Having fiercely memorized the diagram of the hexagram magic array, Qian Jin shook his head hard. Forcing his mind to record it entirely without any foundational knowledge was truly exhausting work.

Qian Jin picked up the slender sword from the ground, pressing the tip down with his hand until the entire blade bent into a crescent moon shape. He lightly released his fingers, and the blade instantly snapped back straight with a "clang," vibrating rapidly as if dozens of swords were overlaid. "Good sword! Excellent material!"

Except for the tip, which had become somewhat blunted from striking the shield, the sword body itself had virtually no flaws. Forged from more than ten types of high-grade metal alloys, it qualified as a ninth-rank Battle Weapon, nearing the true top-tier tenth-rank.

"A pity it isn't a Soul Weapon." Qian Jin shook his head and stored the sword in his Battle Realm, intending to give it to Check Frit. "This demon, it seems, wasn't that strong; he didn't even possess a Soul Weapon."

Crash... The bones already scattered on the floor shifted, and two ribs rolled down from the pile into the nearby grass. As if hearing Qian Jin's assessment, they offered a rebuttal: Just how many Soul Weapons exist in the world? Don't assume that just because you can forge them, Soul Weapons aren't valuable! A ninth-rank Battle Weapon is already an incredibly rare implement!

He kicked at the bones beneath his feet, glancing at the surrounding flora. Qian Jin blinked hard, still struggling to fully process that Zhou Yi had fought a skeletal frame that had been dead for who knew if it was hundreds or thousands of years. The thought was utterly unacceptable.

From the Battle Realm, he took out bandages to re-secure his injured arm.

Qian Jin straightened his back, his eyes sweeping over the stone-carved throne. It was densely engraved with demonic script. Although the style appeared ancient, he could still recognize the meaning of the demonic characters.

Over several millennia, the Demon Race had certainly continued to evolve, and their script had changed slightly, but the overall transformation was minimal.

The prolonged wars between the Zhence Dynasty and the Demon Race meant that both sides cultivated the next generation from a young age to know how to read the other's language. Otherwise, intercepting enemy correspondence on the battlefield and being unable to decipher it—leading to missed opportunities—was not an uncommon occurrence; it had happened more than once.

Thus, the Demonic Script became a required course for the warrior lineage of the Zhence Dynasty. To become a junior commander, one needed to recognize at least four thousand Demonic Characters, referred to by the Zhence Dynasty as Level Four Tribal Language. Intermediate commanders required six thousand, and senior commanders needed to master up to eight thousand.

The Qian family offered guidance in this area from childhood, and Qian Jin had self-studied extensively in the library. While Level Eight Demonic Language might be challenging, he could pass the Level Six exam with his eyes closed.

These demonic characters, which looked like the inscribed array patterns of necromancy, were not difficult for Qian Jin to read—at least millions of times easier than deciphering that inscrutable magic array from before.

O demon who sees this letter, do you know who I am? I am the great Lucifer Ni-Han, an eighth-level awakened Fallen Angel lineage Demon Warrior.

Eighth level? Qian Jin raised an eyebrow in surprise. Fortunately, this was a Fallen Angel lineage Demon Warrior who had been utterly dead for many years. If he possessed his full peak strength, Qian Jin likely would have died with a mere wave of his hand.

Lucifer Ni-Han? That name sounded familiar! Qian Jin snapped his fingers. This was a famous demon in Demonic history. His fame didn't stem from his power or his unique abilities, but from something almost no other demon dared to do.

Revolt!

The Demon Princes traditionally vied for imperial power; even the Crown Prince wasn't guaranteed to become the Great Demon King; he merely held the highest probability.

However, once the larger outcome was decided, the struggle for the throne would immediately cease, and everyone would unite to support the newly established Great Demon King against the Zhence Dynasty.

Lucifer Ni-Han was a rare figure in Demonic history who, while the succession was settled, brazenly instigated a rebellion with a small faction of demons, only to fail and flee the Demon Realm.

At that time, history recorded that His Majesty the Emperor of the Zhence Dynasty extended a very enthusiastic invitation to the fleeing Lucifer Ni-Han, promising the treatment of a titled King, but this powerful demon slew two messengers sent to find him and staunchly refused the Zhence Emperor’s offer.

"This is a matter internal to our Demon Race; what business is it of you humans?"

Perhaps because of this declaration, the reigning Great Demon King at the time did not pursue his complete eradication, and Lucifer Ni-Han later vanished mysteriously from history.

"So, he died here." Qian Jin nodded, observing the epitaph carved on the throne: Fleeing into the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea—what an inventive idea.

Since you can understand my letter, you must be a member of the Demon Race. Then why are you not kneeling and kowtowing before your King upon seeing me?

Qian Jin shrugged. Perhaps this powerful demon never imagined that the one who found and read his final letter would be a warrior of the Zhence Dynasty? How could a warrior of the Zhence Dynasty kneel to a Demon Prince?

O demon who came here, you likely know that this place is five kilometers from the edge of the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea, correct? Aren't you curious why no powerful savage beasts inhabit this area? In fact, there used to be many beasts here, the most powerful being a Sand Python.

A high-level savage beast! Qian Jin tutted. While a Sand Python wasn't as mighty as an Inferno Demon or a Gold Demon, it ranked quite high among high-level beasts. Its core mastered hundreds of earth-elemental spells, its hide was as hard as iron, and its physical strength could contend with a Behemoth. It moved through the sand with incredible speed, like a soaring bird in the sky.

Most importantly, the Sand Python possessed two pairs of wings, similar to a bat's wings—it could truly fly! Though it couldn't ascend very high, it could indeed take to the air.

I slew the Sand Python here, occupied this mountain, and intended to venture deeper into the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea to explore, but then...

On the throne, there was a small blank section where no script was carved.

Observing closely, it seemed text had once been inscribed there but was later erased by the carver. The erased spot bore a faint, whitish-grey residue, appearing to be the friction mark left by human bone rubbing against stone.

He erased it after dying? Qian Jin leaned closer, studying it intently for a long time, faintly discerning the traces of shallow script.

Beware of the Undead... Support the author; please click to subscribe and vote.

Undead? Qian Jin turned back to look at the pile of white bones on the ground. Unfortunately, the subsequent characters had been completely scrubbed away, rendering them illegible. Anything a powerful figure specifically left as a final warning must be crucial, but alas... Did he rise after turning into a skeleton to wipe the stone tablet clean?

O demon who comes to worship me, look at the flora on the ground. Beneath my throne rests my meticulously compiled Compendium of Mysterious Potions and Botany. It will be of great assistance to you. If you wish to become the greatest warrior, you must never touch this field of study.

Not touch it? Qian Jin scratched his head in confusion and continued reading.

To achieve anything to its extreme, one must never allow even a sliver of distraction. I deeply regret that I, once called the cleverest demon, and always believing myself to be so, desired not only to become the mightiest demon but also to ascend to the legendary Demon God!

No demon has ever become a Demon God! Even a Fallen Angel lineage Demon Warrior who has awakened ultimate bloodline power cannot reach the legendary Demon God state! To become a Demon God, one must study the creation of mysterious potions! I embarked on this path, and relying on my intelligence, I quickly established myself as an authority in the world of mysterious potions, particularly in the plant systems.

"Authority?" Qian Jin twitched his lips. "Even several thousand years ago, before mysterious potion studies were as advanced as they are now, you wouldn't have become an authority with just that little skill. Those paltry abilities aren't even as good as mine. I am merely a Mysterious Potion Apprentice..."

Qian Jin glanced around somewhat uncertainly. Calling himself an apprentice still contained an element of self-declaration. If Oralala heard him, she would undoubtedly turn it into what was clearly torture but claimed to be special training.

If I had not split my focus back then, I should have become the strongest demon! Regret is useless now. If you cannot become the strongest demon, then study my Compendium of Mysterious Potion Botany; it will allow you to become an authority in your own right! Every single plant here is the cream of the crop...

"Cream of the crop? This... this is too much boasting, isn't it?" Qian Jin turned back to survey the vast garden of mysterious plants behind him. In truth, these plants were only slightly better than the basic stock, still miles away from being truly top-tier. For a demon to dare call them 'cream of the crop'? If Oralala knew, even if he were alive, she would immediately brew a potion to kill him.

The heavy stone throne, having been subjected to Uncle Black's training, was lifted easily by Qian Jin’s brute strength, which was already comparable to that of a barbarian.

The exquisite jade box, when opened, contained only a pile of moldy, rotten debris.

Qian Jin froze, a self-mocking smile crossing his face. "After several thousand years, let alone paper, even things written on parchment scrolls would have decayed completely. This Demon Prince likely never imagined that after dying for so many years, someone would finally arrive?"

"Whether I look at it or not is irrelevant." Qian Jin placed the stone throne back down and turned to pick up the black gemstone that had been embedded in Lucifer Ni-Han's forehead.

Even without spiritual power to sense the surrounding elements, he could still feel the powerful energy contained within the black gemstone in his hand. It would be an exceptionally fine material for crafting rune magic weapons or magi-tech devices.