The day before their departure for Dusheng Temple, the Unibrow Mountain Lord, the Nine Swallowing Mountain Lord, and the Nian Hua Mountain Lord gathered, each bringing their disciples to Dayan's Treasure Vault.
The sect leader granted those selected for the "Newcomer Ranking" a reward: one opportunity to choose a magical artifact from the Treasure Vault.
Based on intuition and luck, each person took something different from the vault, varying in type and grade.
The mountain lords waited outside the Treasure Vault, filled with anticipation, wanting to see whose disciple had a good eye and chose the best item.
Half an hour later, all four emerged one after another.
The first to come out was Dan Ya. This was not his first time in the Treasure Vault, so he already had a clear idea of what he wanted.
He came out empty-handed, presumably having placed his item in a storage pouch. The others had no idea what he had picked.
He cupped his hands in a respectful bow to the Nine Swallowing Mountain Lord, his smile as gentle as spring. His bearing possessed an air of invisible detachment. He then stood aside, waiting with them for the other disciples to emerge.
Seeing that Dan Ya did not report his acquisition, the Nine Swallowing Mountain Lord felt a flicker of displeasure. However, he opened his mouth, then closed it again, ultimately deciding not to ask.
Once disciples became well-developed and independent, their masters lost much of their authority. Their master-disciple relationship had already fallen apart after that day.
What's more, even he couldn't ascertain Dan Ya's current cultivation level, but he knew it was definitely not what he appeared to be.
The second to emerge was Fang Rui. She had chosen a defensive jade marrow bracelet, an upper-tier magical artifact. While not particularly rare, it was perfectly suited for her current cultivation.
The third was Ghost Infant. He was in need of a weapon, but he was blind, and his cultivation of ghost arts made it difficult to find a compatible weapon. In the end, he resigned himself to fate, blindly fumbling through rows of items. He randomly picked a "jade bottle" that seemed to have the least rejection towards him.
This item looked no different from an ordinary porcelain bottle, small and exquisite. Its ceramic was jade white, and at first glance, it seemed like a mundane item.
However, the Treasure Vault did not house ordinary goods.
Even Ghost Infant emerged with some delay, but Liu Jiang Fusheng had not yet appeared, which unconsciously heightened everyone's anticipation.
The items chosen by the first three disciples were merely passable. Considering his luck in obtaining a "celestial artifact" previously, they wondered if he would pick another powerful spiritual artifact.
Finally, Liu Jiang Fusheng also walked out. He did not have a storage pouch, which, in other major sects, was a basic item provided to every introductory disciple. However, the Dayan Sect was clearly not that extravagant.
He walked through a patch of shadowed eaves, the light outside casting a soft, refined sheen upon him. Behind him, the large door of the Treasure Vault slowly closed.
In his hand, he carried a string of magnolia bells, silver-white. Each petal had golden veins, and judging by the faint flow of spiritual energy, it should be a magical artifact. Its grade was unknown; it would only be revealed after recognizing the owner through a drop of blood.
Falling short of expectations, Daoist Zhi Yang was somewhat disappointed.
He stepped forward and said with a tone of pickiness and heartache, "This Treasure Vault is full of good things. Why did you choose such a sissy-looking item?"
Liu Jiang Fusheng replied, "It is very good."
At this moment, Daoist Zhi Yang's mind suddenly turned, and he asked suspiciously, "You didn't happen to prepare it for your mortal wife, did you?"
Liu Jiang Fusheng held it in his palm, his thick eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
"Master, her name is Gu Yi. She is the person I cherish in my heart. Whether she is mortal or immortal, she is already deeply etched into my very bones and blood, impossible to remove. I cannot be without her."
Daoist Zhi Yang was deeply moved upon hearing this. After a long silence, he looked at Liu Jiang Fusheng with a touch of sorrow in his eyes and shook his head, saying, "You fool. You will regret this..."
After all, he was an old monster who had lived for hundreds of years. How could he not see that the woman named Gu Yi had no affection for him in her eyes?
Sometimes, when she looked at him, what was the difference between looking at flowers, grass, mountains, or the sea?
If she was not his one and only, if he could not possess her exclusively, then what was the meaning of this desperate, headstrong pursuit?
Back in Gu Junshi's small wooden house, Liu Jiang Fusheng presented the "Magnolia Silver Bells" in his hand to her like a treasure, urging her to recognize it as her own with a drop of blood.
The "Magnolia Silver Bells" was a magical artifact capable of both offense and defense. Its specific effects were unknown; only after recognizing the owner with blood would its usage methods be revealed.
Gu Junshi thought that he had gone to the Treasure Vault, and she herself did not even have a decent magical artifact, yet he had prepared one for her first.
Was he so afraid that she, this frail "paper person," would be blown away by a gust of wind halfway?
She reached out to take it, but instead of recognizing it with blood, she began to take out the things she had prepared for him earlier.
A set of travel clothes, including a hair crown, a belt, boots, and a cloak.
A set of defensive magical artifacts, covering the wrists, neck, and waist.
A spiritual sword. While celestial artifacts were good, they were too conspicuous when traveling.
Three bulging bags of spirit stones, containing low, medium, and high-grade spirit stones.
A storage ring, which possessed a larger internal space than ordinary storage pouches.
And also...
Liu Jiang Fusheng looked at this pile of dazzling items and asked in astonishment, "When did you..."
Gu Junshi observed whether he liked them and said, "After you entered seclusion, I started preparing these. Whatever other disciples had, I would earn one for you."
The value of the items was undeniable, but more importantly, it was her heartfelt intention.
His emotions surged, like gentle ripples spreading across a calm lake. Then, overcome with emotion, he embraced her, pressing his lips low against her hair. She carried a faint, alluring cold fragrance.
"A Yi, why are you so good to me?"
"A Yi... do you like me?"
Gu Junshi remained silent for a moment in his embrace.
His heart was as cold as an ice cellar, but at the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief. "It's okay. We have plenty of time. I will wait for you slowly..."
The next day, the disciples heading to the "Newcomer Ranking" received a message from Elder Jiu Li, instructing them to gather at the training grounds to prepare for their journey to Dusheng Temple. From the large teleportation array within Dusheng Temple, they would travel to the Twenty-Eight Heavens.
When they saw Liu Jiang Fusheng, who had been completely transformed from head to toe, they couldn't help but stare.
Previously, he had always worn simple, ethereal disciple robes that seemed untouched by the mortal world.
But today, his attire exuded an air of nobility. He wore an ice-blue, straight-collared, narrow-sleeved long robe. As the hem fluttered in the wind, the meticulously embroidered images of a celestial deer drinking revealed themselves under the sunlight. With a jade crown adorning his handsome face, his robes flowed with elegance.
Compared to his magnificent appearance, Gu Junshi, standing beside him, remained in plain clothes, with only the magnolia silver bells hanging from her waist, swaying gently in the wind with a faint tinkling sound.
Dan Ya, standing among the disciples, glanced at Liu Jiang Fusheng and understood what had happened.
She was truly generous. She had saved diligently, and all the money she had earned over three years had been spent entirely on him, from head to toe. He was a man who lived off her, and she could still see him in such a way.