Chapter 259: Tang Song VS The Collector
The Great White Sword Qi, transformed from the Sword Pills, bloomed like a rain shower within this hundred-meter-tall Collection Vault. The white light flashed and vanished, the pure white, chilling Sword Light contracted, and the formless Sword Qi solidified from the void into white lotus petals. Dewdrops condensed from killing intent dripped from the petals onto the ground. The ground paved with Star Stones was instantly cut into countless cracks.
Two palm-sized White Lotuses twirled and transformed into two silver Sword Pills the size of lotus seeds, falling back into Tang Song's hands.
Looking around the entire vault now, after being ravaged by the two Magic Treasure Level Sword Pills, it had returned to the clean, bare state it had been in hundreds of years ago, as if freshly decorated.
Besides Tang Song, only The Collector, dressed in luxurious robes, and Star-Lord, who was dumbfounded inside the crystal coffin behind him, remained completely unharmed.
The Star Stone walls covered in carvings, the ground, everything else in the entire Collection Vault had been pulverized into dust by the invincible Sword Qi.
The two Sword Pills twirled and played between his fingertips. Tang Song was very satisfied with the power displayed by the two Sword Pills; it wasn't in vain that he had used massive amounts of resources to Refine these two Sword Pills.
In the past two years, at least one-fifth of the Five Element Metal Ores produced from Tang Mining Company's mines on Earth and Heimdall's various mining fields had been fed to these two Sword Pills.
Five Element Metal Ores like gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin would become rotten and worthless after their internal Metal Qi was extracted by the Sword Pills.
According to the mining company's data report, the total value of these "wasted" metal ores was at least equivalent to half of Oscorp's market value.
It could be said that these two Magic Treasure Grade Sword Pills were essentially built up by Boss Tang using sheer resources.
If this were in the Jambudvīpa World, only Core Disciples of a Major Sect who raised Dao Soldiers would dare to be so wasteful. Moreover, most resources in the Jambudvīpa World were already owned.
Except for those Primal Spirit Experts and Pure Yang True Immortals who could break through the sky and traverse the vast Space among the Stars, collecting Star Sand, casting great Daoist Techniques to extract a Mineral Vein, or even Refine an entire Constellation.
Ordinary Forming the Core and Nascent Soul True Inheritance disciples, even if they had Dao Soldiers they could command, there weren't so many unowned mineral veins available for them to mine on the Yanfu Continent.
However, Boss Tang's mining company, after the unexpected death of a certain mining magnate, controlled the largest metal mines in South America and North America, and held a thirty percent share of Indonesia's second-largest gold mine.
At the same time, in the booming interstellar mining industry, Tang Group, in conjunction with Stark Industries, Oscorp, and Weyland Industries, occupied a fifteen percent share.
It should be noted that besides the five permanent members of the World Security Council, the country holding the largest share was Wakanda, which held five percent. As for second-tier countries like Japan, Germany, and India, they generally only had a three percent share.
This was also the reason why Pepper Potts, the President of Stark Industries, still agreed to cooperate with Tang Group, even though she knew there was friction between Tony and Tang Song.
Personal grudges were personal grudges. In the face of true group interests, these could all be set aside.
Superheroes might talk about good and evil, about so-called Justice.
But a qualified company head must learn to protect the interests of the company and its Shareholders. Otherwise, in the face of interests, even the company founder could be removed at any time.
The cooperation between Stark Industries and Tang Group almost monopolized the production of Arc Reactors, and Arc Reactors were currently irreplaceable Energy Sources for interstellar exploration ships and mining ships.
As for Weyland Industries, it controlled world-class aerospace Technology and Hibernation Pod Technology, coupled with Oscorp, which was unique in the biological field.
The four companies united to form a near-monolithic interest group.
As for the Federation's Anti-monopoly Law, Tang Group held twenty percent of unregistered Shares, with Shareholders spread across the Federation's political, business, and military sectors. After the four companies, including Stark Industries, Oscorp, and Weyland Industries, formed a common interest body, they exchanged benefits with some old financial groups in the Federation through cross-shareholding.
If someone wanted to enforce the Anti-monopoly Law against them, they couldn't even pass the Congress vote.
Unless the Federal President directly bypassed the Constitution, but the current Federal President's re-election was uncertain without Boss Tang's support.
Moreover, the four companies were very measured in their actions. Their combined fifteen percent share was within everyone's tolerance range. Furthermore, Boss Tang also held the Beast Hide that was crucial for safeguarding the Space Gate.
In the past two years, large numbers of exploration ships and Outer Space mining ships had discovered no less than a dozen Asteroids and Asteroid Belts rich in mineral resources within one Light-year of the Space Gate.
Although the extraction rate of some resources was not high due to the current Technological Level, ship after ship of ore brought back massive amounts of mineral resources from within the Space Gate. If the countries of the world hadn't deliberately controlled it to avoid impacting the metal market, at least half of Earth's local mining companies would have gone Bankrupt.
Besides owning this five percent share of mineral production, the real bulk of Tang Group's mining company's output came from the continuous production of ore in the Heimdall World.
Accumulating so many resources, in the Jambudvīpa World, it would be enough to pile up seven or eight Magic Treasure Level Flying Swords.
Tivan stared covetously at the silver beads on Tang Song's fingertips. Anything he had never seen before held great collection value for him.
"What are these two metal spheres? Some kind of High-Tech Weapon, or a Magic Weapon? Their attack method looks very similar to a Yaka Arrow? But their high-energy reaction is very strong..."
The two Sword Pills on Tang Song's fingertips stopped spinning. He looked at Tivan with some surprise: "All your collectibles are gone, aren't you angry?"
Tivan froze for a moment, a look of sudden realization appearing on his face, followed by a furious expression: "Damn thief, trash from a destroyed universe! Give back my Collection Items, and those two beads of yours!"
Tivan felt like he was going crazy. His Collection, painstakingly accumulated since the Universe's creation, was now all gone, stolen by this little thief!
"Give them back to you?! How is that possible? How could I spit out something I've eaten!"
Feigning surprise as he glanced at Tivan, who was staring at him with eyes spitting fire, Tang Song tossed the two Sword Pills into the air. The two silver Sword Pills transformed into two one-foot-long streams of Primeval White Astral Qi and were inhaled into his nose.
Then, Tang Song flipped his hand and took out an Apple from his Five Yin Pouch. It was a golden apple made of gold; even the stem and two leaves seemed to be carved from Gold.
Watching the Golden Apple being tossed and flipped up and down by Tang Song, The Collector Tivan's Gaze followed the Apple back and forth. He cursed, "This is the Golden Apple I got from the Pantheon, from Zeus! Since the Olympus Pantheon left the Reality Dimension, the Golden Apple Tree no longer bears fruit.
There's only this one Golden Apple left in the entire Universe! I traded it from Zeus for two hundred beautiful women from various races across the Milky Way Galaxy!"
Figures!
Tang Song chuckled inwardly, both marveling at Tivan's detailed knowledge of his Collection Items and sighing at the God King of a certain Pantheon, truly living up to his reputation as a stud.
Tang Song had heard of the Golden Apple; it was a famous Treasure in Greek Myths and Legends.
It first appeared in Greek Myths and Legends at the wedding of Zeus and Hera.
Earth Goddess Gaia gave a lush tree bearing Golden Apples to Zeus and Hera as a wedding Gift.
Zeus sent the four daughters of Nyx, called the Hesperides, to guard the Sacred Garden where the Golden Apples were planted.
There was also a hundred-headed Giant Dragon, Ladon, helping them guard it. It is said that this legendary Golden Apple, which could grant eternal youth to those who ate it, also sparked a mythical story about who was the most beautiful woman.
One Golden Apple staged a mythical version of the "Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors" drama.
Tang Song still remembered the general story. At a banquet of the Gods, a Golden Apple inscribed with "For the Most Beautiful Goddess" was presented. The three Goddesses present, Queen of Heaven Hera, Goddess of Wisdom Athena, and Goddess of Love and Beauty Aphrodite, all believed the Apple should belong to them.
Because they argued endlessly, King of Gods Zeus decided to have Paris, the Prince of Troy who was pasturing sheep in the wilderness, judge the dispute.
The messenger of the Gods, Hermes, brought Paris to the wedding Scene.
The three Goddesses each made tempting promises to Paris: Queen of Heaven Hera promised to let Paris rule the richest Country on Earth; Goddess of Wisdom Athena promised to give Paris infinite wisdom and lasting victory; while the most charming Goddess of Love, Aphrodite, promised to make Paris husband to the most beautiful woman in the world.
As a result, Paris, with his *mind clouded by desire*, gave the Golden Apple to Aphrodite, whom he considered the most beautiful Goddess, thus offending Hera and Athena.
And the Goddess of Love also helped Paris obtain the most beautiful woman, Helen, wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta, and daughter of Zeus and Leda.
This consequently triggered the famous Trojan War.
*Crunch!* Tang Song grabbed the Golden Apple and took a bite. The sweet Apple gave him a sense of déjà vu, like a dream of hearing these myths as a child in his previous life.
However, he was now in the midst of it, a person in the story. Tang Song had no great Interest in the complex and entangled Ethical Drama of the Olympus Pantheon.
He took out the Golden Apple merely to attract Tivan's attention. Just as Tivan watched the Universe's only Golden Apple being bitten into by Tang Song with heartache.
A Blood Shadow silently spread from under Tang Song's feet towards Tivan!
*Crack!*
"Hmm?" Originally, he had only taken out the Golden Apple to attract Tivan's attention, but after a few bites, Tang Song sensed a warm and gentle Aberrant Energy rising from his stomach, flowing into his True Essence, and gathering in his Yin-Yang Great Pill through his meridians.
His Yin-Yang Golden Core inside his Body felt as if it were in a hot spring under the nourishment of this Aberrant Energy, even comfortably jumping a few times in Tang Song's Dantian and increasing in size by nearly half.
It could be said that one Golden Apple saved him over ten years of arduous Cultivation.
A single Golden Apple was this magical? He wondered if the Apple Tree in the legendary Sacred Garden of Olympus was still there. If he ate a dozen or so, his Cultivation Base would surely take off on the spot.
Even if the Olympus Pantheon didn't have it, there were plenty of such divine Treasures in the Myths and Legends of other Pantheons.
If he remembered correctly, when he drank with Odin before, the God King's words implied he wanted Tang Song to help Asgard avoid the fate of Ragnarök.
For that reward, he would have to have a good talk with His Majesty the God King. One of the sources of Ragnarök was the Goddess of Death Hela. If worst came to worst, he could take a loss and marry Hela, recognizing Odin as a cheap father-in-law.
Of course, the dowry couldn't be small.
Not far away, Tivan watched the Golden Apple, which was eaten by Tang Song in just a few bites, leaving only the core. *You can eat it if you want, but what's with that lewd smile on your face?!* This unique Golden Apple, as a one-of-a-kind Collection Item, he himself hadn't even been willing to eat it.
The furious Tivan pointed his transparent Staff. "Boom!"
A terrifying Light Beam spun rapidly in the air, blasting towards Tang Song with an annihilating posture.
The Cosmic Elder, who was truly enraged, swung the transparent Staff in his hand with such Force that it even tore Space. "Crack!"
Tang Song took a bite of the Golden Apple and casually put the core back into his Five Yin Pouch: "What, you want to fight just because I ate an Apple? How stingy!"
Tang Song let out a Cold Laugh, his face completely devoid of the lewd look from before. He flicked his hand, shooting out dozens of Bing Fire Divine Thunders.
The fist-sized, crimson Bing Fire Divine Thunders, fused with the power of the Eternal Flame, were incredibly powerful. The moment Tivan charged forward, all the Bing Fire Divine Thunders exploded simultaneously with a roar.
A massive crimson Firelight enveloped Tivan's Body. Countless head-sized Fireballs continuously exploded, generating more within the crimson Firelight; the dense explosions instantly drowning Tivan.
As for Boss Tang himself, he rapidly retreated, while a Bone Banner appeared in front of him, protecting him.
The Light Beam struck the Ghoul White Bone Banner. The collision generated a massive shockwave, instantly blowing away the entire Castle that The Collector had operated for who knows how many years.
Revealing the two individuals confronting each other beneath the Castle.
Tang Song stood behind the Ghoul White Bone Banner, a Vermilion Hand String appearing in his Palm.
He was merely a small Cultivator at the Forming the Core Realm; how could he dare to directly confront a Great Expert of at least Skyfather level?
However, after two years of Refinement, the four Ghoul White Bone Banners had devoured millions of Demons and Undead Souls and had long since been Refined into four True Form Level Magic Treasures by him.
*Rustle!* On the Banner Face of the Ghoul White Bone Banner, two Shadows, one black and one white, holding Dirge Cudgels and Soul Locking Chains, charged towards Tivan.
Tivan was bombarded by dozens of Bing Fire Divine Thunders. The protective robe on his Body was directly burned with several Holes by the Divine Thunders containing the Eternal Flame, and his meticulously styled white hair was scorched black.
He had just escaped from the continuous explosions of the Bing Fire Divine Thunders when he received a solid blow to the head.
Although, as a High-Level God Race from the previous Universe and one of the few remaining Elders of the Universe in the current Universe, The Collector Tivan possessed Skyfather level Strength.
But in the countless years since the Universe's creation, his combat experience was negligible. Fighting, this thing, well, he basically couldn't do it.
Facing the Black and White Impermanence True Spirits conjured by the Ghoul White Bone Banner, he could only expend the vast power within his Body to fight the Black and White Impermanence True Spirits.
Well, from Boss Tang's perspective, Tivan's combat ability wasn't bad, it was just at the level of the Five-Whip style. At the same power level, even any Earthling with a slight grasp of combat skills could beat Tivan down.
But he couldn't withstand the sheer magnitude of this guy's power. If the energy in his True Essence Great Core was like a well, then the surging energy in Tivan's Body was like an entire Lake, like Lake Baikal.
This guy had lived too long. Even a pig living this long would accumulate enough energy to grow into Zhu Bajie.
Tivan's wildly swinging Crystal Staff created energy flows that made the surrounding Space unstable. One Force Overcomes Ten Skills; the two great Magic Treasure True Spirits, Black and White Impermanence, couldn't even get close.
This guy's internal power was definitely Skyfather level. In terms of energy abundance alone, it even surpassed Odin. However, if they were to truly fight, Odin could beat him ten times over.
Outside the Castle, the Angels and Thanos' Dark Fleet, who were locked in battle, also noticed the sudden disappearance of the Energy Shield and the entire Castle.
At this moment, Michael, alone with his Sword, had charged into Outer Space. Because of his entanglement, Heaven's Gate was no longer under bombardment from the Dark Fleet's Main Cannon in Outer Space, and countless Angels poured out from within Heaven.
Corvus Glaive commanded his Battle Beasts and Mercenaries to frantically block the Angel reinforcements from within Heaven's Gate, but the number of these Angels was simply too vast.
Soon, they were having trouble holding them back.
Just then, Corvus Glaive noticed the "few people" fighting within the Castle! "Ebony Maw, I'll buy you time! Charge through, get the Power Stone, and then retreat from this Planet!"
Corvus Glaive roared at Ebony Maw, swung his Glaive of Death, and led the Battle Beasts beside him in a counter-charge towards the Angelic Legion.
A strange Radiance flashed in Ebony Maw's eyes. He commanded thousands of Battle Beasts to charge towards the Castle Ruins, which were no longer concealed. At the same time, he stepped onto a damaged Spaceship Deck and flew towards Tivan, who was fighting Black and White Impermanence.
In the Sky, some Six-Winged Angels also noticed the situation within the Castle Ruins. Several Angels wearing white robes picked up Golden Horns.
*Woooooo—*
Amidst the clear horn calls, countless Two-Winged and Four-Winged Angels chanted hymns and swooped down from the sky towards the center of the Castle.
The Collector Tivan swung his transparent Staff. The Primal Power from the previous Universe, shimmering with colorful Radiance, once again scattered the soul bodies of Black and White Impermanence.
But in the blink of an eye, they walked out from the bone banner, alive and well.
Once, twice, thrice, after more than ten times, even Tivan, as foolish as he might be in combat, understood that the secret to these black and white figures' immortality lay in the banner.
Just as he was swinging his transparent Staff, preparing to blast the long banner, a blood-red light shot out from the Shadow behind him, striking The Collector's Body like Lightning.
An innate sense of danger from the ancient Universe's High-Level God Race, ingrained in his genes, made The Collector feel the threat of Death behind him at the critical moment.
He suddenly turned his head and blocked with the transparent Staff in his hand.
The blood blade hummed. Under the full-force strike of the Blood-Robed Daoist who had appeared behind him, The Collector Taneleer Tivan's Scalp tingled.
He would die. If he couldn't block this strike, he would die. Even if he was a High-Level God Race born in the previous Universe, a member of the Elders of the Universe, this strike hitting him would kill him.
Cold sweat covered The Collector's Forehead. He was finished!
*Crack!*
The Divine Artifact in Tivan's hand, which had accompanied him for a Universe's worth of Time, was split in two by the sharp blood blade.
However, this broken transparent Staff blocked the fatal blow for Tivan, allowing him to find a glimmer of Vitality in this insidious assassination.
Tivan no longer cared about his Collection. He fully controlled the Primal Power within his Body, trying to tear open a Space Rift to escape from here.
Just then, a hand shining with vermilion Radiance appeared from The Void and gently pressed down on The Collector's Shoulder.
Like a Seal, it suppressed the power The Collector was about to unleash.
"I surrender! I am an Elder of the Universe, responsible for maintaining Cosmic Balance! Besides this Knowhere, I have nine other Collection Vaults! My Brother is Grandmaster, his Strength is several times mine! If you kill me, he will definitely not let you go! I know the secret to another Universe, that is the Key to the power of the Multiverse—"
Seeing the long blade that brought him the threat of Death about to cleave down towards his face, Tivan frantically spoke of the secrets that could save his Life.
"Hmm?"
The Blade stopped at Tivan's nose tip. The blood-colored Daoist, which was the Illusionary God True Spirit of the Demonic Heaven Blood Transformation Blade, looked at Tang Song.
Without Tang Song's intervention, this strike would have already fallen.
In the Jambudvīpa World, Magic Treasures are divided into Void Spirit, True Form, Illusionary God, and Pure Yang grades. The two Sword Pills and the Great Desolation Bell Refined by Tang Song were only Void Spirit Grade.
The four Ghoul White Bone Banners were all True Form Magic Treasures, while the Demonic Heaven Blood Transformation Blade, Refined from the Corpse of the Hell Lord Mephisto, was a true Illusionary God Magic Treasure.
Back during the Ancient Investiture of the Gods War, True Lord Erlang Shen, who was Half-Step Creation level, took a hit from the Demonic Heaven Blood Transformation Blade. If he hadn't stolen the Antidote, he would have long since turned into a puddle of Foul Blood.
Admittedly, the one Boss Tang held wasn't the Genuine Article, but Tivan's Strength was at most comparable to a Pure Yang True Immortal or Skyfather.
If this strike had truly landed, no matter if you were a Cosmic Elder or a True Immortal level Skyfather, your Physical Body would inevitably turn into a puddle of Foul Blood, resulting in your soul being scattered.
Tang Song observed. The Reality Stone on Tivan's Palm flickered with Red Light. As his Palm pressed down on Tivan's Shoulder, Tivan's Body couldn't help but tremble.
As a Cosmic Elder who had always lived a pampered life, he had never experienced such a life-or-death Crisis.
"Congratulations, you've saved your Life. I'm very Interested in the secret you mentioned about reaching the Multiverse!"
"Then shouldn't you first take out that Power Stone to show your Sincerity, hmm!"
Tang Song took the Orb containing the Power Stone from Tivan's hand. For The Collector, the Power Stone was more of a Collection Item.
But for Tang Song, the Infinity Stone was Strength held in his own hands.
Looking at the trembling Tivan, Tang Song felt even more strongly that his choice was correct.
After learning that this was the Marvel Universe, Tang Song began Refine Magic Tools and Magic Treasures, and Refine Gu Insects.
He took shortcuts because, according to this Universe's Timeline, there wasn't enough Time for him to slowly Cultivate.
Therefore, Tang Song armed himself with these Demonic Magic Treasures that were easier to Refine.
Don't look at his Cultivation Base being only at the Forming the Core Realm, but with the Magic Treasures in his hands, plus a few Infinity Stones, he was now like Yin Jiao in the Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi), holding the Fan Tian Seal and making the Twelve Golden Immortals flee in disarray! Tivan's Strength was hundreds, thousands of times his, but so what? Using the few Magic Treasures in his hands, he still easily captured him.
As Tang Song was feeling smug and satisfied, he put away the Orb containing the Power Stone and the Continent in a Bottle. He looked up and saw in the distance, like falling snow, a vast expanse of white. Countless Two-Winged and Four-Winged Angels, shining with blinding Holy Light, were charging towards him.
The Ground rumbled and vibrated. A massive Beast Horde was also charging towards this side.
(end of chapter )