The Lin Clan's main hall was louder than usual, filled with the shuffle of robes and the quiet hum of whispered debates. Elders stood in sharp rows, juniors lined the edges, and the scent of sandalwood drifted lazily through the air. Lin Tian walked in silence beside his uncle, keeping half a step behind out of habit.
Everyone had been waiting for this moment.
Everyone wanted to see how the genius ice fairy would deal with the crippled young master she had been promised to since childhood.
Lin Tian kept his expression steady even though his stomach twisted. He had already made peace with whatever she decided. If she wanted to cut the engagement, she had every right. He wouldn't cling to something that might hurt her.
He reached the lower steps of the hall. Voices dropped instantly.
The doors opened.
Bai Xueya entered with a calm stride, her figure wrapped in white and pale blue silk that clung lightly to her waist and fell straight around her legs. Her hair hung smooth and straight, white with a faint icy sheen, and her eyes were a clear, cold blue that made some disciples look down just to breathe normally again.
And yet when she stepped inside, something in her gaze softened the moment her eyes landed on Lin Tian.
It's enough to tighten his breath.
Her sect escort announced her arrival, but Lin Tian barely heard the words. His heart thudded once behind his ribs as she approached the hall, the air around her tinged faintly with cold qi.
His uncle gave a respectful bow. "Lady Bai, welcome. We appreciate that you came in person."
Bai Xueya returned a light nod. "Thank you for receiving us."
Elder Qin leaned toward another elder and whispered, "This will settle everything."
Lin Tian stood still, hands relaxed at his sides, face calm. But inside, he felt a quiet pressure building in his chest. He had no idea what she had decided. He wouldn't force her either way.
The Bai Clan representative stepped forward first.
"Lady Bai," he said, clearing his throat, "we believe it is best for both families to dissolve this engagement. Circumstances have changed. You carry the expectations of your sect and your clan, and the Lin Clan's young master—"
Elder Qin cut in sharply, "Watch your words."
The representative stiffened but continued, "We only mean that he cannot cultivate. Your path is far above his. Ending the engagement spares everyone future trouble."
The Azure Snow Sword Sect envoy stepped up next, voice controlled and sharp. "This decision is consistent with the sect's guidance. You have responsibilities to your master and to your progress. A marriage that restricts your growth is unacceptable. It must be dissolved."
The entire hall froze in anticipation.
Lin Tian breathed in slowly and stepped forward, surprising the elders with how steady his voice sounded.
"If Lady Bai wishes to dissolve it," he said quietly, "then I won't object. She shouldn't be tied to something that limits her future. I don't want her to feel trapped because of a decision made long before either of us understood anything about cultivation or responsibility. If she wants freedom, she should have it."
His voice didn't tremble. He meant every word.
Bai Xueya's fingers curled lightly at her side.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The envoy nodded approvingly. "Then let us finalize—"
"No."
Her voice cut straight through the air.
Bai Xueya stepped forward, her expression calm but firm. "I will not end the engagement."
The envoy blinked, thrown off. "Lady Bai—"
She continued before anyone else could speak. "My parents trusted this agreement. His parents trusted it. They believed both families could protect and support each other through this bond. I won't throw away their will because everyone else thinks it's inconvenient or embarrassing."
The hall rippled with shock.
The Bai Clan representative tried again, "Lady Bai, you must think carefully—"
"I am thinking carefully," she said. "I'm choosing not to run from their last decision. I'm choosing to honor something they believed in. And I'm choosing to see for myself what kind of man Lin Tian is before letting others dictate my future."
Lin Tian's breath stuck in his throat. He didn't understand why she would fight this hard. She had every reason to walk away. She was talented, respected, admired everywhere she went—and he was nothing but the crippled young master everyone whispered about.
The envoy stiffened. "You don't seem to grasp the long-term consequences of tying yourself to someone like—"
She lifted her chin slightly, interrupting him again. "I understand enough to make my own choice."
A long, uncomfortable silence followed.
Then Bai Xueya turned her head, meeting Lin Tian's eyes directly for the first time since she entered. Her gaze wasn't cold anymore.
The meeting broke apart shortly after, with elders murmuring in quiet shock and sect representatives leaving with tight expressions.
Lin Tian lingered near the steps outside the hall, letting the air settle around him. He needed space. He needed to breathe. He didn't understand her decision. He didn't know what she expected from him. He didn't know if he could give her anything of worth.
Footsteps approached.
He turned.
Bai Xueya walked toward him slowly, her expression unreadable.
She didn't stop at a polite distance. She stepped close—close enough that he could feel the faint cold aura wrapped around her skin, close enough that her presence pushed at his heartbeat.
Then, without hesitation, she reached out and took his hand.
Her fingers were cool, smooth, and incredibly steady.
Lin Tian froze, breath catching in his throat.
"Lady Bai…?"
She kept her gaze on his eyes as she spoke.
"I wasn't defending you because I felt sorry for you," she said softly. "I wasn't doing it because of pressure. I did it because I don't want to break something without understanding what it means first. I won't abandon promises made by people who aren't here anymore."
Lin Tian swallowed hard, his voice barely stable. "I still don't want you tied to something that hurts you. If my presence becomes a burden—"
"It's only a burden if you treat yourself as one," she said. "I'm not asking you to be anything grand. I just want to understand who you are."
"If you choose to stay, then I'll walk with you."
Her hand squeezed his gently.
That simple touch sent a shock through his arm, a sudden warmth spreading under his skin, running through his wrist like something waking up inside him.
His breath shuddered.
Something was happening.
Something real.
His vision flickered—just a fraction—but enough to make him blink.
A mechanical chime echoed inside his mind, soft but impossible to ignore.
Lin Tian stiffened as glowing text formed behind his eyes.
[ New Linked Partner Detected ]
Name: Bai Xueya
Realm: True Spirit Realm — Ninth Level
Talent: Heaven Grade
Spirit Roots: Heaven Grade
Physique: Frost Yin Body (Earth Grade)
Bloodline: Ice Phoenix Divine Beast (Dormant · Divine Grade)
Cultivation Technique: Ice Moon Divine Scripture
Cultivation Arts: Moonfrost Sword Dance, Snowveil Step, Heaven's Frost Finger
Shared Gains Activated.
The Host will now receive 100% of her cultivation progress.
Bonus: +10% overall cultivation speed.
[ Shared Spiritual Energy Pool Created ]
Warmth shot through his meridians—slow but unmistakable.
Lin Tian inhaled sharply.
Bai Xueya immediately noticed the change in his expression. She stepped a little closer, brow faintly tight. "Lin Tian… are you alright? Your breathing just—shifted."
He forced a shallow nod, even though his pulse raced under her touch. "I'm fine. I just… didn't expect today to go like this."
Her voice lowered. "Neither did I."
She didn't let go of his hand.
For the first time in years, Lin Tian felt heat move through places he believed were dead inside him. His meridians pulsed lightly, as if Bai Xueya's touch had woken something long buried.
He tried to steady himself, but the sensation was overwhelming.
Bai Xueya glanced down at their joined hands, then back to his face. "If my decision causes trouble… I'll handle it. I don't regret choosing to stay."
Lin Tian swallowed. His voice came out softer than he intended. "You're… braver than people think."
"And you're kinder than people give you credit for," she replied. "Maybe that's enough to start with."
When she finally released his hand, the warmth lingered on his skin.
She gave a short nod before turning to leave. "I'll be staying in the guest courtyard. If you ever need to talk, come find me. I won't turn you away."
He watched her walk away, long dark hair shifting behind her with every step. Every movement she made looked controlled and deliberate, yet there was something uncertain at the edges—like she was still figuring out how to navigate whatever this was between them.
Lin Tian stood there long after she disappeared around the corner.
Only when he returned to his courtyard did the system awaken again.
[ Link Established ]
[ Shared Growth Begins Now ]
He sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing his thumb slowly over the place where she held him.
Everything changed the moment she took my hand…
The warmth still hadn't faded.
End of Chapter 6