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

A feeling of pity arose within me.

"Barr, can you solve his problem?"

"Boy, who are you questioning? I am the all-powerful Lord Baal. However, An Changsong's son is none of your business."

"But I don't want him to waste his time."

As the protagonist of the world, An Changqing will eventually turn danger into safety, but how long will it take?

Baal was silent for a while. He really couldn't understand humans.

However, isn't it interesting precisely because it's incomprehensible? After all, there's not much left in this world that Lord Baal doesn't know.

"I can tell you, the rest is up to you."

Thank you.

He can intervene, but not in the capacity of Chen Guan.

Fortunately, he is now Lin Jiu, and what Lin Jiu does has nothing to do with Chen Guan.

He suppressed his breathing, adjusted his voice, and imitated the tone of Baihu from his memory.

Chen Guan stepped out from the shadows.

The leather boots landed silently on the smooth, greasy ground.

The only remaining light source in the entire space was the faint golden glow left on An Changqing's sword.

An Changqing seemed to sense something, looked up, and met the eyes hidden behind the gold-rimmed glasses.

He held his long sword horizontally in front of his chest, adopting a defensive stance, his eyes full of vigilance.

"Who?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was full of vigilance.

An unfamiliar voice rang out in the empty basement, its tone revealing a cynical laziness.

"A sword is a gentleman's weapon, not a consumable."

"If you burn it as firewood, it will naturally break."

These words struck An Changqing like a thunderbolt.

This person... sensed his predicament?

After forcibly breaking through to the fifth rank and unleashing that sword strike by overdrawing his potential, he noticed cracks appearing in the foundation of his swordsmanship.

He didn't tell anyone about this.

Even the academy's instructors couldn't see through it. Although Su Yuehe asked him about the situation, he brushed her off.

But this person I'm meeting for the first time sees right through me.

Who is he? A tutor at the academy? Why have I never seen him before?

[Who's talking? 666 Lin Jiu is still chasing me.]

[Isn't Lao Hu supposed to be the big boss? How come you're like a street thug, everywhere you go.]

[Stop, stop, stop! What are you talking about? Which episode did I miss? Who is Lin Jiu?]

[Hey upstairs, go watch the side story of Long Ao.]

An Changqing's guard was broken by shock.

He leaned on his sword, stood up straight, and although he found the newcomer suspicious, the other party didn't seem to have any ill intentions. Therefore, An Changqing didn't call out to them directly, but instead asked, "May I ask who you are...?"

"My name is Lin Jiu, and I am an artist."

"artist?"

In this place, a man who called himself an artist appeared silently behind him.

This in itself is the biggest point of suspicion.

He had assumed it was a teacher he had never met before, but now it seemed that it wasn't at all.

"That's right."

His gaze, behind his gold-rimmed glasses, fell on the longsword in An Changqing's hand.

"After all, the principles are the same for a sword of unparalleled skill and a masterpiece of painting."

"Who exactly are you?"

He asked in a low voice, his sword slightly raised; he didn't believe the artist's explanation.

Golden light flowed across the blade once more, but the light flickered and wavered.

"Purpose?"

Chen Guan chuckled, but he didn't answer. Instead, he took two steps forward and stopped five meters away from An Changqing.

"Your sword is crying."

He extended a finger, pointing it at the long sword.

"Did you hear that? It's wailing. In pursuit of a fleeting moment of brilliance, you forcibly pushed its power, draining it of all its future potential. Now, it's sick, very sick, and so is your swordsmanship."

An Changqing tightened his grip on the sword.

sick?

This word might seem a bit strange when used to describe objects, but it's quite fitting for him right now.

Since that battle, he has felt an invisible blockage every time he swings his sword.

The longsword that once resonated with him now feels like a stranger.

He simply assumed that his promotion had been too rapid and his mindset hadn't kept up, requiring time to refine himself.

But they never considered that the problem was with the sword itself.

"You mortgaged your foundation to borrow a glorious sword from the future, and now, the future is starting to collect the debt."

With each word Chen Guan spoke, An Changqing's expression worsened.

He forced his way through and slew the demon.

This earned the school's praise, but also created a hidden danger that no one knew about.

He thought he had hidden himself perfectly.

So, An Changqing's forced use of cheat codes came at a price?

[So that's what Coffin Bro meant when he said "the sword will break." Wasn't he in Jiangcheng? He could guess it without even seeing Xiao An.]

[I get it, so Coffin Bro equals Lin Jiu (laughs), and Coffin Bro is in the atmosphere again this time.]

An Changqing remained silent for a long time, so long that the surrounding air became heavy.

He slowly sheathed his sword, having already lowered his guard.

He could see through the hidden dangers at a glance.

This person's abilities and vision have far exceeded his imagination.

If someone wanted to harm such a person, there would be no need for such elaborate schemes.

"Please teach me, senior, how to solve this problem?" An Changqing said earnestly, unwilling to go to his father for such a matter.

Others only saw his status, but they couldn't see the mess behind it.

"Teach you? I'm not a teacher."

Chen Guan shook his head.

"All I can tell you is that the best way to repair a piece of art is to break it down and reshape it using the most basic materials."

"Smash? Rebuild?" An Changqing repeated blankly.

"Your foundation in swordsmanship has already developed cracks. No matter how you try to repair it, the marks will remain. It's better to destroy it."

Chen Guan spoke casually, but the content of his words chilled An Changqing to the bone.

Not to mention An Changqing, even Chen Guan himself was worried; he was just a heartless repeating machine.

To have one's cultivation destroyed and start over?

For any superhuman, this is tantamount to a death sentence.

"Of course, I'm not telling you to cripple your martial arts skills."

"It's about making you forget your current sword, forget the power of the fifth rank, forget the dazzling sword light, and go back to when you first picked up the sword, to find the first stroke of your sword practice."

"Find an absolutely quiet place, don't use any superpowers, just rely on your physical strength to swing the sword ten thousand times, a hundred thousand times. When you feel that what you hold in your hand is no longer a sword, but an extension of your arm, then come back to find me."

The last sentence had nothing to do with Baal; it was Chen Guan who painted a rosy picture for him.

A promise he himself won't keep.

An Changqing, however, regarded these words as gospel.

Returning to simplicity and rebuilding the foundation.

He suddenly understood.

Instead of living in constant fear and anxiety because of a power that doesn't belong to you, it's better to let go completely and solve the problem at its source.

"Thank you so much, senior!"

An Changqing's fighting spirit was rekindled.

"The student understands!"

"Acting is exhausting," he thought to himself.

"Well done," Balbenmo chuckled. "You've completely fooled that kid."