I Created a Sanctuary in Marvel

Chapter 243 The Soul Stone Appears, Ye Feng's Conversation with Thanos

The sky over Vormir is perpetually bathed in an ominous crimson hue, as if the entire planet is bleeding from some ancient wound.

The cliffs rise high into the clouds, and below the precipice, swirling mist obscures the bottom.

When Thanos's shuttle landed on the only flat rock platform, Red Skull was already waiting there.

This former Nazi leader of Earth, now cursed as the eternal guardian of the Soul Stone, floats a few inches off the ground, his form shrouded in a tattered cloak, his voice hollow and echoing like a tomb.

"Welcome, Thanos, son of Almor. Welcome, Gamora, daughter of Zehobery."

Gamora instinctively gripped the dagger at her waist.

"You know who we are."

Thanos stated.

"I know the origins of all those who seek the jewels."

"This is my curse, and my duty. The Soul Gem is different from other gems; it requires a sacrifice."

The red skull slowly turned around and led them toward the edge of the cliff.

"Offerings?"

Thanos's voice was calm, but Gamora noticed that the two gems on his gauntlet were glowing slightly.

"Soul for soul."

"You exchange the soul of your loved one for ownership of the Soul Gem. This is its unchanging rule."

Red Skull stood at the edge of the cliff, the wind surging up from below lifting the tattered corners of his clothes.

He simply looked at the Red Skull and asked, "How do we trade?"

"Throw your loved one off a cliff. If the love is real, and the sacrifice is voluntary, the Soul Stone will appear."

"Countless seekers have stood on this precipice, only to return empty-handed. Either they had no one they loved, or they lacked the courage to abandon what they loved."

The Red Skull's empty eye sockets seemed to be staring at Gamora.

Gamora laughed, a bitter laugh: "So you've never loved anyone, have you?"

Thanos finally looked at her.

At that moment, Gamora saw something real in his eyes.

"I need that gem, Gamora."

"For the balance of the universe."

Thanos said.

"For your madness!"

"You killed half my people, and now you want to finish your job and kill me too? Come on! Do it!"

She roared.

She drew her dagger, but Thanos merely raised his hand.

The Reality Stone flashed, and the dagger transformed into a bouquet of flowers, falling from Gamora's hand.

I don't want to hurt you.

He had said this before, but now it sounded completely different.

Thanos wrapped his arms around her.

Gamora could feel his body trembling.

This Titan, capable of tearing apart warships with its bare hands, was trembling at this moment.

For a fleeting moment, she almost thought he would stop, almost thought this nightmare would have a different ending.

Then she felt weightlessness.

Thanos pushed her off the cliff.

The descent was longer than expected.

The wind whistled in my ears, and the red sky quickly shrank into a distant dot.

Gamora didn't scream. She just kept her eyes open, watching Thanos's figure grow smaller and smaller, watching him stand on the edge of the cliff, watching him—kneel down.

The Titan, who had never knelt before anyone, knelt on one knee at the edge of the cliff.

Even from this distance, Gamora could see the tears on his face glistening in the crimson light.

Then everything disappeared.

Thanos looked down at his hands; the Power Stone and Reality Stone on his gloves were dull and lifeless, as if they too were mourning.

The red skull floated to his side: "What you have lost can never be regained. But what you have gained—"

The mist below the cliff began to churn, and an orange light rose from the depths.

The light was warm and soft, like the last rays of the setting sun, or like a candle flickering in the darkness.

It slowly rose and stopped in front of Thanos, coalescing into a perfect multifaceted gem.

Soul Gem.

Thanos reached out, and the gems automatically landed in the third slot of the Infinity Gauntlet.

Orange light flowed out, intertwining with purple and red light to create an eerie harmony.

The moment the gem touched the gauntlet, countless voices flooded Thanos's mind.

Gamora's childhood laughter, her first victory on the training field, the brokenness in her eyes when she learned the truth about Zehuberry, and the look of relief in her eyes when she finally fell.

"For the universe—"

Thanos muttered to himself, clenching his fist.

"The cost of balance is always high, Thanos."

"But the real cost often only begins to be paid off after the transaction is completed."

The Red Skull's voice sounded behind him.

Thanos did not respond.

He turned and walked toward the shuttle, each step heavy as if he were carrying a mountain on his back.

Before climbing the gangway, he took one last look back at the cliff.

Under the scarlet sky, the place where he pushed his beloved is now empty.

The moment the shuttle's doors closed, Thanos looked down at the glow of the three Infinity Stones on his gauntlet.

Three infinite forces converged in his hands, but the emptiness he felt was deeper than ever before.

"Set the return route ————"

Thanos's voice unusually revealed a sense of exhaustion.

"Father."

"Gamora————"

Nebula suddenly spoke, her voice processed mechanically yet still revealing a hint of hesitation.

"She has fulfilled her mission."

Thanos interrupted her, but Ziguang did not move away from the porthole.

Vormir shrank into a crimson bead of blood in the background before disappearing into the blue light of the jump.

Inside the jump tunnel, streaks of light flashed past the portholes like ribbons of color.

"Buzz!"

An inexplicable force interrupted Thanos's Dark Temple's jump.

The starry sky outside the porthole began to distort, as if an unseen hand was kneading the structure of reality.

The starlight twinkled and eventually coalesced into a humanoid shape radiating a soft glow.

Ye Feng stood in the vacuum, his long hair flowing in the invisible energy field, his white robe spotless.

He didn't look like he was in space; he looked more like he was standing in his own backyard.

Thanos slowly stood up, and the shuttle's hatch opened automatically.

Thanos stepped out without wearing a spacesuit, and the red light of the Reality Stone formed a temporary life-sustaining field around him.

He floated toward the figure that had been waiting for him, and the three gems on the Infinity Gauntlet lit up at the same time, with purple, red, and orange lights intertwining to form a halo.

"You're waiting for me."

Thanos stopped ten meters in front of Ye Feng, a distance that is almost negligible on a cosmic scale.

The two looked at each other from hundreds of meters apart, a distance that is almost negligible on a cosmic scale.

"Thanos".

"You got what you wanted."

Ye Feng spoke first, his voice directly entering Thanos's consciousness.

"You know I'm going to Vormir."

"I know a lot of things."

"Three Infinity Stones, you certainly haven't disappointed me."

Ye Feng's gaze fell on the glove.

Thanos clenched his fist, and the light of the Infinity Stones intensified: "As expected, in the Nine Realms, on Xandar."

"You let me go on purpose."

"You already knew the location of the Soul Gem, and you also knew the rules for obtaining it!"

If he still doesn't understand what Ye Feng is thinking by now, then he really is an idiot!

It's obvious that Ye Feng is using him.

I originally thought it was my luck, strategy, and strength, but it turned out to be just the other party's plan.

This filled Thanos with intense resentment!

"You are very smart and persistent."

"I'm wondering, do you truly believe in that crazy balance theory, or are you just looking for an excuse to vent your frustration about losing your homeland?"

Ye Feng drifted a little closer.

These words struck a deep, untouched corner of Thanos's heart.

Images of Titan appeared uncontrollably.

Green grasslands, blue lakes, and those compatriots who had already begun killing each other before the resources were exhausted —

"You know nothing."

Thanos's voice was as cold as the depths of the universe.

"I know the story of Titan."

Ye Feng said calmly.

"But that cannot justify the massacre of half the universe."

"Acting on emotions."

"Sometimes, sacrifice is necessary. When resources are limited, reducing the population is not cruel, but compassionate. It's giving those who remain a chance."

Thanos shook his head.

"So you proclaimed yourself the savior of the universe?"

"Deciding who lives and who dies randomly? Achieving redemption through slaughter? Thanos, you're just a madman wallowing in your own tragedy."

Ye Feng smiled, but there was no warmth in his smile.

For the first time, a genuine rage flashed in Thanos's eyes.

It wasn't because he was insulted, but because Ye Feng exposed the truth he had always refused to face.

He is indeed measuring the entire universe with his own suffering.

"Then let's let strength speak for itself."

"Let me see if you're really that powerful!"

The Power Gem burst forth with a blinding purple light, and a torrent of energy surged toward Ye Feng like a supernova explosion.

This attack was powerful enough to tear apart a small planet, but when it came into contact with the light in front of Ye Feng, it scattered and splashed like waves crashing against rocks.

Ye Feng didn't even raise his hand.

"The Infinity Stones are indeed one of the most powerful creations in the universe."

"7

"But your understanding of them is still superficial."

He commented.

The Reality Stone responded to Thanos's will and began to rewrite the rules of the surrounding space.

The area where Ye Feng was located suddenly solidified into a huge crystal, where time stood still and molecular motion was frozen.

But this only lasted for a moment.

Golden light emanated from within the crystal, and cracks spread like a spider web.

Ye Feng stepped out of it, each step landing on the weak points of reality. The space around him peeled away like a shattered mirror, revealing an even deeper void behind him.

"The Reality Stone can rewrite the rules, but how much can you rewrite? The laws of the entire universe? Or just the small area around you?"

"Thanos, that's not how you use the Infinity Stones."

"The Infinity Stones represent the underlying rules of the universe."

"Yet you only think about using it to destroy half of all life in the universe—"

As they spoke, Ye Feng had already arrived beside Thanos.

With the power of the three Infinity Stones, Thanos has reached the peak of the Celestial level!

Their strength stands at the pinnacle of the entire universe.

But when facing Ye Feng, they still appeared so weak and powerless.

The immense difference in power caused Thanos's eyes to lose focus.