"Killing that brat is only a matter of time, but we can't be impulsive. We need to plan carefully!"
Elder Nian shook his head again. His grandson, Niall Nian, was a bit too naive—did he really think that being a Martial God’s disciple meant he could do whatever he wanted in this world?
As the saying goes, 'Man dies for wealth, birds die for food.' Even if you were a Martial God’s disciple—or a Martial God himself—there’d still be plenty of people who’d risk everything for profit. No matter how big the stakes, someone will always gamble it all.
Now Niall Nian got it instantly. "So what you mean is, the Martial Gods don’t really care about ruling the human world."
But Niall Nian’s little schemes were no match for the old fox’s sharp eyes. Elder Nian just smiled and asked, "Niall, who do you think rules this world?"
"Obviously, the three Martial Gods!" Niall Nian replied without hesitation.
"Wrong! This world belongs to all its people!"
Niall Nian was clearly unconvinced, but before he could speak, Elder Nian raised his hand. "Don’t interrupt. Listen to your grandpa. Martial Gods may be powerful, but their greatest role is deterrence. That’s why the three Martial Gods stay hidden and almost never get involved in the affairs of the human world."
Niall Nian’s eyes flickered with doubt—he clearly hadn’t grasped what Elder Nian was getting at.
Seeing this, Elder Nian explained, "Let me give you an example. Would you compete with a bunch of Qi Refining cultivators for a regular weapon?"
"Of course not!" Niall Nian said. "That would be beneath my dignity!"
"So would a Martial God stoop to fighting people far weaker than himself for something useless to him?" Elder Nian pressed further.
Now Niall Nian instantly understood. "You mean the Martial Gods don’t really care about controlling the human race."
"Exactly." Elder Nian nodded. "You might be a Martial God’s disciple, but there’s a lot about this world you still don’t know. Martial Gods may have 'God' in their name, but they’re not true deities—their lives are limited, and they cultivate in seclusion chasing longevity. As long as humanity isn’t on the verge of extinction, the three Martial Gods almost never show themselves. Even if you were killed, the Mistveil Martial God wouldn’t personally show up—at most, he’d send down a decree."
"But Master dotes on me—he’d never let that happen!" Niall Nian protested.
Elder Nian sneered, "No matter how much your master cares about you, he still won’t act. Ian Song is only at the Grandmaster stage right now—if a Martial God personally took action against a mere Grandmaster, it’d be a huge embarrassment. If he really did intervene, what dignity would he have left as a Martial God?
Martial Gods stand high above—they’re meant to be revered, not mocked. Over the years, plenty of Martial God disciples have walked the mortal world and many have died, but not a single Martial God has ever stepped forward to avenge them. You won’t be an exception!"
For a moment, Niall Nian’s face turned pale. The arrogance from before was completely gone.
Elder Nian continued, "Of course, I’m only saying this because I don’t want you to act recklessly. But don’t underestimate yourself either. Just being a Martial God’s disciple is a huge deterrent. A sword is only terrifying when it’s sheathed—once it’s drawn, it loses its mystique. Do you understand this principle?"
"Grandpa, I understand!" Niall Nian bowed deeply to Elder Nian.
"Good, as long as you understand. Your status is a trump card, and a trump card should only be used at the last moment to maximize its benefit. So for now, stay in the Holy City and rest."
"Yes! Your grandson understands!"
After sending Niall Nian away, Elder Nian sighed softly. His grandson’s intelligence was really worrying—if he ever faced off against that brat Ian Song, he wouldn’t even know how he got outsmarted and killed.
News of a Martial God’s disciple appearing, and the Mistveil Martial God once having served as a Military Council elder, spread quickly across the continent.
When the other seven domains—aside from the East and South—heard this news, it was like a bucket of cold water dumped over them. Many sects that had been openly fighting for territory suddenly pulled back and decided to wait and see.
Right after, the Military Council’s envoys and troops sprang into action, dispatching huge forces to the other seven domains. Their goal? To convince every sect to come back under the Military Council’s banner.
Actually, the East and South Domains were affected too. Plenty of sects there started feeling anxious—after all, they were the first to rebel against the Military Council, so if there was going to be payback, the Martial God would definitely target them first.
Ian Song got the news as well.
But Ian wasn’t worried at all. Elder Nian’s grandson might be the Mistveil Martial God’s disciple, but Ian’s own father is the Oblivion Martial God’s grand-disciple.
If the Mistveil Martial God really dared to make a move against him, the Oblivion Martial God would never just sit back—after all, this was a matter of face.
Besides, after reading through all the materials he’d collected, Ian Song knew Martial Gods never meddle in worldly affairs. The Military Council is just putting on a show, borrowing the tiger’s might to scare people.
As for that Martial God’s disciple, Niall Nian, Ian didn’t care about him at all. If he really dared to come to the East and South Domains, Ian would personally teach him a lesson!
Ian Song, who had instantly seen through the whole situation, paused for a moment, then chuckled to himself, "Looks like my wisdom has grown a lot now that my spiritual power has improved!"
Of course, he could see through everything.
But people like Xander Xuanyuan couldn’t.
So, two days later, the six deans of Sanctum Martial Academy arrived together.
"Ian, what do you think we should do about this?"
As their representative, Adrian Zhuge spoke up.
"It’s just fox borrowing the tiger’s might!" Ian Song shook his head, his eyes full of disdain.
"What do you mean?" Adrian Zhuge sensed there was something important here.
So Ian Song shared his own views with the six deans.
After hearing his analysis, all six deans agreed it made sense. The heavy pressure in their hearts finally eased a little.
"What should we do next?" Xander Xuanyuan asked.
"Let the Military Council toss and turn all they want!" Ian Song grinned.
Venerable Dragon Sword frowned. "How can we just let them run wild? If they unite the other seven domains, the East and South won’t stand a chance!"
"Unite! That’s exactly what I want! If they don’t unite, it’ll take too long to defeat them one by one. But if they all gather together and I cripple them in one blow, wouldn’t that be much better?" Ian Song said confidently.
"Are you sure you can do it?" Xander Xuanyuan asked.
"Not a hundred percent, but I’m at least seventy or eighty percent confident!"
Ian replied. After his life-and-death battle with the Blood Demon Puppets, he understood better than ever how vital formations are. So lately, he’s been devouring formation manuals and pushing his skills up another notch. With his stash of supreme-grade spirit crystals, even if he’s up against an army of millions, he’s confident he can trap them all and wipe them out!