Chapter 456: Gathering in Ice City
Days passed by, and during these days, Rod and his companions truly enjoyed a comfortable and peaceful life.
When only one day remained before the opening of the Netherworld, it seemed as if all parties had agreed to gather in Ice City! Ice City became incredibly bustling. People from various factions could be seen everywhere on the streets. Inside the city lord’s mansion, Merk, the Dragon Emperor, and others gathered there in an unprecedented assembly—such a grand scene was truly astonishing.
For the first time seeing the Dragon Emperor, Rod was surprised to find that he wasn’t the old man he had imagined but rather a middle-aged man, in his early thirties. As for his exact age, perhaps only he knew. One thing was certain: he was extremely handsome. Rod was shocked at first glance—perfect even to the point of making him feel a bit jealous. Could this really be a man?
Following that were the leaders of the Scorpion King clan, the Black Phoenix clan, and the opposition faction. The heads of various major families and key figures all gathered in Ice City on this day.
Of course, those powerful individuals who practiced in isolation from various factions were also present. They represented a force that could not be underestimated within the Source of Darkness. Thanks to Melon and the others’ efforts, they all showed up, giving the event considerable prestige.
At that moment, these people were both excited and nervous. After all, welcoming back the Troll clan was no simple task. After they arrived in Ice City, Rod gathered everyone and explained the matter of the Demon Souls. There were only about a dozen of them, half of whom had already reached the Yin Yellow realm, with the strongest among them at the later stage of that realm. The rest were all at the peak of the Divine level—truly among the strongest in the Source of Darkness. It was necessary for them to know about this and to contribute their efforts.
Upon learning about the Demon Souls, their expressions changed drastically; some became nervous. They hadn’t expected a war between gods and demons to happen right here. Some were excited, some worried—the atmosphere was tense. Fortunately, no one refused. Faced with such danger, everyone chose to cooperate actively.
As for the city itself, it was now extremely prosperous, even surpassing Water Screen City in the past. Ice City could arguably be considered the most prosperous city within the Source of Darkness.
The return of the trolls has spread among these people, and even the entire Dark Source has heard of this news in recent days. Suddenly, the population of Ice City surged as everyone flocked here, nearly bursting the city’s limits. In desperation, Ice City decided to seal itself off, allowing only exits but no entrances, as its population had reached saturation. Even so, dense crowds still gathered in the open areas outside the city, constantly battering the gates. The situation was urgent, but fortunately, the Wolf Clan was strong and capable, so no immediate problems arose.
In contrast, those who entered the city were much luckier. The trolls were a clan that had possessed the strength to rival the Four Great Families even a thousand years ago. Back then, the pro-war faction, the neutral faction, and the opposition were all under their command. They disappeared without reason a thousand years ago, and everyone thought they were destroyed. But who could have imagined that they would reappear after a thousand years, having hidden in the Netherworld right under everyone’s noses? What kind of situation would arise with their return? Everyone was eagerly awaiting it.
It’s a pity they didn’t know about the Demon Souls; otherwise, would they still be cheering and rejoicing at the trolls’ return? By then, they probably wouldn’t be able to feel happy anymore. Watching the enthusiastic atmosphere inside the city, Rod and the others felt both amused and exasperated.
One day before the opening of the Netherworld, the Wolf King finally emerged from his seclusion.
It gave the impression that although this period of seclusion was short, it had transformed him greatly, giving him a completely different aura as he reached a new level.
Rod also noticed that the Wolf King, who was originally at the middle stage of Yang Xuan, was now barely touching the edge of the later stage. It seemed he would soon be able to officially enter this realm.
Everyone could see the changes and naturally understood what had happened. All present congratulated him, and the Wolf King seemed very excited, as his efforts hadn’t been in vain.
At that moment, only Rod, the Wolf King, and the leaders of a few clans were in the room. These people gathered together, representing the most elite group and all the strength in Dark Source at the moment.
“What do you feel?” Rod asked the Wolf King anxiously. At this level, he should be able to perceive the world and attain a divine status. Even if it wasn’t that of a Divine General or a Giant God, he should at least sense an ordinary divine aura.
The gods, like the Demon Souls, had their own hierarchy. Below the Divine Kings were the eight Giant Gods, beneath them were the thirty-six Divine Generals, and after that came the 315 Heavenly Gods. Unlike the Demon Souls, the strength of the Heavenly Gods could improve through cultivation.
The demon souls can only recover to their peak state and then stop progressing. After all, even their most basic Heavenly Demons can return to the mid-stage of Yang Xuan in a short time, with some outstanding ones even reaching the Xuan Huang realm, not to mention Demon Generals, Demon Marshals, and Demon Gods. In comparison, Heavenly Gods already possess great strength just at the mid-stage of Yang Xuan! Perhaps this is the principle that there must be trade-offs.
“It’s almost ready. I’ll break through as soon as the Troll clan returns!” nodded the Wolf King excitedly. During this period, he had understood many things, witnessed the Battle between Heaven and Earth, and seen Rod’s Battle against Gods and Demons, from which he gained much insight. That’s why he was eager to enter seclusion for cultivation upon returning. Hard work pays off—just a couple of days ago, while feeling progress, he grasped the threshold of the Way of Heaven and understood the call of a divine essence. If it weren’t for the Troll clan’s impending return and the fear of delaying things, the Wolf King might have started communicating with Heaven and Earth to obtain a divine essence right away. But ultimately, he postponed it, thinking that once the Troll clan returned, they would likely engage in widespread communication to acquire divine essences. Joining them then and supporting each other would be a good thing.
“Great, that’s excellent!” This was undoubtedly good news for Rod and the others, as it meant that with the Wolf King obtaining a divine essence, their strength would increase once again, reaching a new level, which would be of great help in the war against gods and demons. Naturally, everyone was overjoyed.
“I’ve also felt the call of a divine essence. We’ll do it together then!” The Dragon King, who rarely spoke, mentioned it casually at this moment. His voice was pleasant, giving an ethereal feel, making one wonder if he was even male. But none of that mattered. Good news after good news brought joy, though it also caused some frustration among Merk and the others. Among the four major clans, the leaders of the Wolf Clan and Dragon Clan had already sensed divine essences; only their own clans, the Black Phoenix Clan and the Scorpion King Clan, were left. The two exchanged glances, filled with indescribable frustration. After some discussion, the day passed in a harmonious atmosphere, as if everything was progressing positively, and the situation was becoming increasingly favorable for them. Now, they could only wait for the Troll clan to return the next day.
After the meeting, Rod returned to his room. It wasn’t yet late, and since he wasn’t sleepy, he went to the lakeside to enjoy the rare peace.
For some reason, he had been looking forward to the return of the trolls, to the appearance of his father, and to Nightingale’s quick return. Now that it was all within reach, he felt a bit worried—worried that his father might not have recovered yet, that Nightingale might not be well, and that the outcome he saw might disappoint him. Thinking of all this, he felt an indescribable tension and hesitation in his heart; perhaps this was a psychological syndrome. Walking along the edge of the small lake, he somehow ended up at the place where Lucy, Ada, and Lilith lived. It seemed the three girls still hadn’t gone to bed; the lights in their room were still on, which brought a slight smile to Rod’s lips. Seeing them always made him feel a sense of comfort. After thinking for a while, he decided not to disturb them. But just as he was about to leave, the door behind him suddenly opened, revealing a small head peeking out, looking his way with a playful smile. “Big brother!” Lucy called out happily upon seeing Rod. Immediately after, someone quietly ran outside, as if afraid that the people in the two adjacent rooms would notice. Once they reached Rod, they pulled him away, acting in a sneaky manner, which was quite amusing. “What’s the matter?” Rod asked, puzzled. Hadn’t this little girl been getting along well with Ada and the others lately? Why was she acting so sneaky now? “Nothing, I just want to be alone with big brother. If Sister Ada and the others find out, they’ll definitely follow us!” Lucy said coquettishly, twitching her nose. Rod was surprised by her thoughts, feeling both amused and exasperated. “Is this considered betrayal?” he asked jokingly. “Of course not! Hmph, it was me and big brother who got to know each other first. Sister Ada just wants to steal him from me. It drives me crazy! Besides, back in Dark Moon City, she kept monopolizing you. Hmph, she only knows how to bully me. You didn’t even help me. In the end, I had no choice but to live in peace with her!” Lucy complained unhappily, still seeming resentful of life in Dark Moon City. “Did you reach an agreement?” Rod asked jokingly, looking at the childlike Lucy. “I was forced to! There was no other choice. But I’ve found that Sister Ada and Sister Lilith aren’t so bad after all. Big brother, what do you think? Should we all live together? And Sister Nightingale too?” Nightingale asked curiously, with a playful smile on her face.
One sentence made Rod’s words stick in his throat; his expression kept changing. When did this guy turn like this? For a moment, Rod was too embarrassed to know what to say.