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

Black Iron Pot City, the core business district, the gilded skeleton auction house.

The venue for the third round of the competition was outrageously luxurious.

This is no longer an open-air steamer, but a magnificent palace supported by the skeleton of an ancient dragon made of huge, pure gold.

The floor was covered with succubus skin (don't get the wrong idea, it was a carpet made from shed dead skin), and the walls were adorned with wall lamps made of glowing jellyfish. The air was filled with the scents of ambergris and money.

Location: Abyss Royal Auction House.

[Current Event: Round 3 of the Main Competition - Blind Box Ingredient Auction]

[Rules: All ingredients are sealed within the "Chaos Stone." You cannot see what's inside; you can only gamble based on your eyesight, intuition (and money).]

[Commonly known as: gambling on vegetables.]

……

"One cut makes you poor, one cut makes you rich, one cut leaves you in rags."

Jiang Li stood in the auction hall, looking at the demon chefs around him bidding wildly, and shook his head.

"I didn't expect this kind of thing to be popular even in the abyss."

At this point, although the Deep Blue team had performed impressively in the first two rounds, they appeared particularly lackluster in this round.

Because they...have no money.

Jiang Li only had three thousand soul coins in his pocket, earned from selling stinky tofu in that dark alley of broken bones.

And look at the surrounding transaction prices:

"Raw Stone No. 3! Sold for: 500,000 Soul Coins!"

"Raw Stone No. 5! Sold for: 1.2 million Soul Coins!"

"Congratulations to the Blood Earl team! They've obtained a legendary ingredient—[Deep Sea Ice Dragon Liver]! Huge price increase! Huge price increase!"

The crowd cheered.

The vampire count elegantly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looking arrogantly at the dragon liver that emanated a chilling aura after being cut open.

This liver is enough for him to make an amazing dish in the next round of the competition.

……

"It's over."

Er Gou (Chaos Devouring Dog) looked at the dizzying numbers and lay on the ground pretending to be dead.

"Boss, we don't even have enough money to cover the labor costs for cutting the stones."

"Let's just withdraw from the competition. Going back to selling stinky tofu would be much better."

Sun Wukong scratched his head and drew circles on the ground with his golden cudgel.

"Although I, Old Sun, am good at fighting, this stone... I can't see through it."

"That's a Chaos Stone, capable of blocking all detection. Even the most discerning eyes are useless against it."

The data sunglasses of Tang Sanzang (the cyber monk) were also full of garbled characters.

"Amitabha."

"Gambling is the root of all evil."

"But if there are no ingredients, this humble monk's pot will be empty."

……

"Don't panic."

Jiang Li calmly looked around.

"The rich have their way of life, and the poor have theirs."

"The truly top-quality ingredients are often not displayed on the most prominent stands."

"But..."

Jiang Li pointed to a pile of garbage in the corner of the hall, which had a sign that read "Waste Disposal Area".

It was piled with oddly shaped, dull-colored, unwanted stones.

"In the garbage dump."

Jiang Li led the group over.

The stones here are all very cheap.

One item costs 100 Soul Coins; no refunds or exchanges.

"this one?"

Nezha kicked a stone that looked like a lump of coal.

"This is obviously scrap! It's definitely hollow inside!"

"uncertain."

Jiang Li took out the newly acquired [Zu'an Chopping Board] from his backpack.

"I can't tell."

"But this foul-mouthed board... is the ancestor of the plant system (the ancient ironwood heart)."

"It is more sensitive to the scents of nature than anyone else."

……

Jiang Li placed the cutting board on a stone.

"Hey, board."

"Smell it."

"If you dare to slack off, I'll chop you up and use you as firewood."

The face on the cutting board contorted for a moment, then immediately broke into a fawning smile.

"Dad! What are you saying!"

"It's my pleasure to serve you!"

It sniffed the stone.

then……

"Pooh!"

"What garbage! This is just a fossil! It's full of ash! Anyone who buys it is an idiot!"

Jiang Li threw away the stone.

Replace it with the next one.

"Pah! This is a solid lump of iron! It's too light even to be used as a weight!"

"Pah! There's a dried-up dead rat in this! It stinks!"

……

I tried dozens of them.

It's all worthless junk.

The demons passing by cast disdainful glances at them.

"Look at those poor bastards."

"They're actually scavenging for trash in the junkyard."

"This is a disgrace to the world of culinary disasters."

Just as Jiang Li was about to give up on this corner.

His hand rested on a dark, pitted rock at the very bottom that looked like a large ostrich egg.

The cutting board was attached.

Sudden.

It stopped cursing.

Its foul-mouthed face actually... turned red.

And it was... trembling.

"Um……?"

"dad……"

The sound of the cutting board became somewhat stuttering, even carrying a hint of... shyness?

"This...this stone..."

"It's... seducing me."

"Seduced you?" Jiang Li was taken aback.

"right……"

The cutting board swallowed a mouthful of non-existent saliva.

"There's something here... extremely rich, extremely pure, extremely noble..."

"Egg flavor".

"It tastes like... the primordial egg from the beginning of the universe."

"If I could make a cut on it... my life would be worth it."

……

"The Egg of Chaos?"

Jiang Li's expression changed instantly.

He looked at the unremarkable black stone.

[Item: Unidentified fossil egg.]

Price: 500 Soul Coins.

[Note: This thing is so hard that it even cut through three diamond saw blades. Nobody knows what's inside; it's probably an iron walnut.]

"I bought it."

Jiang Li threw out five hundred soul coins without hesitation.

He picked up the stone.

……

Stone-cutting Platform.

Jiang Li carried the black stone to the stone-cutting area in the center of the hall.

The place was packed with people.

Because that Blood Earl just unearthed another good piece of material.

"Make way! Make way!"

Wukong and Nezha led the way.

Jiang Li placed the black stone on the stone-cutting platform.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

A burst of laughter erupted around them.

"Isn't that the human who picks up trash?"

"He's here to have stones cut too?"

"This broken rock? It's just a big lump of coal, isn't it?"

The host (a cyclops) was also getting impatient.

"Humans need specialized tools and money to cut stones."

"Do you have the money to hire a stone cutter?"

"unnecessary."

Jiang Li slowly drew the Occam's Razor from his waist.

Then he placed the Zuan cutting board under the stone.

"I'll do it myself."

……

"You yourself?"

The Cyclops sneered.

"I recognize this stone; it's been sitting in the scrap yard for three hundred years."

"It's too hard to cut."

"Your little knife..."

Before he could finish speaking...

"brush!"

Jiang Li drew his sword.

He didn't chop hard.

Instead, he infused the power of the Gluttony Godhood into the blade.

At the same time, the Zaun chopping board beneath him vibrated at a high frequency (it was an excited tremor), in sync with the frequency of the blade.

[Sword Technique: Occam's Deconstruction Slash.]

[Principle: Do not multiply entities unnecessarily. Cut through all appearances to get to the essence.]

That seemingly ordinary razor, the moment it touched the black stone...

It made a soft, tearing sound.

"Sizzle—"

The outer shell of the Chaos Origin Stone is incredibly hard.

It's like cutting butter with a hot knife.

It was cut open.

……

A crack appeared.

Followed by.

"boom!!!"

A dazzling, pure, and sun-like golden light burst forth from the crevice.

The entire auction hall was instantly illuminated.

Those demons who had been mocking were now blinded by the light.

"Ah! My titanium alloy dog ​​eyes!"

"This light...it's so blinding!"

Accompanied by golden light.

An indescribable fragrance swept through the entire venue.

That's not the smell of meat, nor the smell of flowers.

That is... the most primal scent of life.

It smells like an egg.

Pure, rich, and with a warm feeling that makes you want to return to your mother's embrace.

……

The stone skin is peeling off.

Its true form was revealed.

That's no ordinary egg.

It was a… [flowing, golden, liquid yolk that seemed to contain the entire galaxy].

It floats in the air, without an eggshell, yet it stays together and doesn't disperse due to its own gravity.

[Ingredient: The yolk of the Progenitor's Egg of the Void Leviathan.]

[Rank: Mythical (Unique)]

[Description: This egg slept in chaos for billions of years. It absorbed the energy of countless stars, eventually condensing into this liquid "stellar yolk."]

[Value: Incalculable (starting price at least 100 million Soul Coins).]

……

The entire room fell silent.

The ice dragon liver in the Blood Earl's hand instantly looked like a rotten pig liver in front of this egg yolk.

"God... Mythical level?!"

The cyclops stonecutter knelt down.

"They actually pulled a Mythic-level item?!"

"Get rich overnight with one strike! This is simply getting rich overnight with one strike!"

The demons around them went mad.

"Sell it to me! I'll pay fifty million!"

"I'll offer 100 million! Plus one of my thighs!"

"I'll give you everything I own! I'd even sell myself to you!"

……

Faced with this outrageous offer.

Jiang Li simply shook his head calmly.

"Not for sale."

He looked at the floating golden yolk.

"I'm a cook."

"Ingredients, in my hands, have only one destination."

"That means... cooking it."

"It's perfect that everyone's here."

"I'll use this egg..."

"To make...the simplest, yet the most difficult dish."

"This is my answer sheet for passing this round."

……

Cooking begins.

Location: Stone-cutting platform at the auction house.

Tools: Klein pot, Zaun cutting board, Occam's razor.

Step 1: Prepare rice.

"For fried rice, the rice is the key."

Jiangli doesn't have ordinary rice.

He took out the leftover "plasma rice" that he had made with nano flour at the Cult of Mechanism.

This type of rice has plump grains, is heat-resistant, and does not stick together.

Step 2: Extract the eggs.

Jiang Li used the tip of his knife to gently lift a wisp of golden void egg liquid.

This egg mixture is too thick.

Just one drop can weigh a thousand pounds.

"Ergou! Catch!"

Er Gou brought over the bowl.

Jiang Li dripped the egg mixture into the bowl.

"Stir!"

No water was added.

Because the egg mixture itself is a liquid.

Step 3: Stir-frying.

"Nezha! Fire!"

"We need astronomical temperatures!"

"Okay!"

Nezha spewed out Samadhi Fire, and the bottom of the pot instantly turned bright red.

Jiang Li poured in a spoonful of [Abyss Black Pig Oil].

"Sizzle—"

Heat the oil.

Pour in the plasma-processed rice.

stir fry!

The rice jumped around in the pot, each grain distinct.

Step 4: Cover yourself in gold.

"Now!"

Jiang Li poured the bowl of golden void egg liquid evenly over the rice.

"Gold wrapped in silver!"

"Stir-fry over high heat!"

boom!

Flames shot skyward.

The egg mixture did not solidify immediately upon contact with the hot rice.

Instead, it acts like a thin golden film, quickly enveloping each grain of rice.

Then... it seeped in.

"Sizzle sizzle—"

The sound of stars colliding came from the pot.

aroma!

An aroma a hundred times stronger than when the stone was being opened erupted.

The roof of the entire auction house was almost blown off.

……

Step 5: Finishing touch.

Before taking it out of the pot.

Jiang Li sprinkled a handful of [Abyss Scallions] (these scallions are grown near lava and have a natural caramelized aroma).

"Take it off the heat!"

Serve in a dish.

At this point, the rice is no longer visible as originally white.

Every grain of rice turned into a pure golden yellow.

They sparkled in the plate, and even... floated up.

It's like a miniature golden nebula.

……

[Dish Name: Abyss Golden Void Fried Rice]

[Rank: Mythical-grade staple food.]

[Description: Plasma rice is wrapped in the yolk of the Void Progenitor's egg. It is then stir-fried at near-planetary high temperatures, locking the egg's aroma into the atomic structure of every grain of rice.]

[Taste: It's not rice, it's light. The moment your teeth bite into a grain of rice, you'll feel a star explode in your mouth. The incredibly rich egg flavor will make you forget who you are and just want to be a grain of rice.]

[Effect: Increases all attributes (can even resurrect the dead if they have just died). Grants the "Void Affinity" physique.]

……

Please enjoy.

Jiang Li held up the plate of glowing fried rice.

It was presented to the specially invited judges for this round.

That was a figure dressed in magnificent robes, with a withered face, and holding a scepter... [The Lich King Kel'Thuzad (cameo appearance)].

He is the richest and most discerning gourmet collector in the Abyss.

"fried rice?"

The Lich King stared at the plate with his eyes burning with will-o'-the-wisps.

"The simplest fried rice..."

"Yet they used the most expensive ingredients..."

He reached out the spoon, his hand trembling.

Scoop up a spoonful.

It was put into that dry, shriveled mouth.

"..."

still.

The Lich King froze.

Followed by.

His originally withered skin began to fill out at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Tears actually welled up in his originally cloudy eyes.

"Mother……"

The Lich King burst into tears.

"I saw... the origin of life."

"I saw... the Big Bang."

"This bite of rice..."

"It was worth it!"

"I would call it... the strongest!"

……

boom!

The audience erupted in applause.

Countless demons cheered, drooled, and frantically tried to rush up and lick the plate clean.

[System notification: Congratulations to Jiang Li of "Deep Blue Team" for winning the third round of the auction!]

[Reward: Mythical ingredient "Egg of the Void Progenitor" (remaining portion).]

[Gained a huge sum of money: 100 million Soul Coins (The Lich King immediately bought the plate of unfinished fried rice).]

……

Jiang Li looked at the heavy Soul Coin card in his hand.

I glanced again at that useless but still glowing cutting board from the Zuan people.

Laughed.

"Look."

Jiang Li touched the cutting board.

"I told you, there's treasure in the garbage dump."

The cutting board looked at him with adoration:

"Dad is brilliant! Dad is mighty! Dad's fried rice is the best in the world!"

"Alright, stop flattering me."

Jiang Li put his things away.

He turned and left.

"With money and ingredients."

"Next..."

"It's the semifinals now."

"I heard about our opponents in the semifinals..."

"Is it that number one ranked... Lord of Decay, Nurgle?"

"Playing Resident Evil?"

Jiang Li's eyes turned somewhat dangerous.

"Perfect."

"I still have half a jar here... aged stinky tofu brine."

"Let's see if it's his plague virus..."

"My stinky tofu still smells better."