Gu Changqing was now ten years old. In appearance, he had long since shed that childishness.
Though not as handsome as Jiang Minghuang, he was still pleasing to the eye.
His features were stern and heroic, with sword-like brows that were very sharp. The ten-year-old boy was already gradually showing the shadow of the Heavenly Emperor he would become.
And so, when his expression darkened, even those outside the mirror couldn’t help feeling a chill.
If this Heavenly Emperor showed such an expression today, it would mean corpses strewn everywhere.
However, a look that even made Quasi Emperors and Great Emperors wary did not carry much intimidation toward those few cultivators.
The leader, one of the male cultivators, gave a light laugh, dug his foot harder into Jiang Minghuang’s face, and jeered with a provocative look, “What if I say no?”
Gu Changqing’s expression darkened. His breath settled like a fierce beast ready to spring.
“Get off him!”
He didn’t waste words—he reversed his grip on the axe and swung a blade toward them.
Sshh!
Cold light trembled as sword force erupted.
A smooth, icy edge burst forth, striking straight at the leg that was pressing on Jiang Minghuang.
The male cultivator looked somewhat stunned—he clearly hadn’t expected this unremarkable boy to possess such ability.
But being a cultivator who had entered the Dao, his reaction was fast. He suddenly sprang back and just barely avoided the sword force.
“A sword cultivator?”
The Daoist was surprised and instinctively sized up Gu Changqing, a trace of unease showing in his eyes.
Gu Changqing took the opportunity to drag the boy lying on the ground—Jiang Minghuang, looking like a dead dog—behind him.
He said nothing more. He lowered his body, raised his axe, and stared fixedly at the opponent.
“You really think you can show off such low level tricks in front of me, a trained Daoist?”
The male cultivator had lost face, so he suddenly erupted, leaping forward with a palm strike that seemed to tilt the heavens, containing boundless force.
Gu Changqing suddenly swung his axe and sword force burst forth.
A shockwave exploded and that sword qi was obliterated in an instant, causing Gu Changqing’s body to be blasted backward by the force.
He slammed to the ground more than 30 meters away, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
He felt his internal organs explode as new wounds tugged at old ones. The pain was unbearable.
The young Daoist’s lips curled into a slight smirk as he looked at the disheveled boy with contempt.
But soon his smile froze.
The next moment, Gu Changqing suddenly leapt up again, swung his blade once more, and chopped at the Daoist.
A strong look of astonishment appeared on the Daoist’s face—he clearly hadn’t expected the boy to rise again, let alone have the nerve to fight him.
But the sword force that could stand in the woods was ultimately not enough to fight a trained cultivator.
The young Daoist swung his palm again.
His qi surged like a dragon. Before Gu Changqing could unleash his sword force, his body was already blasted away.
“Nothing but an ant.”
The young Daoist didn’t look back at Gu Changqing. He turned his back as if bored, and intended to leave.
But he had only taken a few steps when…
He saw his fellow junior cultivators staring at something behind him in astonishment.
Turning back, he saw that disheveled, blood-soaked boy had once again stood up.
The boy now seemed unable even to lift his blade, yet his eyes were fixed unblinkingly on him.
An ant-like mortal still had the courage to fight back after two attacks.
The young Daoist felt even more embarrassed than ever.
“Die!”
This time the young Daoist showed no mercy. His palm struck out, shockwaves spewing, a terrifying momentum in an instant that briefly shattered space-time.
Boom!
This time Gu Changqing fell to the ground as if he was dead, lying motionless for a long time.
“If you can, stand up once more and show me what you’re capable of.”
The young Daoist smiled coldly. He couldn’t understand what was wrong with these two boys. One was a silly boy who tried to insult and antagonize him.
The other was an actual fool who wouldn’t stop until he was dead.
Didn’t they understand the gap between mortals and cultivators?!
“Fool.”
The young Daoist, unwilling to bother with these two lowly fools, was about to leave.
But at that moment he noticed the bloodstained figure in the distance had once again risen to his feet.
His body trembled and his frame was exceptionally frail, as if he could collapse at any moment.
Yet those eyes were very resolute.
“Come fight.”
A low, hoarse cry came from his mouth.
The young Daoist’s gaze was stunned. The other cultivators also widened their eyes, dumbfounded.
“Senior Brother, I think we should leave—this boy is nuts, like seriously crazy.”
“Yes, wasting time on an ant is too shameful for us cultivators.”
The group of cultivators stared at the bloodied boy in shock. Seemingly frightened by this fool’s willpower, they left without looking back.
A bitter smile hung at the corner of Gu Changqing’s mouth.
Suddenly the world spun and the next moment he fainted abruptly.
…
Outside the mirror.
The cultivators gazed at the boy in the mirror lying motionless on the ground. Their gazes were filled with emotion.
The great and almighty Heavenly Emperor of later years—who as a youth in the Great Power realm had slain a Saint King-level monster—had fallen to such a state.
Logically, they should have felt a bit pleased.
But at this moment, the cultivators felt a bitterness. Staring at the young Heavenly Emperor in the mirror, they even felt a hint of admiration in their hearts.
They had a certain feeling.
Even like this, Gu Changqing refused to admit defeat. After all, if even a person like him with such will couldn’t become Heavenly Emperor, then who could?
“Obviously, if he had just remained lying on the ground and not risen again and again, those cultivators would have merely scorned him and stopped there—why did he do this?”
Everyone felt somewhat confused.
No one expected that the peerless Heavenly Emperor who dominated heaven and earth and suppressed the Three Realms would have such a past.
“The Heavenly Emperor’s dao foundation was shattered, cutting off his path of cultivation—how did he later manage to reach his present state?” someone lamented at this.
They were all beings of deep background and abundant fortune.
Born without lacking methods, ancient legacies, famous masters’ guidance, or resources for cultivation.
Even so, reaching such heights felt extremely difficult.
No one had endured the kind of trials the young Heavenly Emperor did in the mortal world and no one knew how cruel the mortal realm could be. They couldn’t imagine how, under such conditions, one could become a Great Emperor who could suppress the Three Realms.