The round egg still remained unbroken. Quinn Shepherd treated Wayne Gale's injuries, reconnecting his fractured bones. Wayne Gale shook out his hand, gazing solemnly at the enormous, round egg. "Did you see that? What kind of Great Dao is inside?"
Quinn nodded, his expression more grave than ever. In a low voice he said, "I saw it—and heard it too. This is indeed an ancient god egg, and the god inside is extremely unique. If it matures, it might rival the Ancient-God Emperor himself. The Dao within the egg is a yin-yang unified path, form-without-substance, which strongly suppresses Venerable Skysoar's Invariant Divine Art. Have you ever heard of such a Dao, Senior Brother?"
For the first time, the Invariant Divine Art had met its nemesis. The invariance of matter is a divine art based on material state, but this yin-yang unity—form-without-substance—is form without material, a complete subversion of Venerable Skysoar’s divine art.
Wayne Gale shook his head. "I've seen most of the ancient gods’ Daos. I’ve visited Dao Ancestor’s Grand Archive Tower, and there’s no record of a Dao like this. As for something that restrains Venerable Skysoar’s divine art, I’ve never heard of it."
The two of them circled the round egg several times, finding it a thorny problem. Yet Wayne Gale and the Feather-Guard soldiers were mostly excited—if they could use the Dao within the ancient god egg to break the Invariant Divine Art, they might finally free the Ghost Ship from its invariant state and escape!
Quinn’s eyes flashed. "This ancient god might be the key to rescuing you all—and to saving Venerable Skysoar. The Ancient-God Emperor’s name is Taichu, given by Supreme Emperor Taidi. As for the god in this egg, since fate has brought us together, let me name you: Prime-Begin."
Wayne Gale couldn’t help but say, "Junior Brother, if this ancient god hatches, it might well become another Ancient-God Emperor!"
Quinn put away the ancient god egg. "Taichu was born from the Taichu Divine-Stone Vein, drawing power from the vein to come into being. This Prime-Begin Egg likely needs a special ore-vein in the Ancestral Court as well. If I keep it away, it can’t hatch, and I can study the Prime-Begin Dao at my leisure."
Wayne Gale felt a vague unease. "Then you must remember, Junior Brother—never take the Prime-Begin Egg to the Ancestral Court. Otherwise..."
Quinn nodded solemnly. Then, inside Radiant Sun Hall, he began to lay out the various treasures he’d acquired—divine treasures piled up across the deck, including sacred mountains and treasure peaks, all natural wonders!
Wayne Gale was startled and blurted out, "Junior Brother, did you loot the Heavenly Emperor’s treasure vault? So many treasures!"
"Yep!" Quinn replied loudly, his voice full of delight.
Wayne Gale gazed at the treasures, truly tempted. Even among the ancient gods, such things were rare—and here, a whole ship was piled with them!
"So many exotic treasures..."
He couldn’t help but suck in a breath, reaching out to gently stroke a Dragon-Blood Treasure Tree. The moment his palm touched it, the tree burst into dazzling light.
Wayne immediately felt that the tree had an extraordinary affinity for vital qi. Beneath its branches, he sensed an almost Dao-enlightening aura, as if he might fall into a state of insight at any moment!
Even more strangely, he realized that if one imprinted runes of vital qi onto the Dragon-Blood Treasure Tree’s branches and leaves, the process would surely be exceptionally smooth!
"This treasure tree could definitely be refined into a supreme artifact!"
Wayne Gale couldn’t help but marvel, muttering, "Even a single branch could be refined into an extraordinary treasure—enough for Emperor’s Throne experts to wield! I’ve been to the ancient Dragon-Han era myself, and even served as a Feather-Guard general, so I’ve seen my share of the world. I’ve encountered many treasures, but most can’t compare to what you’ve got here, Junior Brother. Only one treasure I’ve seen surpasses what you stole from the Heavenly Emperor’s vault."
Quinn took out the remaining pieces of Taichu Primal Stone and examined them. Finding no trace of Supreme Emperor Taidi’s divine sense lingering within, he relaxed. Curious, he asked, "Whose treasure? Who could have something that surpasses even the Heavenly Emperor’s collection?"
Supreme Emperor Taidi’s Taichu Primal Stone was shattered into many pieces. One of the larger fragments was given to Cloud-Venerable, and Quinn planned to fuse the rest into his own vertical brow-eye.
He tried assembling them, but couldn’t form a complete Taichu Primal Stone—he was still missing six or seven fragments.
"The Northern Emperor Black Tortoise’s clan has a treasure—that’s a peerless artifact!"
Wayne Gale grew effusive as he described the Northern Emperor Black Tortoise’s treasure. "The Northern Emperor and his wife are said to have gathered countless primordial relics and forged them into one artifact—the Glass Azure Firmament Banner. I saw it once, when Crown Prince Yooming took me to view it. Truly, it’s the greatest treasure in the world—nothing else can compare! Even with all you stole from the Heavenly Emperor’s vault, Junior Brother, none of it matches the Glass Azure Firmament Banner."
Quinn picked up a fragment of Taichu Primal Stone and brought it to his brow. Suddenly, a force surged from his vertical eye, seizing the stone.
With a swish, the Taichu Primal Stone fused into his brow, merging with the one already in his vertical eye!
Quinn was delighted and took out a second fragment.
"Glass Azure Firmament Banner? Isn’t that the artifact that Crown Prince Yooming lost to a pair of swindlers? Is it really that powerful—even surpassing the Heavenly Emperor’s treasures?"
He considered it. The Northern Emperor Black Tortoise was a primordial god visualized by the Juyu Clan, Taidi’s tribe, the most powerful clan of the ancient era, possessing vast resources.
Perhaps during the Creator–Ancient God war, the Northern Emperor Black Tortoise and his wife took advantage of the chaos to loot the Juyu Clan’s treasure vault.
Wayne Gale was still reminiscing about seeing the Glass Azure Firmament Banner, sighing in awe again. "It truly is the greatest treasure in the world! If you saw it, you’d be amazed. The Glass Azure Firmament Banner is incredibly mystical—just bow and worship it, and it will transform into twenty-four layers of glass heavens. It’s utterly impervious to all arts and weapons!"
Quinn placed the remaining Taichu Primal Stones at his brow, each one fusing in turn with his third divine eye. The fragments collided and merged into one.
He blinked, noticing nothing out of the ordinary. But when he activated his Overlord Three-Core Art, his divine sense surged ahead—its growth rate now several times faster than before!
He sighed dreamily, "There’s a reason Supreme Emperor Taidi became what he is. I only have half the Taichu Primal Stone here, and my divine sense is already improving so rapidly. If I found the complete stone, the rate of progress would be unimaginable!"
Wayne Gale was still lost in memories of the Glass Azure Firmament Banner, his face full of longing. He muttered, "The treasures hanging inside that banner outnumber even what you stole from the Heavenly Emperor’s treasury…"
"Senior Brother, most of these treasures come from the Ancestral Court. Pick one for yourself," Quinn said with a smile.
Wayne Gale snapped to attention and hurried among the treasures, inspecting their quality. The more he looked, the harder it was to decide.
These treasures from the Ancestral Court were sifted out by the Creator race over countless ages. Each artifact was outstanding—not just rare in the Primordial Realm, but scarce even across the universe!
The few remaining treasures must surely be in the hands of ancient gods or demigod leaders of immense power!
Wayne Gale hesitated for ages, wanting every piece. In the end, he chose a sacred mountain. "My old brothers from the Ghost Ship have followed me for years. Once we escape, they’ll be behind the times—Jade Capital, High Heaven Hall, now at best they’re on par with Jade Pool gods. If I refine this mountain into an artifact, everyone can have a share and boost their strength. And let me have these palace lanterns too."
Quinn nodded. The palace lanterns were used in the Heavenly Emperor’s vault to guard treasures—they were useless to him and only took up space in his Keane-Sigil Continent.
Wayne Gale collected the palace lanterns and laughed, "These lanterns are refined from rare treasures too. There are so many—if I make some adjustments, they’ll form a Thousand-Lantern Array to guard the Ghost Ship."
Quinn stowed away the other treasures and looked at the Feather-Guard Corps on the Ghost Ship. "They were all the most outstanding talents selected from every race. If they could train in Everpeace for a few years, their strength would soar. Their future potential is limitless!"
Wayne Gale glanced at him, "That depends on whether you can rescue us."
Quinn frowned deeply. He wasn’t confident about breaking Venerable Skysoar’s Invariant Divine Art—unless he could master Primordial Ancient God Taishi’s Dao.
"I spent time studying under various Heavenly Venerables in the Heavenly Court. I didn’t learn their true skills, but I did see plenty of Emperor’s Throne Arts."
Wayne Gale tidied up the Heavenly Dragon Imperial Palanquin for him, blinking. "I couldn’t master most Emperor’s Throne Arts, but I did copy them down. Follow the map I gave you, and you’ll find these arts."
Quinn couldn’t help but laugh. "You carry them with you—just hand them over! Why send me chasing after some map?"
Wayne Gale shook his head. "I was undercover in the Heavenly Court, and knew I couldn’t fool all Ten Heavenly Venerables. I could die at any moment, so I hid the Emperor’s Throne Arts I collected in the places I traveled. Junior Brother, Venerable Skysoar’s notes are hidden in one of those spots too. After you rescue the Southern Emperor, you must go get them."
Quinn smiled, "Senior Brother, you’re right here—just teach me! Why make me hunt through those places on your map?"
Suddenly, he realized something and asked suspiciously, "Wait, don’t tell me you never mastered them?"
Wayne Gale’s face flushed red. He grumbled, "How could I not? I just didn’t care to learn other people’s arts. I take their strengths and weave them into my own Sky-Dipper Divine Art. I’m forging my own path—I’m destined to be a sage! Me, unable to learn them? Ha…"
But his smile gradually twisted on his face.
Quinn let the matter drop. Wayne Gale was the Woodcutter Sage’s most carefully taught disciple. Of his three disciples, Wayne Gale trained with the Woodcutter the longest—and likely picked up his teacher’s habit of biting off more than he could chew.
Of course, Wayne Gale was a bit better than his master. The Woodcutter’s path covered all three hundred sixty trades and Daos—that’s the origin of the Cult of the Heavenly Saint’s Three Hundred and Sixty Halls.
For the same reason, the Woodcutter’s realm was stuck at the Jade Pool Stage. He spent his whole life and never reached the Execution Platform.
With three hundred sixty postnatal Daos, if the Woodcutter’s Primordial Spirit tried to ascend the Execution Platform, it would be cut down three hundred sixty times!
Given the Woodcutter’s tendency to bite off more than he could chew, even one trial would probably be the end of him.
Wayne Gale was greedy too, but at least he achieved the Emperor’s Throne Stage.
The Ghost Ship suddenly broke through the water’s surface, sailing into the mist of the Celestial River.
"Junior Brother, you only have four chances left."
Wayne Gale watched the imperial palanquin drive off the ship and called out, "Don’t waste all your chances on rescuing the Southern Emperor. Save one or two for something more meaningful."
Quinn leaned out the carriage window, waved, and laughed, "Last time I was already halfway there—this time I’ll definitely succeed!"
"Don’t jinx it."
Wayne Gale looked nervous and cautioned, "You always say that, and every time it doesn’t work out. I think you’re bad luck."
Quinn just laughed, ducked back inside, and began to sing. His mellow, lingering song drifted through the mist—like a warm, aged wine, it carried a bittersweet, heroic flavor.
"Now I dwell in the Divine-Sense Grand-Luo Heaven Palace!"
"Drunk in dreams, Jade Capital floats afar. My song rings through the empty halls—who knows what year it is tonight?"
"Oceans turn to mulberry fields once more!"
Wayne Gale listened to the song, watched the palanquin vanish into the mist, and shook his head with a laugh. "So sentimental. I wonder who he learned that from."
Starting from Quinn’s generation, the Cult Master of the Heavenly Saint has always been multi-talented. Back in the day, Wayne Gale was a dashing figure himself. He could hear Quinn’s ambition in those poetic lines.
Who knows what year it is tonight?
Here I am in the Divine-Sense Grand-Luo Heaven Palace!
"Junior Brother’s ambition is plain to see!" Wayne Gale exclaimed in admiration.
The singing faded. The Heavenly Dragon Imperial Palanquin reached the Celestial River and headed toward Sky-River Court.
"I left a message for the Southern Emperor, telling her to seek out Moon-Venerable and give her one of her feathers. I also instructed her to secretly split off a soul for reincarnation. So, as long as I find Moon-Venerable and retrieve that feather, this mission will be complete."
Quinn brimmed with confidence as he gazed at Sky-River Court. The scale of this human Heaven Court was even greater than before. Arriving here, he felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity.
From afar, he heard a woman singing over the Celestial River. Her voice was graceful and lingering: "Hundreds of rivers flow to the great sea, stars encircle the North Star. Their light dazzles the Sky-River, distant kin rise on long embankments."
"Heaven and earth break asunder, the royal house saves the people. When the world is swept clean, heroes will surely gather."
Following the sound, Quinn saw a tall ship on the river. At its prow stood a woman in red, ready to soar on the wind, singing to Sky-River Court with a carefree spirit.
Quinn couldn’t help but feel a fondness and told Dragon-Qilin to stop, wanting to listen to the red-clad woman’s song.
Annie smiled and said, "Young master, that woman actually looks a bit like me."
Her voice caught the attention of the woman on the ship, who looked over with a sour expression. After all, the speaker was a plump green sparrow, practically round—naturally, she wasn’t pleased. She retorted quickly, "How am I anything like that silly sparrow?"
But Annie’s words made Quinn take a closer look at the red-clad girl. Sure enough, her features did resemble Annie a bit. Quinn laughed, "You really do look alike!"
The red-clad girl’s skirt fluttered, a Vermilion Bird Feather tucked behind her head. She protested, "Where do we look alike? She’s so fat!"