Loving to Tell the Truth

【You have appeared in the Western Divine Continent of the Tianxuan Continent】

A vast expanse of white filled his vision.

The biting wind howled like icy blades scraping against his face.

The path ahead was indistinguishable, the ground completely blanketed in snow. In the distance, the shadowy outlines of mountain ranges loomed hazily, making it impossible to discern which direction to take.

Chilled to the bone, heart adrift.

Standing expressionless in the snow, Ye Chuan sneezed. "Achoo."

Sniffling, he silently channeled his Chaos Energy, finally suppressing and absorbing the frigid air assaulting his body from all sides.

"What kind of hellhole is this? Where the hell have I ended up? Is this even the Tianxuan Continent anymore?"

Amid the blizzard, Ye Chuan couldn’t even pinpoint his location, let alone figure out where to go.

"Western Divine Continent… So, I’ve randomly spawned in another region. Just how far is the Donghua Divine Continent from here?" Muttering to himself, he glanced at his phone—only for it to flash a notification:

[Device temperature too low]

Then it shut off completely.

"Huh?" Ye Chuan had no choice but to use his spiritual energy to warm it up, finally managing to reboot the device.

White. Nothing but white. After aimlessly trudging a few steps, he expanded his divine sense to scan the surroundings.

Nothing noteworthy. The area seemed eerily lifeless.

"A mountain range…" The snowstorm, infused with spiritual energy, felt like an endless barrage of attacks. Fortunately, Ye Chuan’s protective barrier held firm, leaving him unharmed.

"Had I known the teleportation would dump me in this wasteland, I’d have gone for a foot massage at Yisu instead." With no other options, he took to the skies, flying in a random direction.

The scenery remained monotonous—white, white, and more white.

After covering dozens of miles, just as boredom began to set in, his divine sense finally picked up movement. Glancing down, he spotted dozens of figures chasing a small group across the snowfield.

"Oh?"

The pursuers rode snow leopard-like demonic beasts. Whether from battle wounds or not, their blood dripped onto the pristine snow, staining it a stark, glaring crimson.

……

"Run!"

"Run!!" The man at the front clutched a young girl tightly in his arms. She had delicate, exotic features and wore a white mink coat, but her face was deathly pale, unconscious.

The pursuers behind them were closing in rapidly.

"General, we’ll hold them off!" Seeing no chance of escape, a few of his subordinates turned back, buying time for their leader.

Gritting his teeth, the man—Cang Wu—urged his snow leopard onward.

The sacrifice was in vain. His men barely lasted a moment before being blasted away, their mounts and all.

Their bodies crashed into the snow beside Cang Wu, the impact sending him tumbling off his beast and rolling several times across the ground.

Before he could even rise from his injured state, the enemies had already encircled them.

"Roar!" The snow leopards snarled.

"Oh~ Snow leopard, shut up~" A dry, raspy voice came from atop one of the larger beasts. A gaunt old man sat there, smiling down at Cang Wu.

"Cang Wu, why not hand over the princess obediently? You know what your defiance means, don’t you? This is the Holy Son’s decree."

"Hah." Cang Wu let out a bitter laugh, his eyes filled with despair.

"With Cang City fallen, I’ve no will to live."

"The Holy Son? Hmph."

With that, he drew a dagger and aimed it at the girl in his arms.

"Audacious!" The old man—Zuo Mu—roared, unleashing a surge of spiritual energy that sent both Cang Wu and the girl flying into the snow.

His subordinates immediately seized the unconscious girl, leaving Cang Wu seething with helpless fury.

"So-called righteous sects of the immortal world—nothing but frauds hiding behind lofty titles."

"A mere Foundation Establishment ant has no right to judge the heavens," Zuo Mu said coolly. "Ignorant fool."

"True enough," a voice chimed in from behind him.

"Do not interrupt me," Zuo Mu snapped, turning—only to freeze at the sight of a stranger perched casually on the back of his snow leopard.

His heart lurched, and he instantly retreated several paces.

"Who are you?!"

"Me?" The man—Ye Chuan—pointed at himself and grinned. "Just a passerby. Got lost, actually. Thought I’d ask for directions."

Directions…

Zuo Mu studied Ye Chuan’s odd attire but couldn’t sense even a wisp of spiritual energy from him.

A mortal?

Impossible.

The freezing terrain required constant spiritual protection to endure. Without a mount, traversing it was unthinkable. Yet this man wore light clothing without so much as a shiver. No ordinary person could manage that.

"May I ask for your esteemed name?"

"The Wandering Daoist."

"Wandering…?" Zuo Mu had never heard of such a title, but Ye Chuan’s amused expression sent a chill down his spine.

"I am Zuo Mu, an outer elder of the Ice Profound Palace."

"Ah, an outer elder." Ye Chuan knew little of the sects in the Western Divine Continent and asked offhandedly,

"I’m not from around here. What’s your sect leader’s cultivation level?"

"Our sect leader?" Zuo Mu straightened slightly with pride.

"A mighty Spirit Transformation expert."

"Spirit Transformation?" Ye Chuan raised a brow. That was weaker than even that old dog Qin Tianya.

Zuo Mu expected awe, but Ye Chuan’s scoff made his heart sink.

This man’s background was unfathomable. Best not to provoke him.

"Esteemed Wandering Daoist, we’re on a mission. Would you grant us passage?"

"Of course. I just need to know how to get out of here."

"Get out?" Zuo Mu blinked. How did you come in, then?

Ye Chuan rubbed his chin. "Had a little mishap while tearing through space. Meant to go to the Donghua Divine Continent, but ended up here instead."

Tearing through space?!

Zuo Mu and his disciples gaped, their expressions shifting drastically.

Amid the exchange, Cang Wu, still sprawled in the snow, saw a glimmer of hope.

"Immortal! Save us!"

Before he could continue, Zuo Mu silenced him with a spell, choking off his words.

"These two…" Zuo Mu hesitated, but sensing no demonic aura from Ye Chuan, he lied,

"Are demons in human form. Our sect is taking them back for purification."

"Demons?" Ye Chuan glanced at the pair. Neither looked remotely demonic.

"You’re lying to me?" His smile widened.

"Of course not." Zuo Mu’s pulse quickened under that gaze.

"I’m actually quite good at detecting lies." Ye Chuan pulled out a soul banner.

"Under my banner as the Human Emperor, everyone speaks the truth."

"Soul Banner?! You're a demonic cultivator?!" Zuo Mu's face paled in shock at the sight.