Chapter 1094: Say Farewell

People fled in panic, bringing their families with them. Human divine beings, using their divine arts, led those who could not walk to safety.

The Heavenly River plunged downwards. One after another, human deities used their bodies to hold it up. Many couldn't bear the immense pressure and were crushed to dust, but new divine beings immediately arrived, using their shoulders to support the Heavenly River and give those below a chance to escape.

At the same time, all the divine beings in the Han Heavenly Court flew out, heading upstream and downstream. Celestial Venerable Yun, Celestial Venerable Yue, and Celestial Venerable Ling led the divine beings, doing their utmost to hold up the Heavenly River and temporarily delay the arrival of the great flood that threatened to engulf the world.

Although their cultivation was powerful, they could only temporarily delay the Heavenly River's descent; they could not make it return to the sky.

Divine beings were continuously crushed to death. Even with the Celestial Venerables' intervention, it was difficult to withstand the Heavenly River's immense pressure. Celestial Venerable Yun and the others could only do their best to give people more time to escape to higher ground.

"Someone needs to excavate a river channel!" Celestial Venerable Yun shouted loudly, "Yue, you are skilled in spatial divine arts. You excavate the channel. Once the channel is dug, we can divert sections of the Heavenly River into it, and there will be no more worries about the flood!"

Celestial Venerable Yue lowered the Heavenly River from her shoulders. As its weight bore down, everyone's shoulders sank abruptly. Fortunately, Celestial Venerable Yue had already used her divine power to split open the earth, beginning to excavate a channel hundreds of miles wide from the east.

The divine beings there immediately guided the Heavenly River into the channel. The water instantly became docile, flowing along the channel towards the East Sea.

Meanwhile, the divine beings who had released the Heavenly River immediately rushed upstream to help other divine beings support it.

Celestial Venerable Yue toiled tirelessly. She parted the mountains that had blocked the Heavenly River, and a massive river was carved into the earth. The channel grew longer and longer, and even though she was a Celestial Venerable of the Emperor's Throne realm, she became utterly exhausted and had to stop to rest.

Her disciples immediately took over, continuing to excavate the channel. Many collapsed from exhaustion.

After more than ten days, they had excavated nearly half of the channel. Sections of the Heavenly River were progressively diverted into it, flowing swiftly along the new course.

"What about upstream?" Celestial Venerable Yue inquired while resting, "Which Celestial Venerable is holding it up upstream?"

Celestial Venerable Yun looked at Celestial Venerable Ling, a bit lost. Celestial Venerable Ling was also holding up the Heavenly River, so clearly, she was not the one supporting it upstream.

"I'll go check upstream," he said.

These days, he had also become very tired, and his speed was much slower. However, as he flew along, he saw numerous human divine beings whose bodies were almost pressed into the ground, yet they still held their hands high, supporting the Heavenly River and preventing the flood from descending.

Some deities had already died from exhaustion, yet they still stood there; even after death, their unwavering determination continued to support their bodies.

"Who is upstream?" Celestial Venerable Yun asked the fleeing people.

"We don't know, it's a divine being with three heads and six arms, but we don't know their name," the people told him.

Celestial Venerable Yun continued to hurry upstream. Then, in the distance, he saw a magnificent figure with six arms supporting the Heavenly River. The divine demon was hunched over, its three heads each tilted to one side. Its entire skin was almost completely ruptured, and divine blood flowed from its body like a river, yet it still desperately held on.

Celestial Venerable Yun quickly rushed over, deeply moved.

Just then, he saw mist gradually rising from the Heavenly River. Beneath the surface, a massive pleasure boat was sailing, its long shadow moving towards the figure holding up the Heavenly River.

It was the Ghost Ship.

Celestial Venerable Yun paused, momentarily stunned.

Qin Mu, in a daze, also saw the Ghost Ship. Wei Suifeng was likely worried about his safety and had come to find him.

Dragon Qilin and Yan'er had obtained the Lapis Lazuli Pagoda and likely returned to the Ghost Ship before him, thus causing Wei Suifeng's concern.

It was only natural; after all, they were fellow disciples, and Wei Suifeng was worried he might die in the past.

The Ghost Ship rose higher and higher, its mast breaking through the water's surface.

"Go away! Senior Brother, go away!" Qin Mu's three heads shouted in unison, "Don't take me back; I must hold up this river!"

A faint, muffled voice came from beneath the Heavenly River's surface, likely Wei Suifeng speaking. However, since the Ghost Ship was currently in another space-time, the voice could not fully reach this place.

The mist on the river grew thicker and thicker, drawing closer to Qin Mu. Qin Mu's consciousness was already fading, and he called out, "Senior Brother, give me some time! I'll go back on my own!"

The muffled voice sounded, rustling. The voice from another space-time seemed somewhat strange, but the Ghost Ship's mast rose higher and higher, and the mist grew heavier.

The ship was traveling through space-time, rushing to this era.

"I can't leave yet..." Qin Mu's vision blurred further, and his mind became less clear. He murmured, "I can't leave yet. If I leave, the flood will overwhelm everything, and countless people will die..."

At that moment, he vaguely saw a figure who took over holding up the Heavenly River for him. A strange yet familiar voice entered his ears: "Celestial Venerable Mu, I'll take it from here. You may go."

Qin Mu looked up and saw Celestial Venerable Yun taking over the Heavenly River, bearing its weight.

His body felt light, and he fell backward. At that moment, the Ghost Ship burst out of the water with a loud splash, and the mist enveloped Qin Mu as he toppled.

Qin Mu's body vanished, appearing on the Ghost Ship the next instant.

On the Ghost Ship, Yan'er extended her hands to support the falling Qin Mu, helping him lie down on the deck.

Dragon Qilin quickly began healing his injuries.

Celestial Venerable Yun, holding up the Heavenly River, gazed at the large ship shrouded in mist, unable to hide his excitement.

"Celestial Venerable Mu—" he shouted loudly towards the ship.

His voice reached the Ghost Ship, transforming into a rustling sound. Yet, Qin Mu struggled to stand, and with Yan'er's help, made his way to the bow. The two Celestial Venerables gazed at each other through the mist.

"Celestial Venerable Yun!" Qin Mu swayed, gesturing to Yan'er that he didn't need support. He straightened his collar and, through the mist, bowed to the man holding up the Heavenly River: "Fellow Daoist!"

Celestial Venerable Yun could not hear what he was saying, but he saw Qin Mu bowing and noticed his lips moving. Reading his lips, he burst into laughter, "Please forgive me for being unable to return the bow! Fellow Daoist, will we ever meet again in the future?"

Qin Mu watched his lips, hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

"That's a pity!" Celestial Venerable Yun paused, then laughed heartily, "I truly wish to meet you and have a long, heart-to-heart talk!"

"Me too!" Qin Mu clenched his fist, pointed his thumb to his chest, and said loudly, "I also truly wish to talk with you!"

"Did you just say we won't meet again because I'll die?" Celestial Venerable Yun asked loudly.

Qin Mu opened his mouth but said nothing.

Celestial Venerable Yun understood. He looked up at the sky, then at the now hazy Ghost Ship, and burst into laughter, "That's fine then! Fellow Daoist Mu, I shall preside over this past, and you shall preside over the future!"

Qin Mu understood his words, and tears welled up in his eyes. He cried out, "Senior Brother, do we have any wine?"

Wei Suifeng grumbled, "You're so gravely injured, what kind of wine could you possibly drink?"

Despite his complaint, he still retrieved a jar of fine wine that had been kept on the Ghost Ship and handed it to Qin Mu, saying, "Drink it. This is the fine wine the Heavenly Emperor bestowed upon me; I've never brought myself to drink it. However, on this Ghost Ship, even fine wine transforms into an immutable substance. You'll return after drinking it."

Qin Mu slapped open the jar's seal, and the aroma of wine filled the air.

He raised the wine jar, a surge of heroism swelling in his chest: "Fellow Daoist Yun, I toast you!" With that, he tilted his head back and drank deeply.

"Good!" Celestial Venerable Yun laughed heartily, "I have no wine here, so I'll use the Heavenly River's water as a substitute!"

He opened his mouth and drank deeply from the Heavenly River.

After drinking, Qin Mu smashed the wine jar onto the deck, already feeling quite tipsy.

Celestial Venerable Yun also seemed a bit drunk, and he laughed aloud, "Fellow Daoist Mu, go back. I'll take care of things here!"

Qin Mu cupped his hands and bowed, "Then I shall leave it to you, fellow Daoist! Take care!"

"Take care!" Celestial Venerable Yun bowed slightly, "I'll also entrust the future to you, fellow Daoist!"

He straightened up, only to see the mist recede and the Ghost Ship vanish without a trace.