"Because..."
Alvin sighed.
"The one who first established this orderly framework in the Boundary Zone was that extraordinarily powerful human Authority Holder."
At this point, a complicated trace of reminiscence and awe flashed through his eyes.
"But later, in pursuit of the Root, he ventured deep into the Void Domain alone."
"He still hasn't returned."
"No one knows whether he's still alive, or what he might have become."
"After he disappeared, the reason the rules he set down could still largely hold in the Boundary Zone was, on one hand, because those rules genuinely benefited most Authority Holders who weren't at the very top in terms of strength, and could maintain a basic order for survival."
"On the other hand, it was also because everyone understood that that powerhouse might still be somewhere out there. No one wanted to be the unlucky bastard who broke the rules next and drew some unknown reckoning down on themselves."
He looked at Shen Yi, his gaze carrying a solemn warning.
"So before you possess enough overwhelming strength to ignore most of the threats in the Void Domain..."
"You'd be better off—much better off—not setting foot there. Not only because the environment is dangerous, but also because... to those beings in the Void Domain, a powerful rule authority itself is the most attractive treasure there is."
Alvin's gaze swept over Shen Yi, intentionally or otherwise.
Although when he first met Shen Yi, Shen Yi had already restrained the aura of the Flame of Continued Combustion very well.
Alvin had still relied on Lilith's prior warning, as well as the inexplicable pressure seeping from Shen Yi's body.
Adding in their earlier contact, and the intuition that had almost been burned through when he tried to observe Shen Yi's soul...
He had guessed the power Shen