Chapter 2363: Cold Sword Cultivator and His Natal Sword Spirit 07

At the main hall of No-Come Peak, the atmosphere was solemn. Lofty Void True Person closed seclusion for three years and emerged today; all disciples of the peak, regardless of status, must personally greet.

Xie Qingmo wore plain white clothes, standing alone at the edge of the crowd, an invisible barrier separating him from the lively sect atmosphere ahead.

He originally did not want to come, but Master is Master; the proper courtesy cannot be avoided.

Liu Qingcheng's eyes flashed with a hint of light; he instantly put on the purest smile and hurried forward, saying, "Second Senior Brother! You've finally come—we've been waiting for you."

However, Xie Qingmo did not stop his steps, passing straight by his side, leaving Liu Qingcheng frozen in place, his outstretched hand awkwardly hanging in midair.

"Second Senior Brother!" Shi Yan called out sincerely, his voice tinged with simple, honest joy.

Xie Qingmo nodded toward Shi Yan's direction, counting it as a response.

The differential treatment was too obvious; seeing this, Liu Qingcheng's smile almost slipped, a flash of malice crossing his eyes, his suspicion growing even stronger.

Why! Why is it specifically Xie Qingmo!

Everyone on No-Come Peak, including Master, doted on him extra, allowing him to silently draw in Qi Luck and Spiritual Power.

Only Xie Qingmo, like an immovable stone.

What shocked Liu Qingcheng even more was that the Qi Luck surrounding Xie Qingmo now was even stronger than before; he could only watch, unable to absorb it, making him feel terrible.

Xie Qingmo's Chen Sword at his waist trembled slightly; Jin Chen yawned inside his Sea of Consciousness, reminding him, "Xie Qingmo, stay away from that thing—this person is very sinister."

Xie Qingmo curled the corner of his lips, softly humming in his Sea of Consciousness.

"Master should be out soon." Yun Che broke the awkwardness, his gaze shifting between Xie Qingmo and Liu Qingcheng, intending to ease things, "Liu Qingcheng, you didn't prepare a gift, did you?"

Liu Qingcheng suppressed the surging jealousy and doubt in his heart, quickly adjusted his expression, and, like a conjurer, produced several exquisite Jade Pendants with flowing spiritual light.

"Yes, I specially sought some small trinkets that nurture spiritual veins; I hope nobody minds them."

"These are Heart-Protecting Pendants carved from Cold Pond Jade; I inscribed a protective formation on each piece."

Liu Qingcheng first handed the most exquisite one to Yun Che, saying, "Eldest Senior Brother often goes down the mountain to exterminate demons; this can block a single Golden Core Stage attack."

Yun Che's face showed emotion; Xingyan eagerly opened its own box, "Junior Brother, you're so thoughtful!"

Xie Qingmo coldly watched the Jade Pendants being distributed, his brows slightly furrowed.

When the brocade box was handed to him, Liu Qingcheng's voice was especially sincere, "Second Senior Brother, I was immature before......"

This time, Xie Qingmo rarely did not ignore it.

He lowered his gaze, his eyes landing on that Jade Pendant; his slender fingers actually rose, as if to receive it.

Jin Chen couldn't believe it, "Xie Qingmo, don't pick up trash."

Xie Qingmo's fingers paused just before touching the Jade Pendant; his divine sense calmly asked Jin Chen, "What can you see?"

"It absorbs Qi Luck, devours Spiritual Power—whoever wears it suffers misfortune."

Jin Chen recited according to the original plot, "Accepting it means becoming Liu Qingcheng's furnace cauldron; all cultivated spiritual energy will be absorbed by him."

Seeing other senior brothers already had their Jade Pendants tied at their waists, Xie Qingmo's heart sank; he was about to speak, but Jin Chen stopped him.

"If you say it outright, they won't believe you; Xie Qingmo, you'll be blamed instead." Jin Chen shook his head in his Sea of Consciousness.

My straightforward wife.

Xie Qingmo's eyelids twitched slightly; his inner heart was not very calm.

"Then... what should we do?" he asked Jin Chen.

Jin Chen thought, "Exchange with Liu Qingcheng; the piece at his waist is the Mother Pendant, which absorbs your cultivated spiritual energy, then......"

Xie Qingmo understood tacitly.

Liu Qingcheng saw Xie Qingmo pause, thinking he was moved, about to add fuel, but saw Xie Qingmo suddenly lift his eyes.

"Junior Brother Liu." Xie Qingmo suddenly spoke, his voice icy, "I will exchange one with you."

Liu Qingcheng's fingers tying the knot trembled violently; he forced a smile, "Second Senior Brother, you're joking—this piece is of poor quality, just an ordinary ornament, far inferior to the one you prepared for Senior Brother......"

Xie Qingmo's brows rose slightly; his icy tone revealed no emotion, "Poor quality? Then we should exchange all the more—I, as Senior Brother, cannot let you wear inferior goods."

The panic on Liu Qingcheng's face was too obvious; even the usually steady Yun Che sensed something odd.

Seeing Xie Qingmo proactively propose, he thought it a rare chance to ease relations, and said, "Liu Qingcheng, since Second Senior Brother likes it, go ahead and exchange with him. It's merely a token of intent, no distinction of value."

Liu Qingcheng: "......"

Eldest Senior Brother having spoken, Liu Qingcheng found himself unable to dismount.

His face looked as unpleasant as having swallowed a fly, sweat even beading on his forehead; under everyone's puzzled gazes, he could only tremble, reluctantly unlatching his own waist Jade Pendant.

However, before Liu Qingcheng could devise a countermeasure, Xie Qingmo already reached out to receive it, suddenly letting go at the moment of exchange.

At the moment the Jade Pendant fell to the ground, a sword qi silently arrived.

Pat!

Shards of jade scattered, several wisps of black smoke seeping from the cracks.

Everyone's waist Jade Pendants exploded simultaneously, strands of black qi writhing like poisonous snakes before dissipating.

Liu Qingcheng staggered backward, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

Everyone stared in shock at the jade littering the ground, then at Liu Qingcheng.

Xie Qingmo lowered his gaze to watch the residual jade on the ground gradually turn to ash.

"Well done." Jin Chen chuckled, then turned to settle accounts, "But you seemed to deliberately brush his fingers just now."

Xie Qingmo: "......"

He helplessly explained, "I wanted to test whether Liu Qingcheng is a demon clan member."

Jin Chen deeply agreed, "Maybe."

The streak of crimson at Liu Qingcheng's mouth corner was glaringly conspicuous.

His face turned deathly pale; looking at the jade smoking black smoke on the ground, then meeting the doubtful gazes of the senior brothers and sisters, his head buzzed—he was utterly unable to explain himself.

"This... this Jade Pendant..." Liu Qingcheng's voice trembled, cold sweat instantly soaking his back.

"Junior Brother Liu." Xie Qingmo's icy voice rang out, cutting off his incoherent words at just the right moment.

He had no expression on his face, even proactively spoke to defuse, "You might have been deceived; this Jade Pendant contains an extremely yin-harmful formation, it may secretly absorb and devour the wearer's Spiritual Power foundation."

Xie Qingmo paused, his gaze sweeping over the fellow disciples with varied complexions, "That black qi just now was sinister and abnormal; it is certainly not something of the orthodox path."

Liu Qingcheng clung to it like a lifeline, nodding hurriedly, his voice trembling with the relief of having survived a disaster.

"Yes! Yes! Second senior brother is right! It must be that jade-selling swindler who deceived me! I… I had no idea at all! I meant well, how could I… how could I harm my senior brothers and sisters?"

As he spoke, his eye rims quickly reddened, feeling wronged as if he had suffered a tremendous injustice.

Xie Qingmo looked at him, curled the corner of his mouth, gave a slight nod, and said nothing more.

No need to say more; Liu Qingcheng's hasty attempt to clear himself, his explanation full of holes and that inexplicable anomaly, were already enough to let suspicion take root in the hearts of his fellow disciples.

Lan Yi frowned slightly, pinching up the powder left from the shattered Jade Pendant at her waist, lost in thought.

Just then, the heavy stone door of the quiet chamber let out a low rumble and slowly opened.