Chapter 2370: Aloof Sword Cultivator and His Natal Sword Spirit 14

Pearl Curtain Town, at the base of the broken cliff.

The bottom of the immeasurably deep giant rift valley is now bustling with voices.

Various colored spiritual lights flickered; the faint glow of talismans, the patterns of formation disks, and the icy gleam of swords intertwined, casting the originally gloomy cliff base into an eerie, fantastical illumination.

The air was permeated with tension, greed, and anxiety.

Around the cliff walls gathered no fewer than a hundred cultivators—talisman practitioners, formation masters, beast tamers all present, but the most numerous were the sword cultivators carrying long swords.

Among them, the group from the Tianyan Sect, with flowing robes and extraordinary bearing, instantly became the focus of the entire gathering.

Liu Qingcheng stood beside Yunze, seeing the many cultivators, a hint of calculation flashed in his eyes.

"Second Senior Brother!" he called toward Xie Qingmo's direction, "You didn't just subdue a powerful treasure‑seeking demon beast, did you? Even if that troublemaking great demon hasn't shown itself yet, let it come out and search—maybe it'll bring us an unexpected surprise, letting everyone broaden their horizons!"

"After all, as the leaders of the orthodox path, our Tianyan Sect can't let everyone leave empty‑handed!"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the cultivators were startled.

"Treasure‑seeking demon beast?!"

"Do the Tianyan Sect people have such a treasure?"

"Hiss… this is a rare, priceless treasure!"

Around them, involuntary exclamations and greedy whispers burst forth instantly.

Countless gazes instantly turned scorching hot, fixed on Xie Qingmo, more precisely on the spirit‑beast pouch hanging at his waist.

Among them were many rogue cultivators with cold auras and flickering eyes, their gazes full of covetousness.

Jin Chen clicked his tongue, "Xie Qingmo, why not just kill this person?"

One strike settles it all.

Xie Qingmo's heart had just risen a hint of anger, but hearing Jin Chen's dissatisfied tone, he instead curled his lips.

Liu Qingcheng! You…

Xingyan turned blue with fury, never expecting Liu Qingcheng to blurt out such deadly news in this setting, before so many people!

This isn't just putting the Second Senior Brother over a fire to roast, is it!

He pointed at Liu Qingcheng, his words stuck in his throat, his chest feeling suffocated, unnamed fire surging upward, yet seeing Liu Qingcheng's instant flash of innocent red eyes, his reproachful words got stuck, nearly giving him internal injury.

Xingyan pounded his chest, a flash of bewilderment in his eyes, nearly giving himself internal injury from holding it in.

Xie Qingmo's expression unchanged, he swept his gaze toward Liu Qingcheng, "What does this have to do with you."

He no longer looked at Liu Qingcheng's feigned innocence, instead speaking directly to Yunze: "Senior Brother, this place is crowded and mixed, prone to trouble. Let's split up."

"Xingyan, Shiyan, follow me." Finally, he gave Yunze a deep look, implying, "Keep an eye on Liu Qingcheng."

Lan Yi, who wasn't called, pressed her lips, glanced at Yunze, then at Liu Qingcheng, frowning.

Next time I should stand closer to the Second Senior Brother.

Xie Qingmo turned and headed toward the relatively secluded pile of rocks at the cliff base; Xingyan and Shiyan immediately followed.

Sure enough, they had barely gone a short distance when several figures, like clinging parasites, silently tailed them and blocked the way ahead.

The leader was a burly man with a scar on his face, his eyes greedy as they fixed on Xie Qingmo's spirit‑beast pouch, he hehe‑laughed: "Even the Tianyan Sect's elite disciple has a treasure‑seeking magic beast? Bring it out for us brothers to see."

Xie Qingmo's steps didn't halt, nor did he even bother to spare them a glance.

"Xie Qingmo, call me good brother and I'll help you beat them." Jin Chen, however, spoke from within his sea of consciousness.

Xie Qingmo nearly stumbled.

He truly didn't understand: a sword spirit born of sword qi, why was Jin Chen so… unorthodox.

"Just rats, no need to pay them heed." He said.

Jin Chen didn't care at all.

The Chen sword hanging at Xie Qingmo's waist suddenly unsheathed itself, its blade wrapped in peerless, fierce sword qi, boldly slashing at those few clueless rogue cultivators.

"Golden Core stage sword qi?!"

"Not good! Retreat!" The scar‑faced men's expressions changed drastically, they hastily flung out magical artifacts to block.

Yet the momentum of the Chen sword was like cutting through rotting wood!

Clang! Crack!

The sound of magical artifacts shattering, cries of pain, and the thud of bodies hitting rock rang out instantly.

Those few blocking rogue cultivators couldn't even withstand a single move before being swept away by the Chen sword's violent sword qi, crashing to the ground in disarray, spitting blood, terrified as they gazed at the ancient sword hovering mid‑air, emitting a chilling, gloomy light.

The Chen sword traced a frigid arc in the air, like a guardian deity, steadily hovering a step behind Xie Qingmo, its tip pointing obliquely at the ground, humming with a warning vibration.

A low, cold voice echoed from the void.

"Those who follow behind, bear the consequences."

The entire cliff base seemed to fall silent for a moment.

All cultivators who witnessed this scene looked at the ancient sword hovering behind Xie Qingmo, imbued with fierce sentience, their eyes filled with deep apprehension.

"Good… what a strong sword!"

"... It has spawned sentience, protecting its master on its own!"

Xingyan and Shiyan exchanged glances, also greatly shocked.

The Second Senior Brother's sword not only has sentience, it can even speak!

Upon reaching deep within the rock pile, Xingyan finally drew a deep breath, vigorously patting his chest, his face showing lingering fright and after‑effects.

He looked at Xie Qingmo, "Huu… I was almost suffocated! Just now, little junior brother… how could he say that? Isn't he deliberately inviting disaster for you? I… I wanted to scold him, but the words got stuck in my throat for no reason, truly weird!"

Xie Qingmo halted his steps, gazing at Xingyan's red‑held‑in face, and sighed lightly, "From now on, stay away from him."

Liu Qingcheng's strange ability affects the weak‑willed too greatly.

Xingyan nodded eagerly, finally believing, like a chick pecking grain, "Mmm mmm! Got it, Second Senior Brother!"

He then turned his gaze to the Chen sword hovering behind Xie Qingmo, "Second Senior Brother, your sword… is it too powerful? Could… could you let me have a look?"

Xing Yan carefully extended his finger, wanting to touch the sword hilt.

The Chen sword's body trembled slightly, letting out a soft hum; its tip deviated extremely slightly toward the direction opposite Xing Yan.

"Xie Qingmo……" Jin Chen Youyou said softly.

Xie Qingmo's eye corners twitched slightly, he raised his hand, pressed it against Xing Yan's outstretched wrist, "He doesn't like it."

Xing Yan felt somewhat disappointed, but also understandingly nodded, "Oh……"

He stroked his own sword, "I don't know when my sword will become this powerful, and even be able to speak."

Shi Yan also nodded.

Suddenly, a deafening roar filled with violence and ferocity, like a thunderclap, erupted from the huge dark cavern deep at the base of the cliff, accompanied by a rich, suffocating stench of demonic aura.

Countless rocks were shaken and rattled down; cultivators with slightly weaker cultivation were directly shaken, their qi and blood surging, their faces turned deathly pale.

"A great demon has appeared!"

"Quick! Over there by the cavern!"

"Set up the formation! Block it!"

Countless figures, like a swarm of locusts, rushed forward in haste toward the cavern direction.