Chapter 1277

Flood Extremity believes perseverance Gu is only a fictional creature from a book of legends. Black Extremity corrects him: Perseverance Immortal Gu is real and has existed before. He learned while traveling Northern Plains that Genesis Lotus Immortal Venerable refined it, entered the Door of Life and Death, brought Reverse Flow River into the world, and owned it first. Flood Extremity asks how the river passed to Old Ancestor Xue Hu, and Black Extremity admits he does not know. Mortal Gu explode inside their sub formation, shrinking its pillar of light by ten percent. Black Extremity expected it, since even his sub formation cannot endure the river’s might, and once it is running he cannot repair it unless the whole formation stops. Each ten percent destroyed cuts their hold on the river by the same amount, letting its rear return to normal and sweep everyone behind; Ma Hong Yun and Zhao Lian Yun, at the front, will be swept last. ^{ch. 1277}

Inside the river, Bi Chen Tian gathers with eight other Central Continent Gu Immortals, and none have seen Ma Hong Yun or Zhao Lian Yun. One thinks he saw Fang Yuan swim past unchallenged. Bi Chen Tian warns that Fang Yuan is a strong foe and admits that in physical brawling he is merely Fang Yuan’s equal, which shakes the group, since Fang Yuan is only rank seven. In a normal fight Central Continent is no match for Old Ancestor Xue Hu and Purple Mountain True Monarch, and with Edge Link Camp lost they are completely outclassed, so Bi Chen Tian decides to swim upriver and kill any enemy they meet. Reverse Flow River suddenly calms, sweeping rocks and corpses away five times faster than before and catching several Central Continent Gu Immortals off guard; Bi Chen Tian orders them to keep swimming without pause. Swimming the calmed river proves far harder than the tides, so Bi Chen Tian drives them ahead into the turbulent stretch. ^{ch. 1277}

Fang Yuan searches the river, very wide and very complex, for Ying Wu Xie and finds no trace. He avoids the other Gu Immortals he passes. Central Continent and Snowy Mountain alike are not worth the time to fight. His sovereign immortal body gives him incredible eyesight, stamina and recovery on par with rank eight Gu Immortals, plus his own incredible swimming ability. These gifts let him outpace many Gu Immortals, while Bi Chen Tian falls to the very back, still searching the river for the rest of his group. ^{ch. 1277}

A leopard fox charges at Zhao Lian Yun in the water. Mu Ling Lan kills it with a single slap while gripping her with his other arm. Zhao Lian Yun is a false immortal built from a phantom aperture, with a low foundation and barely any dao marks, as weak as a mortal without Gu worms. His water path dao marks let him breathe and swim freely while he protects her and clears crises along the way. He spots a floating mound of soil ahead and hauls Zhao Lian Yun onto it to rest, both of them exhausted. Zhao Lian Yun is extremely tired and barely alive, and once ashore she lies down and stops moving entirely. ^{ch. 1277}

Mu Ling Lan, breathing hard from exhaustion, spots someone already on the mound and stands ready to fight. It is Ma Hong Yun, in clean clothes, chewing on half a fruit while everyone else is in ruin. Zhao Lian Yun cannot speak, since love Gu cost her voice and no Gu worms work in the river, and she is ashamed for her lover to see her aged, wrinkled body. She loses her courage and lowers her head, until Ma Hong Yun suddenly calls out, recognizing her as Lady Xiao Yun. He throws away the fruit and runs to her. He seizes her hands, too moved himself to speak. Mu Ling Lan explains to Ma Hong Yun that Fairy Lian Yun became like this because she rushed from Central Continent to save him, and Zhao Lian Yun feels this is truly immense bliss, all of her sacrifices worth it. ^{ch. 1277}