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

Koprulu Sector, Char Planet, Crater Temporary Camp.

Charles in the afternoon is a giant oven.

The surface temperature has exceeded 90 degrees Celsius. The moisture in the air has been completely evaporated, and even vision is distorted by the high temperature.

The Treant (World Tree Ark) lay quietly on the rock. Although it had just been given a new skin made of Zerg armor, this could only block the external heat waves, but could not solve the internal dryness.

"water……"

Er Gou (the Chaos Devouring Dog) lay in the shadow of the spaceship, its tongue lolling out on the ground, like a dried salted fish.

"Boss... I can't take it anymore..."

"I feel like a dried sausage right now."

"If I don't drink water... I'm going to... turn into powder..."

Not only Er Gou, but even gods like Sun Wukong and Nezha appeared listless at this moment.

Wukong's monkey hair was dry and bristling, and his lips were cracked and peeling.

Nezha couldn't even lift his Fire-Tipped Spear; he looked like a lotus root without water, listless and droopy.

"This lousy place..."

Wukong complained in a hoarse voice.

"It's even harder to endure than Lao Tzu's Eight Trigrams Furnace back then."

"Although it's hot inside the Bagua Furnace, at least there's a breeze in the Xun position."

"It's all poisonous gas and heatwaves here."

……

A desperate situation.

Jiang Li was also in poor condition at the moment.

Although he was protected by the god of gluttony, his physical body was still that of a mortal. The intense labor (repairing the ship) combined with the prolonged lack of water made him feel as if he had swallowed a handful of sand.

He shook the kettle in his hand.

empty.

Not a single drop remains.

Alice.

Jiang Li's voice was hoarse.

"Is the atmospheric condensate collection system...still not fixed?"

"Boss, it can't be fixed."

Alice's (AI) voice was apologetic.

"The condenser plate was completely destroyed in the crash."

"Moreover, the atmosphere of Char contains very little water; it is mostly sulfur dioxide and gaseous acids."

"Even if we collect them... they're just sulfuric acid."

……

Searching for a water source.

"We cannot sit idly by and wait to die."

Jiang Li stood up, forcing himself to stay alert.

"Since there are life forms (Xenomorphs) on this planet, there must be water."

"Without water, life cannot carry out the carbon cycle."

"Walk."

Jiang Li picked up the black Klein pot.

"Let's go...to the river."

"A river?" Nezha lifted his heavy eyelids. "Where's the river? It's all lava rivers!"

"Alongside a lava river, there is often... a geothermal spring."

……

Poisonous water pit.

The group dragged their heavy steps to a low-lying area about 500 meters from the camp.

There is indeed a rushing lava river here.

On the side of the lava river, there is a pool of water emitting yellow smoke.

The water in the puddle was a murky yellow, with a layer of greasy foam floating on the surface, and it was still bubbling away.

A pungent smell of rotten eggs (hydrogen sulfide) hit me.

"Is this drinkable?"

Er Gou took one look and almost threw up.

"This is dirtier than my foot bath water!"

Jiang Li squatted down, took out Occam's razor, and dipped it in water.

[Liquid Analysis: High-concentration sulfur-acidic water.]

[Ingredients: H₂O (20%), H₂SO₄ (30%), heavy metal ions (10%), unknown insect excrement (40%).]

[Review: One sip and your esophagus will turn into a sieve.]

……

"It really is poisonous."

Jiang Li sighed.

"However, water molecules are present."

"Just extract it."

"How should I bring it up?"

Wukong scratched his ears and cheeks.

"This water mixed with poison is like mud mixed with water; it's indistinguishable."

"Ordinary methods won't work."

Jiang Li turned his gaze to the scalding river of lava.

He then looked at the Klein pot in his hand.

"But we have... magic."

"There's also...physics."

……

[Deep Blue Extreme Distillation Project Launched]

Step 1: Set up a heat source.

Jiang Li commands Wukong.

"Great Sage, go to that lava river and bring back a few red-hot stones!"

"Arrange them in a circle!"

"This is called... a geothermal stove."

Although Wukong was thirsty, he still had strength. Enduring the high temperature, he moved several pieces of red-hot volcanic rock and piled them next to the puddle.

Step 2: Gathering materials (poisonous water).

"Nezha, use the Universe Ring to make a pouch."

"Go to that toxic puddle and scoop water out!"

"Be careful not to get it on yourself!"

Nezha did as he was told, and the Hun Tian Ling transformed into a waterproof cloth, bringing back a large bag of yellow poisonous water.

Step 3: Filtration (using activated carbon).

"Ergou!"

"Bring me the flea beetle shells we ate yesterday!"

"I want the burnt kind!"

Jiang Li smashed several pieces of charred insect shells into powder.

"This is the best... bio-activated charcoal."

"It can absorb heavy metals and odors from water."

Jiang Li poured the charcoal powder into the poisonous water, stirred it, and let it stand.

The yellow water became slightly clearer, but it was still murky.

……

Step 4: The Klein Pot's Dimensional Reduction Attack.

Next comes the real cutting-edge technology moment.

Jiang Li poured the treated poisoned water into Klein's pot.

Then, put the lid on.

Place the pot on the pile of bright red lava rocks.

"Sizzle sizzle—"

The temperature inside the pot rose rapidly.

The poisonous water began to boil.

Water vapor, sulfur vapor, and acidic gases mixed together and swirled around inside the pot.

If it's a regular pot, these gases mix together and condense into toxic water.

But this is... a Klein pot.

Its internal structure is four-dimensional. It has no "inside" and "outside" distinction, only an infinitely extending single curved surface.

"Alice!"

Jiang Li pressed a rune button on the pot lid.

"Activate... [Dimensional Centrifugation] mode!"

"Understood, boss."

Buzz————

The Klein pot vibrated slightly.

The space inside the pot began to distort.

By utilizing the mass differences of different molecules, they are flung into different dimensions during high-speed rotation in four-dimensional space.

"Heavy metals...sink to the bottom!"

"Sulfur gas... is being released through the exhaust valve!"

"Only the lightest, purest... H₂O water vapor..."

"You will be directed to... the condensation zone!"

……

Step 5: Condensation (Nezha's ice cubes).

"Where is the condensation zone?" Nezha asked.

"Right here... on the pot handle."

Jiang Li pointed to the hollow, long handle of the pot.

"Nezha, even though you play with fire..."

"But I remember when you were bathing in the East Sea, you seemed to have learned some... water control skills?"

"or……"

Jiang Li glanced at the Qiankun Ring around Nezha's neck.

"Use the Qiankun Ring! That's a magic weapon with the metal element!"

"Metal generates water, which is cold in nature!"

"Put it on the pot handle!"

"Cool it down!"

Nezha suddenly realized.

"Got it!"

He took off the Qiankun Ring and chanted an incantation.

The Qiankun Ring instantly enlarged, encircling the pot handle and emitting waves of cold air.

……

A moment of miracle.

The magma stone provides high temperatures, which boil the water.

The Klein pot performs dimensional separation to remove toxins.

The Qiankun Ring provides a cold source to liquefy the steam.

"Tick-tock...tick-tock..."

One minute later.

From the end of the pot handle.

A drop fell... a crystal-clear, colorless, odorless liquid without a trace of impurity.

It landed in the metal cup that Jiang Li had prepared beforehand.

It makes a crisp sound.

"water!"

Er Gou's eyes widened instantly; if Jiang Li hadn't stopped him, he would have pounced on him long ago.

"Don't rush!"

"The first glass is... the first brew (first infusion)."

"There might still be a lingering sulfur smell."

Jiang Li took a small bite.

"Um……"

"It's a bit astringent."

"That's the unique taste of distilled water."

"But it also proves... that it is extremely pure."

……

The source of life.

As distillation proceeds...

The water in the cup is increasing.

Half an hour later, a full cup.

"Great Sage, you drink first."

Jiang Li handed the cup to Wukong.

Wukong didn't stand on ceremony, took the cup, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Glug—"

The water slid down his throat.

The feeling of rain after a long drought made every pore on Wukong's body relax and open up.

"ha----!!!"

Wukong let out a long breath.

"Cool!"

"This water...it has no taste."

"But seriously... help!"

Next up are Nezha, Er Gou, and Sanzang.

Jiang Li was the last one to be introduced.

When that sip of cool water entered his body, Jiang Li felt as if his cells were cheering.

The mind regained clarity, and the limbs regained strength.

"He's alive."

Jiang Li wiped the corner of his mouth.

Looking at the toxic water pit that was still emitting yellow smoke, and the simple distillation device next to it.

"Although this method can only provide temporary relief."

"but……"

Jiang Li frowned.

"The efficiency is too low."

"It takes half an hour to get one cup."

"We need to repair ships, farm (if we have any), take baths, and use large amounts of industrial water."

"This little bit of water isn't even enough to fill a tooth gap."

"Moreover, the heat from this magma rock is unstable, so someone has to keep an eye on it all the time."

……

New hope.

Just when everyone was worried about the water supply.

After drinking his fill of water, Er Gou suddenly lay down on the ground, pressed his nose against the black rock, and began to sniff frantically.

"Sniff...sniff..."

"What's wrong?" Jiang Li asked.

"Boss..."

Er Gou raised his head, his eyes filled with a mixture of doubt and excitement.

"This underground..."

"It smells."

"It doesn't smell like sulfur."

"It's... dampness."

"A heavy, cool, and refreshingly damp feeling!"

Er Gou scratched the ground with his paws.

"Right down there! About... a few hundred meters deep!"

"There is a...great river!"

……

"An underground river?"

Jiang Li and Wukong exchanged a glance.

The surface of Char is covered with magma, but deep underground, there may indeed be cooled aquifers.

Even... underground ecosystems.

"If there really is an underground river."

Jiang Li stood up and looked at the dark, bottomless entrance to the mine (not far from the toxic water pit).

"Then we won't have to live in this toxic water pit anymore."

"but……"

Tang Sanzang looked at the mine, a red warning flashing on his sunglasses.

"Amitabha."

Where there is water, there is life.

"On this hellish planet."

"Creatures that occupy underground water sources..."

"I'm afraid... even more troublesome than the springtails on the surface."

……

"Difficult to deal with?"

Jiang Li smiled.

He patted his stomach, which was full from drinking water.

He then touched the Occam's Razor at his waist.

"It's good that you're difficult to deal with."

"The more troublesome the creature..."

"The meat is often... chewier."

"and……"

Jiang Li stared at the eerie cave entrance.

"If that were an underground river."

"Maybe there will be...fish?"

"Pickled cabbage fish? Boiled fish?"

……

Jiang Li waved his hand.

"Pack your things!"

"Ergou, lead the way!"

"Target: Underground river!"

"this time……"

"We're going to...eat river seafood!"