The night was deep, the divine kingdom by the lake blazing with light.
Countless cultivators prostrated and prayed, chanting the "Sacred Words of the Ancient God," shaking heaven and earth.
At that moment, ripples spread across the lake, and an unfathomable aura slowly welled up from the void.
Boom—!
The heavens exploded, sun and moon shone together, stars rained down like meteors. Law-light poured down as golden waterfalls from the skies.
From the depths of the void, mysterious runes gathered, slowly forming an enormous face.
It was—the source of the Heavenly Dao!
Countless mighty beings screamed hoarsely:
"Heavens! The Heavenly Dao itself has descended!"
"The Ancient God, the Heavenly Emperor, has been acknowledged by the source of the Dao!"
"This… this is fusion with the Dao itself!"
The nine heavens and ten lands shook, billions of beings wept and prayed, their voices a crashing sea.
"Hail the Ancient God, the Heavenly Emperor, who commands the Dao!"
"The Heavenly Emperor is supreme!"
"The incarnation of Heaven!"
…
At the lakeside.
The black-haired youth was dozing off at his hut's doorway when a cool breeze stirred him awake.
Looking up, he saw mist curling across the lake, a chill drifting over.
"Oh, the weather's cooled down—fog on the lake."
Stretching, he smiled in satisfaction: "Haha, summer's finally over. Much nicer for fishing."
Shouldering his rod, he happily walked to the water.
…
From afar, the cultivators wept at the sight.
"Do you see?! The Heavenly Emperor resonates with the source of the Dao!"
"With just a smile, heaven and earth shrouded in mist!"
"This is Dao and man as one—unseen since the dawn of time!"
They knelt harder, foreheads bloody on the ground: "The ancient god is supreme!"
…
At the heart of the lake, the face of the Dao grew clearer, law-forces condensing into chains, stretching toward the youth to merge him with the cosmos.
Boom!
Pillars of light beamed across the land, as if declaring to all:
[He is the Heavenly Dao!]
…
The youth sat by the lake, focused only on fishing, oblivious to the spectacle behind him.
Suddenly, his rod bent hard, the surface erupted, and a "Dao-Origin Carp" covered in glowing runes leapt up, nearly snapping his rod.
"Whoa! What a big fish!"
With one yank, he hauled the carp ashore and tossed it casually onto the grass.
Boom!
Heaven and earth quaked, the laws of the Dao wailed.
"He… he just threw the Dao-Origin Carp on the ground like a common fish…"
"This… this is absolute dominion!"
"The Heavenly Emperor can subdue the source of the Dao itself with a flick!"
Countless cultivators wept rivers, crying as one: "The Ancient God, the Heavenly Emperor, the sole incarnation!"
…
The youth caught his breath, chuckling as he dusted his hands: "Haha, finally bagged a fat one! Fish soup tonight!"
He dragged the carp to the fire, tossed salt, flipped it over the flames.
Oil spat wildly, bolts of thunder crackled into the night.
Countless cultivators collapsed in tears, wailing like mourners:
"The ancient god… he's roasting the source of the Dao to eat…"
"What a realm! Beyond thought, beyond imagination!"
"He alone is the master of the Dao!"
…
The youth bit into the meat, chewing noisily, muttering:
"Damn, way too many bones. Next time I'll stick to smaller ones."
Instantly, the words were carved onto steles, echoing through the nine heavens.
"Sacred Words of the Ancient God: The Dao must not chase the great—progress step by step!"
Billions achieved sudden enlightenment, breakthroughs rang out endlessly, the continent went mad.
…
Under the night sky, the divine kingdom overflowed with kneeling masses, crying aloud:
"Ancient God, Heavenly Emperor!"
"Heaven supreme!"
"Sole ruler of the realms!"
In his hut, the black-haired youth patted his full belly, burped contentedly, and rolled onto his mat, mumbling:
"Mm… this mist was nice and cool—perfect for fishing. Tomorrow, again."
He turned over, snoring.
And at that moment, the nine heavens and ten lands agreed as one—
The very source of the Dao had yielded completely to the Ancient God, the Heavenly Emperor.