Starting as a prodigy wanting milk? A world-destroying deception in the opposite direction.

This person's clothing and appearance were completely different from those of the Fengyun Empire. He had bronze skin, a wiry build, and his face was painted with oil paint, making him a typical barbarian from the western frontier.

His aura was weak, and he appeared to be only at the third-level Divine Master level.

Seemingly suffering a backlash from the sudden closure of the spatial passage, he lay on the ground coughing violently, unable to get up for a moment.

"Barbarians?!"

Zhao Yi's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and with a wave of his hand, a golden psychic force transformed into chains, instantly binding the man tightly.

The barbarian struggled a few times, only to find it was futile.

Upon seeing the numerous experts eyeing them menacingly around him, and especially sensing the unfathomable aura emanating from Zhao Yi, He Wushuang, and others, he turned ashen-faced, his eyes filled with terror.

"Speak, who are you?" Feng Yu stepped forward under Yan Feng's protection and asked in a cold voice, displaying royal majesty.

"Why did it emerge from the spatial rift? What is the purpose of this altar?"

The barbarian trembled in fright and stammered in Mandarin with a heavy accent:

"Hero, spare my life!"

"I...I'm called Agutuo, from the 'Wolf Batu' tribal alliance...I was sent by the tribe to guard this altar...I'm just a gatekeeper, I don't know anything!"

"Guard the altar? Explain yourself!" Zhan Tiancheng's blade drew closer, its chilling aura palpable.

Agutto felt a sharp pain in his neck and swallowed hard. He glanced again at the menacing weapons around him and the indifferent faces of the experts, his eyes struggling for a moment before he said dejectedly:

"Yes, yes..."

This fissure is an unstable passage connecting our tribe, which was discovered by chance by the high priest.

They said that an altar could be set up here to draw upon a special kind of energy...

"What kind of energy? What is it used for?" Qiu Zhengnan interrupted him, his voice carrying an undeniable penetrating force.

Agut shrank back, his gaze shifting:

"W-what kind of energy... I really don't know, I've only heard that it's a very ancient power..."

Then, covering the entire Great Moon City... We, we've already tried it in a place called Green Mist Town, and it worked."

"Qingwu Town?!" Shen Zhen's heart skipped a beat, and he stepped forward to ask:

"Is the energy you're talking about a strange kind of energy that can interfere with perception, or even... reset the state of an area?"

Agutuo suddenly looked up, staring at Shen Zhen in astonishment, as if he had seen a ghost:

"How...how did you know?! The high priest said..."

He seemed to realize he had let something slip, and immediately shut his mouth, his eyes flashing with intense regret and fear.

"Go on." Zhao Yi's psychic chains tightened a little, making his bones crack.

"Ah—! I'll talk, I'll talk!" Agutto screamed in agony, his mental defenses torn apart by the excruciating pain and fear.

"The High Priest said that once this energy accumulates enough, it can silently cover the entire Great Moon City, just like a sandstorm erases footprints!"

At that time...

"It can absorb the power of fear, anxiety, and despair from everyone in the city, and empower our tribe's warriors..."

Upon hearing this, everyone was horrified!

To cover an entire city and absorb emotions? What a vicious tactic.

This is clearly an attempt to turn Great Moon City into a breeding ground for their barbarian war machines.

Shen Zhen was even more shocked, realizing that the barbarians had secretly sabotaged Qingwu Town.

Fortunately, he managed to escape disaster thanks to his unique qualities and unexpectedly gained spatial power.

"Those who disappeared or even turned into sand in the Burial Sands, were they also your doing?" Shen Zhen's voice was icy as he recalled Han Zhong and Wei Qingxu's concerns.

Agut's eyes flickered, and he stammered, wanting to explain, but under the oppressive killing intent around him, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and admit it:

"It was...it was the tribe's witch doctor who, under orders from the high priest and...and those above, cast the spell."

The purpose was to create chaos and panic, so that outsiders would not dare to easily explore this area.

The location of this crevice and altar is so well chosen; it's both hidden and safe..."

"You bastard!" Zhao Yi cursed angrily, wishing he could chop the barbarian to pieces with one stroke.

"For their own selfish gain, they treat human life like dirt!"

"Do you have any similar altars in other places?" Qiu Zhengnan calmly pressed for key information.

Agut shook his head repeatedly:

"I don't know, I really don't know!"

"I'm just a guard; such secrets are known only to the high priest and a select few clan leaders."

Yi Tianxing, who had been observing coldly, suddenly spoke up, his tone chilling:

"As far as I know, an altar of this scale, involving spatial power, is something that no ordinary barbarian tribe could accomplish."

Are there other people behind you giving advice?

For example, people who claim to be "messengers of God" or believe in "guides"?

When Yi Tianxing spoke his last sentence, he deliberately slowed down his speech and stared intently into Agutuo's eyes.

Upon hearing the words "Guide," Agutto visibly trembled, a deeper fear flashing in his eyes. He hurriedly lowered his head.

"W-what guide..."

I've never heard of it... I really don't know...

But his reaction betrayed him, let alone his attempt to deceive the seasoned veterans present.

He Wushuang snorted coldly:

"It seems you won't tell the truth unless you get serious." He gathered cold air at his fingertips, and Aguto's skin instantly frosted over, bringing a biting yet slow torment.

"Ah! Spare me! I'll talk! I'll tell the truth!" Agutto felt the slowly approaching, extreme cold, and his soul nearly left his body.

"I... I only overheard the high priest mention it once when he was drunk."

It is said that everything is the will of that 'Guide', in order to welcome the arrival of the 'God Ancestor'.

I really don't know any more than that!

Hearing even a single word about that person's affairs would bring disaster!

Guide.

The reappearance of this word sent a chill down the spines of Shen Zhen's team.

Then, the group asked a few more questions.

However, Agut's knowledge was indeed limited. When asked about the "ancient temple," he looked completely blank, only saying that it was an ancient legend of the tribe. As for the specifics, he, a nobody, was not qualified to know.

Yi Tianxing's doubts deepened. This barbarian tribe seemed to be the executors, but they were very likely just a pawn used by the heretics, an intermediary or a gatekeeper.

The real masterminds behind this are probably those heretics who are even more deeply hidden.

Since they couldn't get any more information out of him, they imprisoned Agutuo and prepared to take him back to Dayue City for further processing.

With the crisis resolved, the experts who had been secretly protecting them also made their successful retirement.

Yi Tianxing gave Shen Zhen a look that said "we'll talk in detail when we get back," then cupped his hands to Zhao Yi and the others before disappearing from the earthen city in a flash.

Zhao Yi, Zhan Tiancheng, and the others gave a few instructions and then quietly left.

In the abandoned city square, only Shen Zhen's Cleansing Evil Division squad, the Temple Imperial Guards, and the Third Prince Feng Yu and his personal guard Yan Feng remained.

After cleaning up the battlefield and confirming that there was no further danger, the group, along with the prisoner Agutto, embarked on their journey back to Dayue City.

After a series of fierce battles, everyone was exhausted, but they finally completed the initial reconnaissance mission and captured a key survivor.

Back to Great Moon City.

The news had already reached back, and Prefect Han Zhong and Garrison Commander Wei Qingxu were already anxiously waiting at the city gate.

Seeing that the delegation was in a sorry state but the core members were unharmed and that a barbarian prisoner had been captured, they were overjoyed and immediately arranged for medical treatment and rest.

Shen Zhen and the others were settled back at the post station.

Su Mingyuan and Gu Chengye's team had also returned, and they conducted a large-scale search of the residence based on the clues provided by Shen Zhen.

Just as Shen Zhen had predicted.

Those heretics who had instigated Qian Duoduo to rob the road had already fled at the first sign of trouble, leaving no trace and coming up empty-handed.

Soon after, Qian Sihai rushed over with his son Qian Duoduo to request an audience.

When Qian Duoduo heard that a barbarian heretic had been captured, he was eager to prove his innocence. Qian Sihai even prepared generous gifts to prove that his family had no ulterior motives.

"Special Envoy Shen, Your Highness the Third Prince!"

That unfilial son is ignorant, misled, and offends the delegation; he deserves to die!

But those who instigated this are truly cunning, and now they have vanished without a trace. Relying solely on the barbarian's one-sided account is hardly enough to prove the Qian family's innocence.

Qian Sihai adopted an extremely humble attitude, but he still desperately wanted to catch those heretics who had bewitched his son and clear the Qian family of suspicion.

After this adventure, Feng Yu seemed to have calmed down a bit. He glanced at Qian Sihai but didn't say anything.

Shen Zhen pondered for a moment and said:

"Chairman Qian need not be too anxious; the innocent will clear themselves."

Now that we have barbarian prisoners in our hands, perhaps we can use this opportunity to test them.

Qian Sihai's eyes lit up: "What does Special Envoy Shen mean?"