"Today, I return to you the sword path and the sword heart you taught me. Can this be considered repayment for your years of guidance?" Chu Yang's voice was almost hoarse, his entire being wracked by the immense pain brought by the collapse of his sword heart.
Yet, his heart felt a strange sense of relief.
At least he no longer had to struggle with his choice, at least he could make a decision that honored both sides, at least he could live with a clear conscience...
Outside the Heavenly Emperor's realm.
All the cultivators were stunned, their faces filled with disbelief.
They had imagined countless possibilities for how the Emperor would handle the current situation.
But no one had expected the Emperor to make such a decision.
He had not wronged his master's kindness, nor had he betrayed his brother. The only person he had wronged was himself.
None of them could imagine being able to do what the Emperor had done: ruthlessly destroy their own invincible sword heart and even sever their own arm.
Every cultivator present had red-rimmed eyes, deeply moved, and filled with emotion.
What kind of ending could possibly match the Emperor's years of hardships and wanderings? From a young age, he had borne the blood feud of his parents and had to raise his infant sister, an incredibly difficult task for a seven-year-old boy.
Later, despite possessing a supreme bone and achieving some success in cultivation, his sister was killed. The Emperor had fought and killed his enemies at great personal cost, leaving him severely injured.
To save his sister, he had even dug out his supreme bone.
Finally, after painstakingly retraining his sword path and just as he was about to reach the pinnacle, he chose to destroy his sword heart for the sake of his master and his brother.
Despite the immense effort it took for the Emperor to cultivate to this level and gain the power to avenge his parents, he ended up in this situation.
Such a sword heart was something countless cultivators dreamed of but never possessed, yet the Emperor destroyed it himself.
"In reality, we should have guessed. In that era, who else but the Emperor himself could have destroyed his sword heart?"
"The truth from back then is finally revealed. The Emperor didn't hide this past because he did something heinous."
"He was worried that if Nie Fengyun found out, he wouldn't be able to face him!"
Heavy voices echoed in the Heavenly Court. Upon learning this harsh truth, the eyes of countless cultivators shone with boundless respect.
Nie Fengyun stared at the reflection of the young man, who had severed his arm and destroyed his sword heart, and was stunned.
His face contorted in anguish, his eyes bloodshot.
In his mind, the scene of the Emperor destroying his sword heart replayed endlessly, impossible to forget.
"The truth is like this... He destroyed his sword heart because of me. It was I who caused him to lose his invincible sword heart that could have led straight to the Great Dao."
All the misunderstandings, all the doubts, all the suspicions could now be explained.
When they first met, the Emperor had both arms intact, only his foundation was damaged. But when they met again, he had lost an arm.
At that time, Nie Fengyun had asked him about it, but Chu Yang had refused to talk about his past.
A sword heart, sword intent, and sword path talent like his should have made him the most extraordinary sword genius in history, invincible in his era, and the foremost sword cultivator in the hearts of countless others.
They were brothers, yet Chu Yang had never mentioned this part of his past, only because he didn't want Nie Fengyun to feel guilty.
Nie Fengyun's eyes were blurred with tears, his heart filled with immense sorrow.
In a moment of confusion, he realized the enormous sacrifice Chu Yang had made for him.
He no longer knew how to repay this brother of his.
In the mirror.
The Sword Master's old face was filled with shock.
He couldn't understand Chu Yang's actions, nor could he believe Chu Yang's determination.
To Chu Yang, simply killing Nie Fengyun would sever the bond between them and grant him freedom.
With his sword path strength and talent, he could then avenge the immense blood feud and shed much of his burdens.
But he made this choice instead.
Chu Yang's pure sword heart far exceeded the Sword Master's expectations.
He would rather abandon the powerful sword path talent and strength that countless cultivators dreamt of, than do anything against his master or Nie Fengyun.
Looking at Chu Yang's desolate face, the Sword Master felt a twinge of regret.
If he could let go of his hatred and make concessions for Chu Yang, would he witness the rise of a peerless sword cultivator in the near future?
But it was too late. Even if he regretted it now, it was only a thought.
Chu Yang remained silent, dragging his exhausted body forward step by step.
When he came, he had only a wooden sword that had accompanied him since childhood. When he left, he still had only this wooden sword.
Snow began to fall, blanketing the land in white.
Walking through the snow, Chu Yang left a trail of bloody footprints behind him.
The biting cold made him shiver.
Tears fell from his eyes, freezing in the harsh winter air.
He hadn't wronged his master, hadn't wronged Nie Fengyun, and hadn't wronged himself.
To him, the only ones he had wronged were his parents.
The blood feud remained unavenged, and he had destroyed his invincible sword heart, his immense cultivation vanished.
How did he have the right to make such a choice now? If his parents' spirits were watching, they would surely scold him for this decision.
Chu Yang smiled bitterly.
Calming his emotions slightly, he looked at the wooden sword in his hand.
A hint of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.
When he was young, he had planted a seed in his heart, a desire to practice swordsmanship. His father had made this wooden sword for him.
Having his own sword filled young Chu Yang with immense joy, so much so that he wanted to sleep with it.
Whenever he had free time, he would practice clumsy sword moves with this wooden sword.
Although he never became proficient, he was always content and fulfilled during those days.
This wooden sword had accompanied him through his childhood and youth.
It carried the dreams of a young boy who aspired to be a sword hero.
To that boy, this wooden sword was a priceless treasure.
"Sigh!"
Chu Yang sighed heavily, his expression complex.
Crack!
In the end, Chu Yang chose to break the wooden sword that had accompanied him for so many years.
Looking at the broken pieces, his heart was filled with mixed emotions.
It was a way to put a perfect end to the dreams he held as a child.
Thus, a peerless prodigy who had been in the sword path for less than five years, who had become known throughout the Immortal Realm with his sword, left the sword path entirely.
From then on, there was no more sword cultivator Chu Yang, only an ordinary boy named Chu Yang.
"From now on..."
"I won't practice the sword anymore..."
In the icy wind and snow, the boy's weak voice murmured to himself.