Chapter 2391: The Cold Sword Cultivator and His Natal Sword Spirit 35

Xingyan raised his sword, the first to rush forward.

He recalled how, when he was bewitched, he had hurled vicious words at Xie Qingmo, and he fiercely stabbed his sword into Liu Qingcheng's shoulder.

"This sword is for my eyes that were deceived!"

Liu Qingcheng cried out in pain, "Third senior brother..."

Shi Yan followed closely, his honest face full of anger, he stabbed his sword into his thigh, "This sword is for the eldest senior brother!"

Lan Yi bit her lip, recalling her past favoritism, a sword light flashed, precisely severing one of his tendons.

Finally, Xie Qingmo stepped forward.

"All troubles originated from you. Today, it should also be ended by you."

As the words fell, the Chen sword turned into a cold chilling light, instantly piercing Liu Qingcheng's heart.

This time, without the divine gold fragments protecting his body, Liu Qingcheng's body convulsed violently a few times.

He opened his mouth, as if he still wanted to say something, but only spat out bloody filth, his head lolled to the side, and he died.

【Detected Villain Blackening Value -20, total 4!】

——

Liu Qingcheng's corpse lay limp on the dark red demonic soil, all vitality completely cut off, even that remnant soul was crushed to powder.

The gloom hanging over everyone's hearts also seemed to dissipate somewhat.

Jin Chen turned his head, tilted his head to look at the Demon Lord.

The surrounding scattered spiritual energy showed no sign of converging, pressing the demonic aura within a radius of a hundred zhang to stagnate.

He slightly lifted his chin, his tone flat yet carrying a suffocating oppressive feeling.

"Old demon, want to fight?"

The named Demon Lord: "..."

He felt that the demonic essence within him, which Liu Qingcheng had sucked away seven‑eighths of, was barely left, and then he looked at Jin Chen's aura, deep and unfathomable, as if it could cleave heaven and earth.

The Demon Lord's Adam's apple trudged up with difficulty.

The will to survive screamed wildly.

"Cough... cough cough!" the Demon Lord forced himself to keep upright, gave a few dry coughs, but his gaze began to uncontrollably dart toward the direction of retreat.

"This... actually, this venerable one has always had a cherished wish."

As he spoke, his footsteps subtly moved backward without a trace.

Li Wufeng couldn't help but roll his eyes, muttering softly: "Here we go again..."

"That's world peace!"

"All races living in harmony! Fighting and killing isn't good, right?" the Demon Lord said, still forcing out a kind smile, but paired with his overly lustful face, it looked awkward no matter how you looked at it.

Everyone: "..."

Li Wufeng covered his eyes, unable to bear looking.

Lan Yi silently turned her face away, the corner of her mouth twitching, she said to Xie Qingmo: "Senior brother, let's just call a temporary truce."

How stupid this demon is.

Jin Chen and Xie Qingmo exchanged a glance; Xie Qingmo took out a prepared jade slip scroll from his storage ring and handed it to Jin Chen.

Jin Chen received it, weighed it in his palm, then stepped forward, walking unhurriedly toward the Demon Lord who was still forcing a smile.

The Demon Lord watched the terrifying demon's sword spirit approach step by step, his facial muscles twitching: "You... you stop, don't come over, this venerable one loves peace! Let's talk nicely!"

Jin Chen seemed not to hear, stopping only when he was three steps away from the Demon Lord.

Under the Demon Lord's terrified gaze, he flicked his wrist, with a swish, fully unfurling the jade slip scroll, revealing the golden runes inside that emitted spiritual power bindings.

"Sign here," Jin Chen said concisely, handing the scroll forward, "Peace Agreement, binding the demon race to refrain from actively invading the human realm for three hundred years, and not to shelter fleeing demons to wreak havoc among humans."

The Demon Lord looked at the shimmering golden runes, his face turned green.

He, a mighty Demon Lord who had commanded the winds and clouds for hundreds of years, when had he ever suffered such coercion?

Frustrated, utterly frustrated!

Finally, between peace and being instantly beaten into minced meat, the Demon Lord humiliatingly chose the former.

He bit his fingertip, filled with indignant resentment, and firmly pressed a handprint steeped in rich demonic aura at the end of the scroll.

The blood seal merged into the runes, golden light blazed forth, and the agreement took effect.

Jin Chen satisfactorily retracted the scroll, his motion swift and clean.

He lifted his eyes, slowly adding, "Remember, during the agreement's term, if you dare to breach it..."

"The longer I stay in this world, the longer I can beat you."

Demon Lord: "..."

He fiercely flung his sleeve, turned his back, his voice tinged with the despair of a smashed pot, "A truce is a truce! You've signed it! You lot of plague gods... hurry up and get out! Don't dirty the soil of my demon race!"

If he glanced at these people one more time, he feared he'd suffer a heart attack.

Having finished, he flicked his sleeves and left.

Jin Chen's party had no hesitation, boarded the Cloud-crossing Boat, and vanished into the horizon.

——

Returning to the sect, after handling follow-up matters, Xie Qingmo sensed an opportunity for a breakthrough.

His cultivation had already reached the peak of Golden Core, having endured several life‑and‑death trials, his Dao heart was clear, and the barrier of his Nascent Soul had already loosened.

This time in closed‑door cultivation, he sought a higher realm of the Sword Dao.

Person and sword as one, sword in the heart, none in the hand.

When discussing with Jin Chen, Jin Chen originally wanted to accompany as a Dharma protector, but Xie Qingmo politely declined, worried that the closed‑door cultivation would last long, the sword spirit had no need to close‑door cultivation and sleep, and he really feared Jin Chen would be bored and tedious.

Furthermore……

Jin Chen was at his side, yet he truly could not clear his mind and detach from desires.

But no one expected that this seclusion would last a full three years.

Three years' time is but a snap of the fingers for cultivators, yet for those who miss someone, it feels endless.

The day he emerged from seclusion.

At the rear mountain forbidden area, the stone gate boomed open.

A mighty, pure Nascent Soul aura surged forth, shooting straight to the clouds.

The heaven-and-earth spiritual qi was drawn in, gathering into a vast purple qi that enveloped the entire Heavenly Expansion Sect's mountain gate.

Xie Qingmo stepped out slowly, his white clothes whiter than snow, his aura deep as the sea, reaching mid Nascent Soul.

Upon leaving seclusion, he instinctively called for Jin Chen in his sea of consciousness.

Who would have thought his sea of consciousness was empty.

That familiar mental connection, that ever-present empathic bond, now had no response!

Xie Qingmo's heart jolted; he lowered his gaze to the hand that gripped his sword, and panic surged like a tide.

The sword spirit needs no seclusion; three years... is enough for too much to happen.

Could Jin Chen, due to long separation, have lost his Spiritual Power, sunk back into the Chen Sword and unable to manifest?

Or perhaps... he had already left the Heavenly Expansion Sect.

Three years of longing intertwined with the panic of losing contact now, Xie Qingmo appeared lost and dispirited.

He even regretted not letting Jin Chen come along three years ago.

His steps somewhat unsteady, he walked out of the forbidden area.

Xingyan, Shiyan, and Lan Yi, waiting outside, immediately came forward, "Senior Brother, congratulations on breaking through to Nascent Soul!"

"Senior Brother, the purple qi comes from the east, what a grand spectacle."

Xie Qingmo had no mind for these congratulations, his gaze urgently searching behind the three, "Where is Jin Chen?"

Xingyan's eyes flickered, and he rubbed his nose somewhat guiltily.

"Ah, Sword Spirit Lord... he, he might... come shortly."

Shiyan also nodded vigorously, "Mm-hmm!"

Yet his honest face bore an expression that looked stiff no matter how you looked at it.

Xie Qingmo's heart sank.

Xingyan, who never lies in his presence, now his hesitation to speak was all too obvious.

He then turned his gaze to Lan Yi.

Lan Yi met his questioning gaze, her fingers unconsciously twisting her sleeve, she stammered, "Sword Spirit Lord he..."

A fine, sour pain instantly spread through Xie Qingmo's heart.

He dared not think further, as various worst-case scenarios flashed uncontrollably through his mind.

Could it be... really...