dkrc Chapter 1994: The Origin and Definer of "Rules" (Part 1); The Power to Achieve Almost &quo
Chapter 1994: The Origin and Definer of "Rules" (Part 1); The Power to Achieve Almost &quo
Chapter 1994: One of the originators and definers of "rules"; near-"wish fulfillment" authority!
Just as Thor unleashed his full power to unleash a barrage of destructive lightning bolts that were about to engulf Corvus Glaive and the surrounding airspace, Loki, who had been standing with his hands behind his back as if merely "witnessing" the battle of the Asgardian warriors, had a barely perceptible glint of eerie green light flash in the depths of his eyes.
He casually raised his right hand, his index finger subtly tapping the air beside him; a wisp of divine power, so subtle it was almost imperceptible, merged into the raging sea of lightning.
It did not change the destructive nature of thunder, but it endowed them with an additional "characteristic"—the ability to transcend life and death.
Thor was unaware of this new characteristic in his power, and neither was Corvus Glaive.
In his eyes, this was just a blow from Thor in anger. Although he was frightened, he still felt that he could withstand it. He might be seriously injured, but that was nothing.
The key is how to escape afterwards.
Just as Corvus Glaive was thinking, the ocean of lightning, "fine-tuned" by Loki, completely engulfed him, and it was at this moment that he realized he was so wrong.
"Do not!!!"
The piercing screams lasted only a short time before being drowned out by an even more deafening roar of thunder.
His armor, forged through countless trials, groaned under the relentless bombardment of thunder, then shattered; the "peerless blade" in his hand, which had brought countless powerful warriors to their deaths and even brought him back from the brink of death, also showed countless fine cracks.
Then, amidst a heart-wrenching scream, it was completely severed into several pieces, losing all its spirituality!
Corvus Glaive's true form, however, was gradually annihilated and dissipated into the void by the destructive energy imbued with Loki's blessing, under the baptism of endless lightning.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The lightning continued to rage, turning that area into a pure inferno of destruction.
The blinding light caused even the Asgardian warriors in the distance to look away, and the violent energy fluctuations even tore apart and blew away some of the smaller, more nearby wreckage of warships.
As the last ray of lightning reluctantly faded away, and the deafening roar gradually subsided, the sky that had been cleansed by the lightning presented a completely different scene.
The warships of all sizes that were originally floating have now turned into finer dust; and where Corvus Glaive was originally located, only some metal fragments that are completely unrecognizable in their original form remain.
All traces of life belonging to Corvus Glaive have vanished, completely erased from this space-time.
General Corvus Glaive has fallen.
This time, it is a true and complete demise, with no possibility of resurrection.
Thor hovered beneath the gradually dissipating thunderclouds, his chest rising and falling slightly, indicating that he had expended considerable energy.
He looked down at the desolate, empty area below, sensing that the aura of the Corvus Glaive had indeed completely disappeared, and even the strange black blade had lost all its spiritual energy. Only then did he slowly exhale a breath of stale air, a hint of relaxation flashing in his eyes.
In the distance, Loki withdrew the finger that had been pointing in the air, his face still bearing an expression of complete control, even with a hint of "gratification" for the Asgardian warriors' valiant fight.
Anyone who didn't know better would really think he hadn't done anything.
But he clearly underestimated the keen insight of certain “bystanders.”
Tony couldn't help but smile slightly. Looking at Loki's affected expression and then at Thor, who was gathering his lightning and seemed quite satisfied with his "single-handed" defeat of the powerful enemy, he almost burst out laughing.
"Sure enough, this guy's actions speak louder than words."
"While saying 'witness,' his hands never stopped fiddling with things."
Almost at the same time, Rick also noticed Loki's actions, his gaze aligned with Tony's, and both of them smiled simultaneously.
it is more than words.
No matter how stubborn Loki usually is, how much he boasts about his greatness, or how much he mocks Thor's foolishness.
However, many times, his complex feelings for his brother Thor, hidden beneath layers of scheming and arrogance, which even he himself might not be willing to admit, would always unconsciously slip out.
Just like in the original "future," he would eventually choose to sacrifice himself to save Thor's life.
Some things are already etched into their souls, simply because they are brothers.
Just as Tony and Rick were exchanging glances and subtle expressions, silently mocking Loki's "tsundere" behavior, a soft golden ripple suddenly spread across the space around Tony, like waves on water.
From the center of the ripples, the Ancient One emerged.
Tony was not surprised by the Ancient One's sudden appearance, nor did he ask her why she hadn't participated in the battle before, because he knew it was probably related to Bai Xuan.
He simply chuckled and said:
"Teacher Gu Yi, do you think this is the same as what I said before?"
"The victory in this war was predetermined long ago."
Gu Yi nodded in agreement, then looked with some emotion at the black-haired youth standing quietly.
This wasn't the first time she had met Bai Xuan, nor was it their first time in this world.
If Bai Xuan at that time gave her the feeling of being "unfathomable," like a bottomless abyss whose boundaries were difficult to fathom.
At this moment, the Ancient One felt a completely different sense of presence.
It is no longer just "powerful" or "mysterious".
It was a sense of vastness and weight, as if facing the entire world, the origin of the universe, and all "existence" and "rules" themselves!
Bai Xuan stood there quietly, without deliberately showing off his special status.
But in the Ancient One's perception, in her spiritual sense that had been tempered by time and had glimpsed the mysteries of many dimensions, Bai Xuan's existence was like an absolute origin, a place where all laws converge, and the center of a world.
The "point" where he was located seemed to be the "singularity" of the entire universe.
All matter, energy, time, space, and even cause and effect and destiny, naturally and harmoniously surround him in an ineffable way, submitting to him, yet seemingly independent of him.
He himself seems to be one of the originators and definers of the "rules".
His every breath, every glance, every "gaze" seemed to stir ripples in the deepest recesses of the world.
If Bai Xuan's previous impression of her was that of an "unfathomable ocean," then now she felt as if she were facing "the entire planet that contains the ocean," or even "the entire universe that gave birth to the planet!"
That's a difference in dimensionality, a fundamental difference in the form of existence.
Before him, even those dimensional demons she knew, even beings like Dormammu, were nothing more than the stronger "fish" in the pond.
"Yes, that person's strength... no, perhaps even using 'strength' to describe it seems too one-sided and narrow."
Gu Yi remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking, her voice carrying a hint of almost devout emotion.
She closed her eyes briefly, as if processing the profound impact and spiritual cleansing from confronting the "world" itself, before opening them again, the emotion in her eyes transforming into pure awe and peace.
"It is a realm that we cannot understand, and cannot even describe with any known words."
"Facing him is not like facing an 'individual,' but rather a manifestation of the 'will' and 'truth' of the entire world and the entire universe."
"No, perhaps even higher."
Tony listened to the Ancient One's reflections, his smile deepening slightly. He nodded, his tone carrying a sense of pride and ease:
“Of course, Gu Yi.”
"Because that's Bai Xuan."
He spoke as if it were perfectly natural, as if the name "Bai Xuan" itself was enough to explain everything incredible and define everything beyond reason.
Upon hearing this, Gu Yi shifted her gaze from Bai Xuan to Tony's face, her eyes filled with inquiry.
Tony shrugged, his tone somewhat casual:
"There are some things that involve, well, some limitations, so I can't say too much."
"However, I can tell you, Gu Yi, that a long time ago, Bai Xuan had already grasped the 'world authority' of his world and become the 'world master' of his world."
"He is the 'Tao' or 'source' of his world."
Now, Bai Xuan also has the blessing of the title of "Son of All Heavens," so even in the Marvel universe, the will of the world will unconditionally side with Bai Xuan.
"So, facing him is like facing a whole new world."
Gu Yi listened in silence, but the turmoil in her heart could not be calmed for a long time.
The Lord of the World, the Way of Heaven, and the Root? It's hard to imagine how he managed to do that.
She shook her head, suppressing the turbulent thoughts in her mind for the time being.
Regardless of what kind of being Bai Xuan is, at least he has no ill will towards this world, and it could even be said that he took action to eliminate Thanos, a huge threat.
That's enough.
Excessive inquiry is sometimes not wisdom, but rather a usurpation.
Her gaze shifted again, this time landing on another relatively "peaceful" area in the distance.
There, Grey Wolf was collecting fragments of destroyed warships and some weapons with great interest; while Rick was looking at the Asgardian fleet that was chasing down the remaining enemy in the distance, lost in thought.
Having witnessed the entire war firsthand, she naturally had a far greater understanding and awe of Grey Wolf and Rick, these two "reinforcements" from another world, than others.
Ancient One's feelings towards Grey Wolf were particularly complex, even bordering on astonishment at having her worldview slightly shaken.
That wasn't just a shock at sheer power; she had glimpsed some scenes from parallel universes and knew that in one of them existed beings of unimaginable strength.
What she found incredible was the way Grey Wolf displayed his power, which was completely different from common sense and logic.
The props she took out were clearly technological creations, but the effects of that technology were completely beyond her comprehension.
Especially the item that can "copy" the power of the Infinity Stones.
What are the Infinity Stones? They are the manifestations of the fundamental rules that constitute this universe at its inception, representing space, reality, power, soul, time, and mind. The essence of power is closely connected to the universe.
Among the countless possibilities that the Ancient One glimpsed through the Time Stone, there were many civilizations or individuals who attempted to study, imitate, or even control the power of the stone, but at most they could only borrow a portion of its power or create inferior imitations with similar functions.
She had never seen anything like the case of Grey Wolf, who used a device that looked like a makeshift, cartoon-style paint job to almost perfectly "replicate" the six gems.
This goes far beyond the scope of "imitation" and is almost like creating rules out of thin air!
This power is not so much like "mastering" certain knowledge or technology, but more like an granted authority that is almost like "making your wishes come true" and "redefining" the rules of reality.
The Ancient One even sensed a hint of something almost like a "joke" in it; but this "joke" was powerful enough to affect an existence of Thanos's caliber.
This made her feel a deeper sense of awe and curiosity about the world behind Grey Wolf.
As for Rick, he gave the Ancient One a different kind of shock.
Before Thanos obtained that extraordinary, almost higher-dimensional power through unknown means, Rick was able to hold his own against Thanos in that state, and even once forced Thanos into a disadvantageous position by having absolute control over the battlefield.
Although the most fundamental reason is the "Star Cup" in his hands, the power of the cup can never overshadow the wisdom of the user.
On the contrary, it was Rick's extraordinary wisdom that allowed him to unleash the astonishing power of his weapon.
However, the Ancient One was indeed curious about that thing called the "Star Cup".
When the cup appeared in Rick's hand, even from a great distance and amidst the fierce battle, the Ancient One's intuition was still deeply stirred.
It was a feeling that was both incredibly familiar and fundamentally different.
The cup felt familiar because she sensed an aura from the same source as the Infinity Stones, or even a subtle resonance at the same "level"!
That is the unique fluctuation emanating from the most fundamental and primordial rules that constitute this universe.
However, the Infinity Stones are scattered, each representing and primarily governing a rule. Although they can resonate with each other, they are ultimately independent entities.
The feeling that the Star Cup gave the Ancient One was completely different.
It is not "dispersed" but "inclusive"; not "specialized" but "omniscient".
If the Infinity Stones are six keys that can open the six fundamental rules of the universe, then the Star Grail is like an entity that contains the molds for forging all the keys, and may even be part of the concept of "doors" themselves.
"Incomprehensible."
Is this really something that can be naturally generated in this world?
Gu Yi muttered to herself, even wondering if she had misperceived something.
The Infinity Stones are the "children" of the universe, part of natural evolution. Although powerful, their existence is still within the Ancient One's comprehension.
But if that "Star Cup" is really as she thinks, then what kind of universe could give birth to such a "divine artifact"?