I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

The nobles, purified by the holy sword's light, rose from their seats one after another. Among them, a white-haired count was the first to approach Ji Tian, ​​placing his right hand on his chest in a gesture of respect.

"Your Excellency, if it weren't for your intervention, I would have been humiliated in front of everyone tonight."

The noblewoman behind him, who had just been released from her hallucination, also bowed. She had been clinging to a maid's shoulder, narrowly avoiding revealing her sexual orientation.

Ji Tian sheathed the holy sword at his waist and waved with a smile.

"It's good that everyone is alright."

The nobles thanked them repeatedly and made polite remarks about visiting them another day.

Ji Tian nodded perfunctorily, then shifted his gaze to other areas of the banquet hall.

The chaos caused by the riots is rapidly subsiding.

The nobleman who had crawled under the table was pulled out by his companions and brushed the dust off his robes; the baron who had lost his wig took it from the waiter and put it back on as if nothing had happened.

Once they were sure they were safe, the first thing most guests did was return to their seats, pick up their glasses, and have the waiter refill them, as if they hadn't just fled in panic.

The clinking of glasses resumed, and the hushed conversation gradually returned to a normal volume.

"The demons are incredibly audacious!"

"How could a Shadow Fiend infiltrate the palace? What are the Royal Guards even doing?"

"Fortunately, His Highness was there to oversee things, and those three bolts of lightning killed the assassin on the spot."

"I saw it! It was so fast, I didn't even have time to react before it was over."

"If you ask me, the hero's method of purifying the poisonous fog with the holy sword was more efficient. Archbishop Valentine wasn't here tonight; if it weren't for the hero, those who inhaled the succubus's gas would still be in shock."

The nobles' chatter came from all directions, and the chaos just now seemed to have become a topic of conversation. Their lingering fear was quickly replaced by interest in the topic.

Ji Tian shook off the goodwill and gratitude of the rescued nobles, walked through the passage between several long tables, and returned to Sonia's seat.

Sonia sat in her original spot, resting her chin on one hand and holding a fork in the other, secretly eating her dessert when no one was paying attention to her.

As Ji Tian approached, she hurriedly swallowed the food in her mouth and subtly resumed her manners and elegance.

"Your Majesty the Hero has quite the skill."

"Your Highness flatters me."

Ji Tian sat down opposite her, his gaze falling on Shirley beside him, and he immediately noticed something was wrong.

"Shirley."

She didn't react.

"Shirley."

Ji Tian called out again, and she turned around, her orange-gold eyes still misty with tears.

"Huh? Master, you called me?"

She raised her hand to rub her eyes, but stopped when the back of her hand touched her cheek. She looked down at her wet knuckles and paused for a moment.

"When did I start crying? Why am I crying?"

Shirley wiped away her tears and muttered to herself in confusion, "I don't feel sad. I was just telling Sonia that the way that Shadow Fiend flew out looked like a cat doing somersaults."

Ji Tian replayed the events that had just occurred in his mind:

Sherry showed no abnormality when Shadow Fiend landed, when Theodore dispelled the poison mist, and when the Royal Archmage released lightning.

Sherry couldn't help but shed tears when Theodore released the [Silent Domain].

Could Shirley's background be related to this?

Just as I was thinking this, Theodore was walking towards us from the side of the banquet hall.

He clearly noticed Ji Tian returning to the Pompeii family's seat. The vice-dean, holding a wine glass, walked through the noisy crowd, bypassing several nobles who were leaving, and came up to Ji Tian, ​​ready to strike up a conversation.

It was like a pillow being delivered just when you were sleepy; Ji Tian asked directly:

"Vice Dean, could you explain in detail the silent field you just released?"

Theodore placed his glass on the table, interlaced his fingers, and began to explain with the patience characteristic of a scholar:

"The core principle of the Silent Domain is to resonate the lightning and light circuits at a specific frequency, generating magical pulses that interfere with the operation of all magical circuits within the range."

"Lightning is responsible for frequency suppression, while light is responsible for interference transmission. The resonance point of both lies in the caster's own mental power, so the caster is unaffected. This resonance frequency requires extremely precise control..."

Ji Tian interrupted him.

"I'm asking who created or improved this magic?"

Theodore's expression shifted from enthusiastic to slightly stunned.

"You mean the [Silent Domain]? That's a semi-forbidden spell of the academy, with a long history. The academy's archives don't contain any information about its creator. The only thing that's certain is that this semi-forbidden spell has been classified as exclusive magic since the academy's founding, and only academy personnel and graduates authorized by the academy can learn it."

"There have been several leaked records in history, but they have all been recovered. If you want to check, you can come to the college, and I will help you apply for access to the archives. Although the core records may not be available, you should be able to find some clues in the supplementary materials."

Sherry had forgotten her past, and her memories had been completely erased. Ji Tian was basically certain that this so-called "Silent Domain" might be related to Sherry's past, so he readily agreed, "Okay, I'll go another day."

Theodore nodded, picked up his wine glass, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then turned and walked towards the direction of the vice president of the Magicians' Association.

He felt a little embarrassed because he hadn't been able to fully demonstrate the academy's strength tonight and had been asked a question by Ji Tian that he couldn't answer.

After Theodore walked away, Sonia straightened up from her chair and moved closer to Ji Tian.

"Was your question about the [Silent Realm] related to this?"

She pointed to Shirley's still-damp cheeks.

Ji Tian hadn't expected this little girl to have such strong observational skills, but he still nodded in the end.

Sonia whispered:

"There's a legend in the palace that's somewhat similar to this."

Ji Tian became interested upon hearing this. "What legend?"

"From time to time, maids would be forgotten after leaving the palace, their names forgotten, or even their existence forgotten. At first, everyone just thought they had been replaced, but later they found that the maids were still there, but no one remembered who they were."

"Some say they made a pact with a demon hidden deep within the palace. The demon gives them what they want, and in return, they become his accomplices, doing his bidding. Once the deed is done, even the last trace is erased."

Shirley had dried her face at some point and leaned closer to listen to Sonia speak, her eyes growing brighter and brighter.

"A changgui? A changgui that was eaten by a demon? What does this demon look like? Is it a blue-faced, fanged creature with three eyes? Or is it the kind that can transform into the appearance of your closest person and bite you when you're not looking?"

Sonia shook her head.

No one has ever seen it.

"Then how do you know it exists?"

"Because those missing maids sometimes leave traces in certain places. For example, things they used to use will suddenly appear in places they shouldn't be, or one day someone will suddenly remember a name but can't remember whose face it is."

Shirley shrank her neck, then leaned forward again.

"One more, tell another one."

"Aren't you afraid?"

"What's there to be afraid of? I'm a cultivator. If any evil spirits come, I can send them flying with one punch."

Sonia glanced at her, then at Ji Tian and Elena, as if to confirm that they did not object, before continuing her speech.

On the other side of the banquet hall, Victor stood behind a pillar by the side door, with only the archmage responsible for protecting him standing in front of him.

The two were half a step apart, and the corridor in front of them was empty.

Victor placed his wine glass on the windowsill, the composed smile he had worn when facing the guests still lingering on his lips.

"I never expected you could actually bring over demons to be actors. You did a brilliant job."

The archmage's expression stiffened slightly, and he asked in confusion:

"Your Highness, these demons... weren't they invited by you?"