Chapter 2378: The Aloof Sword Cultivator and His Bound Sword Spirit 22

On the way to the Scripture Pavilion, the mountain path wound, and spiritual mist lingered.

Jin Chen had been lazily following beside Xie Qingmo, but his steps halted as he gazed toward the secluded corner of the sect's eastern plaza.

He frowned slightly, his tone cold and amused: "Tsk, such a strong… demonic aura."

Xie Qingmo instantly sensed danger, his aura tightening: "Go!"

The sect's warning-and-trapping formation in the corner flickered with faint spiritual light; at its center, a tall man was bound, his clothes torn in places, revealing ferocious wounds that stained his collar and the ground red with blood.

His face was stern, his brows etched with irrepressible brutality and killing intent; even bound by the formation, his body still exuded a potent demonic aura that made one's heart race.

Xing Yan recognized the mark on his brow, astonished: "He's one of the six demon kings, Li Wu Feng!"

Yet what shocked them more was that the one standing at the formation's edge, trying to disrupt its operation with Spiritual Power, was none other than Liu Qingcheng.

Liu Qingcheng's expression was sorrowful yet focused, as he tried to rescue Li Wu Feng, looking deeply worried.

Jin Chen crossed his arms, as if witnessing an unbelievable folly, and called out: "Hey, you over there… can you hear me? Please lower your head and take a good look."

He pointed a finger at Li Wu Feng, whose murderous aura surged within the formation, and said: "This is a demon, a genuine Great King demon who has just killed someone."

"He's not a lost kitten, nor a benevolent demon who needs you to save all beings."

Xing Yan trembled as he pointed at Liu Qingcheng, exclaiming: "Liu Qingcheng, have you gone mad! Why save a demon? And one of this level?!"

He simply could not fathom Liu Qingcheng's train of thought.

Xie Qingmo couldn't either.

But this was Liu Qingcheng, and Xie Qingmo felt that doing foolish things seemed perfectly normal for him.

Liu Qingcheng hadn't expected to be spotted; he flinched, lifted his handsome yet stubborn face, and looked at Xie Qingmo and the others.

"All beings are equal; how can I stand by and not save him? First he is a struggling mortal of the Three Realms and Six Paths, only then a demon."

Xie Qingmo, Jin Chen, Xing Yan: "……"

The three simultaneously fell into absurd Silence.

【Amitabha。】 Ling Gun Gun pressed his paws together, 【Patron, you're so foolish, so foolish。】

Even Li Wu Feng, who had been low‑growling in the formation from pain and rage, froze.

He strained to lift his head, his crimson demon eyes fixed in disbelief on the speaking Liu Qingcheng, as if looking at an utter fool whose brain had been pinched by a door.

This cultivator must be an idiot.

If a cultivator fell into demon hands, they'd surely tear his bones apart, leaving not a scrap.

Jin Chen was about to laugh from anger, pointing toward Liu Qingcheng: "It's dangerous—run!"

He genuinely felt that getting close to such a moron would be contagious.

Liu Qingcheng, however, mistook Jin Chen's concern for his own safety, saying: "Sword Spirit Sir, no need to worry; this demon fellow is gravely wounded and poses no threat…"

He hadn't finished when Jin Chen rolled his eyes: "Who cares whether you live or die?"

Jin Chen then turned to Li Wu Feng in the formation: "Hey, demon, I advise you—run if you can, this idiot wants to drag you back to be his furnace cauldron."

Li Wu Feng's spirit, weakened by severe injury, jolted; his crimson demon eyes widened instantly and he bellowed hoarsely.

"Fur… furnace cauldron?!"

You hypocritical cultivators, how can you play so dirty?!

He'd rather be strangled by the formation than be seized by a man to become some furnace cauldron—this is worse than killing him!

Just as Li Wu Feng's demonic aura surged from stimulation and he tried to break through the formation by force,

Xie Qingmo seized the moment to draw his sword, unable to tolerate Liu Qingcheng's absurd behavior any longer.

The Chen Sword left its sheath, a cold light like a thread, stabbing straight at Liu Qingcheng and Li Wu Feng.

Liu Qingcheng's face changed; he hurriedly unleashed a magical treasure to block.

The clash of late‑Golden‑Core Spiritual Power instantly stirred a gust in the plaza's corner.

Jin Chen's mouth curled with a wicked smile; though it seemed he was helping against Li Wu Feng, his sword qi was tricky, often slipping past Xie Qingmo's fierce assaults to pummel Liu Qingcheng.

Liu Qingcheng's face turned livid with rage, yet he couldn't spare the mind to blame.

Amidst this chaotic battle, a sudden change occurred.

Perhaps his severe injury triggered some life‑saving secret art; the demonic aura surrounding the imprisoned Li Wu Feng suddenly twisted violently Distorted.

His tall frame seemed compressed by an invisible force, and thick black mist instantly enveloped him.

The next second, the black mist dissipated.

At the heart of the formation's light, where was the fearsome demon Great King?

Only a small boy about ten years old remained.

The boy wore an obviously ill‑fitting dark robe, his face dirty, yet his features still hinted at Li Wu Feng's outline—all brutality and killing intent gone, leaving only a child's innocence and fear.

He sat slumped on the ground, his demon‑marked large eyes blankly scanning the surroundings, his mouth pursed as if about to cry.

Everyone:!!!!

【Great Demon Transformation！】 Ling Gun Gun exclaimed.

In the heat of battle, Xie Qingmo and Liu Qingcheng simultaneously halted, unable to believe their eyes at the tiny ball of a figure curled in the formation's center.

Xing Yan's mouth fell open.

Jin Chen also rarely raised his eyebrows, remarking: "How ugly."

Liu Qingcheng clearly saw that, on the body of the child‑formed Li Wu Feng, the already abundant fortune had become so intense it was almost substantive.

This was nothing less than a heaven‑sent supreme opportunity!

In the flash of lightning, Liu Qingcheng reacted.

Taking advantage of Xie Qingmo's lapse, he swooped like the wind and scooped Li Wu Feng into his arms.

"Don't be afraid!" Liu Qingcheng clung to the struggling little demon king, "I'll save you and get you out."

"Hold it!" Xing Yan reacted, about to rush forward to intercept.

"Don't chase." Jin Chen's lazy voice rang out.

He stopped Xingyan, his gaze falling on Liu Qingcheng holding the child and flying away swiftly.

"He wants the strong fortune on this little demon's body; the only way is to raise him as a cauldron and slowly harvest it."

Jin Chen's tone carried amusement, "But even if Liu Qingcheng could bring herself to do this……" He paused, his gaze sweeping over the clueless ten-year-old bean sprout in Liu Qingcheng's arms.

"This little thing doesn't have that ability either."

Xie Qingmo sheathed his sword.

Jin Chen grabbed Xie Qingmo's wrist, his long fingers cool as he pinched Xie Qingmo's fingers, then brushed aside his fallen hair to check the side of his neck.

"Were you hurt by that demonic qi or Liu Qingcheng's Spiritual Power? Let me see your hand."

Xie Qingmo blinked slightly, looking at Jin Chen's focused, worried profile; a warm current quietly flowed through his heart.

He suddenly realized that since Jin Chen came by his side, he had hardly suffered any injury.

"All right." Xie Qingmo said softly.

Jin Chen confirmed he was unharmed, then slightly loosened his grip, his gaze still fixed on him.

Between them, silent understanding and affection flowed.

Xingyan beside them looked this way and that, the sticky atmosphere making his scalp tingle; bewildered and embarrassed, he raised his hand and slapped his own forehead with a pop, trying to dispel that discomfort.

"Don't look at what's improper, don't look at what's improper."