The lakeside divine palace, bells thundered.
Ever since the "Eternal Grand Festival" turned into a "fishing competition," the nine heavens and ten lands had gone utterly insane. Every sect, dynasty, demon clan, and heroic spirit gathered with fishing rods in hand, sitting by the lake chanting the "Holy Words of the Ancient God."
"Cultivation is fishing!"
"The angle must be right!"
"Next time we compete again!"
—These words had become the ultimate truth of cultivation.
…
Yet the madness of the mortal realm finally alarmed an even higher being.
In the chaos beyond the heavens, an ancient aura stirred.
A colossal figure shrouded in primal light opened its eyes, its voice booming like the thunder of creation itself:
"Hmph… disorder of fate, even the Heavenly Dao itself submits?!"
"A so-called 'only one' appearing in the mortal realm? Ridiculous!"
"I am the Primordial Ancestor, the one who opened creation. I shall descend to see for myself!"
Boom—
The void shattered, torrents of chaos surged downward. The Primordial Ancestor stepped into the mortal world, standing above the lakeside divine palace, his aura crushing the realms.
Countless cultivators collapsed in terror, tears streaming.
"The Primordial Ancestor… has come!"
"This is the being who split the heavens and opened creation!"
"Heavens, today there will surely be a great battle!"
…
At the lakeside hut, the black-haired youth squatted by his basket, counting fish.
"Sixty-seven… sixty-eight… damn it, lost count, gotta start over!"
He scratched his head in frustration, then looked up—and saw the enormous figure of chaos looming above.
His eyes lit up, and he shouted with joy: "Hey! The referee's here! Hahaha, of course a big competition like this needs a referee, otherwise it's not fair!"
He waved earnestly: "Hey, big guy! Come down and help me count the fish, don't just stand there!"
…
The Primordial Ancestor froze on the spot.
—He, the great being who opened the heavens, was being asked to… count fish?
Before he could respond, countless cultivators broke down in tears, screaming:
"The Ancient God Emperor is too great! Even the Primordial Ancestor is at his command!"
"This is the supreme judgment! He can summon even the one who made creation itself!"
"Too terrifying! Too magnificent!"
…
The Primordial Ancestor's heart trembled, a pressure pressing against his soul.
"This… this aura… could it be he truly surpasses the Heavenly Dao?"
After a moment's hesitation, he clenched his teeth and descended, standing before the fish basket.
The black-haired youth patted his shoulder, grinning as he handed him a bamboo stick: "Here, count these for me, so they all know I'm the winner!"
…
The Primordial Ancestor looked down.
Inside the basket, radiant golden fish thrashed, each one a Dao made flesh, their power enough to collapse worlds.
His hands shook as he stiffly counted, finger brushing each tail: "One… two… three…"
Every number echoed through the laws of creation, the world trembling in resonance.
Countless cultivators wept rivers, bowing furiously:
"The Primordial Ancestor… is counting fish for the Ancient God!"
"This is the proof of destiny!"
"The Ancient God Emperor is supreme!"
…
The black-haired youth stood proudly, hands on hips: "Hahaha! Told you, I'm definitely the champion! With the referee personally counting, that's ironclad proof!"
He laughed and shouted at the crowd: "Hear that? No complaints now—I win for sure!"
…
The masses broke down sobbing, prostrating even harder.
"Holy Words of the Ancient God: I win for sure!"
"Ahhh! So profound! This is the Dao of absolute victory!"
"The Ancient God Emperor is supreme!"
…
The Primordial Ancestor was numb, sweat dripping from his brow.
He had come to suppress, but somehow became a referee, worshiped by billions.
"This… this is absurd… but why… why can't I deny it?"
…
As night fell, another stele was raised at the lakeside divine palace, inscribed with:
[Holy Words of the Ancient God: I Win For Sure]
In just one night, it spread across the nine heavens and ten lands.
All cultivators comprehended:
"Cultivation is faith—victory must first be spoken aloud!"
"Holy Words of absolute truth! Victory is inevitable!"
"The Ancient God is supreme!"
…
Inside the hut, the black-haired youth hugged his basket of fish, collapsed on his straw mat, and mumbled sleepily:
"Hehe, that referee was pretty reliable. Gotta invite him to count again next time."
Soon snores filled the night, and in his dreams, he hugged piles of fish, shouting proudly:
"I win for sure!"