Chapter 121 – Clock King Is Powerful Enough To Erase The Celestials?! The Next Target Is Superman X!
Only after hearing those words did Stark pull his attention away from a frame showing him living happily with his parents; the corners of his eyes twitched non-stop. He waved his hand and spread the timelines of the Multiverse in front of him like a control panel—how the hell was that not his ultimate move?!
The instant his focus returned to Clock King, Stark saw the towering figure's hand land on Ancient One's shoulder. The moment it touched, everything around the two began flashing at lightning speed.
Among the flickering images, the faint yet unmistakable yellow lightning crackling over Clock King's body stood out starkly.
'Is he… manipulating the timeline?' Stark stared blankly, catching a glimpse of the rapidly shifting Multiversescenes inside the frame, and a guess surfaced in his mind.
That guess vanished the instant he spotted the burst of light from the yellow lightning surging across Clock King.
'It's not the timelines that are moving—it's him?!' Starkblurted, then fell speechless.
Those flashing Multiverse images weren't accelerating under the time robot's control; the robot was simply carrying Ancient One and hurtling through those Universes.
Because he had leapt from point A in one Universe to point B in another without changing physical location, it looked as though he had never left the spot.
Stark gaped at a sight beyond his comprehension, too stunned to speak. In his eyes, any Mutant powerful enough to cross oceans by strength alone was already formidable; one who could circle Earth was a top-tier powerhouse.
If a being could roam the Universe like Odin or Ancient One, they were so mighty he had to fear and respect them.
Yet the time robot Zhou Mo had become wasn't crossing oceans, Earth, or even this Universe—it was traversing the timelines of every Universe! It meant he could alter any event in any Universe, past or future, with utter disregard for time itself.
God.
The word exploded in Stark's mind—only a god could do this.
And because the memory of his parents' happy life with him refused to fade, Stark's face flushed red as he stared at Clock King: 'If he can do all this, can he bring my dead parents back?'
Stark knew full well the catastrophe reckless timeline meddling could bring, but the surging emotion of seeing his parents again easily overwhelmed mere reason.
Far behind Clock King, Gwen held the time-frozen George, gazing in a daze at one corner of the countless frames. There she saw her mother, dead for years, and the sight stirred her heart.
Her trance-like gaze dropped, and the calm, controlling back of Clock King filled her vision, looking to her like a deity.
Carrying Ancient One, Clock King streaked like lightning through the timelines of parallel Universes. The trip lasted only two seconds; then the surroundings snapped into a gloomy, dark-purple void.
Watching Ancient One's body regress, Odin realized the show wasn't over. In the blink of an eye Ancient Onegrew younger and more vibrant, then reverted step by step into a teenage girl.
Even without sensing it, Odin could tell Zhou Mo had effortlessly, forcibly rolled Ancient One's power back hundreds of years. Compared to the Sorcerer Supreme, she was now little better than a novice mage.
He held his breath until Clock King released Ancient One's shoulder, then gasped like a drowning man breaking the surface.
At that moment he fully understood why the Celestialshad to erase Zhou Mo.
This wasn't merely disturbing the natural evolution of the Universe; the time robot Zhou Mo had evolved was, damn it, the god of all Universes. He could rewrite any timeline and drag anyone anywhere at will.
To the Celestials, the time robot wasn't just a threat—it was outright annihilation.
The Universe—no, every Universe—would no longer follow nature but would be gripped by the time robot. And he could do it with a casual wave of his hand.
A shudder ran through Odin; he even feared the time robot might wipe out the Celestials themselves using this method.
Cold sweat rolled down his cheeks.
Before Zhou Mo met Ancient One, back when he had only evolved into the Ultimate Divine Power Tyrannosaurus, the Celestials dismissed him as a puny Earthling. Yet with the birth of this time robot, Zhou Mo had leapfrogged straight into a threat to the Celestials' very existence.
Odin swallowed hard, the image of Clock King in the projection searing into his mind like a meteor and sending chills through him.
All this simply because the time robot had appeared. He plucked the Time Stone from Ancient One and studied it in his hand; without seeming to do anything, he restarted the frozen flow of time.
Ancient One, finding Clock King a single step away, panicked. She tried to strike—only to discover that every trace of magic inside her was gone.
When she looked down at her hands in horror, the Ancient One caught a glimpse of the long, glossy black hair hanging over her own head and froze as if lightning had struck her skull.
"I was going to regress you into a fertilized egg and erase you completely." Clock King toyed with the Time Stone, perfectly at ease.
Hearing that, the Ancient One looked up in terror. Even without her magic senses she knew the violet World only too well—Dormammu! It was exactly the scene she had foreseen more than once of Dormammu successfully conquering Earth.
But the problem was, Dormammu was already dead. How had any of this appeared?
Head bowed in panic, the Ancient One thought hard. Combined with the fact that her age had been rolled back centuries, the answer was obvious: she was in a parallel Universe.
The moment that answer surfaced, her heart surged like a stormy sea. Again she looked up in dread—how had the time-robot brought her into another Universe?!
After the Time Stop, the Ancient One had lost all perception of the outside World. She didn't know what had happened and could get no answers. All she could see was Clock King holding up the Time Stone and studying it.
"But that didn't feel satisfying enough." Saying so, Clock King put the Time Stone away and turned to the Ancient One; a ^_^ smiley appeared on his screen-like face.
At the same moment, Dormammu's gigantic head flew in from their side.
Watching this, Stark's mind was a mess; no matter how he tried, he couldn't understand a single thing.
He had only heard some concepts about time travel—Pym Particles and the like—but those were pure theory, like unachieved nuclear fusion. Jumping through the Multiverse at will was something he couldn't grasp at all.
To travel the Multiverse freely and arrive at any desired point in time—what kind of terrifying power was that? Sure, someone might accidentally end up in a parallel Universe like in the movies, but to pick and choose your preferred World and moment?
...Hmm?
Not human.
Absolutely not human! Stark was convinced that Zhou Mo, with this ability, was no longer within the scope of humanity.
"Damn—hopping between parallel Worlds is as easy as eating and drinking for him? Even gods wouldn't be much better!"
After muttering blankly with lowered eyes, Starksuddenly looked up as something occurred to him: "By the way, Friday, why can our satellites still see this? Shouldn't we lose the feed once they crossed into the Multiverse? Did we hit a bug?"
The instant time resumed, Dormammu sensed the Ancient One's aura and sped toward her. Seeing him approach, her face went white—without her magic and the Time Stone, how could she fight Dormammu?
When Dormammu's head filled the projection, growing larger, Clock King waved goodbye to the Ancient One. "See you, Ancient One—886." Electric shadows flickered over him again.
The Ancient One turned hurriedly, the thought "take me with you" flashing through her mind. But as she looked, Clock King glanced at Dormammu and joyfully raised both hands toward him: "Yay!"
With that, Clock King vanished from the spot and reappeared in his original position in the blink of an eye.
The magical projection focused on Zhou Mo, the viewpoint following him as he moved. Left behind, the Ancient One saw the "door" to the Multiverse close; Odindidn't need to watch to know what would happen next.
As Dormammu's mortal enemy, the powerless Ancient One was now recognized by him—the outcome wasn't hard to imagine.
It was as though Odin could hear her shrill scream as she was swallowed alive; his shoulders instinctively hunched. He now truly believed Zhou Mo could slay Celestials this way.
"Go and bring her back!" a Celestial voice ordered from behind.
"I... I don't think I can," another voice answered, lacking confidence.
Those words made Odin spin his head in disbelief. Unable? Celestials truly unable?!
Wait—
Odin suddenly realized something.
According to the Celestials, Zhou Mo's Shapeshifter, merged with the time-robot, had boosted its power to its peak.
But if the time-robot could already accomplish all this without the Shapeshifter's help, why had Zhou Mo still sought that enhancement? What was he really after by strengthening himself?
He could have wiped out the Ancient One instantly with this power from the start!
The title Executor exploded in Odin's mind; he had just speculated that Zhou Mo wanted to evolve an ability from the Celestials. If so... everything he was doing now was to wait for the Celestials to arrive?!
It hit like a thunderbolt; Odin's brain and pupils shook violently.
"What ability will Zhou Mo evolve from the Celestials?"
On the other side, Clock King, back in place, didn't restore everything but simply looked up and waited.
"I'm ready. When will the champion you're sending arrive?"
Chapter 122 – The Celestials and the Living Tribunal Move Out Together! Only Superman X Can Face the Enemy!
In that instant just now, Zhou Mo clearly sensed the aura of the Celestials from an immense distance. The flickering silhouette of Superman X, triggered by the unlocking condition, made Zhou Mo tremble with excitement.
This is freaking Superman X! With him I can steamroll everything—why would I need any other alien hero forms?
The only hurdle is the bickering between his three minds. Zhou Mo figured that shouldn't be a big deal.
In the Deep Space sector where the Celestials resided, the Barrier formed by their aura took effect. The moment the Executor's released power surged past the Barrier it was refracted; what Zhou Mo captured came only from the wrong direction.
Great Clock King tilted his head, locking eyes with the Celestials across the void. Outsiders couldn't see the frozen time in their gaze—only a suffocating silence.
Odin faintly felt the mounting, suffocating pressure behind him and didn't dare breathe too deeply. When the weight surpassed his limit and nearly crushed him, he turned his head, and frantic breaths returned to his face.
'Can you still erase Zhou Mo?' Odin asked in a careful whisper.
The Celestials stared at Great Clock King without a word. The silence intensified the atmosphere until Odin nearly screamed in despair.
Why aren't these single-Universe-level monsters saying anything?!!
After an unknown stretch of silence, a voice finally delivered Odin from torment: 'Within this Universe, everything he can do, we can do as well.'
At first Odin brightened, patting his chest in relief. Then he sensed something off and tensed again.
Within this Universe?! Odin froze.
But he quickly understood: Great Clock King could travel the Multiverse, so his power should surpass the single-Universe level.
Odin straightened and drew a sharp breath. 'So next, these single-Universe-level beings will face the Time Robot, a Multiverse-level existence… can they win?!'
After another two-second pause, the Celestials' awe-inspiring voice sounded again: 'Only if the Executor fails his mission. To maintain cosmic balance, we must locate Zhou Mo.'
Odin noticed the Celestials had shifted from calling Zhou Mo 'that feeble human' to using his real name.
'Understood.' Other voices echoed in unison.
They're mobilizing together? Before Odin could ask, he watched the colossal forms lift off like Earth Rockets. They spewed not Fire but a pressure even he could hardly endure.
His head forced down as if gravity itself were tearing at him, Odin clenched his fists, resisting with everything he had.
'If the pressure increases even slightly, I'll die on the spot!'
'…Why doesn't this match what I knew?' Odin ground his teeth, subconsciously thinking of Dormammu. 'Facing Dormammu—also single-Universe-level—I never felt pressure like this.'
'So even among single-Universe-level beings, there are vast gulfs in strength?!'
The revelation made his pupils shrink, but the torment didn't last; as the Celestials drifted farther away, Odin felt unmistakably lighter.
Staring after them in a daze, Odin felt a sense of unreality. He blinked and murmured, 'The long-awaited Celestialsare finally confronting Zhou Mo?'
His blinking stopped; another emotion surged, knotting his heart.
'Can they win?!' The thought swept through, leaving panic that made Odin forget to breathe. As a Father-Classpowerhouse, he knew each tier was an unbridgeable chasm.
It was the perfect example of a dimensional stomp—or instant kill!
Could the Celestials—single-Universe-level yet far above the norm—defeat the Multiverse-level Time Robot? They had numbers, but Time Robot was Multiverse-level, and he hadn't even used the boost from the Shapeshifter!
So… could they win? Odin's racing mind finally found hope; his expression hardened, gaze turning resolute.
They could!
The Celestials had said everything Time Robot could do, they could do as well, offsetting part of his abilities. And knowing Time Robot's weakness, their odds of striking the spring should be far higher than the Ancient One's!
Imagining it, Odin pictured the Celestials surrounding Time Robot, taking turns to strike the spring on his head.
If even the Ancient One had struggled, surely this host of Celestials would tear Time Robot apart!
The mental reel ended with Great Clock King collapsing with a cry. Odin's face flushed with anticipation; he planted his hands on his hips and laughed, 'Hahaha, now Zhou Mo should finally die!'
…Watching for a while yet sensing no change, Great Clock King looked utterly disgusted. 'You wimps, I literally revealed my weakness—why aren't you coming?'
'A Multiverse-level instability—aren't you gonna erase it?'
As he spoke with disdain, Great Clock King glanced around and spotted Gwen not far behind, gazing at him longingly. Noting the wasteland surroundings, he clicked his tongue.
Without a word he released a fleeting green halo. Where it passed, the vast World visibly rewound, halting when everything returned to its starting point.
Canceling the ability, Zhou Mo walked toward Gwen in boredom; only after his first step did George's Time Stopend. The memory was rewound a little, and George—having forgotten what just happened—looked around in bewilderment.
Huh? Didn't I just step inside? Why am I outside again?
The sight of Zhou Mo approaching instantly triggered George's super-power: Paternal Sense. "Why is it this punk again?!"
Paying no heed to her father, Gwen stared blankly at Zhou Mo as he came closer. Words rose in her throat but never left her lips. In the ward, the satellite broadcast Gwen's reaction live; no explanation was needed—Starkknew exactly what she was thinking.
Just like him! Turn Zhou Mo into a Time Robot and bring back the parents—or any loved ones—who died in the past! Watching it happen, Stark swore no one could remain unmoved.
"That could cause a colossal disaster, sir." Noticing Stark's furrowed brow, Friday offered a timely caution.
"I know." Stark answered irritably, pushing the thought aside for the moment.
The memory of Zhou Mo as the Great Clock King quietly gazing at the vault of heaven froze in Stark's mind. Anyone—anyone at all—could see he was waiting for something. But the question was… Stark's brows knitted again.
What could possibly threaten Zhou Mo now?!
The vault of heaven? Something from the sky? The idea alone shattered Stark's composure. "What the hell could still fall out of that damned sky??!"
Instinctively he tried to pinch the bridge of his nose, but the motion failed; Stark could only pant in anxiety. After everything that had happened, thinking of the Ancient One, Stark found—to his surprise—that he could almost understand her.
"If a company could threaten Stark Industries, I imagine quite a few board members would move heaven and Earth to bankrupt it. But I believe there's a better solution."
Recruit Zhou Mo, or persuade him to live in seclusion—there had to be ways to minimize his impact; killing him was never an option.
Imagining the Ancient One already devoured alive by Dormammu, Stark closed his eyes in anguish and whispered, "Guess that's what you call karma."
Elsewhere, the Ancient One slowly opened her eyes again. "Am I… already dead?"
Around her, the silent star-field didn't match any description of hell. As she looked further and saw a gigantic golden humanoid beside her, her heart sank in shock.
Ignoring the cloth draped over its head, covering half its face, the most startling thing was that it had no neck—its head simply hovered above its shoulders!
Who is this?!
Further inspection revealed more: within the half-exposed face she saw two additional mouths at the sides. Gooseflesh rippled across her skin.
It has three faces?
Head wrapped in cloth, no neck, three faces—those three traits together stirred memories buried deep within. Realization struck; the Ancient One's body tensed, pupils contracting.
This… is the Living Tribunal?!
He's the one who saved me?!
Supreme sovereign of the Multiverse, highest divine court governing all universal dimensions!
The Ancient One's eyes widened, stunned beyond words. Such a being was mentioned only in scattered phrases even in forbidden tomes—yet here it stood before her!
According to those texts, its power of judgment could shake every infinite Universe.
In short, the Living Tribunal's ability was: invincibility.
If the Universe truly had a Creator or God, then after confirming the Tribunal's existence the Ancient Onewould answer without hesitation: it is him!
Then what is it doing? And why did it save me?
The question was quickly answered. She saw the Tribunal gazing into a shattered space revealing Celestialsstreaking past.
The sight shocked her again. Not even single-Universe-level Celestials, let alone Father-Class beings like herself, would reveal their auras in daily life.
Yet here the entire host was, heading somewhere with purpose, having likewise masked their presence. But this was no magical scrying; the Tribunal had simply slid space open like a drawer and was watching them in broad daylight!
And the Celestials, watched from behind, sensed nothing. The Ancient One drew a sharp breath, awed for the first time by the Tribunal's might. In the adjacent space lay Earth—and Zhou Mo.
Because of Zhou Mo? she guessed, glancing at the Tribunal to gauge its stance.
"earths guardian," the Tribunal said, voice as emotionless as its gaze. "How would you have me reshape your Universe?"
The Ancient One hesitated only an instant, then clenched her teeth. "Erase Zhou Mo. Alter the timeline and return everything to how it was meant to be!"
"So be it."
The Tribunal's face shifted to [Required]. The word spoken, it soared into the space and effortlessly crossed the Multiverse to arrive above Earth where Zhou Mostood.
The Ancient One held her breath.
Against the Living Tribunal, not one Time Robot—ten, a hundred—would stand a chance!
Was she about to watch Zhou Mo die?!
Chapter 123 – What's Unlocked Is… the Love-Watch?! The Celestials Arrive!
Night.
Zhou Mo and Gwen walked side by side along the quiet community path; the streetlamps stretched their shadows long. One lamp after another passed until, at last, the light pulled their two silhouettes together.
"Zhou Mo!" Gwen stopped suddenly, glaring at him through gritted teeth.
Zhou Mo, whose thoughts had been on Superman X, halted and turned, surprised. Don't tell me this girl really expects me to resurrect her dead mother?
She closed the gap in two steps, teeth still grinding. "Could you please start watching your own safety?!"
"Watch my safety?" Zhou Mo blinked. This wasn't about bringing her mom back? He'd already rehearsed his line: Rise, my dear mother-in-law!
"Exactly!" Realizing he wouldn't listen, Gwen's voice softened. "Even if you're powerful, don't throw yourself into danger every single time."
Her tone melted; she lowered her head. "Even if you're confident, think about how the rest of us feel."
"The rest of you?" Zhou Mo mulled it over and snorted. "So when I fight someone, I've to check the enemy's feelings too? Gwen, whose side are you on?" He folded his arms theatrically. "Confess—did Dormammu plant you here to take me down?"
Gwen lifted her gaze and stared at him in silence.
Her reaction made Zhou Mo smirk. "Hah, looks like I guessed right—you really are…"
"Screw this!" With a low growl she punched his shoulder.
Zhou Mo hunched, shoulder up, half-turned, on guard—utterly bewildered. It was just a joke; why so mad?
Her other hand darted out; teeth clenched, she stepped closer, lips trembling as she spoke. "I'm telling you to look after yourself."
She grabbed his collar and landed several light taps on his shoulder.
The force was feather-light, no anger on her face—more like a girlfriend's pout than real fury.
Zhou Mo straightened, easily breaking her grip. "I told you—when I fight, I don't care what the other guy thinks!" He glanced at her lips and muttered, "Rabies acting up again?"
Gwen stared as if doubting life itself, then gave a short, sharp laugh. "Hah!"
"I—I… I!" Words failed her; suddenly she actually felt an itch to bite someone.
Spotting her bared teeth, Zhou Mo took a discreet step back. Great, she's losing it—better keep clear.
Seeing his open disgust, Gwen's reason snapped.
I'm the one losing it? You are! I say don't keep throwing yourself into danger—think about how the rest of us feel. And you answer with "I don't care what enemies think"?
Seriously?!
You think that makes you look cool to everyone else?
Terminal-case Zhou Mo?
"What I mean is—" she closed her eyes, inhaled, crushed the anger, then looked at him again "—think about the people who worry about you."
"People who worry about me?" Zhou Mo's eyes glinted slyly. "Gwen, don't tell me you've got a crush and want to marry me?"
That shameless grin made her shut her eyes and take deep, heaving breaths, her chest rising and falling.
She really wanted to slug this jerk!
I've spelled it out—do you expect me, a girl, to spell the rest?
Eyes open, gaze calm, cheeks scarlet—classic American blush—Gwen spoke first. "Yes, Zhou Mo, I like you."
Hearing it…
Hah! Ha-ha! Zhou Mo meant to mock—"No way, right?"—but the laughter died the moment he opened his mouth. For the first time ever, his eyes widened in pure panic.
"Eh?!"
Gwen's words stirred another figure in his mind—no, an icon!
In the neat array of alien-hero symbols, the one now glowing was… the Love-Watch?!
Same shape, but pink had replaced the clumsy watch's usual green. The Love-Watch, no mistake!
Zhou Mo was floored—who'd have thought the Love-Watch could unlock? How the heck do you farm battle experience for that thing?
Still stunned, he slowly turned back to Gwen. Hiss—should I beat her up to level it?
While he weighed the notion, Gwen's heart began to flutter.
Whatever the answer—yes or no—say something! Staying mute and staring like a brooding philosopher—what kind of reaction is that?
A woman's intuition instantly made Gwen think of Wanda, and she ground her teeth again. He couldn't be thinking of Wanda and planning to reject me, could he? Does he actually love Wanda? No—she was here first! She met Zhou Mo first, and he took care of her first!
At that thought, Gwen almost bit the scumbag Zhou Mo, but no—she was confessing; how could she bite someone?
She sucked in a breath, stepped forward, and, cheeks scarlet, kissed the brooding Zhou Mo.
One kiss sent the love-meter experience bar rocketing to twenty percent. Zhou Mo's eyes lit up.
Ho-ho-ho, so kisses are what you need for XP?
In that case… well, I've got no choice, sigh.
Her nervous lashes fluttered; those sea-blue eyes locked onto his. Gwen was gauging his reaction when Zhou Mogently cupped her head and kissed back—hard.
Her heart bloomed—this counted as a yes, right?!
…Zhou Mo sat on the curb, chin in hand, gloomy and silent. Beside him, Gwen, face flushed, couldn't look at him.
"Why? Why does the bar freeze at eighty percent no matter how much we kiss?" Utterly stumped, he muttered, "clumsy watch, are you bugged?"
Hands on her knees, Gwen whispered, softer than a mosquito, "Zhou Mo… w-we're officially together now, right?"
Most of his attention stayed on the watch, but he still gave an "Mm," then resumed brooding: "It's a bug—only Little Soldier can fix it."
"Th-then…" Crimson-faced, she dropped her gaze. First love, zero experience—so she said the line every girl in love eventually says: "You have to treat me well from now on."
Another "Mm," and Zhou Mo sighed inwardly—did she think he was irresponsible?
"Hmm. The watch has never glitched before. First time? Or… no bug at all?"
Heart soaring at the answer, Gwen turned boldly. "Then promise you'll be a man who takes responsibility for me! Okay?"
"I mean—no seeing other girls, ever again."
Too distracted to hear, Zhou Mo just gave another absent "Mm." "Probably not a bug; there's another unlock condition I missed."
"Like how the love-meter didn't exist until Gwenconfessed. Looks like kissing only gets you to eighty; the last twenty needs something else."
Gwen's smile blossomed—she was radiant.
She trusted him to be responsible. Ignore the flaws—childish, dumb, gluttonous, lazy, greedy, lecherous, bewildering.
Whenever responsibility was required, he'd stepped up. Turning a World-saving hero into a responsible man? Shouldn't be hard.
Next came the blissful life straight out of romance dramas—heh-heh-heh.
Still giggling, she was already planning dates and what gift to buy him.
Then she caught Zhou Mo turning to her; his grim look felt like a hitman's. "Gwen."
"Mm?"
"Let's get a room."
"…"
Steam puffed from her nose, lips curving. She itched to chomp him hard.
One second you're dependable; the next you want a hotel?
Are you insane?
Who jumps to a room sixty seconds after becoming a couple?
Even in liberal America, normal people don't do this.
Fuming, she stood and stalked home without a word.
Watching her go, Zhou Mo nodded to himself: "Gotta be the final step—no doubt."
After Gwen fell asleep, Zhou Mo turned into Shadow, phased through the wall, reverted, and lay beside her.
The bed dipped; Spider-Sense flared. Gwen's eyes snapped open. A hand gently covered her mouth from behind while the other shamelessly lifted fabric.
Recognizing Zhou Mo, she didn't resist.
With a soft grunt from Gwen, the clumsy watch unlocked.
At the same time, Friday woke Stark. Their presence was cloaked, but satellites still caught the titans entering Earth space.
The Celestials had arrived.
Chapter 124: love watch! No More Lewdness! When Will Superman X Be Unlocked? Today's the Day!
The initial pain subsided, and Gwen nestled into Zhou Mo's arms like a docile cat, raising her small face to whisper, "Yes, Zhou Mo, I want to marry you."
After speaking, Gwen took a deep breath while leaning against Zhou Mo. She absolutely loved that Zhou Mo's body had no strange odor! Was this the advantage of being an Oriental person?
While Gwen was thinking about Zhou Mo, Zhou Mo was still thinking about the love watch. The lack of response made Gwen nervously look up, only to see a purple wristwatch appear in Zhou Mo's hand at some point, which he was examining right in front of him.
What is that?
The next second, Zhou Mo's voice pulled Gwen's thoughts back: "Then, according to our Oriental tradition, you need to give me a bride price."
Bride price? Gwen blinked. She had indeed heard rumors about this. But weren't the news stories always negative reports of the woman's side demanding exorbitant bride prices from the man?
After a flurry of emotions in her eyes dissipated with a deep breath, Gwen said seriously, "Tell me, how much!"
"Hmm…" Zhou Mo looked at her and tentatively offered a number: "One million U.S. dollars?"
After he spoke, Zhou Mo clearly saw Gwen's face freeze, followed by a twitch at the corner of her mouth, evidently shocked by the figure of one million U.S. dollars.
Hiss~ So this is what it feels like to ask the other party for a bride price?
Gwen was forced to lower her eyes, disheartened. "One million U.S. dollars... that's too much."
Her N-hand Nissan only cost a few thousand U.S. dollars. One million U.S. dollars? Even if she sold herself, she couldn't afford it!
Zhou Mo glared, eyes wide. "Is it money I want? What I want is an attitude from you and your family!"
When it came to her attitude toward Zhou Mo, Gwen was startled and quickly looked up to explain, "I absolutely love you!"
Before she could continue, Zhou Mo interrupted directly, "Then how do you prove it?"
"I...!" Gwen was instantly speechless. How was she supposed to prove something like this?!
Wiping his nose, Zhou Mo lowered his head and choked up, "Do you know, boohoohoo, how hard my parents worked to raise me?"
Just as Gwen was about to pat his shoulder to comfort him, she realized something was wrong the moment her hand landed. "Wait, Zhou Mo. Didn't you say before... that your aunt and uncle had passed away?"
Zhou Mo subconsciously looked up, startled, then lowered his head even deeper, sobbing continuously: "Do you know how hard they worked raising me before they passed away?"
Gwen frowned and slowly pulled her hand back. "If I remember correctly, you said you grew up in an orphanage..."
According to Zhou Mo, his parents unfortunately died when he was young, and he grew up alone in an orphanage. It wasn't that raising a child wasn't hard work, but shouldn't the hardest workers be the people at the orphanage?
Why did he keep bringing his parents into it?
Facing Gwen's outstretched hand, Zhou Mo shook it off. "I don't care about that! In the future... boohoohoo." Zhou Mo covered his face with both hands. "I still have to bear children for your family!"
Gwen was petrified, unable to move. Bear, bear children? Bear children for our family?! Aren't children for both husband and wife?
"Do you know how much bearing a child affects a man? What if you cheat during the pregnancy? I don't want a bride price; I want maternity assurance."
Realizing that Zhou Mo's tears and lamentations were all an act, Gwen smiled. Okay, here we go again, continue! At this moment, Gwen's gaze also returned to the purple wristwatch in Zhou Mo's hand.
The wristwatch looked strongly sci-fi, but what confused Gwen was why a man collecting digital products would choose pink?
"What is this? Can I see it?" Zhou Mo didn't resist. Gwenpulled the watch from the hand covering Zhou Mo's face and examined it back and forth. When her palm touched it, she felt warmth emanating from the bottom of the dial, causing Gwen to frown slightly in surprise.
She wondered if it was an illusion, but she felt like the watch was resonating with her somehow? As if it were anticipating her?
Isn't this just an ordinary watch?
As Gwen pondered, Zhou Mo turned his head to look at her. Expecting an answer from him, Gwen perked up her ears.
Zhou Mo sniffled and weakly reminded her, "Can your house be put under my name?"
"..." Gwen couldn't hold back, thinking, "Are you here to talk about marriage or robbery?! Putting the house under your name now?!"
Her reaction made Zhou Mo cover his face and weep bitterly again: "Boohoohoo, you don't love me at all, you just lust after my good looks."
"..." Smiling and closing her eyes, Gwen tried her best to take deep breaths and regulate her emotions. She really wanted to punch this dog man right now! Seriously, between the two of them, who was the man and who was the woman?!
Ignoring Zhou Mo, Gwen decided to put the watch on and see. "Zhou Mo didn't stop me from taking it, and it's pink, so it must be prepared for me, right?"
Aiming for her left wrist, just as Gwen moved to put it on, the hand holding the watch felt the love watch pounce onto her wrist like a predator attacking prey. The moment Gwen realized this, she saw it had already fastened itself onto her left wrist.
Simultaneously, similar to a Main System and Sub-System, the highest level of control over the love watchappeared in Zhou Mo's mind.
"Zh-Zhou Mo." Gwen stiffened, afraid to move, as if what was on her wrist wasn't a watch but a snake. Her voice trembled with fear: "W-What exactly is it?"
Sniffling one last time, Zhou Mo took Gwen's left hand and pulled it toward him. "Gwen, do you know why I am so powerful?"
Gwen looked at him, blinking blankly.
Zhou Mo tapped a finger below the love watch's screen. The screen popped up, simultaneously granting all permissions. "This is my biggest secret." With that, Zhou Mo gently pressed the dial down.
Gwen was about to ask what it was when she felt a strange sensation wash over her body the moment she opened her mouth. Looking down, she found that her physique had suddenly ballooned. Along with the savage muscles, two extra arms appeared.
Gwen was stunned: "Is this a female version of the Four-Armed Overlord?"
"Yes." Holding his head, Zhou Mo lay back down. "You can understand this as a transformation device created by me, the smartest genius in the Universe. All the abilities I possess are inside it."
"Hmm, and some that I don't possess are probably inside it too."
Gwen's eyes lit up. Does that mean fighting crime will be easier for her now?
Gwen quickly assessed the situation internally. Although her physique wasn't as towering as Zhou Mo's Four-Armed Overlord, she was still two meters tall, and her physical strength had clearly increased by more than one level! What she felt most deeply was the seemingly inexhaustible power within her!
Gwen was completely confident that she could use this ability to punch Kingpin flying!
However, amidst the sensations, another strange feeling arose spontaneously from her heart, traveling up her chest until it occupied her entire brain.
"Zh-Zhou Mo." She called out softly. When Gwen spoke again, her tone was as shy as an innocent little girl, and her cheeks turned extremely red. Zhou Mo looked at her.
"I... I like you so much."
After speaking, Gwen, who had transformed into the love watch Female Four-Armed Overlord, immediately pounced on Zhou Mo. Zhou Mo, who had already anticipated this, showed no surprise.
As a ben 10 fan, Zhou Mo had heard about some fan-fiction works. While learning about these works, Zhou Mobecame aware of the love watch created by fan authors, which was why he reacted so strongly when he first encountered the love watch.
Could a fan-fiction item like the love watch be unlocked within the clumsy watch, the original item?
The setting for the love watch was very simple: besides the transformation ability, the wearer would irrationally fall in love with Zhou Mo, like a yandere, and would only love Zhou Mo. Furthermore, the clumsy watch held supreme authority over the love watch; as long as Zhou Mo wished, he could not only disable any of the love watch's abilities but also deactivate and retrieve it at any time.
Moreover, the love watch's attacks would allow the clumsy watch to gain combat experience points corresponding to the alien hero used.
Originally, Wanda should have been the better choice, but considering she also had magic, and Gwen was just Spider-Man, completely no match for any powerful entity, Zhou Mo chose Gwen for the love watch.
However, one thing worth noting was that Zhou Morealized the love watch, as a subordinate of the clumsy watch, could not transform for an arbitrary duration.
At this moment, Zhou Mo was experiencing being forcefully pressed down by a muscular, sexy older sister, or more accurately, by the ProMax Version of a muscular, sexy older sister.
Judging by how the Four-Armed Overlord could leap and traverse between buildings relying only on its powerful physique, it wasn't hard to deduce how terrifying the Four-Armed Overlord's leg strength was!
A youth sleeping on a cold brick bed relies entirely on his vigorous vitality. All that can be said is that Zhou Mo, lying down, was staring at the ceiling with a meaningful smile, constantly drawing sharp breaths.
"Hiss~ Hah~"
...The moment the deed ended, the transformation time was up. Raising her hand to look at the love watch, Gwenwas full of novelty and still unsatisfied.
Zhou Mo let out a long breath, feeling his soul float out of his body: "This feeling, I estimate, only the Female Four-Armed Overlord could deliver."
The dimmed silhouette of the Four-Armed Overlordindicated she was still cooling down. Gwen rotated the popped-up dial, searching for a hero state she wanted to try. Finally, Fire Man captured her attention.
"Dad has been put in Time Stop by Zhou Mo, so he won't hear anything. If a Fire breaks out inside... I can use the Time Robot to fix it, right?" Unable to suppress her excitement, Gwen still pressed the button gently.
Controlling the Fire with her whole heart, Gwen stood on the wooden floor and was delighted to find she could avoid burning the floor. Just as the novelty of the experience began, she uncontrollably pounced onto Zhou Mo again.
Hmm... how should he put it? Zhou Mo, the person involved, said it felt like being put into hot Water—scalding hot, but very comfortable.
When the transformation time ended, Zhou Mo's expression was clearly off. A purple light flashed, and when six Female Dido appeared, Zhou Mo wanted to beg for mercy.
The urge to beg for mercy exploded when he saw the Female Thunderbolt standing at the foot of the bed, gazing at him with an idiotic smile. This truly won't do!
...Just as dawn broke, Stark hadn't slept a wink all night out of nervousness, watching the satellite feed.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The massive bodies of the Celestials fell to New York like meteorites, and figures like mountains walked out from the distant horizon.
Stark collapsed in frustration: "Can't you really leave New York alone?!"
As sunlight streamed down, the restless figure of Superman X in Zhou Mo's mind rang like an alarm clock, making him open his eyes: "Today is the moment to unlock Superman X."
Chapter 125: Chinese People Once Saved the World? Superman X Unlock is Here! Clock King vs. Celestials!
Avengers Backup Base.
Standing with the help of a simple exoskeleton armor, Stark held his head in his hands, scratching his ears and cheeks in a breakdown: "You know, the reconstruction work in New York hasn't even started yet!"
Friday added salt to the wound: "Sir, it seems your press conference today won't be happening."
This only made Stark curl his lips resentfully. Just yesterday, based on the information provided by Zhou Mo, his company had achieved a breakthrough in nanotechnology and was about to put it into use. The exoskeleton armor he was wearing, which had some healing functions, was a freshly baked prototype.
He had released news to the outside World, intending to use it for promotion, boosting the company's stock price while stabilizing human emotions. But now it seemed to have fallen through. Before the Nano Iron Man could even be born, Earth was in danger again.
"Tony!" With an urgent cry, the members of the Avengerswho had been summoned rushed over; they had also learned the news of the alien invasion.
Pointing at the giant shadows in the footage, Stark looked at Thor solemnly: "I hope you know who they are."
Thor approached in a few steps, frowning and squinting as he examined them. Friday cooperatively enlarged the image to show more detail. However, with his brows furrowed into a knot, the confusion in Thor's eyes only increased.
Seeing this, Stark became even more frantic: "Thor is the one among us who knows the most about extraterrestrial life forms. If even he doesn't know, then we can only treat these visitors from beyond as nameless enemies."
His tone became serious, and his aura changed. Starkfaced everyone and said in a deep voice, "Guys, we've got work to do!"
The heroes' faces were grim, their eyes flashing with light, ready for action.
"Avengers! Assem—"
Before he could finish, Fury, the last to arrive, interrupted sharply: "Wait!"
His voice drew everyone's attention. With his hands behind his back and a faint smile on his face, Fury said, "Believe me, Tony, they are not something you can handle."
"They?"
Stark caught this key point and pointed at the satellite footage behind him: "Wait, you're not going to tell me that these behemoths are also your Agents, are you?!"
"Haha." Walking through the crowd, Fury went to the big screen, his tone tinged with worry and his voice dropping: "I wish I really had that kind of ability."
The heroes turned one after another to look at Fury's back, their faces a mix of unease and confusion. What Fury meant was... they didn't come in peace?
"Do you know what department I'm from?" Fury appeared somewhat mysterious.
"I know." Stark tilted his head impatiently. "Department of Homeland Security."
"Yes, S.H.I.E.L.D." After saying that, squinting as if lost in memory, Fury murmured, "Then have you ever wondered why we are called S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Steve fell into deep thought, while Stark laughed in frustration. What time is it, and he's still playing riddles?
Fury clearly had no such intention and answered his own question: "Because there is another agency called Divine Spear Bureau It existed before we did."
The various atmospheres in the air were swept away, and Stark's body jolted: "Divine Spear Bureau?" This was the first time he had heard this name in so long.
"They inherited the Spear of Imhotep and were named Divine Spear Bureau, indirectly leading to the legend of the Spear in the East and the Shield in the West."
The East? His heart sank suddenly, and Stark instinctively thought of Zhou Mo. Was Divine Spear Bureau born in Zhou Mo's country?
"The founder of Divine Spear Bureau was named Zhang Heng. About... well, over two thousand years ago, he held a spear and repelled these guys."
Fury continued, but the heroes' thoughts couldn't quite keep up. Over two thousand years ago? That means! These guys haven't come to Earth for the first time?
Steve was about to ask about the spear when Stark beat him to it: "Is it the Zhang Heng I know?"
Steve turned to look at Stark, slightly dazed, then turned his head to scan the other heroes, finding they all had the same reaction as him.
"Yes, it's the Zhang Heng you know," Fury said.
A cloud of doubt hung over the other members of the Avengers; they found themselves getting more confused the more they listened. Zhang Heng? Who is the Zhang Heng Tony knows?...I only seem to know Zhou Mo.
Friday timely projected relevant information to the side of the heroes. At a glance, they first saw a portrait of a long-haired Eastern man wearing Hanfu and armor, holding a spear.
Following that, they saw the time displayed next to the portrait: 78 AD!
They couldn't help but gasp. Hiss! This really is a figure from over two thousand years ago!
"Invented the seismoscope, the armillary sphere, and created the most accurate star map of the time?" Seeing his main contributions, Natasha was shocked! She thought to herself, so he was actually a scientist?!
No wonder Stark knew him.
But, hiss~ in 78 AD, building a seismoscope and an armillary sphere, isn't this guy's IQ a bit too high?
"In 114 AD, when the first member of the Celestialsdescended to Earth, they were repelled by Zhang Hengalone, protecting Earth's peace. This is also the first recorded instance of humans overcoming extraterrestrial beings."
Hearing this, even Stark couldn't sit still. Living in the modern age, he was constantly tortured by the shadow of alien invasions to the point of developing anxiety, yet this old gentleman from ancient times repelled an extraterrestrial being all by himself?
Isn't this gap a bit large?
And... the first human to defeat an extraterrestrial being was actually a distant Chinese person?! This truly shocked Stark. After all, in today's news, the one acting heroically and saving the World time and again is the World's policeman, America.
But Stark thought it was reasonable; in 114 AD, the ancestors of Americans were standing on the European continent looking toward North America, sharpening their knives and preparing to go over there in a few hundred years to scalp the Indians.
"So their race is the Celestials." Stark gathered another key piece of information, and the tension in his heart relaxed quite a bit. If an old Eastern gentleman from over two thousand years ago could repel one by himself, then it's not impossible for them, living in the modern age, to repel these Celestials and replicate that feat.
Fury didn't say any more but turned to look at Stark with a complex expression. That gaze from a Level 10 Agentmade Stark feel as if he were wearing nothing, completely seen through by Fury.
"Tony, you don't actually think... you can really defeat them, do you?"
Steve stepped forward, showing his leadership: "Please, continue."
Stark might have forgotten, but Steve hadn't. Fury had stated clearly from the start that the Avengers were no match for these Celestials, and he wanted to know why.
Realizing he shouldn't waste more time on Stark, Furystraightened his head and continued, "According to our understanding and speculation, the Celestials hold dominion over every Planet in the Universe. For example, the female member that Zhang Heng repelled."
"Simply because she needed energy for childbirth, she decided to obtain it by destroying Earth to refuel. And as for this, we haven't learned of any other Celestial members taking action to stop it."
As these words were spoken and the information distilled, the heroes of the Avengers, including Stark, all took a sharp breath in shock.
Dominating all Planets in the Universe? A single member can easily destroy Earth?...This seems many times more powerful than even the God King Odin!
Thor's pupils trembled; his father only ruled the Nine Realms, while the Celestials ruled everything! This is f*cking... Universal level?
Returning their gaze to the Celestials on the screen, the members of the Avengers held their breath, falling into despair, feeling that these didn't come from the heavens at all, but from hell! A single female member, whose power was limited by pregnancy, could easily destroy Earth.
So with all these members appearing together... is there any way for Earth to survive?
As it turned out, the rulers didn't care at all about the existence of life forms below their level.
The Celestials, who came with the purpose of maintaining balance throughout the Universe, caused immense destruction to the surrounding cities just by moving. With all members moving together, the commotion caused by their steps surpassed that of an earthquake.
At a glance, wherever the Celestials went, buildings collapsed one after another, and the resulting dust clouds didn't even reach their ankles. Amidst that, the screams of citizens being trampled to death or crushed by collapsing buildings were ignored, as if they didn't exist... Deep Space.
Left alone, Odin held his breath, his gaze quickly scanning the magic projection for Zhou Mo's figure. He had originally held hope for this, but when everything actually happened, he couldn't help but get nervous.
"What if Zhou Mo uses his clone ability and the Time Robot at the same time? Can the Celestials win? If the situation becomes deadlocked, can I find a way to deal the final blow to Zhou Mo?"
His mind in a mess, all Odin could think about was the upcoming battle between the Celestials and Zhou Mo.
Seeing a fleeing human being stomped to death by a Celestial in a tiny corner at the bottom of the projection, Odin, as the Guardian of the Nine Realms, showed neither anger nor joy in his eyes.
Feel sorry for innocent lives? Stop joking; the Nine Realmsweren't swayed by him to voluntarily become his ruled territory. During his previous conquests, were there few Heavenly Palace warriors who died in battle or people who were killed?
"Victory is always accompanied by death. If the death toll is too high and prevents the Earthlings from forming their army, then I, well, will intervene. However, only a small group has died, which doesn't affect the normal functioning of Earth's society—far from the standard of needing protection from the God King."
...In another dimension, looking through space at this scene, the Earth's Guardian Ancient One had no reaction; she was also looking for Zhou Mo's figure.
Besides the live situation on Earth, she also saw The Living Tribunal standing quietly outside Earth. Even though they could see him just by turning their heads, the Celestials still hadn't discovered his presence.
Ancient One looked puzzled: "Can they and the Earthlings really not see The Living Tribunal? And, has The Living Tribunal not found Zhou Mo?" This last point made Ancient One frown.
It was normal for the Celestials to search, but given The Living Tribunal's power, erasing Zhou Mo would be a matter of an instant. The only reason Ancient One could think of for him not doing so was that Zhou Mo had hidden his presence and hadn't been discovered by The Living Tribunal.
This shocked Ancient One to the core: "Even The Living Tribunal can't find Zhou Mo when he hides his presence?!"
Gradually, after an unknown amount of time, Ancient One's search was still fruitless, and a thought inevitably popped into her head.
Was Zhou Mo too afraid to come out? This was the only explanation that made sense right now. Previously, Zhou Mo had gone to great lengths to find the Celestials, but now that they had actively appeared, there was no sign of him for a long time.
Aside from hiding out of fear, was there any other explanation?
"Is he afraid of the Celestials, or The Living Tribunal?" Ancient One rubbed her chin, seriously considering the question.
But in the next second, her pupils suddenly shrank!
Ancient One saw that right in front of the Celestials on the screen, the Clock King had flown over!
It's here, Clock King vs. Celestials!