At this moment.

All the cultivators outside the mirror looked mortified!

No one expected that the last person the Tianji Sect ordered the Heavenly Emperor to execute would be Jiang Minghuang.

Jiang Minghuang was even more stunned.

He also did not expect that his name would appear in this part of Gu Changqing’s concealed past!

“Could it be that the destruction of his sword heart had something to do with me?”

At this moment Jiang Minghuang seemed to vaguely suspect something.

In an instant, everyone’s gazes fell upon Jiang Minghuang.

Obviously, the Heavenly Emperor did not go and kill Jiang Minghuang back then. After all, this fellow was still alive and well here!

Everyone was puzzled, because even if he had defied the old Sword Saint, it seemed unlikely the Heavenly Emperor’s sword heart would be destroyed.

Because in that ancient era, no one had the qualification to destroy Gu Changqing’s sword heart.

At this moment, Ye Chen’s eyes erupted with a burning light.

The fact that things had developed to this point was clearly beyond his expectations.

However, this seemed even more interesting than he had thought.

On one side were brothers.

On the other side was the sect.

Not killing Jiang Minghuang would be equivalent to defying the sect. Fulfilling the sect’s order would betray his brother.

No matter which choice he made, the Heavenly Emperor’s reputation was destined to be tarnished.

Ye Chen grew increasingly eager, because this was precisely the ending he hoped for: no matter the choice, the Heavenly Emperor would be doomed to shoulder the blame.

“Why me?”

Gu Changqing gave a sorrowful smile, as if questioning the old Sword Saint why he forced him into such a choice.

Was there truly no master-disciple affection for him at all?

The old Sword Saint’s eyes shifted. He seemed somewhat unwilling to do this to Gu Changqing too.

He knew Gu Changqing’s sword heart was pure. If it wasn’t, he wouldn’t have confined himself here for an entire year. Someone else in the same situation would have left immediately and disregarded the consequences.

But not Gu Changqing.

He said slowly, “This matter was not my intention. It is an order of the Tianji Sect.”

“Actually, as early as the moment you met Jiang Minghuang, the Tianji Sect had noticed you. I received information from the Tianji Sect and thus descended to the mortal realm to take you as my disciple.”

“Jiang Minghuang is from an ancient noble family, the young master of the Jiang clan. Across the entire Beixuan Continent there are only three ancient, all-powerful families. These three families have profound foundations, standing as three powers to suppress countless eras.”

“Countless people long to see infighting among the three clans, because only when the three are in chaos do those beneath have a chance to rise.”

“Jiang Minghuang is the Jiang family’s young master. If he dies, the Jiang family would surely retaliate against the other two clans at all costs.”

“The Jiang family is powerful, and behind Jiang Minghuang stand countless protectors. Only you have the strength to slay Jiang Minghuang, and only you, as his brother, could easily take his life.”

Gu Changqing fell silent.

So from the moment he first met his master, everything had been calculated.

Such a day had been waiting for him all this time. It was merely a matter of when.

The old Sword Saint continued, “I give you two choices.”

“The first one is to go kill Jiang Minghuang. Afterward you will regain your freedom, and the Tianji Sect’s affairs will no longer concern you. The master-disciple karmic ties you care about will also be completely severed.”

“Or, second choice, you may choose not to go. If you leave, no one in the Tianji Sect can stop you. But do not forget the oath you made to me. The karmic debt you owe me will remain.”

Gu Changqing gave a desolate smile, a light flickering in his eyes.

“I said before, I, Gu Changqing, never owe anyone.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than did Gu Changqing pick up his axe and swung it down.

After the stroke, a geyser of blood spurted and Gu Changqing’s face turned ashen.

He clutched at the mangled stump of his arm and forced a bitter smile. “Jiang Minghuang is my brother, you are my master. If you want to kill my brother, then I’ll give you an arm — that should suffice to repay you.”

At these words, he paused, adopting an absolutely resolute posture.

He destroyed that sword heart which had made the entire Beixuan Continent tremble and countless peerless existences shudder!

“Old Sword Saint, my sword dao was taught by you. Today, our master-disciple bond is severed and I will return this sword heart to you.”

Pale-faced and drenched in blood, the young Heavenly Emperor’s tear-filled eyes made his vision blurry. He gave a sorrowful smile and asked, “Is that enough for you?”

Outside the mirror.

All the cultivators were dumbfounded!

All the cultivators could hardly believe it!

Faced with this dilemma, no one expected that Gu Changqing would so resolutely sever his own arm and destroy that invincible sword heart of his!

Countless cultivators’ eyes turned bloodshot at this moment.

Throughout his cultivation, Gu Changqing, though blessed with peerless talent, had worked tirelessly, forsaking sleep and rest!

He had barely acquired the peerless sword dao and the power needed to avenge his parents.

But when faced with choosing between the great debt to his sect and the bonds of brotherhood.

He actually so decisively abandoned everything others envied!

“So this is the reason his sword heart was destroyed.”

“We should have thought of this earlier: in that ancient time, apart from himself, who else could have destroyed that invincible sword heart?”

“It turns out the Heavenly Emperor tried to hide this past not because he was afraid of being exposed as evil.”

“He was afraid that Jiang Minghuang would feel guilty and be unable to face him.”

Countless cultivators fell silent, boundless respect contained in their gazes.

“In this past, he did not let down his master, nor did he let down his brother… the only person he let down was himself…”