The Beast Tide had co to an end.
But the war was not truly over.
Even as the battlefield fell into uneasy silence, it wasn't yet ti to be returning ho.
Guards stretched across the land, and patrols were dispatched without pause.
As long as Demonic Beasts still lurked in the wilds-and as long as Demonic Cultivators still drew breath-there was always the chance of another sudden strike.
Yet despite the vigilance, sothing undeniable spread through the Desolate Heaven Empire.
Relief.
News traveled faster than one could think.
The Demonic Cultivators had been defeated. The Half-Qilin-leader of the Beast Tide-was dead.
Cities erupted into celebration. Sect grounds echoed with laughter mixed with exhaustion.
Mortals knelt in gratitude, cultivators breathed freely as they no longer needed to worry about Beast Tide.
They had won.
Along with the relief ca sothing else.
Nas.
Stories.
Legends in the making.
Tales spread rapidly-so embellished, so understated, so deliberately exaggerated by interested forces.
Young geniuses who had distinguished themselves were spoken of in teahouses and sect halls alike.
"Have you heard? Chu Ziyan killed a Grade-8 Demonic Beast by herself."
"I did. Ever since the Dragon and Phoenix Competition, she's been rising nonstop."
"And Bai Xueqing too. I heard she immobilized a Void Refinent Realm expert mid-battle."
"That's terrifying for soone her age."
"There were others as well... young geniuses everywhere this ti."
So had slain Demonic Beasts far above their realm.
A new generation was rising.
But among all those nas-
"But the rumors about Bai Zihan are absolutely ridiculous!"
"They say he fought against Great Ascension Realm Demonic Elders. Three of them!"
"No-five!"
"I heard five as well. And he won."
"Isn't that already stronger than Bai Tianheng?"
"Hah! His father might not even dare say otherwise. Looks like the Bai Clan has produced a monster."
Previously, many had thought of Bai Zihan as a fraud for not participating in the Dragon and Phoenix Competition.
While the Heaven Sword Sect learned of him through Bai Zihan defeating Lu Xiangyuan, many others still didn't know.
But now, they finally realized-Bai Zihan wasn't a coward; it was simply not his league.
If he had participated, then perhaps the competition would have turned into one-sided dominance.
His na spread once again like wildfire through the aftermath of the Beast Tide.
***
A day passed since the Half-Qilin was slain.
No more Demonic Beasts appeared, and it seed like peace was finally on the horizon.
Bai Zihan lay resting after the battle ended. His breathing was steady,
consciousness drifting away.
Until-
"Young Master Bai!"
The voice struck like thunder.
Bai Zihan's eyes snapped open.
A figure stood at the entrance of the tent, breathing heavily. Fear lingered in his expression, but urgency burned brighter.
"Young Master... Patriarch Bai requests your presence imdiately."
Bai Zihan frowned.
"Now?"
The man nodded quickly.
"Yes!"
Bai Zihan rose, throwing on his outer robes as he stepped outside.
"What does that old man want now?"
He complained.
As he followed the ssenger through the encampnt, Bai Zihan's mind
raced.
(Did the Demonic Beasts regroup? Or did Mó Zun return?)
He considered various scenarios, but judging by how others were behaving, he
didn't think those were the issue.
When Bai Zihan stepped in, his gaze imdiately caught familiar figures.
Bai Tianheng stood at the head, expression grim.
Beside him-Bai Ren.
And not far away-Bai Xueqing.
Bai Zihan's brows knit together.
(What's going on?)
"Father, what's going on?"
Bai Zihan broke the silence as soon as he entered.
Bai Tianheng looked at him for a long mont, then nodded slightly.
"Sit!"
A disciple imdiately stepped forward, placing a chair beside the table.
Bai Zihan didn't argue and took his seat, his gaze briefly sweeping over Bai Ren
and Bai Xueqing.
Neither of them spoke.
Bai Tianheng exhaled slowly, then took out a scaled letter.
"I received this ssage after the Beast Tide was fully suppressed," he said. "It
ca from the Bai Clan."
Bai Zihan's eyes narrowed.
"Sothing happened at ho?"
Bai Tianheng nodded.
"The Bai Clan was attacked."
Bai Zihan's expression was still the sa.
"Demonic Cultivators," Bai Tianheng continued. "They didn't even bother hiding
their identity."
He tapped the letter lightly against the table.
"The situation wasn't completely out of control. The clan held them off successfully. Casualties were limited, despite the Demonic Cultivators sending Immortal Realm Elders."
To truly invade Bai Clan territory, Immortal Realm cultivators were required.
Despite five Immortal Realm experts being stationed at the Northern Defense Line, the Bai Clan still had more than enough strength to defend itself.
Bai Zihan said nothing, listening intently.
"There are three possible reasons," Bai Tianheng said.
"First-our treasury."
"After this battle, we revealed too much," Bai Tianheng said calmly. "A
Saint-Grade artifact and your techniques."
Bai Tianheng knew that Bai Zihan had taught a sword technique to the Grand
Elders, but he still didn't know much about it and thus referred to it simply as a powerful technique.
Not to ntion the technique that temporarily raised his cultivation realm. "The Demonic Cultivators may have believed that such inheritances were stored within the Bai Clan's treasury."
"They failed, though." Bai Ren added.
Bai Tianheng nodded. "Which leads to the second possibility."
"A diversion," he continued. "They may have intended to draw our attention
back and weaken our presence here... but the Beast Tide ended faster than
they anticipated."
Bai Zihan frowned slightly.
"And the third?"
Bai Tianheng fell silent.
The tent grew deathly quiet.
Bai Zihan tilted his head, unease creeping in.
"We're still not entirely certain of their true objective," Bai Tianheng said slowly.
Then he looked directly at Bai Zihan.
"They failed to achieve the first two, but during the attack-your personal
maid..."
"She was kidnapped."
Bai Zihan didn't react.
For a brief mont, the tent remained utterly silent.
Then-
"What?"
His tone was flat, almost blank, as if he had misheard.
Bai Tianheng's brows furrowed slightly.
"Luo Qing," he said again. "Your personal maid. She was taken during the chaos."
Bai Zihan stared at him, eyes steady, showing neither shock nor anger.
"... You're sure?"
"To the best of our knowledge," Bai Tianheng replied. "She was kidnapped amidst the chaos."
Bai Zihan leaned back slightly.
A maid. An ordinary one.
That was precisely what made it strange.
Bai Ren glanced at Bai Tianheng the mont the words were spoken, and Bai Tianheng understood imdiately.
They had already considered several possibilities-leverage against the Bai Clan, or more likely, against Bai Zihan.
Yet the question lingered.
How would they even know about her? And what made them think that it would work?
Bai Tianheng couldn't make sense of it.
If the target had been Bai Xueqing, or his wife, it would have been understandable. Such captives held real weight.
But an ordinary maid? Soone with no cultivation to speak of, no background, no value.
It was illogical.
Demonic Cultivators of all people should have known that threatening the Bai Clan with servants was aningless.
Even if hundreds were taken, the clan would not hesitate-though, naturally, they would never allow such a thing if it could be prevented.
The only one who might be affected should be Bai Zihan.
And yet, when Bai Tianheng looked at Bai Zihan, he saw nothing.
No anger. No panic. No visible reaction at all.
If their goal had truly been to affect Bai Zihan, then it had failed completely.
(At least, there is no need to worry.)
Just when he thought that-
BOOM!
The tent shuddered.
An invisible pressure exploded outward as Bai Zihan's aura surged without restraint. Killing intent, cold and absolute, flooded the space like a collapsing sky.
The air grew heavy, suffocating-disciples outside staggered, knees buckling, faces draining of blood.
Even Bai Tianheng felt it.
His breath hitched, his sleeves fluttering violently as if caught in a storm.
For an instant, the Patriarch saw not his son-but sothing far more dangerous.
Bai Zihan rose slowly from his seat.
His eyes burned.
"How dare they?"
The words were low at first-then erupted.
"HOW DARE THEY?!"
The killing intent spiked again, sharper, more vicious.
Bai Zihan had always maintained his calm.
Even when sched against by clans like Li and Zhao.
Even when plotted against in the Heaven Sword Sect by Shen Liang.
Even when he was ambushed by Gou You.
He had rely scoffed.
But this ti-
For the first ti, Bai Zihan was truly furious.
"They're courting death!"
The ground beneath his feet began to crack. Despite being only at the Spirit Severing Realm, his pressure was nothing to scoff at.
"Zihan'er!"
Bai Tianheng stepped forward, forcibly releasing his own aura to
counterbalance the pressure.
"Calm down!" he barked. "Calm down, Zihan'er!"
Bai Xueqing had gone pale, her heart pounding violently.
Who would have thought that Bai Zihan's aura alone was enough to suppress
her this much?
Only Bai Ren seed unaffected.
Bai Zihan stood there, aura roaring like an unchained beast-
Then, slowly-
He lifted his eyes and looked toward the direction of the Great Wilderness.
Bai Tianheng already knew what Bai Zihan was thinking.
Since the culprit was the Demonic Cultivators, the answer to where Luo Qing might be was simple to know.
Just ask Mó Zún-the leader of the Demonic Cultivators.
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