Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 395 An Earth Immortal for an Earth Immortal

CLANG! CLANG!

From that moment on, Gou You shifted into a purely defensive stance. He abandoned most of his offensive maneuvers, focusing entirely on protecting himself.

"Grand Elder Bai Ren, are you able to provide assistance to Zhao Wujin and Yu Xuande?"

Minister Xiu’s voice reached him through telepathy.

Bai Ren did not offer an immediate response.

It was clear that Gou You had realized he was outmatched, which was why he had retreated into a shell of total defense.

To finish him off quickly and move to support Zhao Wujin and Yu Xuande would be a grueling task—unless Bai Ren decided to reveal their secret weapon.

Indeed, as long as he kept their trump card hidden, the stalemate would persist.

The Saint-Grade Artifact!

Bai Ren was confident that with its power, eliminating Gou You would be trivial. After all, he was already dominating the fight without it.

He scanned the chaotic battlefield and noted that their forces were losing heart; the death of their Earth Immortal had dealt a crushing blow to their morale.

(Perhaps the time has come.)

Delaying any further would only invite disaster—especially with the half-Qilin running rampant and no one left to restrain it.

If Zhao Wujin or Yu Xuande fell, the half-Qilin would become an unstoppable force.

"Tianheng, I am going to use it!"

Bai Ren sent a telepathic message to Bai Tianheng.

"... I understand!"

Considering the dire state of the battle, Bai Tianheng raised no objections to the deployment of the Saint-Grade Sword.

While revealing such a treasure would undoubtedly cause diplomatic storms later, they wouldn't survive to see those consequences if they didn't act now.

"Bai Ren, what’s the matter?"

Gou You let out a mocking sneer, noticing the slight pause in the Grand Elder's assault.

"Have you finally accepted that your efforts are meaningless?"

"In your dreams!"

Bai Ren’s voice was icy as his gaze fixed on Gou You.

"Gou You, I intended to draw this out a bit longer—but the situation demands otherwise. Prepare for your end!"

Gou You roared with laughter.

"Hahaha! My end?"

He threw his arms wide as surging demonic Qi enveloped him, manifesting into a dense, protective barrier.

"Bai Ren, do you really think you can intimidate me with empty threats?"

His eyes flickered across the carnage of the war zone.

He saw the desperation.

He saw the failing spirits of the righteous path.

He saw the void left by Li Zhenhe’s death.

A predatory grin stretched across his face.

"Observe your surroundings," Gou You taunted.

"Your side is already falling apart. Not even an Earth Immortal could survive this. And you believe a few bold words will save you?"

He leaned in, his voice dripping with mockery.

"Stop the charade. If you possessed a hidden move, you would have revealed it long ago."

And yet—

Despite his arrogance—

A flicker of anxiety stirred within Gou You.

Bai Ren remained far too composed.

He didn't carry the look of a defeated man. As long as his will remained unbroken, it meant he still held a path to victory.

Bai Ren offered no further words.

Instead, he slowly lifted his hand.

The very fabric of space seemed to tremble in anticipation.

Then—

A sword manifested in his grip.

The instant it appeared, the atmosphere of the entire world shifted.

The Qi throughout the battlefield vibrated violently, as if bowing in the presence of a supreme sovereign.

Even the surrounding Demonic Qi recoiled, instinctively fleeing from Bai Ren’s vicinity.

A sudden shiver raced down Gou You’s spine.

His pupils shrank to pinpricks.

(What... what is that thing?)

The sheer pressure radiating from the weapon seemed to distort the natural laws of the world.

This was far beyond the level of a common artifact.

"That sword—!"

For the first time, Gou You’s breath hitched in his throat.

A terrifying realization echoed in his mind.

(Saint-Grade...)

Before the thought could fully form, Bai Ren spoke.

"Farewell!"

The word had barely echoed when Bai Ren struck.

There was no elaborate flourish.

No complex technique or blinding flash of light.

He simply raised the blade—

And brought it down.

It was a single, elegant arc.

But as the blade descended, the heavens themselves seemed to split asunder.

A wave of Sword Qi erupted like a divine mandate, obliterating everything in its path. Gou You’s demonic shield was annihilated instantly—shredding like parchment in a furnace.

His eyes bulged in pure shock.

"No—!"

It was too late.

The blade sliced through him. He felt no pain.

There was no time even to scream.

Gou You’s body was frozen in place.

Then—

It came apart.

His Demonic Qi vanished into silence, and his soul was snuffed out before it could even dream of escaping.

One breath.

One swing.

Gou You was no more.

A heavy, deathly silence once again descended upon the battlefield.

The thick Demonic Qi that had centered around Gou You’s position collapsed entirely, scattering like mist in a gale.

No body remained.

No lingering presence was left behind.

Only a void of scorched air marked the spot where an Earth Immortal demonic cultivator had stood just moments prior.

Gou You was dead.

For the Demonic Cultivators, this was an absolute disaster—a mirror of the moment Li Zhenhe had fallen.

"That... that was Gou You?!"

"An Earth Immortal of the demonic path... erased in one strike?!"

Chaos and panic broke out immediately.

They had mocked the righteous cultivators for their loss, but now that the same fate had befallen them, they were paralyzed by disbelief.

Gou You was not some minor figure.

He was among the five most powerful demonic cultivators in existence.

A cornerstone of their entire campaign.

And he had been cut down—cleanly, decisively, without even a chance to struggle.

Terror spread like a plague.

Some demonic cultivators began to retreat by instinct.

Others froze in the middle of their attacks, their fighting spirit shattered.

For the first time since the invasion started, the morale of the Demonic Cultivators completely buckled.

Simultaneously—

A massive roar rose from the ranks of the Desolate Heaven Empire.

"GOU YOU IS DEAD!!!"

The cry traveled like a bolt of lightning through the troops.

"Grand Elder Bai Ren has slain him!"

"He’s gone! A demonic Earth Immortal has been destroyed!"

The shock turned into a wave of euphoria.

Despair was replaced by a burning, radiant hope.

Cultivators who were on the brink of giving up stood tall, their eyes flashing with a new thirst for battle.

"So what if we lost an Earth Immortal?! They just lost one too!"

"Their greatest expert—killed in a single blow!"

Laughter began to erupt—wild, frantic laughter from those who had just peered into the abyss and survived.

The morale that had been hitting rock bottom didn’t just recover—it surged to new heights.

War cries thundered across the sky.

"The chance is ours!"

"As long as Grand Elder Bai Ren is with us, we haven't lost this war!"

High in the air, Minister Xiu Yucheng let out a sharp breath, his white-knuckled grip finally relaxing.

His eyes stayed fixed on Bai Ren’s silhouette.

(An Earth Immortal traded for an Earth Immortal...)

The scales of power had leveled.

And as Bai Ren turned his attention toward the half-Qilin—

Every soul on the battlefield understood the truth:

The conflict had reached its most pivotal turning point.