Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 450 The Quiet Sharpening of Blades

In the heart of the Bai Clan's domain, a secluded courtyard housed Bai Zihan, who perched at a lengthy jade table.

Before him, scrolls were arranged in tidy piles.

Intelligence briefs.

A few carried weight, while many were trivial.

His hands glided leisurely, unfurling scroll by scroll, face serene—nearly indifferent.

To the unaware, it could seem like he was just handling everyday family business, not poring over tales of chaos exploding throughout the realm.

"Imperial Guards stepped in... the verdict favored the Li-Zhao faction once more." Bai Zihan whispered gently.

His tone held no fury.

Just acknowledgment.

From their ongoing facade of neutrality, it appeared they weren't ready to publicly align with the Li-Zhao Alliance.

Maybe the Imperial Family was weighing options to see which route served them

best.

Regardless, Bai Zihan paid no heed to their deliberations.

From the instant they joined the plot to end his life, enmity was sealed.

Bai Zihan let out a measured breath and sealed the scroll away.

Kong Zhanghong positioned himself along the chamber's edge, arms folded at his back, stance upright yet at ease.

As the wider world dismissed Bai Zihan as broken and scorned him, Kong Zhanghong saw the truth.

True or not, it changed nothing—the man across from him remained Bai Zihan.

Cultivation or none, would he ever challenge or belittle him? Absolutely not.

Right then, Kong Zhanghong observed Bai Zihan's firm grip on events, convinced it was just a question of time before he dominated the Desolate Heaven Empire.

Maybe even further afield...

Above all, his duty lay in executing Bai Zihan's orders—without probing or guessing at motives.

"Kong Zhanghong," Bai Zihan stated evenly, eyes on the desk.

"Focus your efforts on Princess Yu Feiyan."

A quick glint passed through Kong Zhanghong's gaze.

"As you wish!"

No inquiries voiced.

"Monitor her actions closely—particularly encounters with outsiders from beyond the Desolate Heaven Empire," Bai Zihan went on. "And keep

probing the Emperor."

"Of course. I'll give it everything!"

Gleaning details on the Emperor proved challenging, yet he'd redouble his attempts.

Regarding Princess Yu Feiyan, it struck him as straightforward enough.

Bai Zihan eyed Kong Zhanghong approvingly.

Of all his acquaintances, only Kong Zhanghong could delve into Imperial Family secrets.

Delving into Qin Lingxiao's affairs posed risks due to her power; still, she'd never link it back to him.

With orders issued, Bai Zihan stood up.

He departed promptly.

No further words were needed.

Tension gripped the empire.

Factions eyed each other warily, all biding time for the spark to ignite.

This delay suited him perfectly. The extended pause allowed deeper practice of the Heavenly Mandate Assimilation Art.

He headed to his cultivation chamber.

As the door sealed shut, the external clamor vanished.

Quiet enveloped the space.

Bai Zihan paused briefly, then tightened his grip into a fist.

Having encountered Qin Lingxiao—having beheld her might—he grasped

a vital truth.

The power that terrified others fell short still.

Even Mó Zun, slated for his death in mere years, paled

beside her.

She formed the greatest uncertainty in his schemes.

A force like hers—regardless of tactics used—exceeded

his present capacity to counter.

Time was not on his side either. Evidently, Qin Lingxiao aimed at the

Bai Clan, motives shrouded in mystery.

Either way, readiness for the unavoidable clash was essential.

He settled at the array's core, where spiritual Qi started swirling nearby.

Spiritual Qi rushed in like an overwhelming surge.

"Time to cultivate!"

Bai Zihan sank into full cross-legged posture at the hub.

He lifted his palm.

A jade vial rested there.

Grade-8 Healing Pills.

A gift from Xi Yu.

Bai Zihan's stare fixed on it momentarily.

Swallowing these would mend his wounds—overt and concealed—entirely.

Meridians would regain flawless condition, form revitalized to peak without lingering harm.

For most, this seemed the clear path.

Yet Bai Zihan simply curled his hand and stored the vial in his spatial

ring.

"No need for that."

His wounds weren't as dire as rumored. Irksome, sure—but controllable, and crucially, healable over time.

Such pills held greater worth if timed perfectly.

Potentially to preserve his life someday.

Decision made, Bai Zihan's face stayed composed as he turned attention

within.

Another choice loomed.

What art to employ for cultivation.

Myriad Breathing Technique, or Heavenly Mandate Assimilation Art.

In level, the second towered supreme.

The Heavenly Mandate Assimilation Art loomed as a fearsome method—a skill

that imposed total dominance on practitioners of its partial forms.

That explained its status as superior art.

Yet Bai Zihan comprehended it more deeply than any.

For sheer advancement pace, it barely outpaced the

Myriad Breathing Technique.

Its real power resided in other realms.

Control.

Domination.

Bai Zihan had mastered it already.

Employed it.

Solely to manipulate and exploit others.

Not to advance his own cultivation.

"Myriad Breathing Technique."

Sticking with the familiar method for progress made sense,

particularly absent any urgent gain from alteration.

He inhaled deeply. With every intake, spiritual Qi from the air was pulled in, guided along

his meridians following a rhythm honed through endless repetitions.

The Qi streamed effortlessly, free of blocks, behaving like a natural extension.

(Seems cultivation proceeds without issue.)

With that confirmed, Bai Zihan produced multiple jade vials, each packed with cultivation

pills.

Formulas crafted by his mother.

Items drawn from the Bai Clan stores, priceless beyond their walls.

Without delay.

Vials uncorked in sequence.

Medicinal Qi poured into him, merging with the flowing spiritual energy

and blending perfectly into his meridians.

A soothing heat coursed through—mending, sustaining, bolstering. Despite ruined meridians, observers assumed his frame would shatter upon Qi flow.

However, beyond minor unease at first, all stayed stable.

***

Beyond the walls, the tempest hadn't unleashed.

Still, unrest stirred everywhere. Throughout the Desolate Heaven Empire, tensions boiled ceaselessly.

Quarrels burst in bazaars, sect entrances barred those with mismatched tokens, and crimson stained backstreets where talks collapsed.

Nevertheless—

A peculiar undercurrent stirred.

As animosity grew between rival coalitions, a massive cultivation surge engulfed the land.

Everyone pushed their practice to new heights.

High Earth-Grade cultivation techniques, once hoarded by one elite force,

had stealthily evolved into the Desolate Heaven Empire's baseline.

An asset once sparking endless conflicts—

Now attainable by aligning with a faction.

Or merely bracing for turmoil ahead.

Independent cultivators sealed in caverns, leasing arrays for extended

periods.

Minor families emptied reserves into elixirs, spirit stones, and

seclusion halls.

Sect members, formerly squabbling endlessly, now vied quietly, gauging gains through silent advances rather than boasts. Indeed, one might claim—

The Desolate Heaven Empire's collective power surged upward.

Swiftly. This alone amplified the peril. In the Bai Clan, the transformation rang louder. As outsiders fixated on enlistments and schemes,

the Bai Clan dove into fervent unification.

Partnerships mattered—yet brute force ruled supreme. Elders hidden for ages surfaced momentarily, then

retreated into profound isolation.

Grand Elders honed their Dao.

Even veterans resigned to stagnation now clawed fiercely for another stride.

The Bai Clan wasn't just growing—

It was honing its edge.

Concerning the Li-Zhao Alliance...

Their actions remained shrouded.

Rumors suggested they trained via the pilfered art,

striving to absorb and master it prior to defects emerging. Some thought they amassed might, biding for when raw power wouldn't suffice.

Darker whispers circulated too.

Plots.

Setup unrelated to cultivation entirely.

Verification eluded all. This opacity deepened the eerie hush.

So the Desolate Heaven Empire slipped into an odd balance.

Clashes flared each day.

Yet advancements matched them.

Resentment intensified.

Yet bases solidified too.

Chaos—

And serenity.

Evidently, all were silently forging their weapons!