To witness Ian Song's death with her own eyes, Vanessa Nangong also hurriedly gave chase.
But as soon as she entered the Pristine Way Sect's mountain gate, Vanessa saw a scene that defied belief: the six Martial Saints she'd brought were actually being besieged by twelve Martial Saints.
All twelve Martial Saints wore bronze masks, their true identities unknown.
“How... how is this possible? Where did he get so many Martial Saints?” Vanessa was both shocked and furious.
“Surprised?”
Ian Song's voice rang out. Vanessa turned her head and saw Ian striding toward her, dressed in black and gold robes, feathered crown on his head, cloud boots on his feet—completely calm, not a trace of panic, but with an indescribable composure.
For a moment, Vanessa's mind raced, and she instantly realized she must have fallen into his trap.
Anger? Frustration? Regret?
"Jason Chen of Origin Return Sect bows before the young master!"
"Shawn Xiao of Origin Return Sect bows before the young master!"
Jason Chen's arrival made Vanessa Nangong see hope. "Quick, kill him! I’ll reward you handsomely!"
But the sect masters and clan heads weren’t fools. Their eyes swept over the eighteen Martial Saints fighting in the field—their armor and uniforms were distinct. Clearly, the twelve masked Martial Saints belonged to Pristine Way Sect.
When did Pristine Way Sect get twelve Martial Saints?
"Ah!"
A miserable scream burst from one Martial Saint’s mouth as an old man in a bronze mask smashed his head.
A Martial Saint had fallen—and it was one of Vanessa Nangong’s side!
Jason Chen gave a sly nod. "That's right. Origin Return Sect has been under the young master’s command for a long time. Yet you were foolish enough to ask us to fight him! So, we just took the opportunity."
"What are you all standing around for? Kill him!" Vanessa Nangong roared.
Vanessa Nangong’s face twisted with fury as she shrieked, "Origin Return Sect, Ian Song, I swear I’ll see you all wiped from the earth!"
Jason Chen suddenly shouted, his voice sharp.
Hearing this, Vanessa Nangong couldn’t help but feel delighted.
But her expression froze immediately—because Jason Chen’s target wasn’t Ian Song, but his own supposed allies!
Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat!
Blood sprayed everywhere; screams rang out one after another.
Caught off guard by Origin Return Sect’s sudden betrayal, the Thirty-Seven Sects suffered heavy casualties. In an instant, over ten sect masters and clan heads were killed, and more than a hundred late-stage Grandmasters died.
Among them, Jason Chen personally killed Aaron Ao.
Shawn Xiao personally slew the Divine Moon Sect’s cult master and Sky-Net Gate’s sect lord.
After the successful strike, Jason Chen didn’t linger in battle. He led Origin Return Sect’s Supreme Elders to withdraw and stand beside Ian Song.
"Jason Chen of Origin Return Sect greets the young master!"
"Shawn Xiao of Origin Return Sect greets the young master!"
Jason Chen and Shawn Xiao both bowed to Ian Song.
Seeing this, Vanessa Nangong was stunned, and so were the people from the Thirty-Seven Sects.
Why?
Why would Jason Chen and Shawn Xiao call themselves subordinates in front of the Pristine Way Sect Master?
"You... you’ve been working together all along?"
Vanessa Nangong pointed at Ian Song, Jason Chen, and Shawn Xiao with grief and rage.
Jason Chen gave a playful nod. "That’s right. Origin Return Sect has long submitted to the young master. Yet you were foolish enough to ask us to go against him! So, we just went with the flow."
"Good! Very good!"
Vanessa Nangong’s face grew even uglier as she shrieked, "Origin Return Sect, Ian Song, I swear I’ll see you all dead and buried!"
"You really think you have a future left?" Ian Song shook his head, mocking her.
"I’ll leave now. You can’t stop me! Ian Song, you’ll soon see my revenge!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Vanessa Nangong suddenly vanished from sight.
Seeing this, Jason Chen and Shawn Xiao’s faces changed dramatically.
"Young master, you can’t let her get away! She’ll be endless trouble!"
Ian Song smiled slightly. "Once you’re in my cage, you’re not getting out!"
Zing!
A flash of purple sword-light streaked by, followed by a miserable scream. A figure tumbled out of the void—who else could it be but Vanessa Nangong?
Ian Song sheathed Purple Thunder, giving her a playful look. "Want to try escaping again for me?"
Vanessa Nangong’s face was full of despair. She seemed to ask herself, or maybe Ian Song, "Why? Why can’t I teleport? Why can you see through my invisibility technique?"
"The dead don’t need to know so much!"
Ian Song glanced at Shawn Xiao.
Shawn Xiao instantly understood, stepped forward to Vanessa Nangong, and struck with his palm.
When Shawn Xiao withdrew his hand, Vanessa Nangong collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"Will you die or submit?" Ian Song’s gaze swept over the experts of the Thirty-Seven Sects.
"Run!"
Someone shouted, and the experts of the Thirty-Seven Sects rushed for the gate like lost souls. But as soon as they took a step, their surroundings changed—they found themselves in a boundless forest.
But in Shawn Xiao and Jason Chen’s eyes, those experts were just running in circles around the same spot.
"It’s a formation!"
The two exchanged shocked glances.
"Exactly!"
Ian Song nodded. "I’ve laid forty-nine formations inside Pristine Way Sect. Right now, I’ve only activated two. With the rest, even five million troops couldn’t harm Pristine Way in the slightest!"
Hearing this, Shawn Xiao and Jason Chen shivered, grateful they hadn’t betrayed Ian Song. Otherwise, they’d have ended up just like the Thirty-Seven Sects.
Half a quarter of an hour later.
The Martial Saint battles were over too. All six Martial Saints Vanessa Nangong brought were slain.
Nine Martial Saints lost in total—would the Military Council feel the pain?
Ian Song mused silently.
Suddenly, Ian Song looked at Elder Shea and the others. "Elders, it’s your turn. Go capture everyone trapped in the formation!"
With a casual wave, dozens of formation tokens flew to Elder Shea, Cole Chong Duan, Darren Fang Easton, Elder Carl Cang, and the others.
With these tokens, they could enter the formation without being affected.
Moments later, all the Thirty-Seven Sects’ experts were knocked out and captured, while Pristine Way Sect remained unscathed.
Outside the gate, the coalition armies, lacking orders from their leaders, stayed camped at their positions.
Soon, the knocked-out experts were awakened.
But their cultivation was sealed.
"Sect Master Ian, spare us! We were forced by Vanessa Nangong to attack you!"
"Yes, please spare us, Sect Master Ian! We Kirin Sect will never oppose you again!"
...
Looking at the sect masters and elders kowtowing for mercy, Ian Song smiled. "Relax, I won’t kill you. Come with me to the main hall—let’s have a detailed discussion!"
A while later, in Pristine Way Sect’s main hall, Ian Song sat at the head seat, with the Supreme Elders and Origin Return Sect’s people on either side. The Thirty-Seven Sects’ people stood nervously in the center, awaiting judgment.
"I intend to establish the South Domain Martial Alliance to unify the South Domain. What do you all think?" Ian Song swept his gaze over the crowd, speaking slowly.