"Awards Ceremony," and a Sudden Turn of Events!

On Index Finger Peak of Five Finger Mountain, beneath the shade of an unnamed immortal tree, Yin Kuang and the others met the legendary Jade Emperor, the ruler of this world of The Forbidden Kingdom.

Just like in the movie, he was an elderly man with white hair, white brows, and a white beard, dressed in magnificent robes and adorned with gold and silver. A soft, hazy glow radiated from his entire body. He wore a smile and looked very kind. Besides that... he was brimming with vitality. Those were the things Yin Kuang and the others could see. As for what they felt? Nothing particularly special. There was no terrifying pressure that made hearts tremble, nor any urge to fall to their knees in worship. Neither did he possess a gaze as profound as the cosmos. In short... in short, he was an old man who seemed both utterly ordinary and utterly extraordinary.

With both hands tucked into his sleeves, he stood there calmly, yet he was the sole focus of the place.

The Jade Emperor was not the only one on Index Finger Peak. There were also numerous immortals, fairy maidens, celestial soldiers, and heavenly generals. Those people who had vanished to who-knew-where earlier had suddenly all appeared. Still, they were merely there to set off the Jade Emperor.

Yin Kuang, Lian Nishang, Golden Swallow, Sun Wukong, Fox, and Jason unconsciously formed a line. No one had forced them to stand that way, yet it had happened naturally.

The Jade Emperor quietly glanced at the people below the steps, then calmly descended and said, "You have worked hard. You are the true heroes of Middle-earth's mortal realm. Especially you, Skywalker. Your courage pleases me." The Jade Emperor's voice was somewhat aged and husky, yet magnetic and wise. Everyone