The next day.

The Tianfeng Kingdom's martial competition.

Geniuses from every sect gathered, making it the most talent-rich generation in nearly a century.

Unfortunately for them, a monster appeared in this generation.

Even with geniuses who had reached the 3rd Level of the Spirit Mark Realm, it was still useless.

The gap in cultivation between the 3rd and 7th Levels of the Spirit Mark Realm was simply too vast.

Su Chen didn't even move his body, defeating them with a single strike.

After cultivating in the Spirit Pool, his cultivation advanced even further, breaking through to the 8th Level of the Spirit Mark Realm.

His path of cultivation in this life was smooth sailing.

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Su Chen cultivated for another year at the Tianfeng Martial Academy, reaching the 9th Level of the Spirit Mark Realm before finally graduating.

He became the youngest student to ever graduate from the Tianfeng Martial Academy.

After leaving the Tianfeng Martial Academy, Su Chen did not return to the Jinghai Marquis Residence first, but instead went to the Tianlan Sect.

His reason was to validate his martial arts.

And so, Su Chen, along with his maids, guards, and steward, set off for the Tianlan Sect in a grand procession.

...

Half a month later.

Within the Tianlan Sect.

"May I ask what business brings the Young Marquis to my Tianlan Sect?"

The Sect Master of the Tianlan Sect cautiously observed the young man before him.

This young man's status was far more noble than that of the entire Tianlan Sect.

Su Chen said calmly, "I wish to cultivate at the Tianlan Sect for half a year. This is a token of my sincerity. I ask for Sect Master Yang's approval."

Su Chen took out a jade box and handed it to the Tianlan Sect Master.

The Tianlan Sect Master opened the jade box just a crack. His expression changed drastically, and he snapped it shut instantly, a broad smile spreading across his face. "Since the Young Marquis requests it, then it is certainly possible."

"However..."

A hint of difficulty appeared on the Tianlan Sect Master's face, and he seemed conflicted.

Su Chen chuckled softly. "Senior Yang, rest assured. I will not covet your esteemed sect's core techniques, nor will I venture into any forbidden grounds."

Hearing this, the Tianlan Sect Master's smile returned, and he readily agreed to Su Chen's request.

Within the Tianlan Sect.

Su Chen's so-called reason of validating his martial arts was complete nonsense.

What he wanted was to see an old acquaintance.

A month later, his guards finally lowered their vigilance, and at Su Chen's request, they allowed him to explore the Tianlan Sect on his own.

And Su Chen found... the place where his old acquaintance resided.

Within Bamboo Peak.

Seeing Li Qingyue again, he found she had aged a great deal.

Su Chen still remembered her arrogant, imperious demeanor from his first life, when she had come to break off their engagement.

What he saw now was a lonely old woman who spent her days with only the bamboo forest for company.

It turned out... nearly two hundred years had passed.

The events of his past life were becoming a blur, even for Su Chen.

"The Young Marquis seems to know this old woman?"

Li Qingyue was puzzled. The way the young man before her looked at her held a faint sense of familiarity, as if he were seeing a long-lost friend.

Su Chen nodded. "Although I have never met Senior Li, I have often heard of your deeds."

Li Qingyue gave a self-deprecating laugh. "What deeds could this old woman have? I'm afraid it's all just old stories about old people, fabricated for the amusement of others."

Su Chen was silent for a moment.

It was just as Li Qingyue said. The old story of her breaking off the engagement had long been turned into a popular, best-selling storybook.

Unfortunately, unlike in the storybook, the protagonist never became world-famous, making Li Qingyue regret her decision immensely.

He was not Xiao Huohuo, and she was not Nalan Yanran.

Su Chen asked, seemingly curious, "Senior Li, why did you want to break off the engagement back then?"

A flash of surprise crossed Li Qingyue's eyes. She hadn't expected a noble figure like the Young Marquis to be so interested in gossip.

She sighed softly. In her youth, she would never have been willing to speak of such things.

But now, she was old. After that last battle, her lifespan was nearly spent. Memories that had once been blurry were becoming clearer and clearer, coiling in the depths of her heart.

Perhaps having someone to listen wouldn't be so bad.

Li Qingyue smiled. "Since the Young Marquis is so interested in my story, then I shall tell you about these old affairs."

Su Chen poured two cups of tea, placed them on the table between them, and listened quietly.

"This whole tragedy began because my thinking was too naive when I was young."

"The fiancé I was betrothed to back then was merely the son of a minor clan's patriarch. Like the Young Marquis, his name also contained the character 'Chen,' but he was nowhere near as outstanding."

Su Chen's face twitched. He quickly took a sip of tea to calm his nerves.

After complimenting Su Chen, Li Qingyue continued, "At the time, I was favored by my Master and had the potential to reach a higher realm of cultivation. I was young and ambitious, and I believed the world was full of heroes. How could I, Li Qingyue, be content to marry into a small clan and raise a family? Though a woman, I, Li Qingyue, had the ambition to test myself against the heroes of the world!"

A smile appeared on Li Qingyue's face, as if she were recalling her younger self.

She never regretted joining the Tianlan Sect, nor did she regret breaking the engagement.

Su Chen was silent. In his first life, he truly hadn't been worthy of Li Qingyue.

Their families were old friends, and his relationship with Li Qingyue was good, but only good. It wasn't a case of one-sided devotion.

It was only later that his mind was clouded by the 'broken engagement' trope.

Su Chen asked, "Senior Li, was that the only reason you went to break the engagement?"

Faced with Su Chen's question, Li Qingyue fell silent for a moment before saying in a hoarse voice, "Yes and no. If he were already my husband, I, Li Qingyue, would have accepted it. But he could not be my fiancé. From a young age, my father, my mother, and my clansmen all told me I was to marry into his family and become his wife. But I was born hating the idea of my destiny being controlled by others."

Su Chen was stunned. He never expected this to be the real reason Li Qingyue broke the engagement.

Li Qingyue saw Su Chen's surprise and smiled. "The Young Marquis is surprised, isn't he? The storybooks all say I was a woman who abandoned her fiancé for her own future. And I did do that. It's not wrong for the Young Marquis to think so."

Su Chen nodded seriously.

In his first life, that was what he had believed as well.

Su Chen continued, "Senior Li, you never married. Have you ever regretted your decision to break the engagement?"

This time, it was Li Qingyue's turn to be stunned.

She seemed to see a blurry figure from her memories, sitting across from her, asking her that very same question.

After a long while, Li Qingyue finally came back to her senses. The face before her was unfamiliar, not the one from her memories.

"Regret... perhaps. Sometimes, I do wonder if I would have had a different life if I hadn't broken the engagement. The path of cultivation is too lonely. I've met many geniuses, but I never felt what I did back then."

"If I hadn't broken the engagement, would he still have been killed by his enemies, his entire clan wiped out..."

In her life, her ambitions surpassed those of many men. She fought her way up from a small place to eventually become an Elder of the Tianlan Sect.

Did she regret it?

Perhaps it was just that she was old and had nothing left to strive for. Watching her loved ones pass away one by one, she had begun to feel nostalgic for those times.

But the her of back then had never regretted a single decision she made.