Chapter 146: Finally Understanding What An Anomaly Is…

“Thank you for the information,” Kranos nodded at the man’s words, then turned and left.

After walking a short distance, just as the man had said, he saw the place he had spoken of. It was a run-down archive built into the side of a hill, half-swallowed by vines and dust. The door creaked open reluctantly as he pushed it.

Upon entering, Kranos glanced around. A few ancient scrolls and stone tablets lined rusted racks. The air inside was thick with the scent of mold and dampness.

He lit a small flame on his fingertip using the heavenly flame he had tamed and moved slowly.

Since no one else was present, he took his time browsing through the shelves.

After a while of searching, he noticed that most records were useless. They mainly contained cultivation manuals that were of no use to him, as well as trade ledgers and family records. He skimmed through them quickly, tossing aside anything that lacked value.

After nearly two hours of quiet searching, he discovered a worn journal tucked behind a loose panel in the wall.
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The title had completely faded.

He sat down on the cracked stone floor and began reading.

The writer was a traveling scholar named Ren Ardai. The entries were scattered and disorganized, but one section caught his eye.

“I met him beneath the Celestial Ruins. He called himself a child of deviation, born from a timeline that should not exist. Wherever he went, the world reacted violently and storms churned without clouds.

His presence defied reality. They called him an anomaly.”

Kranos paused.

Anomaly. The same word that had been used to describe Kathryn. His interest deepened. He had finally found something that could offer answers.

He read further.

“Anomalies are beings that go against the heavenly dao. They are terrifying and are marked at birth, destined to be hunted the moment the mark is discovered.”

Kranos was shocked. He had never heard of the concept of the heavenly dao before, but he instinctively understood it must be an incredibly powerful force. Still, he was curious. If they were so dangerous, why wasn’t the heavenly dao directly eradicating them? Were anomalies truly that terrifying?

The author seemed to have similar doubts, as he had scribbled a few passing thoughts in the margins.

“Perhaps the heavenly dao is restricted in some way, which is why it cannot act directly. But then, how exactly are anomalies born? And is there only one per era?”

That was the final note regarding anomalies. Kranos flipped through the remaining pages, but they had been worn away by time, leaving only faded ink and torn parchment.

He sighed in disappointment and stood up, continuing his search through the rest of the archive. With Rapid Thought active, he moved quickly through the remaining texts, but he found no more information related to anomalies.

Though dissatisfied, he accepted the reality of it. There was nothing else to find here.

He glanced at the dark sky outside and, noting how much time had passed, decided to head back home for now.

At least now, he understood something important. Although the anomaly described in the journal had been a man, it was clear that just as he was terrifying, so too was Kathryn.

Then there was the part about bringing calamity wherever they went. Could the disasters they had recently faced all be tied to her?

Kranos walked back in silence, lost in thought. He barely noticed when he arrived at the house.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside and moved quickly to his room. Kathryn remained in hers, while Kevin seemed to have returned at some point. A faint light glowed from beneath his door.

Kranos closed his eyes and sat cross-legged, entering into deep meditation.

Although his strength allowed him to challenge those in the God Incarnate realm, he knew better than to be careless. Especially with the soul treasure on the line.

In one month’s time… i wonder… what kind of place is the soul treasure kept?

Just as Kranos began to focus, he failed to notice a figure emerging silently from his shadow. It slipped through the cracks beneath his door and disappeared outside without a sound.

Once beyond the house, the figure moved rapidly, traveling through shadow after shadow. In the blink of an eye, it had reached the outskirts of the city.

Desmond arrived at a large mansion. Inside, more than a thousand cultivators stood waiting, each wearing a mask of a different color. As he entered, he walked until he reached a tall figure wearing a purple mask that radiated the aura of a God Realm cultivator.

The masked man glanced at him briefly and nodded.

Desmond immediately began to report.

“I discovered their location. They’ve been hiding under a profound illusion. Luckily, I ran into an old acquaintance who led me straight to their hideout.”

Desmond chuckled slightly, recalling Kranos’s expression.

The man with the purple mask nodded, then said, “That is good.” After that, he turned to everyone else, “Prepare, we will raid there tonight. I want Kathryn to be alive! Aside from that, you can kill anyone else!”

After issuing the order, the man turned and walked away, unconcerned with the details of their preparation. He didn’t care how they got it done, only that by the end of the night, he had a squad of assassins ready to strike.

Desmond melted into the shadows, waiting patiently for the moment to arrive.

As a unique being, he no longer needed to cultivate in the traditional way. He had recently discovered an ability that allowed him to devour the souls of certain people.

The technique was not yet perfected, but ever since he unlocked it, a question had haunted his mind.

What would it be like to consume the soul of an anomaly?

…

Unaware of the dark currents gathering around them, the trio continued their cultivation peacefully.
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Time slipped by.

Then, a suffocating wave of aura pressed down upon the city.

Elsewhere, a playful young lady from the Black Rain Pavilion raced through the sky, her figure flickering like a phantom as she closed in rapidly on Kranos’s location.

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