The sky split apart, thunder and fire rolling.
From the heavens above, divine light descended every so often, tearing open hideous rifts in space. Each time a rift appeared, it meant that a new "dungeon" had opened.
And this time, the dungeon known as the "Ancient Ruins" appeared on the northern plains.
Countless cultivators flocked to the site—sword cultivators, dao heirs, saintesses, and prodigies of the demon clans—all wielding their unique arts. They gathered at the dungeon's entrance, their expressions solemn, as though facing a trial of heaven itself.
"I've heard the most ancient beings slumber here."
"Those who enter are doomed to die. To return alive means stepping into the path of sainthood!"
"Master said this is a forbidden land. To seize even a wisp of its fortune could defy fate itself!"
With hearts filled with awe and dread, they finally stepped into the Ancient Ruins.
…
Deep within the ruins, by a tranquil lakeside.
A young man sat lazily on a boulder, holding a bamboo rod, humming an off-key tune, and chewing on half a piece of roasted meat.
The lake shimmered with a faint blue glow. Now and then, winged, thunder-breathing fish leapt from its waters, waves surging ten zhang high. These were the "Thunder Abyss Fish" that, in the outside world, could annihilate an entire city.
Yet the youth casually flicked his rod, and with a light tug, pulled one of the monstrous fish straight out.
"Again with this kind… the meat's too tough."
Shaking his head, he tossed it onto the fire. That firepit was made of "lava beast crystal bones," the blaze so fierce it seemed to warp the air itself.
Soon, the air filled with an aura so dreadful it would terrify all cultivators of the world.
—A primordial beast was burning.
"Sigh, overcooked." The youth tossed a charred piece of fish bone back into the lake. "Forget it. I'll just use it as firewood."
…
Meanwhile.
A party of cultivators from the outside crept cautiously through the ruins.
At their lead was the true disciple of an Eastern Continent holy land, hailed as the "future holy son." Sweat drenched his brow as he formed seals with both hands, carefully dispelling trap after trap.
Their robes were soaked through, their breaths uneven, nerves taut.
"Be on guard… every step here is fraught with death!"
Suddenly, an overwhelming aura surged from ahead.
The holy son's heart jolted. "It's the power of a forbidden relic! Quickly, follow me!"
Holding their breath, they pressed on, parting through heaps of bones and pushing aside ancient trees—until they reached the lakeside.
And then, they saw a scene that shattered their minds.
A black-haired youth sat cross-legged on a rock, a blazing bonfire before him. In the flames roasted half the carcass of a "Thunder Abyss Fish."
Scattered by the lakeshore were remains beyond imagination: the skull of a Sun-Devouring Python, which he used as a stool; the fang of an ancient beast, wielded as a hatchet for chopping wood; even a golden skeleton that radiated with divine light, tossed aside in a corner with wet clothes hanging from it like a drying rack.
The holy son sucked in a breath of icy air. "That… that's a Heaven-Waste Bone?! Records say such remains only appear when an ancient emperor perishes!"
Yet, in the boy's eyes, that priceless relic was nothing more than a clothes hanger.
Even worse—he had tossed a Thunder Abyss Fish into the fire to roast! A creature on par with a great saint!
"Is… is this some sort of ritual to the ancient gods?" The holy son's throat went dry, his voice breaking.
The cultivators behind him went pale, their knees trembling.
What they saw as the ultimate taboo, the youth treated as mere daily routine.
…
The young man finally looked up and noticed the strangers.
"Oh? You must be the new neighbors."
He grinned, waving warmly. "Come on over! I've got plenty of fish—let's eat together!"
He held out a piece of charred fish bone. "Here, have a taste. I'm not bad at roasting."
…
The holy son and his companions stared at the still-smoking bone, feeling the lingering aura of an ancient god upon it. Their hearts nearly burst.
This wasn't roasted fish—it was a sacrifice to the heavens themselves!
"We… we've reached the final trial!" one cultivator cried, eyes feverish, before dropping to his knees.
"This is the dungeon's ultimate test! Only by offering ourselves can we be acknowledged!"
In an instant, the entire group collapsed to the ground, shivering and weeping with devotion.
By the lake, the youth blinked.
"Eh? Did hunger scramble their brains? Why kneel? If you don't eat soon, it'll get cold."
He tossed a whole fish at them. "Here, don't be shy!"
…
The wind rose across the lake, firelight flickering.
The outsiders trembled, tears streaming, their minds consumed by a single thought—
"This is the master of the dungeon!"
"The guardian of the Ancient Ruins—the emissary of the primordial gods!"
And as their reverent gazes burned into him, the youth gnawed on the last fish bone, muttering casually:
"Too salty. Next time, less salt."