The roaring wind whipped the falling waterfall into mist, and the cold rain kissed their faces like fine icy pecks, snapping everyone out of their daze.
If divided by rank and strength, the immortal sword was far more powerful than everyone present and their magical artifacts combined, thus it could domineeringly form a bond regardless of the other party's personal wishes.
Every sword, upon birthing an artifact spirit, yearned to find a compatible master. It was undoubtedly fortunate – on an ordinary day of the eleventh month, it found a tailor-made master so quickly.
It was also intelligent; it immediately recognized Liu Jiangfusheng's current mortal flesh-and-blood state and thus did not forge a master-servant contract but an equal one. Otherwise, Liu Jiangfusheng would have exploded and died from being unable to withstand the vast lightning spiritual energy of its sword body.
However, the bonding of an immortal artifact was a grand event witnessed by heaven and earth. The sea of clouds above churned, and lightning flashed again. Outsiders would merely think a storm was brewing, but only those who witnessed it firsthand could feel the suffocating, powerful aura.
The people of the Grand Evolution Sect stood stunned by this sight, while Dan Ya's face turned ashen. He tried to maintain a neutral expression but found it difficult. His eyes, usually clear and luminous, were now filled with a deep, sharp darkness, a testament to his failed endeavor.
"It actually willingly bonded with him!"
With a mere mortal who possessed no cultivation at all!
Just because he had the Celestial Spirit Root?
He mocked scornfully.
*Hiss*—The contract array on the ground was filled bit by bit with silvery light. The smooth, circular formation was composed of elemental runes. Once the intricate patterns of the circuit were slowly woven, the emanating power was gathered once more in an instant. The formation was complete, and the bond was forged.
Liu Jiangfusheng felt a sharp pain at his forehead. He reached up to touch it, finding nothing but smooth skin.
But when he lowered his hand, a vertical mark, like a red plum blossom in the snow, appeared on his exquisitely featured face, right at his forehead. As he raised his head, his eyes filled with a silvery radiance, ethereal and enchanting.
After bonding with the immortal sword, the mortal paleness and dullness of his complexion were replaced by a vibrant hue, blooming across his form with an uplifting presence, exuding a captivating brilliance.
The beauty of the blooming flowers was momentarily lost on Liu Jiangfusheng. The young man's pure beauty blurred the lines between male and female, but it was as if, in a fleeting moment, time had accelerated, and his youthful bloom was nearing its peak, revealing the magnificent, handsome contours of manhood.
Her clear eyes misted over with budding spring, and her heart pounded like a drum.
Daoist Zhiyang was the quickest to recover among them. After all, the beneficiary was closely related to him. He surveyed the thoroughly disheartened crowd, his small topknot bobbing proudly. He slapped his thigh and laughed heartily, "Hahaha… My good disciple! They eagerly approached, yet gained nothing. The immortal sword chose you, of all people. I knew you were destined for greatness. Even the heavens are helping you achieve this opportunity."
Hearing this, the others felt their chests ache with anger.
Among them, Gui Ying reacted the most drastically. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of black blood.
*Why?*
His frail body trembled violently, like withered leaves in the wind, unable to withstand the slightest touch.
The new disciple of the Lord of the Eyebrowless Mountain—he knew of him. When he was an outer disciple on the lower peak, he had heard others speak of him with awe and envy.
He possessed the Celestial Spirit Root, surpassing even the exceptionally gifted Uncle-Master Dan Ya. He was the kind of cultivation talent that those who could only crawl upwards from the filthy depths dared not even dream of possessing.
At that time, he had only felt that the person others spoke of was too distant, and he harbored a vague envy for the Celestial Spirit Root. But now… the proximity bred a tearing jealousy within him.
He already had such high cultivation talent, yet he didn't strive or compete, and the immortal sword chose him effortlessly. Meanwhile, he had begged and fought desperately, but the immortal sword had disdained him!
How unfair was heaven, to bestow all its favor upon one person while showing him no compassion?
Gui Ying huddled in the cold darkness, curled into a ball and shivering, unsure if it was from the cold or from his inability to control his emotions.
No one saw the faint crimson aura emanating from him, as if a pair of scarlet eyes were fixed upon the little pampered husband with intense, greedy hunger.
Gu Junshi observed all of this unfold.
She, too, looked in the direction of her little pampered husband. It seemed his troubles would only increase. Dan Ya, who harbored significant animosity towards him, and Gui Ying, who was jealous and held a grudge over the sword—neither of them were easy opponents.
However… her thoughts suddenly drifted. Her gaze lingered playfully on his face, the curve of his waist, and his long legs.
Strange, he seemed to have become even more handsome?
That mark of the immortal artifact's contract on his forehead made him inexplicably serious and aloof, as if specifically designed to captivate those with wicked intentions.
She chuckled playfully, then her smile vanished.
She recalled another matter and sighed inwardly.
Now that he had obtained the immortal sword, it was akin to overnight wealth. She suddenly understood why the love stories between poor boys and rich girls were always fraught with difficulties. How could the disparity in wealth be balanced? Could her short-term wealth plans afford to keep a rich and pampered husband?
She seemed to remember… that book, "The Runaway Pampered Wife," besides describing the male protagonist's unwavering devotion to the female lead, also highlighted saving the female lead from danger multiple times as a shortcut to fostering affection.
Mainly, she felt that given her little pampered husband's tendency to attract animosity in his cultivation journey, such opportunities would likely be abundant.