I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

Mason saw Ji Tian standing a few steps away.

His white robes stood out in the crowd. He was talking to Sivers with a calm demeanor, as if he had known all along that he would be there.

Lilith, standing on tiptoe, looked around, while Elena and Ophelia stood beside him.

Mason opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, and after a long while, he stammered:

"...Master?"

Ji Tian turned his head and met her gaze.

Mason was surprised to find that the other person's surprise was less than she had expected, as if they had anticipated it:

"Mason? You're in the North too? Where's Alex? Didn't he come with you?"

Mason respectfully used the telepathic technique he had learned from his sect to say:

"He was recently infiltrating a cult that is suspected of having a belief in an evil god and a penchant for human sacrifice. It's a critical time right now, so I didn't let him come."

She turned to look at Amy, then at Ji Tian, ​​and asked疑惑地问道, "You two know each other?"

Amy nodded, her voice calm: "He saved me."

Mason: "...You'd better start from the beginning."

Before Amy could speak, a low horn sound suddenly came from the edge of the crowd.

That was the rallying cry for the council's meeting, its sound long and steady, slowly spreading through the smoke and clouds above the city's outskirts.

Vice President Patrick has already stepped onto the high platform.

He was dressed in a dark gray adventurer's uniform, with the guild headquarters' emblem on his chest and a ceremonial sword with a hilt far more decorative than practical at his waist.

His face wasn't stern; he looked more like a clerical leader who had long been confined to an office. But the moment he stepped onto the platform, the crowd that had been whispering among themselves spontaneously fell silent.

Patrick's gaze swept across the audience, and after a moment's pause, he spoke:

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Adventurers' Guild has confirmed that Mia the Dragon Knight, Amy the Elementalist, and Dean the Healer have all returned safely. Some details are still being verified, but they are indeed alive. This is something to be thankful for."

A low murmur of agreement rippled through the audience. Some breathed a long sigh of relief, while others silently removed their hats, waiting for the other person to continue.

Patrick paused, his tone becoming more serious:

"But we also lost two of our comrades, Evan and Ian, who have been confirmed dead in this mission."

Those in the audience had anticipated this and remained silent.

According to the association's procedures, the funeral will still take place.

The only change was that the number of people mourned was reduced from five to two.

Patrick's gaze fell from the edge of the platform and finally landed on Ji Tian.

Shortly after the crowd dispersed, a waiter approached him, bowed, and invited him:

"Hero, the association needs to understand some specific details from you. Could you please come to this platform?"

Ji Tian nodded and strode towards the high platform.

The two coffins were in the center of the table, covered with layers of white flowers. The wind blew from the open field, gently lifting the edges of the petals and letting them fall.

The coffins contained clothing; Mia's and the other two's clothes had already been removed.

Ji Tian stopped in front of the coffins, his gaze sweeping over the two coffins, lingering a moment longer on Ian's coffin, before looking away.

Patrick turned to the side and pointed to a makeshift tent erected on the side of the platform.

The curtain was half-open, and several folding chairs and a low table could be vaguely seen inside: "Let's go inside and talk."

Ji Tian nodded.

The tent flap closed behind him, shutting out the wind and the crowd.

Patrick sat down across the low table, gesturing for Ji Tian to sit as well. After confirming Ji Tian had no intention of doing so, he didn't press the matter and asked:

"Hero, I heard you entered that space through a door. Did Evan and Ian encounter trouble inside?"

"Yes."

"Could you elaborate? The association needs a complete record as an archive of this incident."

Ji Tian leaned against the wall, his gaze fixed on the folds in the tent fabric that were slightly rippling in the wind. After a moment, he spoke:

"Behind that door is a separate space, where time flows differently from the outside world. At the core of that space is a being known as the 'World Tree.' After entering, Evan actively merged with the core will of that tree, resulting in his consciousness being devoured."

Patrick gripped his pen and quickly jotted down a few lines on the paper:

"Was Evan's cause of death the loss of his consciousness?"

"You could say that. He lost self-control during that process, and by the time I arrived, he had been completely replaced."

"What about Ian?"

"After Evan merged with the World Tree, he needed a lot of life force to maintain his stable form. Ian was the first companion he came into contact with during that conflict."

Patrick already knew the truth from Mia's report; his purpose in asking this question was simply to avoid pursuing further details.

He glanced down at the record to confirm it was correct, then looked up again: "Evan and Ian were completely wiped out because of this?"

"Yes."

Patrick was silent for a few moments:

"I understand. Do you have any other information to add?"

Ji Tian thought for a moment: "The door itself has now disappeared. It seems to only appear under specific conditions, and there is no possibility of opening it now."

Patrick closed the notebook: "Okay, I'll put this information in the file."

He stood up and nodded slightly to Ji Tian:

"Hero, you've had a long journey. The Northern Adventurers' Guild will provide you with temporary accommodation. Please feel free to contact the guild if you require anything."

Ji Tian also stood up and politely replied:

"Thank you. What are your plans regarding those two coffins?"

"The association will build a cenotaph for them."

It seems that funerals in this world have also been influenced by people from the same hometown.

Ji Tian thought to himself, but didn't ask any more questions. He lifted the curtain and walked out of the tent.

The wind outside carried the smell of coal smoke, and the crowd on the platform began to disperse, with most people turning and heading into the city.

The two coffins still stood quietly on the platform, a few white flowers blown off by the wind and falling into the gaps in the wooden planks.

Ji Tian stood on the edge of the high platform, looking at the steaming chimneys on the Horiton city wall in the distance. Dozens of gray-white smoke columns drew long trails in the afternoon sky, like lines stretching into the distance, connecting this steel city with the entire continent.

Lilith walked to his side, a red wildflower that she had picked out of nowhere. "Ji Tian, ​​what are you thinking about?"

Ji Tian withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "I was thinking about how the wind in the North is much drier and colder than in the East."

Lilith tilted her head, clearly not fully understanding the meaning of his words, and handed him the wildflower:

"Then you'll have to get used to it. I picked a little red flower, it's really pretty, I'll give it to you."

Ji Tian glanced down at her, then reached out and took the flower:

"Have you done something bad again?"

"No way!" Lilith stamped her foot in denial. "I just wanted to pick a flower for you."

"Okay, I believe you."

Ji Tian naturally took Lilith's little hand and walked towards Elena and Ophelia, who were waiting for him at Xiao Hua's place.

Only after walking halfway did Lilith whisper:

"Look how obedient I am, can you grant me a request?"