Chapter 72: Establishing Defensive Positions

Black Panther was the king of a nation. Yet Yang Xin could not fathom which fool sent Black Panther to Oxford University in England, and made him study physics—he even earned a doctorate! A king, studying physics instead of political science? Even if not politics, history would suffice—at least then, by studying past events, one could discern the rise and fall of kingdoms. But as it happened, he was a king who studied physics. Was Wakanda’s advanced technology so lacking that it needed another physics PhD? What it needed was a qualified ruler.

Doctor Strange—he was a physician; Spider-Man, just a high school kid; Ant-Man, unable even to support himself; Dr. Banner, capable in research but hopeless in politics. The rest were not worth mentioning.

Of course, if Nick Fury were here, he would surely leave Yang Xin speechless with his retorts, and then let S.H.I.E.L.D. be the first to seize the opportunity.

At that moment, the Sorcerer Supreme smiled gently, drew her hands across the air, and a massive portal appeared. For someone like the Ancient One, it mattered not from which country the arrivals came—as long as they were Earthlings. Her vision and capacity had long since transcended the boundaries of nations; what she sought was the greater good, her focus was the planet itself.

When the ninja squad saw the familiar place on the other side of the portal, their faces lit up with joy. They bowed to Yang Xin and the Ancient One, hurriedly crossed over, and were even more delighted to find that the enormous portal remained open, waiting for a flood of people to step into hell.

Within just an hour, vast manpower and resources were mobilized. First, a great number of engineers crossed the portal into hell, followed by combat personnel and research teams, then masses of civilians—people from all walks of life, healthy and ill, from elderly in their eighties and nineties, to youths, teenagers, children and infants. They poured ceaselessly through the portal into hell.

Seeing this, Captain America and Tony Stark’s expressions changed dramatically. Though they could not grasp the reason for such actions, they sensed that they had lost the initiative.

Engineers arrived first, saluted Yang Xin and the Ancient One, then asked Yang Xin for permission to construct defensive fortifications. After all, this was hell, where demons attacked from time to time. In both Eastern and Western legends, the breath and flesh of the living were delicacies for demons.

Yang Xin’s yellow skin and features gave him an innate affinity with the newcomers, and since he had established his footing in the Marvel world, resources tended to lean subtly toward the East. For various reasons, those from Eastern nations instinctively sought Yang Xin’s opinion and orders as soon as they arrived.

Yang Xin wished to seize the initiative, but this realm had been opened by the Ancient One, so her approval was necessary. He looked to her.

“I don’t concern myself with such trifles. These petty matters are yours to decide,” the Ancient One said, and left it at that.

Yang Xin was overjoyed; this signaled the Ancient One’s authorization. Regarding humanity’s development on Earth, Yang Xin now held absolute authority, while the Ancient One cared only for the outcome.

The engineering teams swiftly gathered, immediately presented their defensive blueprints to Yang Xin, and awaited his commands.

Yang Xin glanced at the plans—they seemed so familiar. They were essentially the city maps of ancient Chang’an from the Tang Dynasty, with only minor modifications.

“I’ll handle the defenses, and build the fortifications,” Yang Xin declared. Then, leaping into the void, he landed atop the sacred tree, surveying the forest in its entirety.

“Wood Style: Wood Pillar Wall!” Thick, heavy wooden pillars rose from the ground, centered on Yang Xin and marking the boundary between the forest and hell. The columns slowly ascended.

Yang Xin’s Wood Pillar Wall was no half-hearted version like Yamato’s. Yamato’s wall was merely an arc of curved pillars to protect himself, while Yang Xin’s formed a square city wall to shield the forest. Rows of pillars rose rapidly, and both the scale and volume far surpassed Yamato’s efforts.

The wooden city walls soared a hundred meters high, the width or thickness sufficient for eight tanks abreast. Next, Yang Xin used Wood Style: Four Pillar House Technique atop the walls, erecting numerous bunkers and watchtowers. Four gates were opened at the center of each wall.

The workers were not idle. After Yang Xin built the walls, they began constructing simple mechanical lifts—no electricity yet, so only mechanical lifts could be made.

Normally, building these lifts would take two or three months, or even longer. But with the ninja squad’s jutsu, these simple lifts were completed in half a day, with several installed at various points along the wall, able to transport large numbers of troops onto the ramparts in the shortest time.

After assisting the engineers with the lifts, the ninja squad used Earth Style to lay out the city according to the plans, and finally Yang Xin employed his Wood Style: Four Pillar House Technique to build wooden houses for the newcomers.

Once all was done, combat personnel immediately took up positions on the walls, while others settled into the houses built by ninja arts in an orderly manner.

When national flags were raised on the fortifications, walls, gates, and streets, Captain America, Tony Stark, and the Avengers finally realized what they had lost, but it was already too late.

At the same time, they were helpless, for none of them could represent anyone but themselves.

“I want to build a Stark Tower here,” Tony, quick-witted, pointed to a spot beside the sacred tree on the map, fearing Yang Xin’s refusal. He hastily added, “I’ll install a miniature arc reactor in Stark Tower, and Stark Industries will supply power to the whole city free of charge.”

“We have our own technology and can build our own facilities. Moreover, such an energy installation cannot be left in another’s hands,” Yang Xin replied, unwilling to bargain. Among the newcomers were diplomatic experts who normally kept a low profile, but when matters of national interest arose, their presence was always felt. Thus, they began a heated negotiation with Tony Stark, arguing and bargaining.

Yang Xin could not handle these trivialities, but he knew that monopolizing benefits led to a bad end. The negotiators understood this as well, though their skill lay in securing maximum benefit while still achieving a win-win. So Yang Xin let matters take their course, only adding, “If Steve and the others have any needs, do your best to accommodate them.”

“We, Wakanda, will also build a tower here,” Black Panther reacted swiftly.

“Settle these matters among yourselves. Steve, hand over the Mind Stone. It’s time to have a talk with the strongest cosmic population controller, Thanos.”