The Link of Fate

Xue Linglong’s words caught Bai Lan entirely off guard. He offered a slightly embarrassed smile as he withdrew his hand, only then recalling that he appeared to be no older than twelve. Indeed, it felt quite incongruous for someone who looked twelve to tease a girl a year or two younger with such a mature tone.

“Ahem, right, Little Linglong, did you come to the Eternal Blossom Island all by yourself?” Bai Lan adjusted his form of address to sound more fitting for his apparent age, hoping to alleviate the awkwardness.

He posed the question because a quick glance around revealed no one else accompanying Xue Linglong. Under normal circumstances, a girl so young would surely be accompanied by adult companions.

Xue Linglong’s smile faltered instantly upon hearing his words, her expression clouding with sorrow. She settled gently beside Bai Lan, her head bowed, remaining silent for a considerable moment.

Seeing Xue Linglong’s sorrowful demeanor, a realization dawned on Bai Lan. He scrutinized her attire once more, knowing that it was often possible to discern a person’s background from their clothing.

Despite Xue Linglong’s clean appearance, her clothes were worn and visibly patched, faded from countless washes. Those who dressed in such a manner were often worse off than children from common households, likely either itinerant or born into destitution.

Although he was unfamiliar with the worldly conditions of the various nations in the Eastern Sea Region, he recognized this as a feudal era akin to ancient Earth. In such times, the populace generally endured hardship.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that. Please disregard my question,” Bai Lan sighed before speaking.

“Oh? It’s alright, I’ve grown accustomed to being on my own,” Xue Linglong replied, shaking off her momentary sadness. “I’m just grateful to a kind elderly boatman for bringing me to the Eternal Blossom Island this time. Otherwise, no one else would have given me passage for free.” She beamed at Bai Lan once more.

Bai Lan was momentarily taken aback, observing the young girl who so quickly regained her composure. He had already surmised her background, yet he hadn’t expected an eight or nine-year-old to possess such resilience. It was difficult for him to fathom how a child so young could navigate this world without familial support.

Yet, looking at Xue Linglong, Bai Lan could discern no trace of destitution in her demeanor. She remained a sunny, pure, and innocent girl.

“There’s still half an hour until the assessment begins, Little Linglong,” Bai Lan began. “If you don’t mind, you can tell your… brother, ahem, your older sister, about your experiences.” He had nearly blurted out “your older brother,” but swiftly corrected himself.

Xue Linglong paused for a moment in thought, then grinned and nodded at Bai Lan, before beginning to recount the events of her life over the past few years.

Time slowly passed as she spoke…

Soon after, Bai Lan learned everything about the young girl.

Truthfully, despite her tender years, the sheer volume of experiences she had endured surpassed anything Bai Lan himself had ever faced.

Xue Linglong was, in essence, a wandering orphan. At five, a famine forced her mother into a life of wandering, leaving them without a permanent home. Then, when Xue Linglong was six, her mother succumbed to illness; two kind beggars had even helped her bury her mother.

Without her mother, her situation became perilous. She encountered numerous traffickers and con artists, villains who sought to capture and sell her for profit. Yet, innately astute, Xue Linglong repeatedly evaded her would-be captors.

Truly, in such circumstances, had it been any other child in her shoes, they would likely have long been sold by traffickers, perhaps into a house of pleasure.

Yet Xue Linglong managed to evade these dangers time and again, a testament to the young girl’s remarkable intelligence.

These challenges, however, might still be considered minor. The more pressing question was how a child survived starvation. The answer left Bai Lan utterly astounded, for the young girl had been almost entirely self-sufficient, foraging for wild vegetables in the mountains and weaving traps to catch fish, managing to survive until this very day.

She had learned some of these skills from her mother, and others by observing fellow refugees. Not long ago this year, she heard that the immortal sects of the Eastern Sea Region were broadly accepting disciples. Anyone meeting the age criteria could register, regardless of their birth or status.

Thus, Xue Linglong pleaded with an elderly boatman to ferry her to the Eternal Blossom Island. Fortuitously, she arrived safely, only to then stumble upon Bai Lan, trembling on the ground, seemingly trapped in a nightmare.

Perhaps this child was a naturally kind-hearted soul. She bravely approached to check on Bai Lan’s state, unaware that Bai Lan would awaken shortly thereafter.

As Bai Lan listened to Xue Linglong’s account, his heart filled with a mix of shock and profound emotion. He had thought Xue Yue had a truly tragic life, but compared to the girl before him, aside from that bone-stripping agony, he had at least known comfort and lacked for nothing since childhood.

What perplexed him was the depth of mental fortitude displayed by a child so young. But just then, Bai Lan suddenly froze.

His gaze drifted, almost instinctively, to Xue Linglong’s chest, specifically her heart. He sensed something profound. In that moment, his eyes seemed to pierce through Xue Linglong’s physical form, revealing a heart emanating a seven-colored glow. Unlike any ordinary heart, it was utterly unique.

What is this? A kaleidoscope heart, like crystal? Bai Lan wondered in astonishment.

As his question formed, Yun Yao’s voice resonated.

“It’s a Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart? Impossible!” Yun Yao exclaimed. “Bai Lan, the girl before you possesses the Linglong Body, one of the Ten Great Divine Bodies. Those with the Linglong Body are born with a Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart, possessing unparalleled wisdom.”

Bai Lan was utterly dumbfounded by Yun Yao’s revelation. The Linglong Body, one of the Ten Great Divine Bodies, was reputed as the most intelligent cultivation physique in existence. Owners of this physique achieved twice the results with half the effort, progressing at an astonishing pace. Where others might need decades to form their foundational core, she would require only a decade or even just a few short years.

That Yun Yao herself was so surprised made it clear this wasn’t her doing. The Heavenly Dao could not directly interfere with the destinies of this world’s inhabitants, hence her decision to bring Bai Lan from another realm.

Bai Lan was a stranger to this world, and thus not bound by its rules of fate.

“Ling… Linglong Body?” Bai Lan gazed at Xue Linglong in disbelief.

No wonder Xue Linglong was so exceptionally intelligent; she was naturally extraordinary. Bai Lan had merely been making casual inquiries, yet he had stumbled upon another possessor of one of the Ten Great Divine Bodies. A meeting between the Linglong Body and the Chaos Body — this had never happened before.

However, Yun Yao quickly understood the situation.

“I see, Bai Lan,” Yun Yao stated gravely. “This young girl is the Child of Destiny for this era. It seems you two share a profound fate.”

A Child of Destiny encountering a Son of Fate — what a miraculous occurrence. Of course, their statuses differed: one was born with it, the other chosen.

More precisely, without Bai Lan, Xue Linglong would have been the one to steer the world’s future.

“So, doesn’t that make bringing me to this world redundant?” Bai Lan wondered, puzzled.

But Yun Yao shook her head.

“No, though she is the Child of Destiny chosen by fate, she cannot help me contend with external anomalies. Only you can. However, now that you’ve met her, you should foster a good relationship with her. That way, the future might be considerably easier,” Yun Yao advised.