During the wait for the secret realm, Jian Lin was not idle at all. For the first time, she eagerly pulled the Demon Lord to spar, wanting to perfect the second level of the Bright Moon Swordplay.
The Demon Lord was surprised. When he had taught her seriously before, Jian Lin had been lazy and slacked off. Now that he was indifferent, she had become proactive. They truly had no synchronicity.
"I wasn't being lazy or slacking off," Jian Lin explained righteously. "At that time, I was affected by the formation, and my internal energy was weak. I couldn't muster any enthusiasm for practicing anything. Of course, it's different now. With positive feedback, I naturally feel motivated to practice."
The Demon Lord didn't understand what positive feedback was. He held a branch and attacked Jian Lin, "Then show me how motivated you are."
Jian Lin, with an excited expression, held her long sword and met his attack. They began to fight in the open space.
In just two or three days, Jian Lin's progress could be described as meteoric. Initially, the Demon Lord treated it like playing with a cat, but after more than ten moves, he gradually became serious and dared not underestimate her.
However, in reality, the Demon Lord's Bright Moon Divine Skill had reached the tenth level, and his Bright Moon Swordplay was already masterful. Fighting Jian Lin was as easy as crushing an ant.
During their duel, the Demon Lord got carried away and, in a moment of carelessness, didn't control his strength. He swept out with his sword, and Jian Lin, unable to match his power, slipped and was sent flying.
Seeing the sword intent charging towards her forehead, Jian Lin hurriedly crossed her long sword to protect herself. With a crack, the sword body actually showed a crack.
"Ahhhhhh!" Jian Lin screamed, "Help me, are you trying to kill me?!"
The Demon Lord snapped back to reality, tapped his toes, and flew out to embrace Jian Lin. He turned and blocked the sword intent with his palm, and the two of them slowly landed while spinning.
Jian Lin's feet touched solid ground, and she stood firm. She raised her long sword to examine it, only to see the crack widening. With another crack, the long sword broke into two pieces, the upper part falling and sticking into the ground.
Jian Lin turned and glared at the Demon Lord, expressing her strong condemnation, "Look at what you've done, you broke my sword!"
The Demon Lord, knowing he was in the wrong, rubbed his nose and said, "I'll buy you a new one. I've wanted to say this for a long time, your sword is very ordinary and doesn't match the Bright Moon Swordplay."
"Don't try to quibble. You yourself just use whatever you pick up," Jian Lin retorted mercilessly. "My sword doesn't match, but do branches and bamboo twigs match?"
The Demon Lord fell silent but looked at her with a smile in his eyes.
Being stared at like that, Jian Lin couldn't get angry. She forcefully pushed the Demon Lord's shoulder, letting the matter go. "Fine, fine, you don't need to compensate me. I still have a sword."
This sword of hers was exchanged with points. It was the cheapest sword in the system. Thanks to the Demon Lord's affection value constantly rising, she was now rich in points.
In other words, it was as if the Demon Lord had compensated her.
Jian Lin was so easy to talk to that the Demon Lord felt a little guilty. "Since you're going to change swords, why not get a good one? What other swords do you have? Show me, I'll help you check. If it's not good enough, I'll help you find a way."
This reminded Jian Lin. Speaking of good swords, she did have one, which was the most expensive magical artifact in the system, worth 200,000 points, the sword named He Yi (合一).
Jian Lin casually glanced, and her sea of consciousness displayed that she now had over 190,000 points, only about 3,000 points away from 200,000.
Recently, she had been balancing romance and cultivation, and her points had been growing rapidly. Jian Lin felt tempted, wondering if she should go all out and directly exchange for that peerless good sword.
However, spending all her points at once made Jian Lin hesitate, unsure if the transaction was worth it.
"Lord Chong Yuan," Jian Lin frowned and asked troubledly, "There's something I need your opinion on. Do you think a peerless good sword is important for someone who practices swordsmanship?"
"Of course, it's important. Those who practice swordsmanship pursue the unity of man and sword. A good sword can make cultivation twice as effective with half the effort. If it's a divine sword with a sword spirit, it's equivalent to having a wise teacher and helpful friend. It will guide the swordsman on how to cultivate sword intent, how to use sword intent, and so on. Those benefits cannot be explained in just a few words."
The Demon Lord's words were very enticing, and Jian Lin was moved. After a moment's thought, she was a little puzzled, "Then do you also have a divine sword? Why have I never seen you use it? You always use branches."
Putting aside their usual playful moments, even during the life-and-death battle with the Demon Emperor, the Demon Lord hadn't used a sword. Jian Lin couldn't help but doubt how credible his words were.
The Demon Lord looked at her deeply and ambiguously said, "Of course I do, but I don't need to use it now. You must understand that once you reach a certain level of cultivation, you can wield a sword without a sword in hand."
Jian Lin looked at the Demon Lord expectantly, unsure whether to make that unreasonable request – she wanted to touch the Demon Lord's divine sword to decide whether to exchange for that peerless divine sword.
The Demon Lord knew what Jian Lin meant, but his divine sword absolutely could not be shown to others easily.
He looked up at the sky, changing the subject, "It's getting dark. Let's go back. We have to set off for the secret realm tomorrow, and I need to do some preparations today to prevent Bai Xian from causing trouble."
Jian Lin said "Oh" and quietly followed behind the Demon Lord, only looking at him with longing eyes.
She looked at him while walking, while sitting, and with her hands propped on the table, staring intently.
Her gaze was so substantial that the Demon Lord found it hard to ignore. Only after finishing all his work that night could he no longer resist.
"What exactly do you want?" the Demon Lord asked helplessly.
Jian Lin chuckled, sat beside the Demon Lord obsequiously, and said indirectly, "Lord Chong Yuan, I want to touch your divine sword."
The Demon Lord looked at her coldly and asked doubtfully, "Have you truly not heard any of the rumors about me?"
Regarding the Demon Lord's rumors, Jian Lin narrowed her eyes and thought, "I've heard a lot, but I don't know which aspect you're referring to?"
Those rumors came from the original novel, from the original body's memory, and from various casual gossip she had heard after transmigrating.
Strictly speaking, the Demon Lord could be considered a top-tier figure in the Three Realms. People feared him and hated him, while simultaneously regarding him as a thorn in their side. All sorts of absurd rumors were piled onto him.
For example, he had to eat a living heart every day to maintain his undefeated divine power.
In Cangnan Town, Jian Lin even heard adults use the Demon Lord to scare children, saying that if they didn't go home, the Demon Lord would capture them and refine them into pills.
These rumors were too exaggerated. Jian Lin knew the truth. The so-called evil ways of the Demon Sect were merely different cultivation methods. She had been in the Demon Palace for so long and hadn't seen anyone eating children.
Based on all this, Jian Lin automatically ignored the rumors about the Demon Lord. Now that the Demon Lord asked, she really didn't know which aspect he was referring to.
"Regarding my divine sword," the Demon Lord poured himself a cup of tea and said profoundly, "The outside world rumors that it is an ancient divine artifact, a great ominous object, the Xing Tian Sword."
The Demon Lord's reminder quickly triggered a search in Jian Lin's mind, and she actually found related rumors. "Oh, right, there is such a thing. But there are also rumors that it's all hype, made up by the Demon Realm to scare people. No one has ever seen what the Xing Tian Sword looks like."
"Yes, there are indeed many different opinions," the Demon Lord picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued, "Actually, I want to tell you that this matter is true."
Jian Lin's mouth widened in surprise, and she said admiringly, "Lord Chong Yuan, you are truly amazing."
"Stop, what I say next is the main point," the Demon Lord said calmly. "Do you remember what I told you? I was born weak, with all five roots being waste roots. The reason I could become who I am today is because my father taught me to nurture artifacts with blood and defy fate."
The Demon Lord pointed to his chest. "The Xing Tian Sword is my soul, or rather, I am the Xing Tian Sword. I cannot take it out and turn it into a real sword for you to hold."
Jian Lin was stunned. This was a shocking secret. She was speechless for a long time, until much later, she let out a hoarse voice, "This, Lord Chong Yuan, you shouldn't have told me."
Given the importance of the matter, Jian Lin felt she was not qualified to know. She was now very frightened, instinctively shivered, and looked around, afraid someone was eavesdropping.
"It's nothing," the Demon Lord poured Jian Lin a cup of tea and pushed it towards her, indicating for her to drink a few sips. "If I don't explain the cause and effect clearly, you'll definitely be bothered and overthink why I can't show you the sword."
Hearing this, Jian Lin's heart softened. To give herself a reasonable explanation, this man had not hesitated to reveal such a big secret.
"But you didn't need to explain so clearly. If Lord Chong Yuan says so, how would I dare not comply?" Jian Lin said happily and earnestly swore, "However, please rest assured, Lord Chong Yuan. Everything you told me tonight, I will not tell anyone even if I'm beaten to death. I will guard this secret with my life and absolutely will not let outsiders know about this."
"It doesn't matter, what if others know?" the Demon Lord smiled confidently and smugly. "Do you want to come and kill me to seize the sword? Oh, and don't forget that many people want to kill me now."
"But there's no need to add fuel to the fire," Jian Lin pulled over a stool, sat close to the Demon Lord, and said in a low, worried voice, "It's better to have one less thing than one more. There are too many greedy people in the world. That Xing Tian Sword is an ancient divine artifact. Don't mind that everyone scolds and curses you, but quite a few people actually want to replace you. A sovereign of a realm, such a dazzling existence, they are all so jealous. We mustn't give them any opportunity."
The Demon Lord turned his head, stared into Jian Lin's eyes, and suddenly leaned closer, whispering in her ear, "You seem very worried about me."
The warm breath scorched Jian Lin's earlobe. She suddenly woke up, realizing she was too close to the Demon Lord, almost sitting in his lap.
She had been focusing on the divine sword and had forgotten to maintain a proper distance.
Jian Lin gave an embarrassed smile and stood up, intending to step back. Unexpectedly, the Demon Lord suddenly reached out and hugged her waist. With a slight pull, Jian Lin fell into the Demon Lord's embrace.
Jian Lin's breathing was unsteady. She reached out to push against the Demon Lord's chest, pretending to ask, "Why are you pulling me? This time, let's make it clear, I don't mean anything by it. You're the one who insisted on hugging me."
The last time they had intimate contact, the Demon Lord had been sarcastic with her for days, almost leading to an argument. Jian Lin was furious, and she didn't want to repeat the same mistake.
"Yes, it's me this time," the Demon Lord reached out and gently stroked Jian Lin's cheek, looked deeply into her eyes, and said softly, "After tonight, when we enter the secret realm, it won't just be the two of us."
Jian Lin understood. Starting tomorrow, they would enter the secret realm to cultivate, and Bai Xian, a third wheel, would be with them.
Her heart pounded wildly, her eyelashes trembled, and she couldn't believe this was the Demon Lord's hint.
It was always her who was proactive, her who made the first move. The dog man making a move once had completely captivated her.
"So what?" Jian Lin's breathing became difficult, her mouth dry. She couldn't help but purse her lips and swallow. "I..."
Before she could finish speaking, the Demon Lord suddenly lowered his head and kissed Jian Lin's lips.
At that moment, fireworks exploded in the sky with a bang.
Jian Lin raised her hand to embrace the Demon Lord's neck and took the initiative, kissing him back fiercely.
This time, there was no shyness, no one actively pursuing and the other refusing. Their hearts were connected, and they were unrestrained, transforming all the unspoken love into a deep kiss.
After a long time, Jian Lin raised her hand to cover her burning cheeks and mumbled dazedly, "Oh dear, my tongue tip seems to be broken. I think I tasted blood. Did you taste it?"
The Demon Lord gulped down a cup of tea and asked dully, "What did you say?"
Jian Lin couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "Nothing, I said Lord Chong Yuan is quite amazing, really good."
The Demon Lord froze, his gaze seeming to contain flames as he stared fixedly at Jian Lin.
Jian Lin also looked at him affectionately, reaching out to pinch the Demon Lord's handsome profile. Seeing that things were about to get out of control, she quickly withdrew her hand and said awkwardly, "Ah, it's getting late, I need to sleep."
In fact, she hadn't slept for a long time. She was used to meditating and cultivating instead of sleeping.
However, today, she felt that if she didn't do something, she wouldn't be able to stop herself.
She fled to the bed as if escaping, reached out, and lowered the bed curtains, blocking the Demon Lord's view. In this small space, she finally cooled down.
She rolled over and hugged the quilt, her mind still replaying everything that had just happened, wriggling excitedly.
Just as she was going crazy, the system suddenly emitted a prompt sound, informing her that her affection value had increased by 1, and she had received 5,000 points.
This time, there was no doubt. After everything that had just happened, it was impossible for the Demon Lord not to be moved.
Jian Lin rolled over and lay flat, closed her eyes, and looked at her points. They had gone from over 190,000 to starting with a two.
Perhaps everything was arranged for the best.
Jian Lin stopped dwelling on it. She spoke to the system, requesting to exchange 200,000 points for the He Yi sword.
The system calmly and rationally reminded her, "Host, you can exchange it, but I must remind you that with your current cultivation, you cannot draw the He Yi sword."
"It doesn't matter. Lord Chong Yuan said that a good sword can guide me. I'll have to exchange it sooner or later anyway, so it's better to exchange it earlier," Jian Lin said indifferently.
"Understood. I will now proceed with the exchange for you."
Jian Lin had never spent so many points before. She watched as the six-digit number rapidly decreased. As the numbers disappeared, her sea of consciousness trembled.
Her sea of consciousness had always been calm and undisturbed, with a system display screen showing the information homepage and points.
This was the first time she felt fear. She held her breath, clutched the pillow, and her temples throbbed. Just as she thought her brain was about to explode, a beam of light suddenly appeared in her sea of consciousness.
Firefly-like light spots gathered, gradually forming the shape of a sword.
Just as she was about to look closely, the system suddenly issued a success notification.
Jian Lin felt a coolness in her hand. She quickly opened her eyes to check. A peerless beautiful sword with a silver-white semi-transparent scabbard carved with intricate patterns appeared. Was this the He Yi sword?