Hearing the way Ian Song and Ethan Sun addressed each other, Gavin Tang's eyes grew cold and murderous as he sneered, "So you two are fellow disciples? Then we'll wipe out the roots and kill you both! Everyone, attack! Take out the others first, then deal with the one named Sun!"
At Gavin Tang's command, the other fourteen men lunged at Ian Song all at once.
Just then, the Sword Puppet and Golden Howler, standing silently nearby, sprang into action at the same time.
The Sword Puppet teleported forward, appearing right in front of Ian Song and the others, and unleashed a flurry of slashes with its longsword.
"Puff! Puff! Puff!"
Several arcs of sword-qi, each several zhang long, burst from the Sword Puppet's blade and swept toward the three men charging at the front.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!"
Three short, agonized screams rang out, and the three men were instantly sliced clean in half.
At the same time, the Golden Howler transformed into a streak of gold and charged into the crowd.
Ever since its recent advancement, the Golden Howler had become even faster. Two early-stage Grandmasters saw only a flash of golden light before hearing two wet splats—and then lost consciousness, their heads smashed to pulp by the Golden Howler's claws like rotten watermelons.
In the blink of an eye, five men were dead.
The nine survivors froze in place, their faces twisted with terror.
But the Sword Puppet didn't stop. It strode forward, its longsword like the scythe of the Grim Reaper.
More sword-qi arcs appeared, sweeping up three more men, who met the same fate as the first—they were sliced clean in half.
The Golden Howler was even more savage, making full use of its speed advantage. Its twin claws, hard as divine weapons, smashed heads or tore open chests to seize hearts. In an instant, four more people were killed.
The last two could no longer contain their fear and turned to flee.
As for Gavin Tang, who had been giving orders, he was completely stunned. Then he shuddered all over and turned to run as well.
"Leave no one alive!"
Ian Song snorted coldly.
At his command, the Golden Howler and Sword Puppet shot after them. In less than three breaths, Gavin Tang and the last two Grandmasters had also met their end.
"That was brutal!"
Ethan Sun stared blankly at the scene, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit a fist.
Princess Nissa, the 'idiot princess,' had just woken up and was just as shocked.
Remembering how she'd provoked Ian Song before, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. Would this guy kill her too?
After cleaning up the battlefield, Ian Song decided to send Ethan Sun out first.
After all, the lure of a King-Rank Martial Soul was just too great. Who knew if news of his success had already leaked?
So, leaving the Martial Soul Hall was the best choice.
Ethan Sun raised both hands in agreement to Ian Song's suggestion, feeling deeply grateful to him.
Ian Song left the Sword Puppet and Golden Howler behind to guard Harriet Gu. Then he grabbed Ethan Sun by the arm and teleported again and again.
After dozens of teleports, Ian Song finally brought Ethan Sun to the entrance.
To leave the Martial Soul Hall early, you have to reach the entrance and crush your Martial Soul Token, which will teleport you out.
Otherwise, you'll have to wait until the ten-day limit ends, when the dimensional space automatically ejects everyone.
"Junior Brother Huang, I'll go on ahead. Be careful!"
Ethan Sun clasped his fists to Ian Song in salute.
"Senior Brother Sun, once you're out, you should find the Melody Empress at Sanctum Martial Academy. She'll keep you safe!"
Hearing this, Ethan Sun's eyes shone with gratitude. He clasped his fists again to Ian Song. "No need for words—your kindness speaks for itself. I'll go on ahead!"
Ian Song watched Ethan Sun leave, then flickered and vanished.
He returned to the grassy lawn, put away the Golden Howler and Sword Puppet, then quickly led Harriet Gu and Princess Nissa away from the area.
Over the next two days, Ian Song ran into several search teams. He found that everyone already knew Ethan Sun had obtained a King-Rank Martial Soul and were scouring the realm for his whereabouts.
But Ethan Sun had already left the Martial Soul Hall, so no matter how hard they searched, it was all a waste of effort.