Chapter 237: The End of Kaelni

“What?”

“Manjushage.”

Upon hearing this, Princess Gao Yi merely raised an eyebrow slightly before calming down and said, “She is not someone anyone can use.”

“I can use her.”

Princess Gao Yi placed one hand under the table and calmly replied, “Are you still holding onto the old grudge? Or are you now unrestrained because the current Zhao family cannot control you?”

Qian Ye responded frankly, “I’ve long forgotten that petty matter from back then. Since the person who came to pick me up earlier still called me Fifth Young Master, I am still a member of the Zhao family. This time, I need to borrow Manjushage because only she can help me face the demonic lord Everburning Flame and the Dark Benediction in his hands.”

“Tell me more.”

Qian Ye briefly recounted the events after being saved by King Renard, omitting the part about the Book of Black.

Hearing this, Gao Yi was also moved, and then sighed, “Now more than ever, it is clear how foolish those people in the military were back then. But they followed the Longevity King, who had completely gone mad in his last dozen years.”

She felt a bit melancholic. The Longevity King was once the pillar of the imperial household, holding the capital Tiandu in check until Emperor Hao began to show his might. Regardless, the Celestial Kings were the safeguard against the invasion of the Eternal Night on the Empire’s homeland.

Qian Ye said, “This time, I’m not borrowing Manjushage for free. I will leave this gun here. At this moment, it would be more useful to the Zhao family. If I return alive, we can exchange them back.”

With a loud thud, a huge and sinister multi-barreled machine gun appeared on the table.

Princess Gao Yi, well-versed in many things, stood up in surprise at a glance and said, “Tempest?!”

“Exactly.”

Gao Yi finally showed a hint of difficulty, pondering in silence.

Manjushage was enigmatic and incredibly powerful. In the past, Zhao Ruoxi could use it to severely wound Songsitu. In terms of its power against top-tier warriors, it was among the best of the Ten Great Guns.

However, in Gao Yi’s eyes, this was a gun that could not be used at all.

Only Zhao Ruoxi could unleash the ultimate skill with Manjushage, even Zhao Jundu couldn’t. But no matter how powerful it was, Gao Yi would never let Zhao Ruoxi take it to the battlefield. With the example of Emperor Hao’s fourteenth son, it was hard not to worry that with Zhao Ruoxi’s frail body, she would be drained by Manjushage soon enough on a real battlefield.

On the other hand, Tempest was a devastating weapon on the battlefield, with a rate of fire far exceeding the single-shot Manjushage. In comparison, while the Emperor’s Wrath had a wider coverage, it was more intimidating than lethal in area attacks, ineffective against top-tier warriors. It was unmatched in clearing minor soldiers. Moreover, although outsiders did not know, Gao Yi was aware that the ultimate power of the Emperor’s Wrath also depended on compatibility.

Tempest, although always belonging to the Eternal Night faction, had none of these issues. With such a gun in his hands, Zhao Jundu would be even more formidable. The moment Tempest appeared on the battlefield, it would turn the tide.

Gao Yi didn’t hesitate for long and decisively said, “Alright! I agree.”

She rose and left hurriedly. Qian Ye sat calmly in place, not worried at all that she might summon reinforcements to seize the gun by force.

Moments later, Gao Yi returned. Qian Ye took Manjushage and left the study. He was about to fly into the void when Gao Yi suddenly said, “If you have time, come back and visit more often.”

Qian Ye paused for a moment but did not turn back. He said, “I will,” and leaped into the sky, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Returning to the Hall of Heroes, Qian Ye immediately changed direction and flew towards the continent of Salfis. Sitting atop the drake, he was about to meditate when he suddenly felt the presence of someone watching him again.

Qian Ye activated his bloodline concealment and simultaneously used a secret technique, instantly generating a faint shadow around him. The shadow looked exactly like Qian Ye, but it lacked facial features, its face a flat plane.

The Hall of Heroes continued to move forward, while the shadow remained in place, quickly left behind.

Qian Ye found that the feeling of being watched was much less. He repeated the process, creating several more shadows until the sensation of being watched was barely there, and then continued his journey to Salfis.

In the warship’s meditation room, Prietick slowly opened his eyes, a hint of resignation in his gaze, and walked out. Several demonic warriors gathered around him, asking, “Your Highness, any results?”

Prietick, thinking of the chaotic, contradictory, and fragmented fate predictions, shook his head and said, “He seems to have learned how to avoid the gaze of fate, and unexpectedly managed to dodge my usual focus and habits. Perhaps… he has even figured out the characteristics of the secret technique I used.”

The lead demon warrior was shocked. In the realm of prophecy, the difficulty of predicting major events, individual events, and specific individuals increased exponentially. A powerful prophet could see ripples in the river of fate a century away, yet struggle to discern the droplets of water in a wave right before their eyes. Especially with those with unique bloodlines or abilities, the interference was extremely strong.

At this point, everyone understood why the Demon Emperor placed such importance on Qian Ye. The fact that Prietick could never precisely track him proved his extraordinary nature.

However, the targeting of a prophet’s abilities was another matter. Those who had existed for centuries or even millennia, their habits and abilities might no longer be secrets to the Dawn faction. Both sides were competing in terms of their surface strengths. That was why Lin Xitang, before his death, rendered the Eternal Night’s prophets helpless, due to his undeniable strength in that domain.

But Prietick’s situation was different. How had he managed to do this in such a short time after his second awakening?

Perhaps, there was a traitor?!

The lead demon warrior immediately thought of something, his face darkening. “Could it be them?”

Prietick waved his hand, feeling inexplicably annoyed. “I don’t know either. You handle it. And report to the Emperor that I am powerless in this matter.”

The demon warrior stepped forward, solemnly saying, “Could you provide more details so I can better respond?”

Prietick gave him a look, a half-smile playing on his lips. “How should you respond? It sounds as if you’re suggesting we confront the Arachne.”

The demon warrior’s expression turned extremely grim, but since Prietick himself was in a bad mood, he ignored the reaction and swept out of the room.

Back in his quarters, Prietick threw himself onto the sofa, covering his face with his hands. “Your Majesty, the new world is indeed grand, but if we can’t win the war before us, what hope do we have for the new world? Why can’t I try to uncover that person’s secret?”

A moment later, Prietick laughed bitterly to himself, muttering, “Did that person really leave a secret?”

In the void, Qian Ye stood atop the drake, his eyes closed. After a moment, he suddenly exclaimed, “Hmm,” and opened his eyes. Just then, he felt a sense that something significant was about to happen.

Qian Ye gazed at the Book of Black, which now seemed ethereal, containing another universe within, with no discernible end. Through the Book of Black, his perception became much lighter, reaching places he had never paid attention to, occasionally finding strange information fragments.

But these were just subtle sensations, and Qian Ye set them aside, continuing his cultivation, drawing energy from the void, and heading towards the continent of Salfis.

In the ancient, foggy castle and the city below, another dusk fell.

Many slaves began to return from the fields, while the mines blazed with light, some robust and skilled slaves working day and night. In the city’s industrial district, over half of the workshops had closed, but others were still operating, apparently working until late into the night.

Within the industrial district, an elderly demonic nobleman, stern-faced, inspected each workshop. He was surrounded by a large entourage, with the district’s overseer explaining alongside him.

The old man suddenly interrupted, “When will the next batch of alloys be ready for shipment?”

The overseer, already sweating, hurriedly replied, “The vampire slaves who were supposed to arrive last week have not yet arrived. The latest news is that they will arrive in seven days. Vampires are much better than the barbarian craftsmen, only humans can compare…”

“I asked when the shipment will be ready,” the old man repeated coldly.

The overseer was drenched in sweat, gritting his teeth. “My lord, it will be… ten days!”

“I need three days!”

“Three days is impossible. The current workforce is already working almost non-stop.”

“If the slaves are insufficient, you will have to do it yourself! The Duke’s order is that there must be no delay, not even a day!”

“…Understood, my lord.”

Seeing this, the old marquis ended his inspection and returned to the castle, instructing the preparation of dinner before retiring to his study.

As soon as he entered, he saw someone standing at his desk, reading through the documents.

“Who are you?” The old marquis drew a pistol from his belt.

The figure put down the documents, turned, and smiled. “Marquis Carney? You may not recognize me, I am Qian Ye.”

“Qian Ye!” Marquis Carney was startled, his hand trembling slightly as he held the pistol. But his voice remained steady. “You have quite the nerve to come to Salfis!”

“I heard that since the Holy War seven hundred years ago, Salfis has never seen conflict again.”

“That is true.”

“This history ends tonight.”

At midnight, the castle was suddenly engulfed in a fierce fire, and the industrial district exploded violently. The most important smelting furnace collapsed, molten steel spilling out and causing a chain of fires.

Salfis, a vital source of rare alloys for the demonic race, and the ancient Carney family, met their end in history.

In the night, in a small campsite in the mountains, by the light of a fire, Qian Ye pored over thick maps and family records.

The demonic race was very particular about their historical and cultural heritage. Although they had concerns about the loss of technology, they did not seem to have the same historical gaps as the vampires.

Take the Carney family records, for instance, which were as thick as a brick. They recorded the entire origin, changes, and distribution of the Carney family. Combined with the marriages and alliances between various families, the records included information on over a hundred related families.

The information was very detailed, not only recording the names and histories of important figures in the family but also the most critical bloodline talents and their changes over time.

Family records were the most important documents for any demonic family. Long before the rise of the human race, wise demons had developed detailed methods for recording family records, hoping to find ways to purify and strengthen their bloodlines through long-term data collection, and to explore the effects of combining different family bloodlines.

A family record, especially one as long and illustrious as the Carney family, was a comprehensive and rigorous academic document.

After seeing such a rich record, Qian Ye had a moment of doubt. Why, with such a meticulous inheritance system, did the demonic race experience a decline in their more critical technologies?

This doubt did not occupy much of his thoughts. Qian Ye’s attention quickly returned to the present, and he spent the whole night reading through the records, gaining a deep understanding of the entire Carney family.

Having read extensively in the Book of Black, especially the evolution of the dark races, Qian Ye had a deep and unique understanding of bloodline evolution.

“How interesting, the Carney family has been trying to breed a duke for the past three hundred years? Hmm, it seems they have always focused on bloodline purification, such as their marriage to the Ema Marquise family… Let me see, the Ema Marquise and the Carney Marquise share the same ancestor four generations back.”

Qian Ye, struck by this, suddenly flipped back several pages to another family name, “But according to the bloodline traits recorded here, it is clearly more effective to combine with other bloodlines, as the Carney bloodline is not particularly strong. For example, the Trissini family would be a good match for a marriage.”

Qian Ye chuckled, “What am I worrying about the demons for!”

He closed the Carney family records without discarding them, instead intending to store them in Anduril’s space. The methods shown in the records for collecting, screening, analyzing, and inferring large amounts of data were intriguing, and could even be applied to managing the population of a large city. Qian Ye decided to keep it as a reference.

At that moment, Qian Ye felt a sudden inspiration and opened the Book of Black. A new page appeared, recording the entire Carney family lineage.