Chapter 2388: The Aloof Sword Cultivator and His Bound Sword Spirit 32

Deep within Zhu Lin.

Jin Chen sat cross-legged on a smooth blue stone, his dark robes lending his face a calm composure.

He held a fragment in his palm; the piece was about half a page of paper in size, neither metal nor jade, dull and lusterless, its surface stained with impurity.

It was precisely the divine-metal fragment forcibly ripped from Liuqing City's dantian, but it still needed refining to purge the impurity clinging to his dantian.

Jin Chen closed his eyes and focused, pure and clear spiritual power circulating through his body as he tried to refine the fragment.

Yet no matter how he channeled his spiritual power, the fragment remained like dead matter, stubbornly resisting; the impurity on its surface was not only not removed, but faintly exerted a backlash, causing fine beads of sweat to appear on Jin Chen's forehead.

Jin Chen furrowed his brows, fully aware.

After all, it is a five-element divine object, linked to his wife's soul origin, and cannot be easily refined.

"Xie Qingmo." Jin Chen opened his eyes and shouted toward the figure swinging a sword not far away in the bamboo shade.

Hearing the voice, Xie Qingmo halted his motion, his Chen Sword drawing a lovely flourish before returning to its sheath.

He walked over to Jin Chen, his white robes fluttering in the breeze, "Huh?"

Jin Chen pushed the fragment toward him, "You refine it; I'm exhausted, I can't do it."

Xie Qingmo slightly widened his eyes, looking at the fragment, then at Jin Chen.

On his usual aloof and cold face, a rare, almost endearing confusion surfaced.

"Me?"

Jin Chen was amused by his rare expression, couldn't help laughing, leaned forward, and quickly pecked Xie Qingmo's cool lips.

"Yes, you can do it; trust me."

Xie Qingmo's trust in Jin Chen has always been without reason.

He asked no further, gently wiping the thin sweat from Jin Chen's forehead with his plain white sleeve, the motion tender, then asked, "What should I do?"

Jin Chen took his hand and had him sit cross-legged opposite him.

Their knees lightly touched.

Jin Chen guided him to circulate his spiritual power, palms facing, placing the impure fragment between their hands.

When Xie Qingmo's pure spiritual power poured into the fragment, merging with Jin Chen's sword intent in that instant, something wonderful happened.

Their divine senses naturally intertwined, spiritual breath gently wandering and circulating through each other's meridians.

The fragment, originally stubbornly resistant, began to shed its surface impurity under the refining of Xie Qingmo's origin spiritual power.

Within the dim fragment, golden light gradually seeped out, growing brighter.

During the refining process, with his eyes closed, Xie Qingmo's brows suddenly twitched slightly, his eyelashes fluttered a few times, and he unconsciously murmured.

"Jin Chen...... I saw...... many scenes......"

Jin Chen's heart stirred; he opened his eyes and looked at him.

Xie Qingmo closed his eyes, immersed in the images, a hint of mischief flickering between his brows and eyes.

A vague unease rose in Jin Chen's heart; he cautiously asked, "...... What scenes?"

Xie Qingmo seemed lost in the wondrous scenery, his head slightly tilted to one side, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile.

"Seeing you fighting the koi in the pond, though they clearly wanted to swim away, you insisted on jumping onto lotus leaves to chase them......"

Jin Chen: "......"

His expression instantly froze, his ears heating up at a visible speed.

"【Wow, Host, you've done a whole basket of bad deeds!】" Ling Gun Gun laughed without restraint.

"Also, you rode on the back of a huge golden dragon...... insisting on twisting its horns to make a weapon, the dragon grew angry and flung you from the clouds. As you fell, you were still shouting......"

"That's enough! Stop here!"

Jin Chen interrupted, covering Xie Qingmo's mouth that was still speaking.

Xie Qingmo was amused by his reaction and finally couldn't help laughing softly.

He opened his eyes, his clear cold gaze brimming with obvious mirth, "Jin Chen, you're so adorable."

"【Villain Heartthrob Value +10 detected, total now 80!】"

Jin Chen: "......"

"Xie, Qing, Mo."

Jin Chen's ears rarely reddened; Xie Qingmo noticed and reached out in surprise to press them.

Flushed with anger, Jin Chen seized Xie Qingmo's mischievous hand and leaned in to kiss him.

As if to stuff back those black histories he had just spoken.

The two caused a ruckus on the blue stone, the wind lifting bamboo leaves making a rustling sound.

"【Don't kiss, don't kiss, Host, quickly retrieve the refined divine-metal fragment before the spiritual aura drifts out, lest many cultivators covet it!】"

Ling Gun Gun was extremely worried, lying on the divine-metal fragment, trying to draw Jin Chen's attention.

"【Got it.】"

Until Xie Qingmo's breath grew unsteady, the corners of his eyes tinged with faint red, did Jin Chen slightly retreat, foreheads touching, his own breath also a little disordered.

"Xie Qingmo, want to make a trip to the demon realm?"

Xie Qingmo, somewhat dazed from the kiss, lifted his gaze at the words, his eyes still a little hazy.

"Huh?"

"Looking especially...... obedient."

Jin Chen gazed at his moist lips and reddened eye corners, his Adam's apple rolled, then he lightly bit Xie Qingmo's slightly swollen lower lip, pulling back to the point: "The remnant soul left in Liuqing City fled to the demon realm—cut the weeds and eradicate the roots, leave no future trouble—will we go?"

Xie Qingmo's eyes instantly cleared, without hesitation he nodded, "Go."

The next day, the square before the mountain gate of Tianyan Sect.

A huge Cloud-crossing Boat hovered in midair, its streamlined hull shimmering with warm, moist spiritual light, its sails billowing in the fresh breeze.

This flying magical artifact that symbolizes the sect's majesty will today carry a group to the distant demon race border.

Xie Qingmo and Jin Chen stood shoulder to shoulder at the bow.

Xing Yan, Shi Yan, and Lan Yi were also present, their expressions solemn; killing Liu Qingcheng and completely ending this calamity was their shared resolve.

Externally, they claimed to be escorting the 'executed' Demon King Li Wu Feng back to the demon race, using this as an opportunity to warn the demon race to behave and not cause further trouble.

Of course, no one had asked Li Wu Feng's opinion, and it didn't matter.

Li Wu Feng's wrist was symbolically bound by a flickering rune-etched Spiritual Power chain; he stood a short distance away, his face full of displeasure and awkwardness, still muttering under his breath.

"I can walk on my own! Who needs you to escort me…" But when his gaze swept over Jin Chen, he also carried a hint of resentful indignation he dared not voice.

The Sect Leader of the Heavenly Derivation Sect personally came to see them off.

He looked at the young disciples before him, who had already endured hardships, his gaze finally settling on Xie Qingmo: "Going to the demon race, the danger is unpredictable."

"The matter of Liu Qingcheng's lingering soul…… you must be careful. The Cloud-Crossing Vessel will take you to the edge of the Demon Abyss; when you return, light this talisman, and the sect will come to your aid."

He handed Xie Qingmo a specially made transmission jade talisman.

"Disciple understands." Xie Qingmo received the jade talisman and stored it away respectfully.

"Depart!"

At the Sect Leader's command, the Cloud-Crossing Vessel let out a low hum, its massive hull slowly rising, spiritual light flowing as it broke through the clouds and sped away.

The sect gates swiftly shrank beneath them, the boundless mountains of the Heavenly Derivation Sect gradually fading into the clouds.