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

The Crystal Palace at Atlantis.

The air—or rather, the seawater—was so solidified that it seemed about to freeze.

Queen Hela stared intently at the skewer of "roasted snake heads" before her, exuding the aroma of cumin, chili powder, and a strange, charred scent. It was the head of the Hydra, her most trusted and powerful guardian beast. At this moment, the eyes on that head were not yet fully closed, seemingly still recounting the grievances of its life and the humiliation of being used as food.

The man who handed her the "delicious food" was looking at her with the same eyes one would give a naughty neighbor's child, with a trace of grease on the corner of his mouth.

"What? Your Majesty doesn't like spicy food? Well, I also have mild and garlic flavored ones. Shall I get you a different skewer?"

Jiang Li enthusiastically pulled out another skewer from behind him as if by magic, this one covered in minced garlic.

"Enough!!!"

Hela finally snapped out of her shock, and shame and anger instantly overwhelmed her reason.

She is the ruler of the deep sea! She is the inheritor of Poseidon's bloodline!

This land monkey in front of her not only broke into her palace and killed her pets, but now it wants to force her to eat their flesh?!

What blasphemy! What perversion!

"Abyss Priests! Kill him! Tear him to pieces! Use the remains to feed the sea anemones!"

Hela swung her crystal scepter violently, letting out a sharp roar.

"Buzz—Buzz—Buzz—"

At her command, the stone pillars that had stood still like sculptures around the hall suddenly cracked.

Dozens of figures dressed in dark green robes and wearing strange tall hats walked out.

They are not ordinary mermaids, but Abyss Priests transformed by the power of the abyss. Their skin is covered with breathing gill slits, and their fingers are long and thin like withered branches, each fingertip pulsating with a ghostly blue arcane light.

"The blasphemers...return to nothingness..."

The priests chanted in unison, their obscure and difficult-to-understand deep-sea incantations echoing throughout the hall.

In an instant, the pressure of the seawater inside the main hall increased a hundredfold!

Countless visible high-pressure water blades condensed in the void, like a dense fishing net, swooping down on Jiang Li. These water blades were extremely sharp, capable of easily cutting through even diamonds.

"Oh? You can even use a water jet ski?"

Jiang Li watched the water blades flying towards him, but instead of dodging them, he commented on them with great interest.

"The water pressure is good, and the flow is quite strong."

He handed the skewers in his hand to Big Yellow next to him (Big Yellow swallowed them in one gulp), and then took out a... loofah sponge from his pocket.

That's right, it's the old loofah sponge used for bathing and washing dishes.

"Perfect timing! I got all greasy and sticky from the barbecue. Is this a fully automatic shower room?"

Jiang Li stood still, letting the terrifying water blades, powerful enough to slice through tanks, slash at his body.

"Jingle bells!"

The water blades struck his skin, producing a series of crisp sounds, like raindrops hitting a steel plate, leaving not even a white mark.

[Abyss Angler Physique - Physical Immunity - Water Element Affinity MAX].

In Jiang Li's mind, these attacks were like a slightly stronger water massage in a bathhouse, a tingling and numb sensation on his body that felt incredibly comfortable.

"A little to the left! Yes! Right there! My shoulder is a bit sore!"

Jiang Li rubbed the loofah sponge all over his body, looking quite pleased.

"More force! Didn't you eat? Is this the level of your royal technicians?"

The Abyss Priests: "..."

They watched the man leisurely scrubbing himself in the midst of a thousand killing formations, and their incantations went awry.

What the hell is that monster?!

That's a high-pressure water jet that can cut through warship armor! He actually used it to scrub mud?!

"Impossible! This must be an illusion!"

The high priest shrieked, "Increase the magic output! Use [Deep Sea Corrosion]!"

The water instantly turned jet black, carrying strong acidity and corrosive toxins.

"Did you change your shower gel?"

Jiang Li took a sniff. "This smells a bit strong, like sulfur soap. But it should be quite effective at killing germs."

He was completely unharmed.

Even Hela, who was sitting on the throne, couldn't sit still anymore.

"A bunch of useless trash!"

Hela stood up, her magnificent armor clanging as she did so. The crystal scepter in her hand shone brightly, and her once exquisite face became both ferocious and holy.

"Since magic is ineffective, then I'll show you... the power of a divine artifact!"

She gripped the scepter with both hands and plunged it into the ground beneath her feet.

"Come forth! [Poseidon's Wrath - Trident]!"

"Boom—!!!"

The entire palace began to shake violently, and a huge crack appeared in the ground.

A giant trident, crafted entirely from deep blue divine gold and exuding an ancient and majestic aura, slowly rose from the ground.

This is the national treasure of Atlantis, a projection of a divine artifact left behind by the sea god Poseidon (although it is a projection, it has the power of an S-class divine artifact).

As soon as the trident was drawn, the surrounding seawater instantly boiled, and countless bolts of lightning exploded in the water.

"Prepare to die, mortal!"

Hela gripped her trident, her aura surging as if she had transformed into a sea goddess. She swung the trident, and a massive vortex crackling with lightning shot straight at Jiang Li.

"Wow! What a huge fork!"

Jiang Li's eyes lit up instantly when he saw the trident.

He completely ignored the earth-shattering vortex of lightning, his eyes fixed on the weapon.

"This fork is so well-made! And the three points are perfectly spaced, long, and sharp!"

"Isn't this just like those large dinner forks used for Western food?!"

Jiang Li was excited.

"I was just worried about not having the right tools to eat that burrowing worm! Chopsticks are too slippery, and my hands are too hot. This fork will definitely be perfect!"

"Hey beautiful! I've got my eye on this fork! Name your price!"

Hela: "???"

Fork?

This is the divine weapon of the sea god! It is a symbol of power! It is a weapon of destruction capable of triggering tsunamis!

You actually want to use it to fork insects to eat?!

"I'm going to kill you!!!"

Hela went completely mad, and her trident, imbued with the force of a thunderbolt, stabbed fiercely towards Jiang Li's chest.

"Don't be so stingy, it won't break if I borrow it."

Jiang Li sighed and extended his right hand.

No knife or tripod was used.

He simply reached out and grabbed the middle tip of the trident that was thrust at him.

"when--"

Time seemed to stand still.

That strike, powerful enough to pierce through mountains, was caught by Jiang Li with a single hand.

The lightning crackled in his hand, yet it was like a docile pet, unable to harm him in the slightest.

"Give it to me!"

Jiang Li flicked his wrist.

An overwhelming and unstoppable force traveled through the halberd.

Hela felt a sharp pain in her hand, as if she had been electrocuted. Not only could she not hold her weapon, but she was also thrown backward by the force and crashed heavily onto the throne.

"Bang!"

The Trident has changed hands.

Jiang Li held the two-meter-long magical weapon, twirled it in his hand, and performed a beautiful flourish.

"Hmm, it feels nice, but it's a bit light, but it'll do."

He made two vague jabs at the air.

"If you used this to fork a steak, it would definitely make you look really impressive!"

"You...you..."

Hela slumped on her throne, her crown askew, her long hair disheveled, and looked at the man gesturing with her own artifact as if it were cutlery, her eyes finally revealing deep fear.

He is not human.

He is a monster even more terrifying than the ancient gods!

"Ao Bing! Time to get to work!"

Ignoring Hela's breakdown, Jiang Li turned to Ao Bing, who was watching the show from the sidelines, and shouted.

"Those priests are too noisy, tell them to be quiet!"

"Okay, boss!"

Ao Bing had been itching to get his hands on the weapon for a long time.

He grinned maliciously and charged towards the group of abyss priests who were already terrified.

"You felt great splashing me with water just now, didn't you? Come on, let me, the Crown Prince, teach you what real water magic is!"

"Waterspout!"

"A thousand miles frozen over!"

After a chaotic scene, all the priests were frozen into lifelike ice sculptures, which were then displayed as decorations on both sides of the main hall.

The hall finally fell silent.

Jiang Li, carrying a trident (now a dinner fork), walked step by step toward Hela on the throne.

"No...don't come any closer..."

Hela trembled and shrank back.

"What...what do you want? I am the Queen of Atlantis! My flesh and blood don't taste good! They're poisonous!"

In order to survive, she even started making fun of herself.

"Don't worry, I don't eat people. I have my bottom line."

Jiang Li stopped in front of her and said with a smile.

"I just wanted to ask, where is your back garden?"

"The...back garden?" Hela was taken aback.

"Yes, when I came in just now, I saw a lot of nice things being raised outside."

Jiang Li pointed to the royal garden outside the main hall.

Where are those transparent crabs (crystal crabs) and those horse-shaped fish (seahorses) kept?

"I'm a reasonable person. Since I took your fork, I won't just take it for nothing. Let's make a deal."

Jiang Li took out a "Long-term Supply Contract for Deep Blue Aquatic Products" that had been prepared beforehand (this was drafted by Wang Ergou).

"From today onwards, Atlantis will become a 'contracted aquaculture base' for Deep Blue Aquaculture."

"You, Queen Hela, are appointed as the General Manager of the Base."

"You're in charge of farming crystal crabs, seahorses, and various other deep-sea specialties. I'm in charge of buying them, settling accounts at one percent of the market price (after all, I'm providing protection money)."

"In return, I won't eat you, nor will I demolish your palace. Furthermore, if anyone dares to bully you in the future, just mention my name, Jiang Li!"

Hela looked at the contract, then at the trident in Jiang Li's hand.

Does she have a choice?

There was no other choice.

"I...I'll sign."

Hela, her hands trembling, pressed her humiliating fingerprint onto the contract.

From then on, the noble Atlantean royal family was reduced to aquaculture farmers of Deep Blue Aquatic Products.

……

Having finalized the "personnel contracts," Jiang Li began the part he had been most looking forward to—purchasing goods.

He took Da Huang and Wang Er Gou and headed straight for the royal back garden.

This place is home to rare species that Atlantis has been cultivating for thousands of years.

Wow! We're rich!

Jiang Li's mouth watered as he looked at the pool of crystal crabs, which were as clear as gemstones.

"This crab shell is transparent! You can even see the crab roe inside! It looks so appetizing!"

He reached out and grabbed a crystal crab that was as big as a millstone.

The crab's shell was incredibly hard, but it still dared not act recklessly in Jiang Li's hands.

"No need to peel it, just steam it and chew it with the shell on – it'll be so crunchy!"

"Load them all! Load them all up! Just keep a few breeding crabs!"

He then came to another huge water tank.

Several seahorses, each over ten meters long, were swimming inside.

They have the heads of seahorses and the bodies of dragons, covered in colorful scales, and look extremely majestic.

"This is the Seahorse Dragon? It looks a bit like a sea unicorn."

Jiang Li patted the side of the sink.

"Besides the meat being delicious, what else is this thing good for?"

Ah Qiang (former leader of the Tiger Shark Legion, now a guide) quickly came over to fawn over him:

"Boss! This seahorse is a treasure trove! The meat is incredibly tender, perfect for sashimi. And its bones, when soaked in alcohol, are a... cough, a miracle cure for strengthening the body! Even more potent than tiger bones!"

"Oh? That's amazing?"

Jiang Li's eyes lit up.

"Then I definitely have to take it! It'll be perfect for my old man (a fictional character) to make medicinal wine!"

"Big Yellow! Go down and retrieve it!"

After the looting, the Black Pearl's cargo hold was once again packed to capacity.

Crystal crabs, seahorses, deep-sea luminous clams, and all sorts of other unknown and rare seafood were piled up like mountains.

Finally, Jiang Li arrived at the imperial palace's treasury.

The place was piled high with gold and silver treasures, but he didn't even glance at them (after all, his house was already overflowing).

His gaze fell on an altar at the deepest part of the treasure vault.

There was an inconspicuous, rusty iron box there.

But the [Dragon King's Eye] in Jiang Li's arms was vibrating wildly, pointing at the box.

"Is this... the Key of Poseidon?"

Jiang Li walked over and picked up the box.

The box wasn't locked; it opened easily with a gentle pry.

There were no dazzling divine artifacts inside, nor any world-destroying energy cores.

There is only one key.

A key that looks like it was made from some kind of white bone, with an extremely rustic and even somewhat rough design.

But the moment Jiang Li's fingers touched the key...

"Buzz—"

A grand bell suddenly rang in his mind.

Special item detected: Key of Bones.

[Item Description: The sole credential to unlock the gateway to the City of the Dead (Ib). There lies the forgotten ancient god, Bokrug.]

[Note: Collecting all three keys (Dragon King's Eye, Key of the Bone, and ???) will unlock the final 'Gate of Gourmet Food' (which is the truth of the world).]

"The City of the Dead? The God of the Giant Lizard?"

Jiang Li took the key in her hand and looked at it.

"That sounds familiar... isn't it that water lizard that likes to eat live people?"

He is not interested in any worldly truths.

He was only interested in that "Gourmet Gate".

"Since it's a key, let's keep it for now. Maybe one day we can go to that city of the dead and get some of that... cured meat?"

Jiang Li put the key in his pocket and walked out of the treasure vault with satisfaction.

……

Returning to port.

Queen Hela, accompanied by a group of disheveled nobles, stood at the palace gate, tearfully (and humiliatingly) bidding farewell to these plague-ridden people.

"Take care, boss! Come visit again soon!"

Ah-Qiang (Tiger Shark Man) stands at the stern, waving a handkerchief, having completely immersed himself in the role of Deep Blue Aquatic.

The Black Pearl broke through the water and rushed towards the sea.

Inside the cabin, Jiang Li was showing Da Huang the Poseidon Trident, a new toy.

"Look, Big Yellow, this fork is super convenient for skewering those big chunks of meat!"

He took a huge piece of "Drilling Demon Worm Meat" from the freezer, skewered it with his trident, and then roasted it over the fire.

"Sizzle—"

The magical artifact's lightning power automatically roasted the meat until it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

"Wonderful! Tableware with a built-in heating function!"

Jiang Li praised it highly.

"From now on, we won't even need to bring a stove when we go on picnics!"

Big Yellow: "Woof!" (Me too! Me too!)

A man and a dog got into a fight in the cabin over a skewer of grilled meat.

Back in Jianghai City.

Deep Blue Seafood Restaurant has once again caused a sensation.

The introduction of the Crystal Crab Feast and Sea Dragon Sashimi has solidified this restaurant's position as the world's number one restaurant.

In the basement, Jiang Li looked at the trident and the bone key and fell into deep thought.

"The (Atlantis) in the sea is gone, the (nameless city) in the desert is gone, and the (Kunlunxu) underground is gone too."

"What other great places on Earth haven't I been to?"

He took out a world map and scanned it.

Finally, his finger stopped at a mysterious area.

The Bermuda Triangle.

"I heard that planes frequently go missing there?"

"And... there seems to be a legend that it's the entrance to the [inner world]?"

"The inner world..."

Jiang Li's imagination ran wild again.

"Could there be dinosaurs in there? Tyrannosaurus Rex meat...it should be quite chewy, right?"

"It's decided! Next stop—Journey to the Center of the Earth!"