Faced with Ian Song's hardline attitude, those guys might shout tough words, but deep down they've already chickened out. They've seen Ian's strength firsthand—even three Saint Sea experts working together couldn't beat him.
So even if they all attack together, there's no way they could win.
That's why, in the end, each faction obediently handed over their Imperial-grade techniques and left.
As for the three Saint Sea martial artists he captured, if they want their freedom, they'll have to pay a much higher price.
Half an hour later.
Ian Song dismissed the excited Vermin Squad and other team members, leaving only Cici, Joy, and Lena Wei behind.
Earlier, when Drake Ward tried to recruit him, Ian seemed tempted, but deep down he knew there was no such thing as a free lunch. He figured Drake Ward must be hiding something from him.
Ian recounted how Drake Ward tried to recruit him, then asked the three women for their opinions: "What do you think—is Drake Ward up to something else?"
"The payoff and risk are totally out of proportion. I suspect there's some kind of trap hidden in all this!" Cici said after thinking it over.
Joy spoke up right after: "To the Ward Clan, Master will always be an outsider. My guess is, even if they help Master reach Demigod, they'll definitely have a way to control him!"
Ian thought the two women's analysis was pretty reasonable, so he turned to Lena Wei and asked, "What about you, Lena? Any thoughts?"
Lena Wei paused for a moment before replying, "Young Master, I think this is actually an opportunity. If the Ward Clan dares to recruit you, they must believe they have a way to control you. Why not play along? If they have no hidden agenda, fine; but if they do, you can just take the benefits and refuse to do the work!"
"You have that much faith in me? What if I end up losing instead of winning?" Ian asked with a laugh.
"I believe in you, Young Master!"
"Hahaha!"
Ian burst out laughing: "Your Young Master really does have what it takes!"
He hadn't shown his true strength today. If the Ward Clan thinks they've got him cornered, he'll give them a huge surprise. By his estimate, his real power already surpasses most ordinary Demigods.
Plus, there's Joy, who’s an absolute monster—her strength now rivals a mid-stage Human Immortal. At that level, she’s probably not much weaker than those so-called gods.
No matter how strong the Ward Clan is, there's no way they have actual gods on their side.
So if the Ward Clan ever tries to mess with him, he’s got every reason to flip the table.
Still, to avoid arousing Drake Ward's suspicion, Ian waited until the third day before approaching him and saying he was willing to join the Ward Clan.
Drake Ward was delighted by this and left Dragonskull City that same day to report to the clan patriarch, taking Victor Ward with him.
Victor Ward had lost to Ian and spent several days as his mount—staying in Dragonskull City any longer would just be humiliating.
Using a secret teleportation route, Drake Ward and Victor Ward returned to the Ward Clan in just half a day.
The Ward Clan is a super-clan in the Sky-Sun Region.
Their headquarters is built inside a huge city, and the Ward Clan controls more than half of all industries there. The direct bloodline alone numbers over five million people.
Including the branch families, the total population exceeds twenty million.
The clan patriarch is Leon Ward, whose cultivation has reached late-stage Demigod.
After hearing Drake Ward’s report, Leon Ward was a bit surprised—a late Sun-Soul cultivator with strength rivaling peak Saint Sea is truly a heaven-defying talent. Too bad he’s not a Ward by birth.
Drake Ward asked, "Patriarch, what do you think? With talent like this, as long as he reaches Saint Sea Realm, there’s a good chance he’ll pass the Divine Descent!"
After a moment of silence, Leon Ward nodded. "In that case, go back to Dragonskull City and bring Chu Fan to the Ward Clan."
"Yes, Patriarch!"
Drake Ward was overjoyed and set off immediately.
The next evening.
Ian was coaching Rosie Ning, Wes Wei, and Holly Hong in martial arts when Lena Wei came to report that Drake Ward had arrived.
"That fast?"
Ian was a bit surprised, but then remembered the Ward Clan had thousands of years of heritage and special methods for rapid teleportation.
Fifteen minutes later, in the reception hall.
"Congratulations, Chu Fan! The patriarch has agreed to let you join the Ward Clan!"
Drake Ward laughed heartily as he spoke to Ian.
"The patriarch agreed that quickly?" Ian deliberately put on a surprised, delighted face.
Drake Ward laughed and said, "Of course! Your talent stands out, and the patriarch values you. Pack up and come with me to the Ward Clan as soon as possible!"
"That urgent?" Ian feigned surprise.
Drake Ward explained, "The Ancestral Realm Trial isn’t far off. The sooner you come back and train at the Ward Clan, the stronger you’ll be!"
Ian hesitated and said, "But I still want to stay in Dragonskull City and wipe out the Goblins!"
Drake Ward replied, "You might not know this, but Goblins are incredibly lazy. Unless they finish all the food they've looted, they absolutely won't start another war. Now that they've taken over more than ten human cities, they've got enough to feast on for ages. For at least half a year, they probably won’t make any moves!"
"Alright then, but I need to bring a few attendants with me!" Ian said.
"No problem!" Drake Ward agreed without hesitation.
After that, the two discussed details and decided to depart the next morning.
That night, Ian gathered all the Vermin Squad members and told them he’d be leaving Dragonskull City for a while.
Everyone was surprised by the news, and quite a few couldn't hide their reluctance to see Ian go.
After a few words, Ian handed out the Imperial-grade techniques he’d extorted and told everyone that he’d be back in Dragonskull City in anywhere from three months to eight years. He hoped they'd all improve their cultivation before he returned.
Once the Vermin Squad dispersed, Ian went to see the three Saint Sea martial artists he’d captured. He used Puppet Arts to enslave them, then let them go.
The next morning, Ian set off for the Ward Clan with Cici, Joy, Lena Wei, Rosie Ning, Wes Wei, Holly Hong, and Yan Zhou, along with Drake Ward and Faye Ward.
Just as Ian expected.
The Ward Clan had a small teleportation array in a nearby city, which could send them straight to another city millions of miles away.
Then, everyone continued on for thousands more miles to reach another teleportation site.
And so it went.
In just half a day, they traveled from Dragonskull City to True Dragon City, tens of millions of miles away.
This was the Ward Clan’s headquarters.
Inside True Dragon City, the Ward Clan ruled absolutely.
True Dragon City was incredibly prosperous—compared to it, Dragonfang City didn’t even come close.
Finally, Drake Ward arranged for Ian and the others to stay in a beautiful manor, then hurried off. The manor had dozens of servants, ready to attend to their every need.