I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

Before long, Ella came out with a tray, on which were several plates of delicate side dishes, a basket of golden-brown toasted bread, and a bowl of thick soup made with wild forest mushrooms.

She set out the dishes and said softly, "These are just simple home-cooked dishes, please don't find them unappetizing, Brave One."

Ji Tian took a bite of the bread; it had a wheat aroma with a hint of honey sweetness, and was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

"Mmm, delicious." Lilith's exclamation came from beside me.

Ella smiled slightly and sat down next to Seran.

During the meal, Seran recounted amusing anecdotes from the village: which elf had learned to use life magic to force fruit trees to grow, resulting in the flowers in the yard turning into trees; which elf had a mischievous squirrel that had stolen all the dried fruit that was drying outside…

Lilith laughed heartily, and even Elena couldn't help but laugh out loud.

When taking his leave, Ji Tian took out a small bag of silver coins as a thank-you gift. Seran declined several times, but finally accepted it after Ji Tian explained that "the church will reimburse it," and then turned to hand it to Ella.

Seran escorted the group to the village entrance and pointed to a winding forest path.

"Brave warrior, follow the path behind the village northwards. It will take about two days to reach the outer fortress of the royal court. If you need any help along the way, you can ask the villages for assistance. We elves have great respect for warriors."

Ji Tian nodded, carrying the holy sword. "Thank you."

The group continued walking north along the path.

After walking a long way, Lilith looked back and saw the elves at the village entrance still standing there watching her go.

Lilith clicked her tongue. "They're so polite. They were quite wary at first."

Elena took her hand and recalled the history books she had read. "Due to their outstanding appearance and other reasons, the elves have long suffered from the invasion of slave traders throughout history. Although after several joint attacks, there are now very few slave traders left, the elves have long lifespans and many of them are witnesses to that history. It is only right that they be wary of groups of outsiders."

"Then why did they start welcoming us so enthusiastically as soon as they recognized the hero from the human kingdom? Could it be that they were intimidated by the mountain Master was carrying?"

Ophelia shook her head and said softly, "In the eyes of races other than demons, heroes represent the utmost benevolence and goodness. This is a reputation accumulated over thousands of years. Moreover, the aura of the hero's sword is difficult to fake, and it is hard for anyone to impersonate him."

Lilith thought about it and felt it made a lot of sense. She touched the wooden stick in her arms and followed along with peace of mind.

The group walked along the forest path for about two hours, and the scenery gradually transitioned from dense orchards to more pristine forests.

The ancient trees are thick and gnarled, with vines coiling around their trunks like snakes. Occasionally, you can see a few clumps of moss that gleam faintly, their green glow shining in the twilight.

Ji Tian walked ahead, his gaze falling on the ground in front of him, when he suddenly stopped.

Several deep claw marks extended from the roadside into the depths of the dense forest. The marks were fresh, and the soil around the edges was still damp. A few strands of gray-black hair were scattered around the claw marks, emitting a faint fishy smell.

"There are even monsters." Ji Tian's voice was filled with excitement.

He took out the Emperor's Banner, which had been dormant for a long time, from his storage space.

The banner that has survived the tribulation of lightning is different. The banner surface is jet black mixed with gold, and the black soul imprint on the edge is a few shades darker than it was half a year ago. The corners of the banner are slightly curled up, as if it has sensed the prey that is about to arrive.

Lilith immediately recognized it as the tool her master always carried with him, and leaned closer to ask, "Master, Master, are you going to use that flag to collect the soul?"

"Hmm, I've been a bit lax lately, this is a good time to catch up." Ji Tian tucked the Emperor's Banner into his waistband, shouldered the Holy Sword, and walked towards the direction where the claw marks extended.

He walked much faster than before, and Elena followed beside him, somewhat curious.

You seem to be really looking forward to it.

Ji Tian replied matter-of-factly, "Of course, my privately-run underworld is opening for business again today!"

"Wait, wasn't it supposed to be the Emperor's Banner before?"

Lilith looked up in confusion, only to see her master already entering the forest with a smug look on his face, so she didn't want to spoil his fun.

Ophelia followed quietly behind the group, her gaze fixed on the Emperor's Banner, lost in thought.

Less than half an incense stick's time had passed since they followed the claw marks when a low roar came from ahead.

A monster resembling a giant wolf leaped out of the bushes, its body covered in gray-black scales. The ground trembled slightly when its four paws landed, and saliva dripped from its gaping maw, each drop creating tiny white wisps of smoke as it landed on the withered leaves.

Its fierce gaze swept over the group of uninvited guests, and just as it was about to launch an attack, it sensed the sacred mountain that Ji Tian was carrying on his shoulder.

The golden runes on the sacred mountain shimmered with a soft yet undeniable light in the twilight, and their natural suppressive force against the demons spread out like ripples.

The monster froze instantly. Its fierce gaze crumbled into chaotic panic the moment it touched the sacred mountain. Its legs went weak, and it let out a whimper, unable to even muster the strength to run away.

Before Ji Tian could even unfurl the Emperor's Banner, the demon collapsed to the ground as if its throat had been choked, dark red blood seeping from its seven orifices. After twitching a few times, it went still.

A pale green soul rose from the corpse, and as if drawn by its surroundings, drifted toward the Emperor's Banner, silently disappearing into its surface.

Lilith stared in disbelief. "...It's dead? It...it looks like it was scared to death?"

Ji Tian put the Emperor's Banner back into his waistband, glanced down at the corpse on the ground, and shook his head. "It seems that the Holy Light of the Holy Mountain has a stronger suppressive effect on demons than I imagined."

After walking for about two hours, the forest ahead suddenly opened up, and another elven village came into view.

The village was much larger than Moon Creek Village, with houses scattered on a gentle slope. At the entrance of the village, there was a small open space where two elven children were squatting on the ground, staring intently at two fist-sized, semi-transparent gel-like objects in front of them.

Those were two domesticated slimes, one blue and one green, slowly wriggling and shoving each other in the open space.

"Charge! Lanlan! Crash it!" A little girl with pigtails waved her little fists.

"Greenie! Use your body to block it!" another little boy shouted excitedly.

Two slimes collided, bounced apart, and collided again, making a "gurgling" sound.

Ji Tian thought that since he was going to enter the mortal world, he should integrate into the world and be kind and friendly to these cubs.

He quickened his pace, knelt down in front of the two children, looked them in the eye, and grinned, revealing what he thought was a friendly smile:

"Children, do you have any clues about other monsters?"

however--

The little girl's lips twitched, and her eyes visibly reddened.

The little boy reacted even faster; he burst into tears, turned and ran, shouting, "Mommy! There's a bad guy—!"