The nightfall draped over the wilderness, silent and desolate.

The blazing flames swiftly engulfed Yan Bei’s body.

Zhang Yuan retrieved a wine flask and cups from his storage space, silently pouring three cups of strong wine in front of the bonfire.

Sending the other on his final journey.

As the saying goes, "White-haired as new, old friends as dear," although Zhang Yuan knew Yan Bei for only a short time, they hit it off immediately, but unfortunately, they were separated by life and death before forming a true friendship.

The bonfire slowly burned out, leaving only ashes of bones.

Zhang Yuan collected the ashes into a prepared box and then stored it in his storage space.

Intending to return them to Yan Bei’s family.

He glanced back towards Yongping Prefecture City, summoned the Gray-toothed Lynx, and rode back to Yong’an.

As Yan Bei had said, the forces that set up the Array of Extinction in Yongzhou were not ones he could provoke.

To investigate further would only bring unpredictable danger.

In fact, even during the day, Zhang Yuan dared not let the Red-eyed Crow fly over Yongping Prefecture City.

Because the place gave him a very bad feeling.

The facts proved that Zhang Yuan’s intuition was correct.

Yan Bei paid for it with his life!

By the next evening, Zhang Yuan made it back inside Yong’an City before the gates closed.

He didn’t linger in the city, heading straight for Qingfeng Temple.

To meet up with Mo Huai’an!

Seeing Zhang Yuan return travel-worn, Mo Huai’an was a bit surprised: "Senior Brother Zhang, you’re back so soon?"

Zhang Yuan’s trip to investigate had only taken three or four days.

He had initially planned for it to take ten days to half a month. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

But the young mage noticed Zhang Yuan’s expression and immediately asked gravely, "What happened?"

Zhang Yuan didn’t answer immediately.

He turned and closed the outer courtyard’s gate, then said to Mo Huai’an, "Let’s talk inside."

Once inside the hall, Zhang Yuan recounted his experiences in Yongping Prefecture City to Mo Huai’an in their entirety.

Of course, he concealed certain details, particularly those involving Yan Bei.

It was impossible to disclose everything.

After all, many things involved Zhang Yuan’s own secrets.

"Heaven and Earth Destruction Yin Yang Array!"

After hearing it, Mo Huai’an’s face turned paperwhite, his eyes vacant: "How is this possible!"

The Heaven and Earth Destruction Yin Yang Array is an ancient killing and sacrificial formation, using the world as its array plate, living beings as offerings, and the larger the array domain, the more powerful.

Legend has it that during ancient times, a powerful individual set up an Array of Extinction over a thousand-mile radius.

Blood-sacrificing billions of living beings to help themselves ascend to the supreme realm.

But at the final moment, they were struck down by the backlash of the Heavenly Dao, and met their demise!

Though the truth of this legend is unverifiable, the Heaven and Earth Destruction Yin Yang Array is indeed a real ancient strange array, yet arranging such an array requires a tremendous expenditure of manpower and resources.

Zhang Yuan said, "I don’t know the Heaven and Earth Destruction Yin Yang Array, so I can’t judge the truth of Yan Bei’s words, but there is indeed an altar built inside Yongping Prefecture City, with many cultivators guarding it."

Mo Huai’an remained silent for a long time.

The young mage raised his head, his face full of bitterness: "Senior Brother Zhang, do you think the sect knows about this?"

Zhang Yuan did not answer.

He believed Mo Huai’an already had the answer in his heart.

The Upper Scenic Celestial must surely know what is happening within Yongzhou, but the sect’s higher-ups apparently don’t want to get involved.

Or are extremely apprehensive about it, hence dare not intervene!

It’s also possible that the Upper Scenic Celestial is involved in this matter.

But Zhang Yuan thinks it’s highly unlikely, due to the previous transmission reply the Upper Scenic Celestial gave to Mo Huai’an.

The question arises, as one of the Daoist Ancestral Courts, guarding a thousand li of Mo Yuan, whose power and influence are unfathomable.

Who could inspire such fear in the sect?

The answer is obvious.

The Daqian Dynasty, along with the Celestial Race!

Zhang Yuan suspects that behind this, it’s the Celestial Race plotting within Yongzhou through the power of Daqian.

As for the purpose...

"Drought Fiend."

Mo Huai’an gravely said, "They want to use the Heaven and Earth Destruction Yin Yang Array to trap and kill the Drought Fiend!"

The Drought Fiend is an ancient fierce beast, once it emerges, it is a major disaster for the entire world.

But the value of the Drought Fiend itself surpasses countless heavenly treasures.

Its hide, horns, claws, tendons, bones, flesh, and blood are all top-notch treasures.

The most precious, without a doubt, is the heart of the Drought Fiend, it is said to be used to refine elixirs that enhance cultivation realm and prolong life.

Ascending realms, extending life, just these two are enough to drive people mad!

If the Celestials know that a Drought Fiend will emerge in Yongzhou, they might preemptively lay this great array through Daqian’s strength to encircle this ancient fierce beast, then everything makes sense.

For Daqian, it is also to curb disaster.

As for the millions of people in Yongzhou, they are destined to become sacrifices!

Without a large sacrifice of living beings, the Heaven and Earth Destruction Yin Yang Array cannot be activated for its power.

When the Drought Fiend appears, one can only imagine how many people will be sacrificed for this.

Faced with such an earthshaking situation, Zhang Yuan and Mo Huai’an can do nothing.

Let alone stop it.

Mo Huai’an smiled bitterly: "Yesterday, I received another transmission from the sect, they’ll dispatch a flying ship to retrieve me soon."

The young mage said dejectedly: "This trial of mine is over!"

Zhang Yuan sympathetically patted his shoulder.

Mo Huai’an, naive and kind-hearted, was nevertheless a bit grim for a teenage boy to experience this.

But without going through the trials of wind, frost, rain, and snow, how could one truly grow?

Zhang Yuan asked: "Hasn’t your martial uncle come out of seclusion yet?"

"No."

Mo Huai’an shook his head with a bitter smile.

Now he guessed that his martial uncle stayed in seclusion for so long just to avoid involvement.

Zhang Yuan thought about it and said: "Then let’s go back."

As for his promise to Yan Bei’s last wish, it must be considered long term, without acting rashly.

Returning to the sect for now is the safest choice.

After all, Zhang Yuan must also be responsible for Mo Huai’an.

Yong’an City is no longer safe.

Mo Huai’an nodded, having no objections.

Only five days later, a flying ship broke through the clouds, landing in the front courtyard of Qingfeng Temple.

Having received advance notice, Zhang Yuan and Mo Huai’an boarded the ship immediately.

They set off back to the sect.

It took them a long time to reach Yong’an City, now they returned in just two days.

And when they returned to the Upper Scenic Celestial, Mo Huai’an was like a frost-stricken eggplant, completely downcast.

He would probably need some time to adjust his mindset.

But that wasn’t Zhang Yuan’s concern.

He rested peacefully in the Upper Scenic Celestial for a few days until his internal injuries completely healed.

Then he accepted a Daoist Merit task and left the mountain gate once more.