"I can feel a trace of power within me that shares the same origin as a certain power you possess.
After you shared a portion of that power with me, your own power is no longer complete."
With Odin's strength, he was naturally able to detect the changes occurring in his body.
All of his vitality was attached to that trace of power within his body, like a seed; it was what re-condensed his dissipating life force.
Moreover, Odin sensed a hint of immortality from it, which was exactly the same as the power within Shen Mu.
He understood that this was Shen Mu sharing a trace of his immortal source of power with him, which allowed him to awaken, and thus he felt an added sense of gratitude towards Shen Mu.
At the same time, he couldn't help but feel fortunate for his past decision to befriend Shen Mu.
"Your life should be connected to the seal you set, right?
As long as you don't die, the seals on Hela and the Great Serpent will not be broken; correspondingly, as soon as the seals are broken, your life will also come to an end."
Shen Mu directly laid out Odin's situation.
"That's right, I thought I could wait until Thor had fully matured, until he had the strength to break his destined prophecy, then I could die peacefully."
"Unfortunately, the laws of the Universe are just so, they never run as smoothly as one person's will."
Odin had naturally already made his plans: to use his life to maintain the seal and await Thor's growth.
And Thor did not disappoint him, gradually becoming more mature, gaining a hint of a kingly demeanor.
All of this brought immense comfort to Odin as he gradually approached the end of his life.
However, Mephisto's appearance shattered all of his plans; the immense fear brought by the demon directly allowed the Great Serpent to regain the power of revival.
Although it was very brief, it was enough for it to impact the seal he had set!
"Open the seal!"
"As long as you actively release the seal, and with the immortal power I've given you, your vitality should no longer continue to deplete like this!"
Shen Mu didn't say much, speaking directly to Odin.
"No, my Death is irreversible."
"I am already very happy to have witnessed Thor's growth!"
"Now, with your presence in Asgard, I have nothing more to worry about."
"There is nothing I can do to express my gratitude for your help."
"In my treasury are some cosmic artifacts I collected in my youth; perhaps they are of no use to you now, but you can give them to others."
As Odin finished speaking, his body transformed into countless golden particles, drifting upwards towards Asgard.
Outside the temple, above the sky of Asgard, a colossal, towering phantom appeared.
Odin, clad in golden armor, seemed to have regained his youthful valor, holding the Eternal Spear, which shimmered with a rainbow of light, and riding his eight-legged divine steed, Sleipnir.
"Your Majesty, the All-Father!"
Immediately, all Asgardians who witnessed this sight knelt before him.
"Father!"
Thor and Loki, seeing such a scene, naturally knew what had happened.
They hurriedly tried to rush into the bedchamber, but at that moment, the phantom of Odin in the sky spoke, his voice echoing throughout the Nine Realms!
"All citizens of Asgard, I am Odin Borson, and in the name of my father, today I officially pass the throne of the All-Father to my sons, Thor Odinson and Loki Odinson."
"In the era of two kings, Asgard will surpass all previous All-Fathers under their leadership."
"Frigga, I am very sorry, I must depart first; watch over the future of Thor and Loki for me!"
Everyone knew these were the All-Father's final words.
Upon hearing this, the most incredulous person in the scene was Loki.
He had never imagined that his father, in his final moments, would make such a decision.
Two kings—this was unprecedented in Asgardian history.
Furthermore, he wasn't even an Asgardian, but merely an abandoned Frost Giant that Odin had picked up from the battlefield.
At this moment, all past events revolved in Loki's mind.
All his dissatisfaction with Odin vanished in an instant.
Everything he had done before was never for the throne, but to gain the recognition of his father, Odin.
Now, he had finally received it!
"Your Majesty, the All-Father!"
Watching Odin's figure slowly dissipate, all the Asgardians cheered, bidding him farewell on his final journey.
Odin's Death caused the trace of immortal essence that Shen Mu had separated to return to his body.
Meanwhile, many beings in the Universe harbored different feelings about Odin's Death.
Some felt sadness, like Sylphania, the Elder of the Elven Kingdom.
After all, for thousands of years, the Elven Kingdom had always been under Asgard's protection.
Of course, many other beings expressed excitement.
"Odin, what if you took my Eternal Flame? You are still going to die, while I am immortal and indestructible; one day I will become the doom of Asgard."
Surtur, the Fire Giant of Muspelheim, sensed the departure of his mortal enemy, raised his Twilight Sword high, and swore an oath.
"Odin, the enmity between Asgard and Jotunheim now dissipates!"
When Loki came to Jotunheim to confirm earlier, Laufey had learned that Loki was his son.
And now that he had become one of the two kings of Asgard, he, as a father, had never done anything for him, and could only bring peace to the two races from now on.
...
On Earth, deep in the Mariana Trench, the ocean water began to churn as if boiling.
"Odin, you are finally dead! Asgard will once again be under my control."
In the dark abyss, an ancient voice rang out, and eight streams of light flew out, heading to various parts of Earth.
These were the eight divine hammers Kuurth had forged, capable of transforming those who wielded them into his most loyal servants.
"Fear, I need fear!"
With that, Kuurth took a step, and a ghostly light shot into the sky; a colossal serpent head, as huge as a mountain, burst forth from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, its body extending to unknown lengths.
The Great Serpent—this was the ultimate form of the All-Father Kuurth.
"F***! Why is there such a monster in the Pacific Ocean, and why has our biological detection radar never found any trace of it before?!"
"Coulson, immediately take the combat team to investigate the situation; do not attack rashly, prioritize gathering intelligence."
Nick Fury looked at the satellite monitoring footage of the giant serpent roaring at the sky, and immediately let out a classic expletive.
Then he ordered his most capable subordinate to investigate this unknown Great Serpent.
Meanwhile, on the coast of Norway, a ghostly green portal opened.
A woman with disheveled hair and a dark green robe emerged from it with an elegant cat-like stride.
"Odin, it's truly a pity I couldn't witness your Death with my own eyes!"
Hela looked up at the sky, her voice a mournful whisper.
"Is that so? You and your father certainly have a good relationship!"
Suddenly, Hela spun around sharply, realizing that an unfamiliar figure had appeared behind her at some point.