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

The backyard of No. 13 Yulong Bay.

The once meticulously manicured lawn has now been turned into a chaotic swamp.

The projection of "Lord of Filth - Otgu," towering thirty meters tall and covered in highly toxic filth, composed of countless abandoned cars, construction debris, and rotting corpses, arrogantly looked down at the tiny creature beneath its feet.

With each breath it takes, the surrounding air becomes more turbid; with each step it takes, the ground beneath its feet instantly decays and turns into black quicksand.

"Insects...feel despair!"

Ottogu opened his gaping maw, wide enough to swallow a truck, and a nauseating dark green toxic mist surged from the depths of his throat.

"puff--!!!"

A [Plague Breath] powerful enough to corrode the entire villa and even turn a radius of a hundred meters into a dead zone poured down on Jiang Li like a green waterfall.

Standing at a distance, Su Qingge's face was deathly pale, and she almost dropped the lead box in her hand.

"S-rank! This is a genuine S-rank divine power projection!"

"That poisonous fog... just a single drop will cause your soul to decay forever!"

She wanted to shout, to urge Jiang Li to run, but under that absolute divine power, she couldn't even move a finger and could only watch helplessly as the poisonous fog descended.

however.

Jiang Li, who was at the center of the storm, frowned deeply, his face showing extreme disgust and... anger.

Spitting in public?!

Jiang Li's anger flared up instantly when he saw the overwhelming green slime.

"I just had someone mow my yard yesterday! And today you're dumping manure on it?!"

"That's disgusting! That's so unhygienic! Didn't your mother teach you to care about the environment?!"

Jiang Li roared and slammed the trigger of the high-pressure water gun in his hand.

"Give it to me... Rush!!!"

"Sizzle—!!!"

In an instant, a jet of water, only as thick as a thumb but dazzlingly bright, shot out from the muzzle of the gun.

This water, originating from an underground well, underwent ultra-high-pressure electrolysis through the [Lightning Element Core], then flowed through pipes engraved with [Star Clan] runes, and finally, under Jiang Li's strong will to "cleanse the filth," it underwent a qualitative change.

It is no longer water.

It's a high-energy plasma purification system! It produces absolutely clean water!

"boom!!!"

The water column collided with the toxic mist in mid-air.

There was no evenly matched contest as imagined, nor was there a violent energy explosion.

Yes, but it's just a one-sided "cleaning".

It's like a high-pressure water gun washing away years of old grime on the ground.

The seemingly terrifying green poisonous fog hissed and wailed the moment it came into contact with the water column, and was directly vaporized, decomposed, and reduced to the most basic harmless particles.

The water jet was unstoppable, instantly piercing through the thick layer of poisonous fog and splattering hard onto Otgu's ugly face made of garbage!

"ah--!!!"

A heart-wrenching scream echoed through the sky.

Otgu covered his face, his massive body trembling violently.

"It hurts! It hurts so much! What kind of water is this?! Why does it hurt so much?!"

On its face, where the water jet struck, the hard metal scraps and rotting flesh rapidly crumbled like melting ice and snow, revealing the black energy skeleton inside.

That wasn't physical damage.

That's a "purification" at the rule level!

For an evil god born from filth, this ultimate "purity" is hotter than magma and more deadly than strong acid!

"You still dare to yell? Don't you know you're disturbing the peace?"

Jiang Li covered her nose with one hand (it smelled terrible) and steadily held the water gun with the other, turning up the water pressure knob.

"I think you desperately need a wash! You're covered in filth, haven't you had a bath in thousands of years?"

"Turn around! Wash the back!"

The water column transformed into a fan shape, resembling a giant lightsaber, and "washed" Ottogu's massive body from all directions.

"Sizzle sizzle—"

"Splash—"

The rubble armor on Otgu's body peeled off one by one.

The discarded tire fell off, the rusty steel bars snapped, and the rotting body parts turned into black liquid...

Its proud defenses were as fragile as paper in the face of Jiang Li's "car wash service".

"No...it's impossible..."

Otgu retreated in terror, and with each step he took, a large chunk of "flesh" fell off his body.

"I am the Lord of Filth... I am the End of All Things... How could I be washed away by water?!"

It tried to fight back, attempting to summon more silt.

However, the sewer opening had been firmly suppressed by Jiang Li's water gun; any black mud that surfaced would be immediately flushed back up.

"Big Yellow! Stop drooling!"

As Jiang Li rinsed his face, he turned around and yelled, "Go and plug that manhole cover! Don't let that thing go back in! If it clogs the sewer again, are you going to pay the property management fees?!"

"Woof!" (Understood! Sealing it now!)

Big Yellow snapped out of its shock.

It glanced at the S-class evil god projection that was being beaten so badly it couldn't fight back, and a hint of sympathy flashed in its eyes.

Of all people to mess with, why did she have to provoke this man with obsessive-compulsive disorder about cleanliness?

Big Yellow looked around and its gaze settled on the heavy black base in the corner of the yard.

That was the base left over from the last installation of the [Pillar of Stars]. It was cast from deep-sea black iron, weighed tens of tons, and was covered with suppression runes.

"Woof!"

Big Yellow transformed into a yellow streak of light and rushed to the base.

Its body instantly swelled, transforming into a hunting dog form. It lowered its head and used its hard, iron-like head to brace against the base.

"Get out of here!"

Big Yellow gripped the ground with all four limbs, its muscles bulging, and let out a low growl.

"Boom!"

That massive iron lump, weighing tens of tons, was actually pushed and slid along by it, carving a deep trench in the lawn.

"No! Don't!"

Ottogu saw through Rhubarb's intentions and let out a desperate roar.

That sewer opening is its only connection to its main body and the source of its projection energy. If it's blocked, it truly becomes water without a source!

It wanted to rush over and stop Big Yellow.

"Where are you looking? Concentrate on taking a shower!"

Jiang Li flicked his wrist, and the high-pressure water jet sprayed directly into Otgu's eyes.

"Ah! My eyes!"

Otgu screamed and staggered backward, covering his eyes.

Just then.

"boom!!!"

A loud bang.

The huge black base was shoved hard onto the sewer opening by Big Yellow.

Perfectly fitted!

"Sizzle..."

The wisp of black energy connecting to the abyss was instantly severed.

Otgu's body stiffened abruptly, and his originally solid body began to become illusory, like a holographic projection that had been powered off.

"Well done!"

Jiang Li exclaimed in admiration, "Now, we've got them trapped... no, we're trapping them... no, we're cleaning up the mess!"

He turned off the water gun and casually threw it on the ground.

"It's almost washed; now it's time for the final step—pulverization!"

Jiang Li drew the butcher knife that had accompanied him in battle for a long time from his waist.

The blade gleamed coldly in the moonlight, and there seemed to be traces of oil left from cutting the dragon meat earlier.

"Judging by your build, you must have a core inside, right? You're quite sturdy. There's a hole in my yard that hasn't been filled in yet."

Jiang Li twisted his neck, making a cracking sound.

"Smash it, sir!"

"boom!"

Jiang Li stomped his foot, and the ground cracked.

He shot up like a cannonball, with unstoppable momentum, heading straight for Otguna's already battered chest.

In Su Qingge's field of vision.

At that moment, Jiang Li seemed to be burning with an invisible flame.

That is the fire of rules, a fusion of gluttony, destruction, and order!

The pig-slaughtering knife in his hand transformed into a black rift capable of cleaving the heavens and the earth!

"No! I am God! I am immortal..."

As the tiny yet terrifying human charged toward him, Otgu let out his final, mournful cry.

It raised its broken arms in an attempt to defend itself.

But in the face of that knife, all defenses seemed so ridiculous.

"Pfft!"

A soft sound.

It's like a hot knife slicing through butter.

The butcher's knife, carrying the dual rules of [decomposition] and [food processing], sliced ​​through Ultragu's arm and chest without any hindrance, and precisely struck its dark, still-pulsating energy core.

"Snap!"

The core shattered.

"Boom!"

The arrogant, thirty-meter-tall projection of the evil god completely lost its support at this moment.

Its body began to collapse and disintegrate.

Countless pieces of garbage, scrap metal, and sludge fell from the sky, piling up into a small mountain in the yard.

The dust has settled.

Jiang Li landed lightly on the ground and sheathed his sword.

"Ugh... So dirty."

He dusted himself off, looked at the garbage all over the yard, and sighed.

"Now we're in trouble. We'll have to pay a cleaning company to haul away the trash. How many truckloads will it take to collect it all?"

He looked distressed. "That must have cost several thousand yuan, right? What a waste!"

Su Qingge: "..."

She stood not far away, completely numb.

He single-handedly killed an S+ level evil god projection.

Process: flushing, blocking the door, and a quick, decisive cut.

Post-incident reflection: Garbage disposal fees are too expensive.

If this were written into the report, those old men at headquarters would definitely think she'd gone mad.

"but……"

Jiang Li's eyes suddenly lit up.

His gaze fell on the top of the mountain of garbage.

There, a fist-sized bead, emitting a faint green light, lay quietly.

That was the essence left behind after the core of Ultra was shattered—[Filthy Core] (S-grade material).

Although the name is unpleasant, this substance contains extremely pure life toxins and natural energy, making it a priceless treasure for crafting top-tier poisons or antidotes.

"Huh? This thing looks like jade? It's quite translucent."

Jiang Li didn't mind the dirt, climbed onto the garbage heap, and picked up the bead.

He wiped it on his clothes.

"Hey, it's quite rounded. And this color... imperial green!"

Jiang Li was delighted.

"I don't know if it's real jade, but the color looks pleasing. My dog, Da Huang, is getting a bit old; I'll find a craftsman to set it into a collar. It'll look beautiful!"

"Big Yellow! Come try on your new jewelry!"

"Woof!" (This bead is poisonous! But I like it!)

Big Yellow wagged its tail and ran over.

Watching this scene, Su Qingge silently took out her phone and deleted the message she had just edited, "Requesting nuclear strike support."

It has been changed to:

Crisis resolved. The target has been cleared by the "cleaners." A large amount of "construction waste" remains at the site; it is recommended that it be recycled under the guise of environmental protection.

……

Jianghai City, deep underground.

Having lost its projection connection, the Eye of the Abyss is now huddled inside that abandoned soda can, trembling with fear.

Its huge single eye was now bloodshot, and its pupil was unfocused, as if it had just experienced a nightmare that could destroy one's mind.

"We lost...we lost completely..."

Its sound was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"Even the great Lord of Filth... the S+ level projection of the main god... was washed away by that man like trash..."

"That was the Lord of Filth, capable of polluting an entire continent! And he was killed by a water gun?!"

"This world... is terrifying! This is not the paradise I'm looking for! This is hell!"

The Eye of the Abyss has collapsed.

It remembered the man's butcher knife, which seemed capable of cutting through anything; it remembered the bald dog that could only move lumps of iron weighing tens of tons; and it remembered the broken jar that could pickle evil gods like salted vegetables...

"Mom...I want to go home..."

It dared not stay in this city any longer.

"The waters of Jianghai City are too deep! I can't handle it!"

The Eye of the Abyss transformed into an inconspicuous pool of black water, desperately fleeing towards the sea along the deepest underground river.

It vowed that it would never go ashore again, even if it starved to death or died in the sea!

I will never provoke that man named Jiang Li again!

……

The next day, early in the morning.

The residents of Jianghai City were surprised to find that the air was exceptionally fresh today.

The smog and musty smell that had bothered everyone for days disappeared without a trace overnight.

The sun shines brightly, and birds sing and flowers bloom.

Meanwhile, long queues still formed outside the Deep Blue Seafood Restaurant in the city center.

Jiang Li sat in his office on the second floor, sipping tea and watching the bustling traffic outside the window, feeling exceptionally relaxed.

"Brother! Have you seen the news?"

Jiang Xiaoyu excitedly ran in, phone in hand.

"The news reports that a small-scale underground methane explosion occurred in Jianghai City last night! But miraculously, there were no casualties!"

"Moreover, experts say that after the explosion, the entire city's sewer system miraculously became clear! Even the years-old silt was washed away!"

"Experts say this is... 'the self-regulation of the urban ecosystem'? It's a good omen!"

"Haha, the expert is right."

Jiang Li put down his teacup, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"This is indeed an auspicious sign; it's called 'a gift from nature.'"

"Or rather... it was a volunteer service done by a kind-hearted citizen."

He glanced at Wang Ergou and Lei Meng, who were busy downstairs, as well as the magician who was performing "the magic of turning live fish into real fish" for the customers (a newly hired employee who was actually an awakened illusionist).

"Yes, life is finally getting back on track."

Now he has money, a house, a car, businesses, a lovely younger sister, and a group of "capable" employees.

This is the life he wants.

"but……"

Jiang Li's gaze swept across the city skyline and landed on the distant blue sea.

"I heard that some kind of 'Dragon Palace Ruins' is about to open in the East China Sea? It's said to contain many ancient shipwrecks and treasures?"

He stroked his chin, a familiar glint of "ambition" (greed) flashing in his eyes.

"Business is good now, but we can't just sit around and do nothing."

"Looks like it's time to restock."

"Big Yellow! Prepare the boat! Let's go out to sea!"

(The End of Volume One: The Fisherman of Blackwater Bay)