The winds of change swept across the Desolate Heaven Empire like a plague of whispers.
The ancient ruins had barely cooled before messengers burst into motion—jade slips flashing across distant sects and spirit birds darting across provinces with sealed messages.
From the smallest rogue cultivator hideouts to the highest thrones of immortal sects—everyone was talking about one thing:
The Immortal Emperor’s Inheritance…
“What? The Ancient Ruins belonged to the Immortal Emperor? I thought the Immortal Emperor was just a myth!”
“Damn! I should’ve joined the expedition!”
“You? With what power? Didn’t you hear? A bunch of geniuses died there!”
“I heard most of them were killed by Bai Zihan, not by the Trials themselves.”
“Anyway… who ended up getting the Inheritance?”
…
And the answer? It had fallen into Bai Xinyue’s hands!
“Huh… so the Immortal Emperor’s Inheritance ended up with the Bai Clan?”
“I thought Bai Xinyue had a bad relationship with her clan. Why would she return if she hated them?”
“Some say Bai Zihan gave up the Inheritance to make up for what they did to her.”
“Bullsh*t! No one in their right mind would give up an Immortal Emperor’s Inheritance. But… if he did do that, maybe they made peace?”
“Either way, if one wants to kill Bai Xinyue… They will have to deal with the entire Bai Clan.”
…
Conversations like this echoed across the Empire—and likely beyond.
The Demonic Sects weren’t thrilled either.
The Bai Clan had always been their enemy, and now they couldn’t afford to let Bai Xinyue grow stronger—especially when she still has the ’Bai’ in her name.
Then there was also Bai Zihan’s feat that was being talked about everywhere along with Immortal Inheritance.
To many, it was hard to believe.
That infamous waste, once mocked for draining resources, had done what?
Humiliated Mo Tianji, the Saint of the Demonic Sect!
Survived an attack from the Third Demon General, Gou You!
Threatened every powerhouse present there!
Any one of those feats would have made headlines.
But Bai Zihan did all three.
At first, people laughed it off as a rumor. But the more they heard it—from different people, from multiple sects—the more undeniable it became.
The Desolate Heaven Empire was in chaos.
Meanwhile, the Bai Clan was celebrating.
“Haha… Young Master made fools out of everyone! Especially Mo Tianji, he probably can’t even show his face anymore!”
“I still don’t get how the Young Master did it. One snap of his fingers and top-tier geniuses were dead!”
“I wish he’d killed everyone from the Li and Zhao Clans while he was at it!”
“Heh, maybe he didn’t even see them as worthy. With how the Bai Clan is rising… What are the Li and Zhao Clans? Just bugs waiting to bow!”
…
The estate was full of praise for Bai Zihan. The mood was festive.
However, the mention of Bai Xinyue was kept to whispers—it was still a sensitive subject.
But that didn’t stop the servants from talking to each other in secret.
“I heard Miss Bai Xinyue is back. And she got the Inheritance from the Ancient Ruins!”
“Yeah, I heard Young Master Bai Zihan brought her back himself!”
“What? I thought he hated her. Wasn’t he the reason she was exiled?”
“Maybe… who knows what the Young Master is thinking these days.”
…
While gossip spread, Bai Ren and Bai Zihan stood before Bai Tianheng.
Bai Ren gave a full report—what had happened after months of waiting, and the final battle that unfolded.
As he praised Bai Zihan, Bai Tianheng stared at his son in disbelief. Sometimes his eyes seemed to ask, Are you really my son?
He already knew Zihan wasn’t the same waste he once was.
But even so, this level of achievement? Threatening elders on par with Bai Tianheng himself?
“Just how did you do it?”
Tianheng’s voice was low, almost cautious.
He clearly meant the strange killings—how Zihan had taken down geniuses without anyone knowing how or being able to stop it.
Bai Ren also leaned in, equally curious. Even with all his years of experience, he had never seen something like that.
“Let’s just say I have my ways,” Bai Zihan replied.
Not that he didn’t want to explain—but even if he did say it was thanks to an artifact, they’d just dig deeper: Where did you get it? How does it work? Can it be copied?
He didn’t feel like getting interrogated today.
Bai Tianheng let it go.
But there was one more thing he needed to ask.
“Zihan’er… did you really give up the Immortal Emperor’s Inheritance? Was that your way of compensating Bai Xinyue… for what your mother did?”
Bai Tianheng’s voice was gentle, probing.
“Yeah, something like that,” Bai Zihan lied with a straight face.
Explaining every detail was too much of a hassle, so he stuck with that for now.
“…”
Bai Tianheng looked complicated.
He wasn’t sure whether to praise him for doing something so noble, or scold him for being stupid enough to give up an Inheritance coveted by the entire Empire.
“Anyway,” Bai Zihan changed the topic, “you might want to see this.”
With a flick of his wrist, a divine light shimmered into the room.
Shiiing—!
A sword emerged from thin air.
Its blade was crystalline, runes of golden-red light swirling across its surface.
It radiated ancient, terrifying power.
A single glance made their souls tremble.
Saint-Grade Artifact!
The entire room fell silent.
“Th-That’s…!”
Bai Ren’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Bai Tianheng rose slowly from his seat, gaze fixed on the weapon.
“…A Saint-Grade weapon?”
He asked, though he already knew the answer. No Heaven-Grade weapon had this kind of aura.
“No doubt,” Bai Ren muttered, walking around the sword like a beast in heat.
“I’ve seen one before. That aura… it’s alive. It’s been tempered by the Laws of the World!”
He could barely contain himself.
“Zihan’er…” Bai Tianheng said seriously. “Where did you get this sword?”
“Did it come from the ruins?” Bai Ren asked quickly. “Wait—don’t tell me it was part of the Inheritance?”
Bai Zihan smiled and let the sword float beside him like a loyal dog.
“I got it as a reward—for finishing the trial first.”
Both elders leaned in, eyes gleaming.
“Well, damn,” Bai Ren muttered. “Even without the Inheritance, you still walked out with treasure like this.”
Zihan smirked again.
“And that’s not all!”
He reached into his storage ring—and pulled out a scroll.
The moment it appeared, spiritual energy surged through the room. Both elders froze.
A Heaven-Grade Cultivation Technique.
Bai Zihan didn’t need it. He already had one that was slightly better than this.
So he decided to gift this one to the Bai Clan.
After all, who knew what kind of trouble he would be in?
And when they did—having a strong Bai Clan at his back was never a bad idea.