Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan!

Chapter 427 Emergency State of the Bai Clan

The Bai Clanʼs flying fleet descended steadily toward the main aerial dock of the Bai Clan.

As soon as Bai Tianheng stepped off the flying ship, he did not pause to rest, nor did he accompany Bai Zihan directly back to the inner residences.

Instead, he issued a single, decisive order.

The Bai Clan would enter an Emergency State.

Clan bells rang across the mountain ranges, echoing through valleys and cultivation peaks.

Formation flared as dormant defensive arrays awakened one after another. Patrol routes doubled.

Restrictions tightened.

Communication talismans activated in bulk, sending instructions to every hall, every elder and every disciple.

No one questioned the decision.

Those who had remained behind in the Bai Clan-elders overseeing logistics, disciples recovering from injuries, formation masters maintaining the clanʼs defenses had already heard the rumors from the frontlines.

Bai Zihan was crippled.

Even without official confirmation, most had already guessed that the emergency declaration was because of him.

And because of that, the response was immediate.

If Bai Zihan had truly fallen, then the balance surrounding the Bai Clan would shift overnight.

Within hours, the Bai Clan entered a state of absolute readiness.

Even birds that passed through Bai Clan territory were examined thoroughly, as if they might be spies sent by enemies.

As for Bai Zihan, he was carried directly to his residence, bypassing every unnecessary stop along the way.

The courtyard that had once been quiet and familiar now felt cold and incomplete.

Luo Qing was not there.

The absence was subtle, yet impossible for Bai Zihan to ignore.

The plants she used to tend were still neatly arranged, but no one had pruned them recently.

Bai Zihan was gently placed onto his bed and instructed to rest.

Then the security measures escalated.

Dozens of elite guards took up positions inside and outside the courtyard.

Even an ant attempting to cross the threshold would be detected, restrained, and erased before taking a second step.

Shadows moved silently along the rooftops-hidden experts assigned to overwatch duty.

No servants were allowed inside.

No disciples were permitted to approach.

Only Bai Tianheng, Mu Yuelan, Bai Xueqing, Chu Ziyan, and a select few Grand Elders held the authority to enter.

During this turbulent period of the Bai Clan, however, one person definitely gained the most.

Chu Ziyan!

She had remained by Bai Zihanʼs side and taken care of him from the beginning, acting like a devoted wife.

Her actions did not go unnoticed.

Not by Bai Tianheng.

Not by the Grand Elders.

And certainly not by Mu Yuelan.

She gained a great deal of favor from them, and they treated her as if she were already Bai Zihanʼs wife.

Outside the Bai Clanʼs territory, the Desolate Heaven Empire did not remain quiet either.

Like wildfire fed by dry winds, rumors spread through sects, clans, markets, cities, and imperial halls at a terrifying speed.

The first rumor was already shocking enough.

Bai Zihan was crippled.

The second rumor or rather news was much more shocking.

The Bai Clan possessed a Saint-grade Artifact.

And it was not merely hearsay-many had already seen it or firmly believed it to be true.

It had been used.

Used by Bai Ren.

Used to slay Gou You, an Earth Immortal Realm Demonic Elder.

And used to cut down the half-Qilin, a Demonic Beast whose very existence had threatened the foundations of the Desolate Heaven Empire.

There was no suppressing such news.

Too many eyes had witnessed it.

Too many cultivators had felt the terrifying sword intent that split the heavens.

Too many forces had survived only because that blade had fallen.

Within days, the entire empire was buzzing about it. ”How is this possible?” ”A Saint-grade Artifact... in the hands of the Bai Clan?” ”That kind of thing shouldnʼt even exist in the Desolate Heaven Empire. Even the imperial treasury doesnʼt have one.” ”If thatʼs true, then the Bai Clan is no longer on the same level as the Li Clan or Zhao Clan. They stand one level above them.” ”Unless the Li Clan or Zhao Clan obtain a Saint-grade Artifact themselves, the Bai Clan is untouchable within the Desolate Heaven Empire.”

After all, a Saint-grade Artifact was far too great a game-changer in the

Desolate Heaven Empire.

Even Heaven-grade artifacts were treated as rare and precious-but

Saint-grade?

Most people had never even seen one in their entire lives.

Only the Empire in the Western Region of the continent was rumored to possess a few.

Thus, the reaction of the Desolate Heaven Empireʼs cultivators was entirely understandable.

It was only natural for them to believe that the Bai Clan had now risen to an entirely different level compared to the Li or Zhao Clans. ”An era is ending.” ”And another is beginning”

That sentiment quietly took root across the empire.

For generations, the Desolate Heaven Empire had maintained a fragile balance -imperial authority, great clans, and major sects restraining one another.

But now-

The Bai Clan stood apart.

Above.

With the Bai Clan wielding a Saint-grade sword, who could possibly challenge them?

Many of the most powerful figures had already witnessed just how terrifying that blade was when Bai Ren used it to slay the half-Qilin.

Some even claimed that without the Saint-grade Artifact, the Desolate Heaven Empireʼs forces might have lost to the Demonic forces entirely.

Thus, it became undisputed-

The Bai Clan was now the strongest.

Naturally, minds began to move.

Those who had allied with the Bai Clan despite knowing that the Li-Zhao alliance might target them couldnʼt help but celebrate.

After all, with the Bai Clan rising, their own influence would rise alongside it.

Those who had hesitated before now cursed themselves. ”Late is better than never!”

Those who had remained neutral hurriedly sent envoys, gifts, and letters of goodwill toward Bai Clan territory.

Forming ties with the Bai Clan-whether friendship, cooperation, or alliance- was now considered the wisest possible move.

After all, compared to the alternatives, the choice was obvious.

The Li Clan and Zhao Clan inspired fear.

But fear alone was no longer enough. They had suffered massive losses during the war.

Their foundations were shaken.

And neither possessed anything remotely comparable to a Saint-grade Artifact.

Against the Bai Clan as they were now?

It wasnʼt a competition.

It was a gamble with death.

Those who had openly aligned themselves with the Li-Zhao alliance couldnʼt help but feel cold dread creeping into their hearts.

Regret gnawed at them.

Some even cursed their own shortsightedness. ”If we had known... if only we had chosen to ally with the Bai Clan.” ”I thought two top clans together would be stronger. I was wrong”

But regret was useless.

Because if the rumors were true-

If the Bai Clan truly possessed a Saint-grade sword-

Then the Bai Clan was no longer merely powerful. They were almost invincible.