Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 394 The Fall of an Earth Immortal

A heavy silence blanketed the entire battlefield.

An Earth Immortal had been slain.

For a long, frozen moment, motion ceased.

Breath was held in collective shock.

Every cultivator present—from the mortal ranks to the immortal heights—gazed toward the void where Li Zhenhe had been standing just heartbeat ago.

No body remained. No broken bones were left behind. Not even a lingering fragment of a soul remained to be salvaged or resurrected.

There was absolutely nothing!

It was as if he had been erased from existence itself.

"He... he is actually dead?"

From the depths of the battlefield, a wavering voice pierced the quiet.

That single remark acted as a catalyst.

A wave of panic surged outward.

Li Zhenhe!

The esteemed Grand Elder of the Li Clan.

An Earth Immortal powerhouse who had reigned at the peak of the Desolate Heaven Empire for hundreds of years.

A titan whose mere reputation was enough to cow entire Sects and paralyze his foes. He was gone—vanished in an instant.

To many of the Immortal Realm experts gathered there, Li Zhenhe was no mere myth. He was a peer they respected, a rival they had crossed blades with. They were intimately familiar with his prowess.

They understood that his Heaven and Earth Obliterating Thousand-Mile Spear was more than just a technique—it was a force of pure annihilation.

It was a legendary strike spoken of with reverence, believed to be capable of severely wounding even those at the same Earth Immortal stage.

And yet—

The half-Qilin had barely sustained a scratch from it.

That realization hit the survivors with more force than any physical impact could manage.

"If... if Grand Elder Li was powerless against it..."

The face of a certain sect master turned ashen, devoid of blood.

"What hope is there for the rest of us?"

Absolute despair swept through the ranks of the Li Clan.

"No... Grand Elder...!"

Guttural cries erupted as several Li Clan Elders lunged forward, their eyes crimson with grief and their complexions pale.

Others simply stared into the void, their consciousnesses unable to process the reality before them.

Li Zhenhe was far more than just a Grand Elder.

He served as the very pillar of the Li Clan.

A living Foundation who had shielded them through countless internal conflicts, political upheavals, and external wars.

Now—

That central pillar had crumbled.

"This is impossible... it must be some sort of illusion... As long as the Grand Elder's soul survives, we can bring him back!"

One Li Clan Elder hissed, his voice trembling as his Divine Sense frantically combed the area, desperate to find even a flickering spark of Li Zhenhe's soul.

But his search yielded nothing.

There was no trace of residual Immortal Qi.

"He is... truly gone..."

The voice of another Elder cracked, tears carving paths down his cheeks.

An Immortal Realm cultivator—a man who had survived centuries—was weeping openly, his Dao heart fracturing under the crushing weight of the truth.

The disciples of the Li Clan were in an even worse state.

Many stood paralyzed, their weapons clattering to the ground from nerveless fingers.

Some sank to their knees, sobbing as terror and sorrow swallowed them whole.

Their mightiest guardian had perished in the blink of an eye.

What future remained for them?

At the heart of the chaos, Li Jianhong remained frozen to the spot.

His frame shook uncontrollably.

It wasn't just fear—it was a shock so profound it felt as though his very foundation was being torn asunder.

(Grand Elder Zhenhe... has fallen?)

He thought back to the myriad of times Li Zhenhe had mentored him, corrected his path, and instilled in him the pride and duty of the Li Clan name.

Li Jianhong squeezed his fists so hard that his fingernails pierced his palms, yet the physical sting went unnoticed.

(If even he was insufficient to stop this...)

His eyes turned toward the colossal half-Qilin, and for the first time in his existence, primordial fear gripped him.

Nearby, the Li Clan Elders tried to restore some semblance of order, but their shouts lacked any real strength.

"Maintain the formation!"

"Do not break!"

Their orders echoed hollowly, smothered by the prevailing hopelessness.

However, the luxury of mourning was not theirs. They were still forced to confront their enemies or face death, as some had already fallen after losing their focus.

Despair didn't just grow—it took hold with violent intensity.

The morale of the entire army shattered instantly.

Even the Immortal Realm experts were not immune.

Zhao Wujin stood like a statue, his mind an empty void.

A high-pitched ringing filled his ears, masking the cacophony of the war around him.

He could still hear the echo of Li Zhenhe’s command from just moments ago.

"Now!"

His hands shook with a life of their own.

(That strike... it did nothing at all.)

Yu Xuande felt a tightening in his throat.

A cold sweat drenched his back as a grim realization settled into his mind.

(This creature was never something the three of us could hope to conquer.)

He estimated that at least five or six Earth Immortals would be required just to have a fighting chance against the half-Qilin.

And even then, victory was far from certain.

The half-Qilin loomed over the destruction, its massive frame exuding an aura of cold detachment.

A few drops of blood leaked from the minor scratch on its chest—a mark so trivial it was practically nonexistent.

Its eyes scanned the battlefield.

Wherever its gaze landed, terror followed in its wake.

Zhao Wujin gulped, forcing his stiff limbs to respond. He immediately reached out to Minister Xiu via telepathic transmission.

"Minister Xiu! We cannot restrain him!"

Zhao Wujin gritted his teeth, struggling to find his composure.

"Li Zhenhe has been killed. Yu Xuande and I—" he choked on the words before forcing them out, "—we are not enough."

His statement was heavy with the weight of absolute truth. After all, they had been losing even when Li Zhenhe was alive.

With him gone, stopping the half-Qilin was a mathematical impossibility.

Minister Xiu Yucheng felt his heart plummet.

For a fleeting second, his brilliant mind—the one that had steered the Desolate Heaven Empire through countless disasters—stalled completely. Minister Xiu slowly tightened his grip.

"What about reinforcements?"

Zhao Wujin demanded, his voice tinged with desperation.

"The other Earth Immortals—can they get here?"

Minister Xiu opened his mouth to speak... then hesitated.

His silence provided the answer.

Having witnessed the half-Qilin’s true power, he knew they needed a much larger force and had already summoned help—but those allies could not arrive instantly.

Who could have predicted that Li Zhenhe would be dispatched so swiftly and effortlessly?

That fact alone illustrated the sheer magnitude of the catastrophe. They simply weren't prepared for such a nightmare.

"It will take several hours at the very least."

Zhao Wujin’s spirit sank.

Hours?

They wouldn't survive for minutes.

Minister Xiu looked across the field, hunting for any possible solution.

But the sight only served to darken his mood further.

Bai Chu was embroiled in a savage duel with Mó Zün, neither side able to break away. The remaining two Earth Immortals were occupied with their own Earth Immortal-level demonic beasts. They were clearly being pushed to their limits and could not retreat.

He couldn't call upon the Immortal Ascension Realm Grand Elders for assistance—they would be nothing more than fodder.

The sole beacon of hope was Bai Ren. Although he was currently fighting Gou You, he held a clear and overwhelming advantage.

Bai Ren was the only one Minister Xiu could turn to.

***

On the opposite side of the war zone—

CLANG! CLANG!

Divine swords and demonic blades clashed with violent force as Bai Ren continued his relentless assault on Gou You.

Each blow was heavy with intent.

Every exchange drove Gou You further back, his demonic Qi flickering and becoming unstable.

Then—

An explosion like a thunderclap roared across the heavens.

BOOOOM!!!

Bai Ren’s eyes narrowed.

For a fraction of a second, his blade slowed its rhythm.

Gou You did the same.

Both combatants felt it.

That suffocating, world-ending pressure.

They turned almost in unison, their eyes locking onto the distant theater of war.

And what they observed—

Silence.

A massive expanse of scorched earth.

And the undeniable disappearance of an Earth Immortal’s aura.

Gou You’s pupils contracted—then slowly expanded.

"Heh!"

A smirk pulled at the corners of his mouth.

A malicious, triumphant grin.

"Hahaha! Li Zhenhe is dead. It appears it’s only a matter of time before the rest of you join him in the grave."

Gou You mocked, his voice thick with derision.

He chuckled darkly, demonic Qi swirling around him like a shroud of black smoke.

He shifted his gaze back to Bai Ren.

"So, give up this futile struggle, Bai Ren. Your side has already lost!"

Bai Ren’s face clouded over.

CLANG!

With a sharp flick of his wrist, he parried Gou You’s blade, forcing the demon back several paces.

"You talk quite a bit for someone who is being beaten like a stray dog," Bai Ren countered coldly.

His sword leveled forward, Immortal Qi pulsing steadily around him.

"Perhaps you should concern yourself with your own survival first."

Gou You’s grin wavered for a split second.

Bai Ren lunged forward.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

A new barrage of strikes rained down, forcing Gou You into a desperate retreat, sparks showering as his defenses groaned under the onslaught.

Yet—

Despite his confident words—

Bai Ren’s heart was far from at peace.

(Li Zhenhe... is dead?)

Li Zhenhe was a rival, and his passing didn't move Bai Ren emotionally. However, it was undeniable that his death created a massive vulnerability in their line.

(That half-Qilin...)

Bai Ren’s grip on his hilt tightened almost imperceptibly.

If Li Zhenhe’s Heaven and Earth Obliterating Thousand-Mile Spear had only managed to leave a tiny mark—

Then Zhao Wujin and Yu Xuande were living on borrowed time.

Bai Ren’s stare grew sharp.

(If they fall as well... the entire battlefield will collapse.)

Gou You caught the flicker of doubt in his eyes and laughed boisterously.

"Haha! What is the matter?" he jeered. "Are you frightened?"

"Are you finally realizing that no matter your strength—today marks your end?"

Bai Ren answered immediately.

SLASH!

A devastating sword arc ripped through the air, forcing Gou You to block in a panic.

CRACK!

Gou You was sent sliding backward, his arm vibrating with numbness from the force.

Bai Ren advanced once more, his voice dropping to a dangerous, low tone.

"Save your breath. If you truly wish to see how I meet my end—"

His eyes blazed with intensity.

"Then try to stay alive long enough to see it!"