The Truth He Dared Not Face

The vine whip formed from condensed ice crystals whipped up a biting gale, You Su's sword light flashed in Ganlong Venerable's eyes like a free and unrestrained stroke of a brush.

A powerful sword strike shattered the surrounding delicate flowers, yet the blade stopped just three inches from her brow—the ice dragon patterns floating on Ganlong Venerable's wide sleeves suddenly solidified, transforming into scales that covered her slender arms.

"A mayfly trying to shake a tree." She flicked her finger along the spine of the sword, and ice cracks spread from the blade to You Su's tiger's mouth. "You can't even break through my protective Mystic Qi."

She deliberately gave You Su the opportunity to wield his sword, hoping he would understand the gap between them. Looking down at the powerless You Su, she smiled contemptuously.

"After being adrift at the bottom of the sea for more than half a month, it seems you've narrowly escaped death. Otherwise, how could you not only have not improved at all, but your swordsmanship is even worse than when you were at the wellhead?"

The boy staggered backward, the Blood Qi gushing from his throat staining his clothes red, as if he was considering retreating.

Ganlong Venerable took in the changes in You Su's expression, and an even bolder idea was born.

"I can see that you are not Evil Demon. Feather Transformation Realm at nineteen will shake the world. Don't let Demon Beast bewitch your mind and remain stubbornly deluded. You have a bright future ahead of you. A better world awaits you, and I—can take you to that world."

Using a combination of kindness and severity, and employing both soft and hard tactics, has always been her most frequently used method of managing subordinates.

You Su is indeed a rare talent, but the key reason why she was willing to put aside her anger and try to win her over was not out of appreciation, but because she felt that if she could switch the only ally of the Palace Lord of Dragon Seeing Palace to her side, that traitor would feel excruciating pain.

This is her punishment for those who betrayed their ideals. The more she loved her former self, the more she hated her after discovering that her former self had given up on her ideals.

She continued speaking, adding fuel to the fire that was shaking You Su's resolve:

"I have a good eye for people. You're the kind of person who's relentlessly determined to achieve your goals. Actually, we're the same kind of people. Your senior sister is so insightful, so insightful, that I couldn't bear to hurt her. So she only bled a little; her essence wasn't damaged at all. Stop being so stubborn and thinking that resisting power is the right path. Years later, the people of the Northern Ao Continent will thank you for your timely awakening."

You Su, leaning on his sword and kneeling on the vine-entangled ground, laughed out loud, but when he looked up, a fire burned in his eyes brighter than the blade:

"Do you really think... you have a foolproof plan?"

The Ganlong Venerable's expression shifted, and he crushed a weeping blood rose with his toe, the petals' sap winding like venomous snakes. "When I personally measured the frozen soil of Bei'ao, your ancestors hadn't even been born yet. This land of Bei'ao is soaked with my Heart's Blood, and you still naively think you can win with a few words of venom—"

The words abruptly stopped.

A nine-petaled lotus silently bloomed behind her back. The tip of Wangshu Fairy's sword pierced through the Mystic Ice Chi Armor by an inch, and the frosty blade reflected the suddenly contracted pupils of Ganlong Venerable.

Bai Ze, or rather Palace Lord of Dragon Seeing Palace, was leaning against the door of the Mystic Stone, her fingertips holding a broken piece of ice mirror. The ice shards that should have been embedded in her wounds were now reflecting countless illusions in the mirror.

"A mirror reflects the truth, while a reflection hides the false."

The girl emerged gracefully from the shadows, the ice crystals in her hair reflecting the snowflakes on Bai Ze's forehead. "I told you long ago, the 'Mirror Flower, Water Moon' technique is more difficult than you think."

Ganlong Venerable's eyes flickered incessantly. She turned to look at the unharmed Bai Ze, and a hint of ferocity appeared on her originally exquisite face.

"When we practiced this technique, we agreed that we would never use it to deceive ourselves!"

In her view, the Palace Lord of Dragon Seeing Palace's crime of betrayal was already a double crime.

"I'm not lying to you! You only see the mirage in my hand, but you don't know you're in a mirage!" Palace Lord of Dragon Seeing Palace's eyes, his voice became even colder.

You Su ignored this self-insulting act, for in that brief moment, his eyes were only on the woman in the flowing white dress with her face covered by a jade rabbit.

A barely perceptible flutter flickered in those eager blue eyes; the joy of a long-awaited reunion quietly blossomed in her pupils, only to be replaced by deep concern.

You Su endured the pain from his injuries, wiped away the blood from his lips, and forced a smile, a smile tinged with the smell of rust. He stood there quietly gazing at Wangshu, and in that moment, time seemed to freeze, all the grudges and affections fading into the background.

The two senior and junior disciples, reunited after a long separation, needed no words, yet their bond spoke volumes. Just as You Su, upon seeing the image in the mirror, immediately recognized it as a lie, because his senior sister would never leave him there unattended, but would instead teach a lesson to a potential deceiver.

The Little Flower peeking out from under the senior sister's collar at this moment also proved this point. The senior sister and Bai Ze must have relied on the Little Flower's ability to burrow into the soil to break through the many restrictions and enter this flower cage!

Bai Ze, who was confronting Ganlong Venerable, noticed You Su's gaze, and for some reason, a pang of sadness rose in her heart. However, with the important matter at hand, the sadness quickly dissipated.

"Wangshu Fairy, have you forgotten? This woman is the one who tricked your junior brother into falling into the abyss of demons! She is scheming and malicious! If you want to awaken your junior brother, you should never, under any circumstances, collude with her!" Ganlong Venerable spoke righteously, not forgetting to try to persuade Wangshu defect, "Your heart is inherently pure, and you knew from the day that every word I said was true. When have I ever lied to you?! You can ask her a few questions and see if she has the same peace of mind as me!"

Unfortunately, her words did not sway Wangshu Fairy's snow sword in the slightest, which puzzled her greatly. From her perspective, You Su and Bai Ze fell into the evil well together because they were harmed by Bai Ze, so there was no way that she could lie about this matter. This was the sincerity that Wangshu Fairy could see.

What went wrong that made her turn against them?

Could it be that there was something wrong with the picture I showed her that day?

However, her Innate Pure Heart could see through the true and false in people's hearts, but it could not distinguish between what was real and what was not, because things have no heart. She was certain that You Su and another version of herself had survived the abyss of demons for so long because they must have obtained some great fortuitous opportunity. Therefore, Bai Ze would most likely become the person in her painting, because that was her at the age of twelve!

They became aware of each other's existence at the age of twelve. Their complementary personalities and abilities made them two sides of the same coin, resulting in a synergistic effect greater than the sum of their parts, propelling them to great heights. However, their increased status and power also widened their differences in opinions and ideologies, making it increasingly difficult for them to coexist.

They began to devise ways to maintain control of this body. Whenever Ganlong Venerable awoke, she would see a portrait of herself at age twelve on the table. She knew that the Palace Lord of Dragon Seeing Palace was reminiscing about their twelve-year-old selves, that cowardly version of herself longing to return to that time!

It was precisely this point that made Ganlong Venerable determined to kick this weak and naive self out of his body! How could someone who wants to go back to the past whenever he encounters difficulties possibly accomplish great things that change the world?

Therefore, Bai Ze will definitely use that appearance to explain the whole story to You Su in order to seek help, because that face is the best proof!

She had already perfectly predicted even this point, and with the ability to create illusions so convincingly, how could this simple-minded girl possibly see the flaw in that picture of someone leaping out of a well?!

In a daze, she seemed to realize something, glancing at her twelve-year-old self, "I never imagined that after sleeping for thirty years, you would have mastered skills you never understood before. Manipulating people's hearts, you no longer need to learn from me. Instead, I need to learn from you, what exactly did you say to her?"

His tone contained a mixture of disdain and affirmation.

Bai Ze paused, realizing the implication in Ganlong Venerable's words: she was attributing Wangshu's defection to herself, believing that she had changed Wangshu Fairy's attitude with her more powerful mental techniques.

"I didn't say anything," Bai Ze replied.

Ganlong Venerable sneered, "I know how much blood you've spilled, yet you still pretend to be so virtuous in front of me?"

Bai Ze stared into her eyes and said calmly, "Whether you believe it or not won't change your fate."

She spoke with certainty because she really hadn't said anything.

Recalling the moment she met Wangshu Fairy, the only one who spoke was this rumored taciturn girl.

Do you like your junior brother?

The Fairy she met for the first time immediately bombarded her with questions, and her hesitation and indecision provided the answer.

The next instant, the Dragon Binding Rope her broke into several pieces.

"I hope my junior brother doesn't like you," the girl added.

She expressed her possessiveness in a very naive way, making Bai Ze unable to even get angry, and even feeling a little guilty as if he had taken someone else's love.

"What you can see directly in people's hearts is not true human nature; this is a principle my junior brother taught me."

Wangshu could see the immense frustration in Ganlong Venerable's chest. She was a woman of few words and would never be one to explain herself to her enemies.

But at this moment, she was filled with immense joy because she had successfully distinguished between good and bad on her own, just like a living, breathing person. So she couldn't wait to show off her learning achievements to You Su, just like a well-behaved student in a classroom looking forward to the teacher's praise.

Feeling the eager gaze from You Su, Wangshu's thin lips, hidden beneath her mask, curved into a smile, even her tone becoming unusually melodious. A surge of warmth welled up within her, and she uttered a declaration that sounded like a life goal:

"I will not be Pure Spirit, I will be Imperfect Human."

Upon hearing this, Ganlong Venerable seemed lost in thought, even her imposing aura diminished somewhat. She truly hadn't expected there to be such a fool in the world, discarding the pure heart that so many others yearn for as worthless. Yet, she suddenly felt that the young girl possessed a profound wisdom, for the human heart is both foolish and treacherous, and cannot be discerned merely by observation.

But for someone like her, being discouraged is just a way to fill herself up even more. She will never doubt her goals or the path she has taken. Any setbacks will only strengthen her resolve. The layer of mysterious ice armor rapidly condensed to almost solidify, its texture changing from transparent to pale white, actually forcing out Wangshu Fairy's snow sword.

Her long, black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and the arrogance in her eyes compelled one to bow down in submission. She questioned herself in a hysterical tone:

"Back then Northern Ao Ten Tribes Nine Empties were deserted, and people even resorted to cannibalism. Have you forgotten all that? Some people said this soil was filthy, and these flowers were strange, but when I sprinkled rice seeds into their bowls, they all shut their mouths! You couldn't save Northern Ao Continent, but I will! I don't ask for your help; I just need you to stay silent! Why must you stop me?"

Bai Ze's eyes showed sadness, and he shook his head with a soft sigh.

"You Su said is true. Many people have conspired to deceive you... Although you are at the Upper Void Realm, you are aware of your true strength. Otherwise, given your temper, you would have only wanted to kill us all just now, instead of trying to get Wangshu Fairy to help you. You are smarter than me. Calm down and don't do something that hurts both of you. I never intended to stop you; I just felt you were taking too big a step. Now, I also want to help you."

These words were True Intention, Ganlong Venerable was momentarily dazed upon hearing them, yet a more ferocious and obsessive force suddenly arose within him:

"Very well... very well! I underestimated your self-inflicted injury ruse!"

As she finished speaking, her aura surged, and fallen petals, shrouded in icy crystals, surrounded her as she stood in mid-air.

Upon hearing this, You Su felt a surge of pent-up anger rising in his chest. Unable to contain himself any longer, he burst into a tirade:

"You old hag, you're so stubborn! Do you think the whole world doesn't understand you? Does everyone in the world want to oppose your ideals? I think you think too highly of yourself! I thought you could wake up in time and make amends, but who knew you were just a coward who only dares to make the same mistake again and again, a bully within your own group!"

"Wrong?" Ganlong Venerable glared at the youth. With a flick of her hand, she tore a patch of frozen earth from beneath the sea of flowers. "I'd rather be a madman drinking poison to quench my thirst than a saint watching the masses freeze to death!"

Frost spread from the fingertips of the Ganlong Venerable, and ice crystal vines wrapped around snowflakes, solidifying into three translucent spears. With a flick of her wide sleeves, the spear tips were already hovering above the three people's heads, their chilling blue aura intimidating.

Wangshu Fairy had already drawn her snow sword, ready for battle. Her blue eyes were fixed on the ice spear above You Su's head, prepared to protect her junior brother at any moment.

"My Northern Ao Continent is none of your business, not even for ants to utter!"

Just as the tense atmosphere was about to collapse, Bai Ze suddenly bit his tongue, and blood mist sprayed into the void, blooming into thousands of ice crystals. The moment the blood droplets collided with the ice crystals, the entire dungeon suddenly lost its vibrant colors, revealing the mottled stone walls that should have been there.

"Open your eyes and look at your Bei Ao!"

Bai Ze formed hand seals, and blood flowed along the icy ravines, drawing the reflection of Changshan City on the stone wall. The wheat fields, corroded by the black water, churned with Human-faced worm eggs, and twisted evil spirits crawled out of the boiling blood pool. Newborn monsters covered in slime were devouring the remains of the city's guardian cultivators.

Wangshu's snow sword suddenly let out a mournful cry, and the image of A Jiu and her brother huddled in the temple was reflected on the blade. The two children used their frozen fingers to pick at the cracks in the broken statue, trying to dig out a grain of rice that had fallen inside.

"Impossible!" Ganlong Venerable's pupils trembled. As her dragon-patterned skirt swept across the blood pool's reflection, real water splashed up. She staggered backward, her heel knocking over the carefully cultivated black jade peonies. Those precious flowers, nourished by the Black Soil, were now visibly rotting into mud.

But no matter how hard she found it, she had no choice but to believe it, because she knew very well that Bai Ze had used the Blood Oath Technique!

Bai Ze's identity was her greatest asset; even if she killed You Su and Wangshu, she wouldn't dare kill her. Yet, she willingly offered her life to prove that her illusory persona was not a mere illusion!

"The Sea Well you used to transport soil has been converted into an evil array for sacrificing living people!" You Su roared.

"Shut up!"

Ganlong Venerable tried to grab You Su by the throat with his backhand, Mystic Ice Chi Armor suddenly exploded into thousands of ice spikes.

Wangshu rushed to the rescue with her sword, and the sword light collided with the ice spikes, sparks flying. Ganlong Venerable seized the opportunity to capture You Su, the weakest of the three, and broke open the prison door with the force of thunder, flying out of the mountain.

The night was dark and the wind was cold.

The moment she stepped into the snowstorm, she felt the oppressive force hidden within it.

They had been waiting there to stop her!