Chapter 191: Thanos Strikes Again
When the white light spread from the Avengers Base, it was drizzling on the grasslands of Wakanda.
T'Challa stepped out from the curtain of rain, his Black Panther armor still intact. He stood there, looking at his palms as rainwater slid off his fingertips; his memory lingered on the battle from five years ago, stopping at the last moment before he turned into ash.
Okoye knelt on the ground, her forehead pressed against her spear. She was crying, tears mixing with the rain.
Five years. She had thought the King would never return.
T'Challa reached out and helped her up.
"What happened?" he asked.
Okoye shook her head, her voice trembling: "Your Majesty, you were gone for five years. Now... now you are back."
It wasn't just Wakanda.
In New York Times Square, pedestrians suddenly appeared in the middle of the street.
Someone stood in the flow of traffic, startled into jumping away by a taxi slamming on its brakes.
Someone appeared in front of a renovated store, staring blankly at the unfamiliar sign.
A girl in a school uniform crouched on the ground clutching her schoolbag; she remembered just coming out of school, and then she remembered nothing.
Now she stood up, finding people around her staring at her—some crying, some laughing.
On a street in San Francisco, Scott Lang's daughter, Cassie, was walking home.
She stopped in her tracks, watching a group of people suddenly appear across the street.
A woman in a Nurse's uniform fell to the ground, only to be helped up by someone.
A man driving a car stood in place, shouting because he found his car missing.
Cassie took out her phone; the screen was full of news alerts.
"A large number of missing persons have returned globally."
"Governments around the World urge the public to remain calm."
She looked at her phone, then started running home.
Deep in the Universe, in the cockpit of the milano, Peter Quill opened his eyes.
He sat in the pilot's seat, his hand still on the joystick. Draxwas snoring in his seat, Mantis was sprawled in a corner, and Groot was curled into a ball.
Gamora stood at the cabin door, staring at her own hands.
She remembered dying on Vormir, pushed off the cliff by Thanos. But now she was alive, her body intact, not even a wound remaining.
Quill turned his head and saw Gamora.
He froze.
"Gamora?"
In the Avengers Base laboratory, Tony looked at Chu Hang's smile and asked urgently: "Did it work?"
"It worked," Chu Hang said, "They are all back."
Natasha walked to the window and looked out. The sky outside the Base was very bright—not the light of the Sun, but a kind of white brilliance never seen before, as if the entire World was glowing.
She took out her communicator and pressed a few buttons.
A sound came through the channel.
First static, then Sam's voice.
"Nat? Nat, are you there?"
Natasha gripped the communicator: "Sam?"
"I'm here," Sam said, "I'm fucking back. I was in Wakandajust a moment ago, and now... now where am I?"
Other voices rang out in the communicator one after another.
Bucky, Wanda, Strange, Parker—one by one, all the people who had disappeared were reporting their locations.
Natasha turned around and looked at Chu Hang.
She smiled, her eyes a little red.
"You did it."
Chu Hang didn't answer. He closed his eyes, his consciousness still immersed in the moment he snapped his fingers.
At that moment, he had felt something.
It wasn't the power of the six Infinity Stones, but something deeper. He had touched the essence of the Universe, touched some kind of existence above the Laws.
That was the concept.
The fourth layer of the seven layers of universal power—the concept layer.
He finally knew how to break through.
He stood up and pushed away Tony's support.
"I'm fine."
He could feel the nine Laws within him resonating.
Space, Power, Life, Spirit, Time, Reality, Death, Life, Soul—the nine Laws were no longer operating independently but had begun to revolve around a core.
That core was what he had just realized.
Concept.
His concept.
Greed.
Greed for power, Greed for knowledge, Greed for survival. This was his essence, and it was the reason he had been able to get to where he was today.
Chu Hang clenched his fists, feeling the changes in the Laws within him.
He knew he was only one step away from the breakthrough, but now was not the time.
He needed time to digest it, needed a quiet place for seclusion, and another opportunity.
Steve's communicator rang.
He answered it, listened for a few seconds, and his expression changed.
"Thanos's fleet has appeared outside the atmosphere," Steve said, "He's here."
Everyone's movements froze.
Tony walked to the window and looked up at the sky. Shadows were moving above the clouds; a massive warship was obscuring the Sun.
"Why is he here again?" Natasha asked.
Chu Hang closed his eyes and scanned the surroundings with the Law of Spirit. He quickly found the answer.
"It's those returned lives," he said, "Thanos's snap didn't just target us; even his subordinates were within that random fifty percent range."
Tony cursed.
"So he knows we reversed the snap, and he knows we gathered the Infinity Stones."
Chu Hang nodded.
"He is very smart."
Steve picked up his shield and strapped it to his arm.
"Then we will deal with him right here."
Tony turned and walked out: "I'm going to put on my armor. Natasha, contact everyone you can. Thor, is your axe still usable?"
Thor raised the stormbreaker, lightning dancing on the blade.
"Ready anytime."
Chu Hang looked at the shadow outside the window, not moving.
He could feel Thanos's aura, stronger than five years ago. That mad Titan hadn't been idle in these five years; his Law Power was more solidified, already infinitely close to the Skyfather level peak.
But Chu Hang was not afraid.
He was now at the Skyfather level completion, with nine Laws added to his body, and had grasped the direction for the breakthrough to the concept layer. No matter how strong Thanos was, he was still just a Skyfather of a single Law.
The Laws within his body were still fusing; if he forced a move now, it might interrupt the process of the breakthrough.
Chu Hang turned to look at Steve.
"I need time," he said, "Give me half an hour; I need to stabilize the Laws within me."
Steve frowned: "Can we hold out for half an hour?"
"We must hold out," Chu Hang said, "If I make a move now, I might lose control. At that point, it won't just be Thanos; the entire Earth will be destroyed by the Law storm within me."
Tony stopped in his tracks, turned back, and looked at Chu Hang.
"Are you saying you're a ticking time bomb right now?"
"Pretty much," Chu Hang said, "So you must hold him off. In half an hour, I will personally deal with Thanos."
Steve was silent for a few seconds, then nodded.
"Fine. We'll hold him off."
Natasha was already calling for support on her communicator. Carol's signal was the first to respond; she said she was on the other side of the Universe and needed ten minutes to arrive.
Wanda's voice also came through.
"I'm in Wakanda," she said, "I'll be there immediately."
Chu Hang heard Wanda's voice, and his clenched fist relaxed a little.
She was back.
He had promised to protect her, and now he had finally done it.
But now was not the time for a reunion.
Chu Hang turned and walked toward the depths of the Base; he needed to find an isolated room, a place that wouldn't be affected by the battle.
Steve watched his back, then looked at the others.
"Prepare for battle."
Outside the Base, Thanos's Sanctuary II warship hovered above the clouds. On the bridge, Thanos sat on his throne, staring at the Avengers Base below.
He held a double-edged sword in his hand, complex runes carved on the blade.
"They reversed the snap," Ebony Maw said, standing beside him, "All the vanished lives have returned."
Thanos didn't speak.
He could feel a powerful aura below, stronger than the person he had encountered five years ago.
The person who could hurt him.
The person who forced him to destroy the Infinity Stones.
"Prepare for landing," Thanos stood up, "I will take all the Infinity Stones once more."
Chapter 192: War Breaks Out Again
In the underground training room of the Avengers Base, Chu Hang sat cross-legged on the ground.
This was the most heavily defended part of the entire Base; its walls were made of a composite material of Vibranium and Uru metal, capable of withstanding nuclear-level impacts.
He needed this isolation, a space where he wouldn't be disturbed by the outside world.
The cracks on his right arm were still glowing, nine colors of light flowing under his skin, like magma surging through his veins. He could feel every heartbeat vibrating the laws, every breath reorganizing his cellular structure.
Chu Hang closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into his body.
He saw a network woven from Nine Laws, watching them spin, collide, and merge at his core. The Space Law and the Law of Time began to intertwine, the Law of Strength and Reality Warping permeated each other, and the Law of Life and the Law of Death formed a yin-yang-like unity of opposites.
But it wasn't enough.
This was merely a fusion at the law level; it hadn't touched the concept layer yet.
Chu Hang recalled the moment he snapped his fingers. He had used the six Infinity Stones to reverse Thanos's Snap, bringing back all the vanished lives. In that instant, he touched the essence of the Universe.
Not physical laws, not energy conversion, but something more abstract.
Existence and non-existence.
Life and Death.
Gains and losses.
These concepts themselves were the cornerstones of the Universe, deeper than any law.
And what was his concept?
Greed.
But greed was too broad; it needed a more specific definition.
Chu Hang took a deep breath and began to construct it in his consciousness. He laid out all his experiences over the years, from his transmigration to the World War IIbattlefield, to replicating Logan's Healing Factor, to fighting alongside Steve, to being frozen for seventy years, to defeating Ronan on Xandar, to breaking through to Skyfather level on Sakaar, to replicating Superman's abilities in the DC Universe.
Every replication, every battle, every breakthrough, was driven by the same force.
To live.
To become stronger.
To protect those around him.
And then to continue getting stronger, to continue living.
This was his greed. Not for conquest, not for destruction, but for survival. To carve out a safe place for himself and those he cared about in this threat-filled Universe.
Chu Hang opened his eyes, and the cracks on his right arm suddenly contracted.
The nine colors of light converged into a single point, condensing into a tiny sphere of light in his palm. The sphere was bright but not dazzling, emitting a warm glow.
This was his conceptual core.
The concretization of greed.
The desire for survival, the pursuit of power, the persistence in protection—all condensed into this light sphere.
Chu Hang felt the Nine Laws within his body begin to reorganize around this light sphere.
They were no longer independent forces but extensions of the concept, tools to achieve the ultimate goal of survival.
The Space Law allowed him to escape any predicament.
The Law of Strength allowed him to defeat any enemy.
The Law of Time allowed him to foresee danger.
The Law of Life allowed him to recover from injuries.
The Law of Death allowed him to end threats.
Reality Warping allowed him to change unfavorable situations.
The Law of Spirit allowed him to maintain clarity.
The Soul Law allowed him to guard his true self.
The Tree of Life allowed him to perpetuate his existence.
Nine Laws, one goal.
Chu Hang clenched his fist, and the light sphere merged into his palm. He felt an unprecedented power awakening within him, not a simple superposition of law forces, but a qualitative leap.
He had touched the threshold of the concept layer.
But he hadn't crossed it yet.
To truly break through to the Cosmic Overlord level, he needed to fully materialize this concept, making it an observable, interactive existence in Reality.
But now was not the time.
Explosions echoed from outside the Base, and the entire training room vibrated. Thanos's attack had begun.
Chu Hang stood up and stretched his fingers, feeling the stabilized power within him.
Although he hadn't broken through to the Cosmic Overlord level yet, his current state was stronger than before. The Nine Laws had found their resonant core, increasing his combat power by at least thirty percent.
Enough to deal with Thanos.
Chu Hang walked out of the training room and along the corridor. Steve's voice came through the communicator.
"Chu Hang, are you ready?"
"Ready," Chu Hang said, "I'll be there right away."
He quickened his pace, passed through several blast doors, and reached the ground level of the Base.
Outside was a battlefield.
Thanos's army had landed, and dense waves of OutridersSoldiers surged towards the Base like a tide. Leviathanwarships hovered in the sky, continuously bombarding the ground.
Steve stood at the forefront, shield raised, fending off wave after wave of attacks.
Tony, in his Mark 85 armor, tangled with the Leviathan in the air, his nano-weapons constantly shifting forms. Thorwielded stormbreaker, lightning tearing through the battlefield, each swing cleaving through a swath of enemies.
Natasha, Clint, Rhodey, Banner—everyone remaining at the Base was fighting.
But there were too many enemies.
Thanos stood on the bridge of Sanctuary II, looking down at the battlefield below. He hadn't made a move yet, just watching silently, as if waiting for something.
Chu Hang walked out of the Base's main gate, stepping onto the ruins.
Thanos's gaze immediately locked onto him.
The two stared at each other across several kilometers.
Chu Hang could feel the law fluctuations on Thanos, stronger and more condensed than five years ago. The Titan madman hadn't relaxed after destroying the Infinity Stones; instead, he had been honing his power.
But it wasn't enough.
Chu Hang raised his right hand, and nine colors of light appeared in his palm.
Thanos gripped his double-bladed sword and jumped down from Sanctuary II.
Chu Hang watched Thanos descend from the sky, unmoving.
He turned and walked back into the Base.
Steve blocked his way: "Where are you going?"
"To find Wanda," Chu Hang said, "She just came back, I need to see her."
"Thanos is here." Steve pointed at the sky, "You need to—"
"I know." Chu Hang interrupted him, "But I need ten minutes. In ten minutes, I'll be back to deal with him."
Without waiting for Steve's reply, he tore open a Spatial Rift and stepped inside.
The other end of the rift was the grasslands of Wakanda.
Wanda stood in the rain, red energy dancing at her fingertips. She had just cleared a batch of Outriderss with Chaos Magic and was now preparing to fly back to the Avengers Base.
Chu Hang appeared behind her.
Wanda turned and saw him.
She was stunned.
Five years.
She remembered turning to dust in Wakanda, remembered Chu Hang's voice before he disappeared. Then there was a blank, until she suddenly woke up just now.
Wanda walked forward and reached out to touch Chu Hang's face, confirming he was real, not an illusion.
"You're back." Her voice was soft.
Chu Hang nodded and took her hand.
"I promised you."
Wanda's eyes reddened, but she didn't cry. She just hugged Chu Hang tightly, burying her face in his chest.
Chu Hang patted her back, feeling her body temperature. He wanted to say many things, to tell her what had happened in the past five years, to tell her he had gone to the DC Universe, to tell her he was about to break through to the Cosmic Overlord level.
But in the end, he said nothing.
Just held her, standing in the rain.
Ten minutes passed quickly.
Chu Hang released Wanda and looked into her eyes.
"I'm going to deal with Thanos," he said, "After that, I'll need to go into seclusion for a while, maybe a few days, maybe a few weeks. Wait for me at the Base."
Wanda nodded: "I'll go with you."
"No," Chu Hang said, "Thanos is very strong right now; I can't be distracted protecting you. You stay here and help T'Challa stabilize the situation in Wakanda. Wait for me to return."
Wanda stared at him, then finally nodded.
Chu Hang kissed her forehead, then turned and tore open a Spatial Rift.
The other end of the rift was the ruins of the Avengers Base.
Thanos had already landed, standing in the center of the Base. His double-bladed sword was plunged into the ground, surrounded by piles of Outriders corpses. Steve, Tony, and Thor were all before him, but no one dared to make the first move.
Chu Hang emerged from the rift, landing opposite Thanos.
Thanos pulled out his double-bladed sword and pointed it at Chu Hang.
"I didn't expect you to return," he said, "Very well. I originally planned to destroy this Universe and create a new one. But now I've changed my mind. I will kill you first, and then destroy everything."
Chu Hang looked at Thanos speechlessly: "Where do you get the courage to say that to me?"
He raised his right hand, and nine colors of light swirled in his palm, condensing into a miniature Law Vortex.
Steve, Tony, and Thor consciously retreated, leaving the battlefield to the two of them.
The clouds in the sky began to churn, and lightning danced within them. The entire ruins of the Base vibrated, as if something was about to burst from underground.
Chu Hang and Thanos moved simultaneously.
Chapter 193: Endgame
Chu Hang's gaze was as calm as the deep sea. The dark trident in his hand, entirely black and inscribed with ancient runes, was pointed directly at Thanos nearby. The three sharp tines of the trident showed no energy brilliance, yet they seemed capable of swallowing all light.
Thanos tightly gripped his Double-Edged War Blade. His burly body, covered in near-black purple skin, emitted an ominous faint glow. This was the ultimate manifestation of his Eternal Titan bloodline, the supreme authority derived from the Law of Body—Immortality.
"Your Realm... is already complete." Thanos's voice was deep like thunder, every word carrying the weight of shaking a Planet. He could clearly perceive that the power level of the man before him had already surpassed the simple Skyfather level, reaching a domain he could not fully comprehend.
"Five years ago, we might have been able to fight. But now," Chu Hang's voice was very soft, yet it clearly reached the ears of everyone present, "you don't even have the qualification to injure me."
Before his voice fell, Thanos moved. He was not enraged by the words; instead, he charged with the purest fighting instinct. The ground beneath his feet turned to dust the instant he pushed off. His massive body carried unparalleled kinetic energy, and his double-edged blade tore through the sky, its edge wrapped in the Power of Immortality, slashing towards Chu Hang.
This single strike was enough to cleave a small Planet.
However, Chu Hang didn't even use the dark trident. He merely extended his left hand, spreading his five fingers.
In an instant, the World around Thanos changed. Space folded at his fingertips into sharp Paper Cranes, silently cutting Thanos's armor and skin; Time was like viscous amber, slowing his swing speed by thousands of times; Reality was distorted, and the war blade that should have struck Chu Hang's head strangely deflected, slicing into empty space.
Thanos's pupils contracted sharply. He could feel countless distinct Supreme Laws acting like an invisible net, firmly binding him. His proud strength and speed were as insignificant as a small boat in the ocean of the opponent's Laws.
Purple blood spurted from his body, but the moment the wounds appeared, the Power of Immortality began to work. Flesh and blood visibly wriggled and healed, instantly recovering as if new.
"See that? This is Immortality!" Thanos roared, forcefully breaking free from the restraints of the Laws and swinging his blade again. "You can't kill me!"
"Immortality does not equal invincibility," Chu Hang's tone remained flat, as if stating an obvious truth. "It merely makes the time you spend enduring pain longer."
He raised the dark trident in his hand.
This time, the tip of the trident lit up with a pure, profound blackness. It was not the blackness of color, but the blackness of concept, the materialization of the Law of Death—the end of all things and the return of life to the void.
Chu Hang's figure vanished from his spot, and the next instant, he appeared behind Thanos, moving so fast that even the Law of Time seemed to yield to him.
There was no earth-shattering collision, no violent explosion of energy.
The tip of the dark trident effortlessly pierced Thanos's back.
Thanos's body suddenly stiffened. He looked down, staring in disbelief at the trident tip penetrating his chest. At the wound, the Law of Immortality surged frantically, attempting to repair the fatal injury. However, an even more tyrannical and fundamental power was spreading along the trident tip.
The Law of Death, like ink, flowed along the blade of the trident, accurately injecting itself into the core of the Law of Body. It did not violently confront the Law of Body; instead, it acted like a higher-dimensional virus, beginning to analyze, rewrite, and ultimately erase the definition of Immortality from the concept layer.
Thanos felt it. He felt the foundation upon which he had dominated the Universe collapsing. His indestructible physique, his instantly healing injuries, his nearly eternal vitality... all were rapidly leaving him.
"It's over," Chu Hang's voice sounded in his ear.
With a "clang," the Double-Edged War Blade slipped from Thanos's hand and crashed onto the ground. He slowly turned around, true horror and confusion appearing in his enormous eyes for the first time.
"You won..." he spoke with difficulty, his voice carrying a strange sense of relief. "But you will regret it. Possessing the power to erase everything, you will ultimately find yourself forever exiled at the peak, with no equals remaining."
Chu Hang silently withdrew the dark trident.
As the trident was withdrawn, Thanos's body began its final dissolution.
After the Concept of Immortality that constituted his existence was erased, his formidable, millennia-old physique lost its foundational cornerstone.
His purple skin first faded to grayish-white, then spiderweb-like cracks appeared, and finally, under the shocked gaze of all the Avengers, the Mad Titan, along with his armor, disintegrated inch by inch like a weathered sand sculpture, turning into a handful of ashes scattered by the wind.
The surrounding area was dead silent.
Steve slowly lowered his shield, Thor put away stormbreaker, and Tony's faceplate silently opened, revealing his complicated expression. They looked at the ashes carried away by the wind, feeling not the anticipated ecstasy, but only a great, unreal sense of emptiness.
The battle ended in an overwhelming manner they could not comprehend.
Chu Hang stood quietly in the center of the ruins, holding the trident. He didn't look at anyone; he just raised his head and gazed at the orange-red sky. Up there, countless lives resurrected by the Snap were rebuilding their World.
The joy of victory did not surge into his heart; instead, it was replaced by a heavier, almost nihilistic calm.
Thanos's words echoed in his mind.
"You will be forever exiled at the peak..."
He lowered his head and looked at his hands. Nine Cosmic Laws resonated harmoniously within him, and the power brought by the DC Universe lay hidden deeper within. They collectively constructed his current strength. This power allowed him to easily decide the life and Death of a Cosmic Overlord, and it also created an invisible chasm between him and the comrades he once fought alongside.
"Chu?" Steve walked over, his tone hesitant. "Everything... is over."
"Yes, it's over," Chu Hang replied softly, retracting his gaze from the distance to Steve, then sweeping over Tony, Thor, and the newly resurrected comrades in the distance. "But the new troubles are just beginning."
Tony frowned, "What do you mean?"
"Five years is enough time to change many things. How will the three billion people who suddenly returned integrate into a World that has adapted to their absence? Resources, order, faith... these will all become new battlefields." Chu Hang's gaze seemed to penetrate time and space, seeing the future conflicts and chaos. "Defeating Thanos merely removed the most immediate threat. But rebuilding a civilization that was torn apart and then forcibly stitched back together is more complicated than any war."
Everyone fell into thought. They had been immersed in the joy of victory and reunion, ignoring the much harsher Reality behind it.
Chu Hang said no more. He put away the dark trident and walked step by step across the ruins toward the group of heroes who had just returned from Death.
Wanda was standing at the very front of the crowd. There was no confusion in her eyes, only determination. When Chu Hang approached, she walked up to him, said nothing, and simply stood quietly by his side.
Chapter 194: Visitors from the Time Variance Authority
On the ruins of the Avengers Base, the dust had not yet settled.
Chu Hang stood in place, looking at the people around him who had just returned from Death. Their faces showed confusion, bewilderment, and more than anything, the joy of surviving a catastrophe. But this joy would soon be shattered by Reality.
Steve walked over, his shield on his back, covered in dust. He looked at Chu Hang, wanting to speak but hesitating.
"What are you going to do?" Steve finally asked.
Chu Hang knew what he was asking. Thanos was dead, the gems were still there, and the World needed to be rebuilt. And what would he, who had mastered the nine laws and could instantly kill Thanos, do next?
"I will no longer interfere with Earth's affairs," Chu Hangsaid directly, "You all handle it yourselves."
Steve was stunned for a moment.
Tony walked over from the side, his faceplate retracted, a look of exhaustion on his face: "Wait, what do you mean by that? We just finished a war, and you're going to abandon us?"
"I'm not abandoning you," Chu Hang looked at Tony, "It's that you don't need me anymore."
Tony frowned: "We don't need you? Look at this mess, do you think we can—"
"You can," Chu Hang interrupted him, "Three billion people have returned. Resource allocation, legal conflicts, international relations—you understand these issues better than I do. All I can do is forcibly suppress conflicts with power. But that's not solving the problem; it's just postponing it."
Steve was silent for a few seconds, then nodded: "You're right."
Tony opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing. He turned and walked away to check his damaged armorsystem.
Thor emerged from the ruins, stormbreaker resting on his shoulder. He looked at Chu Hang, a complex smile on his face: "Are you leaving?"
"Yes," Chu Hang said, "I need time to digest these powers. And..." He paused, "Earth is too small."
This was said very bluntly, but no one refuted it. They all knew that Chu Hang's current level of power had exceeded the scope of Planet-level issues. His continued presence here was like a dragon coiling in a birdcage; problems would arise sooner or later.
Natasha walked over, holding a tablet: "What about the gems?"
"Return them," Chu Hang said, "Send them back exactly according to the original timeline, not a single one left. Otherwise, it will create branching timelines, which will attract the Time Variance Authority."
"Time Variance Authority?" Natasha keenly caught the term, "You mentioned them before. Are they dangerous?"
"Extremely dangerous," Chu Hang said, "Their purpose is to maintain the single timeline; any deviation will be pruned. Our reversal of the Snap this time has already crossed the red line. If we don't send the gems back, they will directly erase us."
Steve's expression was grave: "Then let's act now."
"Wait a moment," Chu Hang said, "I need to talk to Wandafirst."
He turned and walked to the side. Wanda had been standing not far away, red Chaos Magic faintly visible at her fingertips. She hadn't participated in the conversation, just waited quietly.
Chu Hang walked up to her and took her wrist. The next second, the two disappeared into a spatial rift.
The other end of the spatial rift was the grasslands of Wakanda.
The rain had stopped, and a rainbow hung in the sky. Birdsong came from the distant jungle, and the air smelled of Earth and grass.
Wanda released Chu Hang's hand and walked to a rock to sit down. She said nothing, just looked at the distant horizon.
Chu Hang stood beside her, not rushing to speak either.
The two remained silent for a long time.
"You've changed," Wanda finally broke the silence, her voice very soft, "I can feel it."
Chu Hang nodded: "Mm."
"You've become stronger," Wanda turned her head to look at him, "So strong that I can't see through you at all."
Chu Hang did not deny it. He knew what Wanda was referring to. When he left five years ago, he was only at the early Skyfather level; although powerful, he was at least within her comprehension. Now he had returned, with the perfected realm of the nine laws, with power gained from the DC Universe, and with a preliminary understanding of the concept layer.
This gap in power could no longer be measured by simple numbers.
"Are you afraid?" Chu Hang asked.
Wanda shook her head: "Not afraid. Just..." She paused, "A little unfamiliar."
Chu Hang sat down beside her, his shoulder touching hers. This simple action made Wanda relax a little.
"I'm still me," Chu Hang said, "My power has changed, but I haven't."
"Really?" Wanda looked into his eyes, "You just said Earthis too small. You said you wouldn't interfere with Earth's affairs anymore. That doesn't sound like something you would say."
Chu Hang was silent for a few seconds.
"Because I've seen greater threats," he said, "Thanos was just the beginning. There are more beings like him in the Universe, even stronger ones. The Time Variance Authority, the multiverse, powerhouses at the concept layer... these things are not something the Avengers can handle."
Wanda understood his meaning: "So you're going to deal with those threats."
"Yes," Chu Hang said, "But before that, I need to break through to the Cosmic Overlord level. I'm not strong enough yet."
Wanda looked down at her palms, red energy flickering at her fingertips: "What about me?"
Chu Hang held her hand, and energy resonated the moment their skin touched. He could feel that the Chaos Magic within Wanda was more solid and pure than five years ago. During the time she was gone, even though her consciousness didn't exist, the power deep within her soul continued to grow.
"You'll come with me," Chu Hang said, "I'll teach you how to control Chaos Magic, how to break through to higher levels. You have that potential."
Wanda looked up, a flicker of surprise in her eyes, which quickly turned to determination: "Okay."
She didn't hesitate, didn't ask where they were going, didn't ask how long it would take. She just agreed.
Chu Hang knew what this meant. Wanda was willing to give up everything on Earth, give up the Avengers, give up the friends she had just reunited with, to follow him and face unknown dangers.
This kind of trust was heavier than any oath.
"But before that," Wanda said, "I want to see Pietro."
Chu Hang nodded: "Of course."
He stood up and tore open a new spatial rift. The other end of the rift was the Avengers Base's medical room. Pietrowas lying on a hospital bed, hooked up to various monitoring devices. His vital signs were stable, but he hadn't woken up yet.
Wanda walked to the bedside and held her brother's hand. She could feel his heartbeat, could feel the life force in his body slowly recovering.
"He'll be fine," Chu Hang said, "The time reversal repaired his body, but he's a speedster, his soul is special, and he needs time to readjust. He'll wake up in a day at most."
Wanda nodded, saying nothing. She just sat quietly by the bed, looking at her brother's face.
Chu Hang didn't disturb her and turned to leave the medical room.
In the corridor, Steve was discussing the details of returning the gems with Dr. Banner. Seeing Chu Hangcome out, Steve stopped talking and walked over.
"Ready?" Steve asked.
"Mm," Chu Hang said, "Where are the gems?"
"Tony's in the lab," Steve said, "He's checking the gauntlet for residual energy to ensure no radiation leaks."
Chu Hang nodded and walked towards the lab.
Just as he reached the doorway, the entire Base suddenly shook.
It wasn't an explosion, not an attack, but a deeper tremor, originating from spacetime itself.
Chu Hang stopped, looking up at the ceiling. His super hearing picked up an unusual sound—not a physical sound wave, but a resonance produced when the Law of Timewas disturbed.
Steve also felt something was wrong: "What's happening?"
"They're here," Chu Hang said, his voice calm, but a trace of solemnity flashed in his eyes.
"Who?"
"The Time Variance Authority."
As soon as his words fell, the space above the Basesuddenly tore open.
It wasn't Chu Hang's golden spatial rift, but an orange-yellow door, its edges as neat as if cut with a ruler.
Three people in uniform walked out of the door and landed on the ruins.
Leading them was a woman with short brown hair and a cold expression. In her hand was a glowing scepter, at the top of which floated a small clock device.
She scanned the ruins, her gaze finally settling on Chu Hang.
"Chu Hang," she said, her voice devoid of emotion, "You have violated the rules of the sacred timeline. Come with us."
Chu Hang did not move.
He stood in place, looking at the three Time Variance Authority Agents. The scepter in the leading woman's hand emitted a faint orange-yellow light, a crude manifestation of the Law of Time, far less pure than the temporal power integrated within him.
"You're too late," Chu Hang said, "Thanos is dead, and the Snap has been reversed. The timeline you wish to prune has already become a fixed fact."
The woman's expression remained unchanged: "That's not for you to decide. You altered the direction of the sacred timeline. According to regulations, you and all participants must stand trial."
Steve stepped forward, his shield already in hand: "We won't let you take anyone."
The woman glanced at Steve, her eyes showing no ripple of emotion: "Steve Rogers, designation 2012-A7. Your timeline has deviated from its predetermined trajectory three times. If not for your significant role in the sacred timeline, you would have been pruned long ago."
Steve's face darkened.
Tony walked out of the lab, his armor already on: "Pruned? What do you want to do to us?"
"Eradicate," the woman said directly, "Erase you from the timeline, as if you never existed. All changes caused by you will be reset."
"What about the three billion people?" Natasha walked out from behind the ruins, her pistol already cocked, "You want to erase those who just came back to life too?"
"If necessary," the woman said, "The integrity of the sacred timeline takes precedence above all else."
A chill flashed in Chu Hang's eyes when he heard this.
He had long known the Time Variance Authority's logic, known how cold-blooded they could be to maintain the so-called sacred timeline. But hearing them explicitly state their intention to erase three billion lives still filled him with a deep-seated revulsion.
"You can't do it," Chu Hang said, his voice very soft, but each word seemed to come from deep within an ice layer, "Because I won't let you."
The woman stared at Chu Hang, the light from her scepter growing brighter: "You intend to resist the Time Variance Authority? Do you know what that means?"
"I do," Chu Hang raised his right hand, nine colors of light swirling in his palm, "It means I'm going to keep all of you here."
Chapter 195: I've Got This Timeline Covered [End of Volume]
The two Agents behind the woman immediately raised their weapons. They were strange firearms, with miniature Time Vortexes suspended at the muzzle. They pulled the triggers, and two beams of orange-yellow light shot toward Chu Hang.
Chu Hang did not dodge.
He merely waved his hand gently.
Space folded in front of him. The two beams were warped by the Space Law, deviated from their trajectory, and shot toward the sky. Chu Hang could feel the essence of those beams—they were not physical attacks, but the weaponized application of the Law of Time, capable of peeling the target away from the current timeline and sending them into a confinement dimension called the Land of Nihility.
But this level of time manipulation was utterly insignificant before him.
"Is that all you've got?" Chu Hang said. "No wonder you need to rely on the so-called sacred timeline to maintain order. It's because your own strength isn't nearly enough to control time."
The woman's expression changed for the first time. She gripped her Scepter tightly; the clock mechanism at the top of the Scepter began to rotate counter-clockwise, accelerating rapidly. The surrounding air began to twist, and the flow of time became chaotic.
Chu Hang felt it. He could see Steve's movements suddenly slow down, the frequency of the energy indicator lights on Tony's armor decrease, and Natasha's finger pulling the trigger seemed frozen mid-air.
This was Time Slowdown.
The woman attempted to use the Law of Time to suppress the entire battlefield, forcing everyone except her and her companions into a state of sluggishness. This move might be effective against ordinary people, but it was useless against Chu Hang.
The Law of Time within him instantly activated, neutralizing the external Time Slowdown. The flow of time around him returned to normal, and the woman's attack was isolated by his Law Domain.
"My turn," Chu Hang said.
He did not use the dark trident, nor did he utilize the full extent of his Law power. He simply raised his hand, pointing his index finger at the Scepter in the woman's hand.
The Law of Death surged from his fingertip, transforming into a black line as thin as a strand of hair, precisely hitting the clock mechanism at the top of the Scepter.
The hands of the clock mechanism stopped turning.
Then, the entire mechanism began to disintegrate from the inside. Gears shattered, springs snapped, and the markings on the dial vanished one by one. The Scepter in the woman's hand lost the support of the Law of Time and became an ordinary metal rod.
The woman's expression changed drastically. She immediately released the Scepter, retreated a few steps, and pulled a small communicator from her waist: "Headquarters, this is B-15 Squad, requesting backup. The target possesses Cosmic Level Combat Power, we are unable to—"
Chu Hang did not give her a chance to finish.
He instantly moved in front of the woman, grabbed her communicator, and crushed it. The communicator turned into a pile of electronic fragments, slipping through his fingers.
"Go back and tell your superior," Chu Hang said, his voice calm, but every word carried undeniable pressure. "I've got this timeline covered. It doesn't matter who comes. If he has a problem, tell him to come find me himself."
The woman stared at Chu Hang, and true fear appeared in her eyes for the first time. She realized that the power level of the man before her exceeded the standard response capabilities of the Time Variance Authority. He was not an ordinary time criminal, nor a small-time character who was smug about stealing a few gems. He was a genuine variable capable of threatening the sacred timeline itself.
"You will regret this," the woman said. "The One Above Allwill not let you go."
"Then let him come," Chu Hang said. "I'll be waiting."
The woman gritted her teeth, turned, and opened a new Time Door. She and her two companions quickly retreated through the door and vanished. The moment the Time Door closed, the surrounding flow of time returned to normal.
Steve regained his ability to move. He looked at Chu Hang, then at the powerless Scepter on the ground: "They left?"
"They left," Chu Hang said. "But they will return. And next time, it won't just be a few foot soldiers."
Tony walked over and picked up the shattered pieces of the Scepter: "So, have we now completely offended some super organization that controls time?"
"Yes," Chu Hang said. "But it doesn't matter. Once I break through to the Cosmic Overlord level, they won't dare to act so easily."
Natasha put away her pistol: "And before you break through?"
"Before that," Chu Hang turned and looked at the Baseruins, "you must prepare yourselves. The Time Variance Authority won't give up easily. They will send stronger people and use more aggressive methods. You must defend the Earth and defend this timeline."
Steve nodded: "We will."
Chu Hang knew that Steve was telling the truth. This veteran from Brooklyn never backed down when he needed to step forward. But he also knew that the power of the Time Variance Authority far exceeded the imagination of the Avengers. If he didn't break through soon, this timeline would eventually be Pruned.
Chu Hang stood in the center of the ruins, looking at the Avengers who had just experienced life and death. Their expressions varied: fatigue, confusion, and uncertainty about the future. But no one retreated, and no one spoke of giving up.
This was why he had chosen to protect this Planet in the first place.
It wasn't because the Earth was special, nor because humanity was great, but because there was a group of people here willing to fight until the very end to protect it.
"I will deal with the gems," Chu Hang said. "You focus on the rebuilding. Three billion people have returned; the ensuing chaos will be harder to handle than the war."
Tony took off his helmet, revealing a tired face: "When are you planning to leave?"
"I'll leave once the gems are handled," Chu Hang said. "I need to find a quiet place for Closed-Door Cultivation to fully digest these powers. The Time Variance Authoritywon't give us much time to prepare."
Steve stepped forward and extended his hand: "Then, take care."
Chu Hang gripped his hand. The two comrades who had fought side-by-side on the World War II battlefield were saying goodbye in this manner again, more than seventy years later.
"You too," Chu Hang said. "Take care of yourself, old buddy."
Steve smiled and released his hand. He turned and walked into the depths of the ruins to help those who had just been resurrected.
Tony looked at Steve's retreating figure, then looked at Chu Hang: "You know, I always thought you were a mystery. Ever since Afghanistan, you seemed like the person who knew all the answers. Now I understand. You really do know. Because you see things much further than the rest of us."
Chu Hang did not deny it.
Tony patted his shoulder: "Don't die out there. I'm still waiting for you to come back and see what my daughter looks like when she grows up."
"I will," Chu Hang said.
Tony nodded and turned toward the laboratory. He still had a lot to do: the armor needed repairs, the energy system needed upgrading, and he needed to figure out how to deal with the potential arrival of the Time Variance Authority.
Natasha, Clint, Thor, and Banner left one after another. They all had their own things to busy themselves with, and their own things to protect.
Finally, only Chu Hang and Wanda remained.
Wanda walked out of the infirmary. Pietro was still unconscious, but his vital signs were stable. She walked up to Chu Hang and took his hand.
"When are we leaving?" she asked.
"Now," Chu Hang said.
He raised his hand and tore open a Spatial Rift. The other side of the rift was a starry sky, devoid of Planets or Stars, only endless void and faint starlight in the distance.
That was the edge of the Universe, a place far away from all civilization. There, he could safely enter Closed-Door Cultivation, without worrying about being disturbed, or about his power loss of control affecting the innocent.
Wanda looked at the starry sky, did not hesitate, and followed Chu Hang into the rift.
The rift closed behind them, and the ruins of the Avengers Base returned to silence.
In the distance, Steve stood on a high ground, watching the direction where the rift had vanished. He knew Chu Hangwould not be returning, at least not for a while. This comrade, who had once charged alongside him at Normandy, had embarked on a path Steve could not comprehend.
But he was not worried.
Because he knew that no matter where Chu Hang went, no matter how strong he became, he would always be the man willing to fight for protection.
Steve turned and walked toward the crowds who needed help.
The Sun was rising on the horizon; a new day had begun.
Meanwhile, in a corner of the Universe, within the Time Variance Authority's Headquarters, a figure wearing black robes stood before a massive Time Monitoring Screen. The screen displayed countless timelines, one of which was flashing a blinding red light.
"Interesting," the figure murmured, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "A variable that can threaten the sacred timeline. How will The One Above All handle this?"
He raised his hand and lightly tapped the screen.
The red timeline suddenly split into dozens of branches, each leading to a different future.
"Let me see," the figure said, "how far you can go."
[End of Volume]