Surrounded by petal-like golden fragments, on the pedestal lay two items.

A scroll and a branch-shaped emerald.

The guards naturally did not dare to let Horn take them, so Duvalon approached and cautiously nudged it with his sword sheath.

After finding no reaction, he dared to put on leather gloves and reached out to touch the scroll.

After confirming several times that there was no danger, Duvalon bowed slightly to Horn: "Your Majesty, everything has been checked, no danger found for now.

But I still suggest you don’t touch it for now, let the scholars study it to prevent Church schemes."

Horn shook his head and stepped forward: "It’s not that dangerous, bring that scroll over to me."

Having just gone through the ordeal, Duvalon was still uneasy, first unfolding the scroll for several scholars to inspect.

There was no choice, the attacks by Church remnants and Divine Essence Sect fanatics on Horn were not just once or twice.

Even during peaceful times, Horn frequently fell into some inexplicable dangers.

The most classic was the griffon assassination incident.

Duvalon dared not let Horn suffer any more injuries, for public opinion alone would be enough for him to handle.

Knowing Duvalon’s difficulties, Horn also struggled, finally reluctantly waiting for half a day before the scroll was finally passed to his hand.

Feeling the soft texture in his palm, even though millennia passed, the scroll remained as soft and smooth as new.

This El technology, some ancient El techniques they could not replicate now.

"Your Majesty..."

Seeing Duvalon tense and staring at him, Horn suddenly let out a slight cry, his whole body shivering as though electrocuted.

Duvalon shrieked in fright, jumping up wanting to seize the scroll from Horn’s hand.

"Hey hey hey." Horn quickly hid the scroll behind his back, "Just teasing you, just a playful act."

Under Duvalon’s resentful gaze, Horn gently unwrapped the scroll in his hand.

Similar to the "Celestial Maiden Secret Scroll," written in vertically aligned ancient El script.

While Horn might not be as proficient in ancient El script as Hilov and Kerben and other scholars, he could grasp the gist of it.

If he predicted correctly, the "Spiral Palace Secret Scroll" should record the origins of the Knight’s breath technique.

Unlike the abstract language of the "Celestial Maiden Secret Scroll," the "Spiral Palace Secret Scroll" was much clearer and even accompanied by many diagrams.

His eyes swiftly scanned the scroll back and forth, the more Horn read, the more peculiar his expression became, glancing occasionally at the bewildered Xie Li.

As he anticipated, the scroll indeed recorded the origins of the Knight’s breath technique.

Yet this origin had a slight discrepancy with the version widely recognized by the historical community.

The Knight’s breath technique’s original name should actually be the Holy Warrior Breath Technique.

Because this extraordinary method was reputedly created by Miseria.

The Saint Master, following his bodily structure, evolved a form of extraordinary technique for the mortals, capable of resisting vampires.

Miseria, before ascending to heaven, imparted it to the Holy Warriors to resist vampires.

But Horn had to interject that this breath technique prototype seemed to have existed before Miseria’s birth.

According to early Church propaganda, only those with pure hearts could master this breath technique.

Therefore, choosing who could learn this breath technique always prioritized purity, requiring the most sanctified monks to learn.

At that time, the Church’s authority was at its peak.

The Pope even had the power to force the King to kneel outside the Pope’s Palace, compelling the King to kiss the Pope’s boots.

Yet as wars grew increasingly widespread, alongside the rise of the printing and paper industries, the Knight’s breath technique spread more and more broadly.

The Church, in pursuit of wealth, grain, and women, ultimately chose to disseminate it.

Horn, however, believed that the Holy Warriors constantly committed ruthless acts like city massacres and burials alive, making the Church’s promotion of the Holy Warrior’s sanctity nonsense.

As for the Knight’s breath technique, it had long flowed into the nobility, allowing them to accumulate a certain power.

Otherwise, with the Church’s greed, how could they have ceded this benefit?

As the intensity of war further expanded, drafting became more comprehensive.

Thus, the Knight’s breath technique and extraordinary martial skills spread at last into the civilian realm, now even an Armed Farmer knows how to practice the Knight’s breath technique and perhaps a few moves of extraordinary martial skill.

Hence, some shameless Popes might even consider the spread of the Knight’s breath technique as achievements leading the masses on a sacred path.

They would even claim the long-existing Nine-Section Breathing Technique was "invented" by the Church!

Yet the El people developed the Knight’s breath technique centuries ago, and you’re slowly "inventing" it now!

Wouldn’t you agree, Pope Johnny VIII?

Nonetheless, the "Spiral Palace Secret Scroll" completely overturned this notion.

Horn’s fingertips brushed over the diagrams on the scroll, depicting dissections of demons and humans.

Similar yet distinct from the human anatomy diagrams in Horn’s memory.

The so-called "Knight’s breath technique" first three sections were developed from studying the bodies of elves, while the latter six sections were developed from studying the flesh of demons.

In other words, advancing through the last six sections of the Knight’s breath technique essentially transforms oneself into a human-shaped demon.

The notion that the Knight’s breath technique brings people closer to Miseria was baseless, only leading them nearer to demons.

Even more absurd, the end of the Spiral Palace Secret Scroll mentioned the design of the Great Knight.

What was once a design is now reality.

Concerning the Great Knight level breath technique, it does not emulate Miseria nor emulate demons.

But emulates Ogres!

Great Knights actually exist by mimicking Ogres.

No wonder Great Knights become stout and their intelligence declines; this is the reason.

Goodness, the notion that Great Knights are counterfeit Ogres, the more one practices the Knight’s breath technique, the more they become demons.

If this information spreads, likely every knight across the empire would go mad.

A key source of nobility and extraordinary knights’ rule of law is the breath technique bringing them closer to the Saint Master, who then appointed them as shepherds of earthly flocks.

Now looking at it, lo and behold, knights are demons, Great Knights are Ogres.

This aligns perfectly with Horn’s belief that nobility are minions of devils.

Having read the scroll thoroughly, Horn first closed his eyes to digest what he had just seen.

Yet the more he pondered, the more he felt something was amiss.

Based on his rudimentary biological knowledge, without external surgery, simply relying on breath techniques and potions, one could easily alter their innate attributes. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Simply by breathing, one could transform into a demon?

Horn always felt something was off; while alchemy was outrageous, its underlying logic faintly adhered to scientific theory.

But this Knight’s breath technique, truly made Mendel’s coffin board shatter under a pea shooter’s assault.

Setting these aside, Horn lowered the scroll and took the second item from Duvalon’s hand.

The emerald.