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

Black Iron Pot City, atop the clouds, the Altar of Gluttony.

With the semi-finals concluded, the entire Black Iron Pot City was enveloped in an almost frenzied festive atmosphere.

The conveyor belts on the streets sped up three times, and countless abyssal creatures, holding signs that read "Deep Blue" or "Gluttony," surged toward the city's highest point.

There floats an inverted pyramid-shaped island in the sky.

At the center of the island is a huge, long dining table carved from obsidian. The table is a kilometer long, with two enormous stoves placed at each end.

Directly above the dining table, a huge crack appeared in the sky.

A giant golden eye peered through the crack, coldly and greedily watching down below.

[Final Arena: Gluttony Altar.]

[Special Rule: There will only be one judge for this competition—The Will of Abyss.]

[Winning condition: Prepare a dish that satisfies even the "Abyss".]

……

The contestants' area, on the east side.

Jiang Li and his group are already in place.

At this moment, the Tree Spirit (World Tree Ark) was hovering next to the stove, acting as a giant "mobile refrigerator".

"It's so cold..."

Even with his new Cold Iron Fang, Er Gou (Chaos Devouring Dog) was shivering from the cold, his eyebrows covered in a layer of frost.

"Boss, the temperature here has already dropped to below 100 degrees Celsius before we even took this thing out."

"What kind of fish is this?"

Jiang Li was wearing a thick, cold-weather chef's uniform (made from Yeti skin) and holding Occam's razor in his hand.

He patted the cargo hold door of the Ark, which was covered with a thick layer of ice.

"This is a huge fish that I caught in the 'absolute zero zone' at the edge of the universe when I was fishing in the Star Sea in Volume 10."

"Because it's too big and too cold, I haven't been able to bring myself to eat it."

"I originally planned to save it for the Lunar New Year."

"I didn't expect this..."

Jiang Li looked across at the other side.

I looked at the figure standing in front of the stove on the west side.

"I met a... big eater."

……

The contestants' area, on the west side.

The final boss of this competition, the Abyss Chef - Harpy (the incarnation of Taotie), has finally revealed his true form.

She was no longer a projection resembling the King of Flies.

Instead, it was a little girl who looked only seven or eight years old, wearing a Gothic Lolita dress and holding a tattered teddy bear.

She had long, silver-white hair and skin as pale as paper.

What's most striking is her mouth.

Her cherry-like lips were slightly parted, but inside was... a bottomless darkness.

It's like a miniature black hole.

[Final Boss: Harpy, the Witch of Gluttony.]

[True Form: The Abyssal Projection of the Ancient Ferocious Beast, Taotie.]

[Abilities: Devouring all things, replicating taste, Hunger Aura.]

[Declaration: There are only two kinds of things in this world—what you can eat, and what you can't cook.]

……

"Hehehe..."

The little girl hugged her teddy bear and let out a silvery laugh.

"Big brother."

"I secretly tried a little bit of the snail rice noodles you made."

"It tastes really good."

"but……"

Her eyes instantly became empty and terrifying.

"That kind of food is only fit for snacks."

Today's topic is "The Feast of the Gods".

"If you can't feed the one upstairs..."

She pointed to the enormous golden eye in the sky.

"You'll become... a side dish."

……

"The match begins!"

A clap of thunder sounded in the sky.

The final match has officially begun.

Harpie's actions.

The little girl threw the teddy bear she was holding into the air.

"Come out, my ingredients."

boom!

The old teddy bear instantly grew to enormous size, transforming into a hundred-meter-tall abyssal stitched monster.

But this is only the beginning.

Harpie opened his mouth.

"Slurp—"

A terrifying suction force was generated.

She actually swallowed that hundred-meter-tall Frankenstein monster whole...

"Glug."

After swallowing it, her stomach did not get bigger.

Instead, multicolored light began to emanate from her mouth.

"Ingredients...merged!"

What I need to do is…

"【Abyss·Ten Thousand Demon Meatball】".

She's like a living blender.

Inside her belly, the flesh of countless abyssal monsters was being frantically chewed, fused, and fermented.

This cooking method...

It's simply inhumane.

……

"What a disgusting way to cook."

Sun Wukong frowned as he watched.

"Using your own stomach as a cooking pot? Aren't you afraid of indigestion?"

"This is called... bio-enzymatic hydrolysis technology."

Tang Sanzang (the cyber monk) analyzed.

"Her gastric juices are the strongest acid in the world, capable of extracting the most essential genetic fragments from food."

"This round... will be tough."

……

Jiang Li's turn.

"Since she uses her stomach as a pot."

"Then let's..."

"Using the universe as a refrigerator."

Jiang Li walked to the cargo hold door of the Tree Demon.

"Alice, unlock!"

"Nezha! Er Gou! Step back!"

"Unboxing!"

Rumbling--

The heavy hatch slowly opened.

A white, chilling aura, like a tangible giant wave, instantly swept across the entire Gluttony Altar.

"Click click click—"

A kilometer-long obsidian dining table instantly froze.

Even the eyelashes of the abyss eye in the sky were covered with white frost.

In this biting cold.

A colossal object was slowly pulled out by an anti-gravity crane.

That was a...fish.

A strange fish, over 500 meters long, flat in shape, resembling a giant millstone, with a deep blue color resembling the starry sky.

Its body does not have fish scales.

Instead, they are twinkling points of starlight.

Its eyes were closed, and even in its slumber, it exuded a kind of pressure from the ancient universe.

[Ingredient: Cosmic Sun-Eater Mola (extremely cold-cold species)]

[Rank: Annihilator Level (Ingredient)]

[Origin: Absolute zero zone at the edge of the universe.]

[Description: This is a gigantic creature that feeds on "stars." Not only is it enormous, but it also contains an "Absolute Cold Core" within its body capable of freezing time. Its flesh... is the world's finest sashimi ingredient.]

[Taste: Every bite is like biting into a frozen star.]

……

"What...what is this?"

Harpie stopped chewing.

For the first time, a look of surprise appeared in her empty eyes.

"What a big fish..."

"It's so cold..."

"There's light in this fish...?"

……

"You're surprised?"

Jiang Li smiled.

He jumped onto the back of the giant sunfish.

It's like an ant standing on an aircraft carrier.

"This fish is big."

"But there is a drawback."

"It's just...too cold."

"Ordinary fire simply cannot cook it."

"Even when you cut with a knife, it freezes."

Jiang Li raised Occam's razor in his hand.

"so."

"I'm not serving sashimi this time."

"I want to do..."

"【Steamed Fish Head with Chopped Chili】".

"And it's... [Furnace Starburst Spicy Fish Head]."

……

Cooking begins.

Step 1: Thawing (physical).

"Alice! Activate the [Perpetual Motion Core]!"

"Turn the Treant's engine power... to maximum!"

"Connect...the heat pipe!"

Jiang Li pulled out a huge, red-hot pipe from the bottom of the Tree Demon.

That was the energy output pipe directly connected to the heart of the Mechanicus Forge Lord.

"Insert!"

puff!

The hot tube was inserted directly into the sunfish's body (avoiding the most succulent part of the flesh, it inserted into the blood vessels).

"Buzz—"

Golden primordial fire flowed into the fish's body through the pipe.

"Sizzle sizzle—"

A clash between ice and fire.

Large amounts of white mist rose up.

The frost that had formed on the fish's body for millions of years began to melt.

It revealed the flesh underneath... the tender, crystal-like pink fish meat.

……

Step 2: Modification (for large objects).

"Great Sage! I'll borrow your staff as a chopping board!"

"Nezha! Lend me your magic ribbon as a rope!"

"Stand this fish head upright!"

The sunfish's head (actually, its entire body is basically a head) was placed in the center of the altar.

It can reach heights of several hundred meters.

Jiang Li, wielding a razor, activated the Gluttony Godhood - Law of Heaven and Earth.

He transformed into a giant 100 meters tall.

"cut!"

The knife fell.

Spatial oscillation.

The enormous fish head was split in half and laid flat on the altar.

That fish brain... was as white as a snow-capped mountain.

Those fish eyes... were as big as a pair of lakes.

……

Step 3: Chopped chili peppers (the essential seasoning).

"For chopped chili fish head, chili is the soul."

"Ordinary chili peppers are not worthy of this cosmic behemoth."

Jiang Li took out the [Sulfur-infused Chili Pepper] that he had collected in the Heavy Oil Swamp.

I also bought the Ghost Pepper at the Ghost Fire Night Market.

And... the remaining [Chaos Durian Seeds] from the Omniscient Market (ground into powder to enhance the aroma).

"Ergou! Chop him up!"

Er Gou (Chaos Devouring Dog) grew larger and used its cold iron skull-crushing teeth to frantically chew on the mountain of chili peppers (it wasn't afraid of the spiciness because its teeth were fake).

"Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey!"

The chewed chili peppers mixed with Er Gou's saliva (highly active enzymes) were sprayed onto the fish's head.

moment.

Red chili peppers covered the white snow-capped fish head.

The red and white combination creates a striking visual impact.

……

Step 4: Steaming (using heaven and earth as a steamer).

"Such a big fish head, no pot can hold it."

"Then... let's use the sky as a roof and the earth as a pot."

Jiang Li formed a hand seal.

"Charge!"

"[Abyss - Geothermal Steam Array]!"

He used the Nurgle spoon in his hand (which could accelerate the reaction) to trigger the geothermal activity of the volcano beneath the Black Iron Pot City.

Rumbling--

The ground around the altar cracked.

Streams of white geothermal steam billowed out.

This created a natural air wall that enveloped the entire altar.

"Nezha! Control the temperature!"

"Keep it at 1000 degrees!"

"Great Sage! Seal it!"

"Use the golden cudgel to stir up the airflow, don't let the steam escape!"

……

Time passed second by second.

The white mist above the altar grew thicker and thicker.

An extremely powerful, incredibly delicious, and intensely spicy aroma began to permeate the clouds.

The aroma is too strong.

Even that energy shield couldn't stop it.

It floated into the sky.

The enormous eye of the abyss, whose pupils were originally indifferent, was now... enlarged.

even.

In the golden corners of the eyes.

It appears that a drop of... golden liquid (saliva) fell down.

……

opposite.

For the first time, panic appeared on Harpie's little face.

The [Ten Thousand Demon Meatballs] she just spat out were also fragrant with meat and full of wild charm.

But compared to Jiang Li's [Starburst Chopped Chili Fish Head]...

It's like... a roadside meatball stall encountering a Manchu Han Imperial Feast.

"No……"

"impossible……"

"My stomach... my stomach is trembling..."

"It wants to eat...that fish over there!"

Harpie clutched her stomach.

As the embodiment of gluttony, she even developed a craving for her opponent's food.

This is... the biggest failure.

……

"Open the cage!"

Jiang Li let out a loud shout.

Wukong and Nezha simultaneously withdrew their magical powers.

call--

A gust of wind dispersed the white mist.

Presented to everyone.

It is a magnificent picture.

The enormous sunfish head that had covered half the altar had now turned into a translucent, gelatinous substance.

It was covered with a thick layer of bright red, glossy chopped chili peppers.

Golden fish oil and red chili oil flowed from the crevices of the fish meat.

It's still bubbling away.

Each bubble bursts, releasing a...call from the stars and the sea.

……

[Dish Name: Abyss Furnace Starburst Steamed Fish Head with Chopped Chili.]

[Rank: Mythical - World Destruction Level (If you don't eat it, the whole world will be starving.)]

[Description: The head of a star-devouring sunfish from the edge of the universe is selected, thawed using the primordial fire of the Mechanicus, and steamed with geothermal steam from the abyss. Served with sulfur-infused bird's eye chili and ghost pepper.]

[Taste: The fish is so tender you don't even need to use your teeth; one bite and it melts in your mouth like a galaxy. The spiciness of the chopped chili peppers is like a supernova explosion, instantly igniting your soul. The most amazing part is the fish lips... that's the ultimate form of collagen.]

[Effect: If you don't die from the spiciness, you will gain "Star Power," which greatly increases your resistance to cold and fire.]

……

"Please...try it."

Jiang Li did not serve the dishes to Harpie.

Instead, they looked up.

Look up at the enormous eye of the abyss in the sky.

"Honorable Will of the Abyss."

"This dish..."

"Is this enough to fill between your teeth?"

……

silence.

A deathly silence.

Then.

A thunderous roar echoed through the sky.

That wasn't thunder.

That was... the sound of swallowing saliva.

The eye of the abyss suddenly closed, and then...

The entire sky... collapsed.

A gigantic, illusory mouth, occupying half the sky, peered down from the clouds.

One mouthful.

Just one bite.

The chopped chili fish head that took up half of the altar.

Along with the plate (altar floor).

It vanished instantly.

……

Followed by.

Golden rain fell from the sky...

That is the Abyss's reward.

Every drop of rain is the purest form of energy.

[System notification: The Will of the Abyss says... "Awesome!"]

[System notification: The Will of the Abyss says... "It's a little spicy, but I want more!"]

[Match results are being determined...]

[Winner: Deep Blue Team – Jiang Li!]

……

"We lost..."

The Demon Meatball in Harpie's hand fell to the ground.

She stared blankly at the sky.

then.

She looked at Jiang Li.

Her cherry-like mouth suddenly parted, revealing a row of sharp teeth.

"Big brother..."

"You're so amazing..."

"Now that the will of the abyss has had its fill..."

"That……"

"I'm not full yet."

"According to the rules of the Abyss..."

"Loser..."

"It's also an ingredient."

……

Before Jiang Li could react...

Harpie's body suddenly exploded.

It turned into a... massive, all-encompassing black mouth.

It lunged straight at Jiang Li.

"I knew it!"

Jiang Li was prepared.

"In the abyss, there is never true fairness in competitions."

"Winning the game isn't enough."

"We still need to..."

"Beat the cook."

Jiang Li raised Occam's Razor.

Wukong, Nezha, Er Gou, and Tang Sanzang behind him simultaneously drew their weapons.

"Perfect."

Jiang Li stared at the gaping maw that was about to devour him.

"The fish head we just ate was for the person upstairs."

"This dish... [Braised Gluttonous Witch]..."

"This is the celebration banquet we've reserved for ourselves."