The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 260 Missed
"Your humble servant thanks the Great Heavenly Venerable for his great favor," Ding Lin said again, without saying anything else.

"Go then. Since you received Wang E, you should also escort him to his post," Emperor Wenchang said after a moment's thought.

Ding Lin's eyes flickered. He suddenly remembered what Wang E had said: that Emperor Wenchang was an upright person. Was this new arrangement made because he hadn't continued to flatter him and instead had a good impression of him? But if he was truly upright, why would he move official documents back to his private residence? Regardless, this outcome was most advantageous to Ding Lin. With this later statement, his situation would be very different after he took office.

"We obey the Emperor's decree," Wang E said, then led Ding Lin backwards until they left the steps of the corridor, at which point they turned around.

In the instant he turned around, Ding Lin caught a glimpse of the room's furnishings. The arrangement was extremely simple, with only rows of bookshelves filled with various documents.

At the far end of the room was a long table of unknown material, also piled high with documents. A figure sat behind it, but his face was not clearly visible; only a dark purple hue could be seen, unfathomable.

Wang E led Ding Lin out through a side gate and took another route.

……

The moment Wang E led Ding Lin out the door.

"We seek an audience with the Wenchang Emperor from the Southern Dipper."

Outside the courtyard, Nan Dou Xing Jun spoke loudly, with Qing Yi following behind him, unaware that Ding Lin had just left.

……

Only after leaving the Hall of Immortal Selection did Wang E pause, exhale softly, and relax slightly.

“You’re quite lucky. The Emperor hasn’t made such an arrangement in many years. It’s just that I’m tired. I just came up, and now I have to accompany you down to the bottom again,” Wang E said.

The Hall of Immortal Selection is located in the thirty-second heaven, while the Milky Way is on the side of the first heaven, so they are quite far apart.

"Thank you for your trouble, sir," Ding Lin said.

"Let's go. I'll give you a brief overview along the way. I need to rush back to see how my little grandson is being taken care of. He's just born to be a workaholic," Wang E said.

Perhaps it was because Emperor Wenchang pointed out Ding Lin's potential, or perhaps it was the slight inclination shown in that last sentence, but Wang E's attitude improved a lot, becoming more sincere than before, and his words sounded somewhat like banter between friends.

Wang E waved his hand, and the same white cloud drifted by as it had come, moving low as it had.

"The Heavenly River Navy protects the gates of the Heavenly Court. Although it is called a navy, its headquarters is located in the Milky Way. Since it belongs to the stars, its organization naturally belongs to the Ziwei Emperor."

"The naval force is organized with two commanders and two generals, collectively known as the Four Holy True Lords of the North Pole. The commander-in-chief is naturally Marshal Tianpeng, who is assisted by Vice Marshal Tianyou, and supported by True Lord Yisheng Baode and True Lord Lingying Yousheng."

"Of course, that's all I'll say."

"Although the Four Holy Lords of the North Pole are nominally one, they are actually stationed separately and each leads their own troops. The Heavenly River Navy has 300,000 troops, but normally only the 80,000 troops of the Heavenly River Navy are directly under the command of Marshal Tianpeng. Since the Emperor has assigned you to Marshal Tianpeng's command, you only need to know about Vice Marshal Tianyou, True Lord Yisheng Baode, and True Lord Lingying Yousheng. You will not see them on ordinary days."

The white clouds drifted leisurely, finally passing through the thirtieth heaven and reaching the twenty-ninth heaven. Wang E raised the clouds higher, brushing against the eaves of the palace, and also increased their speed.

"Let me tell you about Marshal Tianpeng. His real name is Bian Zhuang. It is said that he ascended to immortality during the reign of the Human Emperor. He is quite wise, and there are also rumors that he was recorded by the Supreme Sage, indicating a powerful background. Of course, these are just rumors, and the truth is unknown. Just listen to them. However, one thing is certain: the Marshal was born of water and is most skilled in water-based techniques. Although he is strict in disciplining his troops, he is also generous and often gives guidance to his subordinates. You are born of a true dragon, and clouds follow dragons, so you are naturally close to water. This is good news for you. When you join the Marshal's army, be flexible. Putting aside other things, if you can get even a little guidance, it will be more than enough." "Let's leave it at that for now."

Wang E suddenly shut his mouth, and the cloud rose higher, having already passed the twentieth heaven. There was no need to worry anymore, and the escape speed naturally increased as well.

How fast Jin Xian was!

Ding Lin felt the scene before him changing rapidly, and then the clouds suddenly slowed down, indicating that they had already reached the edge of the Milky Way.

It was dusk, and the setting sun cast its glow, turning the river water orange-red. A cool breeze blew through the water plants along the riverbank, causing them all to bow their heads. Looking into the distance, all that could be seen was a vast expanse of emptiness.

Look up, and you'll see a dazzling Milky Way.

"This is the Milky Way, and the Marshal's Mansion is right above us in the Milky Way," Wang E said. Then, the white clouds beneath his feet rose again, and in an instant, they sped into the sea of ​​stars.

Before nightfall, countless tiny stars, some intact and some broken, are densely packed in the field of vision. Some of them can no longer be called stars, but rather meteorites. They stop for a moment, then suddenly fly out again, crashing into nearby celestial bodies and shattering into even more pieces.

Amidst this interplay of order and chaos, a pitch-black palace suddenly appeared ahead, shrouded in a protective barrier that enveloped an area spanning thousands of miles. From afar, one could see the vermilion plaque inscribed with powerful, vigorous strokes:

Tianhe Water Mansion.

In front of the palace was a wide plaza with black paving stones of unknown material. The black color exuded a chilling atmosphere. A row of warships were quietly moored, all of the same black color. Among them was the enormous ship that the stone monkey coveted. The originally tall ship, placed in this plaza and set against the backdrop of the majestic palace, appeared rather frail.

Thousands of armored soldiers stood around the square, their helmets and armor gleaming. When they saw Wang E and Ding Lin approaching, the leader gestured for them to stop.

With a thousand men under one command, the commander of the fleet is a centurion. As the elite of the Tianhe Navy and the general leading the army, he can already be ranked as a sixth-rank general. The next rank is deputy general, and as for the ten-thousand-man commander, he is already leading an army and is a true general.

The commander still wore silver armor, but now he wore a cloak, unlike ordinary heavenly soldiers, who could only wear gold armor if they were deputy generals or above.

"I am Wang E, the Great Spirit Officer of the Thunder Department. By order of Emperor Wenchang, I am here to escort the newly promoted Celestial Immortal Jin Lin to assume his post. The Emperor has temporarily appointed him as the Deputy General of the Heavenly River with the Five Dragon Seal. His official position and decree are hereby issued," Wang E said, and with a flash of spiritual light in his palm, he threw a jade tablet toward the square.

"Wang Lingguan, please wait a moment while I go and inform him."

The leader seemed to show a moment of surprise, followed by disappointment, and his gaze toward Ding Lin revealed malice, leaving Ding Lin completely bewildered.

After a moment's thought, Ding Lin had a clue. He had never been to Tianhe before, and being treated like this was certainly not without reason. Perhaps it was because his appointment had blocked someone's way.

Perhaps, this rate is one of them.

A few moments.

The commander then left and returned.

(End of this chapter)