Good news: The Ancient One is no longer on Earth.
Bad news: Her successor seems to be even more powerful than she was.
Luo Bai stood there, wearing the Infinity Gauntlet, while Ebony Maw's lifeless body floated stiffly in outer space.
For a moment, Thanos' mind went blank.
No… What just happened?
This so-called Supreme Sorcerer, Luo Bai, had suddenly appeared on his spaceship—without anyone noticing?
And that wasn't even the most ridiculous part.
The most absurd thing was that his Infinity Gauntlet… When did it end up in Luo Bai's hands?!
Thanos had originally planned to obtain the Power Stone and the Soul Stone first.
With those two Stones, he believed he had a high chance of taking the remaining four from Luo Bai.
But now? Not only did he fail to seize the other four…
He even lost the two he had just acquired?!
Thanos fell into a heavy silence.
His expression was calm, but beneath that calmness was boiling rage.
What angered him the most was Luo Bai's mocking tone:
"You're too kind. Forget about coming to Earth—why did you bring gifts?"
Thanos: "...!!!"
Gifts?!
I didn't come here to give you gifts!
I came to take the Infinity Stones from you!!
Suppressing his fury, Thanos shifted his gaze toward his five loyal warriors—wait, no.
It was now the Four Black Order Generals.
With Ebony Maw dead, his remaining forces consisted of Black Dwarf, Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, and Supergiant.
And then there was his daughter, Nebula, though she rarely got involved in direct battles.
Seeing his warriors still standing there in a daze, Thanos' patience snapped.
"Why are you just standing there?! Attack!" he roared.
Following Thanos' command, the four generals charged at Luo Bai.
To be fair, the Black Order was not weak.
Against most superpowered beings on Earth, they were formidable.
But against someone truly powerful? Their combined strength wasn't nearly enough.
And against a supreme sorcerer like Luo Bai, armed with unimaginable abilities?
It was a slaughter waiting to happen.
The four warriors rushed forward, weapons drawn, ready to strike.
Luo Bai, however, simply smiled and released a surge of dark magical energy.
Powerful dark matter erupted from his body, engulfing Thanos' so-called "generals."
The instant the energy touched them, three of them disintegrated on the spot.
"????"
Thanos could only watch as his elite warriors were wiped out in an instant.
The rage on his face vanished, replaced by sheer confusion.
His mind reeled.
No… The Black Order…
Each of them was considered a top-tier warrior, even by Earth's standards!
And yet, Luo Bai—a sorcerer who had only studied magic for a few years—had annihilated them with a mere wave of his hand?!
All of them?!
At that moment, Thanos suddenly began to question Ebony Maw's intelligence reports.
A novice magician?
Then why did he seem even more terrifying than the Ancient One?!
Could it be… that his information was completely wrong?
Were there even more powerful beings on Earth that he had overlooked?
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became.
His arrogant expression faded, his gaze sharpening as he reassessed Luo Bai.
Taking a deep breath, he finally asked, "Are you the new Supreme Sorcerer of Kamar-Taj?"
Luo Bai remained silent but nodded in confirmation.
Thanos frowned. "How did you know I would come to Earth? Did you foresee my plan?"
"Of course. That's why I've been waiting for you," Luo Bai said with a smirk.
Waiting for me?
Thanos was puzzled.
Not understanding, he asked, "Why were you waiting for me?"
The moment he finished speaking, Luo Bai replied, "Obviously—to collect the remaining Infinity Stones you brought me."
Thanos: "......"
If it had been before, Thanos would have laughed at such arrogance.
How dare a so-called novice sorcerer say something so ridiculous?
But now, after witnessing Luo Bai's terrifying abilities firsthand…
He wasn't so sure anymore.
Just as Thanos was lost in thought, Luo Bai spoke again:
"By the way, you should be thanking me. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have arrived on Earth so quickly."
Thank him??
Thanos was stunned.
He suddenly recalled something—
Based on the spaceship's original speed, it should have taken half a month to reach Earth.
Yet, for some unknown reason, after being enveloped by a strange force, their ship had suddenly appeared near Earth in an instant.
Could it be…
Thanos suddenly remembered something and immediately asked, "You were the one who teleported my spaceship to Earth?!"
Luo Bai nodded with a smile. "You guessed right. I helped you out. I saw that your journey was taking too long, so I gave you a hand. I was worried you wouldn't be able to find me, so I came to you instead."
Thanos: "......"
He didn't know why…
But at this moment, he had an unsettling feeling.
A feeling that he was nothing more than prey, being toyed with in Luo Bai's hands.
He had planned this for ten years!
Ten years of waiting, scheming, and preparing to gather all six Infinity Stones.
He waited for the Ancient One to die.
He waited for Odin to pass away.
He waited until those two old monsters were no longer on Earth.
With them gone, he believed that his path would be clear, that his plan would unfold flawlessly.
But now?
There was always someone stronger out there?!
All that effort, all that planning—was it just to pave the way for someone else?
And now, four out of his five most trusted warriors were dead.
Luo Bai not only knew magic but also held all six Infinity Stones in his hands.
How was he supposed to fight this?
With six Infinity Stones, even a pig could dominate the battlefield!
Realizing that brute force wouldn't get him anywhere, Thanos decided to try a different approach.
Perhaps… negotiation.
His expression softened, and for the first time, the usually stern and emotionless Titan forced a smile.
"Actually, there's no need for hostility between us," Thanos said in a calm, almost friendly tone. "If you understood my plan, you might even agree with me."
Luo Bai raised an eyebrow.
"It seems… you want to talk?" Luo Bai asked.
Thanos nodded. "I believe we can come to an understanding."
If Thanos had been just another run-of-the-mill villain, Luo Bai wouldn't have bothered wasting words on him.
But Thanos wasn't alone.
He had a powerful backer—Death, one of the Five Cosmic Entities.
Not to mention, Thanos himself was valuable in his own way.
Though he wasn't the strongest being in the universe, he had a knack for finding absurdly overpowered artifacts.
Six Infinity Stones, the Heart of the Universe, the Cosmic Cube—Thanos always managed to get his hands on something ridiculously powerful.
So, Luo Bai figured there was no harm in entertaining this conversation.
With that thought, he casually raised his hand.
A floating throne suddenly appeared beside him. He sat down comfortably, crossing his legs as he said, "Since I have some free time, let's talk."
Thanos: "????"
Wait a minute… why does that throne look so familiar?
No… No way…
That's—!!! My stolen throne!!!
So it was Luo Bai who stole my throne last time?!
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