Sonic stared warily at the man in front of him.
Konoha Village?What kind of ninja village was that?
He himself had come from a ninja village, yet he had never heard of such a place.
On the other side, Chu Yang also realized he had misspoken. He gave an awkward smile and then asked, "Who are you?"
Sonic curled his lips into a wild grin."My name is Speed-o'-Sound Sonic! I am the strongest ninja in the world today! I've seen the footage of your battle with the giant. Although you used techniques I've never seen before, I'm certain—you're a ninja."
"I'm here to recruit you. Join me, serve under my banner, and together we'll elevate the name of ninjas!"
Before Sonic could finish, Chu Yang waved him off, yawning as he brushed past him.
"Hey! Don't walk away, I'm not done talking yet! You—"
"Sorry," Chu Yang said lazily. "I'm not interested in your ideals. Go find someone else."
Sonic jogged a few steps, cutting back in front of Chu Yang. He raised a hand to stop him, took a deep breath, and said,"I didn't think things through. You haven't seen my strength yet, so it's understandable if you think I'm bragging."
Chu Yang paused. "Uh… that's not what I meant. I'm just genuinely not interested."
Of course, Chu Yang knew exactly how strong Sonic was.
Aside from Saitama himself, there were very few people in the story who could really humiliate Sonic. Most of the opponents he faced were Dragon-level monsters or S-Class heroes.
Sonic's strength was unquestionable—he belonged to the top tier in the One Punch Man world.
"I'll make you acknowledge me!" Sonic shouted.
He pulled out a shuriken and hurled it straight at Chu Yang without hesitation.
"You're really rude," Chu Yang complained.
He tilted his head to dodge. Two seconds later, the shuriken exploded behind him.
"Your reaction speed is impressive," Sonic said appreciatively. "Compared to me, you're only a hair slower."
"But next, I won't hold back!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Sonic's figure flickered, splitting into two afterimages.
"Secret Technique — Twin Shadow Burial!"
Seeing Sonic use a knockoff version of shadow clones made Chu Yang want to laugh.
So he casually used the Shadow Clone Technique himself.
A clone silently appeared behind Sonic and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Sonic shuddered, spinning around as his pupils shrank violently.
When did he get behind me?!
Sonic turned his head again.
Chu Yang was still standing where he had been, completely unmoving.
Then Sonic turned back to look at the clone behind him…
It was solid.
Sonic whipped his head back and forth, staring in disbelief.
"Y-you… what is this?!"
He was so shocked that he started stuttering.
"A clone technique," Chu Yang said disdainfully. "You call yourself a ninja, yet you don't even know such a basic ninjutsu?"
"B-basic… ninjutsu?"
Sonic felt his brain overheating.
He'd spent years in a ninja village and had never once heard of clones that could create real bodies.
"Were you a dead-last student back in school?" Chu Yang teased with a half-smile. "Never paid attention in class?"
"Bullshit!" Sonic snapped. "We were never taught anything like this! Your ninja village is the weird one!"
The phrase dead last clearly hit Sonic where it hurt—because back in the ninja village, he really had ranked near the bottom for a long time.
Incidentally, that was also why Sonic had developed absurd digestive abilities and extreme resistance to poison in harsh survival conditions.
The S-Class Rank 13 hero, Flashy Flash, had graduated from the same ninja village as Sonic.
On graduation day, Flashy Flash slaughtered all the instructors, classmates, and staff. As for Sonic, out of lingering sentiment, Flashy Flash didn't kill him outright—he poisoned him instead.
Sonic survived purely thanks to his high toxin resistance.
"I suggest you go back and study properly before talking about reviving ninja glory," Chu Yang said kindly.
That way, Sonic might avoid inevitably becoming the infamous "One-Ball Wanderer" after meeting Saitama someday.
Unfortunately, Sonic didn't take Chu Yang's advice to heart. Instead, he flew into a rage and attacked the surrounding shadow clones.
"Speed-o'-Sound Reassembly Punch!"
"Wind Blade Kick!"
Sonic moved like lightning. In the blink of an eye, dozens of punches rained down on the clones.
Then he followed with a sweeping kick aimed at a vital spot, the sharp wind from his leg cutting like a blade.
After unleashing two deadly techniques, Sonic smiled confidently.
They're just clones.
When he tried to pursue Chu Yang, another shadow clone blocked his path.
Sonic's eyes widened.
Another one?
Then another clone appeared.
Sonic looked around.
The street. The rooftops. The roadside.
Shadow clones everywhere—dense, countless, surging like a human tide.
Sonic's scalp went numb.
Chu Yang's figure receded into the distance. He snapped his fingers and said casually,"Kill him."
The clones swarmed forward, completely drowning Sonic in the crowd.
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!"
Over the next few days, Sonic repeatedly came to challenge Chu Yang.
And every time, he was brutally toyed with using various ninjutsu.
With Six Paths Sage Mode, Chu Yang could theoretically use all five elemental transformations:
Fire Release.Water Release.Lightning Release.Earth Release.Wind Release.
After witnessing countless techniques, Sonic's eyes shone with dazzling light.
After leaving the ninja village, he finally felt clarity about his life's goal.
This… this is what a real ninja is.
Everything he'd learned before was garbage!
...
Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~
The doorbell rang urgently.
"Again? Are you done yet? Today I'm seriously going to beat the shit out of you!"
Chu Yang, who had finally managed to sleep in, exploded with anger. He jumped out of bed, yanked open the door—and sure enough, there stood Sonic's infuriating face.
"You really have a death wish? I'll send you back to the character creation screen!"
Chu Yang rolled up his sleeves, ready to send Sonic to the afterlife.
To his surprise, Sonic suddenly dropped to his knees, staring up at Chu Yang with burning eyes.
"MASTER!!!"
Sonic's expression was sincere, his tone reverent."Please allow me to call you Master! From today onward, I wish to follow you, train under you, inherit your ninjutsu, and become the strongest ninja!"
Chu Yang: "..."
Sonic grabbed Chu Yang's hand, blinking eagerly."Master, I'm sure you'll agree. After all, a genius disciple like me isn't easy to come by…"
BANG!!!
Chu Yang slammed the door shut.
"Get lost!"
From that day on, Sonic showed up every single day, insisting on becoming Chu Yang's disciple.
He had made up his mind—to learn the most advanced ninjutsu from Chu Yang.
Chu Yang was driven crazy, but there was nothing he could do.
If Sonic had come to cause trouble, killing him would've been easy. But Sonic came begging to be taught, completely submissive, making it hard for Chu Yang to go all out on him.
Another day.
Chu Yang went out on a mission to eliminate a monster—only to find that the Tiger-level threat had already been taken care of by Sonic.
Under the gaze of curious onlookers, Sonic trotted over eagerly."Master, the mission is complete!"
Chu Yang let out a deep sigh.
Whenever a monster appeared in D City, Sonic would always beat him to it, dealing with it first under the excuse of 'helping Master.'
At this rate, Chu Yang was about to lose his job.
"Putting everything else aside," Chu Yang said helplessly, "your speed really is insane. How do you even get your intel?"
"I got it from this guy," Sonic said, pointing into the crowd.
Chu Yang followed his finger and saw Foster. Foster gave an awkward smile.
"Sonic knew you were a registered hero with the Hero Association," Foster hurriedly explained. "He asked what he could do to help you, so…"
He was terrified of displeasing Chu Yang.
He had thought Chu Yang merely had S-Class potential—only to realize he'd severely underestimated him.
Even his disciple has S-Class strength!Just how terrifying must the master be?!Damn it!
I'm about to take off—straight to the stratosphere!
Foster was laughing like crazy on the inside.
But the moment he noticed Chu Yang's indifferent gaze, his whole body jolted. Cold sweat broke out across his back.
"Mr. Foster," Chu Yang said calmly, "do you really enjoy finding people to replace me that much?"
Foster's heart nearly leapt out of his throat. He hurriedly explained, "N-no, not at all! Mr. Chu, that's not what I meant. It's just that Mr. Sonic insisted on helping you shoulder the burden…"
Chu Yang ignored him. He turned instead to look seriously at Sonic."What exactly do you want?"
Sonic answered just as solemnly, "I want to become a true ninja under Master's guidance."
Chu Yang didn't want to deceive him, so he spoke plainly."That's impossible. You don't have the talent."
Chakra was the fusion of spiritual energy and physical energy.
In theory, anyone could cultivate it.
But at the same time, it was a special power constrained by the rules of a world.
Just like spiritual power or magic.
Hearing Chu Yang's unequivocal answer, Sonic's face turned deathly pale. He clenched his teeth and asked, "Not even the slightest possibility?"
Chu Yang shook his head decisively."None."
It was like being struck by lightning.
Sonic swayed unsteadily, the light in his eyes fading rapidly until they became dull and vacant.
Foster scratched his head, thinking to himself that Sonic was already absurdly strong—what else could he possibly want to learn from Chu Yang?
"If you understand, then that's it. Don't come looking for me again," Chu Yang said before leaving. He shot Foster a sharp glare, prompting the latter to bow repeatedly and apologize.
Sonic stood there in a daze, staring at Chu Yang's retreating back, unmoving—from day into night.
Many years ago, back when he was still in the ninja village, everyone around him—whether instructors or classmates—had drilled one sentence into him over and over again:
"You're talentless. That's why you're dead last!"
Surviving the graduation ceremony by sheer luck didn't mean Sonic had gained a new life, nor did it erase those words from his heart.
On the contrary, he remembered them all too clearly.
"Master… I've never really believed in talent or aptitude…"
The next day.
Chu Yang's doorbell rang as usual.
He opened the door.
"Master!"
Standing outside was still Sonic, carrying several large plastic bags filled with ingredients.
His expression was solemn."I've thought it through carefully. Just helping eliminate a few monsters doesn't show enough sincerity. Starting today, I'll serve you in every possible way—until you're satisfied!"
Bang!
Chu Yang slammed the door shut.
This guy really had something wrong with his head!
"I already told you—you can't learn it…"
Chu Yang rubbed his temples and turned back into the room.
Outside, Sonic continued knocking hard on the door, shouting, "Master, don't worry! I'll definitely work hard!"
Brother—
This really isn't about working hard or not!
You'd need to break through the dimensional wall for this!
Chu Yang sighed helplessly, then walked back to the door and opened it again. Irritated, he said,"Stop yelling. I'll give you one chance. If it doesn't work, then get lost immediately!"
Sonic was overjoyed, nodding furiously like a pecking chicken."Master, don't worry! I won't let you down!"
Chu Yang asked impatiently, "Why are you so determined to become my disciple? Do you really love being a ninja that much?"
"Liking being a ninja is one thing… wanting to learn ninjutsu from you is another…" Sonic suddenly grew bashful, his face reddening as he twisted awkwardly. "Because, well… it's really cool."
Chu Yang: "???"
Sonic suddenly mimicked Chu Yang's hand seals."Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"That's it!"
"Don't you think it's awesome?!"
Chu Yang: "..."
Suddenly, he felt a wave of regret.
Damn it.
Chu Yang snatched the plastic bags from Sonic's hands and slammed the door shut again.
"MASTEEEER!!!"
...
Marvel World.
Nominally serving as an advisor to the God of Thunder, Chu Yang spent his days immersed in Asgard's magical library, greedily absorbing its vast trove of arcane knowledge.
There wasn't much he could actually help Thor with.
As long as Odin was still alive, there were only a handful of forces across the Nine Realms—or even the entire universe—that dared to confront Asgard head-on.
So Asgard was very peaceful.
At least, for now.
Minor regional conflicts were easily resolved by Thor smashing through them with brute force—no strategy or planning required.
And even when Chu Yang occasionally offered advice, Thor would promptly forget it.
Within the Avengers, the God of Thunder's intelligence was roughly on par with the Hulk's.
Over time, Chu Yang basically became invisible.
He liked this state of affairs. As long as he didn't cross any lines, no one restricted him—he was extremely free.
One day, several months after staying in the divine palace, Thor suddenly sought Chu Yang out in a hurry.
"You look like a grade-schooler whose breakfast got stolen," Chu Yang joked.
Normally, Thor would've replied with another unfunny quip. But this time, his expression was unusually grave.
Chu Yang immediately sensed that something big had happened.
"Father says Loki has gone to Earth—and he's obtained the Tesseract that Father sealed there long ago!"
"I must go to Earth and bring Loki and the Tesseract back!"
Chu Yang closed the magic book in his hands and smiled."So that means my exchange student life is over?"
"Yes, my brother."
The Bifrost was still damaged. To return to Earth, they had to rely solely on Odin's power.
Odin could send Thor to Earth—but doing so would exhaust his strength, leaving him unable to recover for quite some time.
If the situation weren't urgent, Odin would never take such a risk.
Asgard's peace rested entirely on his personal deterrence. The slightest sign of weakness would invite the return of past calamities.
It wasn't only the Frost Giants coveting Asgard.
What the Tesseract truly was—Odin knew better than anyone. If it fell into certain hands, not only would the Nine Realms be thrown into chaos, but an even greater catastrophe might follow.
That was why Odin had decided to send Thor to Earth.
Chu Yang was merely along for the ride.
Thor led Chu Yang into the royal palace hall. Odin sat high upon his throne. After seeing the two of them, he slowly rose to his feet, first exchanging a few polite words with Chu Yang before turning to Thor and instructing him to make sure he brought the Tesseract back.
The Queen, Frigga—Thor's mother—stood to the side, assisting Odin in casting the teleportation magic.
As the most powerful mage in Asgard, Frigga was the true core of the spell's construction. Odin merely served as the source of energy.
During the long time Chu Yang had stayed in Asgard, the person he interacted with most wasn't Thor, but the Queen standing before him.
Asgard's magic library was under Frigga's direct stewardship.
Frigga herself greatly appreciated the talent Chu Yang had displayed in magic.
In her eyes, his aptitude even surpassed that of most of the gods.
And more impressive than talent was Chu Yang's thirst for knowledge.
After Odin finished speaking with Thor, Frigga stepped forward, gently reminding her son to be careful. She didn't doubt his strength—she was simply worried about his reckless style of acting.
Then Frigga's gaze fell on Chu Yang, her expression gentle. "Child, I'll have to trouble you to look after Thor."
Chu Yang smiled and nodded. "Please rest assured, Your Majesty."
Frigga sighed softly, a trace of reluctance in her voice. "I truly wish you could stay a while longer. In all of Asgard, aside from Loki, you're the only one who can discuss magic with me."
At the mention of Loki, sorrow flickered across Frigga's face.
"Alright, Frigga, that's enough talk. It's time for them to leave," Odin said as he began casting the spell to send them to Earth.
Brilliant, multicolored light rose beneath their feet, like the Bifrost igniting. Chu Yang quietly watched Odin, trying to memorize every detail of the spellcasting.
A hint of fatigue flashed across Odin's face, his brows knitting slightly. For some reason, the teleportation was proving more taxing than he had anticipated.
After a burst of dazzling light, Chu Yang and Thor were still standing where they were.
The two exchanged confused looks.
Odin let out a soft sound of surprise and turned to Frigga, who looked just as astonished.
The royal couple stepped closer, examining Chu Yang.
"Child, there is a power within you no weaker than Thor's. That greatly increases the burden of the teleportation spell," Odin said with an awkward smile.
Thor asked anxiously, "Does that mean we can't go to Earth?"
Frigga shook her head and explained, "You can. He cannot. Your father and I don't have the ability to send two people back in such a short time."
Thor scratched his head and looked at Chu Yang apologetically.
He'd excitedly dragged someone along, only to end up disappointing them.
Chu Yang didn't mind. He was quietly thinking things over.
Odin cleared his throat. "Prepare to depart."
"Wait a moment." After some thought, Chu Yang quickly fashioned a kunai engraved with the Flying Thunder God formula and handed it to Thor. "Keep this on you."
The three watched him curiously. Frigga asked, "What is this?"
Chu Yang smiled. "A coordinate. If it works, I can return to Earth using it."
In theory, the Flying Thunder God Technique, as a space–time ninjutsu, had no distance limit. It could transfer someone from one space to another.
Chu Yang had already proven this in the ninja world.
But Asgard was unimaginably far from Earth. Whether the theory would still hold was something he didn't know—this was merely an experiment.
Odin and Frigga were intrigued.
Thor didn't really understand, but seeing his parents' expressions, he instinctively felt the "little spike" in his hand was something extraordinary.
Odin laughed. "Did you create a new form of magic?"
Chu Yang shook his head. "It's simply the wisdom of those who came before."
Frigga had no idea which predecessor could have created such a spell—she certainly had never seen anything like it in the library.
"You're a clever child. I believe in your ability," Frigga said gently. "But are you certain this is safe? I mean for you."
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. Even if it fails, it won't affect Thor or me in any way," Chu Yang explained softly.
Frigga relaxed and nodded toward Odin. Once more, Odin cast the spell and reminded Thor, "Bring Loki and the Tesseract back."
A flash of white light, and Thor's figure vanished from the hall.
Chu Yang closed his eyes, sensing the presence of the formula. After a short while, he let out a long breath and smiled in relief.
The sense of the formula was extremely faint, but it was still sufficient to serve as an anchor for the Flying Thunder God.
Seeing the smile at Chu Yang's lips, Frigga understood that his magic had succeeded. She smiled warmly. "Congratulations, child. You can go home now. Don't forget to give my regards to your family."
Images of Tony, Happy, and Pepper flashed through Chu Yang's mind. He smiled broadly. "I will, Your Majesty."
Odin suddenly spoke. "You could leave a coordinate here as well."
Chu Yang looked at him in surprise.
Odin explained, "Thor and Frigga both like you. I hope you'll come back to visit us from time to time."
Chu Yang only half-believed Odin's words. The other half, he could already guess.
Odin had taken an interest in the Flying Thunder God Technique.
As Odin's closest companion, Frigga quickly realized this and shot him a fierce glare.
"Child, ignore him."
"No, Your Majesty. The All-Father is right. If I have the time, I'd like to come visit you as well," Chu Yang replied, readily agreeing to Odin's suggestion.
It was a win-win proposal. After all, Asgard still had many treasures.
Just the library alone contained countless profound works of magic and technology.
Odin laughed heartily and winked at Frigga, not the slightest bit of a god-king's dignity about him.
Frigga shook her head helplessly. Since Chu Yang didn't mind, there was no need for her to say more.
Leaving a kunai behind, Chu Yang calmly formed hand seals before their eyes, his figure vanishing abruptly into thin air.
"He teleported away just like that?" Odin stared wide-eyed. "I didn't sense even the slightest fluctuation of magic. How did he do it?"
Frigga wore an equally astonished expression.
Odin lowered his gaze to the oddly shaped kunai in his hand, deep in thought. "I think I've discovered something very interesting…"
Earth.
A bolt of lightning tore through the dark night sky.
With the lightning, Thor landed atop an aircraft. In the cockpit sat Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff.
Inside the cabin, Captain America, Steve Rogers, and Iron Man, Tony Stark, were locked in a heated argument.
Not long ago, the newly formed Avengers had successfully captured Loki, but they hadn't been able to locate the Tesseract.
In order to learn its whereabouts, they planned to transport Loki to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier.
During the transport, however, Steve questioned how easily Loki had been captured, while Tony dismissed the concern and mocked him a few times.
The argument escalated.
Until Natasha noticed Thor's arrival.
"This isn't the time to argue. Open the hatch—I'll go take a look," Tony said.
He pulled on his helmet and strode toward the exit.
The moment the hatch opened, Thor was already standing there, smiling amicably. "You must be Tony! I know you—I've heard Yang—"
Before he could finish—
A powerful energy beam slammed into Thor, sending him flying.
Steve stared in shock and muttered, "It looked like he knew you…"
"Pah!" Tony snarled furiously. "Who the hell knows him?! A cosmic human trafficker! I'm going to beat the shit out of him today!"
With that, the Mark VI armor's thrusters roared to full power, and Tony blasted out of the cabin.
Loki grinned delightedly, whistling. "I'm starting to like this tin man!"
Steve asked, utterly confused, "Can someone tell me why he's so angry?"
"Captain, you're new, so you don't know," Natasha explained over the comm. "Tony had a friend taken away by that 'god.' He still hasn't come back."
Hearing the trace of guilt in Natasha's voice, Steve asked curiously, "You knew that friend too?"
Natasha took a deep breath and gave a bitter smile. "To be precise, I bear part of the responsibility for that."
"I remember Stark refusing to join the Avengers Initiative because of that friend, right?" Steve recalled suddenly, remembering a time he'd seen Tony and Nick Fury shouting at each other, someone's name mentioned in the argument.
Natasha nodded. "Yes."
"I see. That must have been a very important friend," Steve said, picking up a parachute and walking slowly toward the hatch.
Natasha asked in surprise, "Captain, what are you doing?"
"Stopping Stark from doing something stupid," Steve replied, his gaze deep. "I once lost someone very important to me. That despair… I understand how Stark feels right now."
"But given the current situation, we can't afford to create more potential enemies—especially when we still don't know why that person came to Earth…"
With that, Steve leapt from the hatch, his figure quickly swallowed by the thick clouds below.
Natasha sighed helplessly and opened a channel to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. "The individual codenamed 'Thor' has appeared. His attitude is unclear. Tony Stark has initiated an attack, and the Captain has gone after him to stop his extreme behavior."
After a moment of static, Nick Fury's voice came through, asking only one question.
"Where's Chu Yang?"
"Haven't seen him."
A heavy sigh followed. Nick Fury sounded deeply troubled.
Although he had long explained to Tony that Chu Yang wouldn't be in danger, so much time had passed without any sign of him. Tony's patience was wearing thin.
If Chu Yang didn't reappear soon, Tony leaving the Avengers would only be a matter of time.
Elsewhere.
Tony and Thor landed in a forest, the atmosphere tense and explosive.
Thor raised both hands hurriedly. "Hey! Easy! I know you're in a hurry, but calm down and let me explain."
Tony raised his hands as well, but didn't respond. Energy once again gathered in his palms.
"What a hotheaded idiot," Thor muttered under his breath. The anger he'd been holding back finally boiled over. He tightened his grip on Mjolnir and called down lightning.
The next instant—
Two beams of light collided violently!
In a flash, heaven and earth were bathed in blinding brilliance.
The glare was so intense it was hard to keep one's eyes open; even Thor instinctively turned his head away.
Tony, clad in his Iron Man armor, showed no fear at all. He charged straight at Thor and kicked him square in the face.
"Fuck!"
Thor cursed in pain. After steadying himself, he swung Mjolnir backhanded, smashing Tony away. Alarms immediately blared inside the armor.
Just as the two were fighting in earnest, Steve dropped from the sky, slamming his shield between them and forcing them apart.
"I hope you can both calm down," Steve said, staring at Tony. "Especially you, Tony Stark. I understand how you're feeling right now, but we shouldn't make things worse. Even if you beat him here, it won't bring your friend back."
Tony ignored Steve completely. He turned back to Thor, grabbed him by the collar, and demanded, "I'll ask you once, and listen carefully, big guy—where did you take Yang?"
Thor refused to back down, grabbing the armored mechanical arm in return. Sparks flew instantly. Only after pushing that hand away did he answer, "Because of some special circumstances, the Bifrost Asgard uses for travel was destroyed. That's why Yang had to stay there."
"He's been studying magic every day and doing just fine. You don't need to worry. He was supposed to come back with me, but my father can't easily transport two people at once, so I came to Earth first."
Tony's voice dropped sharply. "Why didn't he come back first?"
Thor replied coldly, "Because I had to come back to take Loki and the Tesseract. If left unchecked, that guy would cause massive trouble!"
Steve seized the moment to interject. "So your purpose is to stop Loki, not to oppose us."
Thor shoved Tony aside and said matter-of-factly, "Of course. Why would I be your enemy? This is Chu Yang's home. He's my friend, and my mother likes him very much. She taught him a lot of magic."
Steve and Tony exchanged a glance. Steve spoke first. "You've heard his explanation. Don't keep escalating this."
Tony snorted coldly, activated his armor, and shot straight into the sky, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Steve shook his head helplessly and pressed his comm. "Natasha, come pick me up."
The next day.
On a vast African grassland, a pack of hyenas was surrounding a lioness. She looked like she'd just given birth—her spirit was exhausted, her body thin, and beneath her lay a cub no bigger than a house cat.
Chu Yang appeared out of thin air, landing right in the middle of the confrontation.
The hyenas snarled and barked at the intruder. The lioness stared at him warily as well.
Chu Yang frowned slightly.
He raised a hand. Lightning crackled through the air and instantly struck most of the hyenas.
After a few sharp yelps, the hyenas tucked their tails and fled.
Chu Yang let out a quiet sigh.
The Flying Thunder God truly had no distance limit, but compared to Asgardian teleportation magic, it still had drawbacks.
Over extreme distances, there was a noticeable delay—or rather, a time cost.
Chu Yang had arrived more than three or four hours later than Thor.
Beyond time, ultra-long-distance teleportation also consumed an enormous amount of chakra.
Just traveling from Asgard to Earth had drained nearly two-thirds of Chu Yang's chakra.
And his chakra reserves were on the level of a Tailed Beast.
Still, compared to Odin's teleportation magic, the Flying Thunder God Technique was incredibly cost-effective.
"First, I'll head back to Stark Tower," Chu Yang muttered, preparing to use Apparition.
Suddenly, he felt something tugging at his pant leg.
Looking down, he saw the fluffy little lion cub. It seemed hungry—or perhaps it was trying to tell him something.
Chu Yang grabbed the cub by the scruff of its neck and walked over to the lioness. Only then did he realize she had already died quietly, likely from blood loss caused by the hyenas' attack.
In truth, even before Chu Yang arrived, the lioness had already been at her limit. It was probably maternal instinct alone that kept her going.
The cub whimpered softly, licking Chu Yang's palm, unaware that its mother was gone.
Chu Yang stood there for a long time. Then he lifted the little creature in front of him and sighed. "I don't know whether you're lucky or unlucky—to have run into me."
With that, he tucked the cub inside his coat and prepared to take it away.
Leaving a cub alone on the savanna was tantamount to a death sentence.
Chu Yang silently recited the Apparition incantation. Space twisted, and in the next moment, he was back in his familiar laboratory.
He barely had time to catch his breath before the sound of artillery fire rattled his ears.
Opening the window, Chu Yang saw Chitauri everywhere—like a swarm of locusts blotting out the sky.
"Talk about timing…" he muttered.
He opened a compartment made of rare metals, placed the cub inside, patted its head, and said, "Don't run around. I don't want dinner to gain an extra main course."
The cub couldn't possibly understand Chu Yang's dark joke and simply rubbed against his ankle.
"Looks like a cat, acts like a dog—raise one and get double the joy."
Chuckling, Chu Yang closed the door and left the lab, heading up the stairs. Just then, a massive bio-mechanical ship shaped like a whale skimmed past his face.
The Chitauri soldiers aboard spotted Chu Yang and immediately went berserk, screaming as they leapt down.
Chu Yang calmly formed two wooden swords using Wood Release. With a casual slash, he sent out a blade of energy more than ten meters long, cleaving the soldiers cleanly in half.
The remaining troops on the ship froze and silently retreated.
Chu Yang had no intention of letting them go.
He stepped onto the open rooftop and charged up a slash nearly a hundred meters long, cutting the entire ship cleanly in two.
Down on the streets, the Avengers all looked up as the massive bio-mechanical ship split apart.
"We have reinforcements?" Tony asked in surprise.
"No idea," Steve Rogers replied, equally confused. Nick Fury hadn't mentioned anything about additional backup.
"Captain, it looks like there's someone on Stark Tower," Clint Barton said, his exceptional eyesight catching sight of a figure on the rooftop.
Thor, Hulk, and Natasha all looked up at the same time.
"Jarvis, who's standing on the top floor of Stark Tower?" Tony asked.
"Mr. Stark, it's Yang."
Tony burst into laughter and whistled. "Alright, people—my little assistant is back. Step it up and finish the job. I've got to throw him a welcome party."
The heavy weight in Natasha's heart finally lifted. She felt incomparably relieved.
"If we're throwing a party, we should clean up the venue first," Steve said, surveying the battlefield of rubble, Chitauri soldiers, and ships.
"At this rate, the few of us won't be enough," Barton reminded him.
"Don't worry," Thor said with a mysterious grin. "If it's numbers we're talking about, they're the ones at a disadvantage. Has anyone here actually seen Yang's magic?"
Tony sneered. "Thanks to someone, I only found out he was a magician on the very last day before he left."
Thor coughed awkwardly. "Anyway, all the fodder can be left to Yang. We'll focus on the big threats."
As soon as he finished speaking, a blinding light erupted from the top of Stark Tower.
Everyone looked up to see Chu Yang floating in midair, his entire body wrapped in golden energy.
It was the Tailed Beast Cloak—signifying that he had entered Six Paths Sage Mode.
Immediately after, Chu Yang began using the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. Clones, all clad in golden cloaks, bloomed across the battlefield like scattering petals.
"Wow—can someone tell me what that mitosis-looking thing is?" Tony asked curiously, turning to Thor.
"Don't ask me. I don't know either," Thor said thoughtfully. "I just saw it a few times in the library. Yang thought reading was too slow, so he made a bunch of those. He calls them clones."
"How many can he make?" Steve asked seriously.
"Yang says even he doesn't know," Thor replied. "But definitely more than the Chitauri soldiers."
"Looks like manpower isn't an issue anymore," Natasha said with a small smile.
"In that case, let's counterattack!" Steve tightened the straps on his shield and charged forward.
At the same time.
On the Helicarrier, Nick Fury was locked in a heated argument with the higher-ups. Given the dire situation in New York, they had decided to launch a nuclear strike.
"Nick, this is for the safety of the entire planet!"
"Then tell me—what about the millions of civilians in New York?"
"Billions versus millions. You know which choice to make."
"Is this really about everyone's safety, or just your own cowardice?"
"Nick Fury, watch your words."
The command room fell into silence.
Just as the order to launch the nuke was about to be given, Nick Fury's communicator rang.
"Director, you need to see this."
The main screen lit up.
On it, Chu Yang's shadow clone army had completely suppressed the endless waves of Chitauri soldiers.
Nick Fury stared in shock, then couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. He immediately sent the footage to the higher-ups.
"They've turned the tide and taken control of the battle. Can you at least wait and observe a bit longer?" he asked firmly.
The officials whispered among themselves before finally nodding in agreement.
The meeting feed cut off.
Nick Fury stood silently beside the screen, eyes fixed on Chu Yang, murmuring to himself, "You'd better not become the next threat…"
(End of Chapter)