The Heavenly Emperor's History of Shame

Hearing the words of the shabby old man before him, Gu Changqing froze, then abruptly looked up.

The light in his eyes blazed with an intensity unlike anything before!

"A sword cultivator?"

"I still have a chance to begin cultivating?"

He asked urgently, his eyes filled with both fear and tension.

The old man nodded with a genial smile. "You can no longer follow the mainstream cultivation system of the Northern Profound Continent, but you can still walk the path of a sword cultivator."

"A sword cultivator cultivates an Invincible Sword Heart."

"You possess an Innate Sword Embryo. You were born a prodigy of the Sword Dao. With a little guidance, your future achievements will be beyond imagination."

"Having your Dao foundation destroyed may be a misfortune for others, but not necessarily for you. With that path of cultivation severed, perhaps you can travel even farther on the path of the sword."

At that moment, divine light flickered in Gu Changqing's eyes as he stared fixedly at the old man before him.

His voice trembled slightly. "You're willing to teach me?"

The old man nodded. "You are a once-in-eternity prodigy of the Sword Dao. This old man is also a sword cultivator; naturally, I rejoice at the sight of such talent."

"I, Gu Changqing, have never owed anyone anything. If you are willing to teach me, I will certainly repay you in the future."

Joy appeared on the old man's face as he nodded lightly. "This old man likes children who repay kindness. A sword heart must be pure, owing no karmic debts—only then are you worthy of being called a sword cultivator."

Outside the mirror.

The cultivators were stunned.

"The Heavenly Emperor actually had a master?"

Everyone's expressions changed drastically.

The Justice Alliance had gathered nearly all the top cultivators of the Northern Profound Continent, so they naturally knew something of the Heavenly Emperor's past.

Yet no one knew that the Heavenly Emperor had a lineage of inheritance!

"Why had the Heavenly Emperor never revealed it? Not even to those close to him, like Emperor Jiang and Miss Youwei—why had he never mentioned having a master?"

A cultivator spoke up.

After pondering for a moment, Ye Chen said, "In that case, the Heavenly Emperor must have committed an act of betraying his master and annihilating his ancestors. That is why he concealed this past from everyone."

"Do you still remember what Emperor Jiang said earlier—that the Heavenly Emperor's sword heart had been destroyed?"

"Looking at it now, he must have done something to betray his master and annihilate his ancestors, and this old man destroyed his sword heart!"

Everyone came to a sudden realization.

The many doubts surrounding the Heavenly Emperor's past were untangled in their minds at this moment.

From the instant the Heavenly Emperor's soul memories had surfaced, the Young Heavenly Emperor had displayed extraordinary talent in the Sword Dao.

Later, he had even established himself in the forest through the way of the sword.

Yet such a peerless prodigy, who would later become a great emperor suppressing the Three Realms, never used a sword. It was truly strange.

Now, it seemed highly likely that the Heavenly Emperor had done something to betray his master and annihilate his ancestors, causing his master to destroy his sword heart.

And in this world of cultivators, where masters were revered and the Dao respected, betraying one's master and annihilating one's ancestors was a towering crime. That was why the Heavenly Emperor had tried so hard to hide it. Not even Gu Youwei and Emperor Jiang, those closest to the Heavenly Emperor, knew of this episode from his past.

Seeing this, the corners of Ye Chen's lips could not help but curl upward slightly.

Ever since the Heavenly Emperor's past had begun to emerge, it was as though his name had been cleared, and everyone's impression of him had gradually changed.

Gu Youwei had even directly switched sides, standing firmly beside the Heavenly Emperor with an unyielding stance.

The Heavenly Emperor's great perseverance, great devotion, great fearlessness, and all the other qualities he had displayed made even him, a favored son of heaven, pale in comparison.

But if this past could become known to the world—

The mere four words "betraying his master and annihilating his ancestors"

would be enough to make all living beings hate the Heavenly Emperor even more deeply, erasing every bit of goodwill they had felt toward him.

Perhaps Gu Youwei would also be moved by this and return to his side.

At that thought, joy blossomed in Ye Chen's heart, and he grew ever more eager for this past the Heavenly Emperor had tried so hard to conceal to be laid bare before all living beings.

"Heavenly Emperor, oh Heavenly Emperor, you probably never imagined that the shameful history you tried so desperately to hide would become known to all living beings at the very moment before your death."

Ye Chen murmured to himself, his heart blooming with delight.

Light flickered in Jiang Minghuang's eyes. "Did your evil also begin to awaken from the moment your sword heart was destroyed?"

During those years when they traveled through the mortal world, he had been able to feel Gu Changqing's sincerity toward him.

The way Gu Changqing had been willing to fight for him to the death when he saw him being trampled beneath another's feet could not have been an act.

But later, the changes in Gu Changqing had been far too great.

So great that even he found him utterly unfamiliar!

The old man brought Gu Changqing to a hidden immortal sect.

After passing through layer upon layer of spatial formations, an ancient sacred land of the immortal sect appeared before Gu Changqing.

Rosy clouds filled the air here, spiritual energy swirled in misty abundance, dragons and tigers roared through the mountains, while deer and apes raced through the forests.

On the vast plaza paved with white jade, many cultivators dressed in snow-white robes practiced swordsmanship.

The sight was magnificent, stirring longing in all who saw it.

The old man began speaking on his own.

"Our sect is called the Heavenly Secrets Sect. We oversee intelligence and secrets from every corner of the cultivation world."

After Mei Gongzi deflected Cao Yuwei's attack this time, she did not hurry to counterattack. She merely stood where she was.

Cao Yuwei frowned slightly. Was this little girl's perception truly so keen? After he had forged armor from flames, he still had other methods at his disposal. If Mei Gongzi had pressed the attack, he was confident he could use those methods to restrain her. But she did not advance, forcing the ability he had poised to unleash to be interrupted.

The battle saber slashed out once more, its powerful saber intent several degrees stronger than before. Cao Yuwei moved with the blade, man and saber becoming one as he charged straight at Mei Gongzi.

The Heavenly Secret Plume in Mei Gongzi's hand formed the Heavenly Mysterious Circle once again, and with an instantaneous shift, she changed positions. As she dissolved his attack, she also broke his lock-on. In the next instant, she was already on the other side. A flash of golden-red light flickered across Cao Yuwei's body; had she not evaded so swiftly, another ability would undoubtedly have descended upon her.

A battle of attrition! She seemed intent on exhausting Cao Yuwei.

Yet no one doubted the origin of this ability. After all, the Peacock Demon Race's greatest innate gift had always been Stellar Transposition. Her technique possessed the same wondrous effect through a different path.

After Mei Gongzi deflected Cao Yuwei's attack this time, she did not hurry to counterattack. She merely stood where she was.

Cao Yuwei frowned slightly. Was this little girl's perception truly so keen? After he had forged armor from flames, he still had other methods at his disposal. If Mei Gongzi had pressed the attack, he was confident he could use those methods to restrain her. But she did not advance, forcing the ability he had poised to unleash to be interrupted.

The battle saber slashed out once more, its powerful saber intent several degrees stronger than before. Cao Yuwei moved with the blade, man and saber becoming one as he charged straight at Mei Gongzi.

The Heavenly Secret Plume in Mei Gongzi's hand formed the Heavenly Mysterious Circle once again, and with an instantaneous shift, she changed positions. As she dissolved his attack, she also broke his lock-on. In the next instant, she was already on the other side. A flash of golden-red light flickered across Cao Yuwei's body; had she not evaded so swiftly, another ability would undoubtedly have descended upon her.

A battle of attrition! She seemed intent on exhausting Cao Yuwei.