The magma lake shimmered with golden specks as swarms of Sunfish darted through the fiery depths—a sight so staggering it sent chills down Shi Hao’s spine. Never before had he witnessed such a dense congregation, numbering in the thousands.
In the past, catching a hundred would have been considered a bountiful haul, but compared to this, it was nothing.
“Are all the Sunfish in existence hiding in this lake?” gasped one of the youths, awestruck.
The fish arrived swiftly and departed even faster, their vanguard devouring the meager bait in an instant. With a flash of golden light, they vanished into the abyss of the lake, leaving behind only the tantalizing question: how much divine essence could be extracted from such a multitude?
“We’ve hit the jackpot!” Even the usually composed youths were electrified with excitement.
After calming his racing heart, Shi Hao waited patiently to avoid disturbing the lake’s inhabitants before beginning his preparations. He etched essential glyphs into the surroundings and enlisted the youths’ aid, arming them with powerful artifacts to intercept the fish. The sheer number of Sunfish demanded a coordinated effort, and the presence of a formidable Sunfish King meant a fierce battle was inevitable.
Finally, his trap was set. Shi Hao hovered above the lake, scattering luminous bait like falling stars. He retreated swiftly, concealing himself as he awaited the fish’s ascent.
Moments later, golden radiance pierced the crimson magma as the Sunfish surfaced, devouring the bait and conjuring supernatural phenomena. These were no ordinary creatures—their collective power summoned storm clouds, raining molten rock and crackling lightning. Among them, half-meter-long behemoths soared into the sky, exhaling radiant mist amidst the tempest.
Shi Hao knew he couldn’t delay any longer.
Meanwhile, onlookers from nearby regions gaped in astonishment. “What is that? Let’s investigate!”
“A rare breed of divine fish—and in such numbers!” exclaimed a jade-horned youth, his eyes blazing with greed. “Seal the area. No leaks. We take everything.”
His men understood—they intended to claim both fish and hunters.
But they weren’t alone. Another faction arrived, their four-eyed visages marking them as a formidable extraterrestrial clan. Their leader trembled with excitement. “So many Sunfish! Capturing them all could elevate me to terrifying heights!”
A third group soon joined, their covetous gazes locked onto the lake.
With no time to lose, Shi Hao acted. Radiant as a thunder god, he plunged into the magma, wielding his Heaven-Transforming Bowl to harvest the fish.
The three factions descended like vultures, plundering the Sunfish.
“These are ours! You can’t steal them!” protested a wide-eyed girl, furious after days of perilous bait-gathering.
“Oho, a pretty one,” sneered a raider.
“Enough chatter! Seize the fish—they’re priceless treasures!”
Chaos erupted as the factions clashed, their greed overriding reason. Shi Hao’s pre-laid formations, meant to aid the youths, proved insufficient against the intruders.
As the three forces closed in, they turned violent, attacking the youths. Shi Hao urged them to retreat while he fought on alone.
“Focus on the fish! Every one counts!”
“This is heaven’s gift!” they crowed, too consumed by avarice to pursue the fleeing youths.
Shi Hao, cold-eyed, carved out his own territory, wielding his bowl with ruthless efficiency.
“Impressive,” someone remarked, eyeing him warily.
Then disaster struck. The lake erupted as colossal Sunfish retaliated, their combined power annihilating half the raiders in an instant. The survivors, hardened and ruthless, pressed on, fracturing the school into manageable segments.
Amidst the frenzy, Shi Hao slipped beneath the surface, his ten Heavenly Passage realms immobilizing a swath of fish as he harvested them relentlessly.
The factions, led by late-stage Inscription Realm elders, fought fiercely, suffering heavy casualties.
Finally, the school shattered, fleeing in all directions. The hunters gave chase, even capturing a few giants—until a golden streak vaporized an elder, sending them fleeing in terror.
From the depths emerged a meter-long Sunfish King, its aura dwarfing even noble lords. Shi Hao, clad in his Indestructible Golden Body, prepared to engage—but the king, sensing his might, retreated with its remnants into the abyss.
As the dust settled, the factions regrouped, their numbers halved.
“Greetings, brother,” ventured the jade-horned youth.
Shi Hao ignored him, his gaze icy.
“Would you consider selling your catch?” asked a four-eyed youth, signaling his kin to block Shi Hao’s escape.
“Planning to monopolize?” challenged the third group, a human sect led by two fair maidens.
“Let’s split it three ways,” proposed the four-eyed leader.
“Nonsense! We discovered them first!” retorted the horned youth.
They bickered over Shi Hao’s spoils as if he were irrelevant—until he spoke.
“I agree. Hand over your catches. If they compensate my losses, so be it. If not—you’ll feed the fish.”
Silence fell. Then laughter.
“Apologies for today’s rudeness. Farewell,” some stammered, sensing danger.
But the horned youth, prideful and rash, snarled, “Kill him!”
His elders attacked, conjuring a crimson furnace to crush Shi Hao. In response, a foot-long black fish—manifested from Kun Peng runes—shattered the furnace with a flick of its tail.
The onlookers gaped as the fish exhaled primordial darkness, freezing the elders into black dust.
The horned youth fled, only for Shi Hao to stomp him into the ground.
“Defy me again, and it’s the lake for you,” Shi Hao growled, turning to the others. “Fish and artifacts. Now.”
One maiden spat, “We’re from the Ethereal Palace! Your sect will—”
A slap sent her flying. “I despise threats.”
A kick silenced her permanently.
The remaining forces fought desperately, but the black fish annihilated their artifacts and elders alike.
In the end, only three survived—for questioning.
Tallying the spoils, Shi Hao smiled. Despite the interference, his haul exceeded a thousand Sunfish.
After refining their essence into radiant golden liquid, he secluded himself, emerging later at the peak of the Inscription Realm.
Justice had been served—with interest.
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