I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 568 - 568 567. Lord of the Mountains_1

Chapter 568: 567. Lord of the Mountains_1 Chapter 568: 567. Lord of the Mountains_1 Judging by the speed, Shi Buwen’s time was the fastest this round, taking just two minutes from start to finish.

Even if Lu Ban were faster, he probably wouldn’t match Shi Buwen’s level.

However, he didn’t mind: whether he scored points this round or not, it didn’t change the fact that he was currently ranked first.

Moreover, since Dai Yuanyang was still sleeping, even if Shi Buwen scored five points, that would only bring him to six points. Lu Ban, even without earning a single point this round, would still have eight points—Shi Buwen couldn’t catch up to him.

Therefore, Lu Ban was more curious about what this token actually was.

After all, he was supposed to comprehend the Way through this token later, and understanding more about it might give him an edge in the competition.

After the token was returned, Lu Ban lit a stick of incense and approached the scorched marks.

Then, Lu Ban walked toward the token.

“?”

Tang Que found Lu Ban’s actions somewhat unbelievable.

There was clearly a barrier beyond the ordinary beside the token. She herself had tried and failed to break through it—what was he planning to do?

Or was it because Lu Ban felt secure in his lead, he had decided not to bother?

However, when Lu Ban’s hand passed through that barrier, Tang Que was stunned.

It was as if it were merely air. No, it was air.

Lu Ban’s hand passed through the barrier unimpeded, and then, his whole body followed through.

Reaching the token, Lu Ban picked it up.

Including the preparation time, it took three minutes.

While not the fastest, Lu Ban’s action was indeed a shock to all.

Where was the barrier just now?

The massive obstruction that prevented people from passing through, where did it go?

That was just outrageous.

Although Tang Que felt that her combat strength might not be weaker than Lu Ban’s, this guy had too many tricks up his sleeve. She still hadn’t figured out how he made Dai Yuanyang fall asleep so quickly, and now he had ignored the token’s barrier as if it were non-existent and effortlessly took the item.

Could he be a descendant of the Mysterious Monarch, or even the reincarnation of Mysterious Monarch himself?

When Lu Ban obtained the token, he also found it quite miraculous.

He had been prepared to probe and study the barrier, but to his surprise, it had opened up a passage for him on its own.

It was as if it were welcoming Lu Ban; the token fell into his hands without any resistance.

For others, this was an assessment that required cleverly using one’s abilities to circumvent the token’s barrier.

But for Lu Ban, it was as good as being given away.

Could it be that the token was also capable of being overly generous?

Lu Ban carefully examined the token in his hands, feeling its wooden structure slide against his palm. He noticed a ring of charred marks—it seemed to have been placed in fire and burned, yet the flames did not consume it, leaving only the dark marks.

It resembled a cup, but one side had an opening, clearly not meant to be a container.

Upon touching the token, Lu Ban could feel the Pollution within stirring, presumably preparing to be comprehended during the upcoming process—accepting the contamination within to gain its knowledge.

He placed the token back.

“Shall we begin the next event?”

Lu Ban turned back to ask the others.

“…”

Everyone was speechless.

Was there any point in continuing the competition?

With his speed, Lu Ban was behind Shi Buwen, which would likely secure him at least four points for a total of twelve.

Unless Lu Ban forfeited the next two events, as long as he scored even a single point, he would retain first place.

Any struggle by the other competitors seemed futile at this point.

“What’s wrong?”

Lu Ban inquired.

“No, nothing, Little Brother Lu, let’s begin to comprehend this token.”

Seventh Master attempted to steer the conversation.

Even though there was little hope for the following competition, if one could carefully contemplate and understand the token from the Mysterious Monarch, the benefits would be considerable.

In the distorted broken temple, several people sat around the token, starting to ponder as they stared at it.

Lu Ban didn’t know how to fathom the way, so he just stared blankly at the token from a distance.

After a moment, Du Ming suddenly had an epiphany.

He felt the environment around him darken, a swirl of bright colors moving around him, turning his companions into foggy, grotesque monsters with twisted faces, both ferocious and terrifying.

Du Ming felt something caressing his cheek, which gave him goosebumps.

His throat was dry as if something poured into it.

Du Ming coughed aloud, realizing he was coughing up blood.

Knowledge flowed into his mind, deepening his understanding of the world.

The knowledge of the uncanny object made Du Ming feel as if everything around him became unreal.

“Is this what comprehension is?”

Du Ming focused more deeply, wanting to see more.

…

Meanwhile, halfway up the mountain, in Lu Ban’s room.

Dai Yuanyang lay with his eyes closed, lost in deep sleep.

He was unaware that a group of people had gathered in the courtyard.

“…No problem, I’ll find His location as quickly as possible.”

A middle-aged man with blond hair and foreign features spoke.

Behind him stood several people in dark clothing, looking efficient and serious, holding firearms, lined up together.

“It seems Dai’s mission has failed; he didn’t last until the end.”

The man said to a companion with brown hair beside him.

“But we got plenty of information. The secret of immortality is right before us; the rest is up to us now.”

The brown-haired foreigner responded.

“Fang Geng, Lord of the Mountains, it’s unexpected that after researching documents, consulting texts, and many tribulations, we’d discover He was sealed here.”

“And the Mysterious Monarch, what exactly is he… maybe he stole the divine power of Fang Geng and gained immortality.”

“Regardless, finding the location of Fang Geng’s seal and studying these Ancient Overlords is the mission we’ve been given. Any other obstacles must be eliminated.”

“But, Gordon, based on our previous research, touching the seal could likely lead to the pollution of the Ancient Overlord leaking out. By then, this mountain, no, the people in this entire city…”

“Don’t worry, John, they are already suffering from the torments of war; death might not be a bad release.”

“But…”

“This place has already decayed, a great body merely gasping for survival to this point. Instead of allowing it to continue rotting, it is better for someone more promising to completely destroy it and then be reborn from the ashes.”

While the two were conversing, a person came out of the house.

“We found Dai; he’s locked up inside and unconscious. We’ve also found the path up the mountain.”

“Do we go up now?”

The brown-haired man asked.

“Wait a bit longer, let those people explore a bit. They might become food for Fang Geng. We’ll use the equipment to search for the seal site without heeding them. According to Professor Corea’s theory, that Divine Being should be in a tomb within the mountains.”

The blond man pointed to the geosurvey equipment on one side and then gazed into the dense, mysterious forest between the mountains.

“Great Lord, please grant us the knowledge and wisdom to save this world.”

He kissed his necklace, an irregular polyhedron, a geometric shape not of this world.