Chapter 2381: The Aloof Sword Cultivator and His Bound Sword Spirit 25

Outside Xie Qingmo's secluded bamboo hut on Tian Shan Peak.

Life on Tian Shan Peak is indeed much more tranquil than on Wu Lai Peak, with abundant spiritual energy and far from disturbance.

However, this tranquility is occasionally broken for Jin Chen by unexpected visitors.

That day, a handsome-looking sword cultivator junior disciple sought out this place.

He spotted Jin Chen standing guard outside the bamboo hut from afar, his steps hesitated, he felt reverence, yet he summoned his courage and approached, bowing respectfully to Jin Chen.

"Sword Spirit, are you well? Junior disciple… junior disciple has a matter I wish to report privately to Senior Brother Xie; may I ask the Sword Spirit to… step aside for a moment?"

Jin Chen had been lazily leaning against the bamboo; hearing this, he slowly lifted his eyes with a mischievous glint, glanced at the disciple with a hint of amusement and coldness, and his gaze fell upon the faintly visible figure of Xie Qingmo inside the hut.

"Oh?"

Jin Chen drew out the syllable, then actually straightened up, casually plucked a piece of dogtail grass from beside him, held it in his mouth, crossed his arms, and sauntered off.

【He wants to steal my wife.】 Jin Chen said firmly.

Ling Gun Gun let out an explosive sound: 【That's truly lustful! Utterly brazen.】

The disciple breathed a sigh of relief; fortunately, the Sword Spirit did not insist on staying.

Little did he know, for an ancient sword spirit capable of heart-to-heart communication with its sword master, this distance makes no difference compared to speaking face to face.

The sword cultivator junior disciple entered the bamboo hut and gave a deep bow to Xie Qingmo, who was sitting in quiet meditation, his face flushing with excitement.

"Senior Brother Xie! Junior disciple… junior disciple has admired you for a long time! Senior Brother, you possess an otherworldly grace and unmatched swordsmanship, which is the lifelong goal of this junior disciple! Junior disciple… junior disciple offers my wholehearted devotion, wishing to become your Dao Lu! Through dual cultivation we shall surely elevate your cultivation to the next level!"

His words were earnest, his gaze blazing.

Jin Chen, deep in the bamboo grove, narrowed his eyes dangerously.

In his sea of consciousness, his voice echoed like someone frantically brushing up a sense of presence in Xie Qingmo's mind.

"Xie Qingmo, this kid clearly has an unsteady foundation."

"Dual cultivation? Is he worthy? What does he even know about dual cultivation?"

"Xie Qingmo, look outside—there's a bird that looks especially stupid."

"Xie Qingmo, I'm hungry; I want to eat what you made last time… never mind, your cooking isn't tasty, I'll make it myself."

"Xie Qingmo… Xie Qingmo, Xie Qingmo."

"Xie Qingmo: …"

"So noisy."

Xie Qingmo slowly opened his eyes, rubbed his brow, and said to the sword cultivator junior disciple, "No."

Straightforward and decisive, leaving no room for compromise.

The disciple's face flickered with disappointment, but he was not discouraged; seeing Xie Qingmo's aloof, transcendent demeanor, he couldn't help but speak again.

"Then… Senior Brother Xie, do you already have someone you hold dear?" He paused, recalling a certain rumor circulating in the sect, his voice dropping lower, "Or is it… as the Sect Leader once privately said—that once you break through to Nascent Soul, you will sever all worldly ties and follow the Ruthless Dao?"

Upon hearing the three words "Ruthless Dao," Xie Qingmo's body trembled almost imperceptibly.

Jin Chen:???

"What Dao is my wife going to cultivate?!"

Xie Qingmo maintained his surface calm, his voice turning a few degrees colder: "It's none of your business."

He said no more, rose straight away, walked past the astonished disciple, and left the bamboo hut.

He had taken just a few steps when a dark-clad figure appeared out of nowhere, blocking his path.

Jin Chen's usual laziness vanished; he fixed his gaze on Xie Qingmo's eyes and demanded, "Tell me, are you really going to cultivate the Ruthless Dao?"

Xie Qingmo met his blazing stare, as if peering straight into his heart.

He instinctively looked away, gazing at the distant, illusory sea of clouds, feeling a hint of bitterness: "…In the past, I did indeed have such a plan."

When he was still alone, his heart as frozen as ice, the Ruthless Dao seemed the most direct and safest road to the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

Jin Chen pressed, "And now?"

Xie Qingmo fell silent for a moment; his cold brows showed confusion and struggle.

It wasn't that he couldn't see his own feelings; rather, an invisible barrier between "emotion" and "the Dao," rooted in his past experiences and aloof temperament, remained unbroken.

He finally answered in a low voice, "I… am still not sure."

Jin Chen: "..."

Jin Chen gritted his teeth, "Xie Qingmo, you're making me furious."

Before his words even faded, Jin Chen's form turned into a stream of light and vanished instantly into the sea of clouds.

Xie Qingmo stared blankly at the direction where Jin Chen disappeared, the evening glow reflecting on his handsome yet bewildered face.

He stood there, somewhat at a loss.

Xing Yan and Shi Yan had somehow crept up unnoticed; the two exchanged a glance.

Shi Yan said, "Second Senior Brother, why did Lord Jin Chen storm off in anger? Where did he go to play?"

Xie Qingmo shook his head slightly, "... I don't know."

Xing Yan let out a sigh, stepped forward, "Senior Brother, actually… we all heard."

He looked at Xie Qingmo's bewildered expression and couldn't help but point out, "Senior Brother, actually we feel… you no longer harbor any intention to cultivate the Ruthless Dao in your heart."

Xie Qingmo furrowed his brows even tighter, looking at Xing Yan, "Why do you say that?"

Even he himself hasn't sorted it out yet.

At this moment, Lan Yi also walked over; her thoughts were delicate, and she saw things more clearly.

She looked at Xie Qingmo, her voice clear: "Senior Brother, consider this—if you truly cultivated the Ruthless Dao, severing the seven emotions and six desires, regarding all things as mere straw dogs."

"And what about Lord Jin Chen? He is the sword spirit whose lifeblood is intertwined with yours, whose soul depends on yours—your Dao is his Dao."

"Would the sword spirit of a Ruthless Dao sword master still be able to retain such vivid, lively disposition as it has now?"

Xing Yan continued: "It would likely also be tainted by that Ruthless Dao intent, becoming cold and indifferent, even… gradually drifting away from you, no longer constantly by your side as now, joking and sparring with you, nor…"

He paused, his cheeks slightly flushed, but still said, "I will never have any... intimate act with you."

"The Path of Severed Emotions is destined to be a solitary path. It will sever all your bonds with this world, and... naturally includes the Sword Spirit Lord."

Lan Yi's voice carried a sigh, "By that time, senior brother you... can you truly bear the cost of losing him?"

Shi Yan couldn't utter a word, looking at the senior sister, then at the senior brother, only saying, "The Sword Spirit Lord must be feeling very heartbroken now."

He still needed to say a few more sentences.

The Sword Spirit Lord had also said he would give spirit stones; if we have a falling out, what can we do?

Xie Qingmo stood stunned in place.

The words of the junior brother and junior sister fiercely smashed into his heart, each word hitting hard.

"Losing Jin Chen..."

"Growing distant..."

"Cold and indifferent..."

"No more intimacy..."

Just imagining Jin Chen looking at me with the eyes of a stranger...

Imagine him no longer following step by step, no longer nagging in my ear, no longer having those warm touches and embraces.

Imagine Chen's sword falling silent and losing its luster because of my "Dao"...

A sour, sharp pain so intense it made breathing impossible spread from deep within his heart without warning, and only then did Xie Qingmo finally fully understand.

As it turned out, his feelings for Jin Chen were already deep—so deep that merely thinking of possibly losing him was enough to make his heart ache to the core, with no chance of recovery.

The evening breeze stirred his plain white robes.

Xie Qingmo stood in place, his complexion looking somewhat pale in the glow of the sunset.

"I understand."

Xie Qingmo gripped his sword tightly, "You go rest first... I... I'm going to find Jin Chen."