Plunder

The motley group of twenty cultivators, hailing from both Orthodox and Unorthodox Sects, bore the wear and tear of their treacherous journey thus far. Some panted heavily, their chests heaving like anvils. Others peered into the engulfing darkness, their eyes glinting with wariness. A few simply sat, cross-legged, recuperating from their last skirmish.

"A fucking Tier 5 as soon as we arrived, I knew I shouldn't have followed you, bastard!" A raven-haired young woman with moon-shaped earrings spat out her complaint.

Her object of disdain, a young man adorned in black robes featuring a red demonic pattern on his shoulders and chest, broke his meditation to retort. "You chose to come with me. You knew the risks."

Not far from them lay a monstrous creature, its head half-sliced, a gaping hole in its chest. The man with the demon pattern—whose name was Jiang—studied the corpse with keen interest. During their skirmish, Kai Thanos had shown remarkable prowess, The guy had managed to land a critical hit as a Stage 3 cultivator. Intriguing, but now wasn't the time for distractions.

As Jiang mustered his unorthodox group of 10, the orthodox group, led by Liu Ye, also began to regroup. Liu Ye, a brash young master from the orthodox side, suggested they should move as one group, with him leading.

"I'd rather go alone," Thanos declared, striding away.

Ming hesitated but chose to stay. "Little Feng, are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes," Thanos affirmed and kept walking, followed by Lee.

The sound of their departure was a trigger, causing Liu Ye's veins to bulge with suppressed fury. 'When was the last time I've been so disrespected?' he thought bitterly.

Liu Ye seethed with hate, and the unorthodox groups chuckled at the discord amongst their orthodox counterparts.

"Minger, forget that barbarian. His death wish is his own affair," Liu Ye spatted.

Ming watched Thanos fade into the darkness, her eyes filled with conflicting emotions. She finally tore her gaze away when he vanished from sight.

Farther along, Lee questioned his master. "Is it wise to venture alone into this unknown territory?"

Smirking, Thanos replied, "Greater risks mean greater rewards." He gestured toward a group of scorpion-like creatures feasting on a fallen beast.

He pointed a finger and with a series of cracks, the creatures' necks twisted grotesquely, life fleeing their frames. Qi energy emanated from their bodies, assimilating into Thanos, fueling his reservoirs of strength.

"Do you understand now?" Thanos looked back at Lee, who nodded, a look of understanding in his eyes.

Thanos wasn't stingy when it came to the Fang Yuan's cultivation arts, not only has he granted it to the entirety of the Swarm, but he also gave it to his subordinate Lee. If they stayed with the orthodox group, they might be a lot more safe but their growth potential would drastically diminish in this realm.

Lee began to store valuable materials from the slain creatures into a dimensional pouch. They continued, the darkness less intimidating when walking beside someone so reliable.

In his mind, Thanos queried his roomate, 'The limitations are weakening the more I grow, what stage do you think I'll need to reach to teleport back to the MCU?'

"Perhaps Stage 6 or 7," came the reply, as the voice in his head analyzed his ever-evolving body.

Just then, they stumbled upon a garden—an oasis in this dimension of chaos. It was teeming with exotic flora. "Master, those are Night Flowers!" Lee exclaimed, his usually stoic demeanor shattering like glass. "A rare material for body purification! And there are so many!"

Indeed, hundreds of Night Flowers glowed ethereally among a multitude of other natural treasures. Even the indomitable Thanos found himself marveling at the bounty before them.

A cruel grin stretched across his face. "Time for plunder."

As they cautiously moved to harvest the bounty, a low growl shattered the quiet. From the garden's depths, a beast with venomous fangs and eyes like molten gold lunged at them. Without missing a beat, Lee's fists lit up, unleashing a storm of blazing punches toward the creature. It retaliated, claws slashing through the air, missing Lee by mere inches.

Thanos stepped forward, his eyes glowing an eerie shade. The creature hesitated, seemingly sensing the threat before it, but too wild to retreat.

With a snarl, it launched itself at Lee again. But this time, the earth beneath him gave way suddenly. Lee's eyes widened in surprise, and before he could react, he plummeted into a dark pit that had opened up beneath him. The fall was swift, and his shouts echoed as he vanished from sight.

The beast looked at Thanos, who stood at the edge of the pit, his eyes darker than the abyss. "Wrong move," he murmured, cracking his knuckles.

Kai Thanos's eyes continued to glow an eerie shade as he lifted his arms. A golden dragon materialized around each of his fists, their forms shimmering with ethereal light. In a split second, he moved, faster than the eye could follow. His fist met the creature's form, a shockwave rippling through the air, sending the beast sprawling. For a moment, the golden dragons appeared to bite into the creature's very soul before dissipating into motes of golden light.

Before the creature could regain its footing, Thanos extended his arm, his psychokinetic power grabbing hold of the beast's neck, suspending it in mid-air, choking off its air supply. Its eyes widened in terror as it gasped for air, clawing futilely at the invisible force constricting its throat. With a slight twist of his wrist, Thanos clenched tighter, and there was a sickening snap. The creature's body went limp, its life extinguished.

Thanos looked down into the pit where Lee had fallen. "Lee, Skyward Palm, now!" he bellowed.

Responding to his master's call, Lee gathered his Qi and shot out of the pit, landing next to Thanos.

"Thanks to you, Master," Lee replied, looking at the limp body of the creature that had attacked them.