"What? You met Lord Sinnan Chozeng!?"

The next morning, I told Rui Xin about last night’s encounter. She looked like she’d seen a ghost, her mouth hanging wide open.

"Don’t get so worked up… Who exactly is this Sinnan Chozeng?"

"He’s the Sinan Family’s strongest warrior! Their ultimate combat power!"

"The strongest!?"

"Absolutely! Lord Chozeng’s legends are endless, but his greatest feat was forty years ago. Back then, the Sinan Family and Cleone Clan clashed fiercely over various reasons. In the end, Lord Chozeng faced Victor Cleone—the Cleone Clan’s strongest at the time. They battled for three days and three nights. Most of the Imperial Capital was reduced to rubble! The fight ended with Lord Chozeng killing Victor in the Imperial Capital’s outskirts. Since then, the Cleone Clan lost its pillar and was completely overshadowed by the Sinan Family!"

So that’s the history. A faction’s foundation truly lies in raw power. Just losing one top warrior crippled the Cleone Clan for forty years. If the Sinan Family lost Sinnan Chozeng, even their perfect intelligence network wouldn’t save them.

How strong is this Sinnan Chozeng? Just standing there, he made breathing hard, senses dull. What if he actually fought? Honestly, I don’t grasp how strong this world’s elites can be. Are they like web novel heroes, moving mountains with a thought? But "fighting three days, destroying most of the Imperial Capital"... From what I’ve seen, the Imperial Capital rivals a major modern city. Wrecking half of it? That’s boss-level power.

I must level up fast. I don’t know how strong the Organization wanting to open the Crossworld Gate is, but its leaders surely match Sinnan Chozeng.

I turned to Rui Xin. "Your guard team has a training ground, right? Take me there."

"Sure, but why rush? You just arrived in the Imperial Capital. Don’t you want to explore?"

"I just feel I need to get stronger. I might meet dangerous people later. No self-defense? That’d be bad."

"So diligent! But you’re already strong for your age. How much stronger?"

"Hmm… At least surpass Sinnan Chozeng first."

Thud— Rui Xin tripped over spectacularly.

"What are you thinking!? Lord Chozeng is a once-in-a-million genius! You can’t just ‘surpass’ him!"

Is it ten thousand? A hundred thousand? A million? You’re so wordy.

"But aiming high is good, right? Small goals achieve nothing."

"What saying is that? I’ve never heard it. Anyway, strength training can wait. Enjoy now—you’ll suffer later."

"Suffer later? What do you mean?"

"You’ll see in days. Listen to your sister—relax while you can! Where to today? I’ll take you!"

In the end, I gave in and went out.

The building ahead was massive—several times larger than the auction house. Ancient and classical, it had six floors. Each held hundreds of giant bookshelves, storing every book from Heavens Origin Kingdom’s history.

"A library? Ye, I didn’t peg you as a bookworm!"

"I don’t even have braids. Just browsing."

"Alright, if you say so…"

Rui Xin spoke to the librarian, who nervously handed her a jingling keyring.

"These keys grant access to any section. Read or borrow anything—no paperwork."

Holding the heavy keys, I sighed: connections are golden.

"I’m off. Stay safe. Danger? Use the compass to call me! Bye~"

"Bye-bye~"

"What’s ‘bye-bye’ mean?"

"Hometown slang. Ignore it."

"No, no, no…"

I dropped the thick *Anomaly Power Encyclopedia (82nd Revised Edition)* in frustration. It thudded on the table, kicking up dust. Around me lay mountains of books: *Anomaly Power Encyclopedia* (first to 82nd editions), *Common Anomaly Powers Explained*, *Rare Anomaly Power Records*, *New Era Anomaly Powers*… I’d scoured every authority on Anomaly Powers. Nothing on "blood manipulation." Had no one ever seen it?

Wait—maybe it’s not verified. These books only list confirmed powers. Unproven ones? Like legends… I should check folklore. Myths might hold clues.

"Folklore section… Top floor!?"

So high? Each floor here equals eighteen normal floors. Climbing’s no joke.

"Phew… Made it. Not easy."

The sixth floor was smaller, empty. Too lazy to climb stairs, I guessed. Good—no lecherous stares.

"Huh? Locked?"

Metal nets separated sections, with small doors. This wasn’t restricted—should be open. But Rui Xin said I could enter anywhere…

I gently unlocked it. Inside, cobwebbed shelves and dusty furniture greeted me. Grass sprouted from cracked tiles; puddles pooled in holes. Luckily, spiritual arrays on shelves protected the books from rot.

Abandoned long ago… But wild grass gave it a decadent charm. My kind of place.

I weaved past towering shelves and lifeless tables. Around a corner, the space opened up.

"Wow…"

A small clearing sat under the glass dome. Filtered sunlight bathed the area—perfect for reading. Broken tiles formed soil, sprouting grass and wildflowers. Vines dripped from the dome, some climbing shelves. A tiny pond gathered in a dip, ringed by purple lavender.

Who’d expect this hidden world atop the Grand Library? Like a hermit’s sanctuary—tiny, beautiful, isolated.

But the real shock was the barefoot girl sitting atop a two-meter book pile in the center. She read quietly, utterly absorbed.

Vibrant purple hair framed her dignified, intellectual face. A loose purple-and-white dress revealed pale feet. Her calm expression showed zero awareness of me.

That face, that dress, that book—it was exactly like—

"Patchouli!?"