Chapter 13: The Unseen Bonds of a Shattered Fate

Han Qian sat in silence beside a crackling fire, deep within a nameless forest. Lin Shuyue, her delicate frame wrapped in a simple cloak, rested nearby. The nights had grown colder, the winds sharper, yet Han Qian remained unfazed. His body, tempered by untold hardships, knew neither discomfort nor ease. It simply endured.

Days passed in this fragile semblance of peace until Han Qian, staring into the dying embers of their modest fire, broke the stillness. "This can't go on," he said, his voice as flat and calm as ever. "We can't survive running forever."

Lin Shuyue looked at him, her eyes reflecting a quiet resolve. "Then what should we do?"

"We need protection," Han Qian said. "A sect. Somewhere we can stay without being hunted."

Thus, their journey toward the Ironheart Sect began. A sect known for its formidable Rank 9 and Rank 10 elders, Ironheart was a fortress amidst a chaotic realm. Though not the most prestigious, its roots ran deep, and its walls had never been breached.

Upon arrival, the sect's recruitment process had already begun. Streams of hopeful disciples lined the mountain paths, their eyes shimmering with ambition and fear. Han Qian and Lin Shuyue stood amidst them, yet they were worlds apart from these cultivators.

Lin Shuyue's heart pounded with anxiety. Her cultivation had stagnated at Rank 1 for years. She had tried everything, from elixirs to forbidden techniques, yet nothing could push her past that invisible wall. But today, something felt different.

As the examination began, the sect's elders watched the participants with measured interest. Lin Shuyue stepped forward hesitantly. The moment her hand touched the testing crystal, a radiant light burst forth. The elders exchanged glances, their eyes narrowing in recognition.

"A dormant bloodline," one elder whispered.

"Indeed," another nodded. "Her growth may seem slow, but once she breaks through Rank 2, she will ascend rapidly."

The hall buzzed with anticipation. One by one, elders expressed their intent to take Lin Shuyue as a personal disciple. Each sought to claim the rare gem that stood before them.

However, when Han Qian's turn came, the atmosphere shifted.

He placed his hand on the crystal. Nothing. No light. No fluctuation of Qi.

The hall turned silent.

"No soul power," an elder said, his voice void of any emotion.

"We do not accept body cultivators," another elder stated plainly.

Han Qian stood unmoving, but Lin Shuyue's voice pierced the tension. "If he's not accepted, I will not join."

Murmurs spread like wildfire. The elders, bound by the promise of Lin Shuyue's potential, relented. "He may join as an outer disciple," one of them finally declared.

It was a compromise, a decision born not of respect but of necessity.

Days passed within the sect's stone walls. Lin Shuyue began her cultivation, her days filled with relentless training under the watchful eyes of her masters. Han Qian, however, found himself distanced. Though his title was 'outer disciple,' in reality, he was a servant. Cleaning halls, fetching supplies, mundane tasks that barely warranted attention.

Then came the summons.

The Sect Master and key elders called Han Qian to the main hall. Lin Shuyue was unaware of this meeting.

Han Qian stood in the grand chamber, surrounded by ancient figures cloaked in power and wisdom.

"Han Qian," the Sect Master began, "Lin Shuyue's potential is boundless. Her destiny will soar into realms you cannot imagine. But you—" his eyes narrowed, "You have no future here. You are a hindrance to her."

An elder stepped forward. "For her sake, you must leave. Let her walk her path unburdened."

Han Qian said nothing. His expression remained neutral. He bowed slightly, turned, and left the hall.

By the time Lin Shuyue learned of this, it was too late. Han Qian had vanished, his presence erased as though he had never been there. Rage boiled within her, but she tempered it with resolve.

"I will grow stronger," she vowed. "Stronger than any of them. And I will bring him back myself."

Years passed.

Lin Shuyue's cultivation soared. She broke through Rank 2, and as foretold, her ascent became meteoric. At the age of 18, she stood at Rank 7, an unprecedented feat. Her beauty, already unmatched, had now gained an aura of transcendence. But her heart remained tethered to the past.

She recalled every moment with Han Qian—the cold calm of his voice, the indifference in his eyes, the silent way he protected her. Her obsession had grown into a raging fire that consumed every thought.

Lin Shuyue made her decision.

On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she left the sect.

No grand farewells. No explanations.

She walked out alone, sword in hand, heart ablaze.

"I will find you, Han Qian. No matter what it takes."

---

Far away, in a realm forgotten by most maps, Han Qian sat inside a cage.

It wasn't the first time he'd been imprisoned. But this was different.

The cage was crafted from a rare mineral, one that nullified Qi and suppressed physical strength. The walls were etched with ancient seals, designed to restrain even the mightiest beasts.

But it couldn't restrain time.

Han Qian waited, unmoving.

He did not resist. Bai Yan's words echoed within him even now. "Live on, Han Qian."

Emotion did not guide him, but memory did.

The captors had long given up trying to extract any reaction from him. They left him there, a forgotten relic in a forgotten place. But stones remember every storm that passes over them.

Lin Shuyue's name meant nothing to the world. But to Han Qian, it was the last thread of connection to a life beyond survival.

He knew she would come.

It was not faith.

It was certainty.

Somewhere, beyond the stone walls, Lin Shuyue carved her path toward him. Every step fueled by a resolve as sharp as any blade.

The sect that once sought to control her would soon learn the cost of their arrogance.

And as for Han Qian—

He waited.

Unmoving.

Unyielding.

Until the moment would come when he would no longer need to.

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