Gu Jianlin could only admit defeat—why did such a serious investigation report have to start with self-aggrandizement?

Alright, saying it was just a bit of self-aggrandizement was an understatement.

The document left by his father was practically all nonsense. Out of over eight thousand words, only about one thousand were meaningful. The rest was fluff—he really should've been writing novels and making money with this talent.

"The Ancient Supreme has always been the nightmare looming over humanity, the ultimate catastrophe, the judgment of the apocalypse. Myths from civilizations worldwide have foretold the arrival of the apocalypse—take Nordic mythology for example. This is essentially a typical pessimistic perspective from the Northern European Germanic tribes."

"They believe that humanity cannot possibly defeat the Ancient God Clan, as the revival of the Primordials across the globe has already caused devastating disasters. When the Ancient Supreme awakens, humanity will face extinction."

"Even the Judgment Day described in the Bible is, in essence, a depiction of the Ancient Supreme's return and divine punishment."

"From my years of research into the Ancient God Clan, it seems humanity indeed shouldn't have stood a chance. While Ancient Gods are unadapted to Earth's natural environment, the real issue lies in the fact that... initially, humans had no Inheritance Path."

"Inheritance Path, Heavenly Person Realm, Mythical Weapon, Alchemy Weapon, Breathing Technique, Forbidden Spell—where do these originate? Who gave humanity these tools to fight the Ancient God Clan?"

"Even stranger, while decoding the Sumerian King List on ancient tablets in the Middle Eastern region, I confirmed one thing: ever since the Ancient God Clan descended upon this world, their internal conflicts have never ceased."

"This is truly perplexing—are the Ancient Gods idiots? Clearly not. They possess higher intelligence and civilizations far beyond human understanding. In fact, humanity's ability to develop its civilization to the present is largely influenced by the Ancient God Clan. In some ways, the thought processes of the two races share similarities."

"At least in my view, no human faction or empire in history would engage in large-scale internal strife when attacking another power. Just imagine, if back then, Cao Cao had led his armies to attack Chibi, only to start slaughtering his own ranks before crossing the river—Liu Bei and Sun Quan would've laughed themselves silly!"

"What kind of idiotic behavior is this? The current leadership of the Ether Association mocks the Ancient God Clan in exactly this way."

"While I also feel like laughing, the more I laugh, the less I find it funny. There's an ominous premonition that bothers me. Strictly speaking, the Ancient God Clan isn't a 'race' as humans understand the term. They are invaders, but not a singular species—they are numerous, overwhelmingly powerful individuals."

"Even within a single clan, there are instances of mutual slaughter."

"Take the Qilin Venerable, for example—the least recorded and most mysterious of the Ancient Supremes. Both mythology and history are riddled with errors regarding Them. The Qilin is absolutely not an auspicious beast. Perhaps some ancestors of the Qilin Clan held symbolic ties to prosperity, but that terrifying Black Qilin certainly did not."

"Records of the Qilin Clan trace back as far as the Ancient Shu Civilization. Some Witch Ghost cultural relics of the Ancient Shu Kingdom bear traces of the Qilin Venerable. It's possible that during the Ancient Era, the Qilin Venerable descended onto the human world, once masquerading as a monarch or emperor, scheming in hiding."

"In the Pre-Qin period, this was the height of activity for the Ancient God Clan. The Qilin Venerable and Vermilion Bird Venerate both appeared in the Chu region, worshiped by the Chu people—one working in the light, the other in the shadows, complementing each other."

"The Qilin Venerable left their inheritance behind, which is why the Chu people leaned toward the mystical, embracing witches and ghosts. Yet strangely, the Chu people's object of worship and sacrifice was not the Qilin Venerable, but the Vermilion Bird Venerate."

"This is why I'm investigating the Qilin Immortal Palace—because of the intricate connections between the Qilin Venerable and Vermilion Bird Venerate. After years of pursuing the Vermilion Bird Clan and Fusang Divine Palace, I've found no traces related to curses. I suspect my direction was wrong—I should pursue the footprints of the Qilin Venerable."

"That fool Rhein thinks I'll obediently work for him? Pfft! Even if Light dies, not just anyone can be my boss."

"During my investigation, I discovered that the Qilin Venerable's authority might be a taboo. I'm suddenly curious—what exactly is this authority? Even the Ancient Supreme fears it. Most Ancient Gods want Them dead, including members of the Qilin Clan itself! What kind of existence is this? It's like being nobody's favorite relative."

"Rumors say They're inherently insane, violent, brutal, and bloodthirsty. Judging from the Divine Path derived from Them, it certainly looks that way. Both the Qilin Clan and Divine Path spread calamities and plunder lives. Even the King of Qing was an outright lunatic—thank goodness I didn't end up as his apprentice. Damn, that's terrifying."

"No way—I have to protect my son. Keep that old man away from him. Being his apprentice is a guaranteed disaster. Luckily, that old man doesn't have many years left—I could outlive him without even trying!"

Gu Jianlin fell silent as he read this.

For heaven's sake, stop jinxing yourself.

You say that, and the old guy might outlive you just to prove you wrong.

Gu Jianlin didn't even know where to begin roasting this.

He couldn't figure out why his father called the King of Qing a madman, but it was clear he dreaded that calamity deeply.

Still, it was too late to say anything now.

All of a sudden, the Moon Princess leaned over, curiously peering at the document: "Reading so intently?"

Gu Jianlin caught the chill aroma emanating from her hair.

A few stray strands brushed against his cheek.

Unintentionally, the side effects of the Mao Sheng Liquid began surfacing—a flicker of wicked fire ignited within him.

He steadied his mind, using the rhythmic breathing technique to forcefully maintain his composure, completely ignoring her.

"In humanity's long war against the Ancient God Clan, the greatest turning point came in 221 BCE, when Qin conquered six states, achieving a remarkable unification. In the shadowy history of the world, this wasn't just the first unification of a state—it was humanity's overwhelming triumph against the Ancient God Clan."

"Humanity used the Dragon Vein as a foundation to forge an alchemical domain covering the entire Qin Dynasty territory. The Heavenly Person Realm blanketed the region, forcibly altering the real-world environment. Under such circumstances, most Ancient Gods couldn't survive and had to retreat back to the Ancient God Realm."

"However, there was one Ancient God who stubbornly remained in the real world, attempting to destroy the Dragon Vein, dismantle the Heavenly Person Realm, and forcefully merge the Ancient God Realm with the material world using the Wedge as a core."

"That being... no, that deity was the Candle Dragon Venerable!"

"It was an unprecedented crisis—a decisive battle that shaped Earth's trajectory for the next few millennia. The First Emperor traveled across the nation, seeking counsel from countless Great Sages. Gui Guzi led the effort as they deliberated strategies together."

"I'm extremely curious about this secret history—I've interrogated numerous Ancient Ancestors. These traitorous Divine Servants of humanity couldn't withstand much. Hit them a few times and they spill everything. While I don't know the final conclusions of our ancestors' deliberations, they supposedly developed something—drawing on collective power to confront the Candle Dragon Venerable!"

"Oh, how thrilling! What era was that? It was the most brilliant time for civilization—the Hundred Schools of Thought, a hundred schools vying for dominance. The First Emperor gathered humanity's wisdom to challenge the strongest Ancient God, the Candle Dragon Venerable."

"Unfortunately, that battle never occurred! Because the Candle Dragon Venerable... slipped away! They fled! This invincible Supreme—who slaughtered gods and vanquished Buddhas—actually ran off?"

"Humanity's secret weapon was ready, but you ran off! Now I understand why the Candle Dragon Venerable, despite still lurking in this world, doesn't intimidate the Ether Association and allows them to sit comfortably. Turns out, the big guns prepared over two thousand years ago for that Supreme are still unused and remain Omega Sequence's highest confidential files."

"I'm baffled—why did They flee?"

"Alright, I finally know the reason, and it's because They went to kill the Qilin Venerable."

"Because the Qilin Venerable... found a way to deal with the Candle Dragon Venerable! If my guess is correct, that secret is right in the Qilin Immortal Palace!"

Gu Jianlin's breathing quickened as he reached this part.

There were actually two methods to deal with the Candle Dragon Venerable, both real!

One was the crystallized wisdom of the Great Sages from the Hundred Schools of Thought era.

The other was the long-term strategy of none other than the Qilin Venerable—a millennium in the making by an Ancient Supreme.

In that moment, Gu Jianlin felt an unexpected surge of fighting spirit toward the woman guarding the corpse in the Qilin Immortal Palace!

[PS: This book is exclusively available on Qidian Reading App. See you tomorrow night at 8:30~]