The fifth day—dawn.
Before sunlight touches the earth, in a deserted, shadowy alley, Marshal Silver clutches his wounded shoulder, suppressing the pain, and is hurriedly supported by General Curtain.
“Will General Lee really let us out through the South Heaven Gate? If I weren’t injured, forcing our way out from inside wouldn’t be a problem. But now you’re trying to take me out together…” Marshal Silver glanced coolly at General Curtain. “Can you pull it off?”
“Relax. We have backup.”
“Backup?”
“That’s right!”
Exiting the alley, General Curtain loops Marshal Silver’s arm behind his own neck and lifts him onto his shoulder, channeling spiritual power and soaring into the air.
......
The Jade Emperor sits upon the dragon throne in the High Sky Throne Hall.
“Your Majesty!” Grandmaster White walks to the center aisle, drawing the attention of all the immortals.
He clasps his hands and looks steadily at the Jade Emperor, speaking slowly: “The five-day deadline has arrived, Your Majesty. Grandmaster Lao has not yet returned. We implore Your Majesty to make an early decision regarding Marshal Silver!”
“No rush, no rush.” The Jade Emperor waves his hand and smiles faintly. “The sun hasn’t risen; the time hasn’t come. Let us finish other matters before discussing this.”
The immortals exchange puzzled glances, unable to understand.
......
Landing at a distance, the two hurry toward the South Heaven Gate, slipping through the shadows between military barracks.
A patrol squad passes by at the distant street corner; the two duck into a nearby alley.
Another patrol squad, wings flapping, sweeps overhead and vanishes into the shadows of the buildings.
They move in silence, hidden all the way.
“Who’s there? Identify yourselves!” a shout rings out from behind them.
Before they can turn, a flash of silver light streaks past the necks of the six guards, knocking them all unconscious.
“World Ring?” Marshal Silver’s eyes widened in surprise.
The silver light circles once in the sky, then lands steadily in the hand of a small figure standing atop the roof.
World Ring, Celestial Sash, Flame Spear, lotus-patterned armor, and a red mark at the brow—Nathan Young!
He lowers his head, gives Marshal Silver a cool glance, leaps down from the roof, and swiftly comes over to help, placing Marshal Silver’s other arm across his own shoulder.
“Hurry! That shouting will bring a whole battalion any moment.”
“Why are you helping me?” Marshal Silver asked.
Nathan Young cast a cold glance at Marshal Silver, face expressionless. “Grandmaster White wants you cast down to the mortal world. But I’ve staked a thousand Gold Essence that you’ll be thrown into the Beast Path. I can’t let him have the satisfaction.”
Marshal Silver paused, then smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. The odds are a hundred to one—I’m just worried about my hundred thousand Gold Essence.”
The two of them, supporting Marshal Silver, sprinted toward the South Heaven Gate as chaos erupted behind them.
The alarm whistles were already sounding.
The South Heaven Gate garrison, roused from sleep, began to converge—countless heavenly soldiers and generals, darkening the sky.
All along the way, Nathan Young hurled his World Ring again and again, knocking down every heavenly soldier who blocked their path—none could stop him.
Behind them, the shouts and curses of the pursuing troops drew ever closer, while the South Heaven Gate loomed ahead.
“What demon dares trespass through the South Heaven Gate!”
A thunderous shout rang out. Nathan Young halted and slowly turned, raising his gaze.
In the distance, four figures rode the clouds toward them: King Virūḍhaka with his pipa, King Warren South with a sword, King Wide-Eye with a crimson dragon, and King Dōmyō with a jeweled parasol—the Four Heavenly Kings, all together!
Marshal Silver stepped forward, but Nathan Young reached out and blocked him.
Placing himself in front of Marshal Silver, Nathan Young turned his face slightly, his gaze never leaving the Four Heavenly Kings. He said calmly, “It’s my duty shift today. My men already control the gate. I’ll hold them off—you two go, and hurry. If all four attack at once, I won’t last long.”
General Curtain nodded silently, hoisted Marshal Silver onto his back, and sprinted toward the South Heaven Gate.
The Four Heavenly Kings, rushing in, saw General Curtain sprinting toward the South Heaven Gate with Marshal Silver on his back, and Nathan Young, cold and impassive, blocking their way atop his Wind-Fire Wheels. Their eyes widened in shock.
“Third Prince…”
Nathan Young’s brow furrowed; flames erupted all around him. He unleashed his Celestial Sash and World Ring, raised his Flame Spear, and pointed it at the Four Heavenly Kings, shouting, “Enough talk! It’s been ages since I had a good fight—come on!”
......
In the High Sky Throne Hall, Grandmaster White turned, looking out through the palace doors at the faint light rising in the east. He bowed and said, “Your Majesty, the time has come.”
“Very well.” The Jade Emperor still smiled faintly, tossing aside the memorial he’d been reading. “Let’s discuss the matter, then.”
......
A ray of sunlight illuminated the land, the plaque above the High Sky Throne Hall, the South Heaven Gate, and the countless warships of the Heavenly Fleet outside the gate, massed like a swarm of locusts.
The light of steadfastness finally dispelled the darkness.
The massive South Heaven Gate slowly opened a narrow gap.
On deck, every soldier of the Heavenly Fleet stared wide-eyed.
Marshal Silver, clutching his wounded shoulder, stepped out of the gate, each step a struggle.
A solitary figure.
A breeze swept by, tossing his disheveled hair and revealing a haggard face—white robe stained with blood, but still standing.
“Mar…Marshal! It’s the Marshal!” The first soldier to recover his senses shouted wildly, pounding his armored chest and dropping to one knee.
“It really is the Marshal! It’s really him!”
“The Marshal is safe—!”
“The Marshal has returned!”
Every soldier roared in hysterical joy.
Every deck erupted in celebration.
Every soldier dropped to one knee.
The horns sounded, the war drums thundered.
“Welcome the Marshal home safe! Welcome the Marshal home safe! Welcome the Marshal home safe!”
The unified cries rang to the highest heavens, shaking the world.
The Waveblade Banner fluttered in the wind.
The endless fleet—this world-shaking fleet, revered across the Three Realms—at this moment, every soldier was in tears.
“Welcome the Marshal home safe! Welcome the Marshal home safe! Welcome the Marshal home safe!”
The words echoed endlessly, silent sobs mingling with the heartbreak that words could not express.
Standing on the open ground, Marshal Silver faced the wind, looked up, and gazed at the boundless fleet.
“Who led the way?” he asked in a hoarse voice.
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Silence.
General Trent trembled, choking with emotion, and stepped forward. He knelt on the deck and bowed his head. “It was I, sir—please punish me!”
Every soldier knelt on both knees, bowing their heads. “Please punish us, Marshal!”
Inside the South Heaven Gate, the celestial guards stared in disbelief at the scene—the Heavenly Fleet soldiers they’d so feared these past days, all six hundred thousand of them, armored like wolves and tigers, now kneeling and begging forgiveness, tears streaming down their faces.
All because of one man’s words.
This is Marshal Silver’s Heavenly Fleet—his alone!
A thousand years—step by step, he earned their loyalty, their honesty, their sense of justice. Even if Heaven never recognized him, he had his Heavenly Fleet, his alone!
Alone among the immortals in the High Sky Throne Hall, Marshal Silver was never truly alone!
Marshal Silver’s eyes reddened. Choking up, he said, “The ringleader: two hundred lashes, one year in reflection. The rest: one year’s pay docked, as a warning. Never let this happen again…”