A black eagle spread its wings, gliding through the clouds. The tips of its feathers brushed against the wind and trembled gently.
Rising higher, it gazed out over a sky full of stars.
Tilting its body, it dove into the sea of clouds. In the next instant, the mist scattered, and the boundless earth appeared below.
Sweeping over mountains and plains, soaring all the way, the eagle soon landed on a massive rock atop a peak. Its form flickered, transforming into its demon shape, and it knelt on one knee.
Before him, the bright moon illuminated the land. Erik Yang, dressed in a scholar's white robe, stood tall in the wind, gazing upward.
His sleeves fluttered gracefully in the breeze.
"Reporting, True Lord." Skypride spoke, "The Jade Emperor has issued an edict, promising great rewards and ordering that within five years the major demon powers marked in the mortal world be largely purged. Eastrealm and the Southern Lands will be handled by the South Heaven Gate, with the Four Heavenly Kings fully prepared to march. Northern Jambu and the Western Ox Continent will be dealt with from Cloudrealm Sky Harbor, and Marshal Silver has stationed three hundred thousand troops at Western Cloudwatch Harbor. Soon, war will break out."
"Understood." Erik Yang nodded silently, his gaze still fixed on the moon. He took a deep breath and exhaled, the mist of his breath drifting away in the moonlight.
After a long while, he asked softly, "Is Anna Yang still at Blossom Mountain?"
"She is," Skypride replied, glancing up at Erik Yang before lowering his head. "The Lady is there as well."
"Ao Cunxin?" Erik Yang was taken aback for a moment, then lowered his head and asked, "Why is Ao Cunxin at Blossom Mountain as well?"
"It seems that Skyhowl told the Lady that the Third Saintess was at Blossom Mountain, so..."
Erik Yang fell silent. His face, as if covered in millennia-old ice, betrayed no emotion; his gaze was as calm as still water, yet his once steady breathing grew slightly more rapid.
He stood there in a daze for a long time, his lips moving slightly as he sighed softly, "Ao Cunxin is at Blossom Mountain too... Has the South Heaven Gate made any plans against Blossom Mountain?"
"Blossom Mountain has not yet been listed as a target. However, the Heavenly Marshal Corps has already dispatched Skyward Rangers to patrol Eastrealm, so they may soon take notice. True Lord, should I notify the Lady to leave as soon as possible?"
Erik Yang sighed faintly and raised his head, saying, "If she knows I am the one asking her to leave, she will be even less willing to go. Never mind—keep a close watch on Heaven's movements, and report immediately if anything unusual happens. I will pay a visit to Blossom Mountain myself."
"Yes, sir."
Skypride cupped his hands in salute, then turned and transformed back into a great eagle, soaring toward the horizon.
Once again, only Erik Yang remained atop the massive rock, standing alone beneath the bright moon.
...