The Xilin City under the night sky was no longer quiet because of Sun Hanxi and Bai Zhan. After the crowd around the ruins left, the people in the city could no longer fall asleep. The dark city was immediately brightly lit, and the atmosphere in the city under the moonlight gradually became lively. Almost everyone was talking about what had just happened between Sun Hanxi and Bai Zhan.
On the other side, after the Sun and Bai families had left, a figure shrouded in a black robe slowly emerged from a spot not far from the ruins.
The figure slowly raised his head. Bright moonlight shone through the gaps in the black robe, illuminating a pair of dark eyes beneath it that reflected the moonlight like a mirror. Through the slightly weak moonlight, one could vaguely see that beneath the black robe was a young face. Judging from his appearance, who else could it be but Xiao Yan?
Xiao Yan slightly raised his eyes, his dark eyes wide open. He first glanced in the direction Bai Zhan and the others had left, and then looked across at the opposite direction, which was where Sun Shuo and Sun Hanxi had gone.
A cold smile curled at the corner of Bai Zhan's mouth beneath the black robe. At the same time, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel surprised for Bai Zhan.
According to Gu You, Bai Zhan's true strength is that of a genuine Two-Star Dou Di expert, a level of power comparable to that of the Zhuo Clan's heir. However, in order to conceal his true strength, Bai Zhan managed to remain calm even after being humiliated by Sun Hanxi, and was even thoroughly beaten by someone whose strength was clearly weaker than his own. Even with Xiao Yan's experience, there are probably only a handful of people in his memory who can match such composure!
Compared to Bai Zhan, Sun Hanxi was extremely arrogant. He had only just broken through to the Dou Di, yet his behavior was already so eccentric. With his Dou Di strength, he arbitrarily bullied those weaker than him. Xiao Yan wondered what Sun Hanxi would think if he ever learned of Bai Zhan's true strength.
However, upon further reflection, Xiao Yan became increasingly curious about the Bai Clan. Judging from their appearance, it seemed that the Sun Clan was unaware that Bai Zhan had reached the Dou Di level.
Judging from the sudden appearance of Sun Shuo Bai Ying tonight, they had clearly been lying in wait. Sun Hanxi's severe injury to Bai Zhan was not only intentional, but also an attempt to test Bai Zhan's true strength. Unfortunately, Bai Zhan endured Sun Hanxi's fierce attacks from beginning to end. No matter how much the latter pressured him, he stubbornly held back. Even when Bai Ying finally intervened, Bai Zhan did not unleash his true power.
The fact that the Bai Clan would rather be severely injured by Sun Hanxi than reveal their strength suggests that they are intentionally hiding something from the Heavenly Sword Sect, to the point that even the other three major families under their command are completely unaware of it.
Meanwhile, what intrigued Xiao Yan the most was that while the Bai Clan and the Sun Clan were arguing, he sensed two other auras observing from the shadows. It was easy to guess who these auras belonged to: Xiao Yan Zhuo Bentang and Huo Ba, the two elders leading the Zhuo Clan and Huo Clan families, respectively.
From beginning to end, the two men's attention was focused on Bai Ying and his son Bai Zhan. Clearly, they were also very curious about Bai Zhan's true strength.
After all, they are both from the Four Great Clans, and the Four Great Clans is ranked third among them. Even the Sun Clan, which is ranked last, has a young master whose strength has reached the Dou Di level. In contrast, the Bai Clan's situation is indeed suspicious!
"Hehe..."
He let out a low, cold laugh. No matter how much the Four Great Clans made a fuss, it was none of Xiao Yan's business. Right now, Xiao Yan only cared about the Ancient Ruins.
With only five days left until the opening of the Ancient Ruins, Xiao Yan must strive to reach his peak condition in these five days. Only in this way can he secure a share of the spoils during this gathering of heroes at the Ancient Ruins.
Looking up at the dazzling night sky above, Xiao Yan's mind drifted to the image of his beloved, causing him to momentarily lose focus. He then took a deep breath, Xiao Yan black robe concealing the small portion of his face that was visible. With a slight tremor, Xiao Yan body vanished from the spot.
Meanwhile, at the Sun Clan's base, Sun Shuo and his son, who had returned, were all smiles. This was not only because Sun Hanxi had just given Bai Zhan a sound beating, but also...
"Haha, Hanxi, I'm almost certain now that the little beast from the Bai Clan is definitely not at the Dou Di level!"
Back in the living room of the camp, Sun Shuo plopped down in a chair, his smile undisguised, his joy evident on his face.
"Haha, that's right, Father. During my attack just now, that guy didn't have the slightest chance to retaliate. He couldn't even block one of my ordinary attacks and was severely injured three times in a row. Bai Zhan is probably beyond repair now. I believe that he, the young master of the Bai Clan, will definitely not be able to participate in this trip to the Ancient Ruins!"
Sitting opposite Sun Shuo, Sun Hanxi also wore a cold smile, a mocking smirk playing on her lips, her words filled with disdain and sarcasm.
Meanwhile, within the Huo Clan, Huo Ba and the young master of the Huo Clan stood on a rooftop, both expressing their unwavering belief in Bai Zhan's strength as a Nine-Star Half-Emperor. After all, almost no Dou Di expert could tolerate such an insult, being trampled underfoot by someone weaker than themselves. Such humiliation was absolutely unbearable for anyone!
However, the atmosphere at the Zhuo Clan's residence was different from that of the previous two families.
Zhuo Bentang stood respectfully in the courtyard with a slight smile on his old face. In front of him, Zhuo Lin, dressed in spotless white, sat at the stone table in the courtyard, holding a lustrous jade cup in his hand. His sharp eyes were fixed on the jade cup, and his face showed a thoughtful expression.
You're saying Bai Zhan was completely outmatched by Sun Hanxi?
"Yes, young master."
Zhuo Bentang said respectfully.
Although Zhuo Lin was not as strong as him, his status made several high-ranking elders in the clan have to treat him with respect. So how could he be just a nobody? Although Zhuo Bentang was the leader of the Zhuo Clan in front of everyone during the day, he knew that the real decision-making power for their group was in Zhuo Lin's hands.
"Did he put up any resistance?"
Zhuo Lin gently put down the jade cup in his hand and asked calmly.
"Yes, but in front of Sun Hanxi, it's practically useless."
Zhuo Bentang recounted all the information he had gathered to the young man before him, who would sometimes frown and sometimes nod. After a moment, Zhuo Lin finally spoke and asked:
What do you think of Bai Zhan's abilities?
Upon hearing Zhuo Lin pass this question on to him, Zhuo Bentang raised an eyebrow, feeling a sense of surprise. Could it be that his young master still doubted Bai Zhan's true strength?
Despite his suspicions, Zhuo Bentang dared not act rashly in front of Zhuo Lin. After careful consideration, he honestly replied:
"Young Master, in my opinion, Bai Zhan's strength is indeed at least at the Nine-Star Half-Emperor level, otherwise..."
"If even you think so, then the Huo Clan and Sun Clan must think so too, that Bai Zhan is just a Nine-Star Half-Emperor."
Zhuo Lin's slender, woman-like fingers tapped lightly on the cool tabletop. The words she uttered startled Zhuo Bentang, who stood respectfully to the side, as if he had been suddenly awakened from a dream. His expression changed rapidly, and an extremely surprised emotion welled up from the bottom of his heart.
If it is really as our young master judged, then Bai Zhan is far too astonishing. To be able to bear being forcibly trampled underfoot by someone whose strength is clearly inferior to his, how terrifying must Bai Zhan's character be!
If that's really the case, then when Bai Zhan reveals his power in the future, it will probably shock all Four Great Sects!
"Young Master, this... this can't be possible..."
At this moment, even with Zhuo Bentang's cunning and shrewdness, he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. As he looked at Zhuo Lin, he couldn't help but utter words of doubt.
Upon hearing this, Zhuo Lin's indifferent face showed little change in expression. He simply took a slow breath, pondered for a moment, and then asked Zhuo Bentang again:
"Tell me, how many years has Bai Zhan been in the Late Nine-Star Half-Emperor?"
Upon hearing this, Zhuo Bentang's expression faltered slightly, then his eyes darted around, and he quickly replied:
"Young Master, it has been thirteen years."
Zhuo Lin nodded slightly, repeating Zhuo Bentang's words in a low voice, and then murmured:
"Thirteen years? It took me eleven years to rise from Nine-Star Half-Emperor to Two-Star Dou Di."
Upon hearing this, Zhuo Bentang, who was standing to the side, seemed to have realized something. His pupils suddenly contracted, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his old face. His breathing became slightly labored at this moment, and the horror in his heart was beyond words.
"What does the young master mean...? Could it be that...?"
However, Zhuo Lin suddenly raised his hand, stopping Zhuo Bentang from continuing, and at the same time, his cold voice came out once again.
"Don't jump to conclusions about anything. Or perhaps I'm just overthinking it. But just remember to be wary of the Bai Clan and Huo Clan. As for the Sun Clan... they're just a bunch of insignificant stray dogs. Keep them around when you need them, and slaughter them when you don't."
Upon hearing this, Zhuo Bentang immediately bowed and nodded. Although Zhuo Lin's words sounded extremely calm, the chilling killing intent hidden in them sent shivers down one's spine. Even Zhuo Bentang, who was also a member of the clan, was no exception.
Bai Clan residence.
The quiet courtyard was deserted. Although this was the Bai Clan's residence, everyone in the Bai Clan was ordered to stay inside. Without the patriarch's summons, no one was allowed to step out of their rooms. Therefore, despite the commotion outside, all the Bai Clan members could only stare helplessly from inside. Although they wanted to investigate, they were repelled by the aura shrouding the courtyard. Helpless, the Bai Clan members had no choice but to obediently stay in their rooms.
Meanwhile, in the spacious, empty living room of the courtyard, Bai Zhan, covered in blood, and Bai Ying, with a gloomy expression, sat in their respective rooms.
After swallowing a third-tier pill, Bai Zhan's injuries showed significant improvement. The bleeding from his wounds had stopped, and the crimson blood quickly condensed into a scab. Bai Zhan's pale face also regained its rosy hue.
"Zhan'er, are you alright?"
The atmosphere in the hall remained silent for a long time before Bai Ying, with a grim expression, finally spoke to Bai Zhan and asked.
"Hehe, Father, rest assured, I am unharmed. I only suffered some superficial injuries. As for the rest, I have medicine to heal me, so it's nothing serious."
Hearing Bai Ying's slightly complicated tone, Bai Zhan chuckled and smiled calmly.
"Zhan'er, it's all your father's fault. If I hadn't insisted that you hide your strength, how could that little beast from the Sun Clan have been a match for you!"
Bai Ying glanced at Bai Zhan, then slowly lowered her head, her face filled with remorse.
"Haha, Father, why be sad? You should be happy. It doesn't matter that I got beaten up by that guy. The most important thing is that now, apart from the Zhuo Clan, the other two families believe that my true strength is that of Nine-Star Half-Emperor."
Upon hearing Bai Zhan's words, Bai Ying slowly frowned, a serious expression appearing between his brows. Indeed, as Bai Zhan said, among the Four Great Clans, the other two were easy to deal with, but the Zhuo Clan, especially the Zhuo Clan's heir, Zhuo Lin, was the only one. He was inherently suspicious and observant of everything. Even if the Bai Clan family's self-inflicted injury scheme could easily deceive the Sun Clan and Huo Clan, getting past Zhuo Lin would likely be quite difficult.
"Hmph, the Zhuo Clan is nothing more than relying on the power of the Heavenly Sword Sect. In the end, they are nothing but a lackey of the Heavenly Sword Sect. When the Heavenly Sword Sect falls, let's see who your Zhuo Clan can rely on for protection!"
Bai Ying narrowed his eyes, slammed his hand hard on the armrest next to the seat, splintering wood as he slowly uttered cold words.
The night was still peaceful, and the city below was gradually returning to calm. Back at his residence, Xiao Yan collapsed heavily onto the bed, his usually tense body completely relaxing. In no time, he drifted off to sleep...
In the remaining days, the number of powerful figures in Xilin City increased, and the crowded city could be described as overcrowded. Meanwhile, the Four Great Clans remained secluded, completely entrenched in their positions, remaining quiet until the fifth day, the opening day of the Ancient Ruins...