Chapter 458: The Return of the Troll Clan (Part 2)

Troll clan members! Those were the only words that came to everyone’s mind. The Troll clan, which had existed for a thousand years, had developed to such an extent. Of course, among them were also members of the four major families. Seeing these people, everyone was filled with confusion—how could members of the four major families appear in the Netherworld and stay with the Troll clan? This became a mystery for many, even families like the Dragon Clan themselves were unaware of it.

Some of the older elders and members were stunned upon seeing these people. Among them were many of the clan’s top talents from the past, as well as some of the strongest warriors from the Age of Darkness. Unfortunately, they had all disappeared for unknown reasons. Everyone thought they had suffered some misfortune; even after searching throughout the Age of Darkness, no trace of them could be found. Who would have thought that at this moment, they would appear here—inside the Netherworld, among the Troll clan?

Vaguely, some people seemed to sense something, feeling a sense of helplessness.

A massive army of thousands slowly emerged from the gates of the Netherworld and stood before everyone, displaying their formidable presence. Merk was stunned, the Dragon Emperor was stunned, the Wolf Emperor was stunned, and everyone else was stunned as well.

What kind of strength was this? What kind of lineup? Was this really the Troll clan? There were over a dozen warriors at the Yang Xuan realm, about a hundred at the Yin Huang realm, and countless ones at the divine peak and divine realm. Was this really the strength of the Troll clan?

Why had they chosen to hide themselves a thousand years ago with such strength? Even if the four major families and the demon race had joined forces to suppress their development, with such strength, they wouldn’t have been forced to hide—although they might not have been able to defeat the combined forces of the four major families, they certainly wouldn’t have fallen to such a state! At this moment, those who knew history realized they had been wrong.

Their actions back then had been a mistake. The Troll clan was not something they could easily offend or suppress. If they had chosen to fight back, the four major families would have suffered severe losses. At the very least, the pro-war factions would never have been able to develop and might even have been completely destroyed.

Yet, the Troll clan seemed to disregard all this, which made the members of those families feel ashamed. Judging noble people with petty minds was truly shameful.

The mighty wolf clan seemed like mere children in front of the troll clan, utterly helpless against them. Were these really wolves or tigers? Had they brought about disaster? Would they end up being eaten? These were the questions on everyone’s mind below, except for the Wolf King himself, who wasn’t worried. He knew the trolls’ plans for the future. If he didn’t know their intentions, he probably wouldn’t be able to stand here so calmly right now.

At that moment, the crowd became restless; everyone was agitated.

“My troll clan has returned today. From now on, the trolls will once again return to the Source of Darkness!” Taking a deep breath, Andrews declared loudly, his voice resonating throughout the entire Ice City, reaching the ears of hundreds of thousands of people, and even those outside the city could hear it clearly!

The trolls had truly returned—the kings of the trolls had returned. Chaos broke out outside the city. The trolls reappeared in everyone’s sight in a grand manner, making a stunning entrance that proved their strength and confirmed that they could still be considered the foremost family of the Source of Darkness.

“My troll clan will not join any conflicts or align with any factions. We are just a family, a family that guards the Source of Darkness. The Ten Thousand Mountains are our home. From today onward, we may rarely appear before you!” Andrews’ words shocked everyone once again.

“What? The trolls are retreating?”

“Nonsense! Why retreat right after returning? If they wanted to retire, they wouldn’t have come out at all!”

“That’s right. The trolls are withdrawing, but not retreating. They’re stepping away from the conflicts.”

“Yes, stepping away from conflicts. It seems they plan to settle in the Ten Thousand Mountains!”

“Heaven forbid! With them guarding the Source of Darkness, who could harm it?”

After a brief outbreak of chaos, the people below went wild. The trolls were choosing to live in seclusion in the Ten Thousand Mountains—did they no longer intend to rule over the demon race here? Everyone knew that thousands of years ago, the four great cities were under the control of the trolls, with the demon race being nothing more than a vassal family. For some reason, the trolls had hidden in the Netherworld back then, but now that they had reappeared, why choose to hide again? What was the difference from staying in the Netherworld? This decision sparked countless speculations and criticisms.

Only a few of the major clans on the stage and a few powerful individuals who knew the whole story wore bitter smiles; they still couldn’t persuade them to change their minds. The troll clan still chose to lead a simple life, which made them realize even more how foolish and naive their actions a thousand years ago had been—how ridiculous it all seemed. Watching the chaos below, those few people could only smile bitterly, not knowing what to say.

“Is the troll clan really planning to retire?” Some still couldn’t believe it and asked those around them, thinking they must have heard wrong.

The troll clan really had no intention of competing with them; they merely wanted to act as guardians, living in seclusion in the Ten Thousand Mountains? Why would they make such a decision? Rod didn’t know. Neither did anyone else.

Andrews didn’t respond further. After saying those words, he returned to his own clan members and looked at Rod. “Are everyone here?” It was a simple sentence, yet filled with deep emotion. Immediately afterward, he and several elders of the troll clan stood beside Rod, their expressions solemn.

Their clan members would head ahead to develop the Ten Thousand Mountains, where others were already waiting. Undoubtedly, these were people they had stationed on the outer continents over the past thousand years. They had already chosen a settlement site in the Ten Thousand Mountains. Leaving a thousand or so people in Water Curtain City was not the same, which was why they sent these people there first.

“We’re leaving! You’ve grown up and no longer need my care. Perhaps I never fulfilled the duties a father should have. It’s shameful, but the people around you are good—cherish them!” It was that familiar face, the one Rod had seen countless times in his dreams—his father’s voice, magnetic and gentle, yet carrying an irresistible will. The leader of the troll clan, possessing a dignity unmatched by others, also had a mission—to lead his clan to settle there first! He couldn’t stay behind to discuss matters with Rod and the others. As for this matter, leaving it to the elders was sufficient.

“Treat them well. If you grow tired of them, return to the troll clan. I’ll be waiting for you in the Ten Thousand Mountains!” Those were his last words—a father’s blessing and concern for his son. But both of them knew that the Ten Thousand Mountains wouldn’t be peaceful either. After all, with the war between gods and demons underway, could they really stay there and ignore what was happening outside?

Not to mention that even if they could enjoy a peaceful life there, they would eventually have to return to fight together.

Yet, Rod still felt a warmth in his heart at his father’s words. There was so much in them—words of advice, expectations, and arrangements from a father to his son, along with a hint of guidance. Rarely did such words penetrate his heart so deeply. Of course, he also felt a bit ashamed—how could he know so much about Lilith and the others’ relationships? It was clear this was the first time he had met them, yet he saw through them at a glance, showing just how sharp his gaze was. At that moment, Rod noticed something unusual as well—Lilith seemed strange in expression the moment she saw his father, hesitating as if unsure what to say, while his father’s eyes lit up and a faint smile appeared on his lips, leaving things unclear. Recalling what had happened in the Void Space before, Rod was certain that Lilith and his father had known each other for a long time and seemed to have a good relationship. What puzzled Rod, however, was why neither of them had brought up this topic. Looking at the two with some confusion, he felt the situation was strange, and it wasn’t the right time to ask questions. Glancing at Lilith, Rod decided to ask her thoroughly about what had happened that night. As soon as Biano saw his father, he became unrecognizable, tears streaming down his face in a comical sight. But how many people understood the excitement and joy in his heart at that moment? The two stood there for a long time, looking at each other. His father’s eyes also reddened, and he remained silent for a while. The gentle breeze made the atmosphere somewhat gloomy, starkly different from the noise outside. “Master, the young master has grown up. Your servant hasn’t disappointed you!” Biano said with a long sigh, trembling. Those words—“master” and “your servant”—held so much emotion, known only to them two. “Good, very good! I’m sorry for all the hardships these years!” His father took a deep breath before speaking slowly. “It wasn’t hard, really!” Biano replied, somewhat overwhelmed by the kindness. He knew who the man before him was and what he meant. “Stay here and help Rod for now. I’ll come back in a while,” Rod’s father said after a moment of thought. “Okay, I’ll wait for you to return!” Biano replied excitedly, perhaps recalling the days they had fought side by side. A few simple words revealed so much emotion that those present couldn’t help but feel sad, and they no longer dared to underestimate this martial artist who was only at the beginner level of the divine realm.

The trolls left these words behind, and everyone left without lingering, heading into the distance. The atmosphere was somewhat strange. Those present voluntarily made way, watching the group of kings depart with awe in their eyes! The atmosphere was filled with surprise, making people feel uneasy.
At this moment, Rod’s gaze kept searching, searching for that figure in his mind!