Before Shushan's Mountain Gate, dense ranks of figures filled the entire Welcome Immortals Terrace.
Morning light spilled across the white jade steps, reflecting a gentle warmth. Thousands of Shushan Disciples wore matching azure robes, arranged in neat formations by seniority and sequence rank.
At the very front stood the people of Changqing Peak.
Willow Wood had received word early. Before dawn, he had brought every disciple on Changqing Peak who could still move to the Welcome Immortals Terrace. Qing Yang, Shi Tian, Wang Yang, Ran Hua, and Lin Yuan stood in a row, necks craned, eyes fixed without blinking on the western horizon.
Xiaoqian huddled behind Ran Hua. Her translucent body flickered in and out of sight in the morning light, her wide eyes full of anxiety.
Black Bear and Xuan Snake, two demon kings, crouched on either side of the Welcome Immortals Terrace like gate guardians, looking more than ten times as alert as usual.
"They're here!"
Qing Yang was the first to spot the Bronze Warship. He sprang up and pointed at the black speck swelling rapidly against the western sky.
"It's Master's warship! I can see Shushan's banner!"
The whole Welcome Immortals Terrace erupted.
Thousands of disciples cheered as one, their voices rolling through the peaks of Shushan.
The Bronze Warship broke through the clouds and slowly descended onto the open ground before the terrace.
The hatch opened.
Daoist Chen Yuan stepped out first, his horsetail whisk resting in the crook of his arm, his expression calm. Bai Wuya followed close behind, silver spear slung across his back, white robes snapping in the wind, looking as devil-may-care as ever. Liu Ye, Liu Ruyan, Jian Zhenzi, Luofu Tian... they emerged from the hatch one after another.
The crowd's gaze swept over each face, then darted eagerly to the