At this moment, news of the earth-shaking battle erupting on the Western Ox Continent was already spreading like snowflakes—passing through the countless cultivators living in Longevity City, carried by the Skyward Rangers patrolling overhead, and drifting toward all corners of the Three Realms.
Inside South Heaven Gate, ranks of armored soldiers stood in grim formation—hundreds of thousands of troops, all on high alert.
In the imperial study, the Jade Emperor’s heart was in his throat. Edict after edict urged the Skyward Marshal Office to clarify the situation, and the Internal Affairs Bureau was pressed again and again to contact the Three Pure Ones and Subhuti.
Yet, almost no reply came back.
Vaguely, the Jade Emperor felt the dragon throne he had occupied for over six hundred years was growing unstable. Looking out over his court, he saw only timid officials and celestial ministers—none able to make a decisive move.
What was going on? Hadn’t all his demands been met before? Why had that demon monkey suddenly launched an attack again?
Was it because last time the gift was given too late?
No, that can’t be right. When General Lee returned, he even said the demon monkey had asked him to search for the fugitive Curtain General. If Monkey wanted to break ties, he would have done it then—why wait until now? The Jade Emperor was utterly baffled.
If it were a routine matter, as long as there was no sign the threat was aimed directly at Heaven, it could be set aside without worry. But the blood of the previous Jade Emperor from six hundred years ago had barely dried; now, with the demon monkey acting like this, how could Edward Zhang possibly rest easy?
Staring at the crowd of ministers bowing their heads low, the Jade Emperor gritted his teeth and quietly asked General Lee at his side, "If this demon monkey advances one step, must I retreat one step?"
General Lee kept his head down and did not answer.
As a senior commander of Heaven’s armies, General Lee’s silence meant that the remaining dozen or so high-ranking ministers of the Heavenly Court fell silent as well.
The throne is a burden; to be Jade Emperor of Heaven is the hardest burden of all. By now, this was common knowledge among the Heavenly Court.
After glaring at the gathered immortals for several rounds, the Jade Emperor slammed his palm on the dragon table, pointed angrily at the crowd, and roared: “What solutions do you have? Speak! Good or bad, I want to hear them all! Today, you must speak—silence is forbidden! If anyone refuses, leave your official hat behind. If you lack courage to charge into battle and cannot offer counsel, what use are you?”
After the tirade, the immortals exchanged uneasy glances.
After a long pause, Old Man Longevity stammered, "Your Majesty, for now, we should first clarify what has happened before making any decision."
“Clarify?” The Jade Emperor snorted coldly. “I’ve already issued twelve imperial decrees to the Skyward Patrol. What have those cowards done? They don’t even dare get close for reconnaissance. If a real battle breaks out, can we count on them to defend Heaven?”
The Jade Emperor nearly shouted these words through gritted teeth, just short of flipping the table.
All fifteen Heavenly Court officials present lowered their heads, none daring to speak.
“Report—!”
Just then, a Heavenly Soldier rushed in from outside the door, dropped to one knee, and declared in a clear voice, "Reporting to His Majesty: urgent news from the Sky Patrol Bureau! The battle at Longevity Mountain has subsided."
"What? It's over?" The celestial generals and immortals all turned to look at the Heavenly Soldier, their faces full of disbelief.
Edward Zhang, the Jade Emperor, slowly rose to his feet and pointed sternly at the Heavenly Soldier, demanding, "What happened? Report at once!"
The Heavenly Soldier clasped his hands and replied, "Reporting to His Majesty: someone has appeared on the demon monkey's side and is now negotiating with Zhenyuan. That person seems to be... seems to be..."
"Who?"
The Heavenly Soldier bowed low and said cautiously, "According to the senior Heavenly Generals present, that person appears to be the reincarnation of the former Grand Marshal of the Heavenly River Navy—Marshal Silver."
At this, all the immortals present were stunned, exchanging bewildered glances.
"Marshal Silver... How is this possible?"
Even Edward Zhang, the Jade Emperor, was momentarily at a loss, his eyes darting back and forth in confusion.
After a brief silence, Edward Zhang's finger trembled as he pointed at the Heavenly Soldier and barked, "Investigate! Investigate! Investigate—! Get me a full report!"
With a roar, Edward Zhang flung the paperweight from his dragon desk at the Heavenly Soldier. Terrified, the soldier scrambled out of the imperial study, forgetting even to acknowledge the order.
At that very moment, ten thousand miles from Longevity Mountain, Louis Quickpaw had already rallied his troops and was preparing to march on Longevity Mountain.
Meanwhile, on the Western Ox Continent, King Bullhorn—who was much closer to Monkey—was left reeling by the sudden news.
He tried to appear calm on his throne, but kept dispatching spies toward Longevity Mountain, his anxious expression betraying him.
What on earth was happening? Had the Great Sage and Zhenyuan come to blows? Was there some old grudge between them? Could this be the continuation of a feud from six hundred years ago?
If so, would everything from six hundred years ago repeat itself once more?
With limited intelligence, King Bullhorn had no clear understanding of any of it. Yet the most pressing question for him was... should he choose a side now?
He was just as uneasy about this question, with no answer in sight, and so remained indecisive.
"Father need not worry. In my view, this is a golden opportunity." Among the demon generals, Red Boy stepped forward and saluted. "If the demon monkey wins, we can seize the moment to appear—even if late, it would show we meant to aid him. If the demon monkey falters, we simply hold our ground. Should he lose again, the demon monkey will be finished, and our current predicament will be resolved as well."