High above the sky, a Silver Chariot of the Heavenly Marshal Corps drifted slowly through the clouds. The three Skyward Rangers aboard kept their eyes fixed on the mortal world below.
Whenever their altitude dropped, the Ranger holding the reins would tug slightly, lifting them higher again.
More than six hundred years had passed since the Heavenly Court’s glory days. Scouting close to the ground was something only the older generation of Skyward Rangers dared attempt. The current Rangers mostly stuck to high altitudes, glancing down only briefly—especially over demon-infested regions. It was just a formality, something to report when they returned. Whether they discovered anything no longer mattered to them.
One of the Rangers suddenly froze, then pointed forward with his hand.
Following the direction he indicated, the other two Rangers saw a figure streaking across the sky at incredible speed, slicing the thick clouds cleanly in two.
"Is that... Erik Yang?" one of the Rangers exclaimed, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
"No way! Hasn't he been holed up at Guang River Estuary all these years? What could he possibly be up to now?"
"Should we report this to our superiors?"
"Forget it. The current Emperor isn’t like the old days—no one’s watching Guang River Estuary that closely anymore."
"True enough. These days, if it’s not our business, best to stay out of it."
Just as the Ranger at the reins was about to turn the chariot around and head home, a sudden gale struck, flipping the entire chariot!
The two celestial steeds broke free of their reins—whether they ran off or were blown away, no one knew; they vanished instantly. The chariot itself plummeted straight down toward the mortal realm.
When the gale passed, the three Skyward Rangers, flung violently from the chariot, finally managed to steady themselves—each one looking pale and shaken.
"Just now... what was that?"
"No idea. It looked like... someone carrying another person."
"Someone in monk’s robes?"
"This is bad!" At that moment, the third Ranger—who’d been silent—suddenly screamed, pointing behind them.
They whipped around to see a dense swarm of something rushing toward them, like a cloud of bees.
As the 'swarm' drew near, all three Skyward Rangers froze in shock. What they saw was a vast host of demons—a huge crowd!
For a moment, their minds went blank. One of them even lost his grip, dropping the lance he held in his palm.
Yet what they expected did not happen. This vast host of demons was not here to kill them. The demons didn’t even glance their way, sweeping past without a pause. In an instant, they had vanished beyond the horizon.
Only now did the three finally come to their senses, each one trembling uncontrollably.
"What just happened... I think I saw King Bullhorn, and... General Curtain... Marshal Silver..."
"Up front—that was the Monkey! They’re all heading the same way as Erik Yang! Quick, report to His Majesty! Report to His Majesty!" one of them shrieked.
......
On the parade ground of Qi Tian Palace, the Six-Eared Macaque gripped Anna Yang’s hand tightly, gazing eastward. No matter how she struggled, she couldn’t break free.
At this moment, the entire parade ground was deserted—not a single soldier remained. Outside the palace, thick smoke billowed skyward; Lionback Kingdom looked as if it had just survived a war, or was still in the midst of one. Some ran and wept, others groaned in pain. Raging flames devoured half the city, while King Roc’s demon troops continued to burn, kill, and loot.
Six-Eared Macaque paid no attention to any of it, simply tilting his head to gaze coldly at the eastern horizon, a mocking smile on his lips.
"What exactly are you trying to do? Can’t you see Lionback Kingdom is already destroyed?"
"Isn’t this exactly what you wanted to see?"