Chapter 179: Gaining More Knowledge!
"Fortunately, they do not stay in any one immortal world. They travel from world to world, never remaining in one place for long."
Hearing this, Kranos's heart trembled.
Did Kathryn belong to this alliance?
If so, then things had just become far more complicated.
"Have you encountered a member from the Anomaly Organization before? Is there a way to recognize them?" Kranos hurriedly asked Desmond, masking the shock within him.
Hearing Kranos's words, Desmond fell into deep thought, as though trying to recall something. However, even after a long pause, he couldn't remember ever encountering one of them.
Still, from the books he had read, he recalled a particular description of their attire.
"They usually wear black robes with red cloud patterns scattered across them. Also, there is no way to recognize them at a glance unless they willingly reveal their identity."
Kranos heard the words and felt a strange familiarity. He thought he had seen such attire before but couldn't be certain.
Since there was no definitive way to determine if Kathryn was part of the Anomaly Alliance, Kranos decided not to dwell on it for too long.
Besides, even if she was part of the Anomaly Alliance, he would still kill her without hesitation.
"In that case, tell me about the anomalies you have heard of," Kranos said, changing the topic.
To this, Desmond simply repeated what Kathryn had already told him. It seemed she hadn't lied.
"Tell me more about the regressor anomaly. What level of strength does a person need to reach to go back in time?" Kranos asked curiously.
Since he was going to face Kathryn, he had to be prepared for what realm she might have attained in her previous life. That way, he could roughly gauge the number of trump cards she might possess.
"Reading about the regressor anomaly, the specific realm wasn't clearly mentioned. However, it was said that one had to ascend to the Divine Realm to go back in time."
"Only by reaching a certain level of strength in the Divine World could they begin to touch upon the Dao of Time."
"Dao of Time?" Kranos was puzzled. He had never heard of that before and quickly asked.
Desmond noticed his confusion and responded immediately.
"I don't know much about the Dao of Time, only that cultivators can begin comprehending it after reaching a certain level of cultivation. Of course, this is extremely difficult and requires mastery over the Dao itself, which is something far beyond our current reach."
Hearing Desmond's explanation, Kranos was deeply shocked.
It seemed he had to accelerate his mastery over time.
If he were to face cultivators from the Divine World who could control time, would he even stand a chance?
Kranos sighed and shook his head.
It was best to take things one step at a time.
Being hasty would only lead to mistakes.
"Is that all there is to know about their cultivation realm?" Kranos asked.
Desmond thought for a moment and recalled a phrase he had read in one of his books.
"It was said that there is a one in ten thousand chance of successfully regressing. That's one of the reasons there are so few anomalies. Not only do many cultivators die in the process, some are afraid to even attempt it due to the immense risks involved."
Kranos nodded at these words.
If regressing were truly so simple, then almost everyone from his era would have become a regressor.
Having to face such scheming old monsters, Kranos wouldn't stand a chance.
Even just Kathryn, whom he had encountered, had dealt him a heavy blow.
Thankfully, the world wasn't as dangerous as that.
Kranos sighed in relief.
Time passed, and Kranos decided to ask him something more serious.
He no longer felt the need to keep Kathryn's identity a secret.
"Kathryn is a regressor anomaly. That is why I need your help to eliminate her."
"What?" As soon as Kranos's words entered his ears, Desmond's heart trembled.
He was filled with immense fear.
Was that the reason Kathryn stared at him with such a strange gaze?
He remembered how the first time he met the elven princess, she looked at him as though he was someone familiar.
And those divine flames she wielded...
No wonder she could control them so effortlessly.
If she was a regressor anomaly, then it would all make sense.
Many thoughts swirled through Desmond's mind. After a few moments of silence, he turned to Kranos.
"The reason you're telling me this is to get help from the Scarlet Moon Organization, right?" Desmond asked.
"You are very smart!" Kranos praised, slapping Desmond's head repeatedly.
There was no point hiding anything anymore.
"As a regressor anomaly, you should know how terrifying she is. Dealing with her alone is practically impossible. But if your master or someone else intervenes..."
Kranos recalled the Divine Illusion Eyes.
Cultivators of their level should be able to handle over a hundred God Emperors, right?
There were also her divine flames that could extinguish mana and everything else.
Kranos believed they would be able to handle her.
Desmond thought for a moment. He knew that the moment he rejected Kranos's offer, the man might kill him without hesitation.
The fact that Kranos could pause his movements meant he stood no chance of escape.
Desmond was trapped and had no choice but to agree.
"Alright. In that case, I will inform my master about this development. Are you certain she is a regressor anomaly?" Desmond had to be sure.
Even though he felt that Kranos might be setting them up, recalling the terrifying strength of the black-masked men, he realized he had nothing to fear.
Besides, if it turned out to be true, he might gain the favor of the Heavenly Dao by killing the anomaly.
After reaching that thought, he no longer hesitated.
"Yes," Kranos's silver eyes held an imperceptible glint as he replied, "I am certain."
He could feel the shift in Desmond's attitude and understood that he wouldn't go back on his word.
Although Kranos wasn't completely certain of his guess, it didn't matter.
If Desmond chose to betray him, there was nothing he could do about it. But if he went along with the plan, Kranos would be more than glad.
"How do I reach you so we can stay in contact?" Kranos asked, staring at Desmond.
Desmond hesitated for a moment before retrieving something from his spatial ring.
It was a disk-shaped device.
"This is a sound transmission talisman. Use it to transmit information," Desmond said, handing it over.
It belonged to the Scarlet Moon Organization, hence the hesitation.
As he handed the talisman to Kranos, Desmond seemed to remember something.
"Kranos, you possess a special element, and you are incredibly smart. You even discovered what kind of anomaly Kathryn is. Why don't you join our Scarlet Moon Organization?" Desmond asked.
Kranos was stunned by the offer. Weren't they enemies just a moment ago?
He hesitated, considering it seriously, but a memory flickered in his mind.
Kathryn had explicitly stated that she didn't know he possessed the time element, yet she still chose to make him her chess piece, not Desmond with his own unique element.
That could mean only two things.
Either he possessed far more potential than Desmond.
Or the Scarlet Moon Organization was far more terrifying than it seemed, which was why Kathryn had chosen to avoid them.
Kranos wasn't willing to risk his life just yet.
Changing the topic, he asked, "What do you know about the Black Rain Pavilion? Since we're allies now, there's no reason to withhold information from each other."
After saying this, Kranos calmly walked a few feet away from Desmond, letting his monstrous shadow forms regain their footing.
Desmond stared at him deeply but didn't run.
Kranos could have killed him already but didn't. That showed how serious he was about their conversation.
"The Black Rain Pavilion?" Desmond fell into deep thought, and then his eyes widened drastically.
The Black Rain Pavilion?
The organization known for controlling time cultivators?
Desmond felt his heart shake violently. He even felt slightly dizzy.
Why was Kranos surrounded by such terrifying figures?
Why was he asking about them?
Curiosity began stirring in his heart.
"They are a very secretive pavilion that specializes in hunting time cultivators. For every time cultivator they capture, they record their abilities in a special book."
"I'm not completely certain, but according to what I heard, the reason they devour time cultivators is to enhance their own strength."
Hearing those words, Kranos realized everything he knew was likely true.
"Do you know where they stay?" Kranos asked. If he could avoid their location, he would.
"From what I heard, they own their own immortal world," Desmond said solemnly.
One had to understand that an immortal world consisted of three thousand smaller worlds.
After all, Kranos hadn't even explored one percent of his own immortal world with everything he had experienced so far.
The journey was only just beginning