Departure

"Mountain Ghost, who exactly are you? These mountains are laid with an extremely profound formation, with only this single passage through, yet you stand guard here—what secret lies behind all this?"

Yan, suspended midair and locked in confrontation with the Mountain Ghost, asked in a deep voice. Now that he had solved 1,999 games of the Rhino Emperor Game, ordinary mountains could never block him. Yet he had long noticed that the peaks surrounding Bauhinia Village were unusual; the mountain ranges subtly formed a grand formation. Though the sky appeared normal, any attempt to leave the layered mountains would be obstructed by the formation. This was why, despite his rapid progress over the past five years, Yan had never tried to confront the Mountain Ghost again. The mountains around Bauhinia Village were steeped in strangeness, making Yan increasingly cautious. His original plan was to comprehend the 2,000th game before testing the Mountain Ghost, but he never expected the other party to come knocking today.

Faced with Yan's interrogation, the Mountain Ghost remained silent, but the whirlwinds surrounding him grew ever more violent. Nine cyclones blotted out the sky and earth, surging toward Shi Yan.

"No words, then straight to blows?"

Yan snorted coldly. His entire body blazed with white light, and for a moment, it seemed as if two suns hung in the sky, dazzling beyond compare. The white light radiated from Yan like a sun illuminating all directions. Wherever the light touched, space twisted, and the ferocious cyclones were wrenched into spirals before shattering into nothing.

The so-called "Authority" of the world was the qualification to mobilize the world's rules and its Source. Because different people solved the games in different ways, they obtained different Authorities. The inherent power of these Authorities varied, so someone with fewer solved games was not necessarily weaker than someone with more—but...

"Generally speaking, if you surpass your opponent by more than 100 games, you can crush them outright. If you have a lead of 500 games or more, no Authority, no matter how heaven-defying, can overturn fate."

Easily shattering the cyclones one by one, Yan's gaze was cold as he continued, "Mountain Ghost, your Authority is decent, but it's only at the level of someone who has solved 1,500 games of the Rhino Emperor Game... You've already lost!"

Yan was confident. He now wielded a World Authority called "Observation," which allowed him to perceive all things in the world, including the number of Rhino Emperor Games an opponent had solved. As long as the opponent's count didn't exceed his by more than 500 games, he could determine their number—a highly practical auxiliary Authority.

Yan now stood in midair, a translucent barrier shielding his body. Though solving 500 incomplete games gradually improved a mortal's physique, this improvement did not extend lifespan, and compared to the Authorities they wielded, their bodies remained extremely fragile. Thus, in battle, one had to carefully protect oneself.

The gap between their Authorities was too vast. The Mountain Ghost was completely at Yan's mercy. In short order, Yan dismantled all of the Mountain Ghost's resistance. Several ropes woven from condensed light bound the Mountain Ghost tightly. Yan drifted slowly before him, reaching out to lift his hood. This black robe was made of some unknown material; even with his World Authority, Yan couldn't see through it to the face beneath.

"Five years ago, you didn't kill me. Today, I won't kill you either. But I will get to the bottom of you and these mountains." Yan reached out and lifted the hood.

"..."

Beneath the hood was nothing at all. As Shi Yan lifted it, the once-bulging black robe instantly deflated. Before long, the light ropes were left binding only an empty garment. Yan's eyes widened in shock.

This outcome was completely beyond his expectations.

As the Mountain Ghost vanished inexplicably, Shi Yan felt a faint tremor run through the surrounding mountains. He quickly mobilized his World Authority to observe, only to find that the formation spanning the layered peaks was showing signs of instability.

What should he do? Should he repair the formation?

Yan hesitated for a single moment, then decided to stabilize the formation. The Mountain Ghost's eerie disappearance and the unknown outside world made Yan deeply uneasy. He couldn't bear to leave Bauhinia Village without the formation's protection.

"Rise!"

Yan knew nothing of feng shui or formations, but he had his Authority. The world's rules were manifold, and among them was "Repair." Having solved the Rhino Emperor Game to this extent, Yan had mastered a wide variety of Authorities, and Repair was among them; combat-related ones were actually the minority. Under the influence of the rules, the formation quickly stabilized. Yet Yan discovered that at the spot where the Mountain Ghost had once sat, a suppressing object was needed to channel the formation. The Mountain Ghost had originally served as the suppressor; now that he was gone, something was missing.

Yan pondered briefly, then his gaze fell on the black robe still bound by the light ropes. This robe was quite peculiar; perhaps it could serve as a suppressor. If not, he would have to personally take up the position. After all, Bauhinia Village had no other options. Between venturing out to investigate and guarding the village, Yan chose to prioritize protecting his hometown.

With this in mind, Yan carried the black robe to the cave where the Mountain Ghost usually dwelled. This cave was the only passage connecting Bauhinia Village to the outside world, and the Mountain Ghost had always sat at its center. Flying deeper into the cave, Yan soon saw a massive underground temple. Every year at the start of the new year, the villagers of Bauhinia Village would respectfully carry sacrificial livestock to the altar outside the temple. As for the temple's interior, no one had ever entered. Yan was the first recorded person from Bauhinia Village to do so.

Holding the black robe, Yan walked into the temple and spotted a very conspicuous throne. His World Authority told him—this was the core of the formation. Yan sent the black robe flying over to land on the throne. A strange ripple instantly spread through the layered mountains, and the formation, which had been held together by the "Repair" Authority, calmed down.

"Tsk, truly miraculous."

Shi Yan marveled. The black robe's wondrous nature was utterly beyond his comprehension. Even using his "Truth" Authority, he could glean no useful information from it. Having done all this, Yan returned to Bauhinia Village, ready to bid farewell to his fellow villagers and venture out to explore the outside world.

"Xiao Yan, do you really have to go?"

The next morning, after bidding farewell to the villagers, Xi Yun alone saw Yan off to the cave that led to the outside world.

"Sister Yun, I keep feeling like something out there is calling to me. I won't be at peace unless I go see for myself." Yan frowned as he spoke.

But seeing the worry on his adopted sister's face, Yan immediately broke into a smile and said, "Don't worry, Sister Yun. I'm not the same person I was five years ago. And I won't be gone long—at most five years. I'll be back in five years, tops."

Yan swore solemnly.

Hearing this, Xi Yun barely managed to suppress the unease in her heart. She gave a light laugh and said, "Then it's settled. If you're not back in five years, I won't let you off easy! Don't think just because I'm an ordinary mortal I can't deal with you."

"How would I dare? You're my sister." Yan grinned cheekily in surrender.

"Enough, you're this old and still so childish... It's getting late. Since you've decided to go out and see the world, don't dawdle. Go on, and remember to protect yourself." Xi Yun repeated her warnings over and over.

"I know, Sister Yun. Don't worry."

With that, Yan strode quickly into the cave. Xi Yun watched from behind as his figure grew fainter and fainter, until it vanished into the pitch-black depths.

"..."

After Yan left, Xi Yun seemed to have made up her mind about something. Returning to the village, she headed straight for the Old Temple.

On the other side, Yan had no idea what his sister was about to do.

Once inside the cave, Yan used his Authority to speed forward and soon passed through it.

"Out."

Stepping out of the cave, Yan looked into the distance with some anticipation.

A lush, endless primeval forest stretched before him—utterly ordinary in appearance.

"..."

Yan didn't know what he had been expecting. After a brief surge of excitement, he waved his hand and teleported a massive boulder over, sealing the cave entrance tightly. He also controlled the surrounding vegetation to grow over the area.

In just moments, the once-conspicuous cave mouth disappeared entirely, as if no cave had ever existed there.

Satisfied, Yan clapped his hands, then rose into the air and flew off into the distance.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh..."

Through the dense primeval forest, Yan darted forward without pause, startling countless birds and beasts along the way. But he showed no sign of slowing down.

This primeval forest was enormous. Even at Yan's flying speed, it took him three full days to get out.

As for Teleportation, it was extremely draining. At his current level of comprehension, he couldn't rely on it for long-distance travel.

"With a forest this big, the chances of anyone stumbling onto the village must be pitifully low." Glancing back at the endless sea of trees, Yan felt considerably reassured.

After leaving the primeval forest, Yan soon spotted a city.

Frowning, he muttered to himself, "Better get a sense of the situation first."

As he spoke, he quietly descended into the city from a corner, careful not to make any large-scale use of his World Authority.

He knew nothing about the world beyond the mountains. If someone with a higher World Authority were here, making a big commotion would be as good as drawing attention to himself.

The city looked somewhat chaotic. The streets were filthy and littered, and many figures who appeared to be soldiers were patrolling.

Most of the shops and homes lining the streets had their doors tightly shut, giving the place a desolate air. The few taverns and inns that were open had burly, intimidating-looking men guarding their entrances.

"..."

Walking through the grimy streets, Yan couldn't help but frown.

But before he could investigate further, the sound of hooves rang out from a distance: "Everyone, report to the city walls and await orders!"

A mounted messenger charged recklessly down the street, galloping past. Yan sidestepped to avoid the tall horse, while the soldiers nearby began muttering among themselves.

"To the walls? Are the monsters coming?"

"They can't really be coming, can they? I heard even the royal capital fell. How could we possibly hold them off?"

Many soldiers looked panicked.

"What are you babbling about? The royal capital is one thing, but our Guan Town is a backwater. Even if monsters show up, they'll be small fry. With Master Sun around, there's nothing to worry about."

A squad leader-type officer stepped forward to scold them.

The soldiers exchanged glances, finally calming down a little. Under the squad leader's direction, they headed for the city walls.

"Monsters?"

Yan was puzzled, then quietly followed along.