A cavalcade of horses had departed from the Ming Jing Men Sect. Galloping at lightning speed, the horses conversed with the wind. Leading them all was Mo Yan's white horse. Wherever the horses passed, the very earth seemed to tremble. Raising dust, the convoy sped toward the Liuguang Sect.

  After a few hours of travel, they reached the border of the Liuguang Sect. The silence here was deeper than the abyss. Not even the wind was blowing. And ahead, a mysterious invisible barrier enclosed the entire area.

  Mo Yan’s horse refused to move forward. It kept retreating, and the other horses behaved exactly the same way. This was because they could sense the danger, the terrifying silence that lay ahead.

  Mo Yan immediately dismounted. Behind him, Su Nian and everyone else also dismounted. Mo Yan carefully observed and understood the horse's behavior. The horses were sensing danger.

  Mo Yan then released a small amount of energy from his inner core towards the front. The energy struck the invisible protective barrier, and for a moment, the barrier shimmered, displaying faint blue threads, and then disappeared again.

  All the disciples looked at each other in astonishment upon catching a glimpse of the protective sphere. They were all slightly panicked, but Mo Yan did not panic at all. In the depths of his soul, a consciousness told him who had created this protective barrier. Even without Yu Sui's physical presence, he knew it was Yu Sui’s mantra system. It was Yu Sui who created such defensive spheres with threads of silk.

  Mo Yan stood quietly for a moment. Then, after surveying the entire area, he raised his hand and wrote one of his most powerful mantras in the air before the protective barrier. The mantra glowed with red energy and spread across the barrier, opening a path for them to enter. As soon as everyone passed inside, the mantra vanished.

  Mo Yan moved forward with his disciples. However, a few miles south of the Liuguang Sect, the paths leading to the Xuemo Sect, Linyan Clan, and Fuzi Xion Clan became visible. Seeing these paths, Su Nian’s heart and soul melted; his eyes were drenched with an unexpressed pain. He wanted to go. He wanted to walk those roads and meet someone. But as they passed the road leading towards the Xuemo Sect, he felt crushed under a burden. His emotions were overpowering his duty as a disciple. Still, he did not stop and followed Mo Yan.

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  Just then, Su Nian remembered the message they had received before leaving. He called out and stopped Mo Yan. Mo Yan paused to listen to him.

  Bowing low, Su Nian spoke:

  "Young Master. We received news... that Prince Lao Duan died mysteriously. No one has seen his corpse since the incident. And Lin Chaoyuan, who was kept in the prison, has also vanished without a trace. The prison security staff also reported that he had been sitting huddled in a corner for many days, and then suddenly disappeared, despite strict security. Young Master, it seems as if someone has swallowed the entire royal bloodline, as several officials of the Liuguang Sect have also gone missing."

  There was no change in Mo Yan's expression upon hearing this news. He was still calm. He knew this could be Yu Sui’s doing. But he was still struggling to understand when Yu Sui could have done all this.

  Somewhere far away...

  In a dark, desolate place, where there was nothing but ruin. Lifeless rubble and dead trees stood in the depths of the darkness, as the place was in a deep ravine.

  Sitting on a stone, leaning his back against a rocky wall, Yu Sui was seated in a completely relaxed state, calmly eating an apple. There was a smile on his face, yet his eyes were failing to conceal his tears. Still, he was smiling. Because the moment Mo Yan's inner core energy touched the protective barrier, he knew. Mo Yan had arrived.

  Tears welled up in Yu Sui’s eyes. He spoke no words. No sound came out. But he was completely assured that the person who touched the protective barrier was none other than Mo Yan.

  Yu Sui, who had endured eight years of unbearable pain, who had been hollowed out by waiting, who possessed the power to deliver deadly destruction, melted like wax just thinking about Mo Yan. For so many years, he had only waited, silently remembering his Mo Yan. The one who had turned to stone had now melted.

  Simply by Mo Yan's presence.

  And on the other side, Mo Yan. The one whom no spiritual discipline could break. Whom no divine test could bend. Who endured whips. Who bore many punishments. Today, he was broken. Just by the feeling of Yu Sui being close again. Just by knowing that he had returned and was right here in the Liuguang Sect.

  He did not speak. But his eyes said everything:

  "Just once... to see him. To hug him. To claim him as mine. And keep him close."