MTS: Marvel and Beyond

Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Raten Taisho

Alex had just stepped out of the five-star hotel when he noticed Xu San and Xu Si waiting for him outside, along with a group of Daoists. As soon as they saw him, they approached quickly.

One of the Daoists stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said:

"Founder, since the Old Master is busy handling the various matters of the tournament, and Uncle Tian Jinzhong is immobile, while Junior Uncle has been unconscious after being disciplined by you, it falls to me, Rong Shan, a direct disciple of the Old Master, to welcome you. I hope you won't mind."

Alex, indifferent about whether someone came to escort him or not, simply nodded.

He had initially intended to teleport directly to Mount Longhu but decided it might be interesting to experience the treatment befitting the Founder of the Taoist Master Hall.

"It's fine," Alex replied.

Rong Shan let out a sigh of relief and gestured, "Founder, this way, please!"

...

They took a plane to Mount Longhu. To Alex's surprise, Zhang Chulan, who should have already departed, was also on board.

Upon inquiring with Rong Shan, Alex learned that everyone had been waiting for his departure. Because he had delayed for a few days training his abilities, the entire schedule had been pushed back.

Alex felt no guilt about delaying the group's plans.

'Come on, making you wait for me is a blessing. Others dream of waiting on a powerhouse at the half-multiversal level but don't get the chance!'

On the plane, Xu Si repeatedly seemed on the verge of speaking, clearly wanting to ask Alex something, but he held back every time.

Alex, seated by the window, gazed out at the clouds and earth below. He knew exactly what Xu Si wanted to ask and had no intention of hiding the truth.

Most likely, it was about why the world's Qi had suddenly increased tenfold and whether it had anything to do with him.

But since Xu Si wasn't asking outright, Alex had no plans to volunteer the information. If they asked him, it was an opportunity to show off. If he brought it up unprompted, it would just seem desperate.

Still, if Xu Si wouldn't ask, someone else would.

Feng Baobao suddenly appeared beside Alex, tapped him on the shoulder, and leaned in close. She asked seriously:

"Hey, the recent changes in the world—do they have something to do with you?"

Seeing Feng Baobao boldly ask the question everyone else was dying to know, Xu Si immediately rushed over, grabbed her by the collar, and pulled her back, apologizing profusely:

"Immortal Lord, my apologies. Baobao didn't mean anything by it. If her question touched on any secrets, please just pretend you didn't hear it."

Since the Sect had confirmed Alex's identity as their Founder, everyone had started to take his previously outrageous claims much more seriously.

After several days of discussion and speculation, everyone stopped calling Alex "Mr. Alex" and started addressing him as "Immortal Lord."

Some curious minds speculated that Alex, the Immortal Lord, must have paid an enormous price to return to Earth from the celestial realm. Otherwise, why had no other immortals ever returned before?

They believed Alex's purpose for returning wasn't simply to visit the younger generation of his sect. There had to be a deeper reason.

Initially, most people didn't take these theories seriously. However, when they noticed that within less than a month of Alex's return, the total amount of Qi on Earth had increased tenfold, the speculation started to feel much more credible.

Now, most of the Outcast community who were aware of Alex's existence believed that the dramatic rise in Earth's Qi was directly related to him.

Seeing everyone's eyes fixed on him, Alex remained calm and said:

"That's right. The changes in Qi are my doing.

However, it's not what you think. My return to Earth wasn't for some secretive purpose. I only had one goal: to visit the younger generation of my sect.

As for the Qi changes, that was a side effect. I infused part of my power into this world and mended the laws of the Heavenly Dao. That's why the Qi levels increased so dramatically.

To put it in terms you might find in novels, this world's tier has been elevated."

Hearing Alex's explanation, the crowd fell silent. Although they couldn't fully grasp what he meant, it sounded incredibly impressive.

"Mending the Heavenly Dao, infusing power into the world..."

These phrases, which seemed like they belonged in fantasy novels, were now being spoken before their very eyes.

Rong Shan looked at Alex with admiration. Before meeting Alex, the person he revered most was his master, the Old Master. But now, he decided to shift his devotion. Compared to the Old Master, Alex, the celestial-level immortal, was far more inspiring!

While everyone was silent, Zhang Chulan suddenly thought of something and asked:

"Immortal Lord, what exactly is your level of power right now? Can you tell us about it?"

Hearing Zhang Chulan's question, everyone froze for a moment, then turned to Alex with curiosity.

Alex replied calmly:

"My level is far beyond your understanding.

But perhaps some of you have heard of the Marvel Multiverse."

Zhang Chulan immediately nodded.

"I know! I know! That's Marvel! I'm a fan of Iron Man! Immortal Lord, why are you bringing up Marvel?"

Alex didn't answer his question directly but continued:

"If you know Marvel, then you're probably familiar with how fans categorize the power levels of its characters.

For instance, beings like the Sorcerer Supreme, who can destroy planets, are considered Skyfather level. Those who dominate a single universe and can obliterate star systems are Universe-level. And those who can destroy entire universes and roam countless parallel ones are Multiverse-level.

As for me, I've already set one foot into the Multiverse-level realm. You could call me a Half-Step Peak Multiverse-level powerhouse."

"What?!"

Even though they had already accepted Alex's identity, everyone was still stunned.

What was going on?

An immortal was already hard to believe, and now they were hearing concepts straight out of comic books brought into reality!

Aside from the somewhat clueless Zhang Baobao and the Taoist monks like Rong Shan, most of the others had at least some understanding of Marvel and its power structures.

That's why they were now beginning to grasp the magnitude of the information Alex had just revealed in his calm tone.

This meant that if Alex wanted to, he could potentially destroy this universe with ease!

Such overwhelming power left everyone unable to even imagine what kind of existence he truly was. It all felt surreal, like a dream.

But Zhang Chulan, lacking self-restraint and tact, couldn't hold back and blurted out:

"Is this all real? Do you have any way to prove it?" n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Seeing their stunned and incredulous expressions, Alex couldn't help but recall his past self—standing before a screen, full of envy while watching characters like Zhang Chulan wield supernatural abilities. Now, the tables had turned, and it was Zhang Chulan envying him.

It felt fantastic!

So, Alex decided to show off on a grand scale.

With a sly, mysterious smile, he said:

"I had hoped to live among you as an ordinary Immortal Lord, but instead, I am met with doubt.

Fine. I won't hold back anymore. I'll tell you the truth—I've been to the Marvel Multiverse."

Before Zhang Chulan and the others could react further, Alex transported them into his personal dimensional universe. There, he revealed his collection for them to marvel at.

Pointing at several floating Asgards scattered across an infinite cosmic expanse, Alex said: "These are Asgards I relocated from different Marvel universes back when I was still relatively weak. I used them to enhance the completeness of the universes I created.

Within them, Odin, Thor, and the others still live their lives."

The surroundings shifted dramatically again. When Zhang Chulan and the others regained their senses, they found themselves on a paradisiacal island. Alex gestured toward numerous strange and wondrous items floating in the sky and explained:

"Those are the six Infinity Stones, along with Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet. In the Marvel universe, their potential far exceeds what you saw in the movies—by magnitudes.

The other items belong to the Collector, one of the Elders of the Universe. I claimed his collection as spoils of war."

As Alex continued his tour, a group of beautiful women, including Catwoman and Nami, approached him, wrapping their arms around his. They curiously studied the newcomers.

Alex paused briefly, intending to explain who Nami and the others were. But before he could, Zhang Chulan gasped in shock:

"Catwoman! Nami!"

As a die-hard virgin nerd who had never had a girlfriend, Zhang Chulan was intimately familiar with both anime and movies. Naturally, he recognized Catwoman and Nami at a glance—especially since they were dressed in their signature outfits from their original stories.

Alex smirked and nodded.

"Indeed. I encountered them in different worlds. They now reside here, in the dimensional universe I personally created."

After spending several hours exploring Alex's dimensional universe, Zhang Chulan and the others eventually returned to their world. Their faces were blank with disbelief as they kept mumbling to themselves: "Am I dreaming? This must be a dream..."

The recent experiences were too bizarre—even novels wouldn't dare to describe them like this!

...

While Alex was basking in his moment of grandeur, preparations for the Raten Taisho were nearing completion.

The leading figures of various sects and factions had already arrived at the Mansion, settling into their accommodations.

In one of the classical courtyards, two centenarian elders sat opposite each other, sipping tea in silence.

Neither spoke, as if waiting for the other to break the stillness first.

Finally, Lü Ci, whose face bore a scar running across his right eye, spoke first: "Old Wang, what do you make of this so-called Immortal?"

Wang Ai smirked sarcastically, his expression cold and dismissive.

"Heh, Great Immortal? More like a pretender. Or are you seriously believing someone could live for a thousand years and return from this so-called Immortal Realm?"

Lü Ci shook his head calmly and replied, "Of course not. But what do you make of the hundred-zhang lightning giant that appeared at Mount Longhu?"

Wang Ai's sinister grin widened as he scoffed: "Heh, likely some kind of illusion technique or an ancient secret art recorded in old texts.

Even if it's real, so what? Times have changed. It's no longer the era where supernatural beings ruled the world. With the rise of technology, not even the old Taoist Master could withstand a barrage of missiles.

I propose we join forces to set a trap for this so-called Great Immortal.

If his methods are mere illusions, we'll kill him outright.

If his powers are real and he's truly formidable, we'll mobilize the military to encircle and overpower him, forcing him to divulge the secrets behind his techniques.

I refuse to believe you're not tempted by the prospect of mastering a method capable of summoning a hundred-zhang lightning giant!"

Lü Ci was undeniably intrigued, but he hesitated as he considered Alex's acknowledged identity and asked:

"What about the old Master?

Alex is officially recognized as the ancestral master of the Taoist Hall, and they've acknowledged his identity.

If we act against him, it's bound to anger the old Master!"

At the mention of the old Master, Wang Ai's face darkened.

Even someone as insidious as Wang Ai harbored great apprehension toward the old Master.

The unparalleled power and unmatched strength of the old Master had left an indelible shadow on their generation.

To ordinary people, a genius is already an extraordinary individual.

But to the old Master, a genius was merely someone qualified to stand at his door.

After a moment of silence, Wang Ai continued:

"Let's not forget that Alex is undoubtedly an imposter. If we expose his true identity, even the Grandmaster will thank us.

And if we succeed in extracting the secret behind the Hundred-Foot Thunder Giant from him, once we've mastered it after some time in hiding, even the Grandmaster won't be able to stop us! So, what do you say, Will you join me?"

Lu Ci fell silent, his expression twisted as he wrestled with the decision.

Wang Ai remained unhurried, sipping his tea as he patiently awaited Lu Ci's answer.

After several minutes, Lu Ci let out a heavy sigh.

"Ah, forget it. I'm too old for this. I don't have the drive to take such risks anymore.

I won't join your plan, but don't worry—I won't tell anyone about it either..."

With that, Lu Ci stood and left the old, rustic courtyard, leaving Wang Ai staring after him with an increasingly sinister look in his eyes.

---

After flexing his powers for the group, Alex told Zhang Chulan and the others not to spread the word about him. He explained that he wanted to live like an ordinary person and interact with others without any special treatment.

Faced with Alex's request, how could Zhang Chulan and the others dare to refuse? They quickly nodded in agreement, assuring him they wouldn't tell anyone.

Rong Shan even vowed not to inform the Grandmaster himself.

Seeing their earnest promises, Alex nodded in satisfaction and pretended to lift an imaginary sword from their heads.

After disembarking from the plane, the group set off by car toward Mount Longhu. Once they arrived, they began the trek to the Mansion on foot.

As they walked, they passed through a small town. Suddenly, a voice echoed in their ears:

"At last, we've arrived—the headquarters of one of the world's greatest sects, a sanctuary that has stood for a thousand years: the mystical Mount Longhu!"

Zhang Chulan quickly turned to Alex, his face flushed.

"Alex! How did you know what I was thinking just now?"

Alex grinned.

"Of course, reading your thoughts is child's play for me."

"Then why did you say it out loud?!"

"Because it's fun!"

Embarrassed by having his melodramatic thoughts exposed, Zhang Chulan's face turned bright red as he crouched on the ground, drawing circles with his finger in frustration.

As they continued their climb, Xu Si began explaining the current state of Mount Longhu.

"These days, the lower half of Mount Longhu is managed by the tourism bureau. The Mansion doesn't actually control much of the mountain anymore."

Hearing this, Zhang Chulan rolled his eyes and quipped sarcastically:

"Seriously? Is there any decent place left in this world that the tourism bureau hasn't taken over?"

At that moment, a young Taoist priest in traditional robes approached Zhang Chulan and offered an answer to his rhetorical question...

°°°

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