Bai Qi was ecstatic. Loppe's bloodline had been severed, and after absorbing the two Infinity Stones, the disturbing visions that had plagued him vanished. Bai Qi could finally relax.
He dismissed his attendants and sat alone on the Iron Throne, gazing at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle. He let his mind go blank, enjoying the long-lost tranquility.
After an unknown period, Bai Qi's unfocused mind began to stir again. He stood up, stretched his arms and legs, and felt the changes brought about by the two Infinity Stones.
Indeed, the power of the Infinity Stones was not to be underestimated. Bai Qi was now eager to obtain the energy of the remaining four.
He wondered if he, too, could wipe out half the universe with a snap of his fingers after absorbing the power of all six Infinity Stones, just as Thanos had done.
Of course, Bai Qi was only joking. He wasn't like Thanos, the self-proclaimed savior. Besides, even though the universe was currently crowded, once he opened a portal to the void and established a foothold there, transferring some of the population would easily solve the issue of overpopulation.
For now, Bai Qi's priority was to find a way to acquire the other four Infinity Stones.
The closest one was the Time Stone, housed within the Eye of Agamotto worn by the Ancient One.
After bringing the Ancient One onto his side, Bai Qi had asked for the Time Stone, but she had refused.
The Ancient One explained that as Bai Qi's godmother, she intended to dedicate herself to Bai Qi's upbringing and would relinquish her role as Sorcerer Supreme. However, the lineage of the Sorcerer Supreme could not be broken. She planned to pass it on to a doctor named Stephen Strange.
According to magical prophecy, Stephen Strange would become the most outstanding among all Sorcerer Supremes. The Ancient One would arrange a fake death to withdraw from public view.
To quickly shoulder the responsibility of Sorcerer Supreme, the Eye of Agamotto and the Time Stone within it were essential.
The Ancient One’s condition was that she would give Bai Qi the Time Stone only after he had collected the other five.
Bai Qi accepted her proposal.
It didn't matter; it was only a matter of time before it came into his possession. There was no need to cause unpleasantness over such a minor issue.
Aside from the Time Stone, there was the Reality Stone, originally the Aether, an artifact of the Dark Elves. Chronologically, it should have been handed over by Sif and Volstagg to the Collector, Taneleer Tivan. The Power Stone was in a orb within ruins on an alien planet, and the Soul Stone was on Vormir, guarded by the Red Skull.
Originally, Bai Qi had planned to wait for Thanos to gather the remaining Infinity Stones and deliver them to him. Then, he would seize all the remaining stones at once.
However, after absorbing the power of two Infinity Stones, Bai Qi deeply understood their might and was desperate to acquire the remaining four as soon as possible. Especially now that he possessed the ability of cosmic jumping, traveling across the universe had become simple and swift.
After some thought, Bai Qi began to formulate his next plan.
Bai Qi connected with Atreus, who was currently on his flagship in outer space, through telepathy.
Atreus was in a meeting with several captains when he was suddenly contacted by Bai Qi. He paused for a moment, then stood up abruptly. Glancing at the bewildered captains, he waved them off, indicating that the meeting was temporarily adjourned.
The captains were intelligent and understood the situation. Without further questions, they quickly and orderly left the conference room.
Once Atreus was the only one left in the room, he pressed the communication device on the table and said, "Your Majesty, what are your commands?"
Bai Qi said, "Atreus, dispatch a fleet to Xandar."
"To Xandar?"
Atreus operated the star map, quickly locating Xandar.
After reviewing Xandar's data, Atreus frowned and asked, "Your Majesty, may I offer my opinion?"
"Speak."
"Xandar's technological development is indeed not low, but they lack significant strategic value. Their surrounding resources have been mostly exploited. Moreover, they have a warlike neighbor. Conquering this planet would yield little benefit for us."
Upon hearing Bai Qi's order to send a fleet to Xandar, Atreus's first thought was that his Majesty intended to conquer the planet. After a brief review of its data, he made his judgment based on the current situation.
Bai Qi was not angered by Atreus's misunderstanding. He replied, "I have no interest in Xandar. Those self-important braggarts won't be around for much longer."
Hearing Bai Qi's words, Atreus realized he had misconstrued his Majesty's intentions and quickly said, "I apologize for my arrogance and presumption."
"It's nothing. I need subordinates with their own thoughts, not a collection of automatons who only follow orders."
Bai Qi comforted him and continued, "Xandar does not require our proactive attack. It will descend into chaos soon. Ronan, the ruler of the Kree Empire, will lead his borrowed army from Thanos to attack Xandar. When they are locked in conflict, we will be the beneficiaries. We can then easily take control of Xandar and plunder its resources."
Atreus trembled upon hearing Bai Qi's words, astonished by his Majesty's far-sightedness, even predicting future events. He quickly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. I shall proceed at once." Sultan Novel Network.
"Wait."
Just as Atreus was about to act, Bai Qi called him back.
"As I said from the beginning, I do not want merely Xandar. At our current level, the gain or loss of a single planet is inconsequential. Remember, the dispatched fleet must not be exposed. Once Ronan and his army attack Xandar, report to me immediately. If I am unresponsive or absent, remember, no matter the cost, bring me the Power Stone."
"The Power Stone?"
Upon hearing the term, Atreus, who was unfamiliar with it, immediately searched the database. However, Bai Qi had not uploaded the information on the Infinity Stones. He hadn't had the time, and the two he possessed had already been absorbed, so there was no need to upload them.
Fortunately, Bai Qi later transmitted a file into Atreus's mind via his will.