First, take down the Sword Demon, then save Runeterra.

"What are your plans next?" Aatrox asked.

"Of course, we should find an opportunity to kill Amistan and Singed. He'd better come to the battlefield in person, and the cloth covering his face must be ripped off!"

Ato remembered the bald commander; it was he who made the injured Riven spar with him, thus worsening Riven's injuries.

If it weren't for the healing abilities of the magic sword, Riven would have been left with a lingering illness.

Furthermore, his connection with the infamous Singed resulted in Master Yi being the only survivor of the Wuji Cult, and the tragedy of Riven.

But if Singed only sold some alchemical potions to Amistan and is still hiding in Zaun, then Ator will have no choice but to cause trouble for Amistan first.

"Ah! It's you, Master Ji!"

The childish voice interrupted Ato's thoughts. The person who came was none other than Irelia, whom he had met once before.

At this moment, she was surrounded by many people, holding various weapons, looking at Atto with either vigilance or curiosity.

"It's nice to see you again, Irelia," Ator greeted her simply.

Irelia looked at the Noxian armor scattered on the ground, the shattered weapons, several wagons, and the frightened horses—all signs indicating that a fierce battle had taken place here.

But Irelia didn't see a single body.

"This, this was all done by you? Master Ji? You single-handedly wiped out an entire squad of invaders?"

“That’s right,” Ato readily admitted. “I disposed of the bodies using special methods.”

Wait, did I steal Master Yi's thunder?

The crowd behind Irelia instantly stirred.

“Master Ji, I never imagined your strength was so terrifying…” Irelia sighed. She was still just a little girl, but she had a world-weary expression on her face.

It seems she has gone through a lot since the breakup.

"Who are these people...?" Atto asked knowingly.

“Oh, they are all people who are willing to resist the invaders. I have gathered them together. I cannot drive away the invaders by myself alone.”

She then introduced the man behind her to the crowd: "This is Master Ji, a disciple of the Wuji Sect. You have all seen his strength; he single-handedly killed an entire squad of invaders!"

"Hello, hello..." Ato greeted them stiffly. He had just told these Noxian soldiers that he was a member of the Order of Balance, but now he was switching to the Order of Infinity.

Moreover, his long-dormant social anxiety resurfaced, and at that moment, anger overwhelmed everything in Teyvat.

Looking at Irelia's nonchalant demeanor, Ator couldn't help but ask, "Little girl, no, Irelia, if I may ask, how old are you this year?"

"Me? I'll be fourteen in a few days!"

Even though I knew the outcome, hearing the person involved admit it in person still made me sigh.

What kind of world is this? A fourteen-year-old girl is almost becoming the leader of a resistance...

A girl of this age should be carefree, learning traditional dances in Presidium, and should be loved by all her relatives. Instead, her hands are stained with the blood of the enemy.

"Where are you going?"

“We’ve been tracking the squad you killed…” Irelia’s expression darkened slightly.

“Master Ji, we’ve been to the villages they plundered, there, there…”

Irelia closed her eyes in pain.

Ato knew what she wanted to say; the captain had told Ato what they had done before killing the entire squad.

"Alright, now that they're dead, it's avenge for the villagers," Ato comforted them.

"Yes, this is just the beginning. Sooner or later, we will drive all the invaders out of Ionia!"

Irelia wiped her eyes and kicked the armor at her feet hard.

Just then, the rebel scouts caught up with the main force.

“I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?” the scout asked Irelia.

The newcomer's face was covered, making it impossible to see his appearance, but judging from his attire and the shuriken at his waist, he seemed to be from the Order of Balance.

"Let's hear the good news first; we've had enough trouble lately," Irelia said.

"The good news is that Karma of the Temple of Eternity has made her move and brought us our greatest victory to date. She destroyed one of the invaders' large ships and killed thousands of people."

"Really? That's wonderful!"

"Finally, a complete victory!"

"Kalma did a great job!"

The rebels were thrilled by the news.

"And the bad news?" Although Irelia was also excited, she knew that the current situation was still not optimistic.

“Bad news…” the scout paused, “the invaders have occupied Presidium.”

"What? How dare they?" Irelia couldn't believe that the intruders would target that place, where her teachers were.

Presidium, located in the heart of this land, is one of the most sacred places in Ionia.

Many people travel long distances to this place, either to study at prestigious universities or to meditate in the lush and untamed magical garden.

"Where are the guards there? I've seen them before, why aren't they fulfilling their duty to protect the holy site?"

“In fact… they did their duty,” the scout said hesitantly, “but there are only a few dozen guards in the entire Holy Land, while the invaders number in the thousands.”

"Despicable outsider!" Irelia exclaimed indignantly.

Ato frowned. He really hadn't expected Swain to move so fast, already advancing to Presidium.

No wonder he hadn't been able to find Swain.

"We've lost the holy land, so why don't we just take it back?"

Irelia was taken aback, then said with delight, "Master Ji, would you like to join our team?"

After receiving an affirmative answer, Irelia breathed a sigh of relief.

In her view, this master of the Wuji sect was capable of fighting against a hundred men, and his addition would definitely be a great help to the resistance.

Atto was no longer going to stand aside, because the upcoming battle was the turning point of the war.

It is known to later generations as the Battle of Ionia.

After this battle, Ionia sounded the horn of counterattack, and more people joined the resistance, while Noxus gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.

Swain saw through the true nature of the Noxian Empire. He returned to Noxus, studied the Immortal Fortress, gained demonic power, and then overthrew Darkwell.

Ato must ensure Swain survives the battle and thwarts LeBlanc's plot.

Most importantly, Swain is the person who has studied the power sealed beneath the Immortal Fortress most deeply.

Besides the Void and the Shadow Isles, there is another hidden entity in Runeterra that poses a threat to this world.

Mordecais.

Ato decides to use this opportunity to save Swain's life and establish a relationship with him, so that the two may be able to cooperate in the future regarding Mordecaisar.