The moment Bai Zihan accepted the duel, an audible gasp swept through the hall.
The Bai Clan elders stiffened, their expressions twisting into a mix of disbelief and barely restrained panic.
They all clearly thought that Bai Zihan had fallen for the tactics of Mo Yichen and was trying to get himself humiliated.
Hook, line, and sinker!
He’s fallen for it, they thought grimly.
Rather than showing that they were a clan to be feared, their reputation might plummet—and their enemies would surely capitalize on that, saying the mighty Bai Clan couldn’t even destroy a small clan like the Mei Clan.
And if the Bai Clan didn’t keep their word and continue to destroy the Mei Clan?
Their credibility would plummet further, which had already taken a hit due to Bai Xueqing’s canceled engagement.
Of course, there was a way to kill everyone and leave no evidence, but who knows?
There are a lot of ways to convey evidence even on the brink of death, and they couldn’t take that chance.
Their safest bet was to not even entertain the idea of accepting the challenge—especially not from a known genius like Mo Yichen.
But Bai Zihan had already accepted it.
Many of them sighed in disappointment.
Their young master, who had seemingly changed, was still the same arrogant fool who couldn’t see past his pride—or so they thought.
However, Grand Elder Bai Ren showed no such sign of concern. He was watching Bai Zihan’s actions without missing a beat.
With how Bai Zihan had performed at the Heaven Sword Sect and how he handled Shen Liang, Bai Ren knew this boy was no fool.
He wouldn’t walk into an enemy’s trap without something to back it up.
(Don’t disappoint me!)
Grand Elder Bai Ren thought.
On the other side, Mei Yunhe was trying very hard not to let a grin creep onto his face.
(He accepted… He actually accepted!)
He glanced at Mo Yichen, eyes flickering with a mix of hope and desperation.
It was the complete opposite of his earlier attitude, when he’d been furious with Mo Yichen’s behavior.
Now? He thought it was a good thing that Mo Yichen had been so provocative—because Bai Zihan had swallowed the bait.
(If Mo Yichen really can beat Bai Zihan, then we won’t need to worry about the Bai Clan. Haha… I can even accept taking him as my son-in-law!)
Mei Yunhe thought excitedly, his hope rekindled.
He also knew why Mo Yichen had dared to provoke even the Bai Clan—he was after his daughter, Mei Rulan.
Previously, although Mo Yichen was very talent and someone he wanted in his clan, his poor background has made him hesitate.
However, if he manage to save Mei Clan from this great calamity, then he wouldn’t mind helping Mo Yichen win his daugthers heart.
Similar thoughts were shared by the other Mei Clan members.
Everyone had seen with their own eyes just how powerful Mo Yichen was—even opponents at the same cultivation level wouldn’t be able to defeat him.
And on the other hand, despite Bai Zihan’s recent fame, one thing hadn’t changed since his days of infamy: his cultivation.
Everyone thought he was still in the Core Formation Stage, which he’d barely reached last year.
Even if he was a talented genius, no one believed he could be beyond the Core Condensation Stage.
And even if they were at the same cultivation level, most would still feel confident against him—let alone when they assumed there was a massive gap in culitvation too.
So, they all believed Bai Zihan stood no chance against Mo Yichen.
And unlike Li Feng, whom Bai Zihan beat up during the engagement ceremony, Mo Yichen hadn’t promised to seal his cultivation.
It was a 100% guaranteed loss.
It wasn’t even a question.
In Mei Yunhe’s eyes, this wasn’t a duel. It was a gift—a golden opportunity.
He exhaled softly, some of the tension in his shoulders melting away as he turned to the Mei Clan elders nearby.
They looked just as relieved, quietly nodding to themselves.
Of course, they didn’t show it. The Mei Clan elders kept their expressions calm and respectful—because even if Mo Yichen won, that didn’t give them the right to mock or insult the Bai Clan.
They knew better. If word of this duel spread in the wrong way, who knew what kind of retaliation the Bai Clan might unleash next time?
So, while there was hope blooming in the Mei Clan’s hearts, they were still walking on thin ice.
Well, that only applied to the experienced and wise elders. The younger Mei Clan disciples couldn’t hide their excitement—their happy, eager smiles said it all.
Mo Yichen stood tall, sword in hand, eyes burning with righteous fire.
He felt the confidence radiating from the Mei Clan and gave them a slight nod—especially when Mei Rulan looked at him with trusting eyes.
He would win. Of course, he would.
He was already imagining the glory that awaited him after defeating Bai Zihan.
Across from him, Bai Zihan stopped a few paces away, his hands lazily tucked behind his back.
He was trying hard not to smirk. He knew exactly what was going through everyone’s heads as they looked down on him.
He didn’t care if they underestimated him—but if even a so-called Heaven’s Chosen did it, only to die pathetically…
Well, that would be kind of disappointing.
Bai Zihan stood up and proceeded to head towards Mo Yichen.
The Bai Clan elders only grew more distressed. They turned to the Grand Elder, who still hadn’t said a word, his face like stone.
But it didn’t seem like he was going to stop Bai Zihan.
’Are we really about to lose face like this?’
That was the thought in every disciple and elder’s mind.
None of them understood why Bai Zihan had agreed to this farce.
None of them believed he could win.
They had come here to crush the Mei Clan underfoot. Instead, their young master was walking right into a trap—blinded by pride.
At least, that’s what everyone thought.
“I’ll give you this,” Mo Yichen said, voice loud enough for the crowd to hear.
“At least you’ve got the guts to face me head-on. I’ve met plenty of young masters who hide behind their clan’s name, bark orders, and then run when shit gets real.”
Murmurs spread through the Mei Clan ranks, some elders nodding in approval.
It almost sounded like Mo Yichen was trying to give Bai Zihan a shred of respect before publicly crushing him.
But Bai Zihan?
He just… laughed.
A genuine, amused laugh.
Not the fake kind you put on to save face.
The kind that says, “You poor idiot. You have no idea what’s coming.”
“Haha…”
Bai Zihan chuckled, finally raising a hand to hide the smirk tugging at his lips.
“You’re really something, you know that?”
Mo Yichen’s brow twitched.
He had just praised Bai Zihan for his courage—and was getting laughed for it?
“What’s so funny?”
Mo Yichen asked, frowning.
Bai Zihan dropped his hand and stared straight at him, eyes sharp as blades.
“You stand there, acting all righteous, tossing compliments like you’re doing me a favor. Saying I’ve got guts.”
He stepped forward slightly, still calm, still composed—but now cold and mocking.
“Shouldn’t I be saying that to you? You have the guts to challenge me with your meager strength?”
Mo Yichen’s jaw tightened.
“A loser like you getting a chance at me—and actually having the guts to face death head-on. Of course, I should be the one complimenting your bravery,”
Bai Zihan said with a straight face, as if he were merely stating a fact.
Not that anyone took those words seriously.
Except for one.
Mei Rulan.
She had already learned the hard way that Bai Zihan wasn’t the waste that everyone made him out to be.
He was insidious—his schemes deeper than the ocean.
When he spoke, it always sounded like a joke or a vague threat. But wasn’t it always the truth in the end?
Otherwise, how had she brought such a disaster down on her own clan?
Wasn’t it because she thought Bai Zihan’s words were just empty talk?
Even so, she pushed aside her pessimistic thoughts and focused on what mattered now.
If Mo Yichen could win, her clan might avoid being crushed by Bai Zihan.
And with how Bai Zihan had always kept his word so far, she believed he would do the same this time too.
“You arrogant bastard—!”
Mo Yichen said angrily.
The terrible memories came rushing back—times when he was mocked and looked down upon.
Back before he got the artifact that changed everything.
Sure, he always believed it was his talent and hard work that led him to it. And yeah, that was partly true.
But the artifact would’ve been powerful with or without him. The same couldn’t be said for him without it.
Ever since then, no one had dared to look down on him.
His fame had spread across the Desolate Heaven Empire, and even first-rate clans wanted to recruit him.
But once again there was looking down on him and the one looking down on him was the infamous waste of the Bai Clan.
“I just hope you’re not all bark and no bite. If you can’t even last ten minutes… I’ll be really disappointed.”
Bai Zihan said.
Mo Yichen’s killing intent surged.
“You really think you can beat me?”
He spat, stepping forward with a glare that could melt steel.
“Bai Zihan, you overestimate yourself!”