Chapter 13: We Were Never Meant to Be, Yet Fortune Keeps Us Bound

Amidst the gaze of all present, Lin Heng walked steadily to the center of the grand hall of the Cloud Sword Palace. He bowed deeply to Xiao Rang, who sat solemnly in the main seat, pledging himself as his disciple, then respectfully offered a cup of fragrant tea. "Please, Master, have some tea."

Xiao Rang accepted the tea, took a small sip, and then set it aside. He then produced a prepared gift for Lin Heng—the official token of discipleship.

It was a divine sword. Even sheathed, one could sense a restrained, fierce sword intent emanating from it.

"This sword was used by me in my youth. It is called the Clear Cloud Sword. Today, I bestow it upon you. I hope you will uphold your master's will, protect the sect and the countless people of Lan Continent, and sweep away all evildoers."

By passing on both his sword and his aspirations, Xiao Rang was making it clear to the outside world that Lin Heng was his direct disciple, the young deputy leader of the Cloud Sword Palace, destined—barring unforeseen circumstances—to inherit the leadership of the sect.

"Thank you, Master, for the sword," Lin Heng said, receiving it with both hands and bowing in gratitude.

He then turned to the elders of the Cloud Sword Palace standing nearby as witnesses and bowed again. "Lin Heng pays respects to all senior uncles and elder brothers."

The elders accepted his salute calmly, then smiled as they each presented their own gifts to Lin Heng.

Jin Ming, the Transmission Elder, smiled and said, "Today is a joyous day for you, Heng’er, joining our Cloud Sword Palace. I present you with a 'Bright Moon Pendant' as a welcome gift. Carry it with you always; it calms the mind and diminishes inner demons."

Li Yan, the Enforcement Elder, added, "I give you a blood jade finger ring. Wearing it long-term nourishes your vital energy and strengthens your foundation."

Though seemingly ordinary ornaments, these gifts were priceless both in beauty and practical value.

Following them, other senior elders presented equally priceless gifts: Wei Xuan, the Support Elder, gave an iron mine; Hua Yu, the Elixir Elder, donated an herb mountain; Zhang Ya, the Spirit Plant Elder, offered a pasture; and Yu Rong, the Splendor Elder, gave a fabric mill.

Mid-level elders and seasoned masters also presented gifts. While not as grand as those from the seniors, these were still valuable production resources—precious metals or rare spiritual herbs.

Additionally, there were fertile fields, tea plantations, and shops.

Lin Heng stood beside Xiao Rang, accepting the many gift lists from the elders, thanking each in turn before setting them aside.

Next came the gift lists from the five major imperial vassal states attending the ceremony. They did not bother with pleasantries—they gave money directly.

Initially, each was prepared to offer merely ten thousand taels of silver as a token.

After all, these imperial vassals were essentially cash machines for the Cloud Sword Palace, annually exploited for vast sums and left with little savings, incapable of mustering strength to oppose the sect.

Moreover, any rare treasures or spiritual resources produced in their lands were not theirs to offer, being too precious to part with.

Yet, upon witnessing Lin Heng’s demeanor and bearing, these five vassal states silently tore up their original gift lists.

A seven-year-old innate talent—this signified not merely immense cultivation potential but an innate disposition suited for the path.

While other children of seven played with mud, Lin Heng had already become an innate expert. Such accomplishment was not achievable by mere accumulation of cultivation resources. Most likely, he would surpass even the current Cloud Sword Palace leader in the future.

It is well known that grandmaster-level experts conservatively live for about two cycles of sixty years.

Some masters versed in longevity practices can live beyond one hundred and fifty years. Those at the Heavenly Being realm certainly outlive grandmasters, with lifespans of three or even four cycles of sixty years being common.

To ensure prosperity in the coming centuries, representatives of the five imperial courts spared no expense to curry favor with Lin Heng.

"The Eastern Sea Dynasty, Western Moon Dynasty, Southern Departure Dynasty, Northern Cry Dynasty, and Central Spirit Dynasty each present one million taels of silver to congratulate Young Deputy Leader Lin Heng," they declared.

Lin Heng was momentarily stunned upon seeing the sum.

Each dynasty giving one million, totaling five million—that amount could sustain his daily cultivation expenses, which often ran into thousands of taels, for several years.

He cast a deep glance at the representatives from the great dynasties and read their obsequious smiles, understanding their firm resolve to align with him.

We were strangers by fate, yet wealth has drawn us close.

Money was crucial—it determined the speed of his future cultivation.

Even Xiao Rang, the Cloud Sword Palace leader, usually treated the emperors of the five dynasties with utmost courtesy.

Hence, after accepting the gift lists from the envoys of the five nations, Lin Heng smiled and nodded.

"Thank you. Let us maintain close relations henceforth."

Just "maintain close relations." Simple words, yet they carried great weight, making the representatives’ smiles sincerely brightened. This meant that before the future leader of the Cloud Sword Palace, they could hold a voice.

This assured the dynasties that, so long as they behaved, their descendants’ prosperity would remain secure.

Xiao Rang watched with satisfaction as Lin Heng communicated with the five envoys, proud of how well his disciple applied the lessons on managing subordinates he had taught.

If Lin Heng continued to grow in this manner, even after he passed on, there would be no worries about the future succession of the Cloud Sword Palace.

After the five imperial dynasties finished presenting their gifts, it was finally the turn of the envoys from the other two great orthodox martial sanctuaries.

This was not due to any slight from the Cloud Sword Palace—they each held their own territories and interests without conflict and had allied years ago to resist the many evil factions of Lan Continent, maintaining close relations.

The arrangement was to have these two forces, equal in stature to the Cloud Sword Palace, serve as the grand finale, elevating the atmosphere of Lin Heng’s disciple ceremony to a new height.

"The Heavenly Star Valley presents a bolt of Star Sand Brocade to Young Deputy Leader Lin," announced one envoy.

"The Frost City offers a portion of Ice Cold Dew," announced the other.

As expected, naming these gifts immediately captured the attention of everyone present. Many wore looks of surprise.

Star Sand Brocade, as its name implies, was a fabric woven from a rare kind of silkworm thread. Its entire surface shimmered a dreamlike blue, resembling scattered stardust, hence its name.

Its greatest use was for making armor. Wearing it was not only lightweight and comfortable but also offered defense comparable to heavy armor. Most importantly, it enhanced a martial artist’s perception of the sun’s essence and the moon’s brilliance, accelerating cultivation to some degree.

Each bolt of Star Sand Brocade was extraordinarily expensive—truly priceless—and never sold on the market.

The Ice Cold Dew was a foundational cultivation elixir that purified the body and enhanced innate constitution, strengthening the cultivator’s roots and foundation. It was a specialty of Frost City and likewise not for sale.