Five zhang.
As they stepped into the range of the South Heaven Gate formation, a pillar of golden light descended from the sky, instantly dispelling their disguises.
All artifact barrages ceased.
Or rather, every Heavenly General was stunned.
Not just the Heavenly Generals—even the retreating demon army and the Skyward Legionnaires standing guard were stunned.
All the noise vanished.
Black dragon-hide boots slowed their steps, walking forward one stride at a time.
The entire battlefield froze in that instant. Everyone held their breath, watching the two figures move slowly forward.
Anna Yang covered her mouth, tears of joy streaming down her face.
Moments later, the demon army erupted in earth-shaking cheers!
......
In the Heavenly Dungeon, Marshal Silver stared blankly at the iron bars, listening to the cheers, pursing his lips, and smiling in a daze.
"Being a demon isn't so much worse than being a deity," he sighed softly.
There was a kind of clarity in his eyes, born from despair.
General Curtin stood beside him, face ashen.
......
In the imperial study of the High Sky Throne Hall, a child attendant said emotionlessly, "Celestial attendant Belle forged Lord Lao's letter, freed a condemned prisoner, rioted in Tusita Palace with the demon monkey, stole elixirs, and stole the Adamantine Ring—her crimes are grave. Your Majesty, please issue an immediate decree for her arrest."
The Jade Emperor listened with a blank expression, then smiled wryly and clicked his tongue in a long sigh.
......
The whole world fell silent.
"Keep firing—! What are you hesitating for!"
Another volley of arrows was released. The demon army had sprinted to within just fifty zhang of the Heavenly troops. At such close range, even heavy shields could hardly withstand the specialized arrows of the South Heaven Gate garrison. One after another, the demons discarded their shields and accelerated their charge.
Corpses littered the ground, all for a few precious moments of time.
At that moment, the Heavenly General at the front line suddenly realized that the enemy's fighting spirit was more resolute than ever before.
"General, retreat!" the adjutant beside him shouted loudly.
"No, no!" The Heavenly General clenched his fists nervously and shouted, "Our orders are to hold until the enemy collides with the shield wall! Until then, not a single step back!"
"The shield wall can't hold! Retreat, General! Once the shield walls collide, we'll all be dead!"
"Silence—!" The general drew his longsword and struck down the adjutant beside him. "You disrupt the morale! Any who retreat without orders will be executed!"
But this roar did not rally the troops; instead, it shattered their last bit of will.
The final volley of arrows was never fired. The archers broke ranks and fled.
The demons at the very front crashed into the Heavenly shield wall, colliding like two waves of clashing colors, rolling and surging. In an instant, the silver-white Heavenly shield wall was swallowed up.
"Holy Mother, the front line of South Heaven Gate has been breached by our army!" On the flagship, a demon general reported, bowing deeply.
"Very good." Anna Yang, wearing her veil, set down the Far-Seer and said softly, "Notify King Bullhorn. Have his Bullhorn Guard take the vanguard."
"Yes!"
In no time, only a swarming mass of black demon soldiers remained before South Heaven Gate, like an army of ants. The battle was over. But crossing South Heaven Gate was just the beginning of the real fight.
From the moment it opened, South Heaven Gate was a trap. Due to the formation’s constraints, demon artillery was almost useless here, and in the narrow passage, the demon army could not deploy enough numbers to gain an advantage.
Crossing South Heaven Gate meant the demon army would have to face attacks from both the sky and the ground at once...
...
Arrows rained down from the sky, turning swathes of demons into porcupines, yet more demons braved the arrow storm, surging forward to take their places, while Heavenly troops pressed in from three directions. In this multi-pronged slaughter, the demons’ lives were reaped like grass.
"Will we be able to push them back?" Nathan Young asked from the distant warship deck.
"So? Weren't you always longing to see him? Why don't you mention it now?" Lord Lao asked softly.
Birdie wiped away her tears, clutching her handkerchief and murmured, "I'm not the 'her' he wants. Whether I see him or not, what difference does it make?"
"Does it really matter whether you are or aren't?" Lord Lao replied with a sleepy smile.
...
The demons quickly parted to open a path.
He spread his arms, savoring the air of freedom, and strode forward step by step.
Wherever he went, demons dropped their weapons and knelt in salute.
"Welcome, our king!"
Passing by the five Demon Kings, Monkey patted each of their shoulders. "Well done. You've changed my view of you."
"Thank you, Great King!"
Even the Nine-Headed Wyrm thumped his chest and knelt awkwardly like the others. As Monkey brushed past, he grabbed the wyrm's shoulder and pulled him up.
"You never used to be so formal."
The Nine-Headed Wyrm grinned sheepishly.
Louis Quickpaw scrambled down from a warship and prostrated himself. "Long live our king! I apologize for arriving late..."
"Enough with the excuses!" Monkey hauled him up in one swift motion.
Shortbeak glided down, landing steadily before Monkey and kneeling on one knee. "Welcome, our king!"
"You've worked hard." Monkey gripped his shoulders and helped him up.
"Welcome, our king! Welcome, our king! Long live our king!"
The entire demon army outside South Heaven Gate roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.
Monkey led his core officers through the surging army, leaping onto the flagship deck. At the main hall doors, Isabel Su and Blackie knelt on one knee: "Welcome, our king's return."
Monkey waved for them to rise, straightened his already tattered clothes, took a deep breath, pressed his lips together, and broke into a smile.
He pushed open the doors. Anna, in full battle armor and now without her veil, rushed forward and threw her arms around him.
"I thought you’d never come back…" She buried her face in Monkey’s chest.
Monkey wiped away her tears and said, "How could it be so easy? Didn’t I say I’m immortal? It’s been nearly a hundred years. You’ve had it tough."
They gazed at each other for a long time, then both broke into joyful laughter.
Outside the hall, the demon army’s shouts continued in waves, shaking Heaven and earth, as if constantly proclaiming the rise of the demon race.
After more than a hundred years, they finally made it to this day.
Having defeated the Celestial Army, they no longer needed to hide.
One by one, demons knelt before South Heaven Gate, knelt on the deck, howling and roaring, weeping with joy.
Li Jing slowly walked out of South Heaven Gate, stared in stunned silence at the overwhelming scene, and after a long time, silently turned and left.
...
In the High Sky Throne Hall, the Jade Emperor sat emotionless at his dragon desk, staring at the empty hall, rubbing his thumb ring over and over, silent for a long time. The heavens have truly changed.