Chapter 2395: Cold Sword Cultivator and His Bound Sword Spirit 39

Jin Chen announced his relationship with Xie Qingmo before everyone's eyes; Xie Qingmo was naturally delighted, and the joy of being openly favored welled up in his chest, impossible to suppress.

This excitement sometimes made him a bit muddle‑headed.

That day, Xie Qingmo was giving pointers on the Xingyan Sword Method in the open space outside Zhu Lin's cottage.

Xingyan trained until sweat drenched his forehead; taking a break, he wiped his face, his eyes glittering as he drew close to Xie Qingmo, lowered his voice, and carried a youth's characteristic gossip eagerness.

"Senior brother, have you noticed? There are so many Dao Lu partners in the sect lately—and the varieties are especially plentiful!"

Xie Qingmo was holding his sword to correct Xingyan's posture; hearing this, his motion paused slightly, and he was unexpectedly stirred with curiosity.

He tilted his head slightly, his voice lowered to a near whisper, almost just breath: "…What kinds are there?"

Xingyan immediately rose on his toes, mysteriously drawing near Xie Qingmo's ear and muttering for a while.

Only then did one see Xie Qingmo's jade‑like ear swiftly suffuse with a faint red visible to the naked eye, his neck also taking on a light pink hue.

Just then, a dark‑clad figure came rushing over from the direction of the water pavilion, wind‑blown and fiery.

Jin Chen was asleep, and was abruptly awakened by heat.

His face flushed with an abnormal reddening, fine sweat beading his forehead; he paced anxiously in place for two circuits before seizing Xie Qingmo's arm.

"Xie Qingmo, what did you do to me? I'm burning up."

Xie Qingmo startled at being grabbed, the faint red still lingering on his usually cool face from the earlier gossip, and for a moment he didn't react.

Meanwhile, Xingyan's reaction was astonishingly swift.

He widened his eyes, his gaze darting between Jin Chen's flushed cheek and Xie Qingmo's slightly red ear, then clapped his hands over his own ears and stammered, "Is… is this something I'm allowed to hear?"

Xie Qingmo's heart jumped at Jin Chen's reaction, worry instantly overriding his other feelings.

He turned his grip to seize Jin Chen's scorching wrist, his fingertips probing a thread of Spiritual Power, and, as if recalling something, asked Xingyan, "Where is the Chen Sword?"

Xingyan thought, slapped his forehead, stiffly turned, and his trembling finger pointed to a nearby patch of ground scorched by the midday sun so fiercely that even the stone slabs seemed to smoke; his voice cracked.

"Uh… the Chen Sword… is… over there, basking in the sun."

"I saw you just finished wiping it with maintenance spiritual liquid and had me dry it in the sun… then I forgot."

Xingyan dared not linger any longer, saying, "I have other matters; senior brother, you two carry on!"

He slipped away like oil on his feet, vanishing in an instant.

Xie Qingmo: "……"

He finally recalled that, before instructing Xingyan earlier, he had indeed entrusted the Chen Sword to him for maintenance—and, incidentally, to sun‑bathe it.

In the cultivation world, it's said that spiritual swords can be sun‑bathed for upkeep, but normally only at dawn's first light or sunset; who would think it reasonable to throw a spiritual sword onto a scorching stone slab at high noon?

A surge of guilt welled up in his heart.

Under Jin Chen's reproachful gaze, Xie Qingmo scooped up the Chen Sword, its blade gleaming from the sun.

The scorching blade made his fingertips tingle as he took hold.

Xie Qingmo immediately circulated ice‑cold Spiritual Power, and threads of chill swiftly wrapped the blade to cool it.

Jin Chen at once severed his deep link with the Chen Sword and let out a long breath.

He strode a few steps to Xie Qingmo's face, pinched his guilt‑written countenance, pulled it sideways, and said, "Xie Qingmo, do you dislike my presence and want to roast me away for a new sword spirit?"

Xie Qingmo felt a twinge of pain from the pinch, but mostly he felt ashamed.

He hastily stowed the chilled Chen Sword safely, then placed his hands over Jin Chen's grip on his cheeks, gently pulled them down, and clasped them in his palm.

Xie Qingmo slightly bowed his head, leaned close to Jin Chen, and imprinted a soft kiss on his warm skin, saying, "Sorry, I was wrong."

Jin Chen's heart softened at this spontaneous affection; he deliberately turned his other cheek forward and hummed, "Kiss this side too—let's see your sincerity."

Xie Qingmo complied, giving that cheek a light peck.

Only then was Jin Chen reluctantly satisfied; just as he was about to speak, he noticed Xie Qingmo's gaze sweep past him to rest on the spiritual pool not far behind.

The pool water was clear to the bottom, glittering with rippling light in the sunshine.

Xie Qingmo's eyes flickered as he recalled Xingyan's earlier muttering.

He released Jin Chen's hand, instead wrapped his arms around Jin Chen's neck, and initiated a kiss.

Jin Chen naturally obliged.

While kissing, Xie Qingmo led Jin Chen backward with slow steps.

Jin Chen felt a little dazed, instinctively wrapped his arms around Xie Qingmo's waist, and stepped back in sync.

One step, two steps…

Splash!

Water sprayed in all directions.

The two of them fell together into the cool spiritual pool.

Jin Chen reacted instantly; as they hit the water he braced his arms, shielding Xie Qingmo in his embrace while taking the brunt of the impact himself.

The pool water instantly soaked their garments.

Jin Chen wiped the droplets from his face, about to speak, when he met Xie Qingmo's eyes.

Xie Qingmo's white robes were drenched, his black hair damp with strands clinging to his cheeks and neck, his lashes wet with mist, yet his eyes shone unusually bright, carrying a rare, almost seductive moisture.

Unlike the restrained endurance he showed while cultivating underwater, Xie Qingmo now acted with astonishing initiative.

He clung to Jin Chen's shoulders, tilted his head slightly, and pressed the cool‑kissed lips of the pool water to Jin Chen's warm neck, saying, "Will this serve as my apology… all right?"

Jin Chen felt a tingling numbness spread from his neck throughout his body; the lingering heat from the sun‑baked sword had already been quenched by the pool water, replaced by something far more turbulent.

Jin Chen's Adam's apple bobbed, his arms tightened, gripping Xie Qingmo's waist to pull him closer, and he replied, "Good."

—

Time flows slowly; the tales of the cultivation world surge like a river, old waves yielding to new.

Yet, no matter how time flows, there is a legend that has been passed down by word of mouth among cultivators, never fading.

That is the legend of the Heavenly Derivation Sect's astonishingly gifted Sword Venerable and the ancient sword spirit—a love story that inspires both envy and awe.

People say that in the deepest part of the Profound Heaven Sect lies an unknown cave-heaven divine abode, neither mountain nor water, forming a secluded fairyland of its own.

It is that ancient sword spirit who, having expended all effort, created for its sword master a secluded utopia.

Pavilions and terraces, a spiritual pool with koi fish, spring all year round—all for the two of them to share.

Legend has it that, on occasional nights of superb moonlight, a fortunate disciple might catch a distant glimpse within the divine abode's barrier of two figures leaning on each other.

The white-clad sword venerable and the black-clad sword spirit, either playing chess and sipping tea, or dancing with their swords under the moon.

As their robes flutter, sword qi rings clear, and their feelings flow.

Hand in hand for a lifetime, never parting even with white hair.

Where the sword is, the person is; their spirits are sealed together.

……

【Congratulations, Host, mission completed, Blackening Value cleared to zero, reward points accumulated!】

【Divine Metal Shards recovery successful!】

【Transferring to the next world……Transfer successful!】