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

Cracks in the world, midway through the madness of the voyage.

With the blessing of [Void Vision], the Treant is like a lone boat sailing on a foggy sea, heading at full speed towards that distant and terrifying "Hot Pot Party".

The closer you get to that huge round table, the more outrageous the surrounding scenery becomes.

In the once empty void, various enormous... ingredients began to float.

Some look like planets that have been peeled off, with magma flowing like flesh juice on their surface; some look like giant frozen nebulae, containing deep-space behemoths that are tens of thousands of miles long; and some are simply cut into segments... wormholes (which look like large intestines).

"Goodness..."

Sun Wukong leaned against the window, his fiery eyes wide open.

"I used to think that the Peach Orchard was big enough."

"But what these guys eat..."

Wukong pointed to a green "broccoli planet" covered in tentacles floating by outside the window.

"How many living beings would be consumed by that one bite?"

"In the eyes of the Great Old Ones."

Jiang Li gripped the steering wheel and said calmly.

"Planets and living beings are nothing more than... bacteria."

Would you care how many bacteria are in a glass of water you drink?

Wukong scratched his head.

"Too."

"However, what I, Old Sun, care about more is..."

"Is that thing edible?"

……

Just then.

"Boom!"

The gray fog ahead suddenly churned violently.

A massive black shadow, like a mountain range stretching across the universe, slowly rose up, blocking the path of the Tree Demon.

That's not a mountain range.

That was a... creature.

It has the outline of a human, but the head of a fish.

Its skin is a slippery, dark green, covered with huge, shield-like scales.

Its back is covered with sharp thorns, each thorn adorned with countless fragments of broken spaceships.

It wields a massive trident forged from neutron stars.

Those enormous, dead-fish-like eyes emitted a faint yellow light, staring intently at the tiny Tree Demon.

[BOSS: Star-Spawn of Dagon, Gatekeeper of the Abyss.]

[Rank: Demigod (Lord of the Old Familiars)]

[Position: Gatekeeper of the Divine Kingdom's Feast / Station Master of the Interstellar Tollbooth.]

[Status: Hungry/Irritable.]

……

Stop.

The gatekeeper spoke.

There was no sound.

Instead, a massive mental shockwave struck directly into everyone's minds.

That was the sound of countless bubbles bursting, mixed with the oppressive feeling of the deep sea.

"Ahead lies... the Lord's table."

"dust."

"You...don't have an invitation."

"Or... get lost."

"Or...become my...snack."

boom!

The trident in its hand slammed heavily into the void.

A visible spatial ripple spread out, nearly overturning the Tree Demon.

……

"snack?"

Er Gou was so frightened that he crawled under the seat.

"Woof! It wants to eat us!"

"Boss! It smells bad! A really strong fishy smell!"

Odin raised his shield, his expression solemn.

"This guy's energy reaction... is even stronger than that Lei Zu's."

"And its physical strength... it could probably crush even a star."

"I'll go and have a look at it!"

Wukong had been itching to get his hands dirty for a long time.

He was about to take out his golden cudgel.

"Wait a minute."

Jiang Li stopped the violent monkey again.

"Great Sage".

"We're going there to freeload, not to cause trouble."

"and……"

Jiang Li stared at the enormous fish-headed, human-bodied monster.

Look at the drool (saliva) flowing from its mouth like a waterfall.

"It said it was hungry."

"As a chef with professional ethics."

"When you encounter a hungry 'security guard,' the best way to get through is not to fight."

"But..."

"bribe."

……

"bribe?"

Tang Sanzang was taken aback.

"Benefactor, this humble monk only has scriptures on him, no money."

"Who said we needed money?"

Jiang Li unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up.

"For a foodie..."

"The best hard currency..."

"It's just delicious food."

Jiang Li turned on the Tree Demon's loudspeaker (connected to the Gluttony Godhead).

He shouted at the enormous gatekeeper of the abyss:

"Hey! You big guy!"

"Look at how pale and thin you look (even though it's green), you must be working a lot of overtime, right?"

"You wouldn't be allowed to eat the leftovers from God's kingdom, would you?"

"Do you want to...?"

"Would you like something hot?"

……

The gatekeeper's huge, dead-fish eyes twitched slightly.

Its simple logic is filled with awe of "the Lord" and... endless hunger.

It really hadn't eaten its fill in a long time.

Normally, they can only eat some meteorites and scrap metal from passing spaceships, which isn't even enough to fill a gap between their teeth.

"Is it still warm?"

"You...are too young."

The gatekeeper pointed to the Tree Demon.

"Not enough... to fill a gap between teeth."

"Although I am small."

Jiang Li smiled.

"But I have... the best cooking skills in the universe."

Give me ten minutes.

"I'll treat you to... interstellar takoyaki."

……

"Takoyaki?"

The gatekeeper had never heard of that word.

But the word "burn" made it instinctively produce even more saliva.

"Ten minutes."

"It doesn't taste good..."

"I'll crush you to death."

It put down the trident.

But it was like a mountain, blocking the intersection and staring intently at Jiang Li.

……

"start!"

Jiang Li stepped out of the cabin and stood in space.

Since we're making takoyaki...

Then you'll need three things: a mold (pot), ingredients (octopus), and a fire source.

"Great Sage!"

"Go catch some squid!"

"I saw a group of Void King Squid in the nebula we just passed by."

"Go catch a few fat ones!"

"Okay!"

Wukong somersaulted out.

Riding on wheels of fire, they transformed into streaks of light and hurtled towards the distant nebula.

A short while later.

Then came the sounds of fierce fighting and screams (the squid's screams).

A few minutes later.

Wukong returned, dragging three giant, transparent, and lightning-shining void squids that were several kilometers long.

"This thing is really powerful! It even tried to spray ink at me!"

……

"We have the ingredients."

"Next up is... the pot."

Jiang Li looked around.

Countless meteorites of varying sizes float in this void.

His gaze was fixed on an asteroid about ten kilometers in diameter.

The surface of this asteroid is pitted and covered with circular craters of varying sizes.

"Perfect."

Jiang Li snapped his fingers.

"This is a natural... takoyaki mold."

"Tree Demon! Head over there!"

"Use your tentacles to hold that asteroid in place!"

"Alice! Scan the terrain and clear the crater!"

……

Step 1: Heat the pan.

Jiang Li stood on that asteroid.

The surface of this planet is frigid.

"Nezha!"

"Time to get out and work!"

Jiang Li called out Nezha, who was still sleeping in the car.

"Use your Samadhi Fire to...heat this planet!"

"No need to melt them, just heat these meteorite craters until they're scorching hot!"

"trouble!"

Although Nezha complained, he still spewed out Samadhi Fire.

boom!

White divine fire covered the surface of the asteroid.

The circular impact craters instantly turned bright red, resembling giant pools of magma.

Step 2: Apply oil.

Jiang Li took out a huge mop (which was transformed from a lightsaber).

Dipped in deep-sea whale oil (previously stored).

They were painting oil on huge meteorite craters.

"Sizzle—"

When scalding hot rocks meet oil, they instantly burst into an amazing aroma of smoke and fumes.

The scent traveled through the vacuum (taste waves), causing the distant gatekeeper to shift restlessly.

……

Step 3: Feeding.

Jiang Li took out a bag of Stardust Flour (nano powder scraped from the ruins of the Lingshan Pyramid).

Mixed with the water of the Milky Way.

It was mixed into tens of thousands of tons of batter.

"fall!"

slam-la-

The batter poured down, filling dozens of huge craters.

"Sizzle sizzle—"

The batter solidified rapidly at high temperatures, and the edges became golden brown and crispy.

"Great Sage! Cut the meat!"

Wukong raised his hand and brought down the sword (the golden cudgel transformed into a blade).

Cut those giant void squid into huge chunks of meat.

Each piece of meat was like a small mountain.

"Get out of here!"

Like shooting a basketball, Wukong accurately threw the chunks of meat into each of the craters filled with batter.

"Some more side dishes, please!"

Jiang Li scattered cabbage (chopped green meteorite moss) into the abyss.

Sprinkle in red ginger (red crystalline mineral powder).

……

Step 4: Flip it over.

This is the most crucial step in making takoyaki.

This is also the most technically demanding step.

Dozens of giant balls, hundreds of meters in diameter, need to be flipped at the same time to ensure even heating and to become perfect spheres.

"This job can't be done by one person."

Jiang Li looked at everyone.

"Attack together!"

"Wukong! Use the Golden Cudgel to pry it open!"

"Odin! Use your spear to strike!"

"Monk! Use the Gatling gun... never mind, just use your telekinesis!"

"One! Two! Three! Flip!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A spectacular scene unfolded.

On that burning asteroid.

Dozens of enormous, golden, planet-sized balls slowly rolled over with the combined efforts of everyone.

Each time it is turned over, it stirs up a storm of aroma.

The originally semi-circular dumpling gradually transformed into a perfect sphere as it rolled around.

The surface is golden brown and crispy.

The inside is soft and bouncy.

Huge chunks of squid meat are cooked inside, releasing their ultimate sweetness.

……

Step 5: Add the sauce.

"The final step!"

Jiang Li took out two huge sprayers (modified fire monitors).

Left hand: Abyss Secret Teriyaki Sauce (black).

Right hand: Void Mayonnaise (white).

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle—"

Black sauce and white salad dressing intertwine in a net-like pattern on the giant meatballs.

At last.

"Bonito flakes!"

Jiang Li scattered a handful of... shriveled Void Ray slices.

These paper-thin slices of ray, enveloped in the steam of the meatballs, began to seem to come alive...dancing.

……

【Dish Name: Cosmic Roadside Stall - Meteorite Crater Takoyaki】

[Level: Planetary (Large quantity, guaranteed to satisfy)]

[Description: Using asteroids as the pot, void behemoths as the filling, and Samadhi Fire as the source, each dumpling contains the heat and deliciousness of a planet.]

[Texture: The outer crust is crispy like the earth's crust, while the inside is soft and tender like lava. One bite, and the burst of fresh flavor is enough to make you forget you're in an abyss.]

……

"alright!"

Jiang Li wiped his sweat.

With a giant spear (Odin's Gungnir), a giant takoyaki with a diameter of 500 meters was erected.

Piloting the Treant, they flew to the gatekeeper of the abyss.

"Try it."

"Be careful, it's hot."

……

The gatekeeper stared at the enormous golden sphere before him, still steaming and adorned with dancing "wooden fish flowers."

For the first time, a look of shock appeared in its dead fish-like eyes.

This fragrance...

It strikes straight to the soul.

It opened its enormous, abyss-like maw.

"Awoo."

Swallow in one bite.

"Click."

The crispy outer layer crumbled between the massive teeth.

Followed by.

"puff--"

The piping hot batter and the delicious squid juices burst in its mouth.

It was a complex flavor it had never experienced before.

The teriyaki sauce is salty and sweet, the mayonnaise is rich, the squid meat is chewy, and the batter is caramelized.

Mixed together.

A storm of happiness has formed.

"Ugh!!!!"

The gatekeeper's body trembled violently.

The thorns on its back softened comfortably.

Those yellow eyes narrowed into slits.

"tasty……"

"It's so...delicious..."

It hasn't eaten such finely processed food for tens of thousands of years.

The raw meat and scrap metal we used to eat were utter garbage!

"I want more..."

"I want more..."

The gatekeeper stretched out his enormous hand, like a greedy child, pointing to the few dozen remaining pellets on the asteroid.

……

"no problem."

Jiang Li generously pushed the entire asteroid over.

"They're all yours."

Eat slowly.

The gatekeeper simply hugged the asteroid.

A crazy "skewer feast"... no, a "ball-eating feast" began.

One after another.

They ate with their mouths dripping with oil (sauce).

It even tossed aside the neutron star trident that it used as a toothpick.

……

A few minutes later.

The gatekeeper ate all the takoyaki.

It even licked the remaining oil in the crater, seemingly still wanting more.

It let out a burp.

The violent aura emanating from him had completely vanished.

Instead, there is a kind of... lethargy and docility after a full meal.

The way it looked at Jiang Li changed.

It's no longer about looking at dust.

Rather, it's like looking at... one's benefactors.

"tasty."

"You... are a good person."

The gatekeeper moved his massive body and slowly made way for them.

"Go in."

"The Lord... is inside."

"but……"

The gatekeeper suddenly lowered his head, the enormous fish head approaching Jiang Li, and whispered (through telepathy):

"careful."

"Today's... hot pot."

"Very...spicy."

"Master... is in a bad mood."

……

"Bad mood?"

Jiang Li raised an eyebrow.

Why?

The gatekeeper hesitated for a moment, seemingly wondering whether he should reveal the secret.

But I still savor the taste of that takoyaki.

It still spoke.

"because……"

"Master...lost...the chopsticks."

"Chopsticks?"

Jiang Li was stunned.

Do the ancient rulers need chopsticks to eat hot pot?

"Okay, thanks for reminding me."

Jiang Li patted the gatekeeper's big nose.

"Next time I come, I'll bring you... oden."

"Oden...okay...waiting for you..."

……

The Treant broke through the gatekeeper's defenses.

They continued driving towards the deepest part of that gray fog.

"You lost your chopsticks?"

Wukong sat in the car, playing with his golden cudgel.

"Such a great god, can't even afford a pair of chopsticks?"

"No."

Tang Sanzang suddenly spoke.

His expression turned somewhat strange.

"If this humble monk is not mistaken..."

"The chopsticks of that Great Old One..."

"They might not be ordinary chopsticks."

"That's... the rule."

"Rules used to...grab the world."

Jiang Li gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Looking ahead at the increasingly clear and massive outline.

That round table, the size of a galaxy.

That boiling hot pot.

as well as……

Those indescribable figures sitting around the table, looking somewhat anxious because there were no chopsticks...

"interesting."

A smile appeared on Jiang Li's lips.

"If they didn't have chopsticks."

"Then can I...?"

"Put myself..."

"To become their... chopsticks?"