Whoosh!
Purple light rose within the temple.
Ron, holding the Power Stone, felt a vast and overbearing force impacting his body, so much so that even his Vibranium body gradually became unable to withstand it.
This power was gradually strengthening over time.
The power of the Stone that he could control and wield was also increasing.
However, this was not a solution.
"Even the Celestials, when wielding the Power Stone with its infinite power, used a weapon."
The liquid silver metal receded, manipulating the Infinity Gauntlet and revealing the inlay slot.
He was preparing to embed the Power Stone into it.
A voice came.
"No matter who you are, put it down.
That is what My Lord Thanos desires!"
Dodging the Vibranium spear that swept over with terrifying high temperatures, the half-human, half-machine Nebula's eyes were sinister, like a Beast, and she spoke with a threatening tone.
The group of people she and Gamora were facing was far stronger than imagined; they were barely holding on without being defeated, but they wouldn't last much longer.
They couldn't let anyone take the Power Stone; Thanos had to be brought into it.
"I have already informed My Lord Thanos of everything that has happened here."
"Thanos?"
Ron chuckled; he was actually being threatened with Thanos.
Ding!
The Gauntlet generated a suction force, and the Power Stone was embedded into it. His entire body was instantly filled with a surge of power, and a purple glow, representing power, flashed in his eyes.
"Are you talking about that Titan lunatic who has a sick mind and sees the Carnage of the Universe as saving the Universe?"
He clenched his palm, and a ripple of purple energy emerged, sweeping across the entire temple.
"Ah!"
Nebula, Gamora, and Star-Lord were heavily slammed against the wall and fell.
The Guardians immediately stepped forward, pointing their Vibranium spears at the throats of the three.
"How dare you disrespect My Lord Thanos so much."
Nebula was shocked, blood overflowing from the corner of her mouth. She hated Thanos, but she feared him even more.
Gamora's expression shifted. She was raised by Thanos, but her parents and half the people on her Planet were also slaughtered by Thanos in front of her, and the reason was supposedly for their own good?
She deeply agreed with Ron's statement, but at this moment, the two sides were undoubtedly enemies, and she stared intently at Ron.
"Many have tried to challenge Sanos, but all of them ended up as skeletons beneath his throne."
"Especially, especially…"
Gamora recalled seeing Thanos again, transformed. The Crazy Titan, who made the Universe fear him, had grown old, but he had also become even more terrifying, ten times more so than before. The memory of that day made her heart tremble.
"Who is Thanos?"
Daisy secretly asked, and Jane's eyes also flickered with curiosity.
"A mutated Eternal from Titan."
Ron said with a smile.
"Titan? Saturn's sixth moon?"
As an astronomer, Jane was surprised and intrigued: "Are there aliens there?"
"There once were, but not anymore."
He briefly introduced Thanos.
"Thanos's home was destroyed by resource depletion. After that, he believed that the Universe's resources would eventually run out, and to save the Universe, it was necessary to strictly control the Universe's population.
His method of control was to slaughter half of the people on every living Planet he encountered."
"Half the people?" Daisy was shocked and found it difficult to comprehend, her face full of question marks: "Didn't he study biology?"
Even she, who studied social sciences, understood that slaughtering half the population of a race would only lead to recovery in a short time.
While it couldn't be said to be completely useless, it would only work for a certain period.
But to inflict sorrow and suffering upon the entire Universe, just to postpone disaster for a few decades or a century?
The Universe has a history of over ten billion years; a few decades or a century are but a fleeting moment in comparison.
It sounded like that Thanos still held a significant position in the Universe?
"He must be a Universe warlord who only has brute force and is illiterate," she said, nodding seriously: "Knowledge is still very important."
Compared to Jane, she, who had always been a poor student, found some sense of superiority. Who said Earth was backward?
"Ignorant, a bunch of ignorant fools!"
Hearing the three's words, Nebula's face turned pale with anger. If the Thanos she feared so much was so worthless, then what was she?
Looking at Ron, who clearly knew what was inside the Cosmic Orb and knew who Thanos was, yet showed no regard for him, only a slight contempt, Gamora's brows furrowed, and her voice carried a hint of dread.
"Who are you? Whether you are truly arrogant or believe you can defeat Thanos,
I must tell you, the Thanos you know is a thing of the past; he has become ten times more terrifying than before!"
If someone who knew of Thanos's galactic renown were to hear these words, they would probably be unimaginably terrified.
The original Thanos already made the entire Universe fear his madness and ruthlessness. What would he be like if he were ten times more terrifying?
Would he slaughter the entire Universe?
"A thing of the past? More terrifying?"
Ron's eyelids slightly lifted.
It sounded like Thanos had become even more powerful?
"Did he find the Infinity Stones?"
Of the six Infinity Stones, he himself controlled four. The Time Stone was with the Ancient One, leaving only one Soul Stone.
But Gamora was still here, so Thanos couldn't have obtained the Soul Stone.
Powerful psychic abilities probed outward.
"I think I just heard someone mention Saturn.
Are you Earthlings?"
Among the three, Star-Lord was the weakest. He had just recovered, propped himself up, and cautiously probed.
He had just seen Ron and the others look like Earthlings, but there were also some races in the Universe whose appearance was very similar to Earthlings.
"Could it be that you are also an Earthling?" Daisy asked with a strange tone.
There was a Universe warlord who came from Titan just now, and now they met Earthlings here.
Is the Universe that small? Could it be that Earth is not a remote countryside in the Universe, but actually the center of the Universe?
"Since we are all Earthlings, then it's easy to talk."
Star-Lord gave two dry laughs, trying to leverage their shared Earthling status for mercy.
"Take that guy in the leather jacket."
Ron instructed, then turned to Daisy and Jane.
"The item is already in hand. We're leaving this abandoned Planet and heading to the next destination."
Just now, while browsing Gamora's memories, he had learned some surprising news.
Thanos had grown old.
In Gamora's memory, after Ronan was killed, she and Nebula were summoned back and saw Thanos after a long time.
Thanos on the throne looked aged, yet his aura was ten times more terrifying. When she inquired of Ebony Maw, Ebony Maw said that Sanos had willingly transformed himself into this state to achieve his great ambition.
"Why only capture me and not them?"
Being held up, Star-Lord yelled with wide eyes, feeling that this was very unfair.
Should he not have introduced himself just now?
"Leave the item."
Believing Ron was scared, Nebula's eyes turned ruthless, like a Beast driven to desperation. Holding two daggers, she charged forward, aiming directly at Ron, who was in the center of the group.
Moreover, if she failed again this time, there might truly be nothing left of her body, and she would be entirely converted into a machine.
She didn't want to lose even the last inch of her human flesh.
"A miserable fellow, whose life is not his own, and whose body is mixed with a bunch of parts."
Ron's face was expressionless. He released the Light of Fear, extended his hand, and held Nebula in mid-air, commenting.
"This is not a reason for you to be presumptuous in front of me."
"Damn it!"
Bound by the yellow beam of fear, Nebula struggled with all her might, but it was like an ant trying to shake a tree.
"Your deepest desire is freedom, and you loathe your modified body."
His gaze seemed to penetrate her mind, making Nebula tremble and her heart fill with fear.
Ron slowly said: "I will grant your wish.
I will make you a free bird."
He waved his hand, and a magnificent red glow emanated from the Gauntlet, as if containing the most wondrous power.
Reality was rewritten.
Chirp!
Nebula's entire body shrank. She was transformed into a small blue sparrow, her eyes filled with terror, flapping her wings in confusion, and falling from the air.
Star-Lord, who had been shouting just now, immediately shut his mouth in fright. Gamora was startled; a living person transformed into another creature right before their eyes.
"Nebula, what happened to you?"
Gamora was horrified by this bizarre scene.
"Chirp, chirp."
Nebula chirped in terror. The cold machinery in her body was gone, and her flesh and blood were restored. She became a bird that could fly freely in the sky, but a weak, insignificant bird that even a cat could eat.
"Tell Thanos.
To abandon his ridiculous and foolish ideas."
Ron turned, scoffing a warning as he dropped the words, and led Daisy and Jane away.
"I know his Time is running out, but don't try to find me or appear before me.
Otherwise, I guarantee his final curtain call in life will not be pretty."
Gamora's expression was shocked.
She didn't know how Ron knew Thanos's Time was running out.
The Vibranium spaceship flew into the sky.
Jane looked at Morag with a slight reluctance.
This was the first alien Planet she had reached. There were still traces of a glorious civilization remaining on it. If she could study it, that would be great.
Daisy, however, felt nothing.
This Planet was covered in thick fog, gray and dusty, with ruins everywhere.
She thought it was better not to stay here.
"Although it was novel for a while, this isn't quite the adventure I imagined."
Ron took them directly to their destination, obtaining the item as easily as picking up a letter from the post office.
However, it would probably be difficult to encounter any dangerous situations with Ron by their side.
"This is just an abandoned Planet in the Universe."
Seeing their expressions, Ron said with a smile.
"The place we're going to next is more worth studying, with more interesting and fun things.
Even in the entire Universe, you won't find many places more special than that."
"Where is that?" Both turned their heads, their curiosity piqued.
"A Land of Nihility built inside a Celestial's head," he said, his eyes slightly narrowed.
His physical body had been weak compared to the power he wielded for a long time. Even after exchanging for a Kryptonian General's template, the situation hadn't improved much.
Especially since the Power Stone had just been obtained, the stronger the body, the more power the Power Stone could unleash.
"The Emotional Spectrum is one of my mid-term goals; this is unchangeable.
But I should also think about acquiring another template for a powerful physical body."
His eyes flickered with thought.
"Land of Nihility?
You're going there?
I can be your guide."
Suddenly, Star-Lord, who had been tied up and thrown on the ground, struggled to sit up and said with a fawning smile.
"Speaking of which, why did you only capture me?"
Among the three, they specifically captured him. Did he have any special value?
"Make him quiet."
Ron had no intention of answering and waved his hand.
Bang!
Star-Lord immediately saw an enlarged Vibranium stick thrust towards him. His consciousness fell into a coma, and his head hit the ground.
"Is Land of Nihility the name of that place?"
Jane pressed: "What exactly is there?"
"A Land of Nihility. That place seems to be dangerous?" Daisy said uncertainly.
The two eagerly called up the spaceship's information database to check the description of the Land of Nihility.
"Elderly Emperor Thanos."
Ron sat in the central seat of the spaceship, casually propping his chin, pondering the information he had just received.
He had indeed stirred up a bit of a butterfly effect again.
"Thanos, born of the Eternal race, is the son of the Eternal leader of Titan. He is a genetically mutated Eternal God, a unique life form, an unparalleled individual in the Universe.
Even in the comics, even Death, as the Lord of Death and Souls of the Universe, wanting to resurrect Thanos after he had died, needed some time due to his unique body structure and couldn't do it with a mere wave of her hand."
This shows Thanos's uniqueness. Death loved him, enticing him to embark on the path of slaughtering the Universe, and there was a reason for it.
Thanos had incomparable potential.
The Asgardian race had the characteristic of becoming stronger the older they got, but few knew that Thanos also possessed this trait.
Moreover, he could almost resist the erosion of Time, with an incredibly long lifespan. When he reached old age, his already formidable strength would become unimaginable.
In the comics, there was indeed an elderly Thanos, also known as Emperor Thanos.
To win the favor of the Goddess Death, he spent a long lifetime slaughtering the entire Universe!
He annihilated the Guardians of the Galaxy, defeated the Avengers, and slew Odin. Even the most powerful Gods were killed by him.
"Even Phoenix, the Watcher, Galactus, and the Celestials could not stop his stride of slaughtering the Universe, becoming skeletons beneath his feet."
Finally, Galactus's skull became his throne, and even the spine of Cyttorak, the omnipotent ruler of the Crimson Cosmos, became a weapon in his hands.
The Infinity Stones were also shattered by him.
"In the future, the vast Universe will ultimately have only four lives remaining.
Emperor Thanos, the Cosmic Ghost Rider who submitted to Thanos and became his follower, the Silver Surfer who luckily escaped his grasp, and the elderly Hulk who was chained and kept like a dog."
But unfortunately, in the end, the Goddess Death appeared before him in a black bridal gown, holding a bouquet, but did not approach him.
Emperor Thanos knew that Death still desired the Death of one person to be satisfied, and that was himself.
So he had his Ghost Rider travel through Time, bringing Thanos from millions of years ago, asking him to kill himself.
Because the Cosmic Emperor, who had conquered and slaughtered the entire Universe, did not want to die at the hands of others.
"Thanos, by some means, gave up his millions of years of life in exchange for power.
Gamora was indeed right; he must be ten times stronger than before at this moment."
Ron's eyes were deep and cold.
He controlled the power of fear and held two Infinity Stones, so he was not afraid of the so-called Elderly Emperor Thanos.
The Thanos of this Universe, in terms of power level, was not as strong as his elderly form in the comics, nor would he be as terrifying as in the comics.
"Thanos, if you truly come knocking, wanting to seize the Power Stone, I won't mind putting an end to your ruthless and insane life."