SMACK! SMACK!
Disregarding everything, Bai Zihan continued to beat up Li Feng.
The faces of the Li Clan changed faster than lightning.
One moment, they were gloating and smiling, and the next, their expressions turned devastated and grim.
The Zhao Clan wasn’t faring much better, but at least it wasn’t their clan that was being humiliated.
Who could have ever thought that Bai Zihan was so powerful that he had defeated Li Feng with a single punch?
Zhao Chen’s face turned pale as he watched Li Feng get thrashed like a helpless child.
Gritting his teeth, he finally stepped forward. But he knew that the moment he did, their plan had already failed.
Now, all he could do was salvage the situation and make Li Feng suffer less, or else he might be implicated by the Li Clan for not helping when Li Feng was being humiliated.
“That’s enough, Bai Zihan!”
He snapped, his aura surging.
“You’ve won! There’s no need to continue—”
“Oh?”
Bai Zihan interrupted, tilting his head.
His smirk widened, eyes gleaming with amusement.
“But Zhao Chen, didn’t you just say that Li Feng is deeply in love with Chu Ziyan? Shouldn’t he endure this pain for the sake of love?”
Zhao Chen’s expression froze.
Bai Zihan chuckled darkly.
“I don’t think he will give up so easily. He should still be able to endure more for his love!”
He turned back to Li Feng, who was whimpering on the ground, his face swollen and bruised.
“This is nothing compared to the pain of unrequited love.”
With that, Bai Zihan raised his foot—
And stomped down hard.
“AAAAAHHHH!!”
Li Feng’s scream pierced through the entire hall.
“Will you stop screaming like a little girl and take it like a man? Otherwise, you won’t look good in front of Chu Ziyan!”
PUNCH!
It seemed like despite Li Feng’s condition—being unable to fight back and already covered in injuries—Bai Zihan still had no intention of letting him go.
Li Feng also wanted to give up and surrender, but whenever he tried, Bai Zihan would smack him in the face, making him unable to concede.
Just as Bai Zihan was about to land another punch—
BOOM!
A powerful surge of Qi erupted from the Li Clan’s side, shaking the entire hall.
“Enough!!”
A thunderous voice echoed like a storm rolling through the room.
The guests shuddered as an overbearing aura descended upon them. Even the weaker cultivators felt suffocated under its immense pressure.
A figure shot forward like a meteor—Li Jianhong, the patriarch of the Li Clan and Li Feng’s father.
His expression was dark, eyes filled with seething rage.
He had been watching in silence, enduring his son’s humiliation for the sake of decorum, but Bai Zihan’s relentless beating was the final straw.
Without hesitation, Li Jianhong raised his palm, his Qi surging violently as he struck toward Bai Zihan with the full force!
The attack was ruthless—fast and fierce, aiming to crush Bai Zihan instantly!
The guests gasped.
“Li Jianhong is making a move!”
“He’s actually attacking a junior in front of everyone? Isn’t he afraid of his reputation declining?”
“A mere Core Formation Stage cultivator couldn’t possibly survive a strike from a Void Refinement Stage expert.”
…
Many guests frowned upon Li Jianhong’s behavior, but no one dared to interfere. This was a battle between the Bai and Li Clans.
However—
BOOM!
Before Li Jianhong’s strike could reach Bai Zihan, a second burst of terrifying Qi erupted!
A figure materialized like a phantom, stepping in front of Bai Zihan.
Bai Tianheng!
The Bai Clan’s patriarch—Bai Zihan’s father—had finally made his move!
CLANG!
The moment Li Jianhong’s palm strike came down, Bai Tianheng’s hand shot forward, intercepting it with ease.
A deafening shockwave spread across the hall, causing teacups to shatter and weaker cultivators to stagger backward.
The two patriarchs stood locked in place, their Qi colliding in a silent battle of dominance.
The tension was suffocating—as expected from a clash between two Void Refinement Stage experts.
This was a confrontation between the strongest figures in the Desolate Heaven Empire.
Bai Tianheng’s gaze was calm but sharp as he stared down Li Jianhong.
“Patriarch Li,” he spoke slowly, his voice laced with authority.
“Are you seriously making a move against a junior in front of all these esteemed guests?”
Li Jianhong’s face was cold, his fury barely restrained.
“Bai Tianheng, your son has gone too far! There is a limit to everything! Do you expect me to just sit back and watch?”
Bai Tianheng didn’t budge. His grip on Li Jianhong’s palm remained firm, unyielding.
“And what of your son?”
Bai Tianheng asked coolly.
“Was it not he who challenged my Zihan? Why didn’t you stop him then?”
He narrowed his eyes.
“Or are you telling me that the Li Clan can dish out challenges but cannot accept the consequences?”
Li Jianhong’s expression twisted.
“You—!”
Bai Tianheng’s Qi flared subtly, exerting invisible pressure.
“If you insist on attacking my son,” he said, his voice turning icy, “then don’t blame me for not showing mercy.”
The meaning was clear.
If Li Jianhong attacked Bai Zihan, then Bai Tianheng would retaliate without holding back. Perhaps it could be the start of the war between the two clans.
The entire hall turned deathly silent.
The Zhao Clan, who had been enjoying the spectacle moments ago, now watched anxiously.
This was not part of the plan. Even if Li Feng had humiliated Bai Zihan, it should have been a fight between juniors—not something requiring the intervention of elders.
However, what Li Jianhong was doing was essentially escalating the conflict and turning it into a much larger issue—something the Zhao Clan did not want.
Zhao Chen clenched his fists. With the involvement of the Clan Leaders, there was no place for a junior like him.
Meanwhile, Bai Zihan casually dusted off his sleeves, looking completely unbothered.
He glanced at Li Feng, who was still groaning on the floor, and smirked.
“Patriarch Li,” he said lazily.
“Are you sure you want to interfere? Do you truly want to be the one to destroy your son’s love?”
Li Jianhong’s fingers trembled with rage.
That love story was just an excuse to interfere with the engagement, but Bai Zihan had been using that story to his advantage to keep attacking his son.
He wanted nothing more than to crush this arrogant brat, but he knew Bai Tianheng wasn’t an easy opponent.
Moreover, although they had similar cultivation levels, Bai Tianheng had always been stronger, and the earlier confrontation proved that he was still superior.
“Tch!”
After a long silence, Li Jianhong withdrew his hand.
“Hmph!”
Bai Tianheng released his grip as well, but his gaze remained sharp.
“You brat! You should know when to stop. Li Feng has already lost!”
Li Jianhong said angrily.
“Oh? So be it. I also don’t have any interest in beating up weaklings.”
Bai Zihan said casually, further angering Li Jianhong.
Li Jianhong gave Bai Zihan a final glare before turning to his son.
“Li Feng,” he said coldly. “Stand up!”
Li Feng, still in pain, trembled as he tried to push himself up.
His legs were weak, his vision spun, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand.
The once-proud genius of the Li Clan looked nothing like before.
Defeated!
Humiliated!
Broken!
The guests whispered among themselves.
“Li Feng lost so miserably.”
“Who would have thought Bai Zihan was this strong?”
“What a turn of events…”
Bai Zihan yawned, stretching his arms lazily.
Li Feng’s fists clenched, his nails digging into his palms. His shame burned hotter than his wounds.
With one last glare at Bai Zihan, he turned and walked away, his steps unsteady.
The fight was over.
And the one who stood victorious was Bai Zihan.