In an instant, everyone present focused their attention on the Mad Titan—the Purple Potato Spirit. His powerful, domineering body was like a mountain, standing majestically before them.
Huge Leviathan warships continued to emerge from the wormholes in the sky. Several small spacecraft were suddenly launched from around Sanctuary II, falling toward Xandar's surface like meteorites. The originally smooth road was smashed open, leaving a massive crater behind.
Zombie-like Outriders scrambled out of the narrow openings, landing on their long, dark limbs. Their chaotic, noisy roars irritated Hulk, and an answering roar burst from his mouth.
The four Obsidian generals also appeared behind Thanos, their expressions solemn. Ebony Maw looked worriedly at the enemies in front of them. Each one was as powerful as Thanos.
"I'm afraid Supergiant has..." Ebony Maw did not finish the rest of his sentence. He understood everything, and the other three generals did not believe Supergiant could have survived against people like these.
Boom!
The Tyrant's double-edged blade was thrust dominantly into the ground, stirring up a large cloud of dust. The bloody smell from the previous bombardment still lingered in the soil. Red earth was faintly visible beneath the scarlet dust that coated the silver-white blade. Fully armed, Thanos stood opposite the Ultimates, expressionless, like a limestone statue from some ancient world, carrying a solemn sense of art and the power of faith revered by countless people.
"Thanos!"
Kallark looked unscrupulously at the figure, who was enormous even to him. "The legendary tyrant, the butcher who slaughtered several galaxies? He looks about the same as Hulk, and he runs very fast every time."
Carol stared coldly at Thanos's figure. This Titan exuded danger and bloodlust. His pupils flickered as he scanned the people before him. He had heard of this group of extremely troublesome ghosts. They had been chasing him constantly, like clingy, mangy dogs sniffing eagerly after the scent of blood.
The Mad Titan remained silent. The strongest of the Nova Corps, the Praetor of the Shi'ar Empire, the legendary Star Brand, the Skrulls, and...
Thanos's eyes sharpened, his fierce gaze locking onto Renzo. More specifically, he was staring at the gem on Renzo's forehead, which shone with brilliant golden light, as warm and radiant as sunlight. With his astonishing willpower, he could sense the immense energy emanating from that light. It was the legendary power he had dreamed of, the power he had pursued for a thousand years.
He had once possessed that power. He had turned it into a scepter that bewitched the soul, gaining countless subordinates, conquering planet after planet without shedding blood, and defeating powerful opponents one after another. Even the gods of those worlds had not been his match.
Unfortunately, he had made the most regretful decision of his life and handed the scepter to an unreliable Asgardian. He had thought it would become the starting point for collecting the Infinity Stones, but instead, it had brought him great humiliation.
That man in steel armor, wielding nothing more than an outdated weapon of war, had actually destroyed his beloved Sanctuary I, leaving a massive stain on his long history of battle and slaughter.
Renzo was extremely uncomfortable under Thanos's gaze. He frowned and looked at the calm Mad Titan. It was hard to imagine that peace, bloodlust, madness, candor, calmness... all these complex and contradictory emotions could appear in the same person. Thanos was like an elusive feline, hiding his sharp claws in soft pads while also concealing his razor-sharp killing intent.
"There's something wrong with him..." Kevin suddenly said. "I think he seems a little different from the rumors..."
"What's different? Isn't he still just weak?" Kallark curled his lips. Without waiting for anyone else to speak, cosmic energy instantly filled his body, and he rushed toward Thanos first.
When Carol and Richard saw this, they no longer hesitated and rushed toward the densely packed fleet in the sky. Hulk roared excitedly, growling like a cat that had smelled fish. His huge green body shot forward like a human cannonball, crashing into the densely packed Outriders and instantly blasting dozens of soldiers apart. He shoved them into his mouth and chewed wantonly. Black-red flesh and blood splattered like droplets, while broken bodies still struggled on the ground, their fine teeth trying to leave marks on his massive body.
Hulk might not be able to defeat Thanos, but to him, these Outriders were like ants before an adult—no different from side dishes laid out on a table.
"Hulk likes it! Likes this!"
The big green man laughed arrogantly, waved his hand casually, and beat an Outrider to death. With a pull of his hands, he tore the broken body apart. His strong muscles were covered in black-red blood, and the thick smell of blood drew the attention of the four Obsidian generals.
"That big guy suits you very well," Ebony Maw's ugly voice sounded beside Cull Obsidian's ear. As Thanos's strategist and a top black magician, the shriveled, ugly Squidward-like creature with extraordinary intelligence and strength was best at manipulating minds. He was a good teammate. "Go tear him to pieces. Lord Thanos will surely reward you."
Upon hearing this, Cull Obsidian revealed a silly, ugly smile on his ferocious face. Cruelty overflowed from his vicious eyes. He roared, raised his heavy hammer, stepped out of the deep pit one step at a time, and charged bravely in Hulk's direction.
"That fool..." Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight laughed at Cull Obsidian's stupidity, but Ebony Maw interrupted them coldly.
"I think you should also find an opponent and clear the way for Lord Thanos."
His cold eyes seemed to glance over the two of them inadvertently, causing the ghost-like couple to shiver in their hearts.
"Go and retrieve the Stone for Lord Thanos!" He lightly pointed at Renzo, who was using the Stone to clear out soldiers. The couple instantly understood what Ebony Maw meant and, without hesitation, rushed toward Renzo with their weapons in hand.
"I didn't expect... this pack of hyena-like walking corpses could actually provide power to the Black Lantern Ring." The black ring on Renzo's finger extended several sticky black tentacles. They were disgusting, as if they had just been pulled from Hulk's vomit, and they pierced through the bodies of the Outriders one by one, constantly absorbing the life energy within them.
Each amount was insignificant, but added together, it was enough.
Looking at the dried corpses scattered everywhere, Renzo felt that the Black Lantern Ring had gained unprecedented satisfaction. It actually suppressed the power of the Mind Stone. It really forgot who its master was the moment it gained a few benefits.
Renzo, still immersed in absorbing energy, suddenly felt a violent warning from the Stone on his forehead, giving him a splitting headache.
A long blade then instantly sliced through Renzo's cloak, almost piercing his body.
"Corvus Glaive?!" Renzo was shocked and confused. The moment he turned his head, another spear shot straight toward his face.
Boom!
The sound of metal clashing rang through the air. The spear fell to the ground, piercing deeply into the earth. The golden light on Renzo's forehead slowly faded, and lingering fear filled his heart.
"So fast! This is completely different from the strength shown in the movie. Much stronger!"
Renzo did not dare to be careless. His avatar was nothing before Corvus Glaive. The long blade could easily pierce through any object. Even vibranium looked like paper before it.
Not to mention Proxima Midnight standing beside him. What an annoying husband-and-wife team!
The two generals stared sinisterly at Renzo, who was floating in midair. Their narrow, slender eyes flashed with cold light, mocking smiles hanging on their lips as their hoarse voices slowly spoke.
"Hand over the Stone, and I will spare your life."
"It is your honor to contribute to Lord Thanos. I hope you won't be ungrateful."
"What if I say no?"
Renzo put some distance between himself and the two of them. He did not believe they could fly up and fight him.
"Ha..." Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight looked at each other, then raised their weapons together and charged toward Renzo in the sky.
That was right. They charged toward Renzo in the sky.
Under Renzo's shocked gaze, the two of them jumped onto a Leviathan warship. The enormous whale-like battleship swam forward with its massive body, crushing the surrounding Nova soldiers and Chitauri alike, indiscriminately attacking everything in its path as it rushed fiercely toward Renzo.
Corvus Glaive waited until the Leviathan swam high enough before jumping down directly. He held his war blade high and slashed toward Renzo's head. A black aura wrapped around it with cold killing intent, like a crow that brought misfortune, flying arrogantly through a deserted city. Dirty newspapers and envelopes blew through the wind. Streetlights flickered. Trash cans lay overturned at the roadside. Window glass was shattered. Cars had been smashed apart. Misfortune and gloom were everywhere.
Corvus Glaive, who had no leverage in midair, was easily dodged by Renzo, but his killing intent truly shook Renzo's soul. Proxima Midnight's spear followed closely behind. Forged from a neutron star core, the weapon could release three black beams of death, and any creature touched by them would not survive at all.
Renzo caught the artifact and quickly turned the spearhead. The death ray swept across the soldiers on the ground and almost accidentally injured the fallen Corvus Glaive.
The Leviathan wailed under the strike. Then its wound turned black and corrupted, like a broken egg, and it crashed to the ground, crushing countless Outriders beneath it.
Renzo was surprised. The artifact in his hand was trembling, resonating with his Black Lantern Ring. Dark, viscous liquid gurgled out like spring water, covering the spear in a thin layer of black fluid. The surface of the spear instantly transformed into a black death spear.
"My weapon... I lost contact with my weapon?!" Proxima Midnight was shocked and furious. The tacit understanding and connection she had built with the weapon through countless battles had suddenly been severed. She could not imagine that the artifact Lord Thanos had given her would betray her so easily.
"Take it back!" Corvus Glaive shouted fiercely, charging toward Renzo again with his war blade. Proxima Midnight also followed barehanded. Even without her weapon, her combat strength was still among the best in the universe, far superior to her husband's.
When Renzo saw this, he also raised the spear. Black liquid immediately covered the surface of his body. His pupils turned pitch-black, and his red-green body seemed to be infected by a black hole, absorbing the surrounding light.
The two artifacts suddenly collided. The war blade and spear clashed tit for tat. Corvus Glaive froze. A strange, evil force was transmitted to the tip of his blade. Because the war blade was connected to his soul, even the soul hidden deep within it felt a sense of terror rising from the abyss, as if it were facing death itself.
He had faced this kind of power before. On the path of following Lord Thanos into battle, a woman had once displayed godlike power. It was unparalleled divine might, possessing the ultimate divine power to overturn the infinite laws of the world, leaving an indelible impression on him.
With a single strike, Corvus Glaive's soul was almost shattered. He was so frightened that he immediately distanced himself from Renzo. Proxima Midnight seized the opportunity to fill the gap. Without a weapon, she met him with fists and feet, sending a swift, fierce straight punch toward Renzo's face.
"This..." Proxima Midnight was startled. Her fist seemed to be stuck in strong glue, sinking deeply into the man's pure-black face, where no facial features could be seen. The dark liquid, thick with the smell of blood, slowly spread over Proxima Midnight's fist. She was horrified to feel her strength gradually disappearing.
"Get away!" Corvus Glaive anxiously rushed forward at the sight, raising his war blade and slashing down. Part of the strike landed on Renzo's shoulder. The aura of death once again spread through his soul, and the trembling weapon almost slipped from his hands.
Renzo felt more comfortable than ever before. The life force of these two was far stronger than that of the people he had absorbed before. Riptide, Shaw... they simply could not compare.
"Now... the game has just begun!"
...
Hulk blasted Cull Obsidian away, smashed his head into the ground like a watermelon, and threw his body into a Leviathan's mouth. After casually beating several more Outriders to pieces, Hulk finally fixed his gaze on Thanos, who was locked in battle with Kallark.
"Why is he so strong?" Gladiator Kallark was shocked in his heart. Thanos, wielding the Tyrant's double-edged blade, attacked him wildly. Even Kallark, the strongest man in the Shi'ar Empire, was unable to fully parry that overwhelming force. Several times, because of carelessness, his hair was cut off, his handsome mohawk shaved into the shape of an older brother's hairstyle, and his red cape torn to tatters.
"Ha... is that all you can do?" Thanos sneered. His helmet had already shattered during the battle with Kallark. He had to admit, the man did have some ability. "Without even shedding a drop of blood, the Shi'ar Empire might as well perish as soon as possible."
Kallark glared angrily at Thanos. He could not allow his empire to be slandered by this tyrant. Heat rays burst from his eyes. Thanos immediately raised the Tyrant's blade to block the attack, which could have easily destroyed a building. The moment he recovered, Kallark leaned forward and breathed out. In an instant, an icy chill spread over the Titan's body, and a thin layer of frost covered his indestructible armor.
"Ah!" Kallark punched Thanos in the abdomen, directly punching a hole through his centuries-old armor. Then surging cosmic energy poured out, instantly blasting the Titan dozens of meters away.
"Roar!"
Thanos climbed up with difficulty. Before he could pick up his weapon, a huge green fist slammed hard into his head. The terrifying force almost shattered his skull. Before he could regain his senses, his body was stomped heavily into the ground. The huge green figure jumped back and forth on Thanos's body, almost crushing his internal organs.
"Hulk likes it! Smash!"
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