Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 427 Emergency State of the Bai Clan

The fleet of flying vessels from the Bai Clan descended smoothly onto the primary sky dock of their domain.

Upon disembarking from the flying ship, Bai Tianheng wasted no time in resting or escorting Bai Zihan straight to the inner quarters.

Rather, he gave one firm and unwavering command.

The entire Bai Clan was to shift into an Emergency State.

Bells of the clan tolled throughout the sprawling mountain chains, resounding over valleys and peaks dedicated to cultivation.

Defensive formations ignited as long-dormant arrays stirred to life sequentially. Patrol paths were doubled in intensity.

Controls grew stricter.

Talismans for communication fired off en masse, dispatching directives to all halls, elders, and disciples alike.

The order faced no challenges.

Individuals left to guard the Bai Clan—such as elders handling supplies, disciples healing from wounds, and formation specialists upholding the clan's barriers—had caught wind of the whispers from the battle lines.

Bai Zihan had been crippled.

Though lacking formal verification, nearly everyone suspected the urgent alert stemmed from his plight.

Consequently, reactions surged without delay.

Should Bai Zihan have truly crumbled, the delicate equilibrium around the Bai Clan would topple in a single night.

In mere hours, the Bai Clan achieved total preparedness.

Birds soaring into Bai Clan lands faced intense scrutiny, treated as potential enemy scouts.

Bai Zihan, meanwhile, was transported swiftly to his dwelling, skipping all redundant halts en route.

The once serene and comforting courtyard now seemed chilly and lacking.

Luo Qing was absent.

Her missing presence lingered faintly, but Bai Zihan couldn't overlook it.

The greenery she once nurtured remained orderly, though lately untouched by pruning hands.

Gently settled on his bed, Bai Zihan received orders to recuperate.

Security protocols then intensified sharply.

Numerous elite guards stationed themselves within and around the courtyard.

Not even an ant could breach the boundary undetected; it would be seized and eliminated before advancing further.

Silhouettes glided noiselessly over the rooftops—concealed specialists on surveillance watch.

Servants were barred from entry.

Disciples could not draw near.

Access was granted solely to Bai Tianheng, Mu Yuelan, Bai Xueqing, Chu Ziyan, and a handful of Grand Elders.

In the midst of the Bai Clan's chaotic times, though, one individual reaped the greatest rewards.

Chu Ziyan!

From the outset, she stayed close to Bai Zihan, tending to him with the loyalty of a faithful spouse.

Such conduct escaped no one's notice.

Not Bai Tianheng's.

Not the Grand Elders'.

And absolutely not Mu Yuelan's.

She earned substantial goodwill from them all, with treatment as though she was already wed to Bai Zihan.

Beyond the Bai Clan's borders, the Desolate Heaven Empire stirred restlessly as well.

Rumors blazed like flames fanned by fierce gales, racing through sects, clans, bazaars, urban centers, and royal chambers with alarming swiftness.

The initial rumor proved startling on its own.

Bai Zihan was crippled.

The follow-up rumor—more accurately, the report—shocked even deeper.

The Bai Clan held a Saint-grade Artifact.

This went beyond idle talk; countless individuals had witnessed it or were convinced of its reality.

It had been deployed.

Deployed by Bai Ren.

Deployed to eliminate Gou You, a Demonic Elder at the Earth Immortal Realm.

And deployed to fell the half-Qilin, a Demonic Beast that had endangered the Desolate Heaven Empire's very core.

Such tidings could not be contained.

Far too many gazes had beheld the event.

Far too many cultivators had sensed the dread sword intent cleaving the skies.

Far too many factions endured solely due to that descending strike.

In just days, the whole empire hummed with the tale.

"How could this be?"

"A Saint-grade Artifact... held by the Bai Clan?"

"Such an item shouldn't exist in the Desolate Heaven Empire at all. Not even the imperial vaults contain one."

"Should this hold true, the Bai Clan surpasses the Li Clan or Zhao Clan entirely. They rise a tier higher."

"Without the Li Clan or Zhao Clan securing their own Saint-grade Artifact, the Bai Clan becomes unbeatable across the Desolate Heaven Empire."

In truth, a Saint-grade Artifact represented an overwhelming shift in power within the Desolate Heaven Empire.

Even Heaven-grade artifacts were revered as scarce treasures—but a Saint-grade one?

Few had ever laid eyes on such a relic in their lifetime.

Only whispers suggested the Empire in the continent's Western Region owned a couple.

Hence, the cultivators of the Desolate Heaven Empire reacted in perfectly logical fashion.

It stood to reason they viewed the Bai Clan as elevated to a superior plane against the Li or Zhao Clans.

"One era draws to a close."

"While a new one dawns."

This notion spread subtly throughout the realm.

Across ages, the Desolate Heaven Empire upheld a tenuous equilibrium—where imperial rule, mighty clans, and prominent sects checked each other.

Yet presently—

The Bai Clan emerged distinct.

Superior.

Armed with a Saint-grade sword, who dared contest the Bai Clan?

Numerous top-tier powerhouses had personally seen the blade's horror as Bai Ren wielded it against the half-Qilin.

Others asserted that absent the Saint-grade Artifact, the Desolate Heaven Empire's armies could have fallen completely to the Demonic onslaught.

As a result, consensus formed without dispute—

The Bai Clan reigned supreme now.

Inevitably, thoughts turned to action.

Allies of the Bai Clan, who braved the risk of Li-Zhao reprisal, rejoiced uncontrollably.

Indeed, as the Bai Clan ascended, their own status would climb in tandem.

Prior waverers now berated their own delay.

"Better late than absent!"

Former neutrals rushed forth with messengers, offerings, and cordial missives to Bai Clan grounds.

Cultivating bonds with the Bai Clan—be it amity, partnership, or pact—ranked as the shrewdest strategy imaginable.

Truth be told, against other options, the decision shone clear.

The Li Clan and Zhao Clan evoked terror.

Yet terror by itself fell short these days. The conflict had inflicted devastating blows upon them.

Their roots quivered.

Moreover, neither owned a semblance of a Saint-grade Artifact.

Facing the current Bai Clan?

This wasn't rivalry.

It spelled a deadly wager.

Open supporters of the Li-Zhao pact felt icy fear seep into their cores.

Remorse consumed them.

Certain ones lambasted their own narrow vision.

"Had we foreseen this... if only we'd sided with the Bai Clan."

"I believed two premier clans united would prevail. How mistaken I was."

Yet remorse served no purpose.

For if the tales rang true—

If the Bai Clan indeed commanded a Saint-grade sword—

Then the Bai Clan transcended mere might. They neared utter invincibility.