Chapter Seventy-One: First Steps into Hell

As soon as Yang Xin finished speaking, a golden space portal crackling with sparks appeared. On the other side stood the Supreme Sorcerer, Ancient One, her figure materializing before everyone’s eyes.

“Greetings, Master!”
“Greetings, Supreme One!”
“Greetings, Respected Ancient One!”
“Good day, Your Excellency!”

Everyone rose to their feet and bowed in reverence. After all, the name of the Supreme Sorcerer Ancient One was renowned across the multiverse. Faced with such a formidable being, even the arrogant Thanos had to stand up and pay his respects. Well, perhaps only Captain America and other local heroes hadn’t heard of the Supreme Sorcerer Ancient One...

“Hearing is one thing, seeing is believing. Come with me, everyone.” The Supreme Sorcerer went straight to the point, then gestured with her hands, expanding the single-person portal into a massive passage wide enough for all to cross with ease.

Thanos entered the portal first. The appearance of the Supreme Sorcerer made him realize his plan was no longer viable. Since things had come to this, he might as well see if Yang Xin’s alternative had any merit.

Yang Xin subtly took possession of Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet and the three Infinity Stones embedded in it, then followed Thanos through the portal. Captain America tried to go after Yang Xin, but Yang Xin stopped him, urging him to walk with the Avengers.

Captain America immediately understood Yang Xin’s intentions. Yang Xin never truly trusted Thanos and always maintained caution. Even if Thanos suddenly acted, their side still had the Mind Stone, so Thanos wouldn’t be able to gather all six Infinity Stones.

The Avengers consciously surrounded Captain America in the center and then followed the main group through the space passage.

Upon entering hell, the scene everyone imagined—blood and gore, desolation, and the pervasive stench of sulfur—did not appear. Instead, they were greeted by a small forest filled with birdsong and fragrant blooms.

A towering tree shot skyward, its massive trunk the heart of the forest. Around it, dense woods radiated outward, the trees standing like soldiers guarding their king, tightly encircling the central giant. At the edge of this forest, true hell awaited.

There, yellowish scorched rocks covered the land, the soil was sparse and dry, and the ever-present sulfurous smell could never be filtered out...

“Master, is this the Chakra Divine Tree you planted? How did it grow so enormous? Its vitality is astonishing. The Divine Tree I once planted on Earth pales in comparison. I can also sense that the Chakra this tree produces is of very high quality.” Yang Xin asked curiously.

“Compared to absorbing and converting other energies, blood and corpses accelerate the growth of the Divine Tree,” the Supreme Sorcerer Ancient One replied calmly.

Yang Xin shuddered. From her indifferent tone, he sensed the blood-soaked history behind it.

“The air composition here isn’t much different from Earth, except for the dangerously high sulfur content,” Tony Stark suddenly remarked.

“Friday has checked? Can Earth’s creatures survive here?” Yang Xin asked. Friday was Tony Stark’s AI, and Yang Xin trusted its judgment.

“In theory, yes.”

“Then let’s try?” Yang Xin’s eyes brightened.

“Let’s give it a shot!” Tony Stark agreed, seeing potential in the idea.

Yang Xin drew his hands together, creating a sparkling space portal. On the other side was Stark Tower. Tony immediately crossed over, mobilizing the resources of Stark Industries, and in less than half a day, collected a large number of animals.

He transported these animals through the portal into hell. By careful observation, everyone could clearly see that the animals could survive within the forest—indeed, they seemed to thrive even more than before.

However, when driven out of the forest, the animals refused to go. Yang Xin and his companions forcibly selected certain numbers from each species and threw them into the hellish wasteland outside the forest, separating them with earthen walls.

After some time, they found that resilient animals accustomed to harsh environments could barely adapt to hell’s conditions, while those pampered and city-bred struggled greatly, most unable to survive. Death was inevitable for them.

Yet everyone’s eyes gleamed. Survival of the fittest!

Although the environment in hell was harsh, it was only harsh—not uninhabitable. Compared to terraforming Mars and building a new ecosystem from scratch, this was far simpler.

“If gorillas and monkeys can live here, then it’s time to test humans,” Yang Xin said quietly.

“Isn’t that unnecessary? We’re standing here—doesn’t that prove enough?” Captain America immediately thought of human experimentation, instinctively deeming it unethical and inhumane. He voiced strong objections at once.

“We are all extraordinary beings,” Yang Xin countered, shutting down Captain America.

Indeed, they were all extraordinary. The Supreme Sorcerer Ancient One and Thanos, as top-tier powers, could survive anywhere in the universe. Even Tony Stark, the least physically gifted, was no weakling. Without his armor, his physical abilities were not inferior to elite special forces soldiers. Did people really think he only hid behind his suit?

If Tony Stark had focused on genetic technology like Umbrella Corporation instead of mechanical tech, his physical prowess would rival Captain America.

“We can provide people for the experiment,” the political commissar of the Chinese Ninja Corps suddenly spoke up.

He sensed the opportunity for China to pioneer hell’s colonization. In the last five hundred years, China lost the benefits of the Age of Exploration; this time, they would not let the chance slip away.

“Agreed!” Yang Xin immediately confirmed. The commissar’s eyes sparkled, and the other Chinese members showed excitement and joy.

Strangely, the Avengers, led by Captain America and Tony Stark, voiced no objection. After a moment’s thought, Yang Xin realized why. Although the Avengers wielded great influence in America, they were superheroes—not politicians. They didn’t think so deeply or far ahead.

Take Captain America: he was a symbol of American spirit, but in reality, he was just a squad leader. How much political acumen could you expect from a squad leader?

Tony Stark was equally famous across North America, but he was a scientist. Natasha, the Winter Soldier, and others were agents. Among them, only War Machine James Rhodes held a higher position—as a colonel—but he was a pure soldier...