Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 468 Crimson Flames Extinguished Beneath a Single Slash

The leader of the Sky Pirates erupted in frenzied laughter.

"Ah, so that's your vulnerability!"

Malice lit up in his gaze with sharp comprehension.

"Refuse to budge? Then perish while shielding them!"

The blazing spear shattered into numerous packed fire-lances, every one seething with near-Immortal might.

His aim locked in place. No longer on Bai Zihan, but the Flying Ship at his back.

The motive was simple to figure out. Aim for Bai Zihan directly, and evasion came easy. But strike the Flying Ship, and Bai Zihan had no choice but to intercept.

And though Bai Zihan managed that for the moment, over time exhaustion would set in, leaving him open to a fatal hit.

The deck shuddered fiercely as the protective formations ignited from the lingering blaze alone.

Bai Xueqing's jaw clenched tight.

Realization hit her at once.

He was cornering Bai Zihan into pure defense.

Each blow struck with precision.

"Shouldn't we abandon the Flying Ship?"

"Absolutely not! Leaving would make dodging this inferno far tougher, plus we'd turn into sitting ducks."

Chu Ziyan replied.

Ditching the Flying Ship to run might seem an option, yet it spelled greater peril than holding position.

Besides, while she and Bai Xueqing could slip away, Kong Zhanhong and the crew handling the Flying Ship could not.

The Sky Pirate Leader surged onward with relentless fury, the spear reshaping in his hold time after time.

"Take this!"

"Once more!"

"How long can you hold out?"

BOOM!

Yet another clash rattled the skies.

Bai Zihan's sword intent flowed outward like rippling waves, halting every onslaught right at the collision spot. Flames parted. Shockwaves scattered.

Yet he refused to press forward.

He offered no retaliation.

He stayed rooted—

Precisely in his spot.

For even a single step—

The Flying Ship would burn to cinders.

The Sky Pirate Leader sensed it clearly.

"This boost leaves my spiritual qi nearly boundless!"

His presence swelled once more, wildly erratic but crushingly dominant.

"Escape is impossible for you!"

The heavens cracked from endless impacts.

Space howled in protest.

Blazing tempests roared.

The weight crashed down like heavenly wrath.

The Sky Pirate Leader lunged once more.

And thrust again.

And struck repeatedly.

Every assault grew fiercer than before.

Victory hovered tantalizingly close for him.

No matter Bai Zihan's Void Refinement Realm prowess—

No matter the dread in his sword intent—

Endless guarding—

Would wear him down eventually.

But suddenly—

"Tch!"

Bai Zihan tsked in annoyance.

A hint of letdown crossed his face.

"I figured..."

His tone stayed even.

"...your strength might hold some thrill."

Another spear hurtled toward him.

Bai Zihan parried it with ease.

"But it's utterly lacking!"

He showed no signs of being cornered. Pressure seemed absent from him.

"Holding back to avoid slaying you by mistake must've fooled you into thinking victory's yours."

Bai Zihan remarked while channeling his Qi.

"Fate Severing Slash!"

It sliced through the fiery heavens.

The Yun Mo Kou Leader's strike got devoured entirely with scant opposition, as if irrelevant.

The Yun Mo Kou Leader's gut twisted in warning.

He attempted to evade.

Far too late!

The slash cut through his right arm.

Smooth and without effort.

The fiery spear dissolved.

His arm detached at the shoulder.

For an instant—

Pain stayed absent.

He gaped at the void left by his missing limb.

Then—

"ARGH-!!!"

Torment exploded forth.

Crimson-black flames churned wildly around his form.

Bai Zihan observed with cool detachment.

"Hm... Seems I can rein it in at this level."

He'd worried about an unintended kill, but clearly, he could dial it back just right, claiming only the arm as intended.

"I won't end you swiftly!"

The Sky Pirate Leader sought to pull back—

"Though you'd beg for that mercy."

"Fate Severing Slash!"

SLASH!

His left leg came off at the thigh.

Blood gushed now—half-step Immortal healing failing against fate's own severance.

He wailed, his frame spasming as he fought to hover steady.

The flames encircling him danced in disorder.

Bai Zihan cocked his head a touch.

"No fight left?"

What's more, his Qi had built up notably, and after three Fate Severing Slashes, over half still lingered.

The Yun Mo Kou Leader floated above, armless on one side, legless on the other, his presence crumbling from the volatile boost.

Terror supplanted his earlier swagger in those eyes.

The near-Immortal aura that once rattled the firmament now wavered like a fading flame.

Then—

It snuffed out.

The crimson-black blaze that had cloaked the Sky Pirate Leader like a tyrant's robe sputtered madly, contracting sharply. The forbidden art that had shoved him to Immortal borders started to disintegrate.

His flesh split open.

Dark veins throbbed visibly under the skin.

The savage rush of stolen power ebbed away like a retreating wave, abandoning devastation in its wake.

His cultivation—

Tumbled downward.

The suffocating force that had warped the clouds just before now rang empty and frail. Even the air around, once quaking from his power, slowly calmed.

He teetered in the sky.

One arm missing.

One leg hacked at the thigh.

Inner meridians seared from the brutal push.

His presence now—

Fell short of its state before the secret technique ignited.

Below—

Hush fell.

The fire tempests eased bit by bit. The smothering warmth faded. The torn clouds started to scatter.

Aboard the Flying Ship's deck, silence gripped all.

Worry had vanished from them, replaced by sheer shock.

Their fears proved baseless after all. Bai Zihan could've crushed the Sky Pirate Leader at any moment.

Bai Xueqing let out a quiet breath.

At last, her balled fists loosened.

"So..."

Her stare stayed glued to Bai Zihan. "...that's the extent of his power now." Anxiety no longer clouded her eyes.

Instead, something deeper stirred.

Reverence.

And maybe—

A twinge of inadequacy.

Facing a foe teetering on Immortal edges—

He'd appeared... uninterested.

At her side, Chu Ziyan remained still, her sword relaxed.

Not once had her eyes strayed from Bai Zihan.

Bai Xueqing shot her a sidelong look.

Then, softly—

"You truly wish to wed someone so cold and unyielding?"

Observe him.

No rage marked his features.

No grudge.

Still, he toyed with his foe on purpose.

Bai Xueqing's mouth quirked slightly.

"He seems to relish it." Chu Ziyan held her response. Her focus lingered skyward.

"Well, he's always treated me well."

Bai Xueqing offered no retort.

True enough, brutal as he was to foes, he'd shown rare warmth to his inner circle.

Up high—

The Sky Pirate Leader shook uncontrollably, desperate to balance on his lone leg.

"You—fiend—!"

His words rasped out.

Fury mingled with dread.

Bai Zihan advanced a deliberate pace.

The firmament dipped as if in sync.

"You started this game," he noted casually.

His fingers rose just a fraction.

"So let's see it through!"

***

"Tch! Pathetic!"

Bai Zihan's words held no rage or vexation.

Just a touch of irritation.

The Sky Pirate Leader dangled feebly aloft, on the brink of blackout. His amplified flames had vanished entirely.

The coerced near-Immortal presence had crumbled, abandoning a shattered Great Ascension cultivator with meridians in tatters. Even absent Bai Zihan's assault, the rebound from his forced ascent might've wrecked him.

Still, Bai Zihan gained zero intel despite the harsh interrogation.

No matter his queries—

No matter the coercion—

The captive spilled nothing.

Bai Zihan let out a soft sigh.

Then he extended his reach.

Space warped.

The pirate leader's form twitched as unseen power hauled him over the fractured skies.

Like a discarded puppet—

He got yanked below.

Toward the Flying Ship.

The deck hushed as the ruined body hit.

Thud!

The Sky Pirate Leader crashed down, blood soaking the sleek planks, arm absent, leg chopped, presence in total chaos.

All eyes fixed on him.

This—

Marked the fate of defying Bai Zihan.

Even a Great Ascension Realm powerhouse—

Brought to such ruin.

Kong Zhanhong shivered as cold dread climbed his back.

He'd once viewed Great Ascension as cresting the cultivation peaks. Unassailable.

Supreme against nearly all.

But—

Today, he'd seen two rendered powerless before Young Master Bai.

One, a Top Sect's leader, had pleaded desperately.

Another sprawled half-lifeless nearby.

Bai Zihan alighted gently on the deck.

He appeared untouched by battling a Great Ascension Realm foe, as if he'd only stretched a bit.

Bai Xueqing approached.

Her glance skimmed the mangled pirate once before locking on Bai Zihan.

"Any clue on who dispatched them?"

Her voice stayed steady.

Bai Zihan shook his head.

"Nothing!"

He peered at the pirate leader.

A beat passed.

Then his mouth twitched upward.

"But I suspect I know."

Bai Xueqing's eyes sharpened.

When he voiced such hunches, nine times out of ten, he already grasped the culprit, just shy of full proof.

"Head for the Bai Clan!"