The comments said I was deeply affectionate, I just added points by using an alternate account.

He has another trump card. The attack range and destructive power of this trump card far exceed any means he currently possesses.

And, at the very last moment... was it Baal who helped?

At that moment, there was a knock on the dormitory door. Chen Guan paused his thoughts, went to open the door, and a figure walked in.

It's Long Ao.

His fighting spirit had vanished without a trace, and he was soaked through, it was hard to tell whether it was sweat or shower water.

He kept his head down, water droplets from his hair dripping onto the floor. He exuded an aura of dejection, as if his spine had been removed.

He didn't look at the coffin, but walked straight to the chair and sat down heavily with a thud.

The air in the room became stuffy.

Chen Guan glanced at him.

The Long Ao who was covered in wounds but refused to retreat even at the cost of his life during the Jiangcheng incident is completely different from the distraught and dejected person in front of me.

An Changqing's fifth rank became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Chen Guan remained silent; words of comfort were useless, and for someone like Long Ao, sympathy was an insult.

He pretended to rummage through his locker, and finally took out an inconspicuous white medicine bottle from the system store. It was a healing ointment he had redeemed with points, specifically for treating external injuries.

The money comes from the customer, so he wouldn't be stingy with a few points. After all, he already had a six-figure popularity score. Chen Guan casually tossed the medicine bottle over.

Snapped.

The medicine bottle landed precisely on Long Ao's lap, bounced, and was caught steadily by Long Ao instinctively.

"Wipe your hands."

Chen Guan's voice was flat, without any emotional fluctuation.

Long Ao's body twitched, and he slowly raised his head to look at his hands.

Those fists were a bloody mess, with large areas of skin abrasion and the joints swollen like steamed buns. Because they hadn't been treated for a long time, the wounds had been exposed to air and turned a dark red color.

He looked at his hands, then at the medicine bottle beside him, and finally his gaze fell on Chen Guan.

Long Ao did not go to get the medicine bottle.

He stared at the coffin and asked the question that had been lingering in his mind.

"You said his sword would break."

"What do you mean?"

He desperately needed an answer. This seemingly random sentence was the last straw he clung to as he was drowning.

Chen Guan met his gaze and answered calmly.

"A tall building cannot be built on a foundation of sand."

This is both a metaphor and a fact, as confirmed by Baer's words: An Changqing has overdrawn his potential and damaged his foundation.

Of course, that's An Changqing. He will naturally stand up again, but he doesn't need to say these things.

Long Ao was stunned, repeatedly pondering those words.

The foundation of the sand pile...

Is his foundation in swordsmanship built on sand?

Therefore, his dazzling fifth rank was just a castle in the air.

A slight vibration interrupted his thoughts.

It was Chen Guan's cell phone.

The screen lit up, displaying a new message.

"Let's talk."

The sender was clearly identified as Liu Feiyu.

The cold light from the phone screen illuminated Chen Guan's face.

Liu Feiyu's name flashed across the page, like a needle pricking my vision.

Chen Guan remained expressionless, his fingers moving slightly on the screen.

delete.

Block.

He did all of this in just a few seconds, without even a moment's pause in his fingertips.

He put his phone back in his pocket, his mind unmoved.

No matter how harmless Liu Feiyu may appear on the surface, he is inherently troublesome. He is truly like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken, with ill intentions.

Chen Guan knew that Liu Feiyu wasn't as naive as she seemed, but so what? What did it have to do with him?

He has his own things to do and doesn't have time to play along with his charade of turning enemies into friends. His affairs are none of his business either, and Chen Guan isn't that kind-hearted.

Instead of wasting time on that, you might as well increase your popularity score.

Chen Guan ignored the jubilation in the live chat and turned his gaze to Long Ao on the other side.

Long Ao took the medicine bottle, but did not use it immediately.

He simply lowered his head, preventing Chen Guan from seeing his expression.

The air in the room was heavy, with only the soft patter of water droplets falling from his body onto the floor.

"A tall building cannot be built on a foundation of sand."

Chen Guan's words were like a wedge, driven into Long Ao's chaotic mind.

He pondered those words repeatedly, and the tightness in his chest began to dissipate.

Yes, a foundation made of sand...

Was An Changqing's dazzling fifth rank truly his own power?

Or is it just a mirage, bought with the future?

He gripped the bottle of ointment tightly, stood up, and walked silently toward the door.

Thanks.

He squeezed out two words, but without turning around, he pushed open the door and walked out.

……

Long Ao returned to his dormitory.

An Changqing wasn't there; the room was empty.

Only moonlight streamed in through the window, a pale glow, devoid of warmth.

He collapsed into the chair, utterly exhausted, and didn't sleep a wink all night.

In his mind, there was the life-or-death struggle in Jiangcheng, and An Changqing's dazzling fifth-tier halo.

Finally, the scene freezes on Chen Guan's simple words.

He slowly raised his two bloodied and mangled fists.

The wound had formed a thin scab, which was stuck to the skin and flesh.

Even the slightest movement causes excruciating pain.

He looked at the hands, then at the bottle of white ointment on the table.

Finally, he unscrewed the bottle cap.

A cool, medicinal scent wafted out.

He clumsily scooped out a piece of ointment with his fingers and smeared it haphazardly on the wound on his fist.

Stab it!

A sharp, piercing pain shot through my nerves instantly.

The pain did not deter him; instead, it was like a torrent, washing away his muddled mind and clearing his head.

He gritted his teeth and pressed the ointment inch by inch into the wound, as if using this pain to forcibly peel away the resentment and jealousy from his flesh and blood.

Sweat dripped from his forehead, but he remained silent.

What he wants to shatter is not cultivation.

It was that eager-to-achieve-success heart, blinded by vanity.

He is no worse than anyone else.

……

The next morning.

The sunlight gilded Huaqing College with a golden hue.

Inside the training hall, most students were still enjoying a rare morning nap.

In the empty space, only one figure tirelessly repeats the most basic movements.

boom!

Long Ao threw a straight punch.

He didn't use any special abilities, relying solely on his physical strength.

The force of the punch tore through the air, producing a dull thud.