As soon as the others left, Chen Qingying stepped forward with tears in her eyes and asked in a choked voice, "Second Grandpa, have you heard anything about my parents?"
Chen Lin patted her head and sighed. "I searched far and wide, but I still haven't heard anything about them. Still, no news doesn't mean they've perished. They might be hiding somewhere, or staying inside some secret realm. Don't dwell on it too much."
Then he glanced at her and continued to comfort her. "Even if they're still alive, they won't have much of their lifespan left now. Given their circumstances, they have no chance of Ascension to the Golden Core Stage, either. So don't be too upset. Focus on raising your cultivation and breaking through to the Golden Core Realm. That would be the greatest comfort you could give them."
"Yes, Second Grandpa. I understand."
Chen Qingying's eyes were red. Although she knew Chen Lin was right, she still couldn't stop her tears from falling.
She wasn't the only one. Qin Lingyu and Sun Caiyi also looked grief-stricken. Their families had remained in Shuguang City back then, too. With the city overrun, their chances of survival were slim.
Sun Caiyi was slightly better off, however. She had always resented her lineage for giving her away like merchandise, and rarely had any contact with the Sun Lineage. Her feelings toward them had already faded.
Seeing this, Chen Lin could only sigh helplessly.
Though the world seemed to have settled down, what the future held remained unknown. To survive, they could only keep improving themselves.
And if he wanted to keep his family safe, what mattered wasn't how much protection he offered them, but how much he could strengthen them. No matter how capable he was, he couldn't stay beside them