The lakeside bustled for days on end—cultivators gathering, demons submitting, foreign powers bowing.
With each new "Sacred Word of the Ancient God" spreading across the world, the entire continent's order changed.
—Sects no longer fought each other. Instead, a frenzy erupted to build the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Kingdom!
They believed firmly: only by raising the most glorious nation by the lakeside could they honor the descent of the Ancient God, the Heavenly Emperor.
And so, from the nine heavens and ten lands, countless cultivators, mortals, demons, and monsters came bearing stone, timber, jewels, and spirit ores, swarming to the lake.
In just a few days, tall walls rose around the water, carved beams and painted pillars gleamed with gold.
Altars lined the streets, banners fluttered, incense curled—like a miracle come alive.
…
The black-haired youth squatted by the lake with his bamboo rod.
He glanced up—and nearly dropped his jaw.
"Whoa! When did all these houses show up? And stalls too?!"
Pointing at the neat rows of buildings, he laughed: "So you guys are setting up a big marketplace! Nice, nice! With so many people, business will boom!"
Excited, he grabbed his fish basket and ran over, dropping a few freshly-caught fish onto a stall.
"Hey, hey! Fresh fish! Trade me candied hawthorns, pancakes, lamb skewers!"
…
The cultivators froze.
The next instant, their eyes brimmed with tears as they cried out:
"The Ancient God, the Heavenly Emperor… personally bestows divine fish!"
"This is the opening sacrifice of the founding of the kingdom!"
"Record it in the holy canon! Today, the Divine Kingdom is born!"
…
The youth blinked, then slapped his thigh and laughed: "Hahaha, you guys really get it—every market needs an opening ceremony!"
Grinning, he handed out fish: "Come on, don't be shy—have a taste!"
…
The flesh of the Thunder Abyss Fish was distributed among the sects. All who received it wept as they cradled it.
"This is the founding sacrifice!"
"The ancient god is supreme!"
"Blessed fish of grace!"
Someone broke through on the spot, enlightenment flooding him, lightning swirling as he rose into the sky.
"I… I advanced!"
At once, news swept the nine heavens and ten lands.
—The Ancient God and Heavenly Emperor bestowed fish at the founding of the kingdom, granting fortune to all beings!
…
The youth frowned, muttering: "Weird… why does everyone break through just from eating my fish? Must be my cooking—got the timing perfect."
He shook his head, making a note: "Next time, don't flip the fish too much—don't overcook it."
…
Meanwhile, the buildings grew more extravagant.
The demon clans built beast halls to the east, the fiends raised blood pools to the west, and foreign powers embedded whole stars into the city walls.
Within days, a vast Divine Kingdom stood complete—towering walls, blazing with golden light, runes glowing as if the nine heavens had fallen to earth.
…
At the city gate, the youth gawked at the bustling streets, eyes shining.
"Wow! So many stalls—skewers, candied hawthorns, roasted chestnuts, lamb soup… Hahaha, it really is a marketplace!"
Clapping his hands, he laughed: "Now it'll always be lively—I'll never have to worry about missing candied hawthorns again!"
…
Those words were instantly inscribed onto steles:
"Sacred Words of the Ancient God: The Dao must be prosperous, and only then eternal."
Countless cultivators wept, chanting in unison: "Sacred Words of the Ancient God!"
…
Night fell.
The lakeside blazed with lanterns, all races gathered, songs resounding.
Cultivators, mortals, demons, all knelt devoutly, crying out together:
"The Divine Kingdom is born!"
"The Ancient God, the Heavenly Emperor, rules the nine heavens!"
"All races revere as one!"
…
Meanwhile, the black-haired youth squatted at a street corner, happily chewing on freshly-traded candied hawthorns, eyes squinted with joy.
"Haha, nothing beats candied hawthorns! Tomorrow I'll catch more fish—trade them for barbecue!"
Content, he licked the sugar glaze, blissfully unaware that all living beings now hailed him as the sole master of Heaven's Dao.