The moon had reached its zenith, bathing the ivory marble of the Royal Guest Palace in a ghostly, silver light.
On the high balcony overlooking the sleeping capital, Shen Haoran sat in a chair of carved sandalwood, the steam from a cup of high-grade spirit tea curling into the cold night air.
In front of him, a floating scroll containing various information, which he has been reading to learn more about the world.
Just then, from the darkness of the suite behind him, a ripple appeared in the air as Qing'er emerged, her movements as silent as a falling leaf as she knelt beside him, her head bowed.
"The extraction is complete, Young Master," she murmured. "These are all the information from that man's memories."
She raised her right hand, and a pulsing, violet orb of light hovered above her palm—a concentrated essence of stolen memories.
Haoran twirled a finger, and the orb floated toward him like a moth to a flame. He observed it for a bit, thinking that this small orb contains the life of a genuine Spirit Ascension Expert.
Then, without a shred of hesitate, he pressed the cold light against his forehead, and in that instant, his consciousness was flooded with the life of the man who had been hailed as the "Strongest in the East."
He was Tang Mao, the father of Tang Shan, and one of the Tang Clan's Twin Star, the most talented youth of the strongest clan in the Eastern Region.
With his talent, reaching the peak of Spirit Ascension was all but guaranteed, and he might even have the chance to breakthrough the legendary Nirvana Rebirth realm.
Unfortunately, he fell in love with a reincarnated beast, and when Spirit Hall found out about this, they deemed him traitor of humanity and hunted him down.
At that time, his wife had just given birth and was weakened, but they were forced to flee to every corner of Eastern Region to escape the pursuit of the strongest power of this region.
But eventually, they were cornered, and in order to help her husband and son escape, Tang Mao's wife chose to sacrifice herself.
She threw herself into a cauldron, which refined her body into Rank 7 Pill, which Tang Mao took, allowing him to breakthrough to Spirit Ascension Realm in one go.
With his newfound power, he killed two Spirit Ascension Realm Expert and three Nascent Soul Experts of the Spirit Hall, completely angering the behemoth.
In a show of dominance, Spirit Hall sent five Spirit Ascension Realm experts and a dozen of Nascent Soul Experts and demolished the Tang Clan, officially recognised as the strongest clan in the east back then.
The Tang Clan suffered a calamity, with all their Nascent Soul Experts and all three of their Spirit Ascension Realm experts dying.
Not only that, they were forced to leave civilization and could only survive living like vagabond, where they were being constantly hunted and persecuted.
Seeing the results of his actions, Tang Mao blamed the Spirit Hall, but knowing the power of that behemoth, he knew there was no chance for him to take revenge.
So he can only find a small town in the outskirts of Cao Yin Kingdom and make a living as an artificer.
Back then, Tang Mao thought that if his son, Tang Shan, can live as an ordinary child, then everything will be alright, after all, he really couldn't think of how to take revenge against Spirit Hall, unless he united all forces in the Eastern Region.
But everything began to change as Tang Shan grew up.
Even as a child, Tang Shan was incredibly mature, already knowing how to take care of himself and even do the chores.
Tang Mao already thought back then that his son was a genius, and that thought only solidified when Tang Shan awakened a Twin Spirit, a Bright Silver Vine and the Mountain Suppressing Hammer of the Tang Clan!
Twin Spirits!
A one in a thousand year talent!
Tang Mao's hope had been rekindled, and he had already planned to use his son as a living weapon to tear down the Spirit Hall and avenge his wife.
As long as he can protect Tang Shan until he reached his full potential, then revenge is just around the corner!
Haoran let out a sharp, mocking snort, the memory orb flickering out and vanishing.
"A pathetic dream," he whispered to the wind. "To think a man of your caliber died believing that a son with two spirits could topple a hegemony."
Haoran, having just finished reading the information about the empire, knew that the Spirit Hall wasn't just a local power; it was one of the four cardinal pillars of the Tian Yuan Empire.
In the four regions, there exists one dominant power that completely suppresses their respective region, and Spirit Hall is the dominant power of the East.
Each of these dominant powers answers to the Imperial Family, a means of control to prevent any ambitious power from breaking away from the rule of the empire.
"If that boy actually managed to threaten the Spirit Hall," Haoran mused, taking a sip of his tea, "the Empire wouldn't send a mere Spirit Ascension expert. They would send a Saint to completely eradicate those who dared to rebel. Supporting another more obedient kingdom after the rebels were eradicated would be easy for them."
These people wouldn't think that they can reshuffle the Eastern Region's order without the empire interfering, would they?
After all, if that were to happen, the empire's "luck" would suffer, weakening the overall strength of the empire, and no emperor would allow that.
"Still, this Tang Shan..." Haoran smirked.
Being so mature, knowing how to talk, walk, and even do the chores at such a young age...
That Tang Mao might not get suspicious, but Haoran who knew about these "Anomalies", can definitely confirm that this Tang Shan is an anomaly.
And definitely a reincarnator or a transmigrator.
"Is he a fallen Supreme? A bored Immortal? Or just a lucky ghost from a lower world?" Haoran hummed. "I hope for his sake he is an Immortal. Their soul-residue is much more nutritious when refined."
"Young Master," Qing'er spoke again, her voice pulling him from his calculations.
Haoran blinked, turning towards her as he raised his eyebrow, "Is there more?"
Qinq'er nodded, "A message from the Main Estate. Your mother, the Matriarch, has sent word. She has located the coordinates of the lower world where your father's soul most likely reincarnated and she requests your return once you are 'finished with your games' here. She wishes to discuss the final elimination of the threat."
Haoran's expression remained indifferent, but his grip on the teacup tightened slightly.
He didn't hold any sentimental attachment to the "father" he had never truly known—the man who had been discarded by the clan after he had outdone his uses.
But the bloodline of a former Patriarch, especially one they recruited for his unparalleled talent, was a loose thread that could trip the Shen Clan's future.
In the world of cultivation, or rather, in the world of novels, a fallen expert from a powerful family in the upper world returning from a lower world for revenge was a common, annoying trope.
"Tell her I will return after the tournament," Haoran said. "A threat is a threat. It is better to burn the roots than to wait for the weeds to grow."
"Very well, young master."
Just then, a soft, rhythmic knock echoed from the heavy mahogany doors of the suite.
Haoran's lips curled into a smirk. "Come in."
The doors creaked open, and Ning Xueli stepped into the room.
She had traded her dusty training leathers for a flowing gown of cerulean silk. The dress was cut to emphasize the elegant curve of her waist and the length of her legs, a silent acknowledgment of the "price" she thought she might have to pay tonight.
Her hair was let down, cascading over her shoulders like a dark waterfall.
She paused, her eyes darting to Qing'er, who remained kneeling like a shadow beside the throne-like chair.
Then, she looked at Haoran. He looked devastatingly handsome in the moonlight—a golden god who held the life and death of her friends in his hands.
"Good evening, Miss Ning," Haoran said, his voice a smooth, dangerous velvet. "I see you've decided to take me up on my offer. You look... much more presentable than you did in the dirt."
Xueli took a deep breath, trying to steady the trembling in her hands. She felt like a lamb walking into a dragon's lair, but she remained firm, this is all for the sake of her friends.
"You said you wanted to have dinner, Young Master Shen. I am here. But please... tell me what you truly want from us."
Haoran chuckled, gesturing to the seat opposite him, where a spread of delicacies had already been prepared. "What do I want? Nothing. There is nothing in this place that actually catches my eye, but I simply find you interesting, that is all."
He leaned forward, his golden eyes locking onto hers. "Sit, Xueli. Let's have a talk."
Ning Xueli took a deep breath and sat down, trying to calm her beating heart, but finding it difficult to do so.
Haoran raised his teacup and took a sip of his tea, observing the young woman in front of him.
He had investigated the background of this girl. As the heiress of Ning Clan, she was born with silver spoon, possessing both talent and influence, but had decided to ran away due to boredom and met and befriended a protagonist.
She is a genuine heroine template, but it seems like she simply wasn't Tang Shan's heroine.
He wondered, if he keep her by his side, would she attract other Anomalies?
He had already decided, he will have her join his ARC.