Chapter 157: Exploring the Mystery

"Follow me."

Bai Yuan took the lead, guiding the few of them toward the service area of the Third Survival Zone.

The service areas across all nine survival zones were identical, each marked by a prominent sign, and the service area of the Third Survival Zone was no exception. Moreover, the architecture and layout of the service areas within the nine survival zones were strikingly similar.

Bai Yuan led the three of them to the living quarters first.

Because Moonlight had already acknowledged her master and yearned to see what the outside world was truly like, Xi Yan had agreed to her request. Instead of turning her into a dungeon and leaving her within the dungeon space, he allowed her to take on human form and stay with them.

"You can stay here. One room for each of you," Bai Yuan said, gesturing toward the three rooms before them.

These three rooms stood entirely separate, the only three chambers within this massive villa.

Based on previous experience, this resembled a highly luxurious hotel. The Eighth Survival Zone had also featured such luxurious quarters, though previously, only Qing Yan had resided in that place. Kela had not arranged for Xi Yan to stay there as well.

Securing such fine accommodations was undoubtedly pleasing.

"Thank you, sir," Xi Yan replied.

Bai Yuan nodded, then glanced at the two individuals standing behind Xi Yan and said, "I can tell you what you wish to know now, but you must come with me alone, and you must promise not to tell them."

This placed Xi Yan in a somewhat difficult position. Not telling Moonlight might be manageable, but keeping it from Qing Yan complicated matters entirely. Furthermore, Qing Yan had no reason not to demand an answer from him, especially since, fundamentally speaking, Qing Yan was still his master, and his very life remained in her hands.

Sensing Xi Yan's dilemma, Qing Yan feigned haughtiness and snapped at him, "Take that look off your face! Why are you staring at me? Do you think I have any desire to listen to your trivial matters? Hurry up and go already, stop annoying me. I need to rest."

With that, Qing Yan strode into the room assigned to her and slammed the door shut with a resounding thud.

Moonlight, being a deeply considerate woman, offered Xi Yan and Bai Yuan a gentle smile before turning away to return to her own room, closing the door softly behind her.

The three rooms were not arranged in a simple row, yet within the vast villa, they stood closely clustered together.

Xi Yan's room lay directly opposite the quarters of Qing Yan and Moonlight.

Seeing that both women had behaved with such sensibility, Bai Yuan cast aside any lingering concerns and said to Xi Yan, "Since they have relieved you of any worries, come with me now."

Xi Yan nodded and followed Bai Yuan out of the luxurious villa.

Eventually, the two arrived at a smaller villa situated right beside the main one. While smaller than the dwelling they had just left, this residence was exquisitely crafted and featured a small courtyard complete with a pond, lush flora, and birds flitting about.

From every possible angle, this little courtyard resembled a scene from an era when social order still existed.

Yet Xi Yan knew well that these were merely illusions—decorations employed by the survival zone to mask its underlying dangers.

As Bai Yuan stepped into the courtyard, a subordinate dressed in white immediately approached him. Bai Yuan issued a command: "Prepare some food in the courtyard, and stand guard outside the door. Do not let anyone enter."

"Understood." The subordinate bowed respectfully and departed.

Before long, the servant brought the food and placed it on the courtyard table.

Bai Yuan pulled out a chair, seated himself, and gestured to Xi Yan, saying, "Sit down. Let us discuss this matter properly."

Drawing from his previous experience questioning Kela within the survival zone, Xi Yan found the current setup remarkably similar: a small courtyard, a single table, and two chairs.

Bai Yuan took a sip of the tea on the table before slowly beginning to address the questions weighing on Xi Yan's mind.

"What you wish to know is the origin of the survival zones, is it not?"

Xi Yan nodded.

Bai Yuan sighed and continued, "To be honest, I am not entirely certain myself, but I do know that this survival zone was not formed naturally. It was man-made. Someone behind the scenes manipulated this space into what it is today."

"!" Xi Yan's eyes widened in profound astonishment.

Bai Yuan pressed on, "Are you surprised? What kind of entity could possibly possess such immense power—enough to alter space itself and dictate the very rules within it?"

Xi Yan lowered his gaze in silence for a moment before looking up at Bai Yuan to reply, "Perhaps in the past, I would not have believed such a thing possible, but now, I do."

"Oh? And why do you believe it now? Tell me," Bai Yuan said, a surge of deep curiosity sparking in his eyes.

Unfazed, Xi Yan smiled slightly and shook his head as he answered, "Before I became a survivor, I had no idea that human potential could be developed to such seemingly infinite degrees. I always assumed those were merely unresearched frontiers of science. Since every individual can be developed to such an extent, then perhaps the mastermind pulling the strings has had their brain developed to a full one hundred percent."

"Hahaha!" Hearing Xi Yan's words, Bai Yuan burst into hearty laughter and began to applaud. "That is a truly fascinating hypothesis."

"It is hardly all that strange, is it not said that if the human brain is fully unlocked, one would command limitless power? Perhaps the one operating behind the scenes is precisely such a being," Xi Yan replied.

"Your theory is not without reason," Bai Yuan acknowledged.

Reluctant to dwell on the topic, Xi Yan steered the conversation back to the core issue: "Does the sir know anything further regarding the origin of these survival zones?"

"I have investigated the matter, but are you certain you wish to know? Given your current capabilities, learning of this could very well invite a fatal disaster upon your head." Bai Yuan's expression shifted abruptly from amusement to stern solemnity.

Xi Yan nodded, his own expression equally grave as he answered, "Fatal disasters are hardly unfamiliar to me."

Bai Yuan paused, then suddenly recalled that Xi Yan was currently the prime target of a bounty issued by the Main City. Moreover, leaving the Main City aside, ambitious figures across every single survival zone coveted his position as the master of the Ninth Survival Zone.

If one were counting fatal disasters, Xi Yan had certainly accumulated quite a collection.

Bai Yuan shook his head with a faint smile, rose to his feet, and turning his back to Xi Yan, spoke in a quiet voice, "The Lord of the Main City is connected to the entity pulling the strings behind the scenes."

This was a possibility Xi Yan had previously conjectured, though it had remained merely a unilateral hypothesis devoid of concrete clues or confirmation.

"Then how did these survival zones come into existence?" Xi Yan pressed further.

"That is something I do not know with certainty, and I have been striving to uncover the truth. The only clue in my possession is that this survival zone resembles nothing less than a laboratory, and we... are merely the laboratory mice..."

At this, a poignant sorrow shadowed Bai Yuan's features, and he added softly, "However, this lead has yet to be verified. It remains merely a hypothesis gathered from various rumors and inquiries."