On the tenth day after the Ancient Ruins fully merged with the mortal world—
The nine heavens and ten lands were already engulfed in a cultivation frenzy. The "Sacred Words of the Ancient God" had spread everywhere. Nearly every cultivator now practiced stirring pots, reducing salt, even training swordplay while stirring.
"The Dao of the ancient god—truly unfathomable!"
"Using less salt really helped me break through my bottleneck!"
"Stirring more times actually stabilized my sword heart!"
…
At that moment, the lakeside once again grew lively.
The sky thundered as nine holy land warships slowly descended, their prows draped with golden banners that lit up the mountains and rivers.
Countless sect elders, sect masters, and supreme old monsters appeared, their pressure sweeping across the land.
"Greetings to the ancient god!"
They knelt in unison, their voices shaking the heavens, reverently presenting treasures of immeasurable value:
"This is my sect's sacred relic—ten-thousand-year spirit jade—we offer it to the ancient god!"
"This is an ancient imperial weapon that has guarded our sect for ages—we present it to the ancient god!"
"This is the Heavenly Heart Gem, which can guide one to instant enlightenment—we dedicate it to the ancient god!"
…
The black-haired youth, holding a large bowl of fish soup, nearly choked.
"Cough, cough! What's with you all? A bunch of old men kneeling in a group, piling up junk in front of my house?"
He stepped forward and casually picked up the ten-thousand-year jade, turning it over in his hand.
"This is just a rock, right? You can find these anywhere outside."
Saying that, he tossed it into the fire. "Perfect, makes it burn faster."
Boom! The flames roared, heaven and earth surged with omens.
All the sect elders froze on the spot, then burst into tears.
"The ancient god… used ten-thousand-year jade… as firewood!"
"This is disdain for the so-called treasures of the Dao! This is the supreme realm!"
"We are utterly unworthy to stand beside him!"
They collapsed to the ground, bowing madly.
…
The youth then picked up the "ancient imperial weapon," looked it over, and frowned.
"This thing's way too heavy—better for chopping vegetables."
He slapped it twice against a rock. Crack! The imperial weapon broke in two.
"Pfft, what lousy quality."
…
The sect masters nearly fainted in terror.
"T-That was an imperial weapon that could suppress a whole realm!"
"And in the hands of the ancient god, it was no better than scrap…"
"This is the gulf between us and him!"
They shook uncontrollably, their eyes blazing with fanaticism.
…
As for the Heavenly Heart Gem, the youth looked at it with interest.
"This one's pretty shiny. Perfect, I needed a doorstop for my hut."
He carried it to his doorway and set it down. "There, keeps the wind out."
…
The elders wept on the spot.
"The ancient god is profound beyond measure! He teaches us—the heart of heaven must not be flaunted, but grounded in steadiness!"
"This is the supreme truth of the Dao!"
"Record it at once, carve it in stone for the ages!"
In an instant, dozens more steles were erected around the lake, etched with new "Sacred Words of the Ancient God."
…
The black-haired youth rubbed his belly and grinned, calling out cheerfully:
"Alright, alright, you all came here to mooch food, right? Luckily I've got plenty of fish soup today—everyone have some."
He ladled out a big pot, handing it around: "Here, warm your stomachs."
The sect masters, eyes brimming with tears, received it with both hands, shouting reverently:
"The ancient god bestows holy soup!"
They drank in unison, and at once their realms surged skyward, divine light bursting across the sky.
"I broke through!"
"My three-hundred-year bottleneck has loosened!"
"The ancient god is supreme!"
…
The black-haired youth was dumbfounded. "…Are you serious? I just made soup."
He tapped his bowl, muttering: "Guess the fish was fresher than usual. Next time I'll roast a few more."
But those words immediately became divine law.
"Sacred Words of the Ancient God—cultivation requires freshness to break through!"
"So profound! So great!"
…
Night fell.
Firelight flickered over the lakeside as sect masters knelt through the night, weeping with reverence.
In their hearts, they reached the same conclusion:
"The ancient god has revealed himself to the world! We must spread his sacred words across all realms!"
"From this day forth, he is the voice of heaven—the only true lord of the world!"
…
The black-haired youth, meanwhile, leaned on his fishing rod at the doorway, yawning.
"Ugh, too many people today—I didn't even get to fish. Tomorrow I'll get up early and find a quiet spot."
He turned into his hut, leaving behind a sea of fanatical worshipers.
"The ancient god has returned to his divine palace!"
"Farewell, ancient god!"
The mountains rumbled, the nine heavens shook.