A streak of brilliant silver light tore across the pavilion.
Bai Zihan shot forward, his figure blurring like a phantom.
His sword howled through the air, shimmering with a sharp, lethal glow as it closed in on Fang Jinyan—who was still dazed, blood staining his lips.
He tried to yell, but his voice caught in his throat.
A thunderous crash rang out as Whispering Frost barely intercepted the blow—but Fang Jinyan was flung through the air like a broken kite, his body spinning before crashing into the steps of the Cloud Pavilion with a sickening thud.
Cracks spiderwebbed beneath him, and dust clouded the air.
His robes were torn, his Qi wildly unstable.
He tried to rise, groaning in pain, but collapsed again.
Eyes wide with disbelief, he gasped, "How... how is this possible...?"
Kong Zhanhong stood frozen in place, jaw slack, pupils trembling. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Fang Jinyan—the one who stood untouchable atop the Inner Disciples—was being crushed.
And not by a fellow Golden Core cultivator...
But by a so-called Core Formation junior.
"...This is a nightmare," Kong Zhanhong muttered. "There’s no way this is real."
He now wanted to curse his earlier decision to stay. He could’ve clearly run away—but no, he had to stay.
After Fang Jinyan, he feared that Bai Zihan’s next target would be him.
"I have to do something," he muttered resolutely.
Bai Zihan’s sword dragged lightly across the pavilion floor with a low, metallic hum—one that sounded far more menacing than a war cry.
Fang Jinyan’s lips quivered.
"Y-You... You won’t get away with this... I’m the Head Disciple!"
Bai Zihan stopped a few paces away.
He looked down at Fang Jinyan like one would at a bug that dared bare its fangs.
"Oh? I would like to verify that then."
He raised his sword again, voice calm—too calm.
A wave of Qi pressure surged outward as he stepped into his final stance. The air grew dense, heavy with killing intent.
Fang Jinyan’s eyes filled with terror before he lost consciousness.
"Tch! Only this much?"
Bai Zihan said, unsatisfied with the fight.
Well, it was boring, considering that his opponent was a Golden Core cultivator.
But it had also made something clear—with all his artifacts equipped and his tempered body, he could take on even Golden Core-level enemies.
Although he wasn’t arrogant enough to think he could take on every Golden Core cultivator, Fang Jinyan was just a mediocre one without many trump cards.
He also let his anger cloud his judgment, which made the fight much easier.
If it had been a protagonist Golden Core cultivator, they would’ve shown trump card after trump card.
Let alone Bai Zihan, who was just at the Core Condensation Stage—even a Nascent Soul cultivator might suffer.
That was the terrifying thing about protagonists.
Their trump cards were endless, and even if you managed to defeat them, killing them was another story entirely—with some senior, master, or love interest always swooping in to save them.
Fang Jinyan clearly didn’t have a single protagonist perk.
"Wasn’t there another one?"
Bai Zihan muttered as he looked around, searching for the other Inner Disciple who had stayed behind—the one who had challenged him earlier.
It was clear he had been in cahoots with Fang Jinyan.
Kong Zhanhong suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"That was excellent. As expected from Young Master Bai Zihan, who is rumored to have defeated Li Feng. I underestimated you. Even the Head Disciple was no match! You must be the number one genius in the Desolate Heaven Empire—no, in the whole world!"
Kong Zhanhong immediately began kissing up to Bai Zihan.
"No wonder Master Qinglan directly accepted you as an Inner Disciple. Even taking you in as a Core Disciple wouldn’t be wrong!"
Bai Zihan’s brow arched ever so slightly as he looked at Kong Zhanhong’s groveling display.
The flattery was thick enough to suffocate a man.
"Oh?" he said lazily, wiping his blade clean before returning it to his spatial ring.
"You weren’t saying that earlier when you wanted to challenge me. Something about sparring to ’know each other,’ wasn’t it?"
Kong Zhanhong’s face twitched, but he recovered quickly, slapping on a bright, obsequious smile.
"That was before I had the honor of witnessing your divine prowess, Young Master Bai!" he said, voice full of reverence.
"A mere ant like me—how could I have dared to presume?"
He bowed so low his forehead nearly touched the cracked floor of the pavilion.
Bai Zihan didn’t respond immediately.
He stepped past Fang Jinyan’s unconscious form and slowly descended the pavilion steps, hands clasped behind his back like he was taking a leisurely stroll rather than walking away from a duel.
Kong Zhanhong scrambled to follow.
"I-I never had any ill intentions," he said hurriedly.
"It was all Fang Jinyan’s idea. I didn’t want to, but he threatened to revoke my cultivation resources. Young Master, please believe me!"
Bai Zihan paused, his back still turned. His voice was soft, almost casual.
Kong Zhanhong nodded like a chicken pecking rice.
"Yes! Yes, that’s exactly how it happened! I was forced!"
There was a brief silence.
"Well, no matter. Do you know why Fang Jinyan targeted me?"
Since Kong Zhanhong was being so submissive, he decided not to take action—for now.
Besides, it would be useful to have someone like Kong Zhanhong around. After all, he was still new to the Heaven Sword Sect.
"I’m not sure, Young Master!"
Kong Zhanhong answered.
That caused Bai Zihan to frown.
Thinking Bai Zihan was angry, Kong Zhanhong quickly added.
"But I think—just as Young Master Bai suspects—it must have something to do with Shen Liang! I saw Fang Jinyan going to Shen Liang’s courtyard yesterday before he gave us the order."
"Also, the sword Fang Jinyan used against you—it belonged to Shen Liang. He must’ve given it to him specifically to cause you trouble, Young Master."
"Hmm... Shen Liang, Shen Liang," Bai Zihan mused darkly.
"It looks like suffering once wasn’t enough for him."