People fled in panic, dragging their families with them, while the human divine arts users unleashed their powers to help those unable to walk migrate.
As the Celestial River fell, human gods rushed forward to brace it with their bodies. Again and again, some were crushed under the weight and shattered, only for new gods to arrive and shoulder the river, buying time for the people below to escape.
Meanwhile, all the gods of the Sky-River Court soared out, flying upstream and downstream. Cloud-Venerable, Moon-Venerable, and Venerable Skysoar led them, doing everything in their power to hold up the Celestial River and delay the world-swallowing flood.
Their cultivation was mighty, but all they could do was slow the Celestial River’s descent—they could not restore it to the heavens.
Gods kept dying under the crushing weight; even the Heavenly Venerables could not withstand the pressure of the Celestial River. Cloud-Venerable and the others could only do their utmost to buy the people more time to flee to higher ground.
"We need someone to dig out a riverbed!"
Cloud-Venerable shouted, "Moon, you’re a master of space divine arts—dig out a riverbed! As long as you carve a channel and we set the Celestial River into it segment by segment, there’ll be no flood to fear!"
Moon-Venerable released the Celestial River from her shoulders; as its weight crashed down, everyone staggered under the sudden burden.
Thankfully, Moon-Venerable had already unleashed her divine arts, rending the earth open and carving out a riverbed hundreds of miles wide from the east.
The gods there immediately set the Celestial River into the channel, and the waters instantly became docile, flowing along the riverbed toward the Eastern Sea.
The gods who had set down the Celestial River immediately rushed upward to help others brace the river.
Moon-Venerable labored tirelessly, splitting mountains that blocked the Celestial River and carving a colossal river through the land. The channel grew longer and longer, and even she, an Emperor’s Throne–realm Heavenly Venerable, was exhausted and had to stop and rest.
Her disciples immediately took over, digging the riverbed without pause. Again and again, some collapsed from exhaustion.
After more than ten days, they had dug nearly half the riverbed. Segment by segment, the Celestial River was set in place, surging along the channel.
"What about upstream?"
While resting, Moon-Venerable asked, "Which Heavenly Venerable is holding up the upstream?"
Cloud-Venerable glanced at Venerable Skysoar, looking puzzled. Venerable Skysoar was also bracing the Celestial River, so clearly the one holding up the upstream was not her.
"I'll go check upstream," he said.
He was exhausted from these days as well, and his pace had slowed. But as he flew along, he saw countless human gods, their bodies nearly pressed into the earth, yet still raising their hands high to support the Celestial River and hold back the flood.
Some gods had already died of exhaustion, yet still stood there—driven by sheer willpower, even in death their obsession kept their bodies upright.
"Who’s upstream?" Cloud-Venerable asked the fleeing people.
"No idea. It’s a three-headed, six-armed god, but we don’t know his name," people told him.
Cloud-Venerable continued upstream. In the distance, he saw a towering figure with six arms bracing the Celestial River. That god-demon hunched forward, three heads tilted in different directions, his skin nearly torn apart, god-blood streaming down like rivers—yet he still held on with all his might.
Cloud-Venerable hurried over, deeply moved.
At that moment, he saw mist rising from the Celestial River. Beneath the surface, a massive world-ark was sailing, its long shadow drifting toward the figure bracing the river.
It was the Ghost Ship.
Cloud-Venerable froze.
Quinn, half-conscious, saw the Ghost Ship as well—Wayne Gale must have come looking for him, worried for his safety.
Dragon-Qilin and Yan’er had obtained the Glass Azure Firmament Banner and likely returned to the Ghost Ship ahead of him, which was why Wayne Gale was so anxious.
It was only natural—they were, after all, fellow disciples. Wayne Gale feared he might die in the past.
The Ghost Ship rose higher and higher, its mast piercing the water’s surface.
"Go away! Senior Brother, go away!"
All three of Quinn’s heads shouted together, "Don’t take me back—I have to hold up this river!"
From beneath the Celestial River’s surface came a muffled, indistinct voice—probably Wayne Gale speaking. But the Ghost Ship was still in another timespace, so the sound couldn’t reach here.
The fog over the river grew thicker, drawing closer to Quinn. His will was starting to fade, and he cried out, "Senior Brother, give me a little more time! I’ll return on my own!"
The indistinct voice sounded, rustling and strange as if from another timespace, but the Ghost Ship’s mast kept rising, and the fog grew heavier.
The ship was crossing timespace, arriving in this era.
"I can’t leave yet…"
Quinn’s vision blurred, his mind growing foggy. He muttered, "I can’t leave yet. If I go, the flood will rage and countless people will die…"
Just then, he hazily saw a figure appear, taking up the burden of the Celestial River for him. A voice—strange yet familiar—reached his ears: "Shepherd Heavenly Venerable, let me bear it. You can go now."
Quinn looked up and saw Cloud-Venerable taking over the Celestial River, shouldering its weight.
His body suddenly lightened and fell backward. At that moment, the Ghost Ship burst from the water with a deafening roar, and the fog swallowed Quinn as he toppled.
Quinn’s body vanished, reappearing the next instant aboard the Ghost Ship.
On the Ghost Ship, Annie reached out to catch Quinn just as he was about to collapse, gently laying him down.
Dragon-Qilin hurried to heal him.
Cloud-Venerable braced the Celestial River, gazing at the great ship shrouded in mist, unable to hide his excitement.
"Shepherd Heavenly Venerable!" he called loudly toward the ship.
His voice reached the Ghost Ship, turning into a rustling sound, but Quinn struggled to his feet, Annie supporting him as he came to the bow. The two Heavenly Venerables gazed at each other through the mist.
"Cloud-Venerable!"
Quinn swayed, gesturing for Annie not to support him. He straightened his clothes and, across the mist, saluted the man bearing the Celestial River: "Dao-friend!"
Cloud-Venerable couldn’t hear what Quinn was saying, but saw him salute and his lips move. Reading his lips, Cloud-Venerable laughed, "Forgive me for not returning the gesture! Dao-friend, will we meet again someday?"
Quinn watched his lips, hesitated, and shook his head.
(This chapter is not finished yet~ Please click next page to continue reading!)
"That’s a shame!"
Cloud-Venerable paused, then laughed, "I’d really love to meet you and have a long talk!"
"Me too!"
Quinn clenched his fist, pointed his thumb at his own chest, and shouted, "I’d love to talk with you too!"
"Did you say we won’t meet again because I’ll die?" Cloud-Venerable called out.
Quinn opened his mouth but did not answer.
Cloud-Venerable understood, looked up at the sky, then at the misty Ghost Ship, and burst out laughing, "So be it! Dao-friend Shepherd, I’ll rule the past—you rule the future!"
Quinn understood his words, tears streaming down his cheeks. He called out, "Senior Brother, do you have any wine?"
Wayne Gale grumbled, "You’re so badly hurt—how could you drink?"
Still, he fetched a jar of fine wine he’d kept hidden on the Ghost Ship and handed it to Quinn. "Drink up! This is imperial wine granted by the Heavenly Emperor—I’ve never been willing to drink it until now. But on the Ghost Ship, even fine wine turns into non-substantial matter; after you drink it, you’ll return."
Quinn slapped open the jar’s seal, and the fragrance of wine filled the air.
He raised the jar, his chest swelling with pride. "Cloud-friend, I salute you!" With that, he drank deeply.
"Good!"
Cloud-Venerable laughed, "I have no wine here, so I’ll use Celestial River water instead!"
He opened his mouth and drank deeply of the Celestial River.
When Quinn finished, he smashed the wine jar to the deck, already feeling tipsy.
Cloud-Venerable seemed a bit drunk too, and laughed, "Dao-friend Shepherd, go back now—I’m here!"
Quinn bowed deeply. "Then I’ll leave it to you, Dao-friend. Take care!"
"Take care!"
Cloud-Venerable bowed slightly. "I’ll leave the future to you, Dao-friend!"
He straightened, and saw the mist fade—the Ghost Ship had vanished.