At this very moment, the Heavenly Court's once-absolute control over the Three Realms has utterly vanished. Its reputation is in ruins, with nothing left to speak of.
During this period, no one is happier than the demons of the mortal world.
After their disastrous defeat in the Western Ox Continent, the Six Western Demon Kings swiftly returned to their own domains, rallied their forces, and reestablished their rule. All of Heaven’s gains in the Western Ox Continent were instantly erased.
Blossom Mountain’s power also surged during this time, expanding rapidly in both cultivation and scale.
Without the suppression of the Heavenly Fleet, similar stories played out everywhere across the mortal world.
As for the Skyward Rangers, even if they discover a demon stronghold, no great army will come to their aid. Instead, they themselves are likely to be slain by powerful demons they encounter, for no demon now fears that killing a Heavenly Court patrol will bring down Heaven’s wrath.
No one could have imagined that a single affair of love would usher in a springtime for demons.
The Marshal Silver case remains unresolved. Five days—this is not merely a matter of the immortals’ patience; even the Jade Emperor himself is nearing his limit.
One day in Heaven is equal to one year in the mortal world.
How much can happen in five years?
In five years, the Monkey King could advance from the Spirit-Focusing Realm to the Spirit-Transformation Realm—twice.
A songstress, a marshal, a fated romance on the Moon Tree—cases the Heavenly Court has handled countless times over millennia—now leave this mighty ruler of the Three Realms exhausted and scrambling, driven to its limits.
All military forces are massed outside the South Heaven Gate. Heaven’s sword and Heaven’s shield stand in a tense standoff, where the slightest misstep could stain the South Heaven Gate with blood. Such a grand confrontation has never occurred since the dawn of creation.
Four days slipped by in silence.
During these four days, the Heavenly Fleet continued its daily battle cries, while the South Heaven Gate’s defenders remained fearful and unwilling to fight. Anti–Marshal Silver factions roamed the court, trying to recruit the previously neutral immortals, preparing to force the Jade Emperor to condemn Marshal Silver once the five-day limit was reached. The Jade Emperor, meanwhile, stopped holding open court and instead met privately with more than a dozen immortals.
On the fourth night, in the depths of the Heavenly Prison.
A gray floor, a pitch-black ceiling, and braziers on iron stands burning with a crackling fire, casting everything in a dim, reddish glow.
Inside the spacious, empty cell, Marshal Silver knelt in silence.
Iron chains pierced through his shoulders, blood seeping out and dyeing his white robe crimson. His head hung low, hair disheveled, his face expressionless.
On the other side of the iron bars, in the wide corridor, a solitary high-backed chair stood. The Jade Emperor sat quietly, with General Curtain at his side.