Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 557 Bai Zihan Vs Feng Xuanye?

"Such confidence..."

"As expected of Bai Zihan..."

"He didn't even give face to the Vermillion Pill Empire earlier-how could he possibly take Feng Xuanye seriously?"

To those observing, Bai Zihan's words weren't just empty boasts; they seemed perfectly natural.

Was he looking down on Feng Xuanye?

While others might not warrant such scrutiny, Bai Zihan certainly did.

However, not everyone dismissed Feng.

"He is still Feng Xuanye..."

"A Void Refinement expert! He was already incredibly powerful before; he should be even stronger now."

"He definitely has a chance."

"If Bai Zihan underestimates him, he might actually lose."

Meanwhile, at the epicenter of attention, Feng Xuanye's expression had turned completely dark.

The anger within his chest swelled like a rising tide.

Yet, he managed to suppress it.

Soon, the opportunity to return every slight would come.

(Underestimate me all you want. I will make you regret it!)

Feng Xuanye thought to himself.

Bai Zihan casually discarded the half-eaten spirit fruit and advanced.

He raised his hand slightly.

"Come!"

A simple gesture.

"I'll let you make the first move."

Another wave of murmurs spread through the crowd.

"Giving him the first move?"

"Isn't that going too far?"

"That's Feng Xuanye... Bai Zihan is far too overconfident. Does he believe Feng Xuanye is just like

any other cultivator?"

Even those who had faith in Bai Zihan felt a flicker of unease.

This was no ordinary opponent they were facing.

But Bai Zihan remained unconcerned.

Feng Xuanye's eyes turned icy.

"You will regret that decision!"

Boom!

His aura erupted outwards.

A terrifying pressure swept through the hall as Qi surged tempestuously around him.

"Mid Void Refinement Realm! Feng Xuanye has advanced to the Mid Void Refinement Realm!"

"It appears Bai Zihan is in trouble. He has greatly underestimated Feng Xuanye!"

Many were taken aback by Feng Xuanye's sudden breakthrough.

At higher cultivation stages, progress naturally slowed, making even a minor realm advancement within thirty years of reaching Void Refinement considered exceptionally swift.

For Feng Xuanye to achieve this in mere years proved his former renown was well-earned.

Whoosh!

The ground beneath Feng Xuanye's feet fractured.

His robes billowed dramatically as he took a single step forward—then vanished from sight.

"So fast!"

The expressions of several onlookers shifted; they could not track Feng Xuanye's movement.

In the very next instant, he materialized directly in front of Bai Zihan.

A fist shot forward.

The very fabric of space seemed to tremble under its immense force.

This was no mere probing strike.

It was a full-power assault.

Feng Xuanye harbored no intention of holding back.

If Bai Zihan dared to look down on him, then he would crush him with a single

blow!

The distance between them closed instantly.

The punch descended—yet, Bai Zihan remained motionless.

He neither dodged nor attempted to block.

He simply stood there, observing with a placid demeanor.

Feng Xuanye smirked inwardly.

Witnessing Bai Zihan's complete immobility, a surge of confidence washed over him.

(Tsk! I expected more from him.)

Despite his belief that Bai Zihan had underestimated him and was poised for defeat, Feng Xuanye didn't hesitate for even a fraction of a second.

His fist continued its trajectory, imbued with overwhelming power—but just as it was

about to make contact—

It met empty air.

"...?!"

His pupils contracted in disbelief.

Before he could even process the situation—

Before he could even utter a sound of surprise—

Bang!!!

His head was violently driven into the ground.

"Argh!"

The resounding impact echoed through the hall like a clap of thunder.

The floor beneath him shattered, spiderweb cracks radiating outwards in every direction.

For a fleeting moment, no one could discern what had transpired.

One second, Feng Xuanye was launching his attack.

The next, he was already buried in the earth, unconscious.

Bai Zihan stood precisely where he had been.

His hand slowly lowered, his expression unfazed.

It was as if he had merely brushed aside something utterly insignificant.

He cast a brief glance down at the prone Feng Xuanye.

"He can only blame himself for being weak."

His tone lacked any hint of arrogance.

It was merely a statement of fact.

Silence!

The entire hall was plunged into absolute quiet.

Every single individual stared, their expressions frozen in astonishment.

Shock!

Disbelief!

They had braced themselves for an intense confrontation.

Some had even entertained the possibility that Feng Xuanye might emerge victorious.

Yet, the contest had concluded before it truly began.

One move!

From the initial engagement to the decisive end, not even a second had elapsed.

The Desolate Heaven Empire's contingent remained silent, but their eyes betrayed a complex mix of emotions.

They were already aware of Bai Zihan's formidable power.

They had witnessed it before.

But even so—

This outcome surpassed all expectations.

Feng Xuanye was not a weakling.

He was one of the most exceptional geniuses from the Eastern Region.

A cultivator at the Mid Void Refinement Realm!

Someone who had contended against cultivators of the Great Ascension stage!

And yet, he couldn't even force Bai Zihan to take a single step back.

On the other side, the delegation from the Tianyu Empire was left in utter disbelief.

"How could this be...?"

"That... that was Feng Xuanye..."

He was vanquished in the blink of an eye.

It defied logic. They had anticipated that even in defeat, they would at least glean some understanding.

They had hoped to gauge Bai Zihan's true strength.

However, they had learned virtually nothing – save for one crucial detail.

That Bai Zihan possessed terrifying power.

The representative of the Tianyu Empire stood frozen, his mouth agape,

rendered speechless.

The events that had just transpired were far beyond their comprehension.

Their assumption was that even if Feng Xuanye were to lose, he would at least display his capabilities.

Yet, the entire encounter concluded almost instantly.

Feng Xuanye's reputation would likely never fully recover from this humiliation.

There was a significant possibility that in discussions of prodigies to come,

many might even omit Feng Xuanye's name.

After all, the manner of his defeat was excessively disgraceful.

Bai Zihan cast his gaze across the assembled crowd.

"Does anyone else wish to step forward and challenge me?"

He inquired with casual indifference.

No response came.

Not a single soul stirred.

The very same throng, which had been brimming with confidence and speculation mere moments prior, now stood completely paralyzed.

This was because the recent turn of events had utterly shattered all their preconceptions.

Feng Xuanye!

A preeminent genius from the Eastern Region.

An expert at the mid-stage Void Refinement realm!

Someone who had possessed the audacity to publicly challenge Bai Zihan had been defeated in less than a single second.

Under such overwhelming circumstances – Who would dare to advance?

Who would be so foolish as to court the same fate?

Even the most exceptionally arrogant geniuses lowered their gazes.

To challenge him?

After witnessing that display?

That wouldn't be courage.

That would be sheer stupidity.

Bai Zihan paused for a beat.

Then, he slightly raised an eyebrow.

"Really, no one at all?"

Still—

Silence descended.

Bai Zihan clicked his tongue softly.

"Then I can only hope that next time, you refrain from stepping forward to challenge me. I offered you an opportunity, but you all neglected to seize it."

Bai Zihan’s intention was to prevent further challenges, which was precisely why he had presented this chance now.

"I held back significantly. However, I might not be so lenient with the subsequent challenger."

As those words were uttered—

Unconsciously, numerous gazes shifted towards Feng Xuanye.

He remained embedded in the fractured ground, still unconscious.

Aside from the trickle of blood at the corner of his lips and the shattered earth beneath him—

He appeared almost... unharmed? At the very least, he seemed to be alive.

Then, their attention returned to Bai Zihan, who had calmly proclaimed he had gone easy on his opponent.

If that was considered holding back...

Then what would a full-powered assault look like?

Would he be reduced to a mere puddle of blood?

Whether Bai Zihan spoke the truth or not, no one present was foolish enough to question it.