"Lord of the Martial Star, during my absence, I entrust the Divine Strategy Army to you," Xu Fang said, now dressed in fresh robes and looking composed, as he addressed the Lord of the Martial Star, who had hurried over to the Divine General's residence.

  "General, where are you going?" The Lord of the Martial Star was taken aback. The entire Divine Strategy Army, including himself, had been deeply impressed by Xu Fang's leadership.

  This Demon-Slaying Divine General, who hadn't been in the Heavenly Court for long, had managed to win the hearts of every single one of the thirty thousand celestial soldiers under his command.

  Hearing Xu Fang's words now, the Lord of the Martial Star, who had been preparing to rally the troops for a potential rebellion, was completely stunned. Had Xu Fang been demoted by the Jade Emperor? Was he no longer allowed to remain in the Heavenly Court?

  If that were the case, why not gather the troops and rebel outright?

  The Lord of the Martial Star was confident that with the current strength of the thirty thousand Divine Strategy troops, the other celestial soldiers wouldn't stand a chance against them.

  "After the battle in the Northern Uttarakuru Continent, although I was fortunate enough to break through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, I still sustained injuries. Therefore, I requested leave from the Jade Emperor to descend to the mortal realm to recuperate and stabilize my cultivation. The Jade Emperor is aware of this and has granted his approval. If anything major happens in the camp, you can come to Mount Hua to find me. There's no need to worry."

  Seeing the concern in the Lord of the Martial Star's eyes, Xu Fang felt a warmth in his heart. Although Master Bodhi had warned him that human hearts were difficult to fathom, he still had a few people he could trust. At the very least, he felt relatively at ease with the Divine Strategy Army.

  "How long will you be gone, General? When will you return?" The Lord of the Martial Star's heart eased slightly as he asked this.

  "I'm not sure, but I will definitely return within a few decades at most."

  After saying this, Xu Fang instructed the Lord of the Martial Star to return to the camp. Currently, aside from Xu Fang, it was practically impossible for anyone in the Divine Strategy Army to take a break and return to their own residences.

  However, the perceptive Lord of the Martial Star sensed Xu Fang's intentions. One day in heaven was equivalent to a year on earth. A few decades on earth would only be a few dozen days in heaven. Today happened to be the day Lord Lao Zi officially began refining Sun Wukong in the furnace, and the timing—just a few dozen days—seemed too coincidental to be accidental.

  But even if he knew, the Lord of the Martial Star wouldn't say anything. All he needed to do was ensure that when Xu Fang returned, he would hand over an army ready for battle.

  After sending the Lord of the Martial Star back, Xu Fang left the Divine General's residence. Descending to the mortal realm was real, and stabilizing his cultivation was also real. The only thing that was an excuse was the need to recuperate from injuries.

  "General, are you descending again?" Mo Li Qing, one of the Four Heavenly Kings guarding the South Heavenly Gate, greeted Xu Fang as he hurriedly passed by.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  "Yes, with the Jade Emperor's permission, I'm descending for a while," Xu Fang nodded. It was Mo Li Qing's duty to guard the South Heavenly Gate, and he had no reason to pry further.

  After leaving the South Heavenly Gate, Xu Fang transformed into a rainbow and headed straight for Mount Hua, where Yang Chan resided.

  When he arrived at Mount Hua, he couldn't help but be captivated by the scenery. The serene beauty of the mountains and rivers rivaled that of the Flower-Fruit Mountain. Although it wasn't in the Heavenly Court, it was no less than a paradise. No wonder so many cultivators chose to settle in famous mountains and rivers—they were practically no different from the immortal realms.

  "Who goes there? Huh? Senior Brother Xu!"

  As soon as Xu Fang landed, Yang Chan rushed out from Mount Hua. Her initial stern expression immediately softened upon seeing Xu Fang, and her beautiful eyes widened in surprise.

  "Junior Sister Yang, it's been a while," Xu Fang greeted her. Although they had met not long ago in the Heavenly Court, the difference in the flow of time between the two realms meant that several years had passed for Yang Chan.

  "Senior Brother Xu, you really came! Come, let's go inside!" Yang Chan was overjoyed and quickly led Xu Fang into Mount Hua. She was so afraid that Xu Fang would leave soon that she didn't dare ask how long he planned to stay.

  "Hahaha, no rush, no rush. I've come to Mount Hua to recuperate, so I'll have plenty of time," Xu Fang laughed.

  Hearing this, Yang Chan's face flushed slightly, clearly misunderstanding Xu Fang's intentions.

  Xu Fang noticed her reaction and felt a bit awkward, but he chose not to explain. Sometimes, explanations only made things more complicated.

  Inside the cave dwelling on Mount Hua, Yang Chan served Xu Fang fragrant tea. Ao Tingxin, who had been in seclusion, also abandoned her cultivation upon hearing of Xu Fang's arrival.

  "Divine General Xu, what brings you to the mortal realm?" Ao Tingxin had been staying on Mount Hua and was completely unaware of the events surrounding Sun Wukong. Yang Chan hadn't mentioned anything to her, making her an outsider to the situation.

  "I recently broke through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, so I requested leave from the Jade Emperor to descend and stabilize my cultivation," Xu Fang explained simply. In fact, with Ao Tingxin here, things might actually be easier to handle.

  "Senior Brother Xu has broken through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm? That's truly worth celebrating!" Yang Chan's eyes sparkled with joy. She had known of Xu Fang's extraordinary talent since their time at Mount Fangcun, but his rapid advancement to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm still surprised her.

  Moreover, now that Xu Fang had reached the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, his abilities were no less than those of her second brother, Yang Jian. This realization sparked a newfound determination in Yang Chan to cultivate harder.

  "If I don't work hard, what if I'm not good enough for Senior Brother Xu?"

  Yang Chan's initial joy was quickly replaced by this troubling thought. Xu Fang noticed her hesitation and asked, "Junior Sister Yang, is something wrong?"

  "Ah? No, nothing!" Yang Chan stammered, drawing a teasing remark from Ao Tingxin.

  "You're always thinking about him, but now that he's here, you're too shy to say anything, aren't you?"

  "Shut up, you!" Yang Chan glared at her, then glanced nervously at Xu Fang.

  Xu Fang, however, acted as if he hadn't heard anything, calmly sipping his tea without a word. His attitude left Yang Chan both relieved and slightly disappointed.

  "Senior Brother Xu, since you're here, why not stay on Mount Hua for a while? There are vacant cave dwellings here, and you're welcome to choose any of them," Yang Chan said, trying to break the awkward silence.

  "Of course. But Fourth Princess, I must trouble you with something," Xu Fang nodded. Where he stayed didn't matter much, but he turned to Ao Tingxin, knowing that she was the most suitable person to contact Erlang Shen.

  "Divine General Xu, please speak," Ao Tingxin responded eagerly.

  "Could you please go to the Mouth of Guan River and invite Erlang Shen to come here?" Xu Fang requested.

  "You want to find my second brother? I can do that!" Yang Chan exclaimed excitedly upon hearing this.

  "No, Junior Sister Yang, it's not appropriate for you to go," Xu Fang shook his head. He couldn't be sure whether those in the Heavenly Court were keeping an eye on Mount Hua.

  If he had just arrived at Mount Hua and Yang Chan went to invite Erlang Shen, no one would believe that it had nothing to do with him.