Chapter 257: Two Tigers Cannot Share One Mountain!

"Understood!" In the reddened eyes of Old Bai, a burning desire had ignited.

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Meanwhile, Yun Beichen pondered over the Demon Continent's terrain. Clearly, he was as lost as a cat in a rainstorm, clueless about the location of the core of the Heavenly Land.

"An Exiled Sword Immortal is indeed extraordinary. He's even aware of the Heavenly Land." Yun Beichen's eyes blazed with fervor. His grandfather, Yun Xinghe, was the personal guard of Exile Ling. With this connection, as a peer, following Ling Chen would surely open vast opportunities for him.

This time, it was his grandfather who sensed Exile Ling's interest in the Heavenly Land, prompting Yun Beichen to abandon his pursuit of the Immortal Sword Rankings and lay plans early.

"Bai Changhong," Yun Beichen suddenly looked towards the Demon Continent with a far-reaching gaze. "I heard from Exile Ling that this Yun Xiao is a native of this fold world?"

"Yes! He's from the human land called the Divine Continent below." Old Bai nodded.

"Oh" Yun Beichen smiled faintly. "Then his parents, elders, brothers, and sisters must still be there, right?"

"I don't know about that. The Sword Warden said to protect the humans of the Divine Continent, and not to disturb the devils, so we didn't go down to bother them," Old Bai explained.

"Alright." Yun Beichen nodded. After a while, he casually said, "You guys stay busy, I'll take a look around."

"Young Master Beichen, do you want me to accompany you for protection?" Old Bai asked.

Yun Beichen raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you much stronger than me?"

"Not at all!" Old Bai hastily replied.

"Mind your own business!"

After saying this, Yun Beichen flew off alone on his sword, vanishing in a blink.

"Old Bai." A few Sword Judges gathered around, whispering, "Is he going down there to harm Yun Xiao's family?"

"If you don't want to die, keep your mouths shut!" Old Bai glared at them coldly.

"Understood!" The Sword Judges paled and quickly shut their mouths, exchanging glances.

"The two Exiled Sword Immortals, the Sword Warden and the Withered Bone Keeper each holding sway, like two tigers on a single mountain... The long-standing conflicts in the Eternal Sword Prison are likely to erupt."

"When two tigers fight, one is bound to get hurt. What a shame..."

"If only one were male and the other female."

In the Sword Ruins, even the most ordinary Sword Judges saw the covert struggles very clearly.

In the Heavenly Realm, night had fallen. The Supreme Marshal sat alone on the steps of the palace, gazing at the dragon throne above, lost in thought for a long time.

"It seems in this world, no man could love his daughter more than a father." The Supreme Marshal shook his head with a bitter smile. Gone without a word, without a goodbye. Beneath his burly frame, his heart bore a permanent, irreparable crack. Only in solitude did the sharp pain truly surface.

He sighed softly, rising to leave, only for a streak of starry sword energy to brush past his hair. The sword energy grazed his face, leaving behind cold trails of blood. The Supreme Marshal jerked his head up!

Unbeknownst to him, an elegant young man in a starry sword robe sat on the dragon throne. Resting his hand on the armrest, eyes closed, a faint smile played on his lips. "Yun Xiao, Divine Dawn," he murmured, "such a short tale, yet so stirring and touching."

The Supreme Marshal's pupils contracted. A Sword Cultivator! It was just as Moon Fairy had foretold.

Unfazed, the Supreme Marshal bowed slightly, asking in a low voice, "I heard a pathway to another world opened in the Demon Continent. Might you be a Sword Cultivator from a higher realm?"

"Higher realm, huh? You could say that." Yun Beichen chuckled, standing up on the steps, looking down at the Supreme Marshal with a smile. "I'm nineteen, and you?"

"Age does not define superiority," the Supreme Marshal replied, bowing deeper, admiration in his voice. "You must be the most gifted Sword Cultivator from that otherworldly place. I am honored to meet you."

"Spare me the formalities. Your son-in-law in the Sword Ruins is even more talented," Yun Beichen said flatly. His mention of Yun Xiao indicated he came prepared.

"Yun Xiao went to that otherworldly place?" the Supreme Marshal exclaimed in surprise.

"Hmm." Yun Beichen's eyes sparkled like stars, his icy demeanor unmasked as he descended the steps, hands behind his back. Finally, he stood before the Supreme Marshal, his sword energy swirling around, pressing blood marks onto the Supreme Marshal's skin.

The Supreme Marshal, slightly startled, murmured, "May I ask, sir, have I offended you in any way?"

"Not at all. But, I'm taking you to the Sword Ruins," Yun Beichen declared.

"Why? I have the heavy responsibility of protecting the Empire..." the Supreme Marshal said gravely.

GRIP!

Yun Beichen suddenly seized his neck, forcing him to kneel, then coldly chuckled. "You call this an Empire? This desolate land tucked away in the folds of the Nine Hells, inhabited by talentless, useless humans does that even qualify as an Empire?"

This grip turned the Supreme Marshal's face purple-red. Yet, he began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Yun Beichen asked, amused.

"You, a powerful human, blessed with ancestral resources, parental lineage, and the world's favor, and this is your day. Fortunate to be a human pioneer. Yet you mock your weaker kin instead of advocating for them, not slaying demons or devils, flaunting your shallow superiority before me. That kind of so-called genius is beneath the lowliest of swine." The Supreme Marshal stared at him, eyes filled with contempt.

"Oh?" Yun Beichen laughed, patting the Supreme Marshal's face with his other hand. "So you think you're useful to me, that you won't die just yet, and so you dare to be so brazen?"

"Not really, I just purely despise you." The Supreme Marshal laughed, "You're scared of my son-in-law, aren't you? That's why you stooped so low to come after his family? And you call that cultivating the Sword Dao? Even my average Sword Cultivator has more backbone than you, coward!"

"Me, scared of him?" Yun Beichen's smile slowly faded, his eyes turning as cold as a devil's.

"Or is someone directing you to do this?" the Supreme Marshal mocked.

Yun Beichen's eyebrows shot up. "Where's your daughter?" He finally revealed his true intent. If he hadn't spent ages searching for the Divine Dawn Empress and found nothing, he wouldn't have come to the father-in-law first.

"Want to know? Kill me, and I'll tell you." The Supreme Marshal looked at him mockingly.

"You really aren't afraid to die, are you? As soon as I find your daughter, you're useless to me," Yun Beichen said coldly.

"I bet you won't find her. After all, you're blind, unable to even see who the real sovereign is." The Supreme Marshal chuckled.

"You!" Yun Beichen's eyes turned ice-cold, his hand twisting fiercely!

"Phooey!" In a flash, the Supreme Marshal spat a thunderous glob of spit straight into Yun Beichen's face.

"You!" This was more lethal to Yun Beichen than a Flying Sword. He dodged to the side, his chest brimming with a deadly sword intent.

BOOM!

The Supreme Marshal erupted in a tempest of thunder, rolling on the spot, temporarily breaking free from Yun Beichen's grasp. He transformed into a bolt of lightning, dashing towards the palace exit.

"You think you can escape from a Sword Cultivator? What a laughable idea!" Yun Beichen's eyes were cold, his fingertips flicked, and a dazzling Sword Soul pierced through space, instantly targeting the back of the Supreme Marshal's head.

"Chen Xi..." In this fatal moment, the Supreme Marshal's eyes softened, filled with thoughts of his daughter. Sadly, it seemed they would never meet again.

In that instant, a silver flash cut through!

BANG!

The Supreme Marshal was sent flying, landing with a dusty thud. His eyes widened, and as he turned, he saw a silver, glowing Four-Tailed Demon Fox standing between him and Yun Beichen under the night sky! Its fur emitted a chilling, ghostly light.

"He's here!" The Supreme Marshal relaxed his body. From the moment the Sword Cultivator appeared, he had crushed the Thunder Crystal given to him by Moon Fairy. It was the discrete type that made no great disturbance when activated.

WHOOSH!

The Four-Tailed Demon Fox looked back at the Supreme Marshal. The sword wounds on his body and the blood on his neck stained the fox's eyes with a layer of red.

This was Chen Xi's closest kin in this world! Yet, this Sword Cultivator dared to kill him? If he died, and if one day she was resurrected, how would Yun Xiao explain it to her?

Yun Xiao believed the Sword Cultivators of the higher realms would never act so despicably. Yet, Yun Beichen's presence proved they were capable of stopping lower than he imagined.

"A demon?" Yun Beichen, staring at his trembling Sword Soul in his hand, furrowed his brow deeply. He couldn't believe that his Sword Soul, with 1,500 layers of Sword Aura, had been swatted away by a mere demon using its fleshly body! And a seemingly fragile fox demon at that!

"How can this barren land harbor a demon with a Demon Heart? You, a demon, saving a human?" Yun Beichen transformed his Sword Soul back into a three-foot blue blade, fixating his gaze on the Four-Tailed Demon Fox!

Before he could finish his thought, the demon fox vanished from its spot, suddenly lunging at him with a fierce visage!

"So fast!" Yun Beichen's heart skipped a beat. He tightly gripped his Starlight Sword Soul, unleashing the Stellar Sword Art against Moon Fairy. In the Mid Dao Heart Realm, his swordsmanship was already imbued with Sword Intent!

Stellar Sword Art, Shooting Star!

As Yun Beichen thrust his sword, it was as if the stars themselves were shining down, enveloping his Sword Soul. He became engulfed in celestial radiance, dazzlingly brilliant!

"A despicable demon dares to court death?" He chuckled coldly, his sword transforming into myriad stars, thousands of sword points stabbing at Moon Fairy!

"Hmm?" In the next moment, the Four-Tailed Demon Fox in his eyes seemed to transform from a demon into an entire realm! Within this realm, fire, thunder, storms, frost, and countless forces of the wild desolation swirled!

This was the Demon Heart of the Divine Desolation Demon God!

KLANG!

Yun Beichen thrust his sword, but the four-tailed fox demon, with a flash of light, bit down on the blade!

"This strength!!" Yun Beichen's face paled dramatically. He couldn't budge his sword at all! This meant Moon Fairy was stronger than him!

Yun Beichen thought to swiftly retreat, but in the next instant, the demon fox's sharp claws pierced his chest!

SPLATTER!

Moon Fairy suddenly ripped out a beating heart!

"Uh..." Yun Beichen was stunned, looking down at his blood-soaked chest, feeling his warmth fading away. "What are you..." The world turned dark. His eyes widened in disbelief, refusing to close in death.

"You see a false Exiled Sword Immortal in your eyes." Moon Fairy revealed a chillingly human-like smirk, then ferociously bit into Yun Beichen's head, tearing it right off.

Blood splattered across the great hall!

THUD!

Yun Beichen's body crashed to the ground, twitching briefly before lying still.

"Damn it!" Moon Fairy spat out the mangled remains from his mouth, looking up at the sky, his face twisted in ferocity. "Playing dirty so soon, huh? Fine, I'll play along!"