The maid squad is too strong, what use is there for me, the Demon King?

Outside the barrier, the atmosphere was heavy.

Sita stopped the other servants from continuing their futile attempts, while Aita idly flicked her tail, her eyes fixed on the inside of the barrier, trying to catch a glimpse of Gray. The old village chief and the hunters were even more worried; with each passing second, their anxiety increased.

Sudden--

The purplish-black rune chain, which had been flowing steadily and radiating a powerful energy fluctuation that kept people at a distance, suddenly stopped for a moment without warning.

Immediately afterwards, the light of all the runes dimmed at an alarming speed, and the energy structure that constituted the barrier itself contracted and disintegrated inward like a receding tide, and the suffocating sense of oppression also dissipated rapidly.

In the blink of an eye, the indestructible absolute barrier, which even an eighth-level attendant could not budge an inch from, vanished before everyone's eyes, as if it had never existed.

It revealed a wide, unobstructed passage leading to the interior of the Silent Royal Court, and... Gray's figure standing quietly at the entrance of the passage.

He kept his hand pressed down for a moment, then slowly withdrew it, looking calmly at his subordinates outside who were somewhat taken aback by the sudden change.

"...The barrier...the barrier has disappeared?!" A low-ranking servant exclaimed in disbelief.

"It's Lord Shadow!" Aita's cat ears perked up instantly, her golden eyes lit up, and she was the first to react, "Lord Shadow must have taken care of it! Meow!"

A look of understanding and deep awe flashed in Sita's eyes. She took the lead in kneeling on one knee and bowing her head, saying, "Welcome back, Lord Shadow Demon!" Upon seeing this, the other servants immediately followed suit and bowed in unison.

The old village chief and the hunters were dumbfounded. They couldn't understand why the terrifying barrier had suddenly disappeared, but the fact before their eyes undoubtedly proved the power of the Demon King once again, and they hurriedly knelt down in fear.

Gray's indifferent gaze swept over the crowd, and he spoke calmly, his voice clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"The barrier has been removed."

"Sita, Aita, bring a few people with you and come in. The rest of you, stay outside and keep watch. Do not enter without orders."

"Yes, Lord Shadow!" Sita and Aita responded immediately.

Etta excitedly flashed to Gray's side, curiously examining the interior revealed after the barrier disappeared. Sita, meanwhile, ordered two waiters and quickly followed.

Gray turned and led the way into the depths of the ancient royal court, which had already opened itself to him. His steps were steady, and the dark purple bracelet on his wrist shimmered with a barely perceptible glow in the dim light.

The barrier vanished silently, and Gray turned around, his gaze sweeping over the respectfully waiting Sita and the eager Eita.

"Come with me."

He spoke succinctly and took the lead into the Demon King's castle, which had been silent for millennia. Sita and Eita immediately followed behind, while the two chosen servants silently guarded the entrance.

The air in the city was stagnant and ancient. Huge columns stood tall, and the broken dome cast dappled light and shadow. Everything was frozen in time, except for the sound of their footsteps echoing in the empty hall.

Inside a relatively intact side hall, Gray stopped. He raised his hand, revealing a seemingly simple dark purple bracelet on his wrist.

"The Demon King's Sword is sealed within this object."

Sita and Eta's gazes instantly focused on the bracelet. They could feel the terrifying, chilling energy contained within it, but Gray's next words truly changed their expressions.

“It is a blade forged by our ancestors by gathering the fortune of a thousand years,” he continued, his words extremely concise, “its power may even be able to kill a god.”

"A thousand years of destiny?!" A rare look of shock appeared on Sita's usually icy face. As a descendant of the Demon King's marshal, she understood better than Aita the almost unimaginable weight and causal accumulation behind those few words. This sudden fact far exceeded any of her expectations.

"Meow?! God-killer?!" Aita exclaimed in shock, her cat ears standing straight up and her golden eyes wide open, clearly stunned by the direct impact of this target.

She only instinctively felt that Lord Shadow was about to do something big, but she never expected it to be such a momentous event.

Their surprise lay in the sudden revelation of this vast, tangible legacy and ultimate goal itself.

As for concepts like god-slaying and the "celestial realm"... since they came from Lord Shadow's mouth, and since it was his decision to do them, then for them, it became a task that needed to be completed naturally, and there was no need to be alarmed by it. Their loyalty and trust had long surpassed the realm of common sense.

Without pausing, Gray directly stated the key limitations and dilemmas: "However, this sword has limited energy, like water without roots, capable of only unleashing one strike. After that, the accumulation of millennia will all be lost. Moreover... to slay a god, one must ascend to heaven. The path to the [Heavenly Realm] has been severed; you must find the method yourself."

Upon hearing "only one sword strike" and "the path to heaven is blocked," the surprise on Sita and Aita's faces quickly turned into extreme solemnity. They immediately understood the difficulty and harshness involved; this was by no means an easy task.

Sita quickly suppressed the initial shock, her mind racing as she grasped the core issue. She replied in a deep voice, "We understand Your Majesty's intentions. Our priority now is to use this Silent Royal Court as a foundation to search for any ancient documents or relics that may record the secrets of 'ascension to heaven.'" Her gaze was already fixed on the dusty ancient corridors and closed doors around her, assessing the search plan.

"Meow! Only one cut... That's really harsh, meow..." Aita flicked her tail, regaining her composure, a sharp, eager smile appearing on her face. "But it's alright! If we can't find a path, we'll fight our way through! Don't worry, Your Majesty, I'll take care of finding things and fighting!"

Gray's gaze swept over the magnificent yet dilapidated hall and into the deeper darkness.

“If there is no answer here,” his voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable determination, “then I will traverse the entire world, searching through all the ruins. Until I find the path to ‘ascend to heaven’.”

"Sita, you take the lead. Organize a team and begin searching for all information in this area immediately. No clue should be overlooked."

"Aita, assist Theta, be alert for any remaining traps or guardian mechanisms."

"Yes, Lord Shadow!" Sita knelt on one knee to accept the order, her eyes sharp, already in the zone. "Understood, Lord Shadow!" Aita replied with equal enthusiasm.

With the order given, Gray stood with his hands behind his back. Sita and Eita, without further delay, immediately turned and swiftly disappeared into the shadows deep within the royal court, beginning the first step in this monumental act of god-slaying.

The enormous palace fell silent once more, leaving only Gray alone amidst the dust of ages past, the container on his wrist weighing an immense weight.