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

The fleet of flying ships from the Bai Clan came down smoothly onto the central sky harbor of their own territory.

Right after Bai Tianheng got off the flying vessel, he skipped any chance to relax and didn't head straight back to the inner quarters with Bai Zihan.

In its place, he delivered one clear and firm command.

The Bai Clan was shifting into full Emergency State.

Bells throughout the clan resounded over the mountain chains, reverberating across valleys and peaks dedicated to cultivation.

Formations blazed to life as inactive protective arrays stirred awake in sequence. Patrol paths were extended to twice their usual length.

Controls grew far stricter.

Massive numbers of communication talismans ignited, relaying directives to all halls, every elder, and each disciple.

The order faced no challenges from anyone.

Individuals staying put in the Bai Clan—elders managing supplies, disciples mending from wounds, and formation specialists upholding the clan's barriers—had caught the whispers coming from the battle lines.

Bai Zihan was crippled.

Lacking any formal word, the majority had pieced together that the emergency alert tied directly to him.

Because of this, reactions fired off without delay.

Should Bai Zihan have truly been brought down, the delicate equilibrium around the Bai Clan would flip in just one night.

In a matter of hours, the Bai Clan locked into total vigilance.

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

Bai Zihan himself got transported right to his dwelling, avoiding any pointless detours en route.

The courtyard, previously calm and well-known, now carried a chill and a sense of something missing.

Luo Qing wasn't present.

That void felt understated, but Bai Zihan found it impossible to overlook.

Her carefully nurtured plants stayed in tidy rows, though nobody had trimmed them in recent times.

Bai Zihan was carefully settled on his bed and urged to recover.

Then defenses ramped up sharply.

Dozens of top-tier guards stationed themselves both within and around the courtyard.

Not even an ant trying to slip past the entrance could evade detection, capture, and swift elimination before another move.

Quiet shadows glided over the rooftops—stealthy masters placed on vigilant watch.

Servants found entry forbidden.

Disciples got blocked from getting close.

Just Bai Tianheng, Mu Yuelan, Bai Xueqing, Chu Ziyan, and a handful of Grand Elders possessed clearance to step inside.

In the midst of this stormy phase for the Bai Clan, though, one figure clearly reaped the biggest rewards.

Chu Ziyan!

From the very start, she stuck close to Bai Zihan's side, tending to him with the dedication of a faithful spouse.

Such efforts didn't escape notice.

Not from Bai Tianheng.

Not from the Grand Elders.

And absolutely not from Mu Yuelan.

She earned substantial goodwill from them all, with everyone regarding her as Bai Zihan's wife in all but name.

Beyond the borders of Bai Clan lands, the Desolate Heaven Empire stayed far from silent.

Like a blaze roaring through parched gales, whispers raced across sects, clans, bazaars, urban sprawls, and royal chambers with frightening swiftness.

The opening rumor hit hard enough on its own.

Bai Zihan was crippled.

The follow-up rumor—more like solid intelligence—struck with even greater force.

The Bai Clan held a Saint-grade Artifact.

And this went beyond mere gossip—plenty had laid eyes on it or stood convinced of its reality.

Many had witnessed its power firsthand.

It had been wielded.

Wielded by Bai Ren.

Wielded to strike down Gou You, a Demonic Elder at the Earth Immortal Realm.

And wielded to fell the half-Qilin, a Demonic Beast whose mere being had shaken the core of the Desolate Heaven Empire.

Such intelligence couldn't be contained.

Far too many gazes had beheld the event.

Far too many cultivators had sensed the awe-inspiring sword intent that tore through the skies.

Far too many groups had endured only thanks to that single strike descending.

Over just a few days, the whole empire hummed with the tale.

"How is this possible?"

"A Saint-grade Artifact... in the hands of the Bai Clan?"

"That kind of thing shouldn't even exist in the Desolate Heaven Empire. Even

the imperial treasury doesn't have one."

"If that's 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 represented an overwhelming shift in the

Desolate Heaven Empire.

Even Heaven-grade artifacts counted as scarce treasures—but

Saint-grade?

Most folks went a lifetime without glimpsing one.

Only the Empire in the Western Region of the continent was said to harbor a handful.

So, the uproar among Desolate Heaven Empire cultivators made perfect sense.

It stood to reason they'd see the Bai Clan as elevated to a whole new tier over the Li or Zhao Clans.

"An era is ending."

"And another is beginning"

Such thoughts steadily spread throughout the empire.

For ages, the Desolate Heaven Empire clung to a shaky balance—imperial power, mighty clans, and grand sects holding each other in check.

Yet now—

The Bai Clan rose separate.

Superior.

Armed with a Saint-grade sword, who dared contest

them?

Countless top powers had already seen the sheer dread of that blade when Bai Ren unleashed it against the half-Qilin.

Some went so far as to say that absent the Saint-grade Artifact, the Desolate Heaven Empire's armies could have crumbled entirely to the Demonic onslaught.

In this way, it turned irrefutable—

The Bai Clan claimed the top spot.

Of course, ambitions started stirring.

Forces that had sided with the Bai Clan, even risking the Li-Zhao

coalition's wrath, now rejoiced inwardly.

With the Bai Clan's ascent, their own status would climb in tandem.

Those who wavered earlier now berated their own caution.

"Late is better than never!"

Neutrals rushed to dispatch messengers, offerings, and messages of alliance toward Bai Clan grounds.

Forging bonds with the Bai Clan—be it as allies, partners, or friends—

ranked as the smartest path forward.

Compared to other options, the decision rang clear.

The Li Clan and Zhao Clan bred terror.

But terror by itself no longer sufficed. The conflict had ravaged their strength.

Their roots lay fractured.

And neither wielded anything close to a Saint-grade Artifact.

Facing the Bai Clan in their current form?

It wasn't even a contest.

It meant courting doom.

Groups that had boldly joined the Li-Zhao pact now felt icy fear grip their cores.

Remorse ate away at them.

Some outright damned their narrow vision.

"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"

Yet remorse changed nothing.

For if the whispers rang true—

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

Then the Bai Clan transcended mere might. They bordered on unbreakable.