Invincible Sword Heart, Provocation from Fellow Disciples

Beyond the mirror.

As everyone listened to the Young Heavenly Emperor's muttering within the scene, an inexplicable shock stirred in their hearts.

Even before this, the Young Heavenly Emperor's brows already carried the shadow of the Heavenly Emperor he would become.

Yet from this moment onward, everyone could clearly feel that this youth seemed to overlap with that peerlessly domineering Supreme Heavenly Emperor of old.

"Use the sword in my hand to cut down injustice, use the blade in my hand to level all that is unfair. Even if the whole world stands against me, I will cut them down with a single sword!"

"The Heavenly Emperor was peerlessly domineering, his might pressing down upon all living beings. Who would have thought that he had already forged such an invincible heart when he was barely in his teens?"

Everyone sighed with emotion.

An invincible heart was not difficult to establish. What was difficult was continuing down that path without ever turning back.

For this was destined to be an exceedingly extreme road. Should one day yield in one's heart, one's Dao Heart would shatter.

Everyone had once believed that the Heavenly Emperor's invincible heart had only been forged after he ascended to the position of Heavenly Emperor. They had never imagined that when the Heavenly Emperor began walking this path of peerlessly domineering invincibility, he had been only twelve years old.

With his sword heart firmly defined, Gu Changqing began cultivating day and night.

He remained in the pavilion all day long, neither sleeping nor resting.

Immersed in his own sword Dao, unable to pull himself free.

At an age when boys in their teens were at their most restless, the figure sitting cross-legged in the pavilion would often remain seated for months at a time.

He had a strong and proud temperament.

Though he had entered the Sword Saint's tutelage and become his disciple in name, he always felt that the man had already done more than enough by leading him through the gate. Thus, he never went to disturb him.

After all, he was already more than satisfied just to be allowed to cultivate in this pavilion.

He encountered confusion in cultivation as well. Yet perhaps because he truly was a sword Dao genius, after spending some time on those problems, he was always able to comprehend them.

And so, a year passed.

It was not until this day that Gu Changqing saw his master for the second time.

It was also on this day that he left the pavilion, answering his master's summons to observe a discussion of the Dao among his fellow disciples.

Everyone watched the Young Heavenly Emperor, now so gaunt after this year that he was scarcely recognizable.

Their eyes were faintly moved.

"The Heavenly Emperor was simply too harsh on himself. Perhaps a large part of why he was able to become the Heavenly Emperor lay in this very attitude toward cultivation."

A cultivator murmured softly, with even a trace of envy in his eyes.

There had never been any shortage of hardworking people in this world. But the most frightening kind were those who were clearly peerless geniuses, yet cultivated more desperately than anyone else.

Back when Gu Changqing first stepped onto the path of cultivation, he had already been this diligent.

At the time, it had been understandable. After all, he needed to survive.

But now, he had joined a sect and gained a master. He had been favored and accepted as a personal disciple. He was clearly an unparalleled sword Dao genius, yet this unyielding attitude toward cultivation had still not been worn away in such a greenhouse.

If even someone like this could not become the Heavenly Emperor, then who could?

Ye Chen noticed the emotion in the cultivators' eyes, and a flame of jealousy flashed through his gaze.

Yet that flame of jealousy quickly subsided.

He wanted to see just how long these cultivators could continue admiring the Heavenly Emperor.

Once that old matter was exposed, once the Heavenly Emperor committed that act of betraying his master and annihilating his ancestors, he wanted to see whether these cultivators could still maintain this attitude.

The more they admired him now, the more bitterly they would surely come to hate this Heavenly Emperor afterward.

A towering arena had been erected upon the white-jade-paved plaza.

Below the arena, a sea of people surged.

The annual discussion of the Dao was called a discussion, but in truth, it was a competition.

It was highly entertaining.

Yet that was not why the cultivators valued this event so highly. More importantly, cultivators who ranked near the top in these matches would receive the sect's focused cultivation and be granted generous rewards by the sect.

Gu Changqing sat beside the Sword Saint atop the highest stone steps.

Below one man, above ten thousand.

The instant Gu Changqing appeared, countless gazes converged upon him.

Envy. Jealousy.

But more than that, indignation.

The Sword Sect had tens of thousands of disciples, yet not a single one was convinced by this senior brother.

Had their master not previously ordered them not to disturb Gu Changqing, no one knew how many would have come looking to cause him trouble over the past year.

Very soon.

The contest began.

The Sword Sect bore the responsibility of guarding the Heavenly Secrets Sect's mountain, so its disciples were naturally formidable.

Even the weakest were comparable to Spirit Condensation experts. Some of the more senior disciples could even crush Semi-Saint realm experts.

From beginning to end, Gu Changqing watched the contest in silence.

In truth, he had no interest in this exchange of the Dao. If his master had not summoned him, making it impossible to refuse, Gu Changqing would not even have wanted to leave the pavilion.

Three days passed, and the contest drew close to its end.

The disciple who claimed first place was a cultivator named Wushuang.

Amid the cultivators' cheers, Wushuang cupped his hands toward the Sword Saint at the top of the steps.

"Master, this disciple does not want any reward. I only ask to spar with Senior Brother Gu."

After deflecting Cao Yuwei's attack this time, Mei Gongzi did not rush to counterattack. She simply stood where she was.

Cao Yuwei frowned slightly. Was this little girl's perception truly so sharp? After he had forged flames into armor, he still had other methods at his disposal. If Mei Gongzi had pressed her attack, he had been confident he could use that method to restrain her. But she had not advanced, forcing the ability he had been holding at the ready to be interrupted.

The war blade slashed out again, its powerful blade intent several degrees stronger than before. Cao Yuwei moved with the blade, man and blade as one, charging straight at Mei Gongzi.

The Heavenly Secret Plume in Mei Gongzi's hand once again formed the Heavenly Mysterious Circle, and with an instantaneous shift, she changed positions. While neutralizing her opponent's attack, she also broke his lock-on. In the next instant, she was already elsewhere. A golden-red gleam flashed across Cao Yuwei's body. Had she not evaded so quickly, another ability would undoubtedly have descended upon her.

A battle of attrition! She seemed intent on competing with Cao Yuwei in endurance.

Yet no one doubted the source of this ability. After all, the Peacock Demon Race's greatest innate talent was Stellar Transposition. Her technique shared the same marvelous essence as Stellar Transposition.

After deflecting Cao Yuwei's attack this time, Mei Gongzi did not rush to counterattack. She simply stood where she was.

Cao Yuwei frowned slightly. Was this little girl's perception truly so sharp? After he had forged flames into armor, he still had other methods at his disposal. If Mei Gongzi had pressed her attack, he had been confident he could use that method to restrain her. But she had not advanced, forcing the ability he had been holding at the ready to be interrupted.

The war blade slashed out again, its powerful blade intent several degrees stronger than before. Cao Yuwei moved with the blade, man and blade as one, charging straight at Mei Gongzi.

The Heavenly Secret Plume in Mei Gongzi's hand once again formed the Heavenly Mysterious Circle, and with an instantaneous shift, she changed positions. While neutralizing her opponent's attack, she also broke his lock-on. In the next instant, she was already elsewhere. A golden-red gleam flashed across Cao Yuwei's body. Had she not evaded so quickly, another ability would undoubtedly have descended upon her.

A battle of attrition! She seemed intent on competing with Cao Yuwei in endurance.