Chapter 1230 Progress

With Lin Rui's covert assistance, Loki, who should have been captured by Thor and imprisoned in Asgard's most secure cell, managed to escape openly. Once outside of Asgard, Loki, with his abilities, could go wherever he pleased in the vast world.

For the sake of the authenticity of this grand scheme, Lin Rui hadn't informed many people of the plan. So, when Loki used an illusion to deceive Thor and rushed toward the Bifrost control chamber, Spider-Man, Peter, and the others all tried their best to take action and stop him. 

However, Lin Rui intentionally or unintentionally swept them off the battlefield. In the end, he fought Loki alone and managed to knock Loki directly into the Bifrost control chamber.

Except for Thor, who didn't join Lin Rui in confronting Loki, Peter and Jackson could sense that something was going on between Lin Rui and Loki. However, they refrained from asking questions, knowing it was not the right time.

Now that Thor had neutralized most of Loki's tricks and Loki himself had teleported out of Asgard, as long as Thor guarded the Bifrost and a few concealed entrances to Asgard, he wouldn't have to worry about Loki returning to cause more trouble.

Therefore, upon hearing Lin Rui's words, Thor's expression slightly eased. Without the help of Earth's superheroes, Thor wasn't sure if he could have thwarted Loki's plan.

"Jackson, I truly appreciate your help this time! If Earth ever needs assistance from Asgard in the future, I will be there without hesitation!" Thor earnestly promised as he patted Lin Rui on the shoulder.

A thousand years ago, Asgard served as Earth's guardian. However, with Earth's rapid technological advancements and the emergence of super-powered heroes, it was no longer a desolate realm among the Nine Realms. Perhaps, in the not-too-distant future, Earth might become a prominent entity in the entire universe.

"Yeah, with Loki out of the way, I believe your influence and leadership are enough to govern Asgard effectively now. As for Earth, if it faces another crisis, I trust you'll be there to help," Lin Rui replied with a smile.

In Lin Rui's view, the level of crises Earth might encounter in the future would not be something that could be resolved solely through military means. 

However, Thor, the God of Thunder, still possessed formidable power, and there was room for him to grow even stronger. A true God of Thunder wasn't limited to the strength he currently possessed.

After discussing the future of Asgard and Earth in the Bifrost control center, Lin Rui eventually suggested returning to Earth. Although this visit to Asgard had been initiated at Thor's request, it had unfolded according to Lin Rui's plan. 

So, now that Loki had executed a flawless departure from the first act of the play, Lin Rui, playing the supporting role, and the others had to return. There were many matters awaiting Lin Rui back on Earth.

Thor had no reason to refuse Lin Rui's request. Without further delay, he personally took action to activate the Bifrost, opening the teleportation channel back to Earth. Lin Rui and his companions then stepped inside and disappeared.

When Lin Rui and his companions had completely vanished within the teleportation channel, and even the channel had ceased to exist, Thor withdrew his gaze. 

Through the Bifrost portal leading to the cosmic expanse, Thor gazed intently at the stars outside. Finally, with a complex expression, he sighed and left the Bifrost control chamber.

...

With a resounding roar, on the rooftop of Stark Tower in the heart of New York City, a beam of Bifrost light slowly dissipated. Lin Rui and his group walked out from it. Spending nearly a month in Asgard had left them somewhat weary, especially given the intellectual battles they had waged against Loki, which were anything but simple.

"Welcome back." J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice greeted them as they entered Tony's luxurious living room.

"Yeah, J.A.R.V.I.S., has anything significant happened on Earth recently?" Lin Rui asked casually as he sat down on the soft couch.

Although to Lin Rui's expectations, there shouldn't be any major events on Earth during this period, unexpected things could always happen. Perhaps while Lin Rui was in Asgard, something occurred on Earth. However, J.A.R.V.I.S.'s response was not surprising to Lin Rui.

"The establishment of the Earth Federation has entered the formal process. The cooperation meetings between various countries and powers have concluded, and the integration of global resources and capabilities is beginning to show results. As for the special item you mentioned searching for across the entire state of Colorado, it hasn't been found yet, but there are still a few days left before Colorado will have been thoroughly searched. If it's still not found by then, perhaps the item you're looking for isn't in Colorado."

"Well, the progress of the Earth Federation is normal. But... the item hasn't been found yet? There's only about half a month left. Could it really not be in Colorado?" Lin Rui blinked a few times and muttered after hearing J.A.R.V.I.S.'s response.

The establishment of the Earth Federation and its subsequent development were not the primary focus for Lin Rui. He just needed to ensure that the development of the Earth Federation aligned with the initial intentions he, Tony, and Rogers had when forming the alliance. 

However, the ongoing quest to find the seed left on Earth by Ego was causing Lin Rui some headaches.

Although the current Lin Rui didn't necessarily lack those extra 50,000 Reward Points, he didn't want to give up the opportunity to gain them without engaging in intense battles. 

Moreover, as Ego was a celestial being, one of the few in the universe with self-awareness, his seeds must hold significant research value.

In the original storyline, Ego's consumption of energy from Star-Lord's body activated the seeds he had planted on countless planets, causing them to grow rapidly and consume the essential energies of those planets. 

Therefore, these seeds themselves likely contained considerable power. Perhaps they were simply waiting for the right moment, a trigger from Ego.

"If I can't find it this way, I'll have to search for it personally! Although Star-Lord is unlikely to be killed by Ego like in the original storyline if the seeds are activated by absorbing some of his energy, it could lead to the seeds growing uncontrollably and causing massive environmental damage. Besides, my hidden quest and the research on the seeds would be in jeopardy."

After some brief contemplation, Lin Rui made his decision. Since so many people had failed to find Ego's seed left on Earth, he would search for it himself. Perhaps, this hidden quest was not as straightforward as it seemed.

...

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