When the black lines completely covered the bloody figure, Sebastian crushed it with one hand. At this moment, Thanos suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart.
Then, sharp thorns grew out from Thanos's heart, absorbing Thanos's blood and body nutrients greedily. They quickly grew and wrapped around Thanos's body, cutting through Thanos's flesh and tightly binding him in place.
At the same time, the thorns quickly took root and sprouted in Thanos's arms and flesh, growing deep into Thanos's body, absorbing more nutrients from Thanos's body. For a time, Thanos was fixed in place, unable to move at all.
Seeing Thanos bound, Sebastian's eyes were filled with murderous intent, but he did not act on it. He knew that trapping Thanos was only temporary, and killing him was impossible for the time being. Thanos and the Dark Phoenix Authority were so tightly connected that Sebastian could not use magic to deprive him of it. In fact, Thanos had already possessed many of the Dark Phoenix's characteristics, such as the ability to be almost immortal.
So it was practically impossible for Sebastian to kill Thanos now, at least not in a short period of time. And what Sebastian lacked the most right now was time!
Moreover, if he really tried to kill Thanos, it would only make him desperately resist and break free from the thorns. Once Thanos entangled him in direct combat, it would be difficult for Sebastian to escape.
Looking at the bound Thanos, Sebastian took a step back and quickly disappeared from Thanos's sight.
The Curse of Flesh and Thorns, one of the top black magic spells recorded in the Darkhold, was not strongest because of its binding power or lethality, but because of its difficulty to remove. Even Thanos, with his Dark Phoenix Authority, could not completely eliminate the effects of the Curse of Flesh and Thorns overnight.
Thanos watched Sebastian depart and roared with fury. The image of the Dark Phoenix materialized behind him, and black flames continuously erupted from Thanos's body, burning the flesh and thorns on his body. However, the flesh and thorns were more resilient than Thanos could have imagined. Under the burning of the Phoenix Fire, they were able to hold out for a long time before being completely consumed. The pain, as if burning his own body, also drove Thanos to madness.
"Sebastian Shaw!" Thanos roared with rage.
While Thanos was furious, Sebastian had already reached Gamora and Nebula. He casually destroyed half of the mechanical body of Supergiant, who was about to attack them with her telepathic powers. Then, grabbing their bodies, he transformed into a puff of black smoke and quickly left Thanos's ship.
He found Peter Quill and the other two, who had just docked their small spaceship and infiltrated Thanos's massive ship. They all boarded their small spaceship together, and Sebastian used magic to conceal them and make them invisible, speeding away from Thanos's fleet.
The small spaceship docked back inside the Guardians of the Galaxy's main ship. Everyone returned to the ship, and Rocket Raccoon, without a word, immediately activated the spaceship's engines and made a space jump, escaping.
With a bang, the spaceship pierced through space, landing above an uninhabited starry sky far from Thanos's fleet.
Sebastian looked at Gamora and spoke directly, "Unless something unexpected happens, Thanos should have broken free from the restraints I placed on him by now. So please tell me the location of the Soul Stone. I want to seize it before Thanos makes a move."
"We will go with you!" Peter said immediately.
Looking at Peter, Sebastian shook his head and said, "No, you go directly to Earth and find Stark there. He will find you accommodations. As for the Soul Stone, I will retrieve it myself."
Hearing Sebastian's firm words, Peter and the others did not force the issue. After Gamora gave Sebastian the coordinates, they separated and headed in different directions.
Sebastian transformed into a puff of black smoke, soaring through the void of space. When he reached a certain speed, he immediately opened a portal and entered.
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Vormir, where the Soul Stone lay hidden.
A portal appeared near Vormir, and a column of black smoke erupted from it, descending toward the planet.
After opening the portal sixteen times, Sebastian finally arrived near the planet called Vormir.
"Finally found it! This is truly not easy," he muttered, immediately lowering his angle and entering Vormir's atmosphere.
The planet's gravity and atmosphere were surprisingly suitable for human survival. Sebastian tested the air and confirmed that there were no toxic elements, nor any harmful radiation from the planet itself. He then confidently flew over Vormir, finally finding the iconic mountain after more than ten minutes of searching.
As he ascended the mountain, he saw the wraith-like Red Skull. Sebastian could clearly sense that Red Skull was in a unique state, neither alive nor dead. As the Stonekeeper, Red Skull had been cursed by the Space Stone and transformed into a wraith-like guardian, floating in a black cloak. As the only Infinity Stone with a degree of self-awareness, Red Skull's condition was likely closely linked to the Soul Stone.
Seeing Sebastian approach, the Red Skull, with his wraith-like appearance floating in a black cloak, spoke: "Ah, a soul outside of destiny, a being who should not exist in the long river of history. If you want to obtain the Soul Stone, you must pay any price. For you, the heaviest price."
Sebastian looked at him and asked directly, "What do you mean by a soul outside of destiny and a being who should not exist in the long river of history?"
"You must understand that my curse allows me to know anything about anyone who seeks the Stone, but there are some things I cannot reveal," Red Skull said, demonstrating his nigh-omniscience as Stonekeeper.
"Well, you just do not know, right? Or is this all the Soul Stone has told you?" Sebastian said.
As Sebastian finished speaking, the Red Skull suddenly stepped out of the way and slowly landed on the ground. He made a gesture of invitation to Sebastian without saying another word.
Seeing this, Sebastian went directly to the cliff edge. Although there was no one here and nothing to be seen, Sebastian knew that the Soul Stone's self-awareness was observing everything.
"I do not want to satisfy your greedy desire to sacrifice the soul of a beloved one. I have a soul here that I think will satisfy you very much. As long as you show yourself, it will be yours," Sebastian said to the air.
As soon as the words fell, Sebastian stretched out his hand, and a ball of soul as sticky as mercury appeared in his hand. As soon as this ball of soul appeared, the sky of Vormir immediately became dark and unclear. The wind began to blow, rays of light flowed through the air, and even the mountain under Sebastian's feet began to shake slightly.
Sebastian could sense the Soul Stone's self-will, its immense desire for this powerful and unique soul, originating from Ego the Living Planet.
"Even the souls of a hundred close ones would not hold the same allure to you as this powerful and unique soul. Surrender to me now, and it will be yours!" Sebastian declared.
As Sebastian finished his words, countless orange rays of light converged in the sky, forming an orange gem that slowly descended from the sky and hovered before Sebastian, radiating a clear desire for Ego's soul.
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