Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 579 Crimson Thunder's Utter Humiliation!

"Absolute Severance!"

A singular beam of light sliced through the empty space that separated them.

It was a terrifying strike, appearing capable of cleaving through all in its trajectory.

The elder from the Crimson Thunder Palace saw his pupils constrict in an instant.

Danger!

A profound sense of perilous threat coursed through his heart.

He thrust both his arms upwards, channeling his entire might to erect a defense.

Wild lightning erupted all around him.

His imposing aura ascended to its zenith.

SLASH!!!

An explosive shockwave erupted outward the very next moment, devastating the surroundings.

Even the very ground fractured under the impact.

A tempest of dust and shattered debris billowed into the sky.

Every onlooker was compelled to shield their eyes from the blinding upheaval.

For a brief duration, visibility was completely obscured.

Then, gradually, the swirling dust began to settle.

What was revealed caused their hearts to seize with dread.

The Crimson Thunder Palace elder was found kneeling on the ground.

His ceremonial robes were in tatters, and a deep gash across his chest bled profusely.

His once formidable aura had completely dissipated.

Gazing at him, the arrogance he displayed earlier was gone, replaced by an undeniable look of utter defeat.

A profound silence descended!

None could quite comprehend what they had just borne witness to.

A junior cultivator had vanquished an elder of the Great Ascension Realm.

Not merely defeated, but utterly overwhelmed.

This...

This was an accomplishment previously achieved by only one individual.

Bai Zihan!

He was widely known for having bested numerous Great Ascension Realm Demonic Elders and formidable Grade-10 Demonic beasts.

While hearing tales of such feats certainly stirred excitement, witnessing a comparable event unfold firsthand elicited a vastly different reaction.

Nie Fengzhuo had now achieved the same, perhaps even more astonishing, feat, considering his cultivation was merely at the Soul Formation Realm.

Bai Zihan was undeniably a monstrous talent.

And now... another had emerged.

The elders of the Xue Clan stared, their faces frozen in utter disbelief.

Even Patriarch Xue felt an icy shiver creep down his spine.

(What was that we just witnessed...?)

The elders from the Crimson Thunder Palace fared no better in their reaction.

Shock!

Followed swiftly by acute embarrassment.

And then, incandescent fury!

Their features contorted with rage as the stark reality began to sink in.

Their elder had been decisively defeated by a mere junior.

If this news were to propagate, their esteemed Crimson Thunder Palace would inevitably become the laughingstock of the cultivation world.

Their hard-won prestige would be shattered.

Their myriad enemies would undoubtedly seize this golden opportunity without a second thought.

Their gazes turned frigid and menacing.

Overwhelming killing intent surged forth.

"Lad...!"

One of the elders stepped forward, his voice strained with palpable anger.

"How dare you inflict such humiliation upon us?!"

"You shall pay dearly for provoking the wrath of the Crimson Thunder Palace!"

Another elder moved to join him at the front.

Then another followed suit.

Their formidable auras blazed to life simultaneously.

And this time, there was no pretense of restraint.

For in their eyes, only one course of action remained to expunge this profound disgrace.

They must kill him!

Nie Fengzhuo remained rooted in his spot.

His breaths came in ragged gasps.

His grip on the sword tightened imperceptibly.

His aura flickered precariously.

The immense backlash from his powerful strike was beginning to take its toll.

The physical strain on his body was immense.

Even the power he drew from Du Changsheng's presence had begun to wane.

He possessed just enough residual strength to effect an escape, yet certainly not enough to contend with multiple experts of the Great Ascension Realm.

(This situation might become perilous!)

His eyes narrowed slightly in contemplation.

But before the incensed elders of the Crimson Thunder Palace could make their move-

"Stop!"

A mighty, authoritative aura erupted from the side.

Patriarch Xue stepped forth resolutely.

Behind him, the assembled elders of the Xue Clan moved in perfect unison.

Protective formations hummed to life.

Weapons were drawn swiftly.

Their collective auras surged, directly confronting the Crimson Thunder Palace contingent.

"You have pushed your actions far enough," Patriarch Xue stated with cold finality.

"This is the Xue Clan's domain! I will no longer tolerate your transgressions here."

His commanding voice carried significant weight and authority.

The dynamics of the confrontation had abruptly shifted.

Their most formidable combatant had just been decisively defeated.

The precarious balance of power had swung decisively.

The remaining elders of the Crimson Thunder Palace were no longer in a position of overwhelming superiority.

Should a true conflict erupt, neither faction would emerge unscathed. While they were reluctant to antagonize the Crimson Thunder Palace or the esteemed Seventh Prince, the situation had already escalated to this critical juncture.

Having received assistance from Nie Fengzhuo, they could not possibly abandon him now that he found himself in dire straits.

The expressions of the Crimson Thunder Palace elders grew grim and dark.

Their fists clenched tightly at their sides.

Their latent killing intent flared anew, yet they refrained from initiating further aggression.

They recognized that they now held the disadvantage.

With one of their Great Ascension Realm experts—also their strongest—now defeated and incapacitated, their overall combat strength had been significantly diminished.

The Xue Clan possessed an equal number of cultivators at the Great Ascension Realm, complemented by other members whose collective strength could not be underestimated should they unite their forces.

Furthermore, Nie Fengzhuo, who had so recently vanquished a Great Ascension Realm expert, remained defiantly standing.

In this precarious state of affairs, should they dare to attack, they risked losing their very lives.

Not to mention the distinct possibility of being eliminated alongside the Seventh Prince, thus ensuring absolute silence on this entire affair.

A long, taut silence permeated the atmosphere.

Then-

"Hmph! This grievance... is far from settled."

Their hostile gazes swept across Nie Fengzhuo, then shifted to Patriarch Xue, and finally encompassed the entirety of the Xue Clan.

"We shall certainly remember this day."

"You will pay for this!"

Threats hung heavy in the atmosphere.

However, they ultimately turned and departed from the scene.

One individual hoisted the unconscious Yu Longxuan.

Another supported a defeated elder.

Whoosh!

Their forms vanished into the distance.

Only then did the oppressive tension finally dissipate.

The disciples of the Xue Clan crumpled to the ground.

The Xue Clan elders released deep sighs of relief.

Patriarch Xue closed his eyes for a moment.

A wave of relief washed over him.

And at the center of it all, Nie Fengzhuo finally lowered his sword.

His powerful aura rapidly receded.

The borrowed strength ebbed away like a retreating tide.

His body swayed unsteadily before he regained his balance.

A long exhalation escaped his lips.

This encounter was perilously close. If the Xue Clan had not intervened to assist him, he might have met his end.

Nie Fengzhuo drew a steadying breath.

He then stepped forward. Cupping his fists, he offered a slight bow to Patriarch Xue and the assembled elders.

"My sincere thanks to Patriarch Xue and the Xue Clan for your timely assistance."

His voice resonated with genuine gratitude.

Had they not stepped in at that critical moment, even if he had managed to escape, the repercussions would have been far more severe.

Patriarch Xue immediately waved his hand dismissively.

"Not at all!"

His expression was filled with gratitude as he regarded Nie Fengzhuo.

"It is we who are indebted. Your intervention was invaluable."

A brief silence followed.

His gaze swept across the devastated courtyard... and then returned to the young man standing before him.

"Were it not for your courageous act, our Xue Clan would not have navigated today's perilous situation with such relative ease."

This statement held the undeniable truth.

Had Nie Fengzhuo not intervened, the Xue Clan would have faced either forced subjugation or outright annihilation on the spot.

Patriarch Xue's expression gradually shifted to one of solemnity.

"However..."

The word hung in the air, laden with significance.

"This hard-won respite is merely temporary!"

A profound silence descended upon the gathering.

Everyone present grasped the grim implications of his words.

"The Seventh Prince and the Crimson Thunder Palace will undoubtedly regroup and return."

His voice dropped to a lower register.

"And when they do, their preparations will be far more thorough."

The atmosphere immediately grew heavy once more.

All understood the grim reality: the enemy would not repeat their previous oversights and would launch a full-scale assault.

"They underestimated your capabilities today!"

Patriarch Xue fixed his gaze directly upon Nie Fengzhuo.

"But their next approach will be far more calculated."

Another brief pause.

Then-

"There is even a possibility..."

His voice softened, carrying a somber tone.

"That a cultivator from the Immortal Realm might be drawn into this conflict."

Those pronouncements struck like a physical blow.

Even the seasoned elders visibly stiffened.

The Immortal Realm!

A level of power so supreme that even their combined might would prove insufficient.

Against such overwhelming might, the Xue Clan would be utterly defenseless.

Patriarch Xue let out a slow breath.

"You must also prepare yourself, Nie Fengzhuo."

His gaze intensified.

"Given the Seventh Prince's vindictive nature, he will not let this insult stand. It is highly probable... that he will target your Nie Clan next."

Nie Fengzhuo's eyes flickered with a subtle change.

He had already anticipated this course of events.

The confrontation today had not resolved the underlying issue; it had merely escalated the conflict.

A faint strand of killing intent surfaced within his eyes.

(Should I eliminate him?)

The thought materialized unexpectedly.

If the Seventh Prince were to perish, the core of the problem might be eradicated.

But just as swiftly as it arose, he dismissed the notion.

The risk was far too great!

The Seventh Prince would now be under heightened security. Furthermore, even if he succeeded in his assassination attempt, the ensuing consequences would be catastrophic.

Assassinating a prince was no trivial matter—even amidst the fierce competition for the throne.

Such an act would bring dire repercussions upon the entire Nie Clan.

To say nothing of the fact that, even if the Seventh Prince were removed from the picture, other princes and princesses would undoubtedly step forward to challenge their clan.

That would not be a solution; it would be akin to leaping from scalding boiling water directly into a raging inferno.

Nie Fengzhuo's gaze steadied, the nascent killing intent subsiding, replaced by a sharp clarity. He turned his attention back to Patriarch Xue. "Patriarch Xue," he stated calmly, "let us resume our discussion regarding the potential alliance."

A slight pause ensued.

"I believe other clans are also seeking pathways to avoid entanglement in this brutal struggle for the throne."

Patriarch Xue nodded slowly in agreement.

The events of today served as a stark and harsh lesson.

Mere neutrality was no longer a sufficient safeguard.

If they wished to remain detached from the ensuing conflicts, they would require substantial power.

And not merely individual prowess.

An alliance!

A formidable one, at that.

Sufficiently potent to make even ambitious princes and princesses reconsider forcing their involvement.

"Indeed!"

Patriarch Xue's expression became one of deep contemplation.

"If we can successfully rally enough factions that desire neutrality, we might indeed forge a powerful neutral bloc capable of deterring such aggressions."

Of course, the undertaking was fraught with challenges. To achieve such a goal, they would need to enlist the support of influential clans—clans robust enough to withstand the might of the top sects and prominent families backing the vying princes and princesses.

Patriarch Xue paused, then cast a speculative glance at Nie Fengzhuo. "Truth be told, there is one particular clan, which, if we could successfully bring them into our accord, would significantly bolster our strength..."

his entire being.

However, uncertainty lingered about whether Nie Fengzhuo would eventually consent.