people caught in the crossfire—everything seemed to quiet down on the battlefield. Everyone’s eyes were fixed solely on the fight between the two. They were all stunned by such a direct and primal battle.

Everyone was shocked by these brutal yet explosive clashes. When had they ever seen such a fight?

Over and over again, the sounds of collisions resonated deep in everyone’s hearts. In the distance, Lucy held her fists tightly, tears in her eyes, turning her head away, unable to bear to watch any longer.

Even a strong woman like Nightingale couldn’t stand it and closed her eyes, her lips bitten until they bled slightly.

Every collision seemed to penetrate straight into everyone’s heart, causing their souls to tremble with shock. This was the most stunning battle—one no one had ever seen before. At this moment, Rod’s strength settled deep in everyone’s hearts, leaving an indelible impression for life. It was hard to tell how many collisions had taken place; Rod only felt a numbness spreading through his body, as if it no longer belonged to him. Yet he felt no pain, only a surge of excitement and an indescribable joy, with his blood boiling. After each impact, he felt a sense of relief throughout his body. “Great! One more!” As the battle reached its climax, Rod couldn’t help but shout. With each collision, he faintly sensed that he was on the verge of breaking through to the peak of the early stage of the Yangxuan Realm. His combat energy was being tempered like never before. Such fierce collisions brought him unimaginable benefits. Hahaha… At this moment, Rod was like a madman, charging forward time and again, only to be flung back again and again—even more insane than the monster incarnated by Carter! Those watching from afar were utterly stunned; it was hard to believe such madness existed. Lucy and Nightingale covered their mouths, staring at Rod with strange expressions, feeling they no longer recognized him. How could he become so insane? As for the others, they were completely awestruck—whether it was the Black Phoenix clan, who had already seen Rod’s strength, or the Scorpion King clan and members of smaller families witnessing his extreme performance for the first time, or even the remaining remnants of the neutral faction, everyone was impressed by Rod’s display. His unimaginable strength and the shocking scene made their hearts seem to stop beating. Not only them, but even those hiding in the shadows, watching this battle from their homes, were deeply shocked. Rod, a name already well-known, was once again redefined in their hearts as a god they admired! “Great! One last time!” With little combat energy left, Rod roared with laughter. Drawing on his last ounce of strength, he created a shadow over ten meters long and collided with Carter. Boom…

It roared like thunder, shaking the entire Wuyou City. The streets collapsed outward from Rod and Carter as the center, with an invisible force spreading everywhere, turning everything in its path to dust. Within a few hundred meters, those with weaker strength had their internal organs burst from the force and died instantly, while those with stronger strength were flung backward due to internal injuries, landing hundreds of meters away. Within a hundred meters, only Rod and Carter remained, tightly locked together. This time, they didn’t get flung apart—they stayed together, everything returning to calm. “Blast!” As everyone was puzzled, Rod’s voice suddenly erupted like thunder, hurting everyone’s ears. “Boom…” A crisp sound followed by a cloud of blood mist—after Rod’s fierce shout, Carter, whose body had been infused with countless internal energies earlier, exploded. These energies burst forth under Rod’s command, tearing Carter to pieces, leaving not even a large piece of flesh behind. He vanished like a bomb, reduced to dust. It wasn’t over yet. Just as everyone was about to cheer, something unexpected happened—the elements around them rushed toward Rod like mad, forming a huge vortex. Rod was surrounded by it, making it impossible to see what was inside! “Big brother!” Lucy cried worriedly, fearing Rod might be in danger. Not only her—Nightingale also screamed in alarm. “Don’t worry, it’s fine!” Just as the two were about to charge forward recklessly, Merck quickly pulled them back and said in a deep voice. Looking at Rod trapped in the vortex in the distance, he frowned deeply. “Impossible… How could this happen? How is it possible?” He could only mutter to himself. “What’s wrong?” Nightingale asked urgently, looking at Merck who was holding her. “He’s broken through! How is this possible? He’s about to reach the middle stage of the Yang Xuan realm? He’s only been in the Yang Xuan realm for a few days!” Merck frowned, utterly puzzled. He had never encountered such a situation. How could it be that someone could reach the middle stage so quickly after just a few days in the Yang Xuan realm? Even the most extraordinary people wouldn’t do this. Could he really be that extraordinary? Yet, what he saw forced him to believe it was true. This was the phenomenon of a breakthrough!