The guess regarding the Demon Ascension Ritual was proposed, and a desolate atmosphere suddenly permeated the ballroom.
The Raven Spirit Envoy was still clamoring in an angry and unbridled manner, so Liya hurriedly took the opportunity to promote her “security services.”
With Joen’s astonishing performance just a moment ago, the number of people purchasing her “security services” had indeed increased significantly.
After signing all the “new orders,” Liya looked around at the crowd, thinking it was about time.
There was likely no more oil to be squeezed out of these remaining people.
“Ahem… thank you all for your generous support. One moment, I am going to go change my clothes.”
“Wait.”
The blonde youth suddenly called out to Liya.
“Hmm?”
Liya turned back.
“Miss Liya…”
The blonde youth’s face could not help but turn red.
“After we successfully escape this time, may I invite you to dance?”
Liya felt the arc of her lips curving upward and found it impossible to suppress, so she simply laughed out loud.
Her bell-like laughter was hearty and mischievous: “I guarantee—within 5 minutes, you will never have that thought again in your life.”
This time it was the blonde youth’s turn to be confused.
In full view of everyone, Liya walked into the changing room and locked the door.
One minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes—
Bang!
The door to the changing room was kicked open by Liya.
A tomboy, who resembled the “Duke’s daughter” earlier in appearance but held a completely different aura, walked out with great momentum.
Her ear-length short hair looked both beautiful and capable, and those beautiful, deep crimson eyes sparkled with shrewd and unrestrained brilliance.
She strolled leisurely, her posture relaxed yet upright, discarding the dignified and graceful lady-like demeanor from before; her entire body radiated the strong aura of a superior.
“I—Demon King Liya! Now I have the honor to inform you all of one thing—”
“You have all been captured by me!”
The crowd was silent for several seconds.
Then, exclamations erupted one after another.
When the sound subsided slightly, they began to whisper, shocked as they sized Liya up.
The blonde youth who had just wanted to invite her to dance was even swaying, looking as if his worldview had collapsed.
At that moment, the attacking Naga had already rushed into the castle and were fighting with the numerous Shadow Monsters.
These weak Shadow Monsters, transformed from servants, had almost no power to fight back when facing the strong, full-grown Naga who possessed the power of the God of Demons.
The 2 tallest and strongest Naga crawled into the ballroom along the outer wall.
They were stunned when they saw Liya, but just like the former Chief Guard, they held their huge snake tails high and stood tall on her left and right, like 2 ancient and immovable majestic giant war gods.
The petite Liya stood between the “one small and 2 large” “giant war gods,” yet her presence was not weak at all, even vaguely suppressing everything around her.
She looked down at the crowd, her robes fluttering without wind; among the dignities in the hall, no one dared to meet her eyes.
“How is it? Are you happy to see this King? I am not dead; are you surprised, are you shocked?”
Liya chuckled.
The hall was silent, and no one dared to answer.
There were only legs trembling like chaff, like a wheat field swept by a gale.
“Relax, everyone. Do not worry.”
She said slowly.
“Most of you owe my Demon King debts that have not been repaid yet. I dare say, this is the most useful life-saving talisman in the world.”
Finally, someone could not help but ask with a trembling voice.
It was a priest wearing priestly robes:
“Demon King Liya? You… are you really Demon King Liya? No… it is impossible… The Hero had clearly killed you… Why is the Divine Arts detection ineffective against you?”
As he spoke, he almost fell backward and fainted, but fortunately, he was held up by someone in time.
Another plump, finely-skinned noblewoman shielded her child behind her and gathered the courage to say: “Demon King, no offense intended, but… you, you signed a contract; you are supposed to protect us.”
“That is right.”
Liya nodded with a bright smile.
“Protecting captives is the fine tradition of my National Protection Army.”
“The contract also stated not to harm us!”
Liya immediately corrected her: “Madam, please note, the clause is ‘protecting you from being harmed by others,’ not ‘protecting you from being harmed by me.'”
The woman was choked for words, suddenly realizing that it did seem to be the case.
The contract was signed with the “Duke’s daughter” before, so no one thought there was anything wrong with it.
After all, who would have thought that a dignified “Duke’s daughter” would be so shameless.
Liya smiled at the crowd again; this time the smile was very gentle, as if it truly carried some kind of reassuring power.
“But everyone can rest easy, after all, this King is not some kind of devil—” Halfway through, she patted her head and stuck out her tongue playfully. “Oh no, it seems like I am a devil.”
“Ahem, this King meant to say, this King is not some brainless brute of a devil. I still understand the principle of long-term sustainable development.”
She spoke persuasively, her voice full of temptation:
“As captives, I will ensure your safety and protect you from being sacrificed in this Demon Ascension Ritual. After it is over, you can send a servant back to report, and have them send all the ransoms and formulas you owe this King.”
“As a side note, these formulas are protected by the God of Justice~ I put a lot of effort into studying every clause to make it flawless. Do not think about playing tricks, and do not think about cheating; the God of Justice is watching you silently from above.”
The crowd finally caught on to what she meant, feeling both despair and a mix of laughter and tears.
No wonder she tricked them into signing the contract; she was afraid they would provide problematic formulas and secretly stab her in the back.
At the same time, a few people suddenly realized the meaning of the Demon King’s words and asked with a trace of excitement:
“This Demon Ascension Ritual… has nothing to do with these Shadow Monsters? Wait, do you mean… it is not you?”
“You guessed right.”
Liya spread her hands.
“I am not the one behind the Demon Ascension Ritual; I was also tricked into coming here as a ‘sacrifice’.”
“How is that possible? You are the Demon King! Who would dare to sacrifice the Demon King!”
The crowd was in an uproar again.
But the next moment, a sweet female voice, youthful and vibrant, accompanied by the crisp sound of high heels, drifted into the ballroom from afar.
“Because—she is not the Demon King at all.”
Zyra’s face slowly emerged from the darkness outside the porch, with distorted Shadow Monsters and ghosts constantly merging into her body.
Her shadow stood silently behind her like a giant with long limbs, fangs, and claws, waving its arms and claws, almost engulfing her fair and young body.
“Fake, does it feel fun to use these stupid Naga to put on a show of power?”
Zyra smiled, saying in a relaxed, joyful, and slightly mocking tone: “Come to think of it, I have to thank you. If you had not sent these Naga, the sacrifices tonight might not have been enough.”
She snapped her fingers lightly.
The magic circle connected to the Shadow Outposts, which was spread throughout the castle, started simultaneously.
The suddenly bright purple light flashed and disappeared, then began to swallow all the surrounding light.
Rumble—!
The sound of building collapse and vibration came from above their heads and beneath their feet; the entire castle suddenly began to sink into the earth, as if it were being swallowed by its own shadow.
In just a short moment, the engulfing suddenly accelerated.
Everyone was staggered by a strong sense of weightlessness; the ground beneath their feet was constantly descending, making it impossible to stand firmly or find leverage.
Joen took action immediately, wanting to kill Zyra.
However, he threw a punch, and although it clearly penetrated the opponent’s body, it was like hitting a mass of shadows, having no effect.
He retracted his hand and looked at his own arm guards, lost in thought.
Just in that moment of delay, with a loud boom, everyone was shaken by the impact of the sudden landing, with only Joen standing firm as a mountain.
“Hahahahahaha!”
Zyra laughed wildly.
She felt the power surging from her chest, looked down at Joen, and a mocking smile curled at the corner of her mouth, feeling as if she were a god among men, the only emperor in this world.
“Tremble! Mortal! You should kneel and submit to me! Welcome the birth of the new King!”
Joen, however, had no time to pay attention to her.
Because just then, he turned his head suddenly and was shocked—the place where Liya was standing just now was empty!
“Who? Who could have stolen Liya silently right under my nose!”
“Hey! Mortal! What are you looking around for? Look at me! Look at me!”
Zyra was extremely dissatisfied with Joen’s reaction, her temples throbbing, her eyes turning red, feeling endless anger and fighting spirit surging in her heart.
But Joen still did not ignore her.
This big boy, who had lost his “companion,” was just looking around in a panic.
He searched the room, still finding nothing, then rushed to the balcony.
But just as he stepped out of the ballroom, he stopped abruptly—
Outside the window, 7 demon moons stood in the sky, like 7 huge eyes of different colors, distributed in different directions of the sky.
Under each demon moon, there stood a huge phantom that occupied the entire sky, facing the castle, like 7 gods standing tall and reaching the sky.
The appearance of those phantoms could not be seen clearly, only vaguely making Joen feel a sense of contradiction that was both blood-boiling and sickening.
They were staring at Joen.
Joen also silently swept his eyes across each of “them.”
There was no fear.
There was no hostility either.
Those gazes seemed to traverse the endless ages, truly falling upon each other.