Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 404 Third Clash Ends

Bai Zihan stood his ground, his balance precarious as he leaned against Chu Ziyan for support—yet his gaze had regained its razor-sharp intensity.

There was no reason to pull back further, given they were surrounded by friendly forces and positioned near the rear lines.

However, his primary motivation was a refusal to be carried by Chu Ziyan any longer, despite the fact that his legs still lacked the strength to depart on his own.

Consequently, Bai Zihan chose to stay and watch.

The field of combat had transformed into a literal slaughterhouse.

One by one, the Demonic Cultivators were cut down.

Demonic Beasts let out furious roars before being decimated by flashing sword light, sweeping saber arcs, and devastating techniques.

The ground was drenched in blood.

Violent storms of Qi swirled through the heavens.

Despite the victory, Bai Zihan felt no sense of triumph.

He felt only bitter frustration.

"Tch!"

His hands tightened into fists.

While his Qi was gradually replenishing, the process was far too slow.

At this moment, even executing a Soul Formation Demonic Cultivator would be a struggle for him.

It wasn't the physical agony that bothered him most.

It was the aggravating realization that he could not personally slay those Grade-9 Demonic Beasts to harvest more points.

He watched a Bai Clan elder tear through a pack of Demonic Beasts, turning their forms into a crimson mist with a single strike.

Those kills should have belonged to him.

They were his!

Exhaling a long breath, Bai Zihan forced himself to let the irritation go.

(There is no use dwelling on what I cannot change.)

The conflict had not yet reached its conclusion.

He shifted his gaze upward.

In the distance, two specific battlefields held the key to the war's final outcome.

The first was the duel between Mó Zūn and Bai Chu.

The heavens themselves seemed to warp under the pressure of their confrontation.

Sword intent and Demonic Qi smashed into each other repeatedly, with neither combatant yielding an inch.

Every exchange possessed enough destructive power to wipe out legions of Cultivators, yet they remained trapped in a perfect stalemate.

Since their power levels were so evenly matched, gaining a decisive lead would be nearly impossible for either man.

Then—

He observed the second theater of war.

The Half-Qilin!

Even with a massive gash inflicted by a Saint-Grade Sword—

Even as lifeblood flowed unceasingly from its flank—

The primordial creature remained an engine of terror.

Its cry caused the firmament to tremble.

The earth buckled under the weight of every stride.

Wreathed in coils of flame and bolts of lightning, the beast charged relentlessly.

Standing against it were three powerful figures.

Bai Ren, Zhao Wujin, and Yu Xuande.

Despite their combined strength, the trio was being forced into a retreat.

The Half-Qilin buried its massive claws into the dirt.

Boom!

A violent shockwave tore through the air.

Yu Xuande narrowly evaded the brunt of it, but he was thrown back, blood spraying from his lips.

Bai Zihan’s face darkened with concern.

(How can it still be this powerful...?)

Even while maimed.

Even after suffering a strike from a Saint-Grade Sword.

The Half-Qilin was still dominating three experts of the Great Ascension Realm.

What was worse—

The humans could not afford a single lapse in judgment.

One solid strike from that Half-Qilin—

Would result in instant death.

The same fate that befell Li Zhenhe.

There would be no recovery, no path to safety.

Bai Zihan kept his eyes locked on that second fight.

Unlike the static duel between Bai Chu and Mó Zun, the dynamics here were shifting—slowly, but surely.

Bai Ren was maintaining his defensive line.

While no individual blow dealt a killing strike, the accumulation of minor wounds was clearly draining the Half-Qilin’s vitality.

The heavy blood loss from the beast's side could no longer be brushed aside.

Red streams cascaded down its scales with every lunge, and its breath had turned into a ragged, heavy labor.

If Bai Ren and his companions maintained their focus, victory was within reach.

However, that required them to survive and execute their techniques without a single flaw.

ROOOOOAR!

A piercing cry split the sky, scattering the clouds and vibrating through the ground below.

The Half-Qilin reared up, its eyes burning with a mix of murderous intent and wounded pride.

"Humans!"

Its voice thundered, distorted by its beastly nature but dripping with malice.

"You presume to win using petty schemes... and divine artifacts!"

Fire billowed from its snout as electricity danced across its horns.

"I shall not forget this!"

The threat rang out like an ominous omen.

Then—

It pulled back.

There was no sign of panic or desperation.

Instead, it moved with a chilling composure.

The Half-Qilin turned away, its massive form retreating with a heavy, rhythmic pace—regal and composed, like a king departing a battlefield on his own terms.

The crushing aura it emitted never wavered.

And not a single soul stepped forward to block its path.

They simply couldn't. Bai Ren watched the departure in silence, his blade dipping slightly.

He wanted nothing more than to pin the Half-Qilin down and finish it—to continue the assault until its life was extinguished.

But he was a realist.

He, along with Zhao Wujin and Yu Xuande, had reached their breaking points.

Their Dantians were nearly dry of Qi.

Their bodies were at the limit of endurance, hiding numerous injuries behind a facade of calm.

Forcing a confrontation now wouldn't be an act of bravery.

It would be a death sentence.

If they pushed their luck—

They would perish.

It was a simple, brutal truth.

Mó Zun observed the Half-Qilin’s withdrawal and the subsequent retreat of the remaining Demonic Beasts.

"Tch!"

The sound was sharp and laced with annoyance.

Mó Zun looked back at Bai Chu, resting his heavy saber against his shoulder.

"Bai Chu," he muttered with a cold, mocking grin, "you are fortunate today."

Then, his voice boomed across the entire region, amplified by his dark Demonic Qi.

"All Demonic Cultivators—withdraw!"

The command was final. Without the Half-Qilin to occupy Bai Ren, Zhao Wujin, and Yu Xuande, staying would lead to a single outcome—

Total annihilation!

The demonic forces began to fall back, their ranks fracturing as they fled the scene at maximum speed.

Bai Chu’s eyes glinted with cold light.

"You believe I will permit your escape?"

His sword intent flared once more, tyrannical and powerful enough to shake the heavens.

If he could pin Mó Zun down—

If he could prevent his flight—

The arrival of fresh reinforcements would allow them to exhaust and eventually execute the leader of the Demonic Cultivators.

Bai Chu lunged forward, his blade radiating brilliant light.

But then—

The sky erupted in sound.

The Half-Qilin, already a considerable distance away, snapped its head back.

Its chest expanded significantly.

A mixture of fire, lightning, and ancient beastly Qi condensed into a singular, lethal point.

Bai Chu’s pupils contracted.

"Damn it—!"

He realized the Half-Qilin was targeting him directly.

The beast fired.

A massive pillar of fused flame and lightning streaked across the sky, crossing the vast distance in an instant to strike at Bai Chu.

There was no opportunity to evade.

Bai Chu stopped his advance and gripped his sword with both hands.

His sword intent exploded outward.

Boom—!!!

The impact seemed to shatter the very atmosphere.

Space warped under the strain as Bai Chu was forced into a total defensive posture, his sword intent being stripped away layer by layer as he fought to neutralize the massive long-range blast.

The earth beneath his feet shattered and plummeted.

By the time the dust settled and the vibrations ceased—

Mó Zūn had already vanished, his form disappearing into the horizon along with the fleeing Demonic Cultivators.

He never once looked back.

Bai Chu lowered his weapon slowly, his face etched with cold dissatisfaction. "How did Mó Zūn manage to get the Half-Qilin to cooperate?" The fact that the beast was actively assisting Mó Zūn was utterly nonsensical.

Demonic Beasts were impossible to domesticate, especially an ancient entity like the Half-Qilin.

Fortunately, the blast the Half-Qilin fired this time lacked the lethal potency of the strike that killed Li Zhenhe; otherwise, even Bai Chu might have failed to survive it.

However, it had successfully bought Mó Zun the time he needed to flee.

The demonic army was gone.

The towering silhouette of the Half-Qilin finally faded from view, and the stifling, heavy pressure finally evaporated from the air.

With that, the Third Clash reached its end!