The Steward Demonic Emperor
chapter-991

Proofreader: Papatonks

“Baili clan high profound ranked martial art, Space-rending Sword!”

The opponent was a 6th layer Soul Harmony Stage youth with a fierce gaze, unleashing his most prized art at full force.

All that power, put on display just to trample a measly 3rd layer Radiant Stage cultivator.

The guards cried out, “Sir!”

Baili Yutian’s team were nonplussed, watching from the sidelines on how this turned out. There was not even a twitch as the Baili clan picked on the weak, no shame whatsoever.

Anywhere else a Soul Harmony cultivator went against a Radiant Stage cultivator like this, he’d only be ridiculed even if he won.

But since such a despicable act was done today and right before their Patriarch, the answer to why was quite simple; a test.

Baili Yutian wanted to test Devil Mountain and its overlord, to see if it was worthy of fighting it himself. This measly Radiant Stage cultivator had to just survive this deadly ordeal and Baili Yutian was going to fight Devil Mountain’s overlord one on one.

With the disciple so ungodly, the master couldn’t be that far behind either.

If the outcome would be the end of Zhuo Fan out of this, then Devil Mountain’s overlord was just an overblown rumor. Or that Zhuo Fan was a fake disciple.

He only got what was coming to him for even having the gall to trick the likes of Baili Yutian.

And so, the Baili clan simply watched the attack of one of their juniors unfold.

Zhuo Fan figured it out from the start as well, smirking and walking onward with Qiao’er like he was on a stroll.

With sword and man becoming one and heavy lightning crackling in the sky, the man wielding the power of a divine sword flashed in his face and shot his fingers at Zhuo Fan’s head even as the target simply smiled.

Baili Yutian shifted, looking disappointed.

[So this is all the Devil Mountain amounts to. The disciple is but a common cultivator…]

Whoosh!

Against the crown prince’s awe-inspiring sword attack, Zhuo Fan didn’t budge, but someone else did.

“Devil Mountain’s low profound ranked martial art, Thunder Phoenix Claw!”

A sharp cry echoed in everyone’s ears and the crown prince’s sword attack was moments away from touching Zhuo Fan’s head, even giving him a slight headache from all that power, when a purple thunder claw came out of nowhere.

It grabbed his wrist and shifted aside, making all that power hit nothing but air as the attacker even rolled three times in the air before crashing into the ground in a cloud of dust.

Not only the guards, but even Baili Yutian was shocked at the sudden development.

The crown prince was eating dirt on the grown, with the wee girl Zhuo Fan was holding before, now standing on him. Her cute and tiny hand was holding the crown prince’s spine in a vice, fine flashes of purple running through it and into the prince and holding him nice and paralyzed, prevented from even releasing his soul.

Everyone was dumbstruck, along with Invincible Sword and the Sword Kings.

This little girl wasn’t quite at peak power, but even as a seven-year-old, to handle a core member the Baili clan carefully groomed with such ease was simply insane.

Anyone would think a girl her age wasn’t even weaned. But to the Baili clan, such age would need them to be at the Bone Tempering Stage at the least.

Yet that girl right there handled a Soul Harmony expert like nothing. If that wasn’t ungodly what was? Was Devil Mountain filled with such monsters?

[Then our clan has long since lost first place in the world! We’re nothing but ants to Devil Mountain’s disciples.]

Baili Yutian squinted, worried for the first time in millennia as he began to question his strength.

[Am I really invincible on this wide green earth?]

“Aah!”

The crown prince shrieked under Qiao’er’s purple lightning as it seared his bones. He held it in for as long as he could, not wanting Patriarch to see him being weak and earn his ire for shaming the clan.

But the purple lightning was just too outrageous to begin with. Coupled with the Baili clan learning the Sundering Sword’s art, mutually exclusive with the purple lightning, the pain was just that unbearable.

In mere moments, he was screaming like a banshee.

Baili clansmen frowned, thinking of helping but never moving without Patriarch’s word.

Qiao’er giggled as she tapped his head, “This is but a taste of what I can do. This is for trying to touch my father, he-he…”

Qiao’er’ claw ramped up to a third of her power and the crown prince shrieked harder.

“Qiao’er!”

Zhuo Fan glanced over, “Let him go.”

Qiao’er paused and nodded, bowing to him, “Yes, father.”

She returned to his side, leaving the unsuccessful crown prince in his attempt, still groaning on the ground after trying to get his feet under him only to stumble again.

Qiao’er covered her giggle, while Baili Yutian was looking very dark, hinting Baili Yulei to get the useless fool back before he made them look even worse.

Baili Yutian stared at Zhuo Fan now and gave a light cup of his hands, “I’ve long heard of Devil Mountain’s resounding reputation and now that I see it for myself, I can say for certain it is beyond imagination with how even a seven-year-old girl can wield such power.”

“Sword Patriarch is too kind. Baili clan’s skills have given me a newfound respect for it, wielding such a sharp sword art is unheard of in the mortal domain. It’s all thanks to the girl here that I got to keep my head. Although…”

Zhuo Fan turned to Qiao’er, “Qiao’er, you were still slow there. Do you see the mark on my forehead? We’ll resume training when we get back!”

Qiao’er pouted and bowed, “Yes, father!”

Baili Yutian’s face twitched, his heart in anger.

[The punk knows how to talk. First praising the Baili clan’s skills then chiding his daughter for lack of training.]

This was a clear disregard to all of them.

A child just got a Baili disciple thrashed in one strike yet he was calling that slow, saying more training needed? If that wasn’t disdain what was?

[Rotten punk, that’s my line! I never thought the day would come I’ll have it used against me! God damn it!]

Annoyed to no end for being served, Baili Yutian had no choice but to bottle it in.

Till now he was strongest, he mocked the most since no one could do anything about it anyway. But now that Devil Mountain, a fresh and unknown faction, came out of the woodwork, he was left not wanting to get on their bad side, not until he knew the full extent of their power.

He had been cocky and strong his whole life, but this Invincible Sword wasn’t so blind from pride as to throw reason out the window and look back in anger.

One other reason he didn’t let anger get the best of him was Zhuo Fan.

He just couldn’t see through him, even after all the testing he did, first with Bali Yuyu and now himself. He faced everything with unshakable calm.

He first wrote it off as being the attitude of the strong, but his thinking had now changed.

[Maybe he doesn’t fear the Nine Sword Kings at all, not even me!]

Since a child from Devil Mountain was that strong, what then of the father? What of the overlord?

Invincible Sword felt sweat trickle down his brow for the first time in eons, his expression hard.

It was fear from overthinking.

[From big to small, anyone from Devil Mountain wasn’t to be messed with.]

He got so used to having his way, even disregarding the good of the empire for a moment of joy.

In other words, he always got what he wanted when he wanted. The empire could crumble for all he cared. He could just make another one.

But in regard to Devil Mountain, he was feeling scared, like it was the end to his invincibility…

Baili Yutian was pensive for a long time, making the faces of the rest of them to sink. They had never seen their Patriarch hesitating.

Zhuo Fan’s eyes shone, grinning to himself.

[I finally got to shock and awe the old man with Qiao’er. Now it’s time to have an equal, no, overbearing negotiation.]

[I can’t just have central area’s invaders show up in northern lands and ruin everything I’m after, humph…]