Chapter 499: Retiring with Courage

“How about it? Any further questions?” Seeing the growing chatter below, Rod cleared his throat a few times before asking calmly. He then turned his gaze to the Pope, who was also somewhat surprised—clearly unprepared for Rod to offer such generous terms. Earlier, he had only known about establishing a council and was unaware of Dark Source’s plans; he had been worried about this matter, but now it seemed all concerns had vanished.
Hearing Rod’s words, everyone below fell silent. Since Rod had already spoken his mind, what more could they say? The main issue was resolved; the rest were minor problems, much simpler compared to these.
“Alright, we’ll do as you say!” said the former president of the Warriors’ Association and the former president of the Mages’ Guild after exchanging a glance.
Their demands had been met, and their worries resolved, so they no longer objected. After all, they had seen the power of the Demon Souls and witnessed the astonishing battles firsthand. Without Dark Source’s help, they would never have been able to deal with that guy.
With the two leaders and the Pope—all three key figures—agreeing to this plan, the rest became straightforward. No one objected anymore, as Dark Source had already made tempting concessions. Refusing now would be unreasonable.
Discussion followed, and the alliance was established that very day.
The six seats in Dark Source’s council were given to the Wolf Emperor, Dragon Emperor, Mork, the leader of the Scorpion Kings, the ancestor of the Trolls, and the leader of the opposition. Several families each held a seat. Unexpectedly, Rod chose not to join them, shocking everyone.
However, Rod’s explanation was simple yet left everyone speechless. After all, Dark Source only had six spots: four major families each took one seat, and the opposition and the Trolls certainly couldn’t be left out. These families were the core strength of Dark Source, the absolute main force. Rod might not need a seat, but these people absolutely couldn’t be omitted. Otherwise, not only would they harbor resentment, but it would also be unreasonable on the surface. Under such circumstances, Rod could only step back, much to everyone’s surprise.

On the continent side, there was the Pope, the former president of the Mages’ Guild, the former president of the Warriors’ Association, that elder at the Yangxuan realm, along with two other highly respected elders. Initially, the Wolf Emperor and others wanted the continent to give one seat to Rod, given Rod’s evident strength, which everyone had seen. Moreover, the divine essence of the God King still resided within him. If he couldn’t even secure a seat under such circumstances, it would be disheartening. However, Rod rejected this request. The purpose of establishing this council was to ensure mutual restraint, and since Rod was now considered part of the Source of Darkness, the continent certainly wouldn’t want to give a seat to it—doing so would mean the Source of Darkness holding seven seats, allowing it to pass any resolution outright, effectively controlling the council. This was not what the warriors on the continent wanted. Since they were only at the initial stage of cooperation, it was natural for them to be cautious. As a result, Rod’s position became somewhat awkward. Nominalmente, he had no rights or position, but in reality, everyone knew the impact his words could have within the Source of Darkness—it could even be said without exaggeration that his words represented the will of the entire Source of Darkness. Amidst sighs, Rod surprisingly stepped back from the forefront. The council was composed of all the gods and above from both the continent and the Source of Darkness. The continent’s powerful figures were all present, while the Source of Darkness had far more! It was also decided that after forming the alliance, all these powerful figures would reside in the Dark Duchy, no longer scattered but managing, training, and exchanging skills together for mutual improvement. The Source of Darkness would also rotate members to guard the Dark Duchy, with the alliance’s headquarters located in the Dark Duchy, while another headquarters would be set up within the Source of Darkness itself. This was inevitable—after all, the Source of Darkness was extremely powerful with so many strong figures. If they all came here, the Dark Duchy might not be able to accommodate them, likely requiring the Source of Darkness to reduce its membership by one-fifth—this group numbered at least several thousand. Everyone supported the idea of gathering together, as they longed for such opportunities to exchange skills and learn from each other to improve their cultivation.

After all these aspects were settled, there were numerous complicated regulations and treaties. After much discussion, from noon until nightfall—an entire afternoon—nearly a hundred rules were crafted, which was truly daunting. Rod was once again impressed by their patience!
With the treaties finalized, the alliance was initially established, forming a group that began to function, and everyone joined it that very day.
The meeting didn’t end until late at night, during which they even discussed how to select talents for training and development.
This aspect, however, was the simplest. What did the Mage Guild and the Warriors Association do? How many talents did they have, and how many of them were geniuses?
There were also the deans of several academies! The dean of the Holy Light Academy was among them—these academies had always been cradles of talent! In short, the continent had never lacked geniuses; it only lacked those who had grown to become great ones. Now, it seemed there was a good chance this problem could be solved. Seeing the achievements of the Death Scythe Squad filled everyone with aspiration.
Especially the Holy Light Academy—Viski and Rod both came from there. With their achievements displayed before everyone, Rod, being a troll, might not speak for himself, but Viski was a genuine product of the Holy Light Academy, a genius student nurtured by it. That was enough persuasion.
By the time the meeting ended, it was already late at night, with the sky full of stars. Everyone left filled with excitement, as all the most critical issues of the meeting had been resolved, resulting in a successful outcome.
What remained was to establish the alliance’s base, and they had already chosen the perfect location—the small town where they had fought the Demon Marshal. It met all the requirements in every regard.
At the same time, the Church, the Mage Guild, and the Warriors Association also brought Rod a huge surprise. The Mage Guild and the Warriors Association directly decided to relocate their headquarters to the Dark Duchy. This move undoubtedly strengthened the Dark Duchy’s position on the continent. Even if the empires wanted to confront it, they would have to carefully consider the attitudes of these two organizations. Their influence on the continent exceeded everyone’s imagination. It seemed the Dark Duchy had inadvertently acquired a powerful shield.

The church was somewhat more reserved, as it was still difficult to change the minds of everyone on the continent. Yet, it still brought Rod enough surprises—they decided to relocate the church’s headquarters to a city of light not far from the Dark Duchy! In this way, a powerful triad was formed, closely surrounding the Dark Duchy and creating a formidable alliance. One piece of news after another left Rod and the others overjoyed. There was no doubt that in a short time, the Dark Duchy would become the center of the entire continent. This area, long neglected, was destined to shine brightly and become a gem among the lands of the continent. With this, the Dark Duchy could be considered a superpower, surely shocking many people. After everyone left, Rod finally let out a long sigh, a smile appearing on his face as he felt no fatigue at all. This meeting was truly inspiring. “Are you really not considering joining the council?” The Wolf King and others asked Rod, somewhat puzzled, after everyone had gone. “If you want to join, I can give you a seat in the opposition!” Aida thought for a moment before saying to Rod. Their relationship had become increasingly clear, and it was obvious to anyone that the opposition was the weakest among the major families in the Dark Source. As they relied on the trolls, such a seat would be a huge burden for them. If Rod got it, it would be well-deserved, and no one would object. “My troll clan is also willing!” The troll ancestor said with emotion. Rod could be considered a member of the troll clan, so it wouldn’t be excessive to give him a seat. In fact, if nothing went wrong, he might even become the clan leader in the future. “Alright, no need. Such things aren’t suitable for me. I can use this time to relax properly!” After declining their kind offers, Rod smiled. He really didn’t want to take on so many responsibilities anymore; it was time to rest. “If that’s the case, we won’t force you!” After thinking about it, the Wolf King and the others fell silent. Whether Rod had a seat or not didn’t really matter—his words were certainly more influential than anyone else’s.

The Black Phoenix clan and the opposition are clearly on his side. It seems the Dragon clan also has a complicated relationship with him, not to mention the Trolls. Add to that the person currently designated as the future clan leader—with such connections across all these groups, he truly doesn’t need to worry about a seat like this.
“It’s finally over. Let’s take some time to strengthen the alliance these next few days, and then we can head back!” With a deep sigh, Rod looked up at the starry sky and spoke with emotion.