The clouds rose high, stacking like mountains as they stretched endlessly upward, forming a white wall that seemed to block the world beyond.

Deep within the sea of clouds, a city floated in the sky, where human figures could be seen. The witch doctors stood in a line at the edge of the God-Descended City, their gazes cutting through the layers of clouds as they looked down upon the mortal realm from their great height.

They witnessed the farce of the mortal world, where nobles and divine servants repeatedly deceived themselves.

They watched mortals who stubbornly persisted even after being warned by the gods, only to show fear and terror when truly faced with the divine, melting under the radiation of the Life Demigod’s power.

They witnessed the Chief Divine Servant, who turned into a pool of rotten flesh yet still deceived himself until the very end. Even as his consciousness dispersed, it crawled toward what he believed to be the Kingdom of God.

And there was that girl who was not a witch but believed herself to be one. In the end, she could not abandon the identity of a witch and turned to foam in the breath of the beast.

“Mortals are both laughable and pitiful when they drown in their own desires,” the head witch doctor said, his expression calm and slightly detached.

“What is most pitiful is not drowning in one’s own desires, but drowning in the desires of others,” the left-hand witch doctor added thoughtfully.

“She probably realized at the very end that she had not become the witch of the Sky Beast God, but simply the witch in other people’s eyes. What she couldn’t let go of was that identity,” the witch doctor named Left Leg said, her hands tucked into the pockets of her white robe as she shook her head.

“No matter how much time passes, the desires of intelligent beings remain as intense and misguided as ever,” the right-hand witch doctor observed.

“This is a sickness that needs a cure,” the torso witch doctor remarked, his expression curious. He then added, as if pondering the thought, “But if desire is a sickness, what would a cured person even be like?”

The other witch doctors heard these words and all turned to look at the torso witch doctor.

The farce of the mortal world would eventually come to a close.

The witch doctors, however, had a more significant task ahead. They were to accompany the supreme deity on a journey to distant lands.

They did not know where these lands were or where the journey would ultimately lead.

What they did know was that when the journey ended, they would part ways with the supreme deity and begin their own individual stories.

This thought made the witch doctors silently hope that the journey would never end.

The witch doctors entered the city and walked toward the Wisdom Palace.

The miracle tool, the Spirit’s Hot Air Balloon, had long been parked on the steps at the highest point, which was also the highest point of the entire God-Descended City.

The mythological spirit Vellen floated above, pulling back the hot air balloon that had been hovering in the sky.

The airship slowly transformed into the shape of a simple boat. It had no deck or sails, giving it an unusual appearance.

Life Sovereign Shelly burst out from the Wisdom Palace.

She sprinted ahead, her body tilted forward with her hands clasped behind her, as if this posture could somehow make her run faster.

“Come on!” Shelly called over her shoulder as she ran.

“You’re all so slow! Hurry up!” she teased with a playful grin.

Shelly ran to the front of the Spirit’s Hot Air Balloon and finally stopped.

A smile appeared on her face, her happy emotions completely unconcealed.

“Here we go! The sky slide is opening!”

After many days of waiting, the Sky Beast finally completed the Sky Ladder. It was the task Shelly had entrusted to it.

Above the sky and the sea of clouds covering the Thunder Marsh, nodes that ordinary people could not perceive were arranged one after another. These nodes converged into a massive network passage. Now, this passage was finally about to open.

Shelly saw Yin Shen and Hila catching up from behind. She immediately issued orders to the sky and sea of clouds.

“Alright, Big Jellyfish,” Shelly said with a grin.

“Let’s get started!”

Immediately, the ten-thousand-mile sea of clouds began to churn.

The wind roared, carrying the weight of the Life Sovereign’s divine decree.

Amid the shifting winds and swirling clouds, a vast canopy started to form in the sky. Tube-like passages stretched outward like tentacles, connecting a series of bubble-like nodes that extended far into the horizon.

This was an immense and awe-inspiring structure, created entirely from the breath of the Sky Beast.

The canopy was the hub and core, while the tentacle-like passages were the true pathways.

From the earth, looking up at the sky, its full form remained hidden. Only the unique cloud layers could be seen shifting and changing, blending seamlessly with the ordinary clouds.

“Oh!”

Life Sovereign Shelly clearly saw this scene, her eyes seeming to sparkle with stars. This was what she wanted.

This was a gift the Sky Beast had given her. It was not for one-time use but something she could use repeatedly.

She could journey to countless places through this Sky Ladder.

For this trip, she had chosen the sea as her destination.

Life Sovereign Shelly was already feeling a bit restless. She was eager to slide down from the largest slide in history, gliding from the continent all the way to the ocean.

As she admired her “big toy,” Yin Shen and Dream Sovereign Hila had already stepped through the cabin door. Even the witch doctors followed them inside the craft with careful steps.

Hila paused at the door and called out to Shelly.

“Shelly, come in!”

But Shelly shook her head in refusal. She did not want to sit inside.

“I’ll sit on top.”

“It’s way more fun up there!”

She wanted to sit at the front of the boat and slide down with it.

Clouds rose steadily beneath her feet, flowing through the entire God-Descended City.

The massive canopy formed from cloud and mist lifted the miracle tool, the Spirit’s Hot Air Balloon. Shelly ran across the clouds and finally leaped onto the very top of the hot air balloon.

She sat there cheerfully, leaning down to peer through the round window below and waving to Yin Shen and Hila inside.

Yin Shen appeared not to notice her as he sat quietly, but Hila smiled back at her, offering a look of encouragement.

The “canopy” kept pushing higher until it overlooked the entire mortal earth.

At that moment, the boat at the highest point began its descent, gliding swiftly into the distance.

It picked up speed.

Faster and faster.

The boat slid down from the canopy and seamlessly entered a passage stretching eastward, continuing its journey along the Sky Ladder.

It moved like a maglev train, gaining momentum as it followed the track.

The witch doctors stood at the windows, watching the sea of clouds shift and swirl as the speed increased dramatically.

Atop the Spirit’s Hot Air Balloon, Shelly faced the rush of wind and motion head-on.

The Sovereign of Life remained unaffected by the passage of time, so this intense speed was hardly worth her notice.

Shelly sat firmly on the boat, unmoving like a mountain.

The wind whipped her brown hair into a mop-like shape, but she paid it no mind. With wide eyes and a hearty laugh, she spread her arms to embrace the exhilarating speed.

Hahahaha!

“Woo!”

“We’re flying!”

At that moment, countless Sky Beast dependents emerged from the clouds.

The dependents of the Life Demigod followed the shadow of the miracle tool, the Spirit’s Hot Air Balloon, as it moved into the distance, just as they had when it first arrived.

The Sky Beast carefully carried its master far away, lifting them and sending the Sovereign of Life and the supreme deity toward their next destination.

The Spirit’s Hot Air Balloon picked up speed, vanishing at the edge of the sky in an instant.

The scenery along the journey shifted constantly.

It soared over the sea of clouds and crossed the vast continent.

After an unknown amount of time, a boundless blue expanse appeared on the horizon.

The sea came into view.

Shelly, who had been cheering and shouting, now quieted down. It was as if something was being recalled in the depths of her mind.

A long time ago, Yin Shen had descended by the seaside. She and Redlichia had been born together in the sea.

She was life. The other was wisdom.

“It’s the sea!”

Just as Shelly was about to remember something, the boat went plop and slid down from the Sky Ladder, diving into the water depths like a cannonball.

The seawater soaked Shelly’s mop-like hair, and she let out a sound.

“Ah, the boat sank.”

The sound that came out, however, was more like this.

Gurgle gurgle!

Small bubbles rose to the surface, accompanying her voice.

This time, the Sovereign of Life was truly blowing bubbles.

However, she herself had come from the sea and felt no strangeness toward anything in the ocean. Falling into the seawater gave her a sense of intimacy and comfort.

Shadows gathered one after another in the seawater, and one of them knocked on the cabin door.

The dream domain expanded, pushing back the seawater to form a barrier. Within this barrier, the boat opened its door.

Shelly, dripping wet like a drowned rat, stood on a palm formed from shadows and stepped inside.

She squatted on her tiptoes, shook her head vigorously, and gave herself a quick shake, sending water droplets flying everywhere until she was completely dry.

Shelly frowned at Vellen, the consciousness of the Spirit’s Hot Air Balloon. “Your boat’s a mess. It sank as soon as we hit the water!”

The mythological spirit Vellen approached the Life Sovereign and bowed respectfully. “Esteemed Life Sovereign, the boat has not sunk. It has simply transitioned into submarine mode.”

Shelly tilted her head. “Submarine?”

Shelly turned her head and saw the seabed reflected in the glass window.

At the same time, Yin Shen was already standing by the window, gazing at the underwater world outside.

Shelly quickly lost interest in Vellen and ran over to stand behind Yin Shen. She began excitedly recounting her experience of sliding through the Sky Ladder. Even though it ended with a headfirst plunge into the sea, the thrill of soaring over the sea of clouds and the vast continent was unforgettable.

“God, that was amazing!” Shelly exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “We have to do that again in the future!”

Yin Shen gently pulled her closer, to stand beside Him at the window.

The boat glided through the seabed, where plants swayed gracefully past the glass, accompanied by a variety of marine life.

The scene unfolded into a tranquil yet profound and mysterious picture, as if inviting anyone who saw it to lose themselves in its beauty.

Shelly’s eyes were immediately drawn to the vibrant plants and creatures moving along the ocean floor.

“So beautiful!”

Yin Shen pointed at these life forms and said to Shelly.

“Do you remember? Long ago, you, Redlichia, and I crossed this sea together.”

“Back then, the sea held only a few primitive forms of life, and the land was barren and empty.”

Yin Shen turned to Shelly and spoke with a calm tone.

“And now, the land is not only covered with a variety of plants, but the ocean is also teeming with countless new life forms.”

“Some of these life forms are the descendants of those I created using your Mother Conch of All Things in the past. Others came into existence under the influence of the Eye of Mutation, while some evolved through the radiation of your servant, the Ruhe Beast.”

“Shelly, your arrival brought forth the richness and diversity of life.”

Although Shelly did not directly create these life forms, her presence was undoubtedly a key moment that triggered the evolution and flourishing of life.

Without her arrival, none of this would exist today.

Hearing Yin Shen’s words, Shelly felt a surge of pride but found herself at a loss for words.

She simply stood by the window with a goofy smile, her happiness uncontainable.

Finally, she hugged Yin Shen’s arm and said nothing, letting her joy speak for itself.

“My Life Ability comes from God.”

Yin Shen stood at the window with her. After hearing Yin Shen’s words, Shelly began to observe the seemingly insignificant marine creatures with a serious expression.

She noticed how these fragile species, lacking even basic wisdom, came together to create a vast and intricate ecosystem. This interconnected web of life was the foundation for the flourishing Second Era, brimming with hope and possibilities for the future.

Shelly looked at Yin Shen and asked, “What do we do next?”

Yin Shen replied, “We can observe together and determine how many new species have emerged and how many ancient life forms have vanished over the course of hundreds of millions of years.”

“Perhaps we can uncover remnants from hundreds of millions of years ago,” He added thoughtfully.

Shelly responded, “My Mother Conch of All Things contains their Life Templates. I can recreate them.”

The Life Templates of these species were all preserved within Shelly’s Mother Conch of All Things. It served as the origin of life.

Yin Shen said, “These species disappeared because they couldn’t survive in this world anymore. Even if you bring them back, they wouldn’t fit here.”

Shelly shrugged. “I could tweak them a little. It’s not that hard.”

Yin Shen replied, “But then, they wouldn’t really be the same, would they?”

Between questions and answers, the boat passed through the bottom of the sea and various plants and schools of fish, heading into the distance.

The supreme deities continued their journey, casually heading to the next stop.

Old stories came to an end, and new ones began to unfold.

People and events shifted, civilizations faded away, and ancient species vanished over the years.

Yet, they continued their journey through the vast ocean of time.

On the still surface of the marsh lake, a silver flower cradled a shadow formed from gathered light.

Gamel stood nearby, trying to save Lise, but he was powerless as he watched her dissolve into foam and disappear.

He gazed at the beautiful figure slowly fading into the foam. The scene was breathtaking, yet it left an unsettling feeling.

What was unsettling was not just Lise’s death and disappearance, but also the unyielding persistence of mortals in the face of desire.

“Why?”

“Why couldn’t you turn back?”

“You were fully aware that becoming a witch was impossible.”

“You knew this, yet you still chose to proceed.”

Inside the cloud sea vessel, the snake woman’s figure dissolved entirely into foam, vanishing silently into the vast expanse.

The moment Lise dissipated, something belonging to her fell from the sky and dropped into the Cup of Desire.

It was Lise’s desire and obsession.

The Cup of Desire felt that indelible obsessive desire, and it also felt its own specialness as the two collided.

“What is this?”

“What has merged into the Cup of Desire?”

A figure appeared before Gamel’s eyes and spoke to him.

“I am the witch of the sky.”

That overwhelming emotion of drowning in desire surged into Gamel’s heart, and in that moment, he understood everything about Lise.

He felt her final emotions, a despair so profound it was almost unbearable, yet faintly touched by a fleeting sense of happiness.

His words carried a deep sense of loss and unease.

“You did not truly wish to become a witch.”

“You only sought to become the witch that others envisioned, Lise.”

Gamel was unsure if it was worth it. To him, it did not seem so.

For Lise, however, it was something she was ready to embrace.

The Witch Festival of the Thunderlake Kingdom had just concluded not long ago when the sky once again showed strange phenomena.

The sea of clouds churned, blocking the sky.

Countless giant jellyfish emerged from the cloud mountains, shuttling through the sky.

“There’s something in the sky,” many believers said as they paddled their famous boats in the outer marsh, worshiping the gods and marveling at the strange phenomenon above.

“Those are divine messengers,” they whispered as the giant jellyfish occasionally revealed their forms from the cloud mountains. Mortals had seen them before and believed they were messengers of the Sky Beast God.

“They must have come to welcome the witch. Lady Lise is truly a real witch,” someone exclaimed, and the people of Thunderlake cheered and jumped for joy.

“We finally have our own witch. The Thunderlake Kingdom now has a witch,” the divine servants of the Thunderlake Kingdom said, their voices trembling with emotion as tears filled their eyes.

“Great Sky Beast God, Your protection has finally descended upon the mortal world,” they proclaimed, convinced this was proof that they had been recognized.

Gamel turned his head and watched as the Thunderlake people eagerly interpreted unrelated events as divine revelations meant for them.

Gamel chose to turn away from these scenes.

The Cup of Desire sank back into the water and returned to Apostle Oran’s side.

Outside Thunder City

On a hillside near a small town, Oran stood watching the clouds drift across the sky.

He took out a telescope and adjusted it to focus on the Sky Ladder. Through the lens, he observed a large number of Sky Beast God dependents chasing after a faint shadow that was vanishing into the distance.

Oran seemed to realize something. He slowly lowered the telescope, his gaze lingering on the horizon as he spoke.

“The Creator has left.”

At this moment, Gamel also returned to Oran’s side and happened to hear Oran’s words.

“The Creator?”

Gamel immediately turned his head. He seemed to understand something.

“Is the supreme Life Sovereign there?”

He understood what Oran had said before and why Oran had spoken those words.

God would punish only those who were truly guilty.

Even if the Sky Beast God was enraged, a greater and more merciful existence would soothe them.

Oran did not explain to Gamel the difference between the Creator and the Snake People’s Creator.

He simply said to Gamel.

“The Life Sovereign is indeed among them.”

As the strange phenomenon came to an end, Oran put away the telescope.

He looked at the Cup of Desire on the ground, which was also Gamel, and said, “Everything is over. We should set out now.”

The flower cup of the Cup of Desire lifted slightly as Gamel asked, “Where are you going?”

Oran pointed toward the distant northeast and replied, “To the Endless Desert, to meet the master of the Abyss Royal City, the ancient deity of the Demon Spirit race.”

Gamel paused for a moment, then realized who Oran was referring to. “Is it the legendary being who resides in that mysterious ancient city in the Endless Desert?”

Over the years, many people had stumbled upon the mysterious ancient city hidden deep within the Endless Desert. Stories circulated that the city was home to a group of undying demon spirits, and at its center was a being believed to possess divine power.

Oran nodded. “That city is nearly as ancient as the Lost Kingdom.”

“They come from a primordial age unknown to the Snake People, a previous era that only the gods remember.”

From Oran’s words, Gamel heard the term “previous era” for the first time.

Oran was preparing to journey to the Endless Desert, where the news of the Creator’s descent upon the mortal world might begin to spread.

He crouched down, reaching to pick up the Cup of Desire on the ground to continue the journey with Gamel.

However, the moment his hand made contact with the Cup of Desire, Oran quickly pulled it back.

“Eh?”

He carefully examined this Cup of Desire and discovered it was actually continuously growing.

“What did you merge with?”

Gamel replied earnestly, “I do not know. When Lise died, it seemed as though something of hers fell down.”

“I cannot see it or sense it, but there is no doubt that something has merged into this flower.”

The Cup of Desire continued to grow larger, gradually forcing Gamel’s lamp spirit body out.

Gamel said, “It is growing, fully merging with the Cup of Desire.”

“I am merely residing temporarily within the Cup of Desire. I have no means to resist it.”

Gamel understood that as a unique lamp spirit, if he were to leave the vessel of the Cup of Desire, he would likely dissipate immediately.

Oran observed the transformation of the Flower of Desire. “You must find another place to reside.”

Oran retrieved another Cup of Desire and carefully merged Gamel’s lamp spirit body into it.

As soon as Gamel left the original Cup of Desire, that cup began to expand until it reached half a person’s height.

This size was already comparable to the Cups of Desire found in the Miracle Garden.

Light gathered within the flower cup, gradually forming the outline of a face.

Finally, a head emerged from within the Cup of Desire.

The face that appeared was identical to Lise’s.

Gamel asked, “What exactly is this?”

Oran replied, “It seems to have turned into a life form.”

Both Gamel and Oran were deeply shocked at this moment.

They had always known the Cup of Desire as a mysterious flower blooming in Iva’s Sky Garden, but they had never truly understood or uncovered the origin of this silver Flower of Desire.

The Cup of Desire originated from the Sun Cup.

It turned from gold to silver after being infused with the power of wisdom, much like the Blood Mist Cups that were transformed by the Life Ability.

The original form of the God of Desire and Alchemy, Iva, was also a Cup of Desire.

It came into existence by consuming the bloodline and desires of Prince Weishi Hosen of the Royal Bloodline.

When it was born, it was overwhelmed by endless fear and darkness. It was the Divine Messenger Hila who gave her the Dream Egg, which allowed her to escape that despair and darkness and become a complete, intelligent being.

This transformation led to the creation of the Dream Realm Ferryman, who later became the God of Desire and Alchemy, Iva.

Oran immediately reached out his hand and grabbed this strange flower-form life entity.

“What exactly is this?”

The moment he touched it, Oran’s spirit and power immediately scanned it.

“A completely new kind of life?”

But it immediately trembled, clearly trying to break free from Oran’s grip.

It was not born from Oran’s obsessive desire but from the obsession and desire of “Sky Witch” Lise. There was no way it would willingly submit to Oran’s control.

It even attempted to destroy itself, driven by the belief that Oran would never allow it to fulfill its obsession and desire.

In the end, Oran hesitated. He could not bear to watch it destroy itself in such a way. After a moment of internal struggle, he released his hold, allowing it to escape his control.

“Not good.”

As soon as Oran let go, it quickly burrowed into the ground and vanished without a trace.

Gamel stood frozen, the image of that face, so identical to Lise’s, lingering in his mind.

“Did she come back to life?”

Although Oran did not know what it was, as an apostle of the God of Desire and Alchemy, he sensed many things the moment he touched that strange flower.

“This is not a complete life form,” Oran said thoughtfully. “It lacks wisdom and holds no memory of what came before. It is trapped, endlessly sinking into Lise’s obsessive desire.”

Gamel looked at Oran and asked, “What does that feel like?”

Oran paused for a moment before replying, “What was Lise’s final emotion? Was it pain, or was it despair?”

Gamel suddenly turned his head, looking toward the direction of the Lost Kingdom in the distance.

That feeling echoed in his mind.

Gamel felt a sudden wave of despair for that flower. It was like drowning in honey water, the sweetness filling the mouth while the inability to breathe brought unbearable discomfort and desperation.

The faint sweetness lingering on the tip of the tongue gave an illusion of happiness, making the struggle even more tragic.

The silver Cup of Desire rose from the ground and reappeared by the riverside.

It began its journey upstream, moving deeper into the marsh.

Gliding across the water’s surface, it steadily approached the cloud-covered mountain hidden within the marsh.

The flower drifting through the haze seemed to recognize this place.

At last, it reached Silver Fish Island and climbed ashore.

It used its roots as feet, moving gracefully across the island covered in rotten wood and withered vines. The dance it performed was the ancient snake dance, a ritual once used to honor the gods.

At that moment, the dance was being performed by a flower.

The beautiful head within the flower cup began to speak, standing beneath the altar where the Witch Festival had once taken place.

“Great God of the Sky!”

“Supreme servant of the Life Sovereign, great Ruhe Great God…”

“You are the master of thunder, the wind carries Your voice to mortals, the sky and clouds are Your…”

As it danced, it moved to the other side of Silver Fish Island.

It found a decayed fishing boat and climbed aboard.

Once on the boat, it resumed its dance, swaying gracefully with the boat’s movements.

The fishing boat rocked back and forth, but it adjusted effortlessly, as if it had spent years living on boats.

The mist from the cloud mountain descended, spreading across the water and engulfing both the boat and the figure.

Before long, however, the boat and its passenger emerged from the mist, appearing once again before onlookers.

Perhaps it survived because its life form was similar to that of the ghost race, incomplete yet enduring.

Or perhaps it was the unique nature of the Cup of Desire, resembling creations from the Creator’s garden, that kept it unharmed.

It thus became companions with Shana’s fishing boat in this Forbidden Zone of Death.

Later, people would often find themselves unintentionally wandering into the depths of the marsh.

From afar, they would see a flower with a beautiful head drifting through the deadly cloud mist, riding on an old, dilapidated boat.

It sang hymns in a recitative tone, praising the great Sky Beast God.

It did not know where it came from, only where it wanted to go.

It believed that if it reached the city in the sky, it could fulfill its purpose. Its obsession convinced it that as long as it climbed to that sky city, it could become a witch.

Time and again, it rode the boats that followed the beast’s breath upward, soaring on the giant god’s breathing, yet it could never reach the city beyond the cloud mountain.

This was because the Sovereign of Life had once told the Sky Beast that even non-humans could not enter her collection.

The miracle that had happened to Shana could no longer be repeated.

However, even if it truly entered the Lost Kingdom, it still would not become the witch it longed to be.

The belief that entering the Lost Kingdom would make one a witch was nothing more than an illusion shared by Lise and everyone else.

So it continued, time and again.

Wandering between the sea of clouds and the lake’s surface.

Until one day, when a true Sky Witch was born, its obsessive desire might finally come to an end.

Not because it was fulfilled, but because it would finally understand that it was impossible.

And in that moment, it would dissipate into shattered dreams.