The Apostle clearly wasn't waiting for an answer. He waved his sleeves and turned around.
"Now begone foul demon, who so casually murders the innocent." Skymender felt a sense of danger, telling him that if he didn't leave, he would face a great threat.
He didn't say another word, withdrawing from the room.
He made his way through the underground hallways and soon exited the temple. Chaos was still ensuing outside, but Skymender ignored it, quickly leaving the capital. Only then did the sense of danger fade.
"It seems the temple truly does have some incredible methods." Skymender mumbled. Only a Grandmaster could possibly make him feel like that.
However, there was no Grandmaster nearby, so it could have only been some power of the temple that defied logic and explanation.
Skymender's curiosity had been satisfied. He silently left the Temple Region with his horse. He thought as he rode.
The Emperor clearly had some goal he was moving towards, and the Ruler of the Scholar Region naturally had his plans as well, even if it was just defending against the Emperor.
Skymender's goal was different from theirs. He wanted to see whether or not this world was real. The squabbles of the various powers in this world were not of his concern.
He had left everything behind upon experiencing rebirth. His future interactions with those people would be minor.
Skymender considered everything he had learned.
He began to make his way towards one of the tallest mountains on the Mainland, the one nearest to him.
It would take a while to get there.
In the Scholar Region capital, the Ruler looked out into the distance.
Around the same time as usual, his son came up to speak to him.
This time, the Ruler had something for him to do.
Mora was shocked. His father rarely gave him a mission.
The Ruler of the Scholar Region handed him a letter. "Give this to the Emperor that Skymender had served. Tell him that Skymender has deserted the Empire."
Mora didn't fully understand what his father was saying, but nodded and took the letter.
He journeyed to where Skymender had taken him before. At the entrance, the guards saw him. At first, they were wary, but after he explained that he had come here with Skymender before and that he had a message for the Emperor, they let him in, with an escort of course.
He was brought before the Emperor, who looked indifferently at him.
"What do you want, Mora?"
Mora was surprised to see that the Emperor knew his name, but ignored it for the sake of his mission.
He handed the Emperor the letter.
"My father wanted me to tell you that Skymender has deserted the Empire." The Emperor did not outwardly react.
He took the letter and read it.
After reading it, he slowly covered his face with his hand in silence.
Then, he removed the hand.
A smile was on his face. "I knew Skymender wasn't the type to become a traitor. He is simply in pursuit of greater things now. Tell your father I understand his tricks, and that he cannot cause internal conflict in the Empire. Also inform him that, should he try to harm Skymender, the Empire will retaliate in full force. The Imperial Scholar of the Faceless Empire is simply out on vacation."
Mora had questions, but two guards dragged him out. When the Emperor was alone, his smile remained.
"What do I search for, Skymender? It is true freedom, the freedom to escape this cage. If you can find your own freedom, then so be it. Who am I, someone who longs for nothing more than freedom, to control you?" He mumbled to himself.
He understood Skymender's decision perfectly.
Mora returned to his father with the Emperor's message.
The Ruler did not have any reaction, and Mora left.
Undercurrents were occuring in all of the important parts of the Mainland, but nothing of it had anything to do with Skymender. He finally reached the mountain. Looking at it from afar, it looked like a pillar holding up the sky. The mountains on the Mainland were more numerous than on the Continent of Wu per capita, and there were many more tall mountains as a result. The largest mountain on the Mainland was occupied by the Ruler of the Sword Region. It was near the center of the continent, near where the territories of the four regions met, which was also close to where the Mainland gathering was held.
Of course, closeness was subjective. It would take a few days of travel on his horse to reach the mountain from where the Mainland gathering was held.
This mountain was among the tallest mountains, somewhere in the top twenty.
Skymender rode his horse up it. There was a path leading to the top, though it clearly hadn't been used very often. There was some debris along the way, but nothing too noteworthy.
He passed by a few houses that had long been abandoned and worn down. The mountain was desolate and silent.
However, Skymender calmly journeyed through it, unfazed by anything. He paid attention to everything around him, and in every way possible. He did not look only with his eyes, but also with vibrations at the same time.
He remained calm, not showing any emotion whatsoever.
Cultivators would call this walking among the mortal world, unfettered.
Buddhists would call this attaining peace and understanding.
Taoists would call this becoming closer to the universe.
Mortals would call this wandering freely around the world without a care.
A special air began to emanate around Skymender. It was an air that would make any being mistake him for a higher being.
It came from truly having no attachments to the world, wandering around without rhyme or reason. Even if the earth crumbled and the heavens fell, it seemed as though Skymender would remain just as calm as now.
He eventually reached the top of the mountain.
All that existed was a field of flowers. Skymender's horse walked through it as Skymender took it all in.