Shen Qian quickly put away the sunflower seeds he had subconsciously taken out, then sat up straight, looking like he was all ears.

Liu Changqing's expression softened a bit, and he continued, "Ling Tianhou and I grew up together in a place called 'Tongji Martial Academy'... That martial academy was funded by some powerful figures from the Mountain and Sea realms, and it specifically adopted orphans with certain talents. There are many similar institutions across the country."

Liu Changqing offered an explanation and then continued speaking.

“We used to have a pretty good relationship, and with another girl... another girl named Ren Lingxi, the three of us often sparred together.”

After a pause, Liu Changqing finally said the girl's name.

"Sixth Senior Brother, is that Ren Lingxi your first love?"

He cautiously probed before sinking in.

"...the love of my life."

After a brief silence, Liu Changqing uttered four words with unwavering resolve.

Shen Qian was somewhat surprised, but after seeing Liu Changqing's determined gaze, Shen Qian suddenly felt ashamed.

He still remembered that before seeing that pink USB drive, he always thought Liu Changqing wasn't interested in women. But after seeing the pink USB drive, he thought Liu Changqing just had some kind of peculiar hobby...

Unexpectedly, the seemingly carefree Liu Changqing also had an irreplaceable person living in his heart.

"And now she..."

"She is the fiancée of Marquis Lingtian."

Before Shen Qian could speak, Liu Changqing already knew what he was going to ask and interrupted him directly.

"ah?"

Even though he had already guessed something from Ling Tianhou's tone, Shen Qian still felt a little sorry for Lao Liu.

His childhood sweetheart, the only woman he ever loved, married his best friend...

Damn it, this is the kind of tragedy that would take a hundred episodes to explain in an 8 PM drama!

Unfortunately, Lao Liu might be the most tragic second male lead in the story.

"You know nothing!"

Seemingly sensing the unreadable meaning in Shen Qian's eyes, Liu Changqing became furious.

"Lingxi has always liked me, okay? It's just... it's just that I was focused on martial arts and didn't want to get entangled with Lingxi, which allowed that bastard Qiao Tianliang to take advantage of the situation!"

Faced with Lao Liu's stubborn refusal to admit defeat, Shen Qian wisely remained silent and simply touched his nose.

Qiao Tianliang should be Ling Tianhou's real name...

Seeing Liu Changqing lose his composure like this, Shen Qian became even more certain that the girl named Ren Lingxi probably held a much heavier place in Liu Changqing's heart than he had imagined.

"Sixth Senior Brother, why are you so reluctant to set foot in the Mountain and Sea Realm, and why do you only want to pursue the strongest 'Dao'? Is it also because of the existence of Ling Tianhou?"

Shen Qian's heart stirred, as if he had figured something out.

Being accepted as a disciple by the Marquis of Jingcheng and ranking sixth shows that Liu Changqing's talent is definitely not bad.

But he hesitated until he was thirty before finally venturing into the mountains and seas. Was it really because he was unable to ask the question?

There are countless great paths and countless lesser paths, but stepping into the mountains and seas should not be difficult for Liu Changqing at all.

He was once able to discuss martial arts with Ling Tianhou, who was known as the greatest prodigy of his time, and he was even able to comprehend the primordial energy on his own in the face of life and death...

Shen Qian suddenly realized that he might have been underestimating his sixth senior brother all along.

"Qiao Tianliang's talent and the smoothness of his martial arts path are rare even among kings and nobles. In the era more than ten years ago, he was the only one in the world who was known."

Ling Xiao, who hadn't spoken until now, sighed and interjected, "I have to admit that even the Heavenly Swordsman, whom I admire most, pales in comparison to his legendary experiences."

"On the day he was conferred the title of Marquis, the heavens and earth darkened, the Milky Way was reversed, and the Heavenly Gate was opened fourteen times to forge the crown of a king and marquis, which shocked the world. Even his teacher went to witness the ceremony. You can imagine how radiant he was!"

Hearing Ling Xiao's narration, Shen Qian's body trembled.

It wasn't that I was intimidated by Ling Tianhou's awesomeness, but rather by hearing things like "the heavens and earth are darkened," "the Milky Way hangs upside down," "the fourteenth heavenly gate," and "the crown of a king"...

Shen Qian became increasingly certain that his clone had definitely broken through to the level of a fake king.

Because he didn't have any of the things Ling Xiao mentioned!

Could it be... because it was in a desolate world that you broke through at that time?

Shen Qian almost couldn't help but ask Ling Xiao for details, but he held back.

Now is not the time to talk about this.

Although Liu Changqing appeared nonchalant on the surface, Shen Qian could tell from his tightly clenched fists that he was probably in great pain inside.

The partners who once discussed philosophy together are now worlds apart, and only Liu Changqing himself knows the bitterness of this situation.

"Sixth Senior Brother, please don't hesitate to ask if there's anything I can do to help in the future."

"You brat, you think you can..."

Liu Changqing instinctively wanted to reprimand Shen Qian as usual, but then suddenly stopped.

Because he suddenly remembered that the boy in front of him, who had completely shed his youthful naiveté, had been able to pin Ji You to the ground and rub him mercilessly just half an hour ago.

This is something he can't do either.

Unbeknownst to him, Shen Qian had truly become worthy of the title "disciple of the Marquis of Jingcheng".

His legend seems to be no less impressive than that of the former Lord Lingtian.

After all, he's not even nineteen years old yet...

Seeing that Liu Changqing remained silent, Ling Xiao seemed to sense something as well. However, he was not as melancholy as Liu Changqing. Instead, he solemnly instructed Chen Qian.

“Junior brother, I know that you are now incredibly strong, and your senior brothers are increasingly unable to understand you. But I still hope that you can be more cautious in your actions. The world is so vast, and there are so many strong people that it may exceed your imagination... It is always better to be careful in everything you do.”

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!