Chapter 404: Lord of Hell? Meet the Human Emperor Banner~
Clang~!
Before Thor's Mjolnir could land on Mephisto's head, a figure silently blocked Mephisto's path, firmly catching Mjolnir with a massive red trident in his hand.
"Father!"
Looking at the numb soul of his father before his eyes, Thorsuddenly felt all the strength drained from his body.
But Odin opposite him showed no mercy, raising his hand to thrust the trident toward Thor's heart.
If Frigga hadn't forcibly used magic to pull Thor back, Thorwould have probably lost his life on the spot.
"Do you see this, Peter Parker?" Mephisto didn't care about Thor's anger at all; his entire attention was on Peter.
"This is my confidence. That fool Thanos didn't understand the true purpose of the Soul Stone and the Mind Stone at all.
With just these two stones, it is enough to play everyone except you like toys in the palm of my hand!
After you die, once I obtain your body—which is enough to even captivate the Phoenix Force—I will use you as the vanguard to build an invincible undead army!
At that time, not just this tiny Earth, but the entire multiverse will crawl at my feet!
All the lords of the underworld in this multiverse, whether Hela, Hades, or Death itself, will be replaced by me!
I, Mephisto, will become the sole and supreme... Demon King!"
His ambition was laid bare at this moment.
Compared to Thanos's hypocritical rhetoric of 'for the balance of the Universe', Mephisto's desire was much purer and far more evil.
He ruled everything, enslaved everything, and wanted to drag everything in his sight into his endless sulfur hell.
Faced with this world-ending declaration, Peter's expression still didn't fluctuate in the slightest.
"Are you done? My evaluation is... have you forgotten how my battle with Cul went when you were spectating?"
"Playing the game of manipulating souls in front of me, are you serious?"
As he spoke, with a thought from Peter, a golden banner, shining with brilliant gold light and exuding an ancient aura, suddenly appeared behind Peter.
It was indeed the Human Emperor Banner, which had been directly upgraded through the battle with Cul!
As soon as this banner appeared, sunlight instantly bathed everything within a hundred miles.
The moment those low-level demons, who had just rushed out of the rift and were still baring their fangs and brandishing their claws, were illuminated by the light, they all let out shrill screams as visible black smoke rose from their bodies.
An invisible suction force also acted on them, seemingly about to forcibly suck them into the space within the banner to be refined.
Even the souls of Odin and Thanos, enslaved by the hellfire and the Soul Stone, shook for a moment, their bodies visibly stiffening in place.
The moment he saw the Human Emperor Banner, a visible trace of solemnity flashed across Mephisto's face.
But in the next second, that solemnity turned into a confident smile:
"Of course I remember your capabilities. If I weren't prepared, how could I have directly shown you this trump card?"
Saying so, he raised his left hand, and the Reality Stone on the Infinity Gauntlet suddenly burst with a blinding red light!
"God said, let there be light... then Mephisto says, let there be flesh!"
Along with his mischievous declaration, a great power that warped reality instantly enveloped the entire battlefield!
The demons pouring out of the hellish rift, as well as the souls of Odin and Thanos, had their spiritual bodies rapidly solidify in the red light.
Upon their originally unstable spiritual bodies, bones, flesh, scales... rapidly grew at a speed visible to the naked eye!
In just the blink of an eye, this army of the undead and demons broke through the boundary of life and death, becoming physical, true living beings.
Once they possessed physical bodies as anchors, the Human Emperor Banner's suction force targeted at souls would be greatly discounted.
"That's why I said Thanos was not qualified to enjoy these three stones at all. His development of these three stones was less than one percent!"
Mephisto smiled triumphantly, his tone filled with contempt for Thanos and anticipation for Peter:
"Now, this strange flag of yours can only be used as a decoration!"
Hearing this, even Peter couldn't help but nod:
"Well, even I must admit that in terms of brains, you are indeed a cut above that Thanos."
"However," his tone shifted, "if you think you can render my Human Emperor Banner useless like this, then you are sorely mistaken~"
As he spoke, he gently waved the large banner in his hand.
Wuuu~
Accompanying the shining golden light, a horn faintly blew in the void.
Tens of thousands of golden streams of light flew out from the banner, condensing into shape in mid-air.
It was a cavalry army standing in combat readiness, and at their very front stood eight warriors of various forms holding giant hammers.
It was precisely the All-Souls Cavalry under Cul, as well as the eight Worthy!
Over the past period of time, after being refined by the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, these souls had completely become Peter's power, turning into his most loyal subordinates.
At Peter's command, The Worthy and the All-Souls Cavalry immediately charged toward Mephisto's demon army.
Although Mephisto was a Hell Lord ruling over billions of demons, most of these demons were evolved from the deceased sinners of Earth.
Even if they could obtain various degrees of enhancement by killing and devouring each other, their combat power was still very limited.
At most, they were only slightly stronger than the Chitauri Soldiers.
But Peter's All-Souls Cavalry was different.
These were all battle-hardened, deceased Asgardian warriors who had followed Cul to conquer the Nine Realms ten thousand years ago.
It could be said that the combat power on Peter's side was more than ten times that of those low-level demons.
In addition, the All-Souls Cavalry released by Peter were pure spiritual bodies, whereas Mephisto's demon army had been forcibly given physical bodies to resist the Human Emperor Banner.
This resulted in the All-Souls Cavalry being able to be repaired by the Human Emperor Banner, or rather, Peter's own soul power, no matter how severe their injuries were.
In contrast, once the physical bodies of Mephisto's demon army were destroyed, they would be absorbed on the spot by the Human Emperor Banner.
Therefore, this confrontation between the two armies was unfair right from the start.
Even if Peter's All-Souls Cavalry did not have the advantage in numbers, slaughtering Mephisto's demon army was still as easy as cutting melons and slicing vegetables.
Watching the demon army being slaughtered to the point of crying for their parents, and even being absorbed as nourishment by the Human Emperor Banner after their physical bodies were destroyed,
Peter couldn't help but smile:
"It seems your plans still can't keep up with my changes~"
"I'd like to ask, in this current situation, what other backup plans can you possibly bring out?"
Listening to Peter's mockery, Mephisto's red face faintly grew a few shades redder.
For no other reason than the combat style Peter displayed had indeed caught him completely off guard.
He originally thought his plan was seamless enough to completely subdue Peter, but he didn't expect that in the blink of an eye, he would turn into a Joker again.
No matter who it was, they wouldn't be able to stand this situation!
With this thought, Mephisto subconsciously tightened his grip on all-black the necrosword.
Obviously, the only way left to break the deadlock now was to 'directly defeat Peter'!
Chapter 405: Lend Me Your Energy!
Mephisto's gaze gradually turned dangerous.
He raised the all-black the necrosword in his hand and pointed it at Peter. The all-black the necrosword emitted a low hum, and the dark energy flowing on the blade almost solidified, consuming the surrounding light with its pure evil.
"Looks like I have to pull out this most troublesome nail of yours first."
"Pulling out a nail, huh~ That actually makes a lot of sense!"
Peter nodded, looking as if he completely agreed with the other's point of view, but the next second, his tone suddenly shifted:
"But… with just that mediocre skill of yours, do you really think you're qualified to take me out?"
As he spoke, a chaotic gray light emerged from Peter's body.
It was the divine power of the Tiger Talisman!
Yin and Yang, good and evil.
Two completely opposite yet originating from the same source, the auras suddenly diverged within Peter.
Under the gaze of the inexplicably shocked Ancient One, Peter's figure first became blurred, then split into two, forcefully condensing into two Peters.
The Peter on the left was surrounded by a faint golden radiance, his temperament gentle, his eyes clear, and a smile full of approachability hanging on the corners of his mouth, just like a boy next door, making people unable to help but feel a sense of goodwill.
And the Peter on the right was the exact opposite.
His whole body was shrouded in a faint dark aura, his eyes were evil, and the curve of his mouth carried a bit of cynicism and pure malice.
A violent, scorching power, as if it wanted to burn everything to ashes, surged within him—that was the aura of the Phoenix Force, which now appeared incomparably flamboyant, with no restraint whatsoever.
Good and evil, divided into two!
The members of the Avengers were already accustomed to this scene, but the Ancient One and Wanda were deeply shocked.
One was the Sorcerer Supreme, the other a natural-born Scarlet Witch.
Yet neither had ever imagined that magic could be developed to such an incredible extent.
Under their dazed gazes, the Good Peter, bathed in golden light, suddenly turned his head.
First, he flashed a smile at Wanda that made her heart almost skip a beat, then he nodded towards the Ancient One:
"Senior Ancient One, please send me into the Mirror Dimension later. I need to focus on preparing something and don't want to be disturbed by anyone."
Hearing this, the Ancient One opened her mouth but couldn't say a word.
Because Good Peter carried an attitude that made him convincing, even she couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill.
What kind of bad intentions could a kind little Sun have? Just believe him, and that's it!
Thus, with a wave of her hand, the Ancient One used the Sorcerer Supreme's magic to create a geometric space just large enough for Good Peter to occupy.
Good Peter did not enter the space immediately, but instead gave Tony a wink.
Tony immediately understood and issued an order within his Battle Suit:
"Jarvis, focus all live broadcast cameras on Peter."
In an instant, Good Peter appeared on screens in thousands of households with a gentle smile, and the gazes of seven billion people around the World were focused on him.
"Hello, viewers around the World. I am The Arbiter, Peter Parker."
"I know you are all very afraid and confused right now. Aliens, gods, demons... these things that only existed in myths and movies are appearing before us one after another, trying to drag our home into the abyss."
"But, please do not give up hope."
"Right now, I need your help."
Good Peter spread his arms, the smile on his face sincere and warm.
"Please raise your hands, and lend me your will, your hope, your desire for peace, your love for your family... lend me your energy!"
These words, through the global live broadcast, spread to every corner of the World.
Hearing Good Peter's words, everyone couldn't help but be stunned.
Energy?
What is that thing?
Does such a thing really exist in ordinary people like them?
No matter how you think about it, this feels more like... a prank!
Just as everyone was skeptical, in an apartment in Brooklyn, a child only four or five years old imitated Peter's movements on TV and raised his hands high.
"Dad, Mom? Why aren't you raising your hands?"
"Don't you want My Lord The Arbiter to defeat the bad guy on the other side?"
The innocent and naive voice brought the dazed parents back from their shock.
They turned to look at their child, just about to explain something.
But before they could make a sound, they discovered that in the palm of their child's hand, a small point of light, no bigger than a grain of rice, had appeared at some unknown time.
The couple couldn't help but rub their eyes in astonishment, but no matter how they rubbed their eyes, that point of light never dissipated.
"So... everything My Lord The Arbiter said is true?"
The man cheered excitedly, unable to help but close his eyes, recalling himself from more than a decade ago, sitting in front of an old TV, reading comic books, imagining himself fighting side by side with the protagonists from the TV and comics!
As he thought about it, the man opened his eyes and sure enough, discovered that a small point of light had also appeared in his own palm.
Then it was their wife's turn. The husband excitedly pushed open the window and shouted loudly to the residents of the building opposite!
One, ten, hundreds, tens of thousands, hundreds of millions, billions!
More and more people, regardless of nationality, skin color, or belief, all raised their hands at this moment.
Streams of weak but pure will gathered into a torrent that spanned the entire Planet, piercing through the barriers of space and surging toward Good Peter's consciousness space.
Feeling the continuously gathering energy, Good Petersmiled slightly. He hesitated no longer and turned to walk into that geometric space.
On the other side of the battlefield, Mephisto did not know what was happening on Earth; he only instinctively felt a deep-seated disgust and irritation.
"Playing god and acting like a ghost!"
He cast his gaze toward the other Peter, the "Evil Peter" who radiated evil energy.
Compared to that "con artist" collecting faith, the pure, chaotic, and evil aura on this guy, which almost originated from the same source as his own, actually made him feel a bit more familiar.
"I have to say, the aura on you really suits my taste." Mephisto curled his lips into a cold smile:
"If you ask me, why don't we cooperate?"
"Kill that hypocritical other side of yours, and from now on, you and I shall share the entire Hell!"
"Me?"
Evil Peter just let out a sneer upon hearing this, then twisted his neck, emitting a series of "crackling" sounds.
The next second, the Phoenix Force within him erupted completely without reservation. Dark red flames shot into the sky, transforming into a giant firebird phantom that blotted out the sky, dyeing the entire sky of the Mirror Dimension a doomsday crimson.
"If you can survive under my hands, I might seriously consider your suggestion."
Chapter 406: Who Among Us Is Actually the Devil!
"Death wish!"
Listening to Evil Peter's mocking reply, Mephisto's expression twisted slightly.
As a Hell Lord, when had he ever suffered such provocation?
The black energy of the all-black the necrosword in his hand surged, instantly transforming into a black streak that spanned the sky, carrying enough resentment and curses to slay Gods, and slashed straight down at Evil Peter's head!
"Killing you first, then dealing with that hypocritical clone of yours is just the same!"
This sword strike seemed intent on splitting the entire Mirror Dimension in two.
Wherever the blade passed, space shattered layer by layer, emitting an overwhelmed wail.
However, facing this World-destroying blow, there was not a trace of fear on Evil Peter's face; instead, a glimmer of excitement appeared.
"Oh? Really? I don't believe it."
Evil Peter immediately blurted out the classic triple denial.
He then reached out into the void, and the next second, the longsword in Sif's hand flew out, landing in Peter's hand at near light speed.
Excalibur! Excalibur!
"Hammer of the Vile King, reverse the morning light."
As Evil Peter chanted, the originally magnificent golden blade was visibly stained black and red.
Due to Evil Peter's own nature, even Excalibur took on the form of being corrupted by black mud.
A black-red light soared into the sky, and the aura of destruction it emitted was even more exaggerated than the all-black the necrosword.
"Devour the light, Excalibur!!"
With a loud shout, Evil Peter held the longsword high. From the blade, black-red light shot into the sky, condensing into a pure, vast torrent capable of purifying all filth in the World!
Boom—!!!
The black-red sword light and the black energy torrent of the all-black the necrosword collided violently in mid-air!
In that instant, the whole World lost its sound and color.
Seven billion viewers around the World could only see a blinding white light through their screens, followed immediately by violent shaking that seemed ready to shatter the screens themselves.
When the light faded, people finally saw the result.
The black-red light cannon, its momentum undiminished, forcefully pushed that black streak back!
The all-black the necrosword in Mephisto's hand, this Symbiote divine weapon that had caused countless Gods to fall, was now emitting a mournful wail like a frightened Beast. The dark energy on the blade was being scorched by that pure light, sizzling and dissipating continuously.
Mephisto himself was shaken back repeatedly by this immense force, his face filled with disbelief.
How is this possible?!
The all-black the necrosword was a weapon forged by the Symbiote God using the remains of a Celestial; its essential power was extremely high. How could it be suppressed by a mere human's light cannon?
"Is that all you've got?"
Having landed a hit, Evil Peter looked at Mephisto, whose body was half-eroded by Excalibur, and mercilessly activated his mockery mode.
"I thought a Hell Lord would be something special, but it seems you're nothing more than this. Your sword is trembling."
"You!"
Mephisto was so angry that he trembled all over, his red face turning the color of a pig's liver.
Realizing that he couldn't gain any advantage in a long-range beam struggle, he immediately retracted the all-black the necrosword, flashed his figure, and lunged directly at Evil Peter, intending to engage in hand-to-hand combat.
As a Hell Lord, his physical body was also incomparably formidable. In his own Hell dimension, he was an immortal and indestructible existence.
However, fast as he was, Evil Peter was even faster!
Almost at the very moment Mephisto moved, Evil Petermoved as well.
He simply discarded the Excalibur in his hand, his entire body turning into a crimson streak of light, advancing instead of retreating, and collided head-on with Mephisto!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The collision of fists and claws exploded in the air, creating visible waves of air.
The two fought from the ground to the sky, and from the sky to the ocean basin, moving at extreme speeds, leaving behind only a series of blurred afterimages and deafening sonic booms.
But anyone with an eye could see that this brawl was a one-sided affair from the start.
Mephisto's fighting style was full of primitive wildness and brutality, wide-open and entirely reliant on instinct.
Meanwhile, Evil Peter had integrated all the combat techniques Peter himself had learned, amplified by Observation Haki and the Mangekyo Sharingan. Every punch and every kick was tricky and ruthless to the extreme, perfect like a textbook.
In just a few dozen seconds of engagement, Mephisto was already covered in wounds.
His chest had been caved in by punches, his arms twisted and deformed by leg whips, and his face was beaten black and blue, looking utterly wretched.
"Red clown, are you sure you're not trying to make me laugh on purpose?"
Listening to Peter's malicious mockery, Mephisto's expression couldn't help but turn even uglier.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
While activating the Reality Stone and hell energy to heal his wounds, Mephisto roared frantically in his heart.
Seeing that he couldn't gain any advantage in close combat and was instead being beaten like a punching bag, Mephisto was finally thoroughly enraged.
"Since that's the case..."
He suddenly put distance between himself and Peter, and roared to the sky with a sound that didn't sound human.
"Then let me show you my true form!"
Rumble!
His already tall body began to swell frantically at this moment, muscles knotting and bones growing rapidly.
Ten meters, one hundred meters, one thousand meters...
In the blink of an eye, Mephisto transformed into a crimson giant with his head touching the sky and his feet treading the earth, and the all-black the necrosword in his hand became as huge as a mountain range.
He looked down at Evil Peter, who was like an ant below, his voice like rolling thunder.
"Damned human, tremble before absolute power!"
A huge shadow completely enveloped Evil Peter. That sense of oppression was enough to make anyone with a weak will collapse on the spot.
However, Evil Peter curled his lips:
"Sigh, why is it that you villains are so unoriginal? You just keep repeating this Gundam-style beam clash."
"You like playing Gundam beam clashes, right? I get what you mean."
As he finished speaking, he slammed his hands together.
"Susanoo!"
Amplified by the crimson Phoenix Force, a crimson energy giant, with Evil Peter at its center, shot into the sky, rapidly constructing a body no less massive than Mephisto's!
This wasn't over!
"Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands: Top Transformed Buddha!"
The moment the Susanoo took shape, Evil Peter formed seals again.
Rumble rumble!
The earth cracked, and countless giant trees burst from the ground. Using the Susanoo as a skeleton, they rapidly entwined and fused, eventually transforming into a wooden Buddha half a head taller than Mephisto, with thousands of giant arms growing from its back!
And the dark red Susanoo, like armor, perfectly covered the surface of the Buddha's body.
Making the originally solemn-looking Buddha look more like a thousand-armed demon God at this moment.
Plus... Senkei: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!
Global viewers watched the dark red, thousand-armed demon God on their screens, with each of its thousand hands holding a crimson longsword, possessing both majesty and dominance, and collectively lost their voices.
Even the corners of Mephisto's mouth opposite him couldn't help but twitch wildly.
Come on, buddy, who among us is actually the devil!
Chapter 407: Hell Lord? Slime King!
"Hey, bro, aren't you ready yet?"
"If you don't make a move, don't blame me for being impolite."
Hearing Peter's flippant remark, a vein popped on Mephisto's forehead:
"Damn human brat, don't get too arrogant!"
As he spoke, Mephisto grabbed his fist, which had grown to the size of a car, and punched the Senju Demon God.
Above the Senju Demon God, Peter yawned lazily and raised a hand, making a gesture like he was shooing a fly.
Whoosh~
In perfect synchronization, the Senju Demon God under Peter's feet also raised a hand.
However, because it was gripping the long blade formed by Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, this swing released a massive flying slash.
The moment the fist and blade met, Mephisto's expression changed instantly.
He couldn't help but recoil in pain, subconsciously looking down to find that although his fist had successfully caught the flying slash, it had left a deep, bone-exposed wound.
This discovery caused an ominous thought to drift into Mephisto's mind.
If a flying slash from a casually swung blade was enough to leave a deep, bone-exposed wound on his fist, what would happen when hundreds or thousands of those blades slashed at him at once... wouldn't he be minced meat?
"Not that big of a piece~" Evil Peter, relying on the Phoenix Force's ability to capture emotions, keenly guessed Mephisto's thoughts and gave a dismissive answer that broke Mephisto's defense.
As if to prove the accuracy of his words, the moment his voice fell, the Senju Demon God immediately took action.
Those thousands of arms holding sharp blades swung in unison, and in an instant, red flying slashes like a rainstorm, carrying the roar of tearing air, swept towards Mephisto's body!
Each slash contained a terrifying momentum capable of splitting mountains and seas!
"Damn it!"
Mephisto was numb; he could only frantically swing the enlarged all-black the necrosword to parry, while crazily channeling the Reality Stone to instantly condense a massive shield to try and block the Senju Demon God's attack.
But undoubtedly, such an operation was futile.
Although he swung the all-black the necrosword so fast that sparks were flying, he still couldn't steadily catch all the flying slashes.
After all, he only had one sword, while the opponent had a full thousand blades!
As for the shield he created using the Reality Stone, it was even worse.
Although he had consumed a huge amount of energy to defend against Peter's attack, trying to create a sufficiently powerful shield, no matter how strong a shield was, it was destined to be worn through when facing an attack like a rainstorm.
Good news: The flying slashes hitting the shield were like scraping skin.
Bad news: It was scraping too fast, and the shield's durability and repair speed couldn't keep up at all.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The dense sound of collisions and explosions merged into one, shaking the entire Mirror Dimension violently.
The shield condensed by the Reality Stone only resisted for less than five seconds before being completely shredded by the torrential sword energy.
Although the Reality Stone tried hard to repair the damage to the shield, in front of the Senju Demon God, which seemed tireless and was continuously drawing Busoshoku Coating power from Peter, this repair speed was simply not enough!
As the shield broke, the next second, hundreds of flying slashes landed on Mephisto's huge body.
Mephisto screamed in pain from the sudden attack, and his massive body was barely able to maintain its balance.
He stumbled and fell onto the sea, kicking up a huge tsunami.
After this fall, the scene became even more tragic.
The Senju Demon God controlled by Evil Peter focused on taking advantage of his opponent's weakened state.
Seeing Mephisto lose his balance, he simply raised a hand and threw all thousand Sakura blades at Mephisto.
The moment the Sakura blades landed on Mephisto, piercing his body, they quickly dissipated, turning into petals that drilled into his huge body and flesh, causing crazy destruction.
And the Senju Demon God simply pressed forward, mounted Mephisto, and delivered unreasonable, continuous slaps.
For a time, the scene was extremely spectacular and extremely cruel.
Seven billion viewers around the globe watched helplessly as that arrogant Hell Lord was pinned to the ground by the Senju Demon God, receiving a brutal "facial treatment" with a thousand palms.
The crisp sound of palm hitting flesh made everyone's scalp tingle.
Mephisto, pinned to the ground, could only let out pig-like screams.
His large face was swollen like a pig's head, and it was constantly being repaired under the influence of the Reality Stone and hell energy.
After being repaired, it fell back into an infinite loop of being repeatedly slapped.
Finally, the Senju Demon God stopped attacking.
It wasn't because he was tired of hitting, but because Mephisto had been completely minced into a purple-red super-large slime by this internal and external attack.
"Ah~ the Slime King is here! This form is actually more likable than your previous appearance~"
If Peter's ability to mess with people's mentality in his normal state was only 10, then Evil Peter's poisonous tongue level was at least 100.
Hearing Peter call him the Slime King, Mephisto, who had collapsed on the ground twitching unconsciously due to the extreme phantom pain caused by being beaten into rotten meat again and again and repaired again and again by the Reality Stone, finally came to his senses.
"You... can't kill me!"
From the rotten meat, Mephisto's intermittent, yet venomous voice came out.
"As long as Hell does not perish... I have endless stamina! As long as the Reality Stone is still here... I can repair infinitely!"
"And your power will eventually run out!"
"You might be able to defeat me ten thousand times, but you can never truly kill me! I just need to wait until you are exhausted, grab that one opportunity, and you, along with the Planet behind you, will meet your doom!"
"Ah, right, right, you're all right. I can bully you ten thousand times, but as long as I'm caught by you once, I'm done."
Evil Peter casually dissipated the Senju Demon God beneath him, responding to Mephisto's statement with a perfunctory face, but the next second, his expression suddenly became chilling:
"But what if, and I mean what if."
"What if you don't even have the chance to grab that opportunity before I grind you directly into dust, forcing you to crawl back to your dirty, stinking, dog-kennel-like Hell to respawn? How would you handle that then?"
Chapter 408: Golden Spirit Bomb, A Sun for You
Hearing this, Mephisto couldn't help but freeze, unable to stop himself from roaring, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"Unless you can unleash an energy level that even the Reality Stone cannot repair in time, and that can instantly annihilate this physical body of mine!"
"But that level of energy simply does not exist!"
Hearing him say this, a look of distress couldn't help but appear on Evil Peter's face: "Ah~ I really can't do that."
Hearing this, a joyful expression appeared on Mephisto's slowly reforming face: "So, you have only one path left to take! That is to submit to me, submit to the great Mephis..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Evil Peter raised his hand and slapped him, forcing him to shut his mouth: "Look at you, being impatient again!"
As he spoke, Evil Peter slowly stood up, a hazy glow visibly emerging from his body. "I only said I couldn't do such a thing, I didn't say my other half couldn't."
Mephisto:???
Just as he was completely bewildered, strange spatial fluctuations came from not far away.
It felt as if a crack in space could not withstand this terrifying power output, and thus was faintly showing signs of collapse.
The Sorcerer Ancient One, who had been in a daze due to the shocking combat power of Evil Peter, finally snapped out of her shock.
She hurriedly raised her hand to form a spell seal, and following her action, the space she had previously locked quickly opened.
The moment the space opened, Good Peter, radiating a soft golden light all over his body and wearing a gentle, spring-breeze-like smile, slowly walked out from the portal with his hands held high.
The moment he appeared, the 7 billion viewers across the globe couldn't help but rub their eyes.
What were they seeing?
The Arbiter was actually holding a... moon?!
At this moment, atop Good Peter's hands rested an incomparably huge energy sphere emitting a blinding white light.
Because the sphere of light was so huge and so white, people couldn't help but associate it with the moon.
That moon contained energy that was pure, vast, and sacred, filled with the aura of hope and life.
It was a Spirit Bomb formed by gathering the will of seven billion people around the world!
The moment he saw Good Peter walk out of the geometric space holding the "moon," Evil Peter couldn't help but laugh: "Oi~ Old Mephisto, have you ever heard the saying—Self-Charge is greater than the heavens, Super-Effective destroys gods and immortals?"
Mephisto, of course, did not understand what "Super-Effective" meant.
But at this moment, looking at the moon held in Good Peter's hands and feeling the energy contained within, which was full of malice toward him, Mephisto faintly understood the meaning of the two words "Super-Effective."
"No, you don't understand!" Evil Peter continued to read his mind, still rebutting with a formulaic response. "To talk about true Super-Effective, you have to count this as well!"
As he spoke, Evil Peter also raised his hand, but unlike Good Peter's two-handed lift, he only raised a single finger.
As he performed this action, similar to "pointing a single finger at the sky," the next second, a huge red light sphere filled with scorching energy instantly appeared.
That was... a Super-Large Rasengan condensed entirely from the Phoenix Force.
"Guess what... this plus this, is it enough to blast you into dust, the kind that even the Reality Stone can't put back together?"
As he spoke, the figures of the two Peters gradually became blurry.
The moment alarm bells rang in Mephisto's mind, the two Peters merged into one!
At the same time, the two huge light spheres in his hands also fused together!
Hum~!
The moment the two light spheres fused, the soft white light and the scorching red light merged into a blinding golden light.
In other words, the moon in Good Peter's hands had turned into a Sun, held in the hands of the real Peter!
Inside this Sun, half was the energy of 7 billion people on Earth, and the other half was the purest and most violent Phoenix Force within Peter!
This Sun was the embodiment of light and life, the manifestation of hope.
It was, in an absolute sense, the nemesis of evil and filth!
The moment he saw that golden "Sun," Mephisto's body, composed of rotting flesh, instinctively trembled violently; that was fear stemming from the essence of life!
He frantically activated the Reality Stone, attempting to reorganize his body, while at the same time, a hell rift quietly opened beneath him.
He was afraid; he realized that if he still wanted to survive and make a comeback, he had to immediately crawl back into his hell dimension.
If he went back voluntarily, it would at most be a matter of recuperating for a year or a half.
But if he couldn't go back, his current physical body would definitely be completely erased, and by then, the time for his rebirth would likely need to be measured in decades or even centuries!
"Trying to escape?"
"At this point, isn't it a bit too late?"
Peter looked down at the pile of rotting flesh still struggling in vain with a smile, and then quietly let the golden Sun in his hands fall: "Immortal and indestructible?"
"Sorry, but I... have Super-Effective against evil!"
The moment his words fell, he threw the golden Sun in his hands at Mephisto without hesitation!
There was no Earth-shattering explosion.
The moment the golden Sun touched Mephisto, it was like a red-hot branding iron falling into snow, emitting a "hissing" sound.
Mephisto's proud immortal body was fragile and vulnerable in the face of that pure energy of light and hope.
"No—!!!"
Amidst the extremely shrill screams, his huge body was slowly dissolved, purified, and evaporated by the golden Sun, bit by bit!
From flesh to soul, and then to his connection with the hell dimension, everything was completely erased in the face of this power!
About ten seconds later, the light gradually dissipated.
The Pacific Ocean, which had been devastated by this battle, as well as the land along the Pacific coast, were restored to their original state under the restorative effect of the Spirit Bomb.
As for the pile of rotting flesh that had been lying on the sea surface, only a few charred, charcoal-like fragments remained, along with the lonely all-black the necroswordand the Infinity Gauntlet lying there.
Those fragments seemed to still retain Mephisto's last consciousness; they struggled to piece themselves together, seemingly wanting to try and touch the Infinity Gauntlet that was right before their eyes, yet seemed so far away.
However, just as they were about to touch the Infinity Gauntlet, a tall, translucent golden figure appeared next to the glove first.
It was none other than the spirit of Odin, who had previously been forcibly detained by hellfire!
Because of Mephisto's demise, the binding power of the hellfire on him had completely disappeared.
Although Odin's remnant soul was turning into light spots visible to the naked eye, he still used all his strength to kick Mephisto's remnants into dust, then picked up the Infinity Gauntlet and solemnly handed it to Peter.
During the process, he clearly opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something.
But before he could make a sound, his remnant soul had already turned into light spots and dissipated in the wind.
Thor, who was on the side, couldn't help but reach out to grab it, but he grasped nothing, and could only watch as his father completely departed from him.
Thus, the Infinity War event... was declared to have come to an end!
Chapter 409: A Great Harvest
Odin had completely faded away.
No one except Peter knew what he had actually said.
Only Peter understood what Odin's final concern was.
His daughter, the Goddess of Death Hela, who had once followed him to conquer the Nine Realms and ruled over the underworld of Asgard, was about to be unsealed due to his death.
When that time came, Asgard was bound to face another bloodbath.
Odin's dying wish was for Peter to help Thor resolve this crisis, allowing Asgard to survive rather than be completely destroyed in Ragnarok.
Thinking of this, Peter couldn't help but take a deep breath, silently murmuring in his heart:
"Rest assured, old man, I'll take care of this."
Almost the instant this thought crossed Peter's mind, a gust of sea breeze blew by quite abruptly.
It made Peter wonder if this was Odin responding to his promise.
Thinking of this, Peter walked forward and gently patted the shoulder of the distraught Thor:
"I am very sorry about Odin; if only I could have returned sooner..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Thor took a deep breath and forced a smile in response:
"No, this is not your fault."
"My Asgard already owed Earth far too much."
"My father's death has nothing to do with you; on the contrary, it was you who destroyed that bastard Mephistoand helped me avenge my father."
Looking at the dejected Thor, Peter thought for a moment and said:
"In fact, Mephisto is not dead, or rather, he still has the possibility of rebirth."
Hearing this, Thor suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with the light of hatred:
"Is what you said true? If that guy still has a chance to be reborn, next time, I will definitely finish that bastard completely. Only then can I comfort the soul of the All-Father!"
"Of course it's true. Don't worry, I will find a way to help you locate the hell dimension he is in next!"
"The day we lock onto that dimension will be the time for your revenge."
Peter comforted Thor with these words, but silently added in his heart:
"Of course, we might need to bring your sister along for that operation."
After all, Mephisto was not a God by nature, so the god-beating whip's divine-type special attack would not be effective against him.
On the contrary, Hela, the Goddess of Death, possessed the same authority as Mephisto and could directly strip the ownership of that hell dimension through her status as a lord of the underworld, thereby completely erasing Mephisto's existence.
...
After briefly discussing Mephisto with Thor, Thor did not choose to stay on Earth for long.
Earth needed to celebrate, while he needed to return to Asgard to complete Odin's funeral and formally succeed as the new King of Gods.
Watching Thor, Frigga, and Loki depart, Peter turned back, looked at the Avengers behind him, and looked at the seven billion viewers around the world, saying:
"Now, I officially declare that the war is over!"
The moment his voice fell, there was a deathly silence across the globe.
Then, Earth-shattering cheers erupted one after another.
The cheers of seven billion people converged at this moment, turning into a roar that could overturn the Earth.
A four or five-year-old child in Brooklyn was riding on his father's shoulders, waving his small fists excitedly and shouting loudly:
"The Arbiter is mighty!"
On the streets, excited young people had wantonly rushed out of their homes, and whether they knew each other or not, as long as they made eye contact, they began to hug, jump, cheer, and sing wantonly.
Young couples were kissing passionately as if no one else was around, and a joyful atmosphere prevailed everywhere in the country.
After announcing the victory of the war, Peter did not rush to celebrate with his partners from the Avengers.
Instead, he looked down at the Infinity Gauntlet in his hand.
Almost the moment his gaze focused on the Infinity Gauntlet, a long-lost system notification sounded in his ears:
[Detected Golden Legendary sacrificable item: Infinity Gauntlet]
[Sacrifice to obtain sacrifice points: 100,000, do you wish to sacrifice?]
[Detected Golden Legendary sacrificable item: Reality Stone]
[Sacrifice to obtain sacrifice points: 200,000, do you wish to sacrifice?]
[Detected Golden Legendary sacrificable item: Mind Stone]
[Sacrifice to obtain sacrifice points: 200,000, do you wish to sacrifice?]
[Detected Golden Legendary sacrificable item: Soul Stone]
[Sacrifice to obtain sacrifice points: 200,000, do you wish to sacrifice?]
Three stones plus the Infinity Gauntlet, a total price of 700,000 sacrifice points, which was quite reasonable for Peter.
Considering that whoever obtained these stones could easily cause a new crisis, Peter did not hesitate and decisively chose to sacrifice them.
Looking at the balance of sacrifice points in his system account which had even exceeded one million, Petercouldn't help but nod with satisfaction.
Immediately, he cast his gaze on the all-black the necrosword stuck in the ground not far away.
Seemingly noticing Peter's gaze, the black energy squirming on the all-black the necrosword couldn't help but tremble.
It was called black energy, but in fact, this energy, or rather the entire all-black the necrosword, was essentially a large ancestor Symbiote.
Peter's original intention was to directly sacrifice the all-black the necrosword.
But the moment his fingers touched the all-black the necrosword, the Omnitrix on his wrist activated spontaneously, automatically switching Peter's body into Symbiote mode.
The moment he transformed into Symbiote mode, a strange thought emerged in Peter's mind:
Eat it!
Because Peter had copied the Symbiote's genes using the Omnitrix, he was already the strongest existence among the Symbiote race.
If he could swallow the all-black the necrosword whole now, his life level would directly leap.
After all, the all-black the necrosword itself was an ancestor Symbiote reinforced with the blood flames of a God.
If he swallowed it, it would be equivalent to Peter himself being reinforced by the blood of a God.
In this way, Peter's physical fitness would definitely be further strengthened, even to the point of being exaggerated enough to rival the strength of a God without any energy amplification!
Moreover, he would automatically become the new King in Black, gaining the ability to lead all Symbiotes and stand on equal footing with Knull.
In addition, the "God-slayer" characteristic inherent in the all-black the necrosword would also be inherited by Peter, meaning he would be able to obtain a special attack state similar to the god-beating whip.
Adding that to the god-beating whip would mean a dual special attack!
This effect was much better than exchanging it for sacrifice points and waiting for the ethereal merchandise refresh!
So Peter did not hesitate and, under the shocked gazes of Tony and the Ancient One not far away, performed a sword-swallowing act.
The body in Symbiote mode opened a hideous and terrifying mouth and swallowed the entire all-black the necrosword in one gulp...
Chapter 410: Terrifying Enhancement, The Ancient One's Secret
The moment all-black the necrosword was devoured.
Peter felt a violent force rampaging within his body, threatening to burst him apart from the inside.
An even stronger will echoed crazily in his mind, seemingly tempting him, or rather, commanding him to be used by the owner of that voice.
Peter knew very well that this was the call originating from Knull, the God of Symbiotes.
However, you can call all you want; whether I listen or not is my business!
With that thought, Peter sneered, and the power of the Horse Talisman was instantly activated.
Under the radiance of the Horse Talisman, that restless power within his body was seized and refined in an instant.
With the dual enhancement of the Horse Talisman and the Phoenix Force, it was quickly purified into strengthening energy that was entirely beneficial to Peter, sinking into every part of his body.
An unprecedented feeling of energy saturation burst forth within Peter.
Peter could clearly feel that his physical strength had achieved an epic leap.
Without any hesitation, Peter looked directly at Tony and said:
"Tony, now, immediately, fire a shot at me, the maximum power kind."
"No, maximum power isn't enough; use the artifact component I gave you as well."
Upon hearing this, Tony felt like he was going crazy:
"Brother, are you serious? This isn't how you go about committing suicide, right?"
"If I accidentally mess up, I'll become a sinner to the entire Earth."
"Don't worry." Peter carelessly thumped his own chest:
"When have I ever done something I wasn't sure about?"
Seeing Peter acting so confident.
After gritting his teeth, Tony made up his mind:
"Damn it, fine! The chance to blast you with full power is quite rare!"
As he spoke, Tony began to frantically accumulate energy. Just as Peter said, he even used the artifact cannon component.
Golden energy condensed crazily on the shoulder cannon.
Finally, it turned into a blinding golden beam of light and blasted toward Peter.
Wherever it passed, the ground was instantly vaporized, and the surrounding Earth was faintly reduced to a molten state of magma, showing just how terrifying the power of this shot was.
It is no exaggeration to say that if this shot were in space, it could at least blast through an asteroid!
Yet, Peter did not even attempt to block such an attack.
He didn't even use Armament Haki, simply raising a palm and using a Symbiote mode at about 50% concentration to make his palm immensely huge, attempting to take the blast head-on with his palm.
About ten seconds later, the energy in Tony's energy cannon was completely exhausted.
The moment the golden light beam dissipated, everyone looked at Peter nervously.
When the smoke cleared, everyone present gasped.
Peter's legs had plowed two deep trenches into the ground, yet he still stood firmly in place, maintaining the action of catching the light beam with one hand.
His body showed no changes, only the palm part had been burned through by the light beam's energy, revealing the stark white palm bones inside.
Around the palm bones, dense Symbiote tissue oozed from the charred flesh, wriggling crazily, and before long, it filled in the flesh of the palm, showing no signs of having been injured previously.
The physical strength after devouring all-black the necrosword was truly terrifying!
Looking at his palm, which had recovered completely in the blink of an eye even without using the Horse Talisman, Peter's breathing became a bit hurried.
He could now be completely sure that even if the Celestials buried deep within the Earth were to awaken immediately, he could fight that mahjong-headed Celestial for three hundred rounds right now without a clear winner!
"Fuck!" Looking at the unscathed Peter, after letting out a long sigh of relief, Tony couldn't help but curse.
It was simply unreasonable.
He had tried so hard... uh, well, the enhancements were all bestowed upon him by Peter, so he actually completed the enhancement quite easily.
But regardless, this was an attack capable of destroying an asteroid, yet landing on Peter, it only pierced his palm?
This is just too outrageous!
You make me, the great Iron Man, look useless!
Beside him, although the Sorcerer Ancient One was not dumbfounded, her eyes held something others couldn't read.
Seemingly sensing the Ancient One's gaze, Peter turned his head, his line of sight meeting the Sorcerer Supreme's perfectly.
Noticing the Ancient One's hesitant expression, he thought for a moment and simply said:
"Senior Ancient One, since the crisis has been resolved, why don't you come to our Avengers Tower for a visit?"
The Ancient One's eyes flickered, clearly understanding the subtext of Peter's words, and she smiled and nodded:
"I cannot refuse such kindness."
After the Ancient One nodded, Peter cast his gaze on Wanda, who was hiding behind the others:
"What about you? Although you didn't seem to exert much effort in this battle, for a celebration, having one more person makes it livelier."
Upon hearing this, Wanda's eyes lit up at first, but then she deliberately acted aloof and shook her head:
"I... I have no interest in that kind of occasion."
But just then, a hand silently rested on her shoulder.
Mantis had approached at some point, her antenna-like feelers curiously swaying toward Wanda, and she leaned in to whisper in her ear.
"I read your emotions."
Mantis's tone was incredibly innocent, yet its lethality was comparable to a nuclear bomb:
"There are too many girls around Peter. If you keep waiting for him to take the initiative to find you, it will be very hard to get the result you want."
Hearing this, Wanda's entire face burned up, turning red from her neck to her earlobes.
"You, what are you talking about! I haven't thought about that kind of thing at all!" Her voice was trembling.
Mantis blinked her large eyes: "But your emotions are saying that you really want to go."
Wanda: "..."
Now there was no room to even be stubborn.
She stole a glance at Peter, who had simply looked away when he saw she didn't respond, then looked at Mantis, who was waiting for an answer with an innocent face. After struggling for a long time, she replied almost imperceptibly:
"Si... since I have already been invited, then... then I will reluctantly go take a look."
Mantis nodded with satisfaction, her feelers twitching happily, her eyes full of triumph as she looked at Gwen and the others.
...
Not long after, at the Avengers Tower banquet.
After a few rounds of drinks, Tony and the others were already having a blast, bragging loudly one after another.
At this moment, the Ancient One quietly came before Peter:
"Mr. The Arbiter, there are some things I would like to say to you in private."
Peter looked up at the Ancient One's calm, expressionless face, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.
Soon after, the two walked into a private room together.
Once the door closed, the noise outside was cut off into a blurred background sound.
The Ancient One silently scrutinized Peter, as if making up her mind about something. After a long while, she took a deep breath and said:
"Mr. The Arbiter, have you ever thought about what allows a person to live for hundreds of years?"
Peter had vaguely guessed the answer in his heart, so he spoke directly:
"Senior, whatever you want to say, just say it."
The Ancient One looked at him, and after a long time, she finally uttered two words:
"Dark Dimension, Dormammu."
Chapter 411: Sorcerer Supreme Gwen?
Hearing the Ancient One voluntarily mention these two words, Peter couldn't help but think to himself, "As expected."
"As the Sorcerer Supreme, my duty is to protect Earth and prevent Dormammu's Dark Dimension from seizing any opportunity to invade."
The Ancient One slowly began to explain the origin of the Sorcerer Supreme:
"Earlier in my life, I always strictly adhered to my duties."
"But later, as time passed, I gradually realized that things were not as simple as I had thought."
"Due to the development of the times and technology, people's understanding of magic has become less and less, and the number of outsiders arriving at Kamar-Taj has decreased year by year."
"Most of them are weak-willed, finding it difficult even to master basic magic, let alone inherit my mantle and take over the position of Sorcerer Supreme."
"I gradually grew older and older, yet a suitable successor never appeared."
"In order to hold this line of defense for Earth, I had to choose to steal power from the Dark Dimension to extend my life."
The Ancient One's voice was very soft, but her body trembled incessantly as she spoke:
"I violated the taboos that a Sorcerer Supreme must observe and betrayed the core precepts I had established myself."
"I taught every disciple to stay away from the darkness, yet day after day, I drank poison to quench my thirst."
There was no expression on her face as she said this, but Peter could feel how heavy the burden beneath it was.
"I had assumed that I would have to continue bearing this sin and live on in shame."
At this point, the Ancient One looked up, and an unprecedented light burst forth from her eyes as she looked at Peter,
"But today, I witnessed your power."
"You are far more powerful than I am. With you here, Earthno longer needs a gatekeeper who relies on stealing from the Dark Dimension to forcefully extend her life."
As she said this, the corners of her lips curved into an arc of relief.
"So I think it is time to put an end to this sin."
After listening to these words from the Ancient One, Petercouldn't help but fall silent.
Simply put, the Ancient One, seeing that Peter was capable of opposing Dormammu, hoped to completely sever her connection with the Dark Dimension and end her long life that had spanned several hundred years.
After hearing everything the Ancient One recounted, Peterdid not try to persuade her to continue living.
Under normal circumstances, living alone for hundreds of years is already a kind of torture.
Not to mention that the Ancient One had to endure inner torment at every moment over the past hundred years.
For her, having borne such heavy sin and endured it alone for so long, death was the true release.
It's just... if he were to let the Ancient One die now.
What would happen to the "Doctor Strange," Stephen Strange, who hadn't appeared yet?
Although it could be said that even without Doctor Strange, he could easily resolve the crisis with Dormammu, or even that he could go and solve the Dormammu issue right now.
But because of his own existence, letting Doctor Strangelose the opportunity to become the Sorcerer Supreme, isn't that a bit too much of a pity?
The situation with Stephen Strange was different from Sam and Rhodes, who had lost their chances to become Falcon and War Machine.
Those two had lost their opportunities to become Superheroes because they had picked the wrong side and chosen to follow the President's orders.
But regarding Stephen Strange, firstly, Peter had a good impression of him from the movies, and secondly, the other party had never offended him.
If possible, Peter still wanted to give him a chance to "get back on track."
Thinking of this, Peter finally decided to probe and spoke:
"Ancient One," Peter said, "I can understand your desire for release, but don't you think you should consider the issue of a successor first?"
A flash of surprise crossed the Ancient One's eyes; she did not answer Peter's question directly but gestured for him to continue.
"Although you Sorcerer Supremes have likely recorded all magic in books."
"But without someone teaching it, there are bound to be omissions, right? Over time, the inheritance will inevitably be broken."
"If I'm not mistaken, Dormammu is likely an existence that is as difficult to completely destroy as Mephisto, right?"
"If you want to ensure that Earth can still be protected by the Sorcerer Supremes after I am gone in a hundred years, then I think you should finish this last watch, at least to find someone who can fully inherit your mantle."
Hearing Peter say this, the Ancient One couldn't help but frown, clearly considering the validity of Peter's words.
Seeing that she was clearly wavering, Peter added another bargaining chip:
"Besides, the existence of Wanda is also an issue.
She is a natural magician, and previously, because of the Super Skrulls incident, I forcibly activated more of the hidden potential deep within her body.
One day, she will inevitably approach those legendary-level existences. Although I have a way to control her, you know that I never resort to harsh measures against my own people.
Furthermore, I may not always stay on Earth in the future.
So, it would be best to have someone other than me who can restrain her at critical moments."
The Ancient One listened quietly to Peter's explanation, and a moment later, a faint arc appeared at the corners of her mouth:
"Mr. The Arbiter, you are indeed thoughtful."
At this point, she paused, and her tone unexpectedly carried a hint of... probing?
"In fact, regarding a successor, I already have a candidate in mind."
"It's just that previously, I didn't want to break the principle that a Sorcerer Supreme cannot artificially interfere with the selection of a successor and must quietly wait for the destined person to appear, which is why I never considered actively approaching them."
"But thinking about it now, I have already violated the most taboo rules, so what does this dispensable principle matter?"
"In special times, one should use special means."
"Instead of adhering to rules and continuing to make big mistakes, it is better to break and then rebuild, and let all the sins end with me!"
Hearing the Ancient One say this, Peter's spirits lifted.
He thought to himself:
It can't be wrong; it looks like the Ancient One intends to go find Stephen Strange and take him as an apprentice this time!
He was even prepared to put on an "You're so right, sister" expression and then shower the Ancient One with flattery.
But the next second, the name that came out of the Ancient One's mouth left Peter frozen on the spot.
"I was initially worried that such an extreme approach would cause your strong opposition."
"But since you hold the same view as I do, I can now completely set my mind at ease and go talk to Gwen."
Listening to the Ancient One's words, Peter first nodded subconsciously:
"So right... Hmm? No, wait a minute..."
Peter, halfway through his sentence, suddenly realized what was happening, and the calm, indifferent expression on his face instantly froze:
"Senior, who did you just say you were going to talk to?"
"Gwen, of course." The Ancient One asked Peter back, puzzled:
"What's wrong? Do you think there is something wrong with letting Gwen inherit my mantle?"
Chapter 412: It Doesn't Seem That Hard
Silence. Silence was the theme of the private room in Avengers Tower tonight.
Peter looked at the Ancient One with a stunned expression. A moment later, he couldn't help but repeat:
"The Gwen you mentioned... do you mean... Gwen Stacy?!"
"That's right, your little girlfriend. It's easy to see that she loves you very much, and she is also a responsible and good girl."
The Ancient One praised Gwen generously, her eyes filled with undisguised appreciation:
"Her talent for magic is equally outstanding. I have never seen a child with such exceptional talent."
"Um... if I may say so, would you like to reconsider? Perhaps there is someone more suitable than her?"
Peter was so anxious he scratched his head, thinking about how to recommend that guy Strange to the Ancient One.
If even Strange couldn't meet the Ancient One's standards, he still had a second candidate.
That was the chubby kid Ned, who showed far greater magical talent than Strange in "Spider-Man: No Way Home."
Strange was thrown onto the Himalayas by the Ancient One to cultivate bitterly, almost freezing himself to death before he could barely open a space portal using a Sling Ring.
But Ned, this "Sorcerer Supreme," opened a space portal on his very first try.
Additionally, the sentient Cloak of Levitation fell in love with Ned at first sight, treating him even better than it did Strange.
Peter remembered that in his past life, when he watched the movie, he had seen many complaints online: if Ned had been born a few years earlier, the so-called Sorcerer Supreme would have had nothing to do with Strange.
Right now, if he had a choice, Peter would definitely use Freddy's highest authority to search for Ned's location and bring him before the Ancient One immediately.
But unfortunately, the Ancient One just shook her head at his suggestion, her expression firmer than ever before.
"I have been observing her for a long time."
"That girl is absolutely the most suitable person to become the Sorcerer Supreme. Both her temperament and talent are one in a billion."
"I can be certain that there is no one in this World more suitable to become the Sorcerer Supreme than Gwen!"
Speaking of this, she couldn't help but look at Peter with some curiosity:
"Mr. The Arbiter, you clearly have some knowledge of magic yourself. Did you not see her magical talent?"
"Not to mention anything else, just look at the affinity and control over light magic she developed immediately after you enhanced her. Isn't that talent visible to the naked eye?"
Reminded by the Ancient One, Peter felt a "buzz" in his head.
That's right. Whether it was the incantations of the Shun Shun Rikka or the light magic she displayed after being enhanced by Apocalypse's power, all of this was enough to prove Gwen's excellent magical talent.
Furthermore, Peter remembered another very important magical item from the original work—the Book of the Vishanti.
This supreme artifact, the only one capable of restraining the Darkhold, had ridiculously strict requirements for the user's character.
If there was even a shred of impure thought or a hint of greed in one's heart, it would be impossible to fully master it.
And Gwen... she was simple, gentle, and kind to the point of obsession, always concerned about the safety of the public. She was practically the perfect vessel for the Book of the Vishanti!
But even so, the more Peter thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. Finally, unwilling to give up, he said:
"After all, this concerns the succession of the Sorcerer Supreme. I think we should be more cautious... How about we let Gwen have a trial first? For example, let's see if she can master a basic spell on her first try?"
Hearing this, the Ancient One didn't suspect anything and even nodded seriously:
"That is indeed a good method. Shall we... go and try it now?"
Thus, three minutes later, Peter and the Ancient Onereturned to the banquet hall.
"Peter, where did you go just now?" As soon as Peterreturned to the banquet hall, Gwen subconsciously grabbed Peter's arm.
"Uh... I was just discussing a game with Master Ancient One."
As Peter spoke, he signaled for the Ancient One to place the Sling Ring on the bar counter.
This action attracted the attention of everyone present.
Seeing that everyone's eyes were on her, the Ancient Oneintroduced the usage of the Sling Ring and the precautions to take, then demonstrated how to use it to everyone once more.
She put on the Sling Ring and raised her hand to draw a circle in the air.
Following her movement, a space portal instantly opened. Cold wind and snowflakes blew into the banquet hall, causing everyone inside to shiver in unison.
The Ancient One only demonstrated it once before closing the portal, then took off the Sling Ring and signaled that anyone interested could give it a try.
This peculiar "game" instantly piqued everyone's interest.
Harry was the first to grab the Sling Ring. He made exaggerated gestures, praying and pointing at the sky and the ground.
But the result left Harry deeply disappointed. He drew several circles in a row, but couldn't even conjure a single spark.
After Harry, Captain America, Sif, Daisy, Natasha, and others tried one after another, but without exception, none of them succeeded.
At most, they could only conjure a few sporadic sparks, like a lighter out of fuel.
The second to last to try was Tony. In his own words, "The expert always makes the grand finale."
He didn't rush to draw a circle, but closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, seemingly performing some kind of high-speed calculation.
A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and began to draw a circle with his arm at an extremely precise angle.
This time, the effect was significant.
A circle of intermittent golden sparks lit up in the air. Although it was extremely unstable and flickered like a faulty light bulb, it ultimately formed a blurry circular outline, and one could even vaguely see traces of warped spatial ripples.
But in the end, the space portal dissipated nonetheless.
"Ha!" Although Tony was a bit annoyed that he couldn't open the portal directly.
But such a result was enough for him to show off.
"See that? When it counts, you still have to rely on me."
This smug performance naturally drew a chorus of boos.
After booing, everyone's gaze finally fell on Gwen.
"Gwen, it's your turn." Felicia couldn't help but urge her.
"Me?" Gwen looked at the Sling Ring, her eyes filled with both anticipation and anxiety.
"Relax, trust your own feelings."
The Ancient One smiled and handed over the Sling Ring.
Seemingly infected by the Ancient One's gentle attitude, Gwen took a deep breath, mimicked the Ancient One, put the Sling Ring on her hand, and then somewhat clumsily drew a circle in front of her.
Time seemed to slow down at this moment.
Under the nervous gaze of everyone, especially Peter, without the slightest hesitation.
Streaks of sparks connected into one, and then formed an incredibly stable golden circular portal, which opened with a boom!
But behind that door, it was no longer the snowy mountains of the Himalayas, but the familiar streets of Queens, New York.
In the yard, Grandma Pauline was holding a cat, lying in a rocking chair, listening to the radio leisurely.
The chubby cat, sensing something unusual, meowed and raised its head, immediately bristling with fear at the sight before it.
Seeing that she had scared Grandma's little pet, Gwenhurriedly canceled the space portal.
The portal closed in response, but the tumultuous waves in everyone's hearts were not so easily calmed.
The glass in Tony's hand dropped to the floor with a "clatter" and shattered into pieces.
Harry's mouth was open wide enough to fit a light bulb.
Everyone looked at Gwen, dumbfounded.
Gwen only then reacted, realizing what had happened. She looked at the people around her, who all had different expressions, and offered an innocent smile:
"It seems... it really isn't that hard."
Chapter 413: The Hanging Heart Has Completely Died
Gwen's words made Peter's vision go dark, and he almost fell into Wanda's arms.
Wanda: Damn it, so close!
As if finally realizing what Peter was thinking, she smiled and winked at him, then spoke:
"It seems everyone had a great time playing that game just now. So next, let's play another game."
As she spoke, she once again manipulated the Sling Ringto draw a circle.
The portal opened once more, and this time, it revealed a place resembling a museum.
Inside the glass display cases, ancient artifacts with a clearly long history were stored.
The Ancient One casually snapped her fingers, and a display case containing a red cloak opened automatically. The red cloak inside seemed to come to life, spontaneously flying onto the Ancient One's shoulders.
It was precisely the Cloak of Levitation that Peter had mentioned before.
The Ancient One affectionately patted the cloak's velvet surface, then spoke:
"Good child, go see if there is anyone you like among these people."
Hearing this, the cloak circled gracefully in the air, its high collars on both sides folding together like two arms.
Its proud posture made it look just like a king inspecting his territory.
It first floated in front of Tony.
Tony's eyes lit up instantly, and he subconsciously wanted to reach out with the micro-scanning device on his arm to analyze it.
*Smack!*
The cloak's collar-arms unceremoniously slapped away Tony's outstretched scanner, and then it turned its head away in disgust and flew off, leaving Tony standing there in utter bewilderment.
"Hey, my temper! You're just a tiny cloak, and you dare to hit me?!"
His pride wounded, Tony yelled loudly. His arm was instantly covered by his Battle Suit's arm guard as he reached out to grab the corner of the cloak. However, the cloak dodged nimbly, causing his hand to grasp empty air.
"Hey?" An irate vein popped on Tony's forehead.
Refusing to believe he couldn't do it, he simply launched the entire arm guard, letting it capture the Cloak of Levitation on its own.
Seeing this, the cloak also got excited. It provocatively gestured with its 'finger' at Tony, and then flew off with a whoosh.
That speed...
"WTF?" Tony couldn't help but exclaim. His smart sunglasses showed that the speed this cloak burst out with had actually reached supersonic levels!
The cloak dodged left and right in the banquet hall, while Tony's launched arm guard pursued it relentlessly under the power of its thrusters.
One chased, one fled, yet the latter was far from cornered.
After circling the banquet hall a few times, the Cloak of Levitation flew back to Tony's side.
Tony thought the cloak had finally submitted, and eagerly anticipated it draping itself over his shoulders.
To his surprise, the cloak made a nimble drift, actually flying past, brushing against Tony's face.
As it passed, the corner of the cloak slapped Tony hard in the face.
And that wasn't all.
The moment the cloak flew away, Tony's mechanical arm guard followed right behind, punching Tony square in the chin.
A clean, swift uppercut knocked Tony out cold.
It was only because Tony had previously been enhanced by Peter using Apocalypse's power to have abilities similar to liquid metal; otherwise, taking this hit would have likely caused a severe concussion, if not killed him.
Seeing Tony lying on the ground seeing stars, the cloak couldn't help but roll around on the floor, looking as if its stomach hurt from laughing so hard!
"Fuck! I give up!"
Tony grumbled angrily, indeed no longer daring to have any designs on the cloak.
After Tony, the cloak swept past Harry, Daisy, Natasha, Captain America, and the others one by one.
Nothing noteworthy happened during this process.
Only when passing Mantis did the cloak hover around her for a brief moment, seemingly very interested in her pure heart.
Mantis curiously reached out her finger to touch the cloak, and the cloak obediently let her touch it, but it did not drape itself over her.
Next was Wanda.
This time, its reaction was even more intense. The cloak scrunched up into an expression resembling a human face, and then made a gagging motion.
Wanda gritted her teeth, dark red Chaos Magic clearly lighting up on her fingers.
But after glancing at Peter, she silently dispersed the magic, and even casually smoothed her hair.
On the side, Felicia and Natasha noticed this little detail. The two women exchanged a look, both wearing a helpless expression of 'those who know, know.'
Their man's charm was just too great; sometimes they, too, felt quite helpless~
Finally, the cloak flew over to Gwen.
At this moment, Peter's breath caught in his throat.
In his heart, he prayed frantically that this damn cloak would absolutely ignore Gwen.
On the other hand, Gwen looked at this highly spiritual cloak and found it quite interesting, but she didn't react immediately, only quietly observing it.
As for the Cloak of Levitation, it completely lost its previous pride and arrogance. Instead, like a young virgin seeing his crush, it first solemnly adjusted its collar.
Then, it tremblingly nudged Gwen's arm with the corner of its collar.
Gwen didn't dodge. Instead, she curiously reached out and touched the cloak's silky fabric.
This action was like a signal.
The Cloak of Levitation suddenly became ecstatic. In an almost flattering manner, it quickly and gently draped itself over Gwen.
The size was neither too big nor too small—just right.
The cloak's collar buckled automatically, and it even thoughtfully used its corner to help Gwen pull out the strands of hair tucked inside the cloak.
Having done all this, it was still not satisfied. The two collar corners affectionately rubbed against Gwen's cheeks. Its clingy behavior was simply more loyal than a loyal dog.
With this, Peter's hanging heart completely died.
The Ancient One then smiled and looked at Peter, her gaze clearly saying:
"What else do you have to say now?"
"Peter, why do you have that expression? Is something wrong?"
Gwen, who was teasing the Cloak of Levitation, now belatedly realized something was off. She couldn't help but look at Peter and ask with concern.
Peter looked at her, and after a moment, he ultimately told her everything about the Ancient One's intention to take her as a disciple.
As soon as these words came out, everyone else at the scene was completely stunned.
This legendary sorcerer, who had suddenly appeared in this Infinity War and displayed unprecedentedly astonishing power, actually wanted to take Gwen as a disciple?
On the other side, Gwen also finally snapped out of her shock.
"Lady Ancient One, are you serious? Making me the... successor to the Sorcerer Supreme?"
The Ancient One nodded solemnly:
"Child, your magic talent is the most outstanding one I have seen in the past hundreds of years, even far surpassing mine back then. With your talent, as long as you are willing to follow me to Kamar-Taj to study diligently..."
"Within ten years... no, three years at most! You will be qualified to become a Sorcerer Supreme who can stand shoulder to shoulder with me!"
Chapter 414: Carter's Critical Condition, A Crazy Idea
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Ancient One in less than three years?
This confident statement made Tony, Harry, and the others so envious that even Jiru turned purple.
Who wouldn't drool over Sorcerer Ancient One's magic, which looked incredibly expensive to cast?
To master such cool magic in just three years—if it were them, they would definitely agree without a second thought.
But Gwen fell into deep hesitation after hearing this.
Of course, she craved power. She yearned to truly fight alongside Peter instead of always hiding behind him, watching him face World-ending crises alone.
But... becoming the Sorcerer Supreme?
That would mean leaving her current life behind, leaving New York, leaving Peter, and leaving her identity as Ghost-Spider, which she loved—swinging between the city's skyscrapers to help ordinary people in need.
"But..." Gwen opened her mouth, her voice a bit dry, "New York needs Ghost..."
Before Gwen could finish, Felicia suddenly spoke up. Holding her wine glass, she walked gracefully to Gwen's side, her tone carrying a hint of teasing.
"My dear, face reality... In New York right now, there are almost more heroes than villains."
"Peter's Shadow Fist, and the girls of the Black Rose... Do you know how long it's been since they last had any work?"
"I heard Mr. Murdock has already given up his identity as Daredevil and is content being a blind lawyer."
This remark drew a burst of laughter from everyone, diluting much of the originally tense atmosphere.
Harry, deeply agreeing, leaned in as well. Spreading the wings on his back, he looked at Gwen with a face full of grief and indignation, saying:
"Felicia is right, Gwen! Please retire quickly and give me a chance to show off... ah, no, a chance to uphold justice!"
Their words made Gwen both annoyed and amused, and the heavy pressure in her heart unknowingly dissipated by half.
Her gaze then turned to Peter.
In the end, the one she was most reluctant to leave... was still Peter!
Facing Gwen's gaze, Peter responded with an equally tender look:
"I won't make any decisions for you, but I will always be your strongest supporter."
No matter how reluctant he was to part with Gwen, Peterhad no reason to hold her back from becoming better just for his own selfish desires.
Hearing this, the female heroes present looked at Peterwith gazes that were almost melting.
Meanwhile, the male heroes grimaced one by one. Harryeven quietly leaned over to Tony and said:
"Did you learn something? Why don't you try saying that to Pepper when you go back?"
Tony glanced sideways at him and let out a sneer:
"At least I have Pepper. What about you?"
Harry: Are you insulting me again?!
Returning to the main topic, meeting Peter's sincere and gentle gaze, Gwen took a deep breath and finally made up her mind.
She bowed deeply to the Ancient One.
"Teacher, I am willing to learn supreme magic with you."
Hearing this, a heartfelt smile of relief appeared on the Ancient One's face.
She gently embraced Gwen and whispered in her ear:
"Good child, Kamar-Taj welcomes you anytime."
"But before that, you can say a proper farewell to your boyfriend."
...
Over the next few days, Peter canceled all his work and dates, leaving all of his time for Gwen.
As if the end of the World were coming, the two of them tirelessly explored every corner of the city, trying to leave behind more memories of each other.
And on every quiet night, they passionately drained each other's energy at Parker Manor.
The day of parting arrived after all.
On this day, Peter personally held Gwen's hand and sent her to Kamar-Taj using the Eye of Aurora.
Standing at the entrance of Kamar-Taj, the Ancient Onespoke with some helplessness to Peter, who was looking back with every step:
"Don't worry, I will take good care of her. We agreed that during Gwen's studies, you cannot come to disturb her often."
Peter nodded with some sadness:
"I promise I won't just drop by, but you can't refuse my request to bring her back to stay for at least two—no, three days every month!"
"Don't worry." The Ancient One rarely showed a down-to-earth smile:
"I'm not some kind of demon, so of course I wouldn't do something to keep you two from seeing each other."
...
The light of the Eye of Aurora flashed, and Peter returned to Parker Manor all by himself.
The streets of New York were still bustling, and the lights of the Avengers Tower were still brilliant.
But for Peter, it felt as if a piece of his heart had gone missing.
The first day without Gwen—miss her.
While he was feeling emo all by himself, the doorbell rang outside.
Opening the door with some annoyance, he saw that the visitor was actually Captain America.
The super soldier, once as steadfast as a rock, was now unshaven and looked extremely haggard, the light in his eyes significantly dimmed.
"What happened, Captain?" Peter was startled by his appearance, swallowing back the words of dismissal that were on the tip of his tongue.
Captain America remained silent for a long time, as if organizing his words, or perhaps making a difficult decision.
After a long while, he finally raised his head, his eyes filled with pleading.
"Carter... she's not going to make it."
Peter's heart jolted slightly.
Of course he knew who the Carter Captain America spoke of was.
Peggy Carter, one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Captain America's lover.
Counting the years, she was now in her nineties.
"I know this request is selfish and out of line," Steve's voice carried a deep pain,
"I shouldn't have disturbed you with this. You've already done enough for this World. But... Peter, I really have no other choice."
He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white from the exertion.
"I missed her whole life. I failed to stay by her side, to watch her marry and have children, to watch her grow old. Now, I even have to watch her leave me again with my own eyes... I..."
This superhero, who had never shown fear even when facing Thanos, now had red eyes, his voice choking up completely.
"I just... just want to spend a little more time with her, even if it's only for a day, or an hour."
Now that he was separated from Gwen, Peter could well understand Captain America's emotions.
But some things were impossible even for him to achieve.
Even the invincible Old Horse couldn't fight against time.
Aging is a normal law of life, not an "abnormal status."
Even if Peter immediately used the Horse Talisman to cure all the ailments on Carter's body and repair her failing organs, she would still be a ninety-something-year-old elder.
Her brain, her bones, and her bodily functions had already reached their end.
Perhaps she could live for a few more years, and perhaps achieving that much would already be enough for Captain America.
But Peter did not want to stop at just that.
He hoped Captain America and Carter could finish that unfinished dance.
He hoped Carter could still walk happily alongside Captain America.
And even more, he hoped... Uncle Ben, Aunt May, George, and the confidantes he cherished would never leave him.
A crazy idea that had once flashed through his mind resurfaced:
Horse Talisman + dog talisman + Ten Rings = reversing the electric meter, turning back the clock on aging!
But there was still that same problem: he didn't have the dog talisman in his hands!
Just as he was agonizing over how to solve this problem, a long-awaited system notification sounded in Peter's ears.
[The System Shop has refreshed. Welcome to browse and purchase, Host!]
Waiting for more chapters on WTR-Lab: MARVEL: I BECAME AN ANCESTOR BY SACRIFICING OFFERINGs