Chapter 422: The Battle Between Heaven and Earth (Part 1)

At this moment, in the face of nature, the strength of the two individuals seemed insignificant; they could only compete as vessels, with their true abilities set aside. Rod had no advantage at all.
The battle had transcended Rod and the Ancient Sword’s control, going beyond everyone’s imagination to become a struggle between heaven and earth. The two were merely used as mediums; all they could do was try to use their consciousness to control these energies to the fullest extent possible.
With his mental power fully immersed in the battle, Rod felt as though he had fallen into an endless ocean—surrounded by a sea of light points. At this moment, his body and mind merged with the beams of light.
Not daring to slack off in the slightest, he guided this ocean of light into the black-yellow sand. In an instant, it collided with the tornado controlled by the Ancient Sword’s mental power.
Rod guided the beams like a dragon, tightly wrapping around the tornado in an attempt to prevent it from expanding and forming further. Meanwhile, the Ancient Sword struggled desperately to avoid being restrained while trying to strengthen its own energy.
After all, this was a battle on land, and by invoking the power of the earth, it held an advantage to some extent.
“Big brother…” Lucy, watching from afar, was extremely worried, her expression serious and tense, her eyes filled with concern. Her small hands were clenched tightly, already damp with sweat. She could see Rod and the Ancient Sword—only two powerful forces of nature at war, completely immersed in the battle, leaving it impossible to tell what was happening. On the surface, it seemed that the Ancient Sword, representing the power of the earth, had some advantage and was growing stronger, which made Lucy even more anxious.
Around her, Melon, Ada, and the others all frowned deeply, saying nothing, their expressions showing rare seriousness and worry.
At this moment, the entire battlefield was eerily quiet, almost alien. The battle had come to a sudden halt, focusing everyone’s attention on the clash between Rod and the Ancient Sword.
“A genius of astonishing talent!” After what seemed like a long time, the Wolf King in the distance sighed. In an instant, he appeared much older, his expression becoming serious and somber. He knew he had lost. Facing these two, even though he hadn’t fought them yet, he already knew the outcome.
Just based on the current situation of the battle, no matter which side he faced, defeat was inevitable—he wouldn’t have the strength to fight back, let alone deal with the massive forces at play there.

“A genius of extraordinary talent—yes, they have surpassed our understanding. It’s a pity that the two of them will ultimately become enemies; otherwise…” Standing beside the Wolf King, the Dragon Clan’s Grand Elder was filled with emotion. For tens of thousands of years, the Source of Darkness seemed to have never seen such talents, yet now two of them appeared at once! Either one could be considered a once-in-a-lifetime genius! Unfortunately, they will both end up in a life-or-death struggle. If only they could unite—perhaps the Source of Darkness could reach an unprecedented level. It’s hard to imagine what their future holds, but one thing is certain: the entire continent, the entire Source of Darkness, will be proud of these two.

The current tension was even too much for the Grand Elder, who had endured thousands of years of trials. The oppressive atmosphere and fierce battles captivated his entire being. After this battle, only one person would remain! Who? He couldn’t figure it out. After all, the situation was far too complicated.

Of course, the expectations of both sides were different, but there could only be one outcome.

“This is what a fair contest between true strongmen looks like!” After what seemed like a long time, the Wolf King sighed.

Rhode didn’t use his overwhelming strength advantage to crush his opponent with combat energy. Instead, he chose a battle between the elements to narrow the gap between them. The ancient sword didn’t disappoint Rhode—it fulfilled its role by mobilizing the power of the earth to help it close the distance. It even took advantage of the advantages of ground combat to slightly outweigh Rhode’s strength.

This was the mindset of a true strongman—this was the clash between two gentlemen, a fair battle fought with sincerity from the heart.

In the distance, Rhode gradually fell behind. It seemed his light beam had been greatly depleted after the long journey, leaving him somewhat exhausted. Seizing this opportunity, the power of the earth suddenly surged, nearly dispelling the light beam entirely. Thankfully, Rhode managed to hold on with great difficulty. Unfortunately, after this battle, he was completely at a disadvantage. The speed of light seemed insignificant and powerless in the face of the massive whirlwind.

This scene sparked countless gasps, then screams, with voices of concern rising one after another. Of course, there were also the gloating and excited voices of those who favored war.

“Can that kid Rhode pull it off?” Sognar, rarely showing nervousness, swallowed hard and asked Lilith beside him, his eyes wide open, afraid of missing any detail. This was a rare display from him.

“I don’t know!” Lilith said in a deep voice, her eyes never leaving the battlefield, her worried expression evident as her cheeks turned slightly red. This sight stunned Sognar. He had never seen Lilith like this before, never seen her so concerned over something or someone. Even when she was exiled to the Void Space, she remained cheerful and composed, showing no emotions. Even when her parents disappeared in the Death Battlefield during a mission, she still smiled bravely, saying she could live well on her own. Even when her best friend faced life-threatening difficulties, she could remain calm—seemingly unafraid of any challenges. But now, she appeared so fragile, shocking Sognar. He remembered when Lilith was younger, when he was stronger than her, and they often fought. No matter how difficult things got, she always managed to smile bravely. But now… Images flashed through his mind, turning into sighs and worry. It seemed this girl was truly trapped. Had he not noticed? He couldn’t understand how someone like Lilith could behave this way. Turning his gaze back to the battlefield, all Sognar could do was hope that Rod would hold on—otherwise, things would get troublesome. … He was gradually falling behind, with no reinforcements, causing Rod to grow anxious. The power condensed from moonlight kept fading away under the growing strength of the earth. His heart pounded like boiling water—he couldn’t lose. This was the final battle; he absolutely couldn’t fail. In the distance, his friends, comrades, and brothers were waiting for him. In the distance, Nightingale was waiting for him to pick her up. The trolls were waiting for him to welcome them back. His father was waiting for him to resolve his doubts. The old man’s peaceful smile awaited him in Water Screen City! He hadn’t even had time to catch up with him or complain about the past few years before being sent to Water Screen City to handle that matter. It should be almost done by now. How could he give up now? How could he fail now? The Xuanyuan in his hand emitted scorching heat, and its blade hummed loudly as his combat energy surged within it, seemingly on the verge of breaking under such overwhelming force.

But it must hold on, for it is through it that one can achieve a medium, a link to the powers of heaven. Without it, this battle is already half lost.
A dizziness swept through his mind, and he smiled bitterly inwardly—seems it still won’t work. In the battles on earth, the power of the earth still holds absolute dominance. Heaven has its own laws, but on earth, it is the power of the earth that reigns supreme.
If he continues to rely solely on brute force, he will ultimately fail. With this thought, Rod felt a surge of realization, as if he had grasped something. Moments later, his mind cleared.
“Ah…” Lucy almost jumped out in shock and couldn’t help screaming.
Beside her, Aida instinctively grabbed her arm tightly, causing pain, while Melon also took a deep breath.
The battlefield in the distance suddenly changed—the light screen seemed unable to resist and rapidly retreated, shrinking until it was about to be swallowed by the dark yellow and disappear. Once it vanished, Rod would surely vanish too! How could one not worry?
“That kid!” Sognar couldn’t help but shout angrily, but he was powerless. Such a battle was beyond their reach—even the Wolf Emperor, with his calm demeanor, could do nothing!
Lilith’s face turned pale, and she swayed slightly before barely managing to stay standing, almost falling to the ground.
“Has Rod lost?” The Dragon Clan’s Grand Elder couldn’t help but ask. Seeing the worry on the Wolf Emperor’s face as the light screen neared destruction, could Rod really be defeated?
Could the boy who had created countless miracles and myths be defeated by his own arrogance this time? He found it hard to believe.
The Wolf Emperor, however, remained calm and cold-eyed, staring intently into the distance, lost in thought. It seemed he ignored everyone around him. After a long while, he finally exhaled deeply: “No! The battle has just begun!”
As he said this, he sighed inwardly, realizing that the gap between him and those two was growing wider. Perhaps he would never reach their level—not only in heart but also in realm.
“Just begun?” The Dragon Clan’s Grand Elder was puzzled and shocked. Could it be…? It seemed he thought of something, a flicker appearing in his eyes. He quickly raised his head, staring intently at the distant battlefield, afraid of missing any detail.