**Chapter 416**
At that time, the Great Empire was still in its heyday. After the pirates who plundered the world had grown fat from their spoils, they sought to clean up their image and legitimize themselves, branding themselves as civilized people. The entire British nobility pursued the so-called gentlemanly demeanor...
This is probably the reason why people deliberately flaunt what they lack.
Influenced by the prevailing atmosphere at the time, the layout and decoration of this Living Room also carried some of the style of that era.
Tang Song didn't really like this retro style. Although it was just a temporary stopping point, Tang Song still had people make some changes to the Living Room! He placed several Rosewood Long Tables and replaced the Coffee Tables with some Chinese-style ones.
Tang Song waved his hand. His Subordinate Bodyguards stepped forward and removed the Decanter and Wine Glasses containing Red Wine. Tang Song took out a Small Red Clay Stove from within his Small World, a box of Silver Frost Charcoal, a Purple Clay Teapot, and several Tea Cups. Tang Song threw a few pieces of Silver Frost Charcoal into the stove, and smokeless charcoal fire slowly rose within the Small Red Clay Stove.
Just as Tang Song was about to brew tea for his guests... he heard MODOK call his name. Tang Song glanced over and noticed this Big Head with Golden Armor covering his head.
With just one look, Tang Song's eyes immediately narrowed, and a strange light flickered in his eyes. It wasn't because of MODOK's bizarre appearance, but because of the countless Karma Threads entwined around his body... The sheer number of dense Karma Threads was so great that it almost amounted to one-thousandth of the Karma Threads entwined around Tang Song!
But don't underestimate this one percent.
One must know that ever since he arrived in the Marvel Universe, he created the Tang Group, causing Earth Civilization to explore the Interstellar Age a century ahead of schedule. It can be said that the entire Earth Civilization has become entangled with him in Karma...
He saved the originally doomed Asgard and became the uncrowned King of the Nine Realms...
He killed Mephisto, occupied over a dozen Hell Abysses, killed God Jehovah, and occupied Heaven...
He thwarted Thanos' world-ending crisis! Indirectly saving half the Universe!
If it weren't for the fact that this World had no concept of Merit, with the achievements he's made, he would surely have a golden Golden Wheel of Merit hanging behind his head.
It can be said that Tang Song alone changed the entire Marvel Universe...
Moreover, his influence is not limited to this Universe. By scheming against the Avengers in the adjacent Universe, he has extended his influence to other Universes...
In the DC Multiverse, he not only has his own Agents but has even become involved with several Multiversal Level Existences...
Looking at it this way, one-thousandth of the Karma entangled around Tang Song is already enough to cause terror.
What is called Karma is a very broad concept...
In modern terms, it is the result produced by the subsequent influence of something you have done.
In modern Human Civilization, Karma is a philosophical and theological issue.
Immortals/Deities fear the cause, Mortals fear the result! The cause is the motive and beginning of an event, the result is the end and retribution of an event.
The suffering one currently endures is retribution. Ordinary people are deluded and only realize it when they suffer, which is called fearing the result. Even fearing it is useless.
The sins committed previously are the cause. Bodhisattvas are wise and see the beginning to know the end, which is called fearing the cause. Fearing it can stop the creation (of more karma).
Simply put, the perspective of the People of the World is not as far-sighted as that of Immortals/Deities. Often, they only notice and fear things after they have happened.
However, Immortals/Deities who have achieved success in Cultivation master the Art of Heavenly Secret Divination, possess the ability of a Prophet, and can see through Heavenly Secrets! They can see the result of a matter before it happens and deduce its influence on themselves.
It's like playing Go. Ordinary People only notice and regret after their pieces are captured!
But those Go Experts can see through several moves, dozens of moves in advance. Even the entire board is perfectly clear to them, visible at a glance.
For Mortals, Karma, this seemingly ethereal thing like The Void, is like the air that can be found everywhere. If you believe, it exists; if you don't, it doesn't.
But for Great Experts who have cultivated the Immortal Path to a certain height, it is something to be avoided at all costs.
Mortal Karma is a very troublesome matter for those Cultivators who are determined to transcend.
What is called Karma, on Earth, there is a theory called the Six Degrees of Space Theory, also known as the Six Degrees of Separation Theory.
It means that the number of people separating you from any stranger will not exceed six. In other words, you can get to know any stranger through at most six people.
In the Cultivation World, the most troublesome matter is like this. For example, you are a Cultivator who has finally achieved success in Cultivation, you just took on a disciple. He went down the mountain for experience and casually eliminated a Disciple of Hesan Dao Sect who was Refining Skeleton Demons.
As a result, Karma became entangled. This Disciple of Hesan Dao Sect with shallow Cultivation had a master, fellow disciples, and friends. Of course, for you, who have achieved success in Cultivation, these are just small fry. If they come looking for you, they will just be casually turned to ash by you.
But similarly, these people you killed also have fellow disciples, Masters/Seniors, and friends...
Wave after wave come looking for revenge against you. This is Karma.
When Karma accumulates, it's like a ball of yarn that gets bigger and more tangled, and it might completely erupt one day...
An enemy who has achieved success in Cultivation might pop out from some corner to seek revenge against you...
In Daoist terms, this is a Human Tribulation!
Of course, there are methods to solve it, and there are many methods.
The simplest method is One Force Overcomes Ten Skills. If your strength is sufficient, no matter how many people come, it's just like the Calabash Brothers trying to save their grandpa (a futile effort).
Or directly solve the problem at the source.
Of course, most people who are Cultivating, after achieving success in Cultivation, generally stay away from the muddy pit of the Mortal World, isolating themselves in a small building.
Closing their cave entrance tightly, quietly reciting a few scrolls of Huang Ting!
Planting fewer causes makes it difficult to bear bad consequences. This is also the reason why many Cultivation experts rarely take disciples, or are extremely strict when taking disciples.
Of course, if the speed of your strength increase exceeds the speed at which you provoke trouble, that's another matter...
Take Tang Song himself for example. The rapid expansion of the Tang Group has taken away the 'cake' (profits) of countless Interest Groups...
But do they dare to speak up? The blood of the last Consortium that dared to bare its fangs hasn't even dried yet. Nearly two-thirds of the Consortiums and Families within the Federation were subjected to a bloodbath...
Over a dozen Families that controlled the Federation's voice were wiped out! Anyone with eyes could see why. Just before their demise, the Media controlled by these groups were still promoting Tang Group conspiracy theories and making an issue of Boss Tang's skin color. As a result, Within the Federation territory, within less than half a month, every single one of those Consortiums was in mourning...
Who did it was self-evident, but both the Federal Government and the Anglo-Saxon Consortium, which controls the Federation's military power, seemed to deliberately play dumb, knowing full well who the Real Killer was, yet pointing the finger at the unfortunate Middle East region! As for whether the people there were wronged, who told them they were weak! In this World, weakness is the original sin.
Even if those groups knew who the Killer was, even if their legs were broken, they would still have to limp forward and bow to Boss Tang, eagerly selling the Media Shares they controlled at a cheap price to gain the Tang Group's forgiveness.
The expansion of East Galaxy Company's energy business not only stole the Sovereign Civilization's energy battery business but also indirectly affected the energy trade of hundreds of Civilizations.
Do they dare to act? The demise of the Sovereign is the best warning. Dissatisfied? Just hold it in.
The construction of Blood Sea Hell and the Netherworld involved countless Demons being devoured by the Blood Sea, and more Hell Lords than can be counted on two hands fell under the Blood Daoist's butcher knife...
Tang Song now has great strength, high Cultivation Base, vast Territory, and strong confidence/backing. He is the only one who gets to hit others, but once others see him show weakness, all the accumulated Karma will explode...
But is Tang Song afraid? With several Universes as cultivation resources, his Cultivation Base advances a thousand miles a day. What if he plants bad causes? He can suppress them with a flip of his hand!
In Tang Song's eyes, black and white Yin-Yang Fish rotated. The Eye Technique Divine Ability named Yin Yang Eye was operating.
He could clearly see two exceptionally thick Karma Threads on this Big Head. One extended directly towards him, while the other extended towards The Void... Interestingly, the two Karma Threads were also entangled with each other... Interesting. It seems my destiny is tied to you. Do you know me?! Earthling!
"Red Queen, compare the Skynet Data and find his identity!" Looking at the familiar Main God's Aura on MODOK, Tang Song enthusiastically stood up and greeted the crowd. On the mechanical wristwatch on his left hand, a red light flashed.
"Welcome, welcome! Abad, Diego, and this gentleman, oh, it's Mr. Klaus. Your change is quite significant, I almost didn't recognize you!"
In just one second's time, Red Queen sent over the detailed information about the Big Head before him.
Darren Cross, codename Yellowjacket, Hank Pym's student and Company Vice President, who later colluded with Shareholders to drive Hank Pym out of the Company.
He disappeared in the early stages of Tang Group's acquisition of his Company...
No wonder he became entangled with him in Karma. Tang Song listened to Red Queen's report and understood.
However, his words directly enraged MODOK.
The reason Darren Cross changed his name to MODOK was because of this deformed appearance. He couldn't accept becoming this monstrous appearance and could only numb himself by changing his name.
But Tang Song's words were undoubtedly tearing open his wound, especially since the culprit who caused him to become like this was the man before him.
If it weren't for resisting the Tang Group's acquisition of his Company, why would he have risked conducting the experiment? How would he have become this monstrous appearance?
"Shut up! Fuck you! It's all your fault! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have become like this..."
MODOK roared at Tang Song, blue veins popping on his forehead!
Tang Song looked at the Big Head who was almost losing his reason and frowned. "You say I made you like this, but I don't remember ever seeing you. I really hate being framed by others. You'd better explain yourself clearly!"
"It's all you, it's all you! If your Tang Group hadn't forcibly acquired my Company, how would I have become like this~"
Buzzing...
The more agitated MODOK became, a white light directly appeared on his forehead. A powerful psychokinesis mixed with psychic shockwave swept towards Tang Song...
The psychic shockwave, powerful enough for Mental Interference with Reality, directly tore all the things between the two of them—the carpet, chandelier, tables and chairs, sofa—into shattered pieces...
'Boom', the air in the Living Room suddenly shot outwards. The Black-clothed Bodyguard who had been standing beside MODOK spun around, and his glowing red heavy fist slammed fiercely into MODOK's face like a Fuel-Air Explosive (FAE) Bomb.
MODOK, whose small hand was quietly reaching for the Ant-Man Shrinking Belt, was sent flying like a baseball hit by a bat.
He was sent flying dozens of meters without even a grunt, crashing heavily headfirst into the Living Room wall, creating a depression in the thick Alloy Wall.
MODOK rolled down from the indentation. The set of Golden Armor on his body protected him well, and he wasn't seriously injured, just a bit concussed. He was swaying and about to reach out again to touch the Ant-Man Transformation Device Switch on his belt when the Black-clothed Bodyguard darted forward in two steps.
A wave of lava-like energy as thick as a water tank erupted from his fist. The energy wave, carrying an ear-piercing whistle that could shatter one's Divine Soul, slammed directly into MODOK. Boom! With this punch, the Golden Armor on MODOK's body completely caved in, and the Big Head also completely fainted.
"Boss!"
Seeing Tang Song suddenly appear before him, blocking half of his punch, the Black-clothed Bodyguard quickly retracted his fist and bowed.
"I have a use for this person. Take him down first and keep a close watch on him!" Tang Song said, waving his hand.
The Black-clothed Bodyguard bowed and said, "Yes, Boss!"
The Black-clothed Bodyguard stepped forward, picked up MODOK, and was about to walk out. Tang Song added, "Strip him of his belt and Armor!"
"Yes, Boss!"
Little Frog Diego and Abad stood uneasily, watching the Black-clothed Bodyguard skillfully strip the Big Head bare, turning him into a Nick Fury, not even leaving his mini underwear.
Diego's eyes rolled around, giving Abad a questioning gaze. Abad returned a gaze that said 'good luck to you'.
"Don't be afraid, gentlemen. He's an enemy I've never met before. We've traveled together, so we're friends now. I'll treat you to a drink!" Tang Song turned around and warmly welcomed Diego and Abad, inviting them to sit.
Just now, MODOK's psychic storm had completely ruined the decoration of more than half of the Living Room, but the area behind Tang Song was completely unharmed.
As for Tang Song, who bore the brunt, his Primordial Spirit Infant was only one step away from Three Flowers Gathering. That bit of psychic impact was simply like a breeze blowing on his face.
Little Frog Diego and Abad sat down, half-believing, half-doubting. Tang Song waved his hand and instructed the two Black-clothed Bodyguards standing as Attendants at the entrance to serve drinks.
"Haha, no need to be so nervous. Don't worry, I'm a good person!" Tang Song saw their nervousness and laughed heartily to comfort them.
Ding, a notification bell suddenly rang not far away. Little Frog Diego and Abad looked towards the sound. They saw that outside the Living Room, in the Main Control Room, a silver-white hatch opened, and a familiar tall figure walked out from within the hatch, carrying half a bloody head in his hand.
(end of chapter)