Chapter 22: Rising to Fame, a Single Jade Sword Grass

The turmoil of the outside world had nothing to do with Lin Heng at this moment.

Four months of cultivation passed in the blink of an eye. On the day of the Grandmaster Ceremony, following months of steady accumulation, Lin Heng successfully completed another transformation, reaching the fourth stage of the Grandmaster realm. He could clearly feel his body growing and developing rapidly; his bones, skin, flesh, internal organs, blood, and brain were all becoming stronger and more refined. The very essence of his life was elevating.

"Not bad. My physical strength has increased significantly," Lin Heng noted, nodding with satisfaction as he sensed the changes brought by his breakthrough. Each increase in cultivation level brought a qualitative leap in combat power. Compared to when he had first entered the Grandmaster realm, he was now far more formidable.

After completing his breakthrough, Lin Heng did not linger at the cold pool. He returned to the Kongming Palace and, attended by handmaidens, quickly washed away the layers of dead skin shed during his transformation before donning a newly tailored, formal ceremonial robe. Although only four months had passed, the ten-year-old Lin Heng had grown to a height of 1.78 meters due to his intense cultivation and natural growth. This rapidly matured physique was perfectly suited for combat.

Beyond his height, the childishness had faded from his face. His features had become refined and sharp, radiating the confidence and heroic spirit of one who had accumulated years of cultivation. A stranger seeing him for the first time would surely mistake him for a youth of seventeen or eighteen. If his previous 20-point charm had brought the innocence unique to a human child, he now possessed an allure that held a much stronger attraction for the opposite sex.

As the handmaidens helped him dress and adjust his accessories, they cast lingering, sparkling glances at him. Were it not for their maidenly reserve and the gap in their status, they would have been eager to press themselves against him. Lin Heng remained calm in expression, though he felt a flicker of pleasure inside; who would not enjoy being watched with such adoring eyes?

Once everything was prepared, Lin Heng appeared before the guests at noon. As handsome as an immortal descended to earth and possessing an extraordinary demeanor, he immediately won the favor of those seeing him for the first time.

"I thank all my fellow practitioners for coming to my Grandmaster Ceremony. I, Lin Heng, am unworthy, but I offer you this cup of tea in place of wine."

After his appearance, Lin Heng spoke with a smile. Compared to the solemnity of his apprenticeship ceremony, the atmosphere of this Grandmaster Ceremony was much more relaxed. After all, the apprenticeship was about taking on a student, while this event was primarily to build his reputation—a large-scale social gathering. By the time Lin Heng appeared, the heroes of the pugilistic world had already taken their seats. Seeing him raise his cup, everyone stood up out of respect and returned the gesture.

Following this, the cold dishes were removed, and the hot courses were served. Many Cloud Sword Palace disciples, prepared in advance, offered songs, dances, and demonstrations of their talents, making the atmosphere exceptionally lively. The gift list from the martial arts masters had already been collected by the Elder of Expenditures, so Lin Heng did not need to concern himself with it.

After his appearance, Lin Heng sat at the main table to dine. Guided by his master, Xiao Rang, he met many unfamiliar experts who had graduated from the Cloud Sword Palace and conversed freely with envoys from the other two sacred martial arts grounds and various major factions.

As the banquet progressed, the time for free social interaction arrived. People sought opportunities for advancement or engaged in friendly sparring. While he had only been a spectator at his apprenticeship ceremony, Lin Heng personally entered the arena this time, crossing swords with experts whose cultivation did not exceed the fourth stage of the Grandmaster realm.

These experts were either graduates of the Cloud Sword Palace or allies of the sect. At first, they held back their strength, fearing they might cause Lin Heng to lose face or worry about the stern Cloud Sword Palace elders watching from the sidelines. However, after a few bouts, they realized that Lin Heng was no mere vase with a hollow title. His "Ethereal Infinite Sword Art" had reached the second level of Sword Intent; every movement was accompanied by surging sword energy, and paired with his "Swift Cloud" footwork, his combat power was formidable.

Though he made some mistakes early on due to a lack of combat experience, Lin Heng used his powerful intuition to summarize his strengths and weaknesses with every bout, growing at a visible rate. This transformation left everyone present in awe. Many neutral factions, who had previously been hesitant to align themselves, made up their minds then and there: they would follow the Cloud Sword Palace and the young Sect Master Lin Heng closely in the future.

Ultimately, the sparring ended with Lin Heng achieving a streak of twenty consecutive victories.

With the conclusion of the Grandmaster Ceremony, this record was publicized, further elevating Lin Heng’s prestige in the martial arts world. The following day, after seeing off the guests, Lin Heng and several high-ranking sect officials gathered in the treasury to inspect the spoils of the ceremony.

"For this Grandmaster Ceremony, we received 7.03 million taels in cash gifts, with other assets totaling another 11.02 million taels," the Elder of Expenditures, Wei Xuan, said, unable to hide his grin. Although many of these gifts were social debts that would eventually need to be repaid, roughly sixty percent were offerings from outsiders seeking to curry favor with the Cloud Sword Palace—gifts that required no repayment, only the promise of future protection and convenience. While this wealth still didn't offset the resources the sect had poured into Lin Heng, it was a significant recovery of funds.

Xiao Rang, however, cared little for the money; wealth only had value when spent. His focus was entirely on items that could enhance Lin Heng’s strength.

"Excellent. There is a rare treasure here—the Jade Sword Grass. Beyond tempering a warrior's physique, it can also foster and nurture sword intent. It is perfect for Heng'er. There are also many medicinal herbs that will be useful for alchemy later on."

"This was a gift from Li Yang, who has already graduated. His cultivation at the eighteenth level of the Innate realm is nearing the Grandmaster breakthrough. When he succeeds, we shall pass on a protective divine art to him and accept his offspring into the sect as inner disciples in return."

Xiao Rang plucked a jade box from the pile, checked that it was intact, and handed it to Lin Heng. Lin Heng watched the mountain of gold and silver with a sense of dizziness. Ten million taels in gifts, combined with the sect's own reserves—it was truly a small mountain of wealth. Yet, after seeing so much, the novelty wore off, and he quickly adapted.

Seeing that there was nothing else for him to do, Lin Heng took the jade box, retrieved the Jade Sword Grass—which was as straight and slender as a fine blade and shimmering with a jade-like luster—and swallowed it in one gulp. He then walked out of the treasury and began to meditate. The medicinal power of the grass began to diffuse through his body, making him feel as though his meridians and acupoints were being sliced and tempered. In his mind, he naturally visualized a majestic Jade Sword Grass, standing tall, cleaving through all obstacles.