Unfortunately, the teacher wasn't around, so I had to ask a few senior students for help.
Tell me more.
Shi Dingyan and Ling Xiao exchanged a glance, their expressions turning serious.
Shi Dingyan waved his hand, as if nothing had changed, but the sound of the wind outside the window disappeared instantly.
"When I stood there at Dao Hai, I couldn't help but think about how I could go to a higher place and touch all the myriad phenomena of the heavens."
He spoke up before sinking in.
The group listened quietly, all nodding slightly; this was indeed a sign of seeking the Dao.
"Later... somehow, a road appeared in front of me."
As Chen Qian recalled the scene from the AFK log, his expression became somewhat incredulous.
"What does that road look like, and what direction does it face?" Liu Changqing asked immediately afterward.
"Straight, and if we're talking about the direction, it's towards the sky."
Shen Qian found Liu Changqing's question somewhat puzzling.
Isn't the great road always pointing towards the sky?
"No, before you sink, you need to describe it in more detail. What kind of straightness is it? How many forks are there? Also, what is the angle towards the sky? How many degrees of inclination... These are all very important!"
Liu Changqing said somewhat anxiously.
Seeing that Chen Qian was still confused, Shi Dingyan gestured to Liu Changqing to "calm down" and began to explain.
"There are countless paths, each different from the last, but the paths are also divided into true paths and false paths. False paths are also called illusory paths, which are destined to lead to a dead end, but you cannot see it at the beginning."
"There's absolutely no way to identify it?" Shen Qian was taken aback, only then realizing that there was such a saying.
"Theoretically, no, unless..."
Shi Dingyan shook his head and did not continue. Instead, he said, "There is also an important point about the angle. Although both paths lead to the sky, the closer you are to the upright path, the easier it is to walk. You should understand the reason behind this."
He pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized.
Although the "Tao" has no physical form, it is the path to the highest realm, and naturally, the shorter the path, the easier it is to walk.
Even elementary school students know that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.
"And what is the interpretation of the fork in the road?"
Shen Qian asked curiously.
He recalled the main road of Tantai Qin, which was not only almost vertical but also had many branching paths.
"A fork in the road is a possibility. After all, no one can guarantee that their path will lead to heaven. But the road cannot be reversed. When you go astray, a fork in the road is your chance to make amends."
Ling Xiao explained it in the simplest and most understandable way.
He nodded forward, which cleared up many of his doubts.
Seeing that his senior brothers were still waiting, Shen Qian said somewhat uncertainly, "The path in front of me... seems to have no forks."
"No forks in the road?"
Shi Dingyan and the others all looked grim.
The absence of forks in the road means that this road is an "isolated road".
Those who choose to roam the mountains and seas rarely end up well.
From the expressions of Shi Dingyan and the others, Shen Qian also received a signal, roughly knowing that this path was very bad, but he was still confused.
Is it possible that the system will find him a very bad path?
Shen Qian didn't quite believe it.
It was the system's unconventional style that made Chen Qian more confident.
"Junior brother, you didn't step on it, did you?" Ling Xiao asked hurriedly, his heart skipping a beat.
Shi Dingyan and the others also realized what was happening and looked nervously at Shen Qian.
Although Shenqian found a lonely path on his first attempt to seek the truth, it was not beyond redemption. As long as Shenqian did not take the first step, he could find a new direction.
"I...fell."
Regarding his second question, Shen Qian nodded and answered truthfully.
"this……"
Shi Dingyan and the others exchanged glances, their expressions turning grave.
Even Liu Changqing had no intention of gloating. Instead, he pointed at Shen Qian and cursed angrily, "Are you a pig? You don't know anything and you still dare to walk? What if it's a dead end!"
"Evergreen!"
Shi Dingyan stopped the somewhat agitated Liu Changqing, and sighed inwardly.
Liu Changqing may seem easygoing, but for some reason, he is actually somewhat distant from his senior brothers and sisters.
Only with Shen Qian, although Liu Changqing would occasionally reprimand him, Shi Dingyan knew that it was actually a sign of affection.
"Now is not the time to blame our junior brother. Let's discuss what to do instead," Shi Dingyan said, gathering his thoughts.
"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do. We can only ask the teacher about this." Ling Xiao shook his head.
"Or maybe I should..."
"Don't even think about it!"
Wu Jun was interrupted by Ling Xiao before he could speak. Ling Xiao rolled his eyes and said, "Fourth Senior Brother, what talent does Junior Brother possess that he needs to take such a risk?"
Wu Jun fell silent.
Shen Qian was completely confused, but seeing Shi Dingyan's worried expression, he couldn't help but say, "Third Senior Brother, it's actually alright..."
"You don't understand. This concerns the heights you can reach in the future. No matter how dazzling you are now, the mountains and seas are the most important thing on your martial path..."
"I've withdrawn," Shen Qian had no choice but to say.
Shi Dingyan, who was speaking earnestly, was taken aback. "What?"
“I said I’ve backed out. That’s the path I took. I did step into it, but I’ve backed out.”
He repeated it before sinking, and even explained it more clearly.
And so, the room fell silent once again.
This time, even the larks were silent; there was only a pure, deathly stillness.
After a long pause, Shi Dingyan took a deep breath and slowly said, "You said you've withdrawn from a path?"
"This... can't be right, can it?"
Liu Changqing controlled his volume this time, but the trembling in his voice still betrayed his chaotic state of mind.
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