No need for formalities. Are you the mortal from Midgard, Li Yue, that Thor spoke of?"
Odin waved his hand, signaling Li Yue not to be so formal. Odin's left eye shot out a gaze that felt almost tangible, scrutinizing Li Yue, hoping to discern something about him.
However, even as powerful as Odin, he found nothing unusual about Li Yue, only that his physical constitution was quite strong. Yet, this level of physical strength was not enough to capture Odin's serious attention. (Ancient One could detect Li Yue's spatial energy because Li Yue had traversed in front of her.)
"Yes, I am Li Yue! I apologize for my presumptuous visit to Asgard, and I ask that the All-Father not hold it against me."
Li Yue replied with a relatively respectful tone, looking at the man seated on the throne before him. With his white hair and beard, and a black eye patch over his right eye, he resembled an old man in his twilight years, making it hard to believe that this was the Lord of the Nine Realms, Odin, the All-Father.
"Thor told me you can also control the power of lightning? Is that true?"
"Yes, I can indeed control lightning. I once tried to lift the hammer in Thor's hand, and to my surprise, I actually managed to lift it. Then, after a flash of lightning and thunder, I discovered I had gained the ability to control lightning."
"But later, for some reason, I couldn't lift that hammer anymore. However, my ability to control lightning didn't disappear."
Li Yue answered Odin's question, even pointing to Mjolnir, which the grinning Thor was holding nearby. His words were a mix of truth and fabrication.
He had indeed lifted the hammer, but if it weren't for the energy in his mind, he still wouldn't have been able to lift Mjolnir.
Odin fell into thought upon hearing Li Yue's reply. What he said must have been the situation he sensed that time; after he intervened, Li Yue couldn't lift the hammer anymore.
The grinning Thor nearby suddenly changed his expression upon hearing Li Yue's words. This was the first time he had heard of anyone besides Odin being able to lift his Mjolnir.
This surprised Thor, and he wanted to ask Li Yue directly, but they were in Odin's palace, and Odin was present, which made Thor hesitant to speak up directly.
This journey to Earth had matured Thor greatly. He no longer acted as recklessly as before. For instance, now, if it were the old Thor, he wouldn't care about the setting and would have already pulled Li Yue aside to loudly question him.
The matured Thor had learned to control his emotions. Although still a bit naive, he was much better than before. At the very least, he understood the importance of respecting his father Odin's presence… "I believe your power of lightning comes from Mjolnir, but how did you know that Thor is the God of Thunder and about our affairs in Asgard?"
After pondering for more than ten seconds, Odin suddenly asked in a serious tone. His voice, though not loud, was full of authority, and an invisible aura slowly pressed down on Li Yue.
Odin's remaining left eye fixed on Li Yue, as if to see through him.
"I am not from this universe. Due to an accident, I came to this universe and was somehow drawn into the river of time, where I saw many things that were about to happen and had already happened in this universe. This included Asgard!"
Facing the oppressive, terrifying aura emanating from Odin, Li Yue showed no discomfort. The blue energy in his mind activated, and Odin's aura could not affect him at all.
Li Yue brought out his usual explanation again. Whether others believed it or not, Li Yue himself already did!
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"Your explanation is too absurd. I cannot believe that everything you say is true."
Odin's expression remained unchanged, indicating his disbelief in Li Yue's answer.
"Whether the All-Father believes it or not, it is the truth. I have seen what is about to happen to Asgard, and I wish to conduct a transaction with the All-Father. This is also my purpose in coming to Asgard!"
Li Yue stopped explaining further.
Instead, he proposed a transaction to Odin.
"Oh? A transaction? What can you offer? And what do you wish to gain?"
Odin asked Li Yue with interest.
"I have seen some of Asgard's future, and I wish to exchange this information for some of your collections, All-Father!"
Li Yue spoke calmly and confidently, his words astonishing Thor, who stood nearby with his mouth agape.
He hadn't expected Li Yue to be so greedy, asking for his father's collections right away. The items stored in Odin's Vault were all powerful artifacts, acquired by his father during his conquests of the Nine Realms. What kind of information could possibly be worth so much?
"Heh heh, this is the first time anyone has dared to bargain with me like this. I hope the news you bring is truly as important as you say. In that case, what's the harm in giving you one of my vault's collections?"
Odin, whether angered or finding Li Yue's words amusing, actually showed a hint of a smile on his stern face.
"Of course, for example, the impending Ragnarok that will descend upon Asgard, the breaking of the seal by Hela, the Goddess of Death whom you know well, and Thanos, who is currently slaughtering cosmic beings…"
The moment Li Yue spoke these words, Odin instantly dropped his smile. An incredibly powerful aura emanated from Odin, instantly enveloping all of Asgard.
Li Yue mentioning Hela was what shocked Odin the most, because very few people knew about this matter, and most of them had long since died. The name Hela was also the name Odin least wanted to hear.
At this moment, Odin no longer resembled a frail old man. To Li Yue, he felt like an ordinary person facing a tiger descending from the mountain, utterly unstoppable.
However, this powerful aura lasted for less than a second before disappearing. All the residents of Asgard couldn't help but wonder if they had just experienced an illusion, but that oppressive power still left a deep impression on everyone, making them feel as if they might die the next second.
But those in the palace felt it most deeply, as they had experienced such a powerful aura up close. This feeling of being unable to resist was absolutely genuine.
Thor had thought he was very powerful now, but after experiencing his father's aura, he realized how immense the gap between himself and his father still was… "Father, what is Ragnarok? Why will it descend upon Asgard? And who are Hela and Thanos?"
Although Odin's aura had intimidated Thor, the incredibly curious Thor still asked Odin. After hearing Li Yue's words, his father had lost control of his emotions, even if only for an instant, so his father must know the meaning behind Li Yue's words.
"Frigga, please take Thor away for now. I need to speak with Li Yue alone."
Odin did not answer Thor's question, but instead spoke to his wife on the side.
As Odin's wife, Queen Frigga naturally understood Odin's intention. It was clear that these matters could not be known by Thor yet.
"Thor, come with Mother for a walk!"
So Frigga immediately stood up, went to Thor's side, took his hand, and walked out without allowing any resistance.
Although Thor didn't want to leave, being led by his mother, he dared not resist forcefully. He could only follow, looking back every three steps, and soon walked out of the palace.
"Li Yue, let's have a good talk about the transaction you mentioned!"
Odin watched as his wife led Thor away, then spoke to Li Yue in a deep voice…