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

Inside the main hall of Yaochi, you could hear a pin drop.

All eyes, whether naked, prosthetic, or through the lens of a holographic camera, were fixed intently on the young chef standing in front of the cutting board.

In Jiang Li's hand, he held a silver needle as thin as a spider's thread.

Before him stood the [Gene Peach], which, though reverted to its original form, still trembled restlessly and emitted a dangerous red light.

"Ancient methods... acupuncture?"

The only one whose head was intact, [Ghost Hand Celestial Venerable], was currently directing the backup mechanical arm to lift himself up from the ground.

His electronic brain was working frantically, trying to analyze Jiang Li's behavioral logic.

"Are you kidding me!"

"That's a high-energy biological bomb! The internal genetic chains are already disordered!"

"You're going to prick it with a broken needle? Do you think that'll fix it?"

"This is unscientific! This doesn't conform to biochemical principles!"

Jiang Li didn't even raise his head when faced with the questions.

His gaze was focused and deep; deep within his pupils, it seemed as if countless golden lines were constructing the internal three-dimensional model of the peach.

"science?"

Jiang Li smiled faintly.

There's a saying in my hometown.

"All things have a spirit, all things have 'qi' (vital energy)."

"Whether it's a person or this man-made strange peach."

"As long as it is alive, it has... [meridians]."

Before he could finish speaking...

Jiang Li moved.

"Watch closely."

"This move is called—【Golden Needle Crossing Acupoints: Calming the Storm】."

brush!

The silver needle transformed into a stream of light.

It did not penetrate deep into the peach flesh.

Instead, it precisely pierced a tiny, constantly swelling pink bump on the surface of the peach.

"puff."

A slight hissing sound of gas leaking was heard.

Followed by.

swish swish swish swish —

Jiang Li's wrist trembled as if it were a phantom.

In one second, he inserted thirty-six needles.

The placement of each stitch is extremely meticulous, as if it corresponds to the number of stars in the sky.

From a modern medical perspective, he was performing a "stress-reducing surgery" on the peach.

By puncturing specific pressure points, the rampant internal energy is channeled out.

From the perspective of cultivating immortality, he is "sealing acupoints".

The demonic energy pathways that had transformed this peach into a demon were sealed off.

……

A miraculous scene unfolded.

As the last needle fell.

The peach, which had been wildly restless and ready to transform into a tentacle monster again at any moment, suddenly... became quiet.

It no longer contracts or expands violently.

The red glow on the surface gradually softened, turning into an alluring, pale pink.

The unsettling radiation fluctuations disappeared.

Instead, it has a pure, rich, and irresistible fruity aroma.

"It's...it's stable?!"

Wang Teng, CEO of Pantao Biotechnology, was so shocked that his glasses tilted to one side.

"Energy index to zero? Genetic chain recombination?"

"How is this possible? A single needle can achieve this?"

Jiang Li put away the silver needles and let out a long breath.

"Now, it's a well-behaved peach."

"Next..."

Jiang Li turned to look at Ghost Hand Celestial Venerable.

"May I borrow your centrifuge?"

"Although your skills aren't great, I have to say, the equipment here is really advanced."

Ghost Hand Celestial Venerable dared not utter another word.

He was now completely stunned by Jiang Li's incredible "pressure point technique".

They quickly manipulated the remaining robotic arms to push over a futuristic-looking ultra-high-speed molecular centrifuge.

……

Jiang Li picked up the peach that had already been "tamed".

The skin and pit were not removed.

It was thrown directly into the transparent container of the centrifuge.

"start up!"

Rotational speed: 100,000 revolutions per minute!

Buzz—! ! !

The centrifuge emitted a sharp whistling sound.

Under the terrifying centrifugal force, the peach instantly disintegrated.

However, this disintegration is orderly.

Under the guidance of Jiang Li's [Gluttony Godhood].

The contents inside the peach begin to separate into layers.

The outermost layer consists of black impurities.

That's the "chaos" and "madness" factor inherent in the genes of alien creatures (also known as the Cthulhu tentacle smell).

The middle layer is made of pink fruit pulp fibers.

That's pure carbohydrates and dietary fiber.

And the most crucial thing...

It was a mass of golden liquid.

That is the true essence of this peach—the [Life Essence].

"Separation!"

Jiang Li pressed the button.

The black impurities are discharged (through direct gasification).

The pink flesh and golden essence were preserved.

"Now, it's time to witness a miracle."

Jiang Li turned on the centrifuge.

The liquid, intertwined with gold dust, remained suspended in mid-air without dispersing.

Because Jiang Li enveloped it with spiritual power (or rather, mental power).

"Cyber ​​cultivation is all about 'showing off'."

"Since it's for you upper-class people..."

"The presentation must be perfect."

Jiang Li loosely clenched his fists.

"Molecular gastronomy: spheroidization technology"

"rise!"

The liquid instantly split into countless crystal-clear beads the size of mung beans.

They float in the air, and inside each bead, golden light swirls.

They are like miniature planets.

"Plate it!"

Jiang Li took a huge, dark black starry sky disc.

With a gesture of his finger.

These thousands upon thousands of "Peach Planets" slowly fell into the plate.

They were not piled together.

Instead, it floats above the plate and rotates slowly, following some mysterious trajectory.

as if……

The plate doesn't contain food.

Instead, it was a shrunken pink nebula.

[Dish Name: Gene Reconstruction - Peach Nebula]

[Rank: Lower Heavenly Grade]

[Efficacy: Cleanses the marrow and removes unwanted hair (molecular level), repairs gene telomeres, and extends lifespan by 500 years (theoretical value).]

……

The lights in the lobby came back on.

But everyone felt that the spotlight was not as dazzling as the dish in Jiang Li's hand.

"So beautiful...so beautiful..."

A female cultivator wearing a holographic neon dress couldn't help but cover her mouth.

"This isn't just food, it's a work of art!"

"I felt... that surging vitality!"

Wang Teng was so excited that he was trembling all over.

As the developer, he knows best the value of this thing.

After Jiang Li's treatment, the originally violent side effects completely disappeared, leaving only the purest essence.

"master!"

Wang Teng rushed onto the stage, his eyes burning with fervor.

"Is this... this the finished product?"

"May I... try it first?"

Jiang Li smiled slightly and made a "please" gesture.

"certainly."

"You're the boss, you should be the first to test the poison... oh no, to taste it."

Wang Teng picked up a silver spoon with trembling hands.

I carefully scooped up a spoonful of "nebula".

There are about a dozen small beads.

Put it in your mouth.

"Wave--"

The beads exploded on the tip of my tongue.

No juice came out.

Instead, it transformed into a stream of... [qi].

A warm, sweet, and vibrant gas rushed up my throat, straight to the top of my head, and then instantly spread throughout my body.

"Ugh!!!!"

Wang Teng's eyes widened.

next second.

His clothes (a high-tech nanosuit) suddenly bulged up.

"Crackling and popping—"

A sound like popping beans came from his body.

That's the bones growing, that's the cells celebrating.

Visible to the naked eye.

The wrinkles on Wang Teng's face, caused by long hours of experiments, are disappearing at an astonishing rate.

His somewhat gray hair instantly turned jet black and shiny.

Even his cloudy prosthetic eyes became crystal clear.

[System notification: Target's vital signs are rapidly increasing!]

[Gene Lock Unlocking Progress: 10%...20%...]

[Lifespan increased: 499 years!]

"Ah—that feels so good!!!"

Wang Teng looked up at the sky and roared.

His voice was powerful and penetrating, so much so that it shattered several wine glasses nearby.

"I felt it!"

"I feel like I'm eighteen again!"

"No! Even stronger than eighteen!"

"My nascent soul... my electronic nascent soul... has solidified!"

……

boom!

The whole place erupted in chaos.

If what we just experienced was merely a visual shock...

So now, Wang Teng's live broadcast of "rejuvenation" is the most fatal temptation.

For these cyber cultivators who possess endless wealth but cannot resist aging.

This is a miracle drug!

"I'll take it! I'll take this dish!"

A fat, big-eared conglomerate boss jumped up, waving a black card in his hand.

"I'll offer one billion spirit stones!"

"A billion? Are you trying to fob me off like a beggar?"

An elder from a nearby sect sneered.

"I'll offer 5 billion! Plus 5% of Taiqing Biotechnology's shares!"

"Me too! I'd give you my private planet if you just let me have one bite!"

"Master Jiang! Please, please take a look at me!"

"I want to have your babies! (Even though I'm a cyborg)"

The situation briefly spiraled out of control.

These are the tycoons who are usually arrogant and domineering, yet capable of razing Kowloon to the ground for their own profit.

At this moment, it was like middle-aged women scrambling for discounted eggs at the market, arguing heatedly, with some even secretly brandishing flying swords and magical treasures.

"quiet!"

Li Zixia (Elder of Shushan Heavy Industry) gave a cold shout.

A tremendous pressure from a Golden Core cultivator was released, slightly suppressing the chaotic scene.

The look in her eyes as she gazed at Jiang Li became incredibly complex.

There was admiration, there was a desire to win them over, and there was also a hint of... deep-seated apprehension.

This seemingly ordinary cook.

They actually possess such a terrifying "Midas touch" technique.

In this world, whoever holds the key to life is a god.

And Jiang Li...

He doesn't need a laboratory or a supercomputer.

He only used a pot and a needle.

They accomplished what countless scientists had failed to do for centuries.

……

Despite the crowd's frenzy, Jiang Li remained remarkably calm.

He placed the plate of "Peach Nebula" on the table.

"Everyone, don't rush."

"There were nine peaches, but only one was made."

"I'll take my time with the rest."

"but……"

Jiang Li changed the subject, his gaze sweeping across the entire room.

"I have a rule when it comes to cooking."

"I don't accept money."

"I only accept... [stories]."

"Or... [rare ingredients]."

"Whoever can come up with something that interests me, this dish belongs to them."

These words caused another stir in the room.

Rare ingredients?

story?

This is much harder to get than money.

……

Just as everyone was racking their brains...

Jiang Li quietly put her hand into her pocket.

There lay the peach pit, the remnant of the peach after it had been separated by centrifugation.

Normally, peach pits are considered trash and should be thrown away.

but.

Just now, during the separation, Jiang Li's Gluttony Godhead experienced a strange tremor.

He sensed it.

This peach pit... is alive.

Moreover, it is not just plant seeds.

It is vibrating.

It is...calling for something.

"Buzz..."

Just then.

The peach pit in my pocket suddenly trembled violently.

An extremely faint but extremely strange brainwave directly entered Jiang Li's mind.

【Hungry……】

"Mom...I'm hungry..."

Jiang Li's pupils suddenly contracted.

Mother?

Who is this thing calling?

Is it calling me?

Moreover, with the appearance of this brainwave.

Jiang Li sensed that above the thick ceiling above his head, and even in space beyond the atmosphere.

A vast, icy gaze descended upon them.

That is... the mastermind behind the [South Heavenly Gate System].

That is, the [Heavenly Dao AI] of this world.

It seems... to have sensed the presence of this "seed".

"It seems there's more to this than I imagined."

Jiang Li calmly pressed his hand against his pocket.

A playful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"That's interesting."

"I just wanted to eat a peach."

"I never expected... I could catch such a big fish."

……

"Master Jiang!"

Just then, Wang Teng approached with a fawning expression.

He now looks at Jiang Li as if he were looking at his own father.

"Um... about the remaining eight peaches, when would you like to...?"

"No rush."

Jiang Li waved his hand.

Let's call it a day for today's banquet.

"Consider this first plate a small gift; let's share it."

"As for the rest..."

Jiang Li glanced at Li Zixia, then at Wang Teng.

I'm tired.

"Give me the best room."

"I need to... go into seclusion and do some research."

Wang Teng was stunned for a moment, but then he was overjoyed.

Closed-door research? That's definitely a good thing!

"No problem! No problem!"

"Presidential Suite! No, Tiangong-1 Room! That's a secluded cultivation room specially prepared for Nascent Soul Grandmasters!"

"It contains the best spirit-gathering array and supercomputer!"

Please feel free to use it!

……

late at night.

The Heavenly Palace in the Clouds, the highest room of the Heavenly Palace No. 1.

Here you can overlook the entire neon-lit skyline at night.

Below us is a sea of ​​clouds, and below that is a steel jungle shimmering with billions of lights.

Jiang Li sat in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window.

He was playing with the jet-black [mutated peach pit] in his hand, its surface covered with patterns that looked like a circuit board.

Odin, Abel, Er Gou, and Tangyuan stood around.

Everyone was staring at this strange thing.

"Boss, this thing looks a bit weird."

Er Gou sniffed.

"A scent...of the Great Old Ones."

"And it also smells like... engine oil?"

"Um."

Jiang Li nodded.

"This is no ordinary seed."

"This is a... [egg]."

"and……"

Jiang Li raised her head and looked out at the dark night sky.

On that distant orbit, the South Heavenly Gate defense array is slowly rotating.

"That thing above (the Heavenly Dao AI) seems very afraid of it hatching."

"Since it's afraid of..."

Jiang Li's smile gradually widened.

"Then I'm determined to grow it."

"I want to see..."

"In this cyber-cultivation world."

"If a... [Cthulhu Cyber ​​Tree] were to grow."

"What will this world become?"

Jiang Li took out a bottle of [Abyss Ink] (the best fertilizer) from his backpack.

Then he took out the [Flame Rod] (which provides heat).

"Tangyuan, spit out some dirt."

"Ergou, dig a hole."

"We're in the Heavenly Palace..."

"Plant trees!"