Chapter 165 : Reality Gem, Mind Gem!
A light blue spatial ripple silently bloomed within the stone chamber of Kamar-Taj's forbidden library, and Li Yu's figure stepped out from it.
The biting cold of Xandar still clung to him, and the violent energy of the Power Stone in his palm flickered, yet it was completely reined in the moment he landed.
In its place was the scent of old parchment and ink from the ancient books in the stone chamber, as well as the flowing, faintly glowing magic energy in the air; this energy slowly moved along the runes on the stone walls, casting fragmented light spots in the dim chamber.
"How was it? How many Stones did you get?"
Wang rose from behind a stone table piled with ancient texts, his sturdy frame leaning forward, his face full of barely suppressed curiosity.
Clearly, during the time Li Yu was away, he and Strange had been poring overmaterial.
Strange, on the other hand, had a grim expression; he leaned against a bookshelf, his gaunt face looking even more exhausted under the flickering light of the runes, his eyes deeply sunken, and the dark circles beneath them clearly visible, but in his sharp eyes, besides the usual vigilance, there was an added, hard-to-conceal anxiety.
He subconsciously caressed the Eye of Agamotto on his chest, his gaze carrying a hint of exploration.
Li Yu didn't bother with pleasantries; he raised and opened his palm.
Three Infinity Stones appeared in his palm one after another: the orange-red glow of the Soul Stone was deep and captivating, like a flickering candle flame.
The ethereal blue light of the Space Stone flowed erratically, as if reflecting theVeins of the Universe.
The purple energy of the Power Stone was the most violent, emitting a heart-pounding pressure.
The energies of the three Stones resonated in his palm, causing even the ancient runes carved into the stone chamber walls to tremble slightly, emitting a faint hum.
Wang and Strange exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock.
They had already made a very high assessment of Li Yu's strength, but they hadn't expected him to so easily take the Soul Stone from the Celestials, the Space Stone from Thor, and the Power Stone from under the nose of the Nova Corps; each of these was an event significant enough to shake the Universe, yet he had done it as if it were child's play.
At this moment, a thought simultaneously arose in both their minds: they had found the right protector this time; as long as Li Yu lived, the legacy of Kamar-Taj would not be broken.
Li Yu's gaze fell on the Eye of Agamotto on Strange's chest; a verdant light emanated from the gaps in the pendant—that was the aura of the Time Stone.
"Have you found the whereabouts of the other Stones?"
"The Time Stone is here, ready to be taken at any time."
Strange's voice was hoarse; he raised his hand and pressed the pendant on his chest, and the verdant light flickered.
"But the other two... the situation is not optimistic."
Wang took over, speaking quickly, clearly indicating the urgency of the situation.
"Dr. Banner, the Hulk, was responsible for guarding the Reality Stone. We used all of Kamar-Taj's intelligence network, and even used Time Magic to trace his last known location, but after he took the Stone, he completely vanished, as if he had evaporated! He left no traceable marks."
Wang paused.
"There were no spatial jump fluctuations, nor any traces of energy dissipation. We speculate that he either used the power of the Reality Stone to conduct an experiment far beyond conventional understanding, and simply disappeared, or... he fell into some unknown secret realm."
He paused again, his tone heavy.
"In short, the whereabouts of the Reality Stone are now a complete mystery."
Li Yu's eyes subtly grew cold. The absence of the Reality Stone disrupted his plans.
On the path to collecting all six Stones, an unpredictable obstacle had suddenly appeared.
He had originally thought he could collect them systematically, but now it seemed things weren't that simple.
"But there's a clue for the Mind Stone!"
Strange's voice broke the brief silence; he raised his hand and drew a circle in the air, and a pale gold magic projection instantly unfolded.
The projection showed Westview, a town in New Jersey, U.S., which should have been peaceful, but was now completely covered by a massive, abnormally vibrant, hemispherical energy field.
The boundary of the energy field was like flowing colored glass, constantly twisting and deforming, and the internal scene was bizarre and kaleidoscopic, with countless figures moving slowly like puppets, their movements eerily stiff.
On the edge of the energy field, the S.W.O.R.D. logo could be seen, along with a large number of military armed forces surrounding the town, with strict security.
"A large-scale reality-distorting illusion."
Strange pointed at the projection, his brow furrowed.
"Its intensity far exceeds known magic or technological means. We analyzed the energy's essence, and the core fluctuation frequency highly matches that of the Mind Stone. In fact, one could say this is an extremely magnified and distorted Mind Stone energy field."
Wang added from the side, his face grim.
"This power is terrifyingly strong, carrying intense mental contamination. We tried remote reconnaissance; the few magic messengers we sent out were assimilated and distorted as soon as they touched the energy field boundary, becoming part of the illusion within."
He swallowed, his voice lowered.
"Inside... it's like an independent and insane pocket Universe, formed by pure mental power, and the source is most likely the Mind Stone itself."
Strange's eyes flickered, his tone speculative.
"The Scarlet Witch of this Universe has already self-sealed herself. I suspect a more powerful evil entity has used the Mind Stone's power to come to this World."
Li Yu's gaze was fixed on the twisted, colorful cage in the projection.
The Mind Stone, the Stone that was once embedded in Vision's forehead, granting him consciousness and power, did not dissipate with Vision's death. Instead, it was used by an unknown entity, causing the anomaly throughout the town.
The Reality Stone was nowhere to be found, and searching for it might take an unpredictable amount of time.
But the Mind Stone was right before him; although trapped in a dangerous illusion, the target was clear, and the location precise.
"The Reality Stone's clue is cut off; no need to waste time fruitlessly."
Li Yu's voice was cold and decisive; the three Stones in his palm vanished instantly. His gaze shifted from the projection to Strange and Wang.
"Westview, the Mind Stone, is my next target."
His tone held no hesitation, nor did he need to ask for opinions.
The moment his words fell, the ethereal blue light of the Space Stone lit up between his fingers, and a powerful spatial force began to surge, outlining a portal within the stone chamber.
On the other side of the portal, the distorted energy field of Westview could vaguely be seen.
Li Yu stepped into the ethereal blue circle, leaving only a single instruction before his figure disappeared.
"Continue to look for news of Banner. Wait for me to return."
The next second, his figure appeared at the border of Westview, New Jersey.
Without the slightest pause, he stepped directly into the colorful energy field.
However, the scene before him was completely different from the magic projection.
The entire town had been utterly reduced to a wasteland; houses were in ruins, streets were covered with rubble and decaying matter, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood and decay.
The sky was covered by murky grey-yellow clouds, and sunlight could not penetrate, casting only oppressive shadows that made the entire town seem lifeless.
Li Yu's appearance was like a stone thrown into stagnant water.