Shen Xin didn’t quite understand why he had asked her, “Did you remember?”
Was it because he intended to slay more Divine Lords in the future and wanted her to study diligently?
But at this moment, Shen Xin didn’t have the mind to dwell on it further, because all her thoughts—even all her senses—had converged on… the space between their lips and teeth.
The moment their tongues touched, Shen Xin could clearly sense that not only she, but even Qin Weiji had stiffened noticeably for an instant.
The sensation was far too wondrous and far too intense.
Compared to the previous kisses that felt more like nibbling, this intimate contact with no distance between them made her feel as if struck by an electric current. In that moment, Shen Xin, utterly defenseless, felt her body go limp, her legs even growing weak.
It was only because he tightened his grip on her slender waist, pressing her closer to him, that she didn’t embarrass herself by collapsing.
And after that brief moment of stiffness, he began to kiss her slowly.
His kiss was actually quite gentle—perhaps because he wasn’t very skilled either—so he simply followed his instincts, tentatively and softly, sucking on her tongue.
It was as if he were facing a dessert he had never tasted before. Instead of devouring it greedily, he savored its flavor bit by bit, slowly.
Yet, such a tender kiss was all the more intoxicating and entrancing.
Electric currents spread and coursed through every inch of her skin, seeping deeper into her body…
Shen Xin grew even softer.
She could no longer stand on her own, her mind blank and her body feeling light as a feather. All she could do was cling tightly to his waist, leaning against him like a delicate dodder vine, feeling him.
Qin Weiji was clearly entranced as well. When he kissed her, it might have been due to the demonic influence controlling him, or perhaps because he needed to kiss her to clear the corruption index.
But once he truly kissed her, he found that the demonic energy within him not only hadn’t subsided but seemed to surge even more wildly and intensely.
So intensely that he felt he might transform into a Demon in the next moment.
She was so sweet.
Far sweeter than he had ever imagined, a sweetness he had never tasted before.
It made him want to bite down hard and swallow her whole, yet he couldn’t bring himself to. Instead, he wanted to savor her slowly, bit by bit, letting her melt gradually.
Too sweet, and too soft—like the ethereal clouds in the Cloud Sea Mirror, yet with an added sweetness that made him addicted.
Even as the task-oriented part of his mind reminded him: [Divine Lord, the corruption value has been cleared. You can stop now.]
Cleared?
Qin Weiji was somewhat bewildered. He could clearly feel the demonic energy growing and spreading like wild grass deep within his Divine Sense. He had even suspected that he would fully transform into a Demon while kissing her.
But it didn’t happen.
And now it was telling him he could stop?
Why stop?
Qin Weiji did not stop.
The hand on her slender waist tightened gradually, while the hand that had been holding her wrist moved to her neck, cupping her face. His thumb rested gently below her ear, his index finger stroking the skin of her neck, and his thumb caressed her cheek…
Then he tilted her face up slightly, allowing him to kiss her more deeply.
Shen Xin was like a fragile flower in his palm, her stem soft and powerless, completely at his mercy.
Her heart raced, her face flushed, and her body grew limp.
This was something she hadn’t experienced in their previous kisses.
She didn’t even have the strength to resist, melting so easily in his embrace.
So this… this was what a real kiss felt like…
It turns out that when kissing, the heartbeat can race so fast, so very fast—fast enough to make her almost feel… moved.
Shen Xin had extremely high standards, impossibly high.
Before transmigrating into this world, perhaps because her entire family’s looks were simply too exceptional, she always felt that no one was worthy of her flower-like beauty and moon-like grace. She often thought other men looked far too cheap.
Even letting someone touch a single finger would have been a bargain for them, while she gained nothing—a total loss.
So, by the age of 20, she had never experienced her first love, first kiss, or even her first hug.
She had even begun to think she would remain alone for the rest of her life.
After all, she refused to settle.
Little did she expect to suddenly arrive in this world and meet a man with whom intimacy felt not like a loss, but rather like she was gaining something.
Therefore, whether she kissed him or was kissed by him, she found it entirely acceptable—even learning to enjoy it.
After all, with her impossibly perfect face, finding someone of equal beauty was already a challenge.
She had little confidence that, even if she found someone equally attractive, she could also deeply love them.
Just like her perpetually love-struck parents—even though she grew up witnessing such a beautiful love story—she often felt it was nothing more than a fairy tale.
Yet, at this very moment, as his kisses left her breathless and nearly suffocated, she suddenly found herself nurturing hopes she shouldn’t have.
If it were him…
Could she, too, become the princess in a fairy tale?
Just as they were lost in the wondrous, sweet, and heart-pounding first experience of kissing, unable to control themselves or stop, the expressions of the three deities outside the barrier were strange and complex.
They were both anxious and helpless, filled with doubt and surprise.
Just a few steps away from the couple locked in a sweet, passionate embrace, Qiyuan struggled under the god-slaying sword.
Qiyuan’s mouth hung open as if he wanted to say something, but no sound emerged. His face contorted with venomous hatred as he glared at the couple.
Even without words, anyone could see he was cursing them.
He wanted to inflict the most malicious curses upon that man and woman.
Slowly, he was devoured by the Sword Qi, his body turning transparent before vanishing entirely. Yet, his soul remained trapped under the soul-devouring sword.
From his body to his soul, everything was consumed by the god-slaying sword, until a cyan-colored essence pearl floated before their eyes…
Jialuo clenched his fists tightly. The Medicine God, Sufang, also looked grim. The Flower Goddess, Luorong, hesitated before asking, “Does the Divine Lord not even intend to spare his essence pearl?”
Neither Jialuo nor Sufang could answer her.
The moment the god-slaying sword pierced Qiyuan’s heart, they had tried—but even with their combined strength, they couldn’t break through Qin Weiji’s barrier.
So, they could only watch helplessly, hoping Qin Weiji would suddenly show mercy and spare Qiyuan.
The three deities turned their gazes back to Qin Weiji and Shen Xin.
The Divine Lord, who had always sat aloof in the clouds—lazy, detached, and cool as the breeze and moon, untouched by love—now resembled an ordinary man lost in passion and desire.
He had descended from the clouds only to hold the girl in his arms tightly and kiss her without restraint.
The three deities wore heavy expressions.
By rights, Shen Xin was Qin Weiji’s wife, and strictly speaking, she was the queen of the divine realm. They ought to address her as Divine Queen.
No matter how intimate she and Qin Weiji were, it should have been perfectly normal.
Yet they all knew perfectly well that Qin Weiji did not like Shen Xin, the wife chosen for him by the Heavenly Dao. Forget about such intimacy, even when they met in the past, they were as distant as strangers.
Not only them, but even Shen Xin herself had never considered herself Qin Weiji’s wife.
Therefore, the current scene inevitably made them suspicious.
Sufang lowered his voice, “Did you hear what Qiyuan said earlier? He mentioned the word ‘Demon,’ and then said something about ‘entering…’ Though he didn’t finish, I suspect…”
Before he could finish, Jialuo sharply interrupted, “Do not speak recklessly of such matters.”
If a Divine Lord were to undergo Demonization, the Six Realms would be thrown into chaos beyond mere disorder.
Sufang hesitated, “Then why has the Divine Lord suddenly changed?”
Luorong watched the still-kissing couple, then glanced at the nearby primordial pearl nearly crushed by the Sword Qi of the god-slaying sword. Gritting his teeth, he finally couldn’t hold back and shouted, “Divine Lord, I beg you to spare Qiyuan Shangshen!”
The god-slaying sword destroys divine souls.
For gods, physical death has never truly mattered; even the dissipation of a divine soul is insignificant. As long as the primordial pearl remains, there is always a chance for revival.
Only when the primordial pearl shatters completely does it signify true death.
Or perhaps something even more terrifying than death.
Because they would vanish entirely from heaven and earth, becoming nourishment for the world, sustaining all life across the Six Realms.
They shared bonds of friendship with Qiyuan and couldn’t bear to watch him face utter annihilation.
Sufang also pleaded for Qiyuan: “Please, Divine Lord, spare Qiyuan. Even if his approach to Shen Xin had ulterior motives, his crimes do not warrant this fate.”
Only Jialuo remained silent, lips pressed tightly together.
Their voices stirred Qin Weiji, who was lost in the sweetness of the moment. His brow twitched with impatience.
He tightened his hold on Shen Xin, ignoring them completely as he continued to kiss and savor her.
But Shen Xin had snapped back to reality.
She remembered where they were and that others were present—they were practically putting on a free show.
Her fingers, wrapped around Qin Weiji’s firm waist, curled slightly as she pushed against him. But with little strength, he didn’t even notice.
Sufang urgently added, “Divine Lord, if Qiyuan’s primordial pearl shatters, there will be no return. Would you truly disregard the camaraderie among High Gods for Shen Xin’s sake?”
Shen Xin’s eyelashes fluttered. Honestly, their words made her uncomfortable.
Irritated and unable to push Qin Weiji away, she steeled herself and bit down hard.
Compared to biting his lip earlier, his tongue was far more vulnerable. Qin Weiji grunted in his throat, his brow furrowing deeply, and he finally pulled back in displeasure.
The taste of blood instantly overwhelmed the previous sweetness, stirring Qin Weiji’s irritation. He was deeply annoyed.
His face darkened as he prepared to demand what madness had taken her now, but when he looked up, he saw her flushed cheeks and starry eyes glistening with moisture from his kisses. She gazed at him pitifully, even with a hint of grievance.
The harsh words on Qin Weiji’s tongue inexplicably faded. He fell silent for a moment, his tone softening instinctively as he changed “what madness is this?” to something gentler: “What’s wrong?”
As he spoke, he reached to touch her lips, reddened from his kisses, but she let out a soft hum and turned her head away, burying her face in his shoulder.
It was both haughty and… utterly disarming to Qin Weiji.
Because she was holding him, burying her head in his embrace, it seemed like dependence and also like lingering affection.
Qin Weiji’s fingers twitched slightly. He admitted that he couldn’t muster any anger toward her at this moment, so he closed his eyes, steadied his breathing, and gently held the person in his arms. Then, he turned his gaze to the culprit outside the barrier.
Seeing that Qin Weiji had finally looked over, Sufang and Luorong pleaded for Qiyuan once more. Qiyuan’s primordial pearl was already riddled with tiny cracks.
Under the oppressive Sword Qi of the god-slaying sword, the cracks grew larger and larger. If the sword wasn’t withdrawn soon, the pearl would shatter completely before long.
After hearing their words, Qin Weiji leisurely glanced at the nearly shattered primordial pearl and curved his lips into a faint smile. “You say his crime doesn’t warrant this?”
Sufang said, “He only wanted Shen Xin’s Spiritual Root, and he didn’t even succeed. Divine Lord, destroying his physical form, his soul, and his tens of thousands of years of cultivation is one thing, but must you now spare no part of his primordial pearl?”
Shen Xin, buried in Qin Weiji’s embrace, furrowed her brow.
Although she wasn’t the original owner, Sufang’s words made her even more uncomfortable.
Yes, Qiyuan hadn’t succeeded.
But that was only because she had arrived.
In the book, hadn’t he succeeded?
And after they succeeded, they hadn’t spared Shen Xin—they harmed her maternal clan, harmed her father, and threw her into the Ten Thousand Ghost Realm to be devoured.
Yet she was also acutely aware that the original owner was indeed someone everyone despised.
It was merely a facade of feigned friendliness, even affection. The moment Qiyuan openly admitted the truth, that superficial veneer had already shattered, impossible to maintain and no longer necessary.
Even if the other High Gods hadn’t participated in Qiyuan’s actions or known his intentions, they still didn’t find Qiyuan’s actions particularly excessive.
They would only think that Qin Weiji and she were the ones going too far.
But Shen Xin didn’t speak. She wanted to know what Qin Weiji would think.
Would he also believe that Sufang and the others were right?
Then she heard Qin Weiji chuckle softly and ask, “Do you know why my sword is called the god-slaying sword?”
No one could answer; in fact, this had always been their lingering doubt.
Qin Weiji looked at the primordial pearl and didn’t elaborate further, only speaking lazily and lightly, “Qiyuan has already developed a Demonic Heart. I am merely carrying out the Heavenly Dao’s decree, fulfilling the duty of slaying gods.”
“Demonic Heart?”
Sufang and the others were shocked, and even Shen Xin couldn’t help lifting her head from his shoulder, looking at him in astonishment.
He happened to glance down at the person in his arms, noticing the doubt in her eyes. He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if explaining, “The emergence of the Demon God and the fall of the God of the Underworld are both connected to Qiyuan.”
As he spoke, he kept his gaze fixed on her. Shen Xin’s eyes flickered slightly. “Did he kill the God of the Underworld?”
The other three gods were even more astonished, especially Sufang. “No, it’s impossible. Qiyuan wouldn’t…”
Before he could finish, Qin Weiji interrupted him again, “Of course, I don’t actually need any other reason to kill him.”
Shen Xin blinked. Qin Weiji looked at her, then suddenly curved his lips and said leisurely, “As he said, the hatred of stealing one’s wife is reason enough.”
He raised his hand and finally got his wish, rubbing Shen Xin’s lips. He gently kneaded them, slowly slipping his fingers between her lips and lightly pressing against her teeth. The gesture was ambiguous, but his words were icy cold, “My wife—how could someone like him be worthy?”
As his words fell, a cracking sound echoed—the green primordial pearl shattered completely, exploding into dust under the oppressive force of the god-slaying sword.
At that very moment, Qiyuan’s soul lamp extinguished.
Those powdery remnants slowly transformed into gentle breezes…
Qin Weiji withdrew the barrier, allowing the wind to carry them outward, letting them completely become nourishment for heaven and earth.