I was just fishing, how did I become a Great Old One?

"Aaaaaah—Help! I'm afraid of heights!"

Accompanied by Wang Ergou's mournful screams, the group of "bullies" from Deep Blue Aquatic Products fell from the black vortex high in the void like dumplings being dropped into a pot.

The feeling of weightlessness didn't last long, followed by a series of "plop, plop" sounds as I fell into the water.

Strangely, the splashing water wasn't white or blue, but a lifeless gray. Moreover, it lacked the saltiness of seawater; instead, it had a smell similar to burnt ash, and was as thick as diluted sesame paste.

"Ptooey! Ptooey! What is this water? It tastes like coal ash!"

Jiang Li was the first to pop his head out, wiping the gray slime off his face and spitting it out in disgust. He was still tightly clutching the gleaming silver spoon (Silver Spoon) in his hand, which was now his lifeline and his only "utensil".

"Boss! My roast chicken is soggy!"

Not far away, Wang Ergou clutched the half-eaten roast chicken he had snatched from the banquet of the gods, tears welling up in his eyes. The once golden and crispy skin was now covered in a layer of grime, making it look utterly unappetizing.

"Stop howling, that's 'God's Chicken,' you can still eat it after washing it."

Jiang Li said irritably, then looked around.

The environment here is very strange.

There was no sky above, only a chaotic, swirling gray mist, occasionally punctuated by streaks of purple lightning that silently exploded deep within it. Beneath one's feet lay an endless gray Dead Sea, utterly still, its stillness sending chills down one's spine.

In the very center of this desolate sea stands a strangely shaped island.

The island was made entirely of white rock, and its shape was very regular. It was a huge circle surrounded by a ring of towering rock walls, with a slight depression in the middle and a dense array of air vents.

At that moment, billowing heat and white steam were gushing out from those holes, dispersing much of the surrounding gray fog.

"This look..."

Jiang Li narrowed his eyes and looked the island up and down. A very vivid term instantly popped into his mind.

"Isn't this just a large... bamboo steamer?!"

"And it's one that's currently being developed by SAIC!"

Liu Wei, Lei Meng, and the others swam over and were stunned when they heard this. Looking closely, it really did look like it! The white rock face resembled the edge of a steamer, the vents looked like air holes, and the bright red light in the center…

Wait, red light?

Jiang Li's gaze pierced through the rising steam and looked at the very center of the "steamer".

There were no steamed buns or mantou there.

There was only one fire there.

A colossal, living flame, seemingly threatening to ignite this gray world. Unlike ordinary fire that sways in the wind, it was an aggregate of countless tiny, constantly exploding spheres of plasma light. It expanded and contracted incessantly, each pulsation accompanied by intense heat radiation and maddening whispers.

【Cthugha, the Explosive One】

One of the Great Old Ones, the fire god residing in Fomalhaut, and also the "ingredients" mentioned by Nyarlathotep.

It is currently in a semi-dormant, semi-sealed state, trapped in this dimensional crevice that is like a steamer, serving as an eternal heat source.

"Wow! That's some serious firepower!"

Jiang Li felt the heat wave hitting him; even though it was several kilometers across the sea, his eyebrows were almost scorched.

"Old Wo! Come out and acknowledge your family!"

Jiang Li shouted into the air.

"call--"

A green flame emerged from Jiang Li's collar and transformed into the fire master wearing a white apron—Vovados.

However, at this moment, Old Wo seemed somewhat timid. The green divine fire on its body was suppressed like a lighter encountering a nuclear reactor in front of the orange-red bursting fire in the distance.

"Boss...that's Ktugya...the ultimate form of living flame..."

Vovadas's voice was trembling (the flames were leaping around).

"Although we both play with fire, it's 'explosive combustion,' and I'm 'burning,' so it's at odds with me in terms of attributes! Plus, it has a really bad temper; it ignites at the slightest touch!"

"What are you afraid of? You're a tenured employee now!"

Jiang Li patted its shoulder, which was made of flames, with a look of exasperation (it almost burned his hand).

"It has a bad temper? Perfect! I love ingredients with character!"

"Think about it, what does fire taste like?"

"Fire...is hot?" Vovados asked, puzzled.

"Wrong! Fire is spicy!"

Jiang Li confidently explained, "In Traditional Chinese Medicine, spiciness belongs to the fire element. This stuff is practically on fire; that's extreme spiciness! It's a natural, extra-spicy hot pot base!"

"Just melt it down, pour it into the pot, and everything cooked in it will absorb the flavor!"

Jiang Li became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he could already see a pot of bright red, oily nine-compartment hot pot beckoning to him.

"Let's go! To the island! We'll go make chili oil!"

……

Braving the scorching heat, the group swam to the edge of the "steaming island".

The rocks here were scorching hot, and stepping on them made a sizzling sound like roasting meat. Fortunately, everyone had just eaten a lot of divine ingredients, so their resistance was high. Apart from Wang Ergou's shoe sole melting, they were not seriously injured.

The closer you get to the center, the higher the temperature becomes. The air is distorted by the high temperature, making visibility blurry.

Finally, they arrived in front of the enormous fireball.

Observing Ktugya up close, the sense of oppression is simply suffocating. It is like a miniature sun bound to the ground, with countless tongues of fire waving in the air like tentacles, and black cracks burning into the surrounding space.

"Buzz—"

Just then, Ktugya seemed to sense the arrival of the uninvited guest.

The chaotic flame suddenly contracted, then expanded instantly, and countless orbs of light converged into a blurry, enormous face filled with rage and a desire for destruction.

"Who... disturbed... my... burning..."

The sound was like ten million tons of explosives exploding at once, shaking the entire island.

"That's... Nyarlathotep's aura?"

Ktugya sensed the lingering chaotic aura on Jiang Li, and his anger surged instantly.

It and Nyarlathotep are mortal enemies, the kind who fight whenever they meet.

"Damn it... Crouching Chaos! Have you sent these ants to humiliate me again?!"

"Destroy! Destroy everything!"

"boom!!!"

Countless enormous fireballs, like meteors, burst forth from its body, raining down on Jiang Li and the others.

"Wow! That's quite a temper, throwing coal balls the moment you see her?"

Jiang Li remained calm and drew the Poseidon Trident from behind his back.

"Even though there's no water here, don't forget, I have ice!"

"Old Liu! Throw out all those ice blocks from Europa that you collected before!"

"yes!"

Liu Wei opened his spatial bag, and several tons of millennia-old ice poured out.

Jiang Li brandished his trident, unleashing blue divine power that instantly shattered the ice into countless ice crystals, forming a massive ice wall that blocked the way for everyone.

"Sizzle sizzle—"

The fireball struck the ice wall and instantly vaporized, filling the air with white mist.

Although the first wave of attacks was blocked, the temperature here was simply too high, and the ice wall was melting at a visible rate.

"That's some serious firepower."

Jiang Li wiped the sweat from his forehead (it was from the steam).

"It seems that physical cooling alone won't work; we'll have to use some magical methods."

He planted the trident in the ground and then took out the Silver Spoon from his pocket.

"Big Yellow! Old Wo! Hold it back! Don't let it run away!"

"I'm going to start... skimming the oil!"

"Woof!" (Too hot! I'm not going!)

Big Yellow cowered in the back, shaking its head frantically. It was a time-traveling hound, not a hot dog.

"I won't try to take your bones!"

Under the big stick policy, Big Yellow had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it. Using its ability to jump through space, it blinked around Ktugia like a flea, occasionally biting a flame (and then howling in pain from the burn), trying to draw the fire.

Worvados could only helplessly spew out green flames in an attempt to neutralize some of the orange bursting fire.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jiang Li raised the large silver spoon.

"The first step in eating hot pot is to skim off the foam!"

He made a "scooping" motion towards Ktugya's enormous body.

"Buzz—"

The Silver Key is activated.

Space displacement!

All that could be seen was that a large chunk of the outermost, most violent flames on Ktugya's body had been scooped away by an invisible spoon and vanished into thin air!

"Gurgle!"

Jiang Li pretended to swallow, but in reality, he transferred that violent energy directly into the [Gluttony Cauldron].

"puff--"

The lid of the Cauldron of Gluttony was pushed open slightly, spewing out a plume of black smoke. Clearly, the fire was a bit spicy and choking.

"roar--!!!"

Ktugya was stunned.

Its body... is missing a piece?

Was it scooped away by that spoon?

"This is impossible! I am the inextinguishable flame!"

It roared madly, trying to repair its body, but that part of its original energy had been isolated in another dimension (inside the cauldron) and could not be retrieved at all.

"It tastes good, spicy enough, and kicking enough!"

Jiang Li smacked his lips, looking savoring the memory.

"It's a bit dry, we need to add some oil."

He pulled the jar containing the fat of the Abyssal Whale from his pocket.

"Go! Deep-sea fish oil!"

He threw it hard, and the can exploded on Ktugya's head.

Hundreds of pounds of white whale fat fell into the flames.

"boom!!!"

Add oil to the fire.

The flames on Ktugya's body instantly tripled in size, turning into a brighter, more dazzling yellow, and even began to turn white.

"Hahahaha! You foolish insect! You're just replenishing my energy!"

Ktugya laughed wildly. It felt its power was greater than ever before!

However, Jiang Li revealed a smug smile.

"Replenishing energy? No, I'm... refining oil."

Do you know the secret to making perfect chili oil?

Jiang Li shouted as he backed away.

"That means—the oil temperature must be high! You have to pour the chili peppers in when the oil is at its hottest!"

"The oil temperature is now high enough!"

He raised the silver spoon again, this time aiming it at the Cauldron of Gluttony.

"Come forth! My secret spice blend!"

"Splash—"

From the space of the Silver Spoon, tons of [Martian Red Soil] (actually some kind of spicy iron-containing mineral), [Screaming Devil Pepper Powder], [Abyssal Bitter Gall Grass]... and all sorts of other miscellaneous seasonings poured out.

These things were not sprinkled directly on Ktugya, but rather...

Under Jiang Li's control, a huge "seasoning tornado" was formed, completely surrounding Ktugya.

"Mix! Stir!"

Jiang Li stirred the spoon in his hand frantically.

Space began to distort.

To Kruger's horror, he discovered that he could no longer control his own body! His enormous fiery form was being forced to merge with those inferior "impurities" (seasonings)!

Whale oil provides the medium, seasonings provide the flavor, and it itself... provides the heat and spiciness.

"No! This isn't science! This isn't magic!"

Ktugya wanted to self-destruct.

But Jiang Li pulled out his last trump card.

That bowl-shaped [Dragon King's Eye].

"Since it's at the bottom of the pot, it has to stay inside!"

"receive!"

Jiang Li aligned the rim of the "bowl" with Ketugeya.

The Dragon King's Eye originally had the ability to devour seawater, but now, under Jiang Li's urging, it no longer absorbed water, but instead created a huge gravitational black hole.

"Whoosh—"

The enormous fireball, now oily, red, and emitting a strong spicy aroma, was helplessly pulled and stretched, twisting little by little, until finally...

They were sucked into that crystal ball, which was only the size of a palm!

The world is quiet now.

The heatwave has disappeared.

All that remained was the crystal ball in Jiang Li's hand, which was burning hot and contained a churning red, magma-like liquid.

"Done! We're done!"

Jiang Li held the crystal ball as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.

"This is—【Ketugeya Supreme Red Oil Base】!"

"The color! The brightness! It's definitely S+ grade!"

The surrounding employees were dumbfounded.

Is that... all there is to it?

That blaster who claimed to be able to destroy galaxies has just turned into a bowl of... broth?

"Boss, isn't this... a bit too disrespectful to the gods?" Wang Ergou asked timidly.

"How is that disrespectful? I gave it the best possible home!"

Jiang Li was perfectly justified.

"It used to just burn aimlessly in space, with no one to appreciate it. Now, it can bring warmth and excitement to countless diners—what a magnificent achievement!"

After saying that, he sealed the crystal ball and put it in his pocket.

"Alright, all the ingredients are ready, the broth is ready, and the tableware is ready too."

Jiang Li looked towards the center of this "steamer island".

With the disappearance of Ktugia, an ancient gate formed from starlight appeared in the place that was once occupied by flames.

The door had no patterns on it, only endless depths and swirling nebulae.

This is the entrance to the Courtyard of Azathoth—the legendary place where the "One Who Unifies All Things" resides.

"Finally... I'm about to meet the person in charge."

Jiang Li straightened his baggy shorts, his expression unusually serious.

"I've heard that place is the center of the universe and the source of all chaos."

"I wonder if the chef there (Yogg Sothos) can cook something that satisfies me?"

He glanced back at his team.

"Brothers, the road ahead might be a bit bumpy and a bit crazy."

"Those who are scared can stay here and wait for me."

"Afraid?"

Lei Meng hoisted the large black pot onto his shoulder and grinned.

"Boss, as long as there's meat to eat, I'm not afraid of going to hell!"

"That's right! We're the elite of Deep Blue Aquatic Products!" Wang Ergou puffed out his chest (although his legs were still shaking).

"good!"

Jiang Li burst into laughter.

"Then let's go! Let's go to the center of the universe... and open a branch!"

He stepped through that starlight gate.

……

The instant you pass through the gate.

There was no dizziness like usual; instead, there was a warm and... sticky feeling, like returning to the womb?

Jiang Li opened his eyes.

The sight before him stunned him.

This is neither a dark void nor a terrifying demonic realm.

Here... is a vast, colorful... sea of ​​bubbles?

Countless bubbles of different sizes and colors float in the air, each seemingly containing a miniature world.

And at the center of these bubbles sits an indescribable being.

It has no fixed shape; it is like a constantly changing sphere of light, or a collection of billions of shimmering spheres.

It exists in the past, in the future, and even more so in the present.

Yog-Sothoth, the One Who Unifies All Things.

The all-knowing and all-seeing god.

"You've arrived, chef."

A grand yet gentle voice resounded in Jiang Li's mind. That voice contained countless languages ​​and countless tones, yet strangely unified them.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time."

"wait for me?"

Jiang Li looked at the enormous collection of light spheres.

"Why are you waiting for me? To treat me to dinner?"

He sniffed.

"Why does this place... smell like... bubble tea?"

He pointed to Yog Sothoth's countless round, luminous avatars.

"And...you look like a giant cup of...full sugar, no ice bubble tea?"

Yog Sothos: "..."

Even the omniscient gods seemed to fall into a brief silence at this moment.

It calculated the past and future of the universe, but it didn't foresee... that it would be mistaken for a pearl in milk tea.

"Interesting insights."

The voice rang out again, tinged with a hint of amusement.

"Since you see me as food, then... can you 'drink' me?"

"If you dare to drink it, the truth... is yours."

"drink?"

Jiang Li took out the silver spoon and then the crystal bowl.

"You said it yourself."

"I have a big appetite, don't regret it later!"

He raised the spoon and, facing the supreme god, scooped up a whole spoonful!