Chapter 240: The True Stairway

The assembled mighty warriors no longer voiced opposition. Though small in number, this force possessed alarming power. Even An Wen himself had cultivation so refined that on the battlefield, he had few equals among peers.

The nature of the mission An Wen carried was unknown to these powerful beings. It was known only to possess an extremely high classification, even keeping secrets from the Duke’s subordinates tasked to ensure his safety.

Strolling casually as he traveled, An Wen sketched various notes, calculations and glyphs along the road. He didn't specially conceal what he was doing from those accompanying him, but all were rendered dizzy and befuddled by the streams of complicated formulae. None understood what he was doing—only intuiting that something of great import was unfolding.

His journey meandered onward. Soon he crossed over a ridge, where he saw before him an open valley. Above it, an immense vortex of primal aether began slowly dissolving. Where the vortex had spun furiously, now only an empty center remained.

An Wen’s gaze lit with an extraordinary light. The intangible and invisible vortex became perfectly structured to his vision. Countless streams of information flowed inward for collection, analysis, classification, culminating in an answer.

"This is the martial cultivation manual of Da Qing? …Though, it is somewhat dissimilar—it absorbs so much impure aether. What might be its purpose? A secret technique of some kind?...That doesn't seem right either—"

Pondering, murmuring to himself, he muttered out loud:

“It seems this person has a secret art to massively purify raw aether. Such functionality…could only possibly stem from the Chaos Manuscript…Could it be…Qian Ye?!”

He jolted suddenly. A chill surged up from the depths of his spine, as if marked by an irreparable rival, an intense predator that rendered An Wen incapable of movement at once.

In his peripheral vision he barely caught a blur of a blood-red thread before he felt a slight twinge pierce directly into his back—where blood threads melted and seeped in. Immediately his body teetered, sensations of emptiness consuming him like someone deprived nourishment for an entire month—with giddy vertigo, threatening collapse backwards at any moment.

Yet a mighty hand, rising forth from behind him, braced him firmly. At once a glimmered drop of vitality surged into him with the intensity of an erupted pyrotechnic burst, instantly restoring to fill An Wen’s arcane reserves in full.

“A bit harder than I planned, sorry—accident." came the casual and familiar voice from behind.

Turning his head around, An Wen forced a small grim laughter: “Actually I volunteered here for personal security. All the remaining points in my campaign were already either immersed, or bracing for another clash with the battlefield. Never did expect seeing your face within the realm of Saerfess.”

“Unfortunately for you,” Qian Ye replied casually, a slight chuckling smile forming: “The Emperor of yours left me little place to run—I fled wherever. I decided it might equally well be just as pointless and instead dropped by on a visit within your land of devils to witness scenic sites. And wouldn’t you know—running into an old pal.”

An Wen shook his head wistfully. "If given choice—I would have never desired to run into you again...!”

“It’s already quite too...late.”

"...Then how—would you proceed from thereon?"

“Are you really—going to kill me?”

Qian Ye hesitated in silence. Among魔裔 clans, he regarded An Wen, and also Aiden rather highly, no enmity he could not but settle with deaths. A moment prior he executed a “steal of vitality” wiping away An Wen's entire guard detachment outright—an action he took with subconscious precision. Avoiding An Wen intentionally, he barely managed; even so, one blood-thread still struck him. A moment of reckoning later, Qian Ye gave even back the vital droplet of energy at once.

An Wen, glancing around with a weary look, said at last, “Just like that—you eliminated all my protectors instantly.”

“I have Stealing Vitality—a skill which turns numbers meaningless; the difference of power makes it so. You should’ve known better than many before my reach," replied Qian Ye thoughtfully. “Since I recall—the moment ago, you were about to explain something regarding your mission.”

“To collect data.” An Wen nodded and began: “I must chart the transformations of primordial aether currents among each landmass, and then position observational posts, which shall continuously log this information across crucial nodes. This is particularly for Saerfess continent, where about dozens of points shall serve observation—eventually six monitoring sites established.”

“But now still—aren’t we, amidst war?”

“True warfare decides momentary gains or losses, but these records…they’re the actual stair toward uncovering truths of reality.” Passion ignited An Wen’s eyes momentarily, when he thought of his work.

Watching his expression for moments, Qian Ya questioned further:

“Provide me then—solid reasoning—for me letting you live.”

Yet now An Wen himself fell silent for time as if deliberating something. Then he surprised Qian Ye:

“You took the family crests from them, didn’t you…? Or better said…our entire family lineage scrolls. Our people must have suspected—no?”

Qian Ye was momentarily stunned:

"How—do you even know I took the魔裔 ancestral lineage records?"

“These ancestral crests of the high魔裔 bloodlines represent ultimate inheritances. Any original parchment—under flooding, incineration wouldn't perish without a trace. Even those obliterated in clan wars; cleanup crews always ensure those to be carefully salvaged and safeguarded. Furthermore—other races wouldn’t be particularly interested in such arcane items, yet from all your annihilation missions thus far—the family lineage records and emblems are suspiciously and universally unlocated, not so much as fragments remained. Although, I cannot completely discard another theory... But it leads logically, to this most reasonable conclusion—The records all reside, hidden with you now.”

“What—would I ever desire from your records!? To study their ornamental symbolism?” Qian Ye answered, keeping a composed expression; meanwhile inwardly shifting gears quickly. It appeared魔裔 intellects were sharper—and much quicker to detect patterns than assumed.

Locking gazes intently, An Wen stated gravely and with slow clarity: “You surely, by now…have discerned secrets hidden between our魔裔 lineage maps. Am I right?”

“These tomes are no more than some old seals and genealogical records, do secrets truly exist hidden inside?”

“How did you then—succeed? Kill them so precisely? You struck precisely into three subordinate branches from The Seven Pillars, and have not made so much as even one wrong stroke.”

At this point, Qian Ye accepted nonchalantly and admitted with honesty: “You guessed right on this…Indeed, that was exactly my purpose. I sought your complete eradication...of certain bloodlines. Frankly speaking, you call it reinforcing inheritance within blood, but do your results, actually succeed in this effort?"

“We had already shown our true results during that war waged against Vampires,” An Wen replied.

Nodding solemnly, he acknowledged Qian Ye’s sentiment and observation.

Before the Twilight Dominion attack, Qian Ye often pondered if those eternal rankings of the four major ancient tribes—first ranked魔裔 and second Blood Clan—were indeed well earned?

The Blood Race’s might was beyond question, with power rivaled by魔裔, and given the demographic advantages in certain areas, might be even more formidable than魔裔 themselves.

From the war’s very beginning though,魔裔 clans overwhelmed enemy forces from the start. In mere moments, over half Bloodline’s ancient houses fell in extinction. Despite appearing allies by calling into their coalition—the Spiderkin and Werelords—it was mostly symbolic.

Actual battle participation of those two factions remained minor.魔裔 entrusted them little, choosing control over key points by personal leadership in most instances.

Undeniably, though Night’s Supreme Vampire still slumbered peacefully, neither did魔皇 himself take the field; though his hand ensured stability via a minor interceding force.

Though, betrayal by Medenzal played crucial role—undeniable. Why betray?

Surely allure of greater power was an underlying motivation, yet unless Medenzal saw the true comparative strengths, would his betrayal likely even arise—so easily executed?

Measured against their war outcomes alone—there lay evident, absolute supremacy claimed by魔裔.

Now An Wen produced what appeared to be notes—handed it directly over before him.

“This, look through—what else this may reveal.”

Qian Ye flipped through. Another魔裔 ancestral crest tome was there before him—yet, this time the contents diverged significantly from those described by the Obsidian Record. Although lacking thorough precision, there remained noticeable similarities at fundamental points.

He reflected momentarily. The family lineages, which had been collected painstakingly across years from魔裔 strong points—had always shown discrepancies in records compared to what Black Book’s prophetic revelations displayed.魔裔 traditional approach was one through generations-long family-by-family attempts to map their genealogical inheritance with empirical testing to find most advantageous combinations.

Their longevity made the entire undertaking a slow and grueling enterprise likely measured in millennia.

That Qian Ya followed the Obsidian Record as a killing template led naturally into high accuracy. The other results, obtained via魔裔 researchers themselves, proved of far lesser precision—thus he assumed they failed even suspect his movements until encounter with An Wen.

Yet from inspecting notes now at his hands, Qian Ye now understood. Though the intricate computations at play bypassed him entirely—the underlying derivations eventually bore six to seven out of a scale of ten similarities compared precisely against the Obsidian record.

“That…what is this…?”

An Wen, answering, stated matterof-fullyly:

“My research findings these past seven years' work."

Qian Ye fell silent contemplatively. The notations contained formulas, spatial structure diagrams all utterly incomprehensible; all described based on genetic frameworks encoded deep within魔裔 hereditary strains. Each dense and convoluted derivation on each of one-hundred and more such pages—all unreadable, inaccessible to understanding.

The derivations weren't his concern. What stood clear—the conclusions were right.

“Honestly? Did not expect these ancestral records could be deduced through alternate means—some entirely novel approach, this is…”

An Wen answered again in that wistful chuckling:

“Myself too. And my clan's Academy? Old fuddy duddies. Just like their old texts, same with old mindsets. They never conceived this approach could work in a million years! Even when laid bare under their very noses, still they deny my correctness...”

A slow breath then escaped Qian Ya's lips contemplatively.

Truly, this now was a genius that would stir the world itself into chaos. A pity indeed—so brilliant and powerful intellect found allegiance, and belonging nowhere beyond imperial lands.

Qian Ye drew a crimson sword from a sheath—glinting deep sapphire. Momented thought however changed his preference—switched instead to the Manjusaka.

“So, it has become rather simple—I now possess a legitimate reason, fully justifying your demise. Would now then—as my last question to you…”

“What is on your mind you wish expressing…?"

With a hollow laugh:

“My own cultivation remains, still underwhelming—killing me may truly be an exaggerated effort on your part...”

“A count whose destiny aligns towards direct path to ascend into Prinxipality—and lesser? Don't play too falsely meek!"

“I possess…unbecoming character, too.”

“To that end—I would end you, even faster!”

“And I suffer…grave idiocy,” finishing this, even An Wen smiled sheepishly as he delivered such clearly false modesty.

Qian Ya this time—did not smile in return. Without warning feathers descended slowly and deliberately.

Each bore weight, unshakably binding An Wen to his rooted spot.

Sighing audibly, An Wen responded in exasperated chiding tones.

“Must you take…this much precaution…?”

“I fear intelligence of yours, and numbers which my understanding never even grazed…how else may know what other stratagems still lie locked inside you, to escape through. Thus—I must pin all down, beforehand.”

Gradually as more gray feather-light yet crushing burdens gathered across his form—An Wen could feel as though each landed in reality—hundreds—no, tens of mountains were suddenly heaving their full weight downward—making standing, a titanic effort beyond strength—much else, resistance or escape—absolutely futile. Failing any hope—despite knowledge, despite techniques—capable of shattering stars, he stood utterly powerless. Powerless because the brute overwhelming force of that presence before him rendered them entirely meaningless.

In end, he surrendered his mind fully to this outcome and muttered:

"Your Dominance…has nearly reached the peak of Prinzipality’s domain itself. Such against…me is like slaying an ant with the sword of gods—a true waste."

“I, personally…do not wish die—yet there exists a whole vast World that still remains beyond—I have yet seen none.”

“I make a wager,” An Wen then proposed, “For a new possibility.”

“And what would that entail?”

“My offering: the first—the technique bypass all prophecy sensing and probing techniques…The third, knowledge hidden about the upcoming New World; and the final part:—the true face, of The World We Know. In exchange you do this: free me from this encounter and spare my clan, cease eradicating specific魔裔 lineages as before—I already sense you possess such capabilities—but remain uncertain of the mechanisms involved.”

In closing addition he explained:

"You may presume that even among魔裔, no one shall realize how thoroughly deep you have penetrated the accurate decipherment of our genetic crest system for long time.”

“Yes, many arrogant elders likely will still fail to acknowledge reality—even through further deaths and losses they may still deny the depth they misassessed. Still—There exists—another至尊—entirely unlike the remainder.”

At this—Qian Ya immediately knew it was the魔皇.

He felt certainty An Wen's words weren’t empty, they were indeed warnings—likely offered not in deception, but caution—truths worth listening.

Still he replied:

“Well...the countermeasure to prophecy—already, I’ve grasped well."

“There are numerous methods known as of yet to elude prophecy, yet none of them possess true power or efficiency when compared to the calculations and predictions derived uniquely by my personal formula.”

With a firm gaze and clear sense of confidence returned, he added,

"One never should underestimate the strength of a魔裔 archsib—though the reason one might falter, is perhaps only due to a matter of sacrifice required.”

“You may have a point there,” Qian Ya said agreeing: “Prophets among永夜 indeed predate any Human forebear, their legacy predicated over the eons. Though their arts lay wholly crippled during林 Xiting’s ascendancy—they couldn’t dominate all. Nor can you assume…these constitute their truest and highest arts alone; otherwise永夜 would have perished irreparably from the hands of dawn itself long ago.”

“What do you—say? Is this exchange acceptable?"

"Yet no—we first must settle terms—of knowledge."

An Wen offered no further debate:

“My price: knowledge shall follow.”

“Fine.”

“The second—then: reveal these ‘new world truths’ you've named…And I’ll judge them worthy of negotiation in return...for my choice—to free your life now here.”

Smiling faintly to himself, An Wen nodded and started, straightforward now.

“The new—world, in actuality? Already known by us魔裔 from the records, from the myths of Ancient Age—an era known to possess not six lesser races, but Great Races of Divine Provenance—the Six Holy Bloodlines; Five至尊 sovereigns of those respective realms. Five至尊 sovereigns noted its presence—and its approach, and through great unity, attempted to tug our own cosmos near—to open the passage—and thus extend their realm toward a frontier, the vast expanse of possibility!”

“Still—worlds' sheer gravity defied comprehension. Then, though the alliance spanned all six holy bloodlines' collective force, the endeavor still suffered a failed pull—a fatal event that cost one至尊 life, and another would perish soon after.

“Nevertheless…that failed attempt had one success…The new world had ceased retreating away, its orbit stabilized within grasp.”

“That moment three至尊 sensed the alignment of the world finally near, the moment to grasp it arrived!”

"But—when the three至尊 did open the veil…we entered merely its periphery—its surface layer.”

“The heart entrance, the true key, is hidden within the very bottom of the Obsidian Gully. After the black fires dissipate…a clear passageway emerges.”

Qian Ya knit his eyebrows faint:

“Truth you speak… I've already been long privy to—this…”