The change in perception among the watching civilizations was not due to the willpower of Earth side.
In the face of planetary crises and the survival of their races, every civilization undoubtedly bursts forth with astonishing and admirable fighting spirit.
Even those with less power would not give up any chance.
Such is the cruelty of war between civilizations.
At this moment, what truly shocked these cosmic civilizations was the actual strength of Earth side, which completely exceeded the expectations of other cosmic civilizations.
The individual combat capabilities of Earth side were extraordinary, placing them among the top warriors in this part of the universe.
This was evident from the figure standing in the center of the crowd—Superman.
Other individuals, like Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Shazam, and others, radiated power or demonstrated technological levels that were no less than the pinnacle of cosmic standards.
Furthermore, the teleportation method they employed when they appeared was underestimated by all.
Thanos was no exception.
Standing in front of a transparent glass shield on the central warship of his legion, Thanos gaze traveled the still considerable distance to focus on Superman and his group, his eyes profound.
At this moment, Shazam returned to Superman formation.
Ebony Maw had finally made some room.
Panting, his glass helmet nearly shattered, Ebony Maw cast a deep look at his nearby opponents, then hurriedly entered a warship, changed his equipment, and re-emerged onto the battlefield.
The situation fell into an eerie calm.
Thanos did not speak.
Standing outside Earth in space, the group of superheroes, led by the formidable Superman, also remained silent.
This path was impassable.
Though Superman did not speak, Thanos understood his meaning.
Either move to the moon or die trying here.
Indeed.
Thanos was well aware that Earth side had made some preparations against Thanos legion on the moon.
Otherwise, Ebony Maw wouldn't have used magic in an attempt to land directly on Earth.
Unfortunately for him, his plan had failed.
Now it appeared that Earth power was stronger than he had imagined.
Moreover, from Thanos perspective, continuing a standoff in space outside Earth did not allow his legion to fully utilize its combat strength.
Although they could launch an extermination strike against Earth from space, and Thanos legion certainly had the capability to do so, this did not align with Thanos concept of conquering any planet.
To some extent, Thanos methods indeed involved slaughter, but he knew that what he sought was more than just slaughter.
Moreover, even if he used annihilation weapons, they might not be effective.
Thanos had a full understanding of Superman.
More importantly, he admitted that he had indeed underestimated Earth, a seemingly insignificant planet tucked away in a remote corner of the universe.
The strength of the beings on this planet was something he had never encountered before.
Not to mention Superman, the sorcerer who could utilize the power of the Time Stone to block the entire Earth space was enough to cause concern.
"Retreat for now!"
After a moment of contemplation, Thanos deep and calm voice once again echoed in the ears of Ebony Maw and others.
"To the moon!"
Thanos actually knew about Earth preparations on the moon.
He also knew that if Thanos legion descended on Earth, they would face Earth most united force.
This was the real moment for a bayonet fight.
But this was still the best course of action.
On one hand, Thanos indeed couldn't break through Superman defense to lead his legion to land on Earth on the other hand, although Thanos admitted he had underestimated Superman and Earth, he still didn't believe that Earth could surpass his own forces in terms of military power.
"False hope..."
"Since that the case, I'll give you a fair chance to fight."
"But soon, you will be even more desperate."
Thanos eyes swept over the blue planet in front of him and Superman, who was guarding this blue planet. His face was as calm as ever, as if nothing could stir his emotions.
In the eyes of Earth people, Thanos legion headed towards the moon.
Earth battle plan was successful.
Thanos legion discovered they could not land on Earth, and the pride of being a higher-level civilization prevented them from engaging in a drawn-out battle near Earth space.
Using absolute power to steamroll over Earth and decide the victory directly fit Thanos, and his countless soldiers true thoughts.
Even knowing that humans had made targeted preparations on the moon, so what?
When Thanos legion had invaded other civilizations planets before, they had experienced such situations.
No matter the preparation, facing Thanos legion, there was only one path to take: destruction.
"The real battle begins now!"
Seeing this, the major cosmic civilizations couldn't help but tense up.
Humans were using an overt plot.
Thanos wasn't foolish how could he not know that the moon was the battlefield prepared by Earth people?
Due to the pride of a higher civilization, they could not refuse a challenge openly made by the enemy.
The development to this stage also meant that the real war was about to start.
Whether Thanos wins, plundering everything on Earth and causing countless lives to perish, or Earth makes a desperate comeback, stepping on the cosmic overlord Thanos head and becoming an unassailable member of the universe...
Two choices lay before them.
Most did not look favorably upon Earth.
The fact that Earth could exhibit such a strong stance was already surprising enough for these civilizations.
To say that Earth could turn the tables was like imagining Thanos in women clothing unimaginable.
The Moon Base.
Captain America, no, now perhaps called Captain Wakanda, Steve Rogers, stood at the forefront of an army of one hundred thousand desperate soldiers, his star-spangled shield replaced by two grey semi-diamond-shaped shields in his hands.
This was the new vibranium shield crafted by Wakanda.
However, behind Rogers, there was another shield, round and of the same shape as the star-spangled shield.
After all, having maxed out his shield-flying skills, I might not use it, but I can't be without it.
This army of more than one hundred thousand desperate soldiers stood firmly on the broadest land of the base, looking up as huge ships descended.
Each one of them had a determined expression, unafraid of sacrifice.
Batman was in mid-air, his recent speech having fired up everyone present.
Superman and others had also teleported back to the moon base instantly.
Earth side quietly awaited the arrival of Thanos legion at the base.
For both Earth and Thanos legion, this was going to be a straightforward confrontation without any secrets.
Boom, boom, boom!!
Thanos legion fleet landed on the moon surface.
The legion soldiers gave Earth due respect, their forms emerging from the densely packed ships, looking distinctly different from humans, although their limbs and heads were similar in shape one could tell at a glance they were different species.
Thanos legion comprised members from countless civilizations across the universe.
Even Thanos himself knew how many different cosmic civilizations soldiers were under his command.
But none of that mattered now.
These soldiers, having waged war alongside Thanos for many years, were each brave and skilled in combat.
This was why Thanos never thought he would be defeated.
He had already won countless times.
This time would be no exception.
Under the gaze of all.
Thanos emerged from the central spaceship, standing over two meters tall and weighing nearly a ton. His purple skin and bulging muscles, along with the dark golden armor he wore, showcased his stature as a leader.
His gaze locked directly onto Superman.
Superman met his stare.
Next to Thanos, Ebony Maw targeted Shazam, who stood beside Superman.
After choosing their targets.
"Warriors, go!" Thanos voice thundered, "Conquer Earth, crush them!"
"Guys, here they come!"
"We've been waiting a long time for this day!"
Batman voice also rang out.
"Go!"
"Let them know, Earthlings are not the ants they think we are."
"After today, we will prove to the entire universe that Earth is not a place anyone can invade."
As his words fell.
Both sides warriors instantly shouted and charged at each other.
Boom!!
Although this was a direct confrontation, the use of heavy weapons was not excluded.
Those proficient with firearms positioned at the rear high points of the formation exchanged fire with the gunners within Thanos legion.
The soldiers at the front of the formation engaged in close combat.
Thanos and Superman stared for a moment before instantly springing into action and colliding with each other.
On another front.
Ebony Maw and Shazam tangled fiercely.
Captain Marvel, Steve Rogers, the head of the one hundred thousand desperate soldiers, Iron Man, Cyborg, Wonder Woman, and other superheroes, along with the desperate soldiers ranks, plunged into the midst of Thanos legion.
Thanos legion also had many elite soldiers.
These elite soldiers had reached the level of superbeings, difficult for ordinary desperate soldiers to handle they relied on them for annihilation.
The war had just begun and immediately entered an intense phase.
This was a real war, not child play.
Any probing was useless only victory could hold truth.
Boom!!
Superman and Thanos clashed.
Superman threw a punch, and Thanos was blasted back several meters, the armor covering his robust arms slightly dented. Thanos could even feel his arm swelling, and this was just from one of Superman punches.
His usually expressionless face finally showed a hint of surprise.
Clearly, no matter how highly he thought of Superman, he had still underestimated him.
"No wonder you could easily kill Black Dwarf and the others."
Thanos became serious.
He now truly saw Superman as an opponent, not just a doomed Earth general.
"It doesn't matter if you're just starting to get serious now, you've already lost!"
Superman spoke calmly.
He could clearly see that Thanos forearm was swollen from his punch.
Although it was not a major injury that could affect Thanos combat effectiveness, it was enough to prove that Thanos strength was not sufficient to contend with the power of a Kryptonian.
"How could I possibly lose this battle?"
Superman said, pulling a cold smile, "I've been preparing for today for a long time."
Boom!!
The two clashed again.
Superman did not use any special abilities, such as heat vision or super breath he simply used his physical strength, engaging in the most genuine close combat with Thanos.
Even so, Thanos was continuously forced back.
Bang bang bang bang bang!!
If not for the armor he wore, Thanos would probably have been beaten beyond recognition.
Of course, even with armor to protect him, Thanos was still bruised and battered.
Being hammered by Superman on the ground, even lifted and slammed, it seemed he had no chance to fight back.
This made Thanos feel incredibly frustrated.
For years, it had been Thanos who pressed others to the ground and flung them around, never himself subjected to such a fate.
This scene even plunged the various cosmic civilizations, observing the battle through various means, into a prolonged silence.
Several minutes had passed since the collision between Thanos legion and Earth humans began.
It was a short time.
But in that span, these civilizations judgement about the battle had suddenly shifted.
It seemed Earth might actually have a chance.
Especially after witnessing the scene of Superman grinding Thanos into the ground, everyone felt even more that Earth might create a miracle.
On the planet Cybertron.
Optimus Prime and others were continuously monitoring the battle.
Seeing Superman actions, they understood more clearly why Anton refused the Autobots aid and instead planned to use this battle as training.
Yes.
Optimus Prime knew it well.
For Anton, or the Justice League, this crisis on Earth, this battle for human survival, was merely a training exercise.
What does training mean?
It means Anton lifelong resolve and perhaps his belief that this was not a war filled with danger for humanity.
"We've tried to estimate Superman as highly as possible, but we still underestimated him..."
Optimus Prime slowly spoke.
"Besides Superman, the others are also performing well."
Suddenly, Bumblebee spoke up, pointing to other figures on the screen—Batman, Cyborg, Rogers, Iron Man, Captain Marvel. Surrounded by Thanos legion soldiers, they moved through them as if no one could stop them, blasting the swarming enemies into oblivion, who couldn't even breach their defenses.
It worth noting that, apart from these superheroes, the one hundred thousand desperate soldiers on the moon base also performed quite well.
Most of them possessed physical abilities at the human limit, and a small portion even surpassed these limits, reaching a superhuman level.
Such strength was by no means inferior to the warriors under Thanos command.
Although a few elites could not be overcome, the superheroes fighting alongside them were not to be trifled with.
"Hey!"
Suddenly, Spider-Man shot out his web, helping a desperate soldier escape a tight spot, then laughed, "Be careful, buddy. You owe me a meal when we get back."
"Of course."
The soldier laughed heartily and then charged forward fearlessly, completely unconcerned that just a second ago, he was nearly obliterated by an energy bullet.
"When will this battle ever end?"
Spider-Man navigated the battlefield on the moon base, combating enemies while continuously aiding his fellow warriors.
The war had reached a stalemate.
And at the forefront, the two leading men were dueling in the very center of the battlefield, where no one dared to interfere, regardless of the outcome.