Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan!

Chapter 494 Spoils of a Fallen Sect

The Azure Sun Holy Sect, once considered one of the strongest powers within the Desolate Heaven Empire, had completely collapsed.

The imperial decree was swift and merciless.

The sect itself was dismantled.

Its territories were confiscated.

Its assets were seized by the Imperial Family. However, it mostly owned land and territory, as most of its treasures were taken by Bai Zihan.

And it was not like they could demand it back.

Not only that, some of the territory was to be given to the Bai Clan as a reward.

So, the Bai Clan gained much more from this than the Imperial Family.

However, the punishment was not entirely indiscriminate.

The ordinary disciples were spared.

Most of them had known nothing about the sectʼs hidden experiments.

They were merely cultivators seeking resources and guidance.

After a thorough investigation, they were allowed to leave.

Some scattered across the empire, joining smaller sects, while other renowned geniuses joined another prestigious sect.

But for the elders and grand elders, the outcome was far harsher.

Many had directly participated in the sectʼs darker activities.

Others had at least known of them and remained silent.

They were arrested and imprisoned.

Some were sentenced to several years.

Others received far heavier punishment depending on their involvement.

The once-glorious sect had now become nothing more than a stain in the empireʼs history.

Yet among all those involved...

There was one exception.

The Earth Immortal Ancestor.

Surprisingly, he was not punished.

Officially, the reason was simple.

During the trial, he had helped expose the sectʼs crimes.

But in truth-

The real reason lay elsewhere.

Behind the scenes, the Bai Clan had intervened.

Through subtle negotiations and political maneuvering, the Bai Clan ensured that the Earth Immortal Ancestor avoided imprisonment.

The ancestor was taken into the Bai Clan.

Naturally, his status was far from high.

He was neither a Grand Elder nor an Elder.

In terms of rank, his position was closer to that of an ordinary disciple, perhaps even lower.

However-

No one truly treated him lightly.

After all, he was still an Earth Immortal Cultivator.

Even the Bai Clan, powerful as it was, would not casually ignore such strength.

Clan Leader Bai Tianheng himself treated the man with reasonable respect.

Cultivation resources were also provided to him.

A private cultivation courtyard was arranged.

Servants were assigned.

Compared to the miserable fate of those rotting in imperial prisons, his situation could almost be considered fortunate.

Of course-

There was one critical condition.

To ensure loyalty, the Earth Immortal Ancestor was forced to cultivate the Heavenly Mandate Assimilation Art.

At first, the old man was terrified.

After cultivating his previous technique for centuries, suddenly changing methods could be extremely dangerous.

If the techniques clashed...

It could cripple his cultivation entirely.

But refusal was not an option.

He was in no position to bargain.

Thus, with great hesitation, he began practicing it.

And soon-

His fears disappeared.

Not only was the technique harmless to his existing foundation...

It was actually far superior to the cultivation method he had used within the

Azure Sun Holy Sect.

The circulation of spiritual Qi became smoother.

His meridians felt more stable.

Even his stagnant cultivation showed faint signs of movement.

This discovery shocked him deeply.

He finally understood why this cultivation technique was spreading so quickly in the Desolate Heaven Empire, though he didnʼt understand why Bai Zihan wanted him to cultivate it.

Perhaps he thought that it was for his cultivation-the reason why he was spared.

Even so-

He never forgot his situation.

He was no longer a sect ancestor.

Now he was effectively a controlled cultivator within the Bai Clan.

If the clan demanded something, he would have to comply.

Still...

Compared to imprisonment, torture, or execution-

This outcome was far better.

He had resources.

He had freedom to cultivate.

And his dignity as a powerful cultivator was mostly preserved.

At the very least, people still treated him with courtesy.

Even Clan Leader Bai Tianheng spoke to him respectfully.

Of course-

There was one person who behaved very differently.

Bai Zihan!

The young master of the Bai Clan showed almost no reverence at all.

But strangely...

It did not feel like arrogance.

Rather-

Bai Zihan seemed to treat everyone the same way.

Even the Bai Clanʼs own Grand Elders received very little respect from him.

After witnessing this several times, the Earth Immortal Ancestor simply accepted it.

In the end-

He could only sigh.

The Azure Sun Holy Sect...

A sect he had nurtured for centuries...

Was completely gone!

But regret served no purpose now.

The past could not be changed.

And compared to many others...

His ending was already fortunate enough. ***

While the Earth Immortal Ancestor had already accepted the fate of the Azure

Sun Holy Sect...

There were others who had not.

Far from it.

The ones most shaken by this incident were the members of the Li-Zhao

Alliance.

What had happened was simply too shocking.

The Azure Sun Holy Sect had not been some minor force.

For centuries it had stood as one of the strongest powers within the Desolate

Heaven Empire.

Its influence spread across numerous territories.

Its disciples numbered in the tens of thousands.

Its elders were powerful cultivators respected across the empire.

And yet-

Such a sect had collapsed almost overnight.

All because of a single move from the Bai Clan.

This realization made many people uneasy.

Very uneasy.

Inside the halls of several alliance sects and clans, the atmosphere had become tense.

Many leaders could not help but ask the same question.

If the Azure Sun Holy Sect could fall so easily...

Why couldnʼt the same happen to them?

What frightened them even more was what had happened afterward.

The Li Clan and Zhao Clan werenʼt able to do anything.

Even the Emperor of the Desolate Heaven Empire had ultimately allowed the matter to conclude without interfering too much.

Obviously, it was certain that it was because the Azure Sun Holy Sect had conducted illegal experiments, which was a taboo in the Empire. But reason aside, to many observers...

It almost looked as if the Bai Clan had acted completely unchecked.

That realization caused chills to spread among the alliance members.

If even the imperial authority could not restrain the Bai Clan...

Then what exactly was protecting them?

The confidence they once had in the Li-Zhao Alliance began to crumble.

Quiet discussions started appearing behind closed doors. ”What if the Bai Clan targets us next?” ”Will the Li or Zhao Clan truly protect us?” ”Or will we simply become the next sacrifice?”

Such questions slowly spread like poison.

Doubt grew.

Fear grew.

And along with it-

Distrust.

Some smaller clans had already begun secretly preparing contingency plans.

A few bold leaders had even started considering something far more drastic.

Leaving the alliance entirely.

After all-

No one wanted to remain on a sinking ship.

And right now...

That was exactly what the Li-Zhao Alliance was beginning to feel like.

But obviously, among them were hardcore alliance members who would rather blame the Bai Clan for unscrupulously invading another sect, despite the reason that was officially accepted.

They still believed that everything was orchestrated by the Bai Clan in order to justify their invasion.

They even spread rumors that it was the Bai Clan who had conducted the experiments and then blamed them on the Azure Sun Holy Sect. Obviously, at this stage, no one believed those lies, and most people still trusted the Bai Clan, especially since the Imperial Family had also announced the truth. But that didnʼt stop them from slandering the Bai Clan. They claimed that it was actually the treasures that the Bai Clan was after, saying that they should return them if their purpose had truly been to save the children. They also pointed out that the Earth Immortal Ancestor who testified was now with the Bai Clan, suggesting that he might have been the one who conducted the experiments on the orders of the Bai Clan but later pushed the blame onto the Azure Sun Holy Sect.

Many conspiracy theories were created to make the Bai Clan look as bad as possible. Even if the effect might be small, they still put in the effort to do so. Strangely though, both Li and Zhao Clan remained quiet. They didnʼt do anything to those leaving their alliance nor did they stop others from spreading rumors about the Bai Clan.