The Blackhawk King has survived for years thanks to his cunning and martial prowess.
Seeing Old Ox blocking the cave entrance, he immediately came up with a second escape plan—take the young master hostage.
In his eyes, Old Ox the Martial Saint must be the young master’s subordinate. If he seized the young master, that Martial Saint would surely hesitate to act.
So, relying on the treasure armor hidden under his clothes, he took Old Ox’s punch head-on.
Using the force of the recoil, he shot straight toward Song Yan.
"Not good!"
Seeing the Blackhawk King charging at Song Yan, Elder Hu and Elder Warren’s faces changed dramatically—they instinctively rushed forward to protect their Sect Master.
But another figure was even faster, silently appearing in front of Song Yan and slashing out with a sword.
A streak of crimson sword-qi tore through the air, striking the Blackhawk King square in the chest.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
A series of shattering sounds rang out—the treasure armor on his body finally gave way under the force and broke apart.
At the same time, Old Ox flashed behind the Blackhawk King and threw a punch.
"Gah! Gah!"
The Blackhawk King’s body dropped from midair, spitting out two mouthfuls of blood, and collapsed on the ground.
Song Yan stepped forward, looking down at him from above.
"Who... who are you, really?" The Blackhawk King raised his fierce, ugly face, his eyes burning with resentment and venom.
Looking at the Blackhawk King, Song Yan was reminded of a certain animal—a wolf, sly and vicious by nature.
Unfortunately, this wolf could no longer bite anyone now.
"My name is Leon Huang. I’m the Sect Master of the Pristine Way Sect, and also the Alliance Leader of the South Domain Martial Alliance!" Song Yan said calmly.
The Blackhawk King was stunned, then instantly filled with regret.
"Everyone, step back. I need a private word with him."
Leon Huang—whose true identity is Song Yan—addressed Elder Hu and the others, keeping his public persona intact.
They hurriedly led the disciples off to the side.
With a flick of his finger, Leon Huang sent a stream of Puppet Mastery Divine Art straight into the Blackhawk King's brow.
The bandit's eyes glazed over in confusion, but quickly regained clarity.
"Let's hear your story," Leon said coolly.
The Blackhawk King lowered his head, answering meekly, "My real name is Wei Zhong. I used to be a disciple of the Rift-Heaven Sword Sect, but was kicked out for breaking the rules. Now, I serve their Third Young Master."
So, it really does tie back to the Rift-Heaven Sword Sect!
Leon narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing within.
"Who is this Third Young Master? Did he order you to attack the Chamber of Commerce?" Leon pressed, voice icy.
The Blackhawk King answered honestly, "That's right. I acted on the Third Young Master's orders. He's the Swordmaster's third son—Zane Zong. His sword skills are terrifying, and he's already a mid-level Great Grandmaster!"
For a future enemy like this, Leon knew he had to dig up every scrap of intel he could.
Unlike other sects, Rift-Heaven Sword Sect is run jointly by the Zong and Pang clans, but the Zongs hold most of the power. Of their three Martial Saints, two are Zong family members.
The Swordmaster of Rift-Heaven Sword Sect is also from the Zong clan.
The Zongs have always aimed for total control, but the Pang clan’s lone Martial Saint keeps them in check, so the Zongs don’t dare make any reckless moves.
Swordmaster Tyson Zong has three sons and two daughters.
His eldest, Zachary Zong, is now the Deputy Swordmaster of Rift-Heaven Sword Sect.
The second son, Howard Zong, is a notorious playboy—always traveling, chasing women, and rarely seen at the sect. He shows little interest in power, so Tyson Zong doesn’t think much of him.
The third son, Zane Zong, is a martial arts prodigy. At just twenty, he’s hit mid Great Grandmaster and mastered the Rift-Heaven Sword Canon to the seventh-layer peak—the same level as his eldest brother.
That’s why Tyson Zong dotes on his youngest. Unless something unexpected happens, the next Swordmaster will be either Zachary or Zane Zong.