Time trembled at this moment.
Space vibrated at this moment.
The soul also throbbed at this moment.
As Dr. Bruce Hulk Banner wore the Infinity Gauntlet, with the thought of bringing 'half the life eliminated by Thanos back,' the snap echoed instantly, and it was as if the calm surface of a lake was disturbed, creating ripple after ripple.
The entire cosmos quivered in an instant.
Power was the source, and time reversed at this moment.
The mind was the guide, leading the soul's return.
Finally, space provided the coordinates, making all this completely transform into reality!
At the same time!
Just as the souls originally extinguished in the cosmos began to return under this snap, Hawk's power once again took this free ride, completing a descent right under the cosmos' watchful eye amid the cosmic tremor!
Clang!
The phoenix sang in the parasol tree, its cry resounding!
The figure that obscured the sky, the phoenix bathed in flames, stood tall on the towering parasol tree, and between its outspread wings, it seemed as if the splendid cosmic stars were flowing within.
On the soul sacrifice platform of the planet of Vormir.
Hawk's gaze pierced through the cosmic dust and nebula, falling upon the power he had ultimately descended with, a slight smile tugging at his lips.
Standing beside him, Death was also gazing into the cosmos at the Fire Phoenix perched on the parasol tree, spreading its wings with a phoenix cry.
"So, this is your power."
"Yes."
"Now I know why you came here."
Death's voice was as usual, coldly lazy: "You wish to transcend, to become your own cosmos, but your current cosmos has discovered you, so you need to smuggle yourself here."
Hawk returned to his senses, glancing sideways at Death.
"Yes, will you stop me?"
"Is this why you cling to me, to keep me from leaving, fearing that I will stop you?"
"...Wasn't it you who wouldn't let me leave?"
"I refuse, and you won't go?"
Death also glanced sideways, a hint of seductive charm on the half-human, half-skeletal face that could stir the soul: "Your soul tells me, you are not a rule-abiding god, your ambitions are vast."
Hawk's pupils transformed into the form of a phoenix's double pupils.
The mind, reality, space, and four dim Infinity Gemstones shone bright under the burn of the Phoenix Fire.
"You still haven't answered my question, will you stop me?"
"I can refrain from stopping you, under one condition."
"What?"
"When your cosmos manifests, I can enter and explore it."
"..."
Listening to Death's condition, Hawk raised an eyebrow.
Their eyes met.
Death blinked, her lazy tone carrying a hint of playfulness, shaking her head: "You have no idea the torment it is to watch countless identical places in an ambiguous multiverse over and over again, so when your cosmos is complete, promise me I can enter and explore."
After speaking, Death's face showed a kind of nausea from revisiting the same places countless times even just in memory.
Hawk raised a sharp eyebrow.
"Alright, I promise you."
"Please!"
Death smiled brightly, making a gesturing invitation to Hawk, then stepped aside: "Friendly reminder, you need to hurry, the cosmic tremor is about to disappear, and by then, this cosmos itself will begin to suppress you in all aspects."
Hawk said nothing, and the moment his figure rose into the air, accompanied by the sound of a phoenix's cry, a parasol tree manifested behind him, and the Fire Phoenix spread its wings to soar at once.
With a boom!
He once again stood before the gateway to the Eighth Sense of Life.
The next second.
Hawk transformed into the Fire Phoenix, whistling, and swiftly swept toward the Life Eighth Sense Portal, which seemed within reach but was actually far away.
Without the suppression of cosmic instinct and the tug of cosmic instinct, the distance between him and the Life Eighth Sense Portal reduced rapidly with the Fire of Life ignited by Hawk's own definition of life as his power source, visible to the naked eye.
A thousand steps.
Five hundred steps.
A hundred steps.
In the blink of an eye, Hawk was only a hundred steps away from breaking through the Life Eighth Sense Portal.
But...
The cosmos, having recovered from the recent shock of the Infinity Gauntlet, instantly noticed Hawk's attempt to use this gap to complete his act of life transcendence.
Then!
The cosmos became angry.
Rumble!
The furious roar of cosmic instinct and the peak repression rushed toward Hawk together.
In the presence of great sound, there is silence.
To those not qualified to hear the cosmos' angry roar, the cosmos never made a sound.
But in the ears of those divine spirits who were qualified to hear this anger, the roar of the cosmos was earth-shattering.
Death, leaning against a stone pillar, subconsciously rubbed her ear with a finger.
Upon hearing the cosmos' earth-shattering angry roar, Hawk accelerated, once more narrowing the distance between himself and the Life Eighth Sense to just ten steps.
Then.
The cosmos's all-encompassing suppression descended.
Feeling the cosmos's infuriated strike, provoked beyond embarrassment, Hawk chose to retreat directly.
Crack!
The Phoenix on the sycamore tree instantly flapped its wings in flight, disassembling into parts that perfectly adhered to Hawk's body.
The next second.
As the faceplate dropped, the Phoenix Fire roared out, instantly forming an invisible barrier that collided with the suppression from the cosmos.
Rumble rumble——
Under the burning of Phoenix Fire, Hawk's suppressed power erupted once more, maintaining at the level of a Dimension God.
No need to go higher.
It's not a life-and-death battle, even though after his Little Cosmos descended, the energy was endless.
But there's no point fighting to the death with something that has no self-awareness, only instincts.
After all…
Even if he won, what then? He already had no chance of fully awakening the Eighth Sense of Life in this universe.
But it's okay.
He could switch to another cosmos and try again.
Hawk had a good attitude.
So!
At the moment when he gave up the idea of transcending in this cosmos, the furious cosmic instinct also left in that instant.
But just like the cosmos where Hawk was located, once again, the suppression from cosmic instinct continued to watch him closely.
Hawk returned to the soul sacrifice platform, looking at Death, who leaned against the stone pillar, arms crossed with a half-smiling gaze, and chuckled.
"You knew all along I couldn't transcend in this cosmos?"
"This cosmos doesn't work. Just switch to another one. It's like the people of Terra Star say, it's a game of passing the flower, as long as it doesn't explode in your hand."
"...You've been to Earth?"
"I am the embodiment of all souls across the Multiverse, so wherever there are souls, there I am. But, yes, among countless Planets of Life, I favor Earth the most."
"...Alright."
Hawk listened to Death's earnest explanation, shook his head, then looked at Death, "Do you know where the Celestial God Team's base is?"
He came to this universe to accomplish two things.
The first thing was to sneak over here and perceive the Eighth Sense of Life.
The second thing was to kill Celestial God Griss who came to this universe.
Although the goal of the Eighth Sense wasn't achieved, the minimum gain he set before coming was still overachieved.
Before Hawk arrived, his minimum expectation was to visibly perceive the Eighth Sense of Life.
At this moment?
He was only ten steps away from the Eighth Sense of Life, which was already excess over completion.
Just ten steps left, once he leaves here, picking any cosmos, isn't it just a matter of a breath?
So…
Hawk took it lightly and emotionlessly, focusing on his second goal for being here.
But unlike perceiving the Eighth Sense of Life.
Hawk had set no minimum expectation on the plan of killing Celestial God Griss.
He had only one thought.
Celestial God Griss must die!
Death shrugged from where he leaned against the stone pillar, "They are servants of the Eternal, not mine."
Hawk raised a brow.
"Their souls belong to you."
"Who told you they have souls?"
Death heard that, pouted, "Souls are in my hands, the Eternal guy can only bestow life, not souls. But, if you help me kill them, the moment they die, life will convert to souls that I can control."
Hawk was enlightened.
"Thanks, got it."
"You're welcome."
Death slightly smiled, "Come to my palace, have a drink before you go."
Hawk smiled back, glancing towards the direction of Earth, then seemingly thought of something, instinctively touched his forehead, then looked at Death.
"When I leave here, I'll come here to have a drink with you."
"Alright, you're always welcome."
"I'm leaving."
"Take care... go slow!"
Death watched Hawk dash into the sky, turning into a beam of golden light speeding towards Earth's direction at superluminal speed, then retracted his gaze, glanced at Red Skull, who remained in a prostrate posture at his feet since Death's appearance, chuckled, then disappeared in place as his body turned into black mist.
At that moment on Earth.
Like Hawk, Thanos bypassed time, bringing his legion, successfully arrived from the past to the present with the help of Inner Respond Nebula. Upon arrival, a volley of fire turned the district where The Avengers' base was located into a battlefield.
With great difficulty, relying on willpower and physical strength, the three main heroes of the First Generation Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor were the first to free themselves from the ruins. As they emerged, they saw Thanos sitting alone on the pile of sand and gravel not far away.
Thanos seemed as if he was waiting for these three to arrive.
Seven eyes met.
Captain America tightened his grip on his shield.
Iron Man donned his Iron Battle Armor.
Thor, with his seemingly dual but one prosthetic eye, reached out with both hands, grasping the Storm Battleaxe and Mjolnir he brought back from the past.
And Thanos?
Thanos looked at the three in front of him, sneering disdainfully.
Showcasing the invincible aura of a conqueror!
...
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