Although the sword spirit was newly "born," its existence over long years had left traces. Its bewilderment lasted only a short while before it gained clear perception. It "stared" at the exquisitely artistic sword tassels. Out of its innate instinct as a sword, it favored the dreamy and pure blue.
It then "looked" at Dan Ya, whose unexceptional Earth Spirit Root was quite rare and pure among so many people…
Seeing its hesitation towards such a common item as sword tassels, Fang Rui also felt a desire. Although she was not a sword cultivator and her competitiveness was not high, who wouldn't be moved by an immortal artifact? She stepped forward from the crowd and said in a gentle, soft voice, "I have a bottle of Yu Feng Xian Lu here, which can cleanse impurities. This humble one is willing to offer it as well."
This blatant attempt at bribery was certainly more intelligent than the previous mountain lords' impulsive attempts at outright seizure. The sword spirit sensed that the aura of the liquid called Xian Lu was quite attractive to it. It looked at Fang Rui again: a Five Elements Water Spirit Root, but the overall purity was not high…
It felt somewhat disdainful and thus abandoned her, continuing to "stare" at Dan Ya. kanshu5.xia
Seeing that this method seemed effective, others also followed suit, learning from the successful approach. They all took out their most prized possessions, offering various items, all in an effort to please it and gain its favor.
However, it was clear that it had only shown slight interest in Dan Ya from beginning to end. Dan Ya's palms were sweating from nervousness, but the smile on his face deepened, and a look of determined success was in his eyes.
The only one present who did not actively participate was Liu Jiang Fusheng. He stood amidst the crowd, choosing to be submerged. Firstly, he had nothing truly impressive to offer, and secondly, he had not yet decided on his future path. He didn't even dare to dream of immortal swords.
Daoist Zhi Yang had once mentioned to him that there were myriad Daoist techniques and immortal arts in the world, and each person had their own destiny and talent. These could be categorized into sword cultivators, pill cultivators, artifact cultivators, talisman cultivators, body cultivators, demonic cultivators, beast cultivators, scholarly cultivators, and so on. Compared to starting cultivation in a dazed state, those who found a path compatible with themselves from the outset would encounter fewer setbacks and bottlenecks in the future, making their immortal journey smoother and more accessible.
It was for this reason that he had delayed his Qi absorption.
The sword spirit was consistently not very satisfied with any of them; even Dan Ya was not to its liking. Suddenly, a gentle yet irresistible force emerged from the shadows, pushing Liu Jiang Fusheng forward.
"What are you watching? This should be yours."
Liu Jiang Micheng heard someone speak to him like this, and then he walked out uncontrollably.
The immortal sword suddenly sensed something. It searched excitedly among these people. Others saw the immortal sword radiating light and its body humming with a subtle vibration, but they did not know the reason.
Gu Junshi withdrew her hand. She calmly observed this fateful encounter, which was no different from the one in her dream. Since she had decided not to act against him for the time being, she let her little darling continue on his original path. This was because she did not want to alter the future development that she knew so well, only to tread a "new path" whose direction she could not control. After all, he possessed too many uncertain factors; he was favored by the Heavenly Dao, while she was merely a discarded piece.
When the immortal sword's gaze fell upon Liu Jiang Fusheng in the crowd, it was as if it saw a pristine white lotus blooming in its full glory. The Pure Lotus Seed Heavenly Spirit Root was so pure and flawless. Its sword body glowed with intense light, transforming into a dazzling white beam like a dragon shuttle, shooting directly towards him.
Everyone was startled. Their first reaction was that the immortal sword had gone berserk and attacked. Only Dan Ya's expression stiffened, his smile vanishing in an instant. He felt a premonition of something bad and hastily followed the immortal sword with his gaze.
The mountain lords' expressions changed drastically. They immediately joined forces to use their spiritual power to erect a defensive barrier, intending to block the immortal sword. However, in front of the immortal sword, it was as thin as cicada's wings, shattering upon contact.
Daoist Zhi Yang's throat tightened: "Fusheng—"
Liu Jiang Fusheng felt a chilling sensation surge over him, irresistible yet so intensely urgent.
His pupils constricted, his face turned pale, and he, too, believed it intended to harm him.
Unexpectedly, halfway through, someone lunged forward fiercely, positioning themselves between Liu Jiang Fusheng and the immortal sword. The momentum of the charging immortal sword was forcefully halted.
The ghost infant's eyes were unfocused, fixed on the air. Reaching out only by feel, he felt around. Blood trickled from his lips, and he gritted his teeth in pain and shouted, "I discovered you first… you should belong to me!" kanδん
The disciples were stunned when they first saw him. They recognized him from his waist token as a newly accepted outer disciple who had not yet changed into sect robes or updated his waist token information.
However, the immortal sword was completely disdainful of this murky human form before it. Its sword body bypassed the ghost infant directly and, with immense joy, transformed into a streak of light that pierced into Liu Jiang Fusheng's forehead, then vanished without a trace.
Liu Jiang Fusheng's eyes widened abruptly. The next moment, a drop of blood, enveloped by spiritual energy, floated up from his forehead. A force erupted from his feet in an arc, shaking everyone nearby off balance, forcing them to retreat rapidly to avoid its edge.
"Argh—"
The sky and earth changed color, the wind grew fierce, and a circular contract formation several feet in diameter opened beneath his feet. He was lifted into the air by a force, and a crystal-clear, snow-white greatsword floated above his head. The immense pressure it released at this moment was enough to shake the entire eleventh heaven.