Chapter 1409: Return of the Past (8)_1

The period of respite was brief. Before Riley could finish tending to Quill's wounds, they heard a tumultuous disturbance from the ground below. A cackling, evil feminine laugh echoed, followed by the rumbling sounds of the earth cracking.

Jessica clutched her shotgun, moving towards the entrance and declared, "I'll go and see what's happening."

"I'm going with you." Xu Shang-Chi followed, grabbing Jessica's arm. She looked back at him and he shook his head, saying, "We can't just rush in blindly. Stand to my side, I'll make us blend in with a camouflage spell."

The two departed quickly, leaving Riley and Quill to exchange information. Quill, unsurprisingly, was better informed. Riley and Matt's battle had ended quickly due to Spider-Man's rage, with Matt being almost immediately smashed into the ground. Quill, however, fought Captain America for an extended period, which gave him the opportunity to learn more about the cosmic situation from the malevolent creature.

"The entire cosmos had been infected, no doubt about it," Quill shook his head. "Just like what I mentioned before, it's similar to our original universe, except here, there are superheroes."

"What baffles me is that the superheroes here seem to be immortal. They're not afraid to die. When I threatened a mutually destructive battle with Captain America, he laughed hysterically instead of showing any fear. Luckily, he wasn't very smart and fell directly into my trap."

"What do you think is causing this?"

"I'm not sure, but what Captain America told me was, 'Even death will die, and any cosmos that cannot achieve this is weak. He will grant them true immortality.'"

"Absurd." Riley judged.

"The world never lacks such madmen." Quill's rich experience allowed him to make a more comprehensive assessment. "They're seeking eternal life without caring about what it really is. Whether they're still themselves, whether they still own their souls, whether they're still free, they just don't care."

"Eternity without power is just like a piece of meat on an experimental table." Riley pursed his lips, almost unable to believe his own cold analogy.

He couldn't help but think about The Ancient One, her alluring power coupled with pity, which impressed him more than immortality could and instilled a sense of reverence.

Quill climbed up and touched the wound on his forehead, "I think I got here a little earlier than you guys, so I hid Jennifer somewhere only I know. I should bring her back now."

"No, I think you were right to hide her." Riley halted Quill, "Find her a hidden spot, with plenty of food and water, let her stay quiet. That's the best way."

"I thought you would sympathize with her."

"But having her with us is really dangerous." Riley shook his head, struggling to suppress his discomfort. He tried not to sound like a bad person, but circumstances forced him to do so.

"Not just for her, but also for us. We can't look after her if anything happens. We might all die if we got distracted because of her."

Quill hesitated. Apart from caring for Jennifer, he also was honoring The Ancient One's last wish. He was hoping that the Supreme Magician could keep them safe.

"My Asian friend knows some spells that can conceal her hideout. We'll transport her to a safe place once we figure out a way to leave." Riley brought up concisely.

Quill and Rocket Raccoon had no choice but to accept this suggestion. Bringing a little girl around in such a dangerous world was not wise and would only bring trouble to both parties.

They packed up and prepared to open the door, but just as Riley reached out his hand, his spider-sense rang alarmingly. He rolled back instantly and yanked Quill aside. "Bang!", a gunshot rang out, blowing the door off its hinges.

"Get out of the way!" Jessica's voice came out.

Quill didn't know what he was supposed to dodge, but before he could react, he was yanked to the side by Riley again. As he staggered, he noticed that the wall where he was just leaning was punched through in an instant.

"Invisible?!"

"Get out first!" Rocket Raccoon yelled.

Anybody could see that being trapped in this small place wasn't a good thing. Quill sprinted, and, under Jessica's covering fire, made it to the bar's first floor.

The scene outside was terrible. A stone-skinned giant was rampaging destructively, another figure flew above, cackling maniacally while setting things ablaze. A rubber-like man was trying to strangle Xu Shang-Chi with his elastic arm.

Riley roared, leaping up to kick away the rubber-like arm. Xu Shang-Chi shook his head and cried out, "The Fantastic Four?!"

"It's the Monstrous Four!" Jessica bellowed, firing another round. The bullet whizzed past the Invisible Woman's hair. She flew up and turned back to yell at Riley, "I'm running out of ammo, finish this quickly!"

Riley crouched lower, steadying his center of gravity. A glint of hesitation flashed across his face, only to harden into determination. Quill wasn't sure what was going on with him, but soon, he saw Riley glance back at him with a look that sent a shiver down his spine, and ask, "You said the superheroes of this world don't die, right?"

"That's what Captain America said."

As soon as Quill finished speaking, Riley bolted forward with terrifying speed.

Almost no one had ever seen Spider Man's full-speed assault, because he himself was more aware than anyone of the potential destruction it could cause.

In fact, Riley had never fully unleashed his Spider Man powers, because he was more worried about causing damage than Spider Man.

Amidst the whirl of the wind, Riley's thoughts started to drift.

A fake? A clone? Well, if this was his destiny, then he had to thank God for sending him to this universe, where he didn't have to be a hero anymore. It wouldn't be too bad to be an unscrupulous clone, after all, they couldn't die either. Why not go all out?

Before Mr. Fantastic, Reed Richards had a chance to react, a figure hit him with an indomitable force. The moment Riley's chest and arms, propelled by high speed, impacted his lower torso, he was almost instantly cut in two.

Reed's stretching ability couldn't withstand the sudden powerful force. He didn't even have a chance to turn into a slingshot. His ribs flew out like shattered springs, followed by his kidneys and intestines.

Riley didn't dare to think about what he had collided with. All he knew was that when he finally stopped, he was all covered in blood. In the area he had used to absorb the impact and to brake, Reed Richards was all over the place.

With a deep breath, Riley stood there in a stupor. The sensation violence brought was not at all pleasant, but at least it confirmed one thing for him, he wasn't an innately evil clone. The act of trying to kill someone made him feel so sick he wanted to vomit.

But Mr. Fantastic didn't die. Despite being scattered evenly over several hundred meters of street, he was still alive. His one remaining arm, linked to half his chest, shot out appendages in an attempt to reach his head, and his relatively intact lower body seemed to want to pinch an upper body out of thin air.

The Invisible Woman let out a horrific scream and lunged towards Mr. Fantastic, but was blocked by Jessica.

Xu Shang-Chi watched, agape, and took a deep breath. They really couldn't die.

But even so, Xu Shang-Chi didn't want to kill. The thought had never crossed his mind. He wasn't someone who could deal with murder.

Just as this thought flashed through his mind, he felt a gust of wind next to his ear and then, with a "bang", everything spun.

Xu Shang-Chi felt like he had been thrown away. He was hit on the shoulder, then landed heavily on the ground. His right arm was probably broken, and he might also have fractured ribs.

He couldn't help but moan in pain. Through the hazy vision, he saw The Thing jumping towards him, his eyes filled with evil and bright red. Clearly, he wanted to crush him with his own weight.

Xu Shang-Chi endured the pain, rolling to the side and avoiding The Thing's target, but was sent flying again by the shattered ground from his massive power.

He can't fight! Xu Shang-Chi gritted his teeth and roared internally. That was why he wanted to be a mage. He was just an ordinary engineering student who hardly ever went to the gym. He didn't even know how to exert force properly!

Under the current circumstances, The Thing wouldn't give him the chance to cast a spell. Xu Shang-Chi gasped for breath, a terrifying ferocity surged from within him and instantly occupied his mind.

He gathered his Qi into his Dantian, and then transformed his body. His well-conditioned instinct was awakened. Xu Shang-Chi flipped over with agility, channeled a fraction of his Qi into his leg, and formed a shrinking Earth spell with his hand. In a flash, he moved behind The Thing and jumped on his back.

Then, with the most basic and brutal manner, he moved all the remaining Qi to the fist of his dominant hand, until he saw his lower arm muscle bulking up. Xu Shang-Chi, following his instinct, swung punch after punch until The Thing's neck and shoulders were thoroughly hammered apart.

What it's like to punch a rock? Xu Shang-Chi couldn't describe it, but he had to admit, it was actually thrilling. With the Qi's protection, the counteracting force didn't harm him, and the feeling of his fist hitting flesh vented an unspeakable rage that had just risen within him.

With another punch, The Thing moaned in pain. This awakened Xu Shang-Chi, not because the groan was loud, but because it was too weak, perhaps even the last sound he would make.

Xu Shang-Chi stood up panting, looking hazily at The Thing, who had been pounded into the depth of the tar road. He was completely shattered, but not yet dead.

Whose violent factor did this belong to? Xu Shang-Chi thought. His? Or the original Shang-Chi's?

As he felt the flow of Qi in his body slowly returning to calm, rather than churning up from emotional agitation and making him vomit blood, Xu Shang-Chi thought, "Well, I guess I have to accept my violent side, just like accepting the fact that I am now part of this crazy cosmos."