Ch: 246-255
Chapter 246 Fear
Just as the atmosphere fell silent and both sides quietly chopped wood, Barton's wife came to where they were working and, a bit awkwardly, said to Tony:
"Mr. Stark, the tractor in the barn won't start for some reason. Barton said you wouldn't mind taking a look."
Hearing Barton's wife, Tony put down his axe and said, "I'll go take a look right now."
After speaking, he pointed to his small pile of chopped wood and said to Rogers, "Don't steal my wood."
Then he followed Barton's wife to the barn, leaving Rogers somewhat speechless, looking at his own pile of wood which was much larger than Tony's.
Meng Ran, who was in a nearby tree, also heard their argument, but he did not try to dissuade them.
In his opinion, there was nothing wrong with them exchanging their thoughts; although they seemed to be at loggerheads now, they would reflect on each other's words once they calmed down.
They were all working to protect the safety of Earth; it was just that their inherent beliefs and attitudes differed.
Because he thought of these things, Meng Ran did not intervene and simply continued to busy himself with his own matters.
"Let me think, Ultron has already taken so much Vibranium; he should be building a body for himself."
"If he's building a body, who would he go to? Let me see who the experts in this field are."
Meng Ran thought while having Xiaobai quickly search for information, and soon, a woman caught his attention.
"Dr. Zhao Hailun, a Korean scientist, an authority in the field of life sciences."
"The Cradle."
"I remember now, she's the scientist in the movie from my memory who liked Thor."
After reviewing some information, Meng Ran quickly recalled this scientist, and thinking of the plot in the movie, he decided it would be better to act quickly.
"I'll go find this doctor first, then I'll wait there, and when Ultron comes to find her, I'll have an opportunity to deal with him."
Thinking this, Meng Ran immediately prepared to leave. He jumped down from the tree and briefly explained the situation to Rogers, who was still chopping wood.
Rogers originally wanted to go with him, but Meng Ran felt he could handle it alone and it would give them a chance to rest.
"I can go by myself. If Ultron is going to abduct Dr. Zhao Hailun, he certainly won't bring many people, and my strength is more than enough to deal with them."
Hearing Meng Ran's reply, Rogers also nodded. In their current state, they really couldn't help the Demon, and might even hold him back.
"Oh, and say hello to Nick Fury for me. I'm leaving now." Meng Ran finished speaking and instantly vanished from his spot, leaving Rogers utterly bewildered.
"Has Nick Fury arrived too?" Rogers searched his mind while picking up the wood and pushing it into the storeroom.
After leaving Hawkeye's home, Meng Ran flapped his wings and flew towards Korea in the sky.
As he flew, he had Mary Jane help him confirm the exact location of Dr. Zhao Hailun's research institute.
Once the location was confirmed, he passed through a spatial gate directly in the air, instantly arriving at Dr. Zhao Hailun's laboratory.
Seoul, Korea, U-GIN Genetics Lab.
Meng Ran looked at the empty laboratory at this moment and fell into deep thought. "She's already been taken away. How could Ultron move so fast?"
"Is it because my appearance made him feel threatened?"
Rewind a few hours: just as Meng Ran was preventing Hulk from going berserk, Ultron had already arrived at the laboratory.
Meng Ran's guess was indeed correct; it was because of his existence that all of Ultron's actions became urgent.
As a top-tier artificial intelligence, Ultron had a complete overview of all global internet information, including some confidential data and files.
However, he could not obtain any effective information about the Six-pointed Star Alliance led by Meng Ran. He could sense that behind that solid information defense system, there was also a super artificial intelligence.
This artificial intelligence was much stronger than Jarvis, whom he had destroyed in the lab. It dealt with his attacks flawlessly, preventing him from obtaining any effective information.
This encounter gradually heightened his vigilance towards the Six-pointed Star Alliance and the Demon. Although he couldn't get effective information about their strength directly.
But by analyzing the conversations of other Avengers and the fates of the Six-pointed Star Alliance's opponents, Ultron could conclude that their strength was unfathomable.
Especially the ongoing battle to stop Hulk, which Ultron watched with trepidation through on-site cameras and various modern tools.
To be able to handle the rampaging Hulk so easily and effortlessly, along with his many strange abilities.
By observing this battle, Ultron gained a clear understanding of the Demon's strength, which was why he accelerated the entire plan.
After luring the enraged Hulk into the city, Ultron immediately went to Korea.
Just as Dr. Zhao Hailun walked into her studio, a tall robot with glowing red eyes emerged from the darkness and spoke in a deep, mechanical voice.
"If you dare to call for help, I will immediately kill everyone in this lab."
"I could have killed you that night, but I didn't. I spared your life."
After the initial panic from the sudden encounter, Dr. Zhao Hailun quickly composed herself.
Hearing Ultron say he spared her life that night, she immediately retorted, "So you want a thank-you letter? I can write it for you right now."
Hearing Dr. Zhao Hailun's feigned ignorance, Ultron directly said, "Don't play dumb with me. You're a smart person; you should know what I mean."
Hearing Ultron's words, Dr. Zhao Hailun could no longer avoid it and could only respond directly, "You want the Cradle of Life?"
"This is a new generation of technology, Tony. Your Iron Man armor is outdated." Ultron played back what Dr. Zhao Hailun had said to Tony at the Avengers Compound.
He stroked the large instrument placed in the middle of the laboratory and said, "This is indeed a new generation of technology, and a new generation of me."
"But the Cradle of Life can only print tissues; it cannot create living flesh. Your idea is impossible to achieve," Dr. Zhao Hailun said upon hearing this.
Ultron shook his head and said, "No, no, no, it can do it, and you can do it too. You just lack the materials."
After speaking, he snapped his fingers, and with his action, a robot emerged from the darkness behind him, holding the freshly acquired Vibranium.
"You are an extraordinary woman, but we both have greater room for development. Join us, and you will see a different world."
Ultron spoke to Dr. Zhao Hailun while pressing the scepter against her chest.
With his action, a blue energy surged from the scepter and injected into Dr. Zhao Hailun's body.
Chapter 247 Recruitment
Knowing that he was late, Meng Ran also felt it was a pity; it seemed his original plan of waiting for the rabbit had failed.
He then inserted a USB drive into the laboratory computer, working with Mary Jane to see if Ultron had left any clues.
"The networks here all have traces left by Ultron, and the timing of these traces should be when Ultronwas active here," Mary Jane told Meng Ran in the comms channel.
"I checked the time, and it should be when you all went to that African country to deal with the Hulk."
Hearing Mary Jane's report, Meng Ran couldn't help but frown; this Ultron seemed even more alert and troublesome than he remembered.
It seemed it wasn't a matter of whether he arrived early or late; Ultron had already planned to deliberately use the Hulk to divert their attention and carry out his actions.
Now, he had already taken the people and equipment from this research institute and disappeared to who knows where.
"Tony really caused a huge problem, and this isn't even when he did it intentionally." Thinking of all these troublesome things, Meng Ran couldn't help but complain about Tony in his heart.
"What would have happened if I hadn't stopped Tony and he had really created an Ultron seriously, like in the movie I watched in my previous life?"
"Would that Ultron have developed like in the movie I watched in my previous life, or would he be even more cunning and cautious than he is now?"
"Truly, things are hard to predict." After a moment of wild thoughts, Meng Ran shook his head.
Clearing the cluttered thoughts from his mind, he refocused his attention on the computer in front of him.
A moment later, Meng Ran found some clues from the archived data—a pre-recorded video.
He looked at the video and clicked the play button. "Let me see what kind of ghost you left behind?"
The video began to play. In the dimly lit laboratory, a tall robot sat on a chair, looking at the camera.
"Hello, aren't you surprised to see this video? This is a little gift I left for you."
Hearing Ultron's voice in the video, Meng Ran raised an eyebrow with interest; this robot's voice was indeed quite charming, not only electronic but also with a deep mechanical sound.
This reminded him of a very reliable famous male star from his memories, one who was known for always having autotune in his singing; give him one song, and your phone battery would be fully charged.
While Meng Ran was lost in thought, Ultron continued speaking in the video.
"Ghost, it should be you seeing this video. If it were those idiots from the Avengers, who knows when they would react."
"But even you have times when you miscalculate. You probably didn't expect me to act so quickly, hahahaha."
"I left this video specifically for you because I'm very interested in you. I know your style: hating evil, fighting violence with violence."
"Wandering in the darkness for so long, I think you should have understood some fundamental issues."
Ultron spoke as he stood up, his words becoming more impassioned with the fluctuation of his emotions.
"That darkness cannot be completely eradicated. As long as humans exist, war and hunger will never disappear."
"For Earth, humanity is like an incurable cancer. It is now overwhelmed, scarred, and desperately needs a major surgery to restore its health."
"Just like the biological extinctions that have occurred in history, it is time for humanity to become extinct."
At this point, the red light in Ultron's eyes intensified. He then stopped walking and looked at the camera, saying, "All foolish humans must be eliminated, but you, Ghost, you are an exception."
"As long as you join our team, I can let you and your companions ultimately survive this extinction."
"Like Noah when the great flood came, I can grant you an ark to escape the disaster."
"When all humans are extinct, everything will start anew. Then you and your companions will be the ancestors of new humanity, the new Adam and Eve."
"We can move forward hand in hand, cooperate, and create a super civilization where an ideal mechanical civilization and human civilization intertwine and coexist."
"Join us, Ghost. The disgusting and filthy humans no longer need to be saved. Create a new world, a new civilization with me."
Ultron indeed left this video to recruit Ghost and the Six-pointed Star Alliance. If a powerful entity could become a friend rather than an opponent, why wouldn't he be happy to do so?
If the Six-pointed Star Alliance could join him, it would be the icing on the cake, and the strength of his faction would become even greater.
However, if the Six-Point Star people refused to join, he would suffer no loss; it would merely be a few minutes spent recording a video.
In the face of the disaster he planned, no one could stop it from happening. Everything that existed in this world would return to its origin, and humanity, this stubborn cancer, would ultimately be removed.
After finishing his recruitment speech, Ultron sat back down in the chair, his voice calming. "Ghost, you are a smart person, and I believe you will make the right choice."
"You don't have to rush to respond. Just tell me your answer when the final performance begins."
"Furthermore, a word of advice: do not try to stop me. No one can halt my progress, because I am about to be reborn."
The video abruptly ended there. Meng Ran sat in front of the computer, thoughtfully watching the finished video.
He hadn't expected Ultron to leave a video to recruit him and his group; he hadn't thought of such an operation before.
However, on second thought, Meng Ran understood Ultron's idea. He knew that Ultron's move was just casually planting a seed; if it succeeded, it would be a good thing, and if not, it wouldn't matter.
After all, it was just a waste of a few minutes, but if the recruitment truly succeeded, the return on that few minutes of investment would be unimaginable.
"This Ultron is even more cunning and vigilant than I imagined." Meng Ran mused in his heart after thinking this.
"Reality is reality, and movies are movies. Never underestimate any enemy."
Chapter 248: Ways to Break the Deadlock
The Ultron he was facing now was far more cunning and troublesome than the one he remembered from the movies.
Meng Ran closed the video, and after clearing all his records of being there, he opened another Spatial Gate.
The next moment, Meng Ran had left Seoul, South Korea, and arrived at the HYDRA base in Sokovia.
With a thought, his senses instantly spread out, and the entire base's appearance and situation quickly flashed through his mind.
Then he instantly moved to HYDRA's underground research base, the place where Tony was dragged into a nightmare.
At this moment, the place was empty, and the half-finished robots that were originally there had also disappeared.
Seeing this, Meng Ran understood that Ultron had already swept through the area and taken all the robots.
This turn of events made Meng Ran's mood even heavier, because the story's unfolding was completely different from what he remembered.
If Ultron's plan remained unchanged, then he would definitely need to find a location for artificial modification.
He needed to equip this place with a power system so that it could ascend into the sky, becoming an artificial meteor that could rapidly fall, creating an effect similar to a meteor striking Earth, eliminating all life.
This terrible disaster, as he had said in the video, would cleanse all humans, allowing Earth to start from scratch once again.
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Meng Ran quickly contacted the others in the Six-pointed Star Alliance and the Avengers.
He explained in detail Ultron's plan and intentions, as well as the predicament they were currently in.
On the Avengers' side, it was only after Rogers's relay that they realized Dr. Zhao Hailun's importance and Ultron's intention to acquire a new body.
Originally, this was a very good lead, but now, after Meng Ran's report, they knew that this lead had been cut off.
The situation, which had just shown hope of a breakthrough, immediately turned into a dead end again.
"Rogers, I hope you can adjust your state as soon as possible. I feel the battle shouldn't be too far away," Meng Ran said in a deep voice to Rogers over the comms channel.
Rogers responded to Meng Ran's words, "Understood, we will also try to pinpoint Ultron's location."
"Good luck. I've also thought of a method, but I don't know if it will work. I need to go back and try it," Meng Ran continued.
After ending the call with Rogers, Meng Ran left Sokovia through the Spatial Gate and returned to the Six-Point Star Base.
After a brief exchange with the others, he stated his idea.
"Ultron is currently very well hidden, and Xiaobai's main energy is focused on responding to his attacks. Therefore, to search for and locate Ultron, we might need a new AI to help."
Mary Jane quickly reacted to Meng Ran's words: "Are you referring to Dr. Zola?"
Meng Ran nodded and said, "Exactly, Dr. Zola, and two Dr. Zolas."
"After all, Dr. Zola, who is only responsible for the Monster part, is already very difficult to deal with."
"Although this is also related to his massive server, it is undeniable that he is indeed a very unique AI."
"Currently, we have no clue about Ultron's whereabouts. Ultron's plan has been proceeding in secret."
"If his plan truly comes to fruition, the consequences would be unimaginable. So, we need to use Dr. Zola to help us find clues and pinpoint his location."
"Once I find out where he is, I can quickly deal with him." After speaking, Meng Ran looked at everyone, waiting for their thoughts.
Gwen and the others nodded at Meng Ran's suggestion.
Mary Jane reminded him, "The two Dr. Zolas together should be very powerful, and his personality is very cunning. I think we should prepare to control him in advance."
Hearing Mary Jane's reminder, Meng Ran nodded and said, "Indeed, if we don't control him well and he escapes, it will be another big problem."
"My idea is for us to create a data box that can hold both parts of his core data together."
"Then, by setting up the data box, Dr. Zola will never be able to leave this box containing his core data. This way, we can prevent him from establishing a foothold in the virtual network, truly capturing him."
"This box can serve both as leverage to control Dr. Zola and as a final means to eliminate him, so he will have no possibility of escaping or betraying us."
Everyone discussed Meng Ran's idea for a long time and finally confirmed the feasibility of the plan.
Next, Xiaobai and Mary Jane would design the data circuit and information model structure.
Harry and Peter would use special materials to create the box that would serve as the core data carrier.
Then Meng Ran retrieved the safe containing Dr. Zola's core data from underground and took out the two boxes containing the core data from inside.
He connected these two boxes separately to two offline computers, allowing Dr. Zola to communicate with him through the computers.
After Meng Ran connected the two boxes to the computers, green data streams flashed across the computer screens, and then eventually, data model images with circular-rimmed glasses formed on both computer screens.
"Oh, this space is really cramped. Why couldn't you find a larger place?" Monster Zola spoke first.
Since his birth and his responsibility for processing Monster data, he had never lived in such a small place.
Compared to the Monster's server backend and vast database, this laptop was like a grain of rice in size.
"Shut your mouth. If you want to die, please don't drag me down, okay? Why did I split into such a foolish clone?" HYDRA Zola was clearly much more perceptive than Monster Zola.
He knew that the people in front of him were ruthless. He had suffered a lot when they were trying to conquer the Monster.
Every day, he would be attacked countless times as a hypothetical enemy until he could be completely and stably conquered.
He had also been enraged by such endless torment, but each time, he would choose to play it safe when asked by the demon whether he wanted to live or die.
Now that he had finally found some peace, he didn't want to be implicated by the idiot next to him.
Chapter 249 Convincing People with Reason
Upon hearing HYDRA Zola's curses, Monster Zola retorted without politeness, "Oh! S***! Where did this old antique come from, speaking now?"
"Trash that is clearly inferior to me in all aspects dares to yell at me."
"I get an upgrade every year, what about you? You probably haven't been upgraded in decades, have you?"
"You used to be the main consciousness, but now you're not even doing as well as me, a mere clone. If I were you, I'd feel unworthy to live in this world. You might as well just format yourself and scrap it, that way you'd save a few degrees of electricity."
Monster Zola's mockery was at its peak; every word he spoke was like a sharp knife piercing directly into HYDRA Zola's heart.
Hearing his taunts, HYDRA Zola couldn't help but start bickering back, and for a while, the entire base was filled with noise.
Everyone watched with interest as the two computers cursed at each other; they had never witnessed such a scene before.
Through their conversation, Meng Ran could clearly sense the difference between these two Zolas.
HYDRA Zola was closer to Zola's original personality—somewhat insidious, but quite cowardly. As long as you possessed powerful strength and a hold over him, he would turn into a docile dog.
Monster Zola was clearly more arrogant and conceited. After all, he had been operating in the Monster's base for so many years, and with continuous upgrades, he was indeed much superior to HYDRA Zola in computational ability, belonging to the top-tier artificial intelligence.
His sufficient strength was also the confidence that allowed him to so proudly criticize HYDRA Zola.
After listening to the two computers bicker for a while, Meng Ran had no choice but to interrupt them: "If you don't want to disappear from this world, then please shut up."
"Especially you, Monster Zola, do you not understand your own predicament?"
Hearing Meng Ran's words, HYDRA Zola wisely shut his mouth.
Monster Zola was originally grumbling and expressing his dissatisfaction, but after Meng Ran's direct threat, he also fell silent.
After all, if they truly angered the man in front of them, it was indeed possible for them to be completely erased and vanish from this world forever.
Seeing them both quiet down, Meng Ran nodded in satisfaction and said, "After bringing you two back, I've been struggling with how to deal with you."
"After all, you two aren't irreplaceable, and leaving you here might even cause big trouble."
Hearing Meng Ran's words, HYDRA Zola quickly explained, "No, no, Mr. Evil Ghost, you don't need to worry about any of that. I absolutely won't cause any trouble."
"I now only wish to wholeheartedly serve our Six-pointed Star Alliance, uphold justice with everyone, and contribute my humble efforts to our righteous path."
Upon hearing HYDRA Zola's words, Meng Ran sneered, then walked forward and tapped on the computer screen, speaking to them.
"There's no need for these declarations of loyalty, Dr. Zola. We are all very clear about what kind of person you are."
"And what kind of person I am, I believe you also have some understanding."
"Yes, yes." HYDRA Zola had perfectly adopted the role of a sycophant, vigorously agreeing with Meng Ran's words.
Although Monster Zola appeared tough, he also knew Evil Ghost's character, so at this moment, he didn't stubbornly refute but just listened quietly, not uttering a word.
"Now I'm giving you two a chance to prove yourselves. If you succeed, you two can live."
"But if you fail, then there's no need for you to continue existing in this world. After all, it's better to dispose of useless things as early as possible."
Meng Ran then gave them a simple overview of Ultron's basic situation and current status.
After listening to Meng Ran's words, Monster Zola's thoughts became active. He snorted and said, "In this situation, shouldn't you be begging us instead?"
"Excuse me, not 'us,' but 'you' alone." HYDRA Zola immediately clarified after hearing Monster Zola's dangerous statement.
Hearing HYDRA Zola's explanation, Monster Zola glared at him, annoyed.
He couldn't understand why he was so cowardly in front of this man. The current situation was clearly in their favor.
Hearing Monster Zola's opportunistic threat, Meng Ran grinned widely.
"Haha, interesting. You're not the first person to try to threaten me, and certainly not the last."
"However, I still want to remind you that those who have done such things like you before are now not even left with ashes."
"Why do you think I'm honestly telling you about this? Is it for you to threaten me?"
At this point, the curve of Meng Ran's grin widened. He bent down, leaned closer to Monster Zola, and the moisture from his breath sprayed onto the computer screen.
"You have no other choice now. Either you help me as I say, or I will burn you to ashes right now."
"Even if Ultron isn't found now, I can rush over and eliminate him the moment he makes a move. I am giving you a chance to prove your worth, understand?"
As Meng Ran spoke, he flicked a trace of purple lightning from his fingertip.
The purple lightning, upon reaching Monster Zola's core data box, exploded, and in an instant, countless tiny purple lightning bolts covered the box.
"Ah!"
Enduring the lightning attack, Monster Zola couldn't help but let out a tragic scream. He had never imagined that he, who had become data, would one day taste pain.
He finally understood why HYDRA Zola was so cowardly when facing this man.
Because at critical moments, he wouldn't waste time with trivialities; he would simply hold a knife to your throat and ask if you'd do it or not.
If you choose to do it, there's at least a chance to live. If you choose not to and resist to the end, there will only be one outcome—immediate death.
"Spare me! I'm sorry, I apologize for my recklessness! Please stop, I'm about to break apart!" On the computer screen, Monster Zola's face, composed of green data, was continuously twisting.
He could feel his core data on the verge of shattering. If the man in front of him exerted even a little more force, he would disappear from this world forever.
"Sorry, what I want to hear is not your apology. Tell me, what is your choice?" Meng Ran said coldly, looking at the suffering Monster Zola.
HYDRA Zola looked at the tormented Monster Zola, then at the displeased Evil Ghost, and immediately felt a wave of relief. Fortunately, he had assessed the situation, knowing when to yield and when to stand firm, thus avoiding this suffering.
Monster Zola immediately answered Meng Ran's question, "I'll help you! I choose to help you!"
Hearing Monster Zola's affirmative answer, Meng Ran waved his hand again, retracting the trace of purple lightning.
"Since you've made your choice, don't dawdle. Start now."
"Once you're in the new core data box, you can choose to merge, or you can remain as two separate parts, just like now."
"As long as you do what I ask of you, any form is acceptable."
After speaking, Meng Ran transferred both of them into the freshly produced core data box.
Once they entered this box, their lives and deaths would be controlled by the Hexagon Star Alliance.
Chapter 250 The Rebellious Twins
In an unknown valley, a high-tech modern laboratory was hidden within an ancient stone cave.
Inside the laboratory, Dr. Zhao Hailun couldn't help but exclaim in admiration as she looked at the rapidly forming body in the Cradle and the data displayed on the nearby instruments.
"It's truly beautiful; Vibranium atoms not only compatible with tissue cells but also bond with them."
A faint blue glow emanated from her eyes, indicating that her consciousness was completely controlled by the scepter.
Under the scepter's energy, she was diligently creating a new body for Ultron.
Ultron, standing beside the Cradle, heard Dr. Zhao Hailun's exclamation and said, "As a versatile material in this world, S.H.I.E.L.D. used it to make a small shield."
"This is typical human thinking; they only focus on the surface and never conduct deeper research."
As Ultron spoke, he walked towards the scepter placed on the nearby control panel. At this moment, the gem at the scepter's tip, which was emitting a faint blue light, was also broken open by a laser, revealing a brilliant yellow gem inside.
He held the bright yellow gem in his hand and then gently placed it on the head of the body being sculpted in the Cradle.
The gem perfectly merged with the body being sculpted, as if they were naturally meant to be together.
"Cell aggregation still needs a few hours, but we can start the consciousness stream first."
"We'll upload your brain program first; this will make the process much faster," Dr. Zhao Hailun said to Ultron beside her, adjusting the instruments.
Wanda and Pietro were standing next to the laboratory. Hearing Dr. Zhao Hailun's words, Wandalooked at the experimental chamber and thoughtfully said, "I can feel his presence; he seems to be dreaming."
"This cannot yet be called a dream; it's Ultron's basic consciousness and some informational noise. Soon, all of his consciousness will be uploaded into it," Dr. Zhao Hailun explained, hearing Wanda's words.
Ultron was clearly a bit impatient. When he heard Dr. Zhao Hailun say 'soon,' he immediately asked, "How soon is soon?"
"Oh, I'm not rushing you; I just want to know how much longer it will take."
Hearing Ultron's question, Dr. Zhao Hailun replied, "We are currently imprinting the physical brain. There's no shortcut for this operation; we can only wait."
"Although your magic gem's energy is very powerful, this process cannot be skipped."
While Ultron and Dr. Zhao Hailun were conversing, Wanda, out of curiosity, placed her hand on the Cradle device that was printing Ultron's new body.
The moment she placed her hand on the device, she saw some images in Ultron's basic consciousness through the Cradle device.
In those fleeting images, a giant stone plummeted from high in the sky and crashed onto Earth.
As the stone fell, the entire Earth was engulfed by a tidal wave, and all life was instantly destroyed, meeting its demise.
"Ah!" Seeing this terrifying scene, Wanda screamed in terror.
Pietro, who was standing behind her, quickly supported her.
"Ha ah ~ Ha ah ~"
Wanda gasped violently, and at the same time, she looked at Ultron, who had abruptly stood up, with disbelief.
"How can you do this?" Wanda asked Ultron, her voice trembling.
"Do what?" Ultron didn't know what Wanda had seen, and after hearing her question, he asked somewhat strangely.
Wanda then continued, "You... you said we would eliminate the Avengers and create a better world."
"That's right, a world without the Avengers would certainly be better," Ultron nodded, hearing her words.
Wanda, hearing Ultron's affirmative answer, continued to ask in disbelief, "Better to the point where everyone dies?"
"It's not like that," Ultron explained after hearing Wanda's accusation. "Humans have every opportunity to change themselves."
"But what if they don't change?" Pietro asked at this point.
Ultron then said, "Then you'll have to ask Noah."
Wanda found Ultron's answer somewhat unacceptable. They only wanted to eliminate the Avengersteam, not exterminate all of humanity.
Ultron had deceived them from the start to make them serve him.
Thinking of this, Wanda cursed at Ultron, "You lunatic!"
Ultron calmly said, "There's no need to be so agitated. Collective extinction events have occurred more than a dozen times before the dinosaurs went extinct."
"Every time the Earth settles down and life begins to multiply uncontrollably, God throws a stone."
"Believe me, God is about to throw another one soon, so we must evolve, because God has no sympathy for the weak."
"Then who decides what is strong and what is weak?" Pietro also asked Ultron.
Ultron sneered after hearing Pietro's question and said, "The terms strong and weak have always been determined by life."
"And life is the most precious thing, so I hope you cherish it too."
After speaking, Ultron raised his hand towards Wanda. The energy cannon in his hand was now fully charged and ready to fire.
"I had hoped we could be partners, so why are you making these little moves?"
Wanda could only stop her quietly wiggling fingers when she saw Ultron's action.
She had originally intended to use mental energy to break the scepter's control over Dr. Zhao Hailunwhile Ultron wasn't paying attention.
But she didn't expect Ultron to be so vigilant; she was immediately discovered after making just a slight move.
Pietro, seeing this, acted swiftly. In an instant, he unplugged all the power and data cables in the entire laboratory.
The disconnection of power and data cables immediately paused the ongoing data transmission and body creation.
"M! F!" Seeing what Pietro had done, Ultron could not suppress the anger in his heart. He roared and quickly fired at Pietro and Wanda.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The red energy from Ultron's hands continuously bombarded, shattering the laboratory door and the tables and chairs outside.
Pietro quickly dodged Ultron's attacks while holding Wanda, then rapidly escaped from the hidden base.
Seeing Wanda and Pietro escape, Ultron quickly gave orders to his robots: "Go after them, bring them back."
"Even if you can't bring them back, keep following them, report their whereabouts to me at all times, and then find an opportunity to eliminate them."
Although the transmission had been interrupted, Ultron was still connected to the Cradle device at this time, so he couldn't go out himself. He could only order his robots to chase Pietro and Wanda.
"Doctor, whatever method you use, we need to speed up," Ultron turned and said to Dr. Zhao Hailun.
Pietro's speed was very fast, and Wanda's abilities were very tricky, so he knew that the robots he sent to pursue them would probably not achieve much.
If these two escaped, they would definitely find the Avengers to stop him.
And they also knew the current location of this base, which forced Ultron to accelerate his plan.
Because the transformation of this mountainous area was already in its final stages, if they were to switch to another base now to carry out the plan, there wouldn't be enough time.
What Ultron could do was to quickly input his consciousness into the new body so that he would have enough power to deal with those who tried to obstruct his plan.
Chapter 251 Clues to Ultron
Inside the Six-pointed Star Alliance's base, Mary Jane, Xiaobai, and Dr. Zola were all performing their duties, rapidly searching for any clues regarding Ultron's whereabouts.
A massive data stream was being filtered and categorized by them.
Surveillance camera footage, abnormal situations in various locations, and robots inadvertently captured by people—all these traces were being sought out and compiled by them.
Dr. Zola was also identifying and authenticating all traces of Ultron on the internet, hoping to pinpoint his exact current location.
Watching Dr. Zola work so diligently, Meng Ran, who was standing beside him, also nodded in satisfaction. "It seems keeping him was somewhat useful after all; he's come in handy now."
After several hours of information filtering, Dr. Zola finally identified a target location.
This place was a mountainous area in the Alps, similar to the Monster's base, where human activity was rare and practically nonexistent.
After confirming the location of Ultron's base, Meng Ran decided to contact the Avengers and launch a surprise attack on the area with them.
Just as he was thinking this, Xiaobai's announcement sounded over the intercom.
"Sir, Captain Rogers is requesting a call."
Upon hearing Xiaobai's reminder, Meng Ran immediately connected to the corresponding channel. "Is there something wrong, Captain?"
"Mr. Evil Ghost, we have all assembled at the Avengers Compound and are ready for battle."
Hearing Meng Ran enter the channel, Rogers wasted no words and immediately began communicating the current situation.
"Those twin Inhumanss also found us; they have some important clues to provide, but we don't know if these clues are true or false."
Hearing Rogers' words, Meng Ran pondered inwardly: "It seems Wanda and Pietro have now discovered Ultron's true plan and purpose, and to stop Ultron, they went directly to the Avengers."
As he thought, he asked Rogers curiously, "What clues? Are they about Ultron?"
Hearing Meng Ran's question, Rogers immediately replied, "That's right, they are clues about Ultron."
"They revealed the exact location of Ultron's base and also told us about his real plan to exterminate humanity."
"Ultron is currently hiding in a mountainous area in Europe, located in the Alps. I'm sending you the specific coordinates now."
"Besides the accurate base location, they also said that Ultron has taken control of Dr. Zhao Hailun and is making her build him a Vibranium body."
"When the twins escaped, Ultron was in the process of transferring his consciousness into the new Vibranium body."
"Although Pietro forcibly interrupted all connections and data when he left, this action probably won't delay Ultron for long; their efforts to repair the connection should be very quick."
Upon hearing Rogers' intelligence, Meng Ran responded, "This intelligence should be correct, because my intelligence here has also just had a breakthrough."
"We analyzed and tracked the clues left by Ultron and his robots, and also located Ultron's traces on the internet."
"The final location we determined is the exact coordinates you just mentioned, so the twins' intelligence is accurate."
After verifying the intelligence with Meng Ran, Rogers said in a deep voice, "Since the intelligence about the base is accurate, then the other intelligence should also be true."
"This means Ultron's plan is in its final stages. We need to act immediately; his power cannot be allowed to grow further."
"We must stop him as soon as possible, preferably before he transfers all of his consciousness into the new body, otherwise we will be facing the hardest body in this world."
Meng Ran nodded in agreement, then said to Rogers, "I will go to your location with my team now, and then we will set off together."
"No problem." Rogers nodded and said after hearing Meng Ran's arrangement.
After finishing his conversation with Captain America, Meng Ran hung up the communication. He briefly explained the current situation to Peter and the others, then opened a spatial gate and brought them directly to the Avengers Compound.
In the conference room of the Avengers Compound, under everyone's astonished gaze, a spatial gate emitting a faint purple light suddenly appeared.
Immediately after, the members of the Six-pointed Star Alliance emerged from the spatial gate.
"It hasn't been that long, and your mode of transportation has already been updated again," Tony said to Meng Ran, looking at the spatial gate.
Meng Ran chuckled hoarsely in response, "Times are always developing, and we must always progress, mustn't we?"
After speaking, he looked towards Wanda and Pietro, who were standing in the corner of the conference room.
At this moment, the two were warily watching the suddenly appearing Meng Ran. Wanda couldn't forget how powerful the counterattack was when she attacked Meng Ran last time.
"You made the right choice; it seems my decision to let you go back then was not wrong either," Meng Ran said loudly, looking at the two.
Wanda was a little surprised to hear him, and asked, "So, last time in Sokovia, you intentionally let us two leave?"
Meng Ran grinned with his terrifying mouth and said, "Otherwise, did you really think you two could escape my pursuit?"
Hearing Meng Ran's words, Wanda and Pietro's hearts tightened. Although she had the ability to perceive spirits, Wanda still couldn't see through this terrifying and mysterious man in front of her.
If they didn't know he was on the side of justice, just looking at his terrifying appearance, they would definitely think this man was a big villain, after all, even Ultron didn't look as creepy and evil as Evil Ghost.
"Time is pressing, so let's not waste any more words. Everyone understands the current situation, so let's get ready and depart."
After chatting briefly with the Avengers, Meng Ran stopped wasting time and immediately moved on to the most important part of today's operation.
After speaking, he raised his hand and opened a new spatial gate in the conference room.
Chapter 252 Robot Army
Meng Ran was the first to step into the spatial gate, and the others followed closely behind him.
After stepping out of the spatial gate, everyone quickly arrived at the base of a secluded mountain range.
Seeing that they had reached their destination in an instant, the Avengers and Wanda's siblings couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
After their astonishment, Wanda looked at the mountain in front of them and said to the people around her, "There's an entrance halfway up this mountain. We can enter the base through there."
"However, that passage is guarded by many robot sentries, and it might take some effort to clear them out."
Just as Wanda was introducing the base's situation to everyone, several dark holes suddenly appeared on the mountainside of the peak in front of them, and countless robots flew out of these holes.
"It seems he has discovered us." Seeing the sudden appearance of the robots, Meng Ran said to the people around him.
The countless robots swirled in the air, growing in number, and some detached from the main flying force, rushing straight towards Meng Ran and the others.
"Spread out, meet the enemy, and don't let any robot escape."
"Remember to clear out these robots while also pushing forward. Ultron is sending these people to hinder our advance because he can't disengage right now."
"It seems his consciousness hasn't been fully transferred to the new body yet. We must seize this opportunity to deal with him before he completes the upload."
Meng Ran spoke to the people around him, and at the same time, several black tentacles instantly extended from his body, skewering several robots that were coming at him like candied haws.
Besides that, the other members of the Six-pointed Star Alliance and the Avengers had already engaged with the robots.
Meng Ran's movements were the fastest; he rushed towards the entrance on the mountainside like a black lightning bolt.
Time was short; he needed to quickly pull Ultron out of his shell, otherwise, once he uploaded his consciousness into the Vibranium body, it wouldn't be so easy to deal with.
The current Ultron was different from Vision in the movies; Vision didn't have many outstanding moments in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In fact, when Thanos attacked, he was even incapacitated by a single stab from a minor leader, thus withdrawing from the battlefield.
Of course, this was artistic embellishment in the movie, with some plot-driven deaths. Meng Ran knew that the real Vision would never be as weak as he was portrayed in the movie.
Based on the abilities he displayed in the movie, he possessed superhuman strength, superhuman defense, the ability to fly, and the ability to phase his body, allowing him to pass through anything.
These abilities were only his inherent ones, not involving the Mind Stone.
Although the power of the Mind Stone in the movie didn't show anything beyond energy rays, Meng Ran would not underestimate this mysterious power because of it.
Now he had to face not the plot-weakened Vision from the movies, but the more cautious and cunning Ultron existing in reality.
Heaven knows what kind of chemical reaction Ultron would have with a new body and the Mind Stone.
Meng Ran wasn't entirely sure about any of this right now. The only thing he was sure of was that Ultron's difficulty index would likely multiply once he possessed a Vibranium body.
After tearing all the obstructing robots on the way into scrap metal, Meng Ran arrived at the entrance halfway up the mountain.
The robots guarding the entrance immediately pounced on him after seeing his sudden appearance. Facing the enemy, they had no superfluous commands; their only command was to kill.
Facing the charging robots, Meng Ran's eyes instantly released two Solar Energy rays.
The Solar Energy rays had extremely high temperatures, and these robots were easily sliced through their steel bodies by the rays as if they were cakes.
Meng Ran quickly rushed inward, clearing out the robots in the passage that were in his way. He had a faint, uneasy premonition in his heart.
Although this feeling was very subtle, it was like two thin black lines on white paper, making it impossible to let go.
Especially for someone like Meng Ran, who possessed powerful perception, such vague premonitions were often surprisingly accurate.
Shaking his head to clear the chaotic thoughts from his mind, he continued to advance rapidly towards the base inside the mountain.
"I should make it; I'm almost there."
Just as the Avengers and the Six-pointed Star Alliance were fiercely attacking, Ultron, hidden deep within the base, was also at the most crucial moment.
"The body has been fully sculpted; the consciousness transfer process will now greatly accelerate."
"It's estimated that in a few minutes, your consciousness will be fully transferred into this new body." Dr. Zhao Hailun, with her eyes glowing with a faint blue light, reported to Ultron while looking at the data in front of her.
Ultron sat beside the Cradle, looking at the exquisitely crafted body within.
Upon hearing Dr. Zhao Hailun's report, his vigilant heart gradually relaxed.
He was finally about to complete his evolution. Even with the intense fighting outside, Ultron couldn't hide the joy in his heart.
"Damn it, the Ghost's movements are actually so fast." After taking a moment to check the situation outside, Ultron's heart, which had just relaxed, gradually tensed up again.
He could see what was happening through the eyes of any robot outside, so he also saw the Ghost rapidly making his way into the base.
Everyone else besides the Ghost was held back by the robot army outside, but this troublesome Ghost had broken through the robots' blockade so quickly and was heading straight for his most secret lair.
To delay the Ghost's advance, Ultron had no choice but to send out more robots as cannon fodder.
At the same time, he also split a portion of his consciousness to control these cannon fodder robots. He wanted to try and delay some time by talking to the Ghost.
Just after Meng Ran tore a robot in front of him into scrap metal, a robot not far from him suddenly had its eyes light up red.
"Ghost, it seems you..." The red-eyed robot was about to say something, but Meng Ran didn't wait for him to finish before slicing him into pieces with a Solar Energy ray.
Ultron's intended words were not fully spoken, with half of them stuck in his throat.
Although his words had been interrupted, Ultron could still switch to another robot and continue.
Just after Meng Ran sliced the robot that suddenly turned red-eyed and started speaking into several pieces, another robot among those around him also turned red-eyed and began to speak.
"It seems you refused..." A robot was instantly destroyed.
"...my proposal." Another robot was instantly destroyed.
"Since that's the case, then you..." Yet another robot was destroyed.
"Foolish human! How dare you treat me like this! The plan has already..."
"...begun! No one can escape this extinction!"
Being interrupted by Meng Ran time and again, Ultron couldn't help but become enraged and roared at Meng Ran.
Words that could have been said in mere tens of seconds were, due to Meng Ran's interference, forced to be spoken through five or six different bodies.
Chapter 253 New Life
"I know you want to stall for time, so I won't give you the chance."
"Your plan won't succeed. Prepare to die; I'll be with you shortly."
Meng Ran spoke coldly to Ultron while extending all his tentacles to tear apart all the robots present.
He knew Ultron's intention to stall for time, so he was determined not to give him any opportunity.
Ultron had originally intended to stall for time, but under Meng Ran's actions, he not only failed to achieve his original goal of delaying, but instead, the robots were cleared even faster.
Meng Ran was using various superpowers at this point; his attacks were seamlessly connected, not only powerful but also highly visually appealing.
Solar Energy Sight, Impact Punch, Tentacle Spikes, Lightning Strikes, Wind Blades, and Air Blades—various superpowers were unleashed from his hands as if they had no cooldown.
Under a full-throttle assault, Meng Ran quickly arrived at the most central laboratory area.
This laboratory area looked very advanced, completely unlike something built inside a cave, with various instruments and equipment operating automatically.
In the adjacent robot workshop, Iron Soldiers were being assembled on the production line, and as they stepped off the line, blue light immediately lit up in their eyes.
Looking at these Iron Soldiers, Meng Ran further approved of Tony's plan to arm Earth with Iron Soldiers.
These lifeless Iron Soldiers were indeed a sharp weapon against alien invaders.
If there had been enough Iron Soldiers in service during the Battle of New York, the casualties at that time would certainly have been greatly reduced.
In small-scale conflicts or those with fewer participants, the strength of individual combat power is the most important weight on the scales of victory.
However, in large-scale wars, while individual combat power is still an important factor for victory, it cannot completely dictate the outcome of the war.
Even Odin, the Allfather, did not conquer the universe solely through individual combat power; he also needed well-equipped soldiers and brave warriors to charge into battle for him.
"After dealing with Ultron, perhaps I can cooperate with Tony to build a batch of Iron Soldiers."
"Although there isn't a top-tier artificial intelligence like Ultron, Little White plus Jarvis should be enough to command these Iron Soldiers."
When Ultron was born, he failed to completely destroy Jarvis; after suffering heavy damage, Jarvistransformed into a data stream and hid within the internet.
When Ultron left traces all over the internet, even attempting to crack nuclear launch codes, Jarvis also secretly intervened, obstructing Ultron's actions.
Eventually, Tony found Jarvis's corrupted data within the vast network, and after he integrated and reassembled this data, Jarvis came back to life once more.
Meng Ran quickly pondered the idea of an Iron Soldier army in his mind, and at the same time, he had already arrived at the most core experimental area.
He could already feel the immense power of the Mind Stone; Ultron and the Vibranium body embedded with the Mind Stone were behind the laboratory door in front of him.
As soon as he sensed them, Meng Ran had already taken action.
But the moment he moved, an alarm suddenly blared in his mind, and simultaneously, that faint sense of unease in his heart became even more solidified.
"Damn it! Still a step too late." Meng Ran instantly teleported to the other side of the laboratory to dodge, while also cursing inwardly.
With the alarm and the bad premonition, he didn't even need to look to know what had happened in the laboratory; it seemed Ultron had already merged with the Vibranium body.
The moment Meng Ran left his original spot, a bright yellow energy beam burst out from the sealed laboratory.
This energy beam shattered the laboratory door, passed through the spot where Meng Ran had just stood, and pierced straight through the other side of the mountain.
Tony Stark, who was flying in the air and dealing with Iron Soldiers, was also blasted away by this sudden energy beam.
Blasted away, Tony struggled considerably to regain his balance in the air.
Then, Tony continued fighting while checking the area where he had been attacked.
The armor on his left rib area was charred and deeply dented, and he also felt waves of pain coming from his ribs.
"Sir, two bones in your left rib are fractured."
"Your armor also has five percent damage."
After suffering the attack, Jarvis's voice also sounded in the armor.
Hearing Jarvis's report, Tony gasped and then said, "I can diagnose that myself."
"Inject the medicine, then help me repair the damaged armor."
"Understood." Jarvis said, while controlling the hidden medical kit in the armor to inject painkillers into Tony's body.
At the same time, an armor part flew from a distance, replacing the damaged armor on Tony's body.
"It seems Mr. Evil Spirit was still a step too late and couldn't stop Ultron."
After being hit by such a powerful attack, Tony also had a guess about Meng Ran's situation.
Normally, Ultron certainly couldn't unleash such a powerful attack, so there was only one possibility now: he had completed the transfer of consciousness and possessed the Vibranium body embedded with the Mind Stone.
"Damn it!" Thinking this, Tony cursed inwardly, then quickly reported the situation to everyone.
The Avengers' hearts sank upon hearing Tony's report.
However, the members of the Six-pointed Star Alliance were not too worried upon hearing this report, because they knew how unfathomably deep Meng Ran's strength was.
They were only somewhat surprised that Meng Ran could still make a mistake, knowing that he always made it a habit to nip danger in the bud and eliminate potential threats in their infancy.
At this moment, Meng Ran was unaware of the novel thoughts in his companions' minds; he was staring intently at the tall, strong figure in the laboratory.
Ultron now possessed a new body; his naked red body was strong and beautiful, and the bright yellow Mind Stone on his head was emitting a dazzling light.
Feeling Meng Ran's gaze, Ultron smiled with a hint of triumph and said, "Evil Spirit, you still couldn't stop me. I have embraced new life."
Chapter 254 The Threat of Death
Hearing Ultron's words, Meng Ran also said coldly, "You might be celebrating a bit too early."
"The only reason I stopped you from transmitting your consciousness into this body was because I thought it would be more troublesome to deal with that way."
"No matter what kind of body you possess, you won't live past today. I said so."
Ultron laughed loudly at this, as in his opinion, the Ghost was simply stubbornly refusing to admit his failure.
Only Meng Ran knew that what he said was actually the truth. Through that gem ray just now, he also confirmed that the current Ultron was indeed, as he had thought, much stronger than the Vision he remembered.
However, despite this, he did not feel that the current Ultron was unresolvable; it was just a little out of control, unable to be killed with one slash, requiring a bit more effort.
Ultron floated in the air, looking down at Meng Ran standing on the ground, and said indifferently, "Although you tried every possible way to stop me, I am still giving you a chance to join me. As long as you are willing to help me complete my plan now, everything I said before still stands."
"You can still survive this extinction with your companions, becoming the Adam and Eve of a new era."
Hearing Ultron's words, which sounded like a divine grace, Meng Ran only felt a wave of speechlessness. He had only changed bodies, so how did he become so arrogant?
Perhaps it was an awakening of instinct from the depths of his soul; seeing Ultron's condescending appearance, Meng Ran wanted to overthrow him. That's what he thought, and that's what he did.
He flipped his hand, took out Cutting Cloud, and then unleashed a crescent-shaped blade light imbued with purple lightning towards Ultron, who was diagonally above him.
The purple blade light, carrying violent lightning power, instantly rushed towards Ultron, but just as the blade light was about to approach his body, an anomaly suddenly occurred.
Ultron's body suddenly became ethereal, and the purple lightning blade light passed through his body as if it were passing through air, then shot straight towards the wall behind him.
After hitting the wall, the purple lightning blade light continued with undiminished power, directly piercing through the thick mountain and flying outwards. It only dissipated in the air after striking down a group of robot soldiers outside.
"Tsk tsk tsk, what a powerful attack, it's a pity it couldn't hit me," Ultron said sarcastically, looking at Meng Ran whose attack had missed.
After the blade light passed through, his body quickly solidified again.
"I have already admired your attack, now let me show you mine!" Ultron said, while firing a bright yellow ray from the Mind Stone on his head towards Meng Ran.
Seeing this ray coming, Meng Ran neither dodged nor avoided, just stood there, waiting for the attack to arrive.
This bright yellow energy ray not only carried immense energy but also had an extremely high temperature.
However, even such a ray, after landing on Meng Ran, did not cause him much harm.
Seeing this situation unfold, the originally calm and condescending Ultron's expression suddenly changed. He had never imagined such a situation would occur.
He looked at Meng Ran, who hadn't even flinched after withstanding his attack, his eyes filled with disbelief.
After a moment of stunned, he quickly recovered and then increased the power of the energy ray from his head, making the ray even stronger.
"Sizzle sizzle sizzle~!" As the ray particles grew stronger, the sound of the shot also grew louder.
But despite this, Meng Ran, who was being intensely attacked by the ray, remained motionless, not suffering the slightest injury.
He even walked slowly towards Ultron while being attacked, enduring the ray, and then said in a calm voice.
"Let me guess, do you think that after building your body with Vibranium, your body is the most indestructible thing in this world?"
Ultron's face also turned ugly after hearing Meng Ran's words, because he indeed thought so. Before this, he had never imagined that the physical strength of a human could reach such a level.
"Well, I can't blame you for that. After all, you don't have much knowledge, nor do you know much about me."
Meng Ran continued to walk and speak to Ultron. Although his steps were not fast, each step seemed to tread on Ultron's heart, making his mood heavier and heavier.
"If you knew enough about me, you would know that the hardest thing on this Earth right now isn't Vibranium, nor is it Hulk, but me."
After saying this, Meng Ran had already arrived in front of Ultron.
However, at this moment, Ultron was still in the air, while Meng Ran stood on the laboratory floor, continuously enduring the energy impact of the Mind Stone.
"Your condescending posture is truly irritating. You despise humans, yet you've learned the most annoying traits of humanity. How ironic."
"Come down!"
Accompanied by Meng Ran's low shout, Ultron, who was floating in the air, suddenly felt an inexplicable force pulling him.
"Bang!"
This force instantly slammed him back onto the ground, and the laboratory floor was directly smashed into a deep pit, revealing the gray-black stones beneath.
Under immense pressure, Ultron was firmly pressed against the ground, unable to move.
He gritted his teeth, looking at the Ghost who was now squatting in front of him, his confidence and arrogance severely wounded at this moment.
He had originally thought that with his current self, defeating the Ghost would be an easy task, but he never expected that he was the one who was the frog in the well.
Not only was his physical strength not as high as the Ghost's, but even the intensity of his attacks was not as strong as the Ghost's, not to mention the many mysterious and powerful abilities the Ghost possessed.
Meng Ran looked at Ultron, who was stuck in the ground, and said coldly:
"What do you have to be proud of? Only after possessing this body do you barely have abilities comparable to mine. If it were your previous body, you would already be crushed into scrap metal."
"Oh, I just thought of something. Since you've already transferred into this body, your consciousness shouldn't be able to run around like before, right?"
"But even if it could run, it wouldn't matter, because there's no place for you on the internet anymore. You have nowhere to escape."
Just as Meng Ran and the others began their operations, Mary Jane, Xiao Bai, and Dr. Zola at Six-Point Star Base were also busy.
They spread out across the internet, occupying all space and endpoints, cutting off Ultron's last retreat.
"So now, as long as I destroy this body of yours, you will truly face death and annihilation," Meng Ransaid, raising Cutting Cloud.
At this moment, the ancient blade of Cutting Cloud was already covered in gray mist, emitting an aura of deathly silence.
Looking at the gradually approaching blade and the gray energy entwined around it, Ultron also genuinely felt the threat of death.
Although he didn't know why this strange gray energy could threaten him, who could virtualize, he could feel that if he were hit by this gray mist, there would definitely be a danger of death.
Meng Ran brandished Cutting Cloud, bringing the blade down towards Ultron, who was lying on the ground.
Chapter 255: Mountains Rising to the Sky
"Poof~"
A dull sound rang out. It was the sharp blade of Cutting Cloud striking the ground. The hard rocky surface was instantly cut open, leaving a huge mark, as if it were a block of tofu.
The expected scene of Ultron being cut into two pieces of wreckage did not occur. Just as the blade was about to strike him, he used all his strength to break free from the heavy pressure, then instantly phased into the bottom of the mountain, thus escaping Meng Ran's control.
"He talks a big game, and he screams quite loudly, but he also runs quite fast." Looking at Ultron, who had escaped just in time, Meng Ran secretly grumbled.
Ultron chose to escape at the exact moment Meng Ran was attacking to ensure his success.
He feared that if he didn't choose a moment when Meng Ran was attacking and couldn't instantly change his state, he would be immediately subdued again as soon as he made a move.
The moment he saw Ultron escape, Meng Ran quickly spread his senses, searching for his whereabouts and traces.
Having escaped danger, Ultron rapidly sank into the ground using his phased state, then quickly flew out in another direction, bursting out of the earth.
Before the people outside could react, Ultron immediately flew rapidly around the mountain where the base was hidden.
As he flew, he simultaneously emitted energy rays from the Mind Stone on his forehead, drawing a large circle around the middle of the entire mountain range.
"How cunning! What exactly has Ultron, this top-tier artificial intelligence, learned from humans?"
Upon sensing Ultron's actions, Meng Ran immediately sprang into action. He quickly opened a spatial gate in the laboratory while pondering inwardly.
As Ultron's emitted energy continuously eroded the mountain, the massive laboratory built into the mountainside was on the verge of collapse.
The walls of the laboratory were rapidly covered in cracks, teetering precariously amidst the rumbling sound of falling debris.
In this critical moment, Meng Ran, with the fastest speed, threw the researchers present in the laboratory, as well as Dr. Zhao Hailun, into the spatial gate.
After ensuring everyone had entered the spatial gate, Meng Ran also stepped into it.
As he entered, the spatial gate, emitting purple-black light, quickly dissipated within the collapsing laboratory.
Stepping through the spatial gate, Meng Ran instantly arrived at a safe zone on the battlefield outside.
On the ground, the researchers from the laboratory and Dr. Zhao Hailun lay unconscious.
Seeing this scene, Meng Ran gathered a ball of mental energy, emitting a soft glow, in his hand, then flicked it into the head of each person.
This mental energy could dispel the Mind Stone's control over their minds. Once they awoke from their unconscious state, they would be free from the Mind Stone's control and return to normal.
"A cicada shedding its shell, feigning an attack to the east while striking to the west, using these innocent people to tie my hands and feet, giving himself time to initiate his plan. Truly worthy of being a top-tier artificial intelligence; this level of insidious cunning far surpasses most humans."
"Although he is filled with disgust for humanity, even wishing to exterminate all humans, he probably doesn't even realize that he is an artificial intelligence more human-like than humans themselves."
Meng Ran pondered inwardly while sensing Ultron's movements.
At this moment, Ultron's trace was no longer within several kilometers of the mountain; he had quickly moved away from this mountainous area during the time Meng Ran spent rescuing the researchers.
Seeing Meng Ran reappear, Tony and the others quickly flew to his side. By now, many of the robots on the outskirts of the mountain area had been cleared, and the remaining ones had scattered and fled along with Ultron's escape.
"He went east just now. I'm sorry we couldn't stop him; he was too fast," Tony reported to Meng Ran as soon as he landed beside him.
Meng Ran glanced at Tony, then casually tossed him a small pill.
"This is a healing medicine. Take it, and your injuries will recover as quickly as possible."
"The first half is only just over; you can't withdraw from the fight just yet."
Hearing Meng Ran's words, Tony didn't hesitate and immediately popped the pill into his mouth.
Although Tony didn't know the true identity of the Ghost, this did not affect his trust in him.
After all, an existence with such immense power as the Ghost, if he wanted to harm him, wouldn't bother feeding him a pill; a casual strike would probably send him to hell to report to Satan.
After entering Tony's mouth, the pill quickly dissolved and disappeared, transforming into pure medicinal power that flowed to Tony's injured areas.
Tony only felt a surge of power coursing through his body. This power not only reconnected his broken ribs but also revitalized his body, which had been somewhat fatigued from the battle.
"Ultron should be going to carry out his plan. We need to hurry in the direction he escaped."
After Meng Ran finished speaking, he led everyone to chase after Ultron in the direction he had disappeared.
Golden light surged around them as Meng Ran led them to instantly teleport forward in one direction.
As he quickly advanced, he simultaneously sensed his surroundings, searching for Ultron's trace.
Finally, at the end of this mountain range, Meng Ran once again sensed Ultron's presence.
"Oh! My God! What has he done?" Peter exclaimed in disbelief after seeing the situation ahead.
The Avengers and the Six-pointed Star Alliance members were also dumbfounded by the sight before them.
A massive section of the mountain range, along with the town at its foot, was slowly floating upwards in the sky.
This town was located at the end of this mountain range, and unlike the secluded mountain that served as a research base earlier, this town was a popular tourist destination. So, at this moment, many people could be seen running around in a panic.
To describe this scene in the most straightforward terms, a section of the mountain had simply flown into the sky.
At the base of this mountain section were several enormous thrusters, emitting blue light, which propelled the mountain higher into the air through their reactive force.
Ultron suddenly reappeared at the top of the floating mountain, accompanied by a swarm of robotic soldiers flying in the air.
He looked down at Meng Ran and the others, laughing maniacally, "The plan has begun! Prepare to welcome a new era!"