711-721
·Chapter 711: Tony's Revenge
A heavily armed helicopter flew through rugged mountains, with Trevor sitting inside, his hands bound and a hood over his head.
As the helicopter crossed a mountain peak, a vast complex of buildings in traditional Chinese architectural style came into view nestled between four mountains. The helicopter descended into the courtyard of this complex.
Members of the Ten Rings escorted Trevor out of the helicopter and towards a side room. Soon, Trevor found himself kneeling before the leader of the Ten Rings.
Xu Wenwu looked at Trevor, who was being held down, and gave a signal to his men.
Trevor's hood was removed.
Staring at Trevor, Xu Wenwu spoke, "So, you call yourself the Mandarin?"
With the hood off, Trevor blinked his eyes open and cautiously took in his surroundings. Looking up at the man who had just spoken, he carefully said, "My name is Trevor Slattery."
Xu Wenwu said calmly, "Names are sacred. They connect us not only to ourselves but also to our ancestors. I have had many names in my lifetime: Warrior King, Master Khan, the most dangerous man on Earth. But never did I imagine that someone would impersonate me with such a name."
"Mandarin, a name for a chicken dish... Ha!"
"You borrowed the name of the Ten Rings without knowing my name, and you chose such a ridiculous name. It did its job, making America believe in the existence of a demon. But I do not like such behavior."
Having said this, Xu Wenwu signaled his men to take Trevor away for punishment.
At that moment, Trevor suddenly stood up, pounding his chest, and began reciting lines from a play in a theatrical voice:
"Rouse Duncan with thy knocking!"
"Oh, I can do that."
"What I've done best not be known."
He then clutched his head, crying out in apparent pain, "Whence is that knocking? How is it with me when every noise appalls me?"
Amused by Trevor's eccentric performance, Xu Wenwu laughed and motioned to his men, saying, "Ha, ha, ha! He is quite the clown. I will keep him to entertain our young men. Take him to the dungeon first, so he can learn the rules here."
The Ten Rings soldiers nodded, "Yes, master!"
Trevor was then led to the dungeon, while Xu Wenwu returned to his study, looking through materials for a way to resurrect his wife. Her death had weighed heavily on him for many years.
…
Elsewhere-
Atop a mountain peak under the cover of night, Shino Aburame stood on a dense tree, overlooking the Ten Rings' base below.
His parasitic insects had been stationary at this location for a day, indicating this was likely the Ten Rings' headquarters.
Using his wrist device to locate the position via satellite, Shino contacted Red Queen back at the base to confirm the coordinates.
With his task complete, he remembered Charles's instructions and refrained from exploring further into the base.
Instead of investigating further, Shino Aburame took out a Hiraishin Kunai and buried it underground.
After finishing this, Shino sent a message to Kiba through his wrist device, asking him to summon his ninja dog to bring him back later. He then used Reverse Summoning Jutsu to enter the Summoning Realm.
Using the Summoning Realm as a springboard, Shino directly returned to Charles's base. Upon arriving, he said to Kiba, "Thanks, Kiba. I'm going to write my mission report now."
"No problem. We're teammates, after all," Kiba replied with a smile.
The next day, after Charles woke up and finished his morning routine, he heard the voice of the Red Queen.
"Master, Shino Aburame has submitted the mission log."
Knowing this, Charles realized that the Ten Rings' headquarters had been located.
He knew that the Ten Rings was a global organization, but their headquarters housed only a small portion of their members. The real threat to Tony was Xu Wenwu, who wielded the Ten Rings.
With the coordinates in hand, Charles called Tony.
"Hey, Tony. I've found the Ten Rings' headquarters. I'm sending you the coordinates now. When do you plan to depart?" Charles asked.
Tony looked at the coordinates and responded, "The sooner, the better. I'll prepare and head out in a bit. I want to take care of this before nightfall."
Charles nodded, "Good luck."
After hanging up, Tony asked, "Jarvis, how many suits of armor do we have ready?"
"Sir, there are currently 12 Mark 42 suits fully equipped with weapons. Three more are in production and should be finished by the afternoon. Additionally, Dr. Banner is scheduled to arrive in three days," Jarvis replied.
Tony nodded and said, "Deploy the twelve Mark 42 suits. They'll accompany me to the target location."
Tony then walked to the terrace of Stark Tower. With a wave of his hand, the Mark 42 suit from his room flew to him and assembled around his body. Suiting up, Tony took off towards the target location.
As Tony departed, a warehouse door in Stark Tower opened, and the Mark 42 suits emerged, flying in formation behind him.
At the same time, Pepper Potts, who was at the office handling paperwork, noticed the suits flying out of the building. Sensing something was wrong, she quickly called Tony.
During his flight, Tony received a notification from Jarvis.
"Sir, Pepper Potts is calling."
Seeing the incoming call from Pepper on his virtual screen, Tony hesitated for a moment before answering, "Hey, Pepper."
Sounding concerned, Pepper asked, "What's going on?"
Tony replied, "Nothing's wrong. I didn't get any notifications."
Pepper said, "But I saw all the Mark 42 suits deploying. These are the ones you've recently built."
-1-
·Chapter 712: Iron Man in Action
Noticing that Pepper Potts had discovered his action, Tony said, "I'm going to meet an old enemy. This time, I'm going to eliminate this scourge."
Pepper, puzzled, asked, "Old enemy?"
Tony replied, "2008, Afghan caves."
"But didn't Obadiah and those guys die?" Pepper questioned.
Tony explained, "Those guys weren't entirely wiped out. They are not the true Ten Rings."
"I found their true headquarters through Charles."
Pepper, shocked, responded, "Oh my, the Ten Rings really exist."
Tony reassured her, "Don't worry, I'll be back by dinner."
Knowing it was just a group of terrorists, Pepper felt relieved, trusting that such a group wouldn't pose a threat to Tony.
…
Meanwhile-
After notifying Tony, Charles Doyle went to the warehouse and took out a box.
Inside was a mask, resembling the Ōtsutsuki clan with its characteristic horns on both sides, crafted from vibranium. Storing the mask in his inventory, Charles used the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to enter the Summoning Realm.
In the Summoning Realm, all six members of the Akatsuki—Kisame, Itachi, Hidan, Deidara, Konan, and Zetsu—had gathered. Upon Charles's arrival, they respectfully greeted him, "Lord Charles."
Looking at the six before him, Charles said, "I have a mission for you: to attack the Ten Rings, kill their leader, and retrieve their weapons, the Ten Rings."
"I won't intervene easily this time, but I will accompany you under a different identity."
Charles then took out the mask he had prepared and changed his Merlin robe to match the Akatsuki cloak style.
"You can call me the god of Ōtsutsuki!"
Hearing the new title, the Akatsuki members placed their right hands on their chests and bowed, saying, "god of Ōtsutsuki!"
Although most of the members didn't understand the significance of this title, they remembered it.
Zetsu, however, felt a storm brewing inside him. He knew very well what Ōtsutsuki meant—his mother was Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, and his brothers were Hagoromo and Hamura Ōtsutsuki.
The fact that Charles took this name hinted at something profound.
With this realization, Zetsu bowed even lower.
Charles then took out a dossier from his inventory and said, "This contains the information I've gathered on the Ten Rings and Xu Wenwu. It's not comprehensive, but it provides some insight."
Konan stepped forward to take the dossier, read it, and then passed it around to the others.
After everyone had reviewed the information, Charles said, "Prepare yourselves here. I will use Summoning Jutsu to bring you to the battlefield when the time comes."
"Yes, Lord Charles!"
With instructions given, Charles deactivated the Reverse Summoning Jutsu and returned to Earth.
Sensing the Hiraishin Kunai that Shino had buried, he used the Hiraishin Technique to teleport himself to the location.
"Swish!" Next second, Charles appeared directly at the location where Shino Aburame had buried the Hiraishin kunai.
After retrieving the kunai from the ground and storing it in his space, Charles cast an invisibility spell on himself and sat on a tree, waiting.
Charles was very curious about the battle between Tony and Xu Wenwu. He wanted to see how Tony, equipped with the Mark 42 armor, would fare against Xu Wenwu.
As time passed, Charles waited patiently. Suddenly, he saw numerous Iron Man suits flying in the sky, totaling thirteen.
…
In the Ten Rings' headquarters, alarms started blaring in the monitoring room as red dots appeared on the satellite map, rapidly approaching the base. With the satellite feed showing images of the Iron Man suits, the guards immediately sounded the alarm.
As the alarm echoed throughout the headquarters, the base quickly went into high alert. Several yards within the base saw their grounds open like lids, revealing anti-aircraft turrets rising from underground.
The anti-aircraft alarm resounded within the base as numerous members of the Ten Rings began emerging, heading towards the armory to arm themselves.
The death dealer (a high-ranking Ten Rings operative) entered Xu Wenwu's office, reporting, "According to reports, Tony Stark is approaching with his Iron Soldiers, heading directly towards us."
Hearing the report, Xu Wenwu smiled and said, "Iron Man—Tony Stark, interesting."
"I didn't go looking for him, but he came to me. Have our forces prepare for battle."
The death dealer knelt on one knee and replied, "Yes, sir!"
With Xu Wenwu's orders, the entire Ten Rings base sprang into action.
Armored vehicles and tanks were driven out from the armory, anti-aircraft machine gunners and soldiers swiftly got into position, and attack helicopters took off quickly.
Due to the base's location deep in the mountains, there were no fighter jets, but the base instantly transformed into a war fortress with numerous heavy weapons appearing throughout.
…
From his vantage point on the distant mountaintop, Charles watched the scene and clicked his tongue.
"If this is all they've got, it won't be enough to take on Tony."
"Where's Xu Wenwu?"
…
Meanwhile-
Tony, flying fast in the sky, observed the changes in the Ten Rings' base from a distance.
"Interesting, they detected my arrival. Is it the satellite?"
"This setup looks like it's definitely the Ten Rings' headquarters."
"Jarvis, initiate free attack, prioritize targeting their heavy weapon units."
"Yes, sir!"
Tony's shoulder armor opened up, revealing four rows of micro-missiles. After locking onto his targets, Tony casually said, "Fire!"
With his command, twenty micro-missiles streaked towards the Ten Rings' anti-aircraft turrets.
The other twelve Mark 42 suits also began their long-range assault on the Ten Rings' headquarters.
At the same time, the Ten Rings' heavy artillery and anti-aircraft missile launchers locked onto the Iron Man suits, initiating their counter-attack. "Boom! Boom! Boom!"
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
"Rat-a-tat-tat!"
Anti-aircraft guns, surface-to-air missiles, heavy machine guns, and armed helicopters all began to attack Tony Stark.
The barrage from anti-aircraft guns and heavy machine guns managed to hit some of the incoming Iron Man suits' bullets, but it wasn't enough to stop them all. A portion of the missiles broke through the defense and destroyed some anti-aircraft facilities.
As for the Stinger missiles and tracking missiles fired by the armed helicopters, they were preemptively detonated by the flares released by the Mark suits.
Charles Doyle, sitting on a tree, watched the battle with a bucket of popcorn in hand, commenting as he munched:
"The daytime fireworks aren't as spectacular."
"If this were at night, the explosions would be a lot prettier."
He popped more popcorn into his mouth and glanced at the shells targeting the Iron Man suits.
"Judging by their aim, it seems the Ten Rings' targeting systems aren't up to par."
"Their weaponry is a bit outdated; there's no way they can hit the Iron Man suits with this."
Just then, heavy machine gun fire from an armed helicopter struck one of the Iron Man suits, producing a metallic clanging sound and scratching the paint off Tony's suit.
"The power is a bit weak."
"Boom!"
As Charles was commenting, a repulsor blast from an Iron Man suit blew up the rotor of an armed helicopter. Losing its rotor, the helicopter plummeted downwards towards the mountain below.
Charles watched the direction and noted that it wasn't coming towards his position.
The armed helicopter crashed into the mountainside, instantly turning into a fireball and exploding.
"Boom!"
The massive explosion ignited a burst of flames, setting the nearby trees and underbrush on fire.
--2--
·Chapter 713: Battle between Xu Wenwu and Mark Armors
Charles glanced at the mountain fire ignited on the nearby hillside, completely unconcerned.
Although the Ten Rings' headquarters showed off a considerable array of weapons and equipment, including armored vehicles, V30 rocket launchers, tanks, surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft guns, and anti-aircraft missile vehicles, these posed little threat to Tony.
Their weaponry was less effective against Tony than Killian's Extremis soldiers, causing Charles to shake his head in disappointment.
Perhaps due to relying on Xu Wenwu, the Ten Rings had a large arsenal but lacked any particularly advanced or unique technology, which diminished the prestige of a millennium-old organization.
As Charles observed with low expectations, Xu Wenwu emerged from his quarters, leading a heavily armed squad of Ten Rings soldiers.
Seeing Xu Wenwu step out, Charles popped a piece of popcorn into his mouth and remarked, "The main character finally makes his appearance."
Upon reaching the courtyard, Xu Wenwu glanced up at the imposing Iron Man suits in the sky. Before he could speak, a small missile zoomed towards him.
Xu Wenwu dropped his arms, releasing the ten rings from his forearms, which formed a blue protective shield in front of him.
"Boom!"
The missile struck the energy shield, exploding into a fiery ball that was completely blocked.
In the midst of the aerial battle, Tony Stark noticed this and exclaimed, "What is that?"
Jarvis responded, "Sir, it appears to be an unknown material, not listed in any records."
Tony, observing the scene, muttered, "So this is the power of an ancient organization. Impressive."
On the ground, Xu Wenwu spotted the nearest Iron Man suit and sent one of his ten rings flying toward it.
"Whoosh!"
The ring moved so fast that it reached the Iron Man suit in an instant, piercing through its chest reactor. With its reactor destroyed, the Mark 42 suit lost power and disintegrated, falling from the sky.
Seeing Xu Wenwu effortlessly destroy an Iron Man suit, the Ten Rings soldiers behind him cheered and waved their weapons, shouting, "Long live the Ten Rings!"
After witnessing his attack's success, Xu Wenwu beckoned the ring back to his wrist and commanded, "Attack!"
With his order, the Ten Rings soldiers began their assault on the Iron Man suits in the sky.
These soldiers, dressed like ninjas, wielded weapons that combined technology and traditional armaments, reminiscent of Wakandan weaponry. They fired electrified whips and cables at the airborne Iron Man suits.
In response, the Iron Man suits raised their arms and fired repulsor blasts at the incoming weapons, knocking most of them away. However, two cables managed to entangle one of the suits.
As soon as the cables latched onto the suit, they released electric currents, attacking the suit.
The electric current had no effect on the Mark suits, only serving to recharge them. The entangled suit simply extended its arm and yanked off the electrified cables, tossing them aside.
Seeing this, Tony immediately commanded, "Jarvis, have the ten Mark suits focus their attack on the guy with the rings on his arms."
"Yes, sir."
The ten Mark suits surrounded Xu Wenwu, while Tony and another Mark 42 quickly targeted the heavy weaponry of the Ten Rings base.
For Tony, the target that just demonstrated extraordinary power was important, but eliminating the heavy firepower was even more crucial.
He didn't want to be ambushed by these weapons while dealing with Xu Wenwu; after all, they could still send him flying despite the armor.
Tony and the other Mark 42 moved swiftly across the base, unleashing their missiles.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Anti-aircraft guns and missile launchers on the ground were obliterated. A repulsor blast flipped over an armored vehicle.
Meanwhile, Jarvis controlled the ten Mark 42 suits, surrounding Xu Wenwu in mid-air. One of the suits raised its hands and fired an energy beam at Xu Wenwu.
Xu Wenwu, unafraid, used the ten rings to generate a protective shield. The continuous energy beam from the suit's arm couldn't penetrate the shield.
The next moment, the other nine Mark 42 suits also raised their arms, unleashing energy attacks on Xu Wenwu's shield.
Ten beams of energy struck Xu Wenwu, all deflected by his rings. Smiling, Xu Wenwu remarked, "Such attacks can't break my defense."
"Tony Stark's suits are nothing special..."
Just then, Jarvis increased the power output, switching to the suits' chest reactors. Ten larger beams of energy shot out, converging on Xu Wenwu's shield.
"Boom!"
The intense beams exerted tremendous pressure on Xu Wenwu, causing the ground beneath him to crumble.
Perched on a tree branch, Charles commented, "Jarvis' coordinated attack is impressive. Not as stiff as I expected, almost like a combo move."
"Still, the defensive power of those rings is insane. They can withstand that much force."
Xu Wenwu's expression darkened. Surveying the ongoing explosions and chaos, he realized he couldn't delay any longer.
He quickly targeted the ten attacking Iron Man suits, blue light flashing from his arms as the rings each aligned with a beam of energy. The next second, the protective shield vanished, but the ten rings, absorbing the beams, flew toward the suits.
"Ha!"
With a shout, Xu Wenwu extended his arms skyward. The rings repelled the beams back to the suits, shattering their chest reactors.
"Boom! Boom!"
The Mark suits disintegrated mid-air, their parts raining down.
---3---
·Chapter 714: Defeat
After destroying the last tank and eliminating the heavy weaponry, Tony heard Jarvis's voice.
"Sir, the ten Mark 42 suits have been destroyed."
"What?" Tony exclaimed, glancing at the virtual screen. He saw that only two blue dots, representing his side, remained.
"Damn, that was fast."
Fortunately, Tony had already neutralized all of their heavy weapons. He and the remaining Mark 42 suit ascended into the sky. Eyeing Xu Wenwu below, Tony raised his arm, launching a missile.
"Whoosh!"
The missile, trailing white smoke, zoomed toward Xu Wenwu.
"Out of tricks already?" Xu Wenwu sneered, raising his protective shield.
"Boom!"
The missile struck the shield, creating a massive explosion. Flames engulfed Xu Wenwu's shield, but when the fire dissipated, Xu Wenwu stood unscathed.
Xu Wenwu's ten rings morphed into a whip-like form, ensnaring the airborne Mark 42. With a powerful yank, he pulled the suit down, creating a crater upon impact.
Meanwhile, the last remaining Mark 42 appeared behind Xu Wenwu. Its chest-mounted energy cannon fired at his back.
However, before the energy blast could hit, one of Xu Wenwu's rings intercepted it, blocking the attack and hurtling toward Tony.
"I've been expecting you," Xu Wenwu mocked.
"You think I can't count? I knew there were thirteen suits."
The ring pierced the Mark suit, only to reveal it was empty.
Xu Wenwu frowned, glancing at the suit he had just dragged down.
"Could he be in there?"
He directed his rings to smash the grounded suit, but it was also empty.
Tony had quietly slipped out of the Mark suit after receiving Jarvis's report, hiding in the shadows.
Seeing all thirteen of his Mark 42 suits destroyed, Tony realized he might have been too impulsive with this mission.
He formed his hands into a gun-like gesture, aiming at Xu Wenwu.
Suddenly, the disassembled parts of the Mark 42 suits flew toward Xu Wenwu, attaching themselves to him and lifting him into the air.
Despite being suddenly clad in the Mark suit, Xu Wenwu remained unfazed. As long as he had the ten rings, no scheme could threaten him.
He spread his arms, and the rings returned to his forearms, fitting over the Mark suit.
Seeing this, Tony smirked and commanded, "Jarvis, initiate the self-destruct sequence."
"Boom!"
The Mark 42 suit exploded mid-air, creating a brilliant firework display.
Just as Tony thought he had defeated his enemy, the smoke cleared, revealing Xu Wenwu still standing.
Xu Wenwu fell from the sky, his clothes in tatters, exposing his upper body. He stood up, dusted himself off, and pointed at Tony Stark, "Kid, in all these years, you're the first to make me look this pathetic."
Seeing Xu Wenwu only lose his clothes, Tony swallowed hard and made a summoning gesture.
The disassembled parts of the thirteen Mark 42 suits flew towards him. Although the chest arc reactors were destroyed, the parts could still assemble a few functional suits since Tony's own arc reactor was intact.
Xu Wenwu watched the Mark suit parts fly around and sent out five of his rings to attack the components.
"Boom. Boom. Boom!"
One by one, the Mark suit parts were destroyed by Xu Wenwu's rings. Tony's face grew grim as he thought, "I should've asked Charles Doyle if he had any vibranium."
The suits, made of ultra-thin titanium-gold alloy, couldn't withstand Xu Wenwu's attacks.
"Jarvis, are the three Mark suits under assembly ready yet?"
"Sir, weapon installation is still in progress. Estimated completion in thirty minutes."
Tony's face showed a hint of resignation.
"Once they're ready, send them immediately for support."
He had to find a way to stall Xu Wenwu himself.
Soon, Xu Wenwu had destroyed all the remaining functional Mark suit parts. He turned to Tony and said, "Without your suits, what are you?"
Tony smirked. "Why does everyone say that to me?"
"I'm more than just Iron Man!"
Tony directly kicked at Xu Wenwu.
Xu Wenwu casually dodged and countered with a powerful elbow strike to Tony's chest, sending him flying.
Tony rolled on the ground, crashing into a wall before coming to a stop.
Xu Wenwu approached the fallen Tony and asked, "How did you find this place?"
For Xu Wenwu, this was his base, the headquarters of the Ten Rings. Few knew of its location, let alone how to find it.
The recently returned Trevor had been thoroughly checked by his men; there was no tracking device on him.
Tony struggled to stand, leaning against the broken wall.
"Cough!"
Blood trickled from his mouth, indicating the severity of his injury from the recent strike.
Wiping the blood from his mouth, Tony said, "When you kidnapped Trevor, you gave yourself away."
Tony didn't know how Charles Doyle found this place, but he was aware of the ninja and Eddie's interview with Trevor and Trevor's subsequent kidnapping.
Tony wouldn't betray his friends, but he decided to blame Trevor for this.
Xu Wenwu pondered for a moment, then nodded. "So it really was because of him."
"In that case, you're no longer useful. Time to die!"
Xu Wenwu, unimpressed by Tony's suits and unwilling to control such a scientist, decided the best course was to eliminate him.
Blue light shone from Xu Wenwu's arm as he prepared to strike Tony Stark with a fatal punch.
----4----
·Chapter 715: Akatsuki Organization
Just as Xu Wenwu was about to strike Tony Stark, Tony quickly pulled a wristwatch from his arm, transforming it into a mechanical hand that unleashed a sonic attack on Xu Wenwu.
"Hah!"
The sonic waves assaulted Xu Wenwu, but his Ten Rings absorbed the impact, and he countered by punching Tony, sending him flying.
"Bang!"
Tony rolled across the ground, his breathing became difficult, but fortunately his enhanced physique saved him from immediate death.
Just as Xu Wenwu prepared to attack again, Kisame Hoshigaki appeared and slashed at Xu Wenwu's Ten Rings armguard with his sword, Samehada.
"Bang!"
Samehada's powerful strike clashed against the Ten Rings, producing a dull thud.
Kisame pressed down on Samehada with one hand, looking at Xu Wenwu and saying, "A creature that's lived for a thousand years... seems worth slicing."
The two locked eyes for a moment before Kisame pushed off, creating distance between them.
In a flash, Kisame appeared right in front of Xu Wenwu, while the other members of the Akatsuki appeared behind him.
Standing on the rooftop were several figures, all members of the Akatsuki.
At the center stood Charles Doyle, wearing a mask. To his left stood Itachi Uchiha and Deidara, while on his right were Konan and Hidan. Below the roof stood Kisame and Zetsu.
Seeing these uniformly dressed individuals, Xu Wenwu frowned slightly and asked, "Who are you people?"
Though Xu Wenwu knew something about the ninjas, he was unfamiliar with the Akatsuki.
Tony Stark, still lying on the ground, also noticed the arrival of the Akatsuki.
Tony was well aware of these Akatsuki members. But seeing seven of them appear, he thought to himself, "Their numbers are increasing."
Charles Doyle's voice, altered to a raspy tone with no resemblance to his usual voice, spoke up. "Xu Wenwu, will you hand over the Ten Rings willingly, or will we, the Akatsuki, have to take them by force?"
Xu Wenwu flexed his wrists, clearly unimpressed.
"Another group coveting my Ten Rings? In these thousand years, has anyone ever succeeded in taking them?"
"Since that's the case, none of you will leave here alive!" Charles Doyle ordered, "Kill him and take the Ten Rings!"
With that, Charles Doyle sat down on the roof's edge, showing no intention of joining the fight.
The Akatsuki members, however, moved in a flash, attacking Xu Wenwu from all sides.
Tony Stark quickly moved to a safer spot, observing the situation and thinking, "So the Akatsuki are after those Ten Rings too. This guy's name is Xu Wenwu, and they said he's been around for a thousand years..."
Tony's head was spinning. "A thousand-year-old organization and a thousand-year-old superhuman... those aren't the same thing at all."
As Charles commanded, Hidan let out a wild cry, "Wahaha!" He leaped down from the rooftop, aiming a powerful overhead strike at Xu Wenwu.
"Boom!"
Hidan's triple-bladed scythe slammed into the ground, creating a deep crater as Xu Wenwu swiftly retreated, avoiding the attack. Meanwhile, Deidara's two clay birds flew towards Xu Wenwu from both sides.
"Hah!"
"Boom!"
The birds exploded in a massive fireball, and Deidara smirked, saying, "Art is an explosion!"
Xu Wenwu once again activated the Ten Rings, forming a protective barrier that shielded him from the attack.
He swung his arms and declared, "Such attacks can't break through my defenses."
An icy voice then echoed from above: "Dance of the Shikigami: Angel's Judgment!"
Everyone looked up to see Konan hovering in the sky, her large paper wings spread wide. With a wave of her hand, she directed a flurry of paper toward Xu Wenwu, which immediately surrounded him and began to cut through his defenses.
At the same time, Konan generated numerous paper spears in the air, unleashing a devastating barrage on Xu Wenwu.
"Boom! Boom!"
The paper spears relentlessly pounded Xu Wenwu, driving him into the ground. The surrounding area was left cratered and scarred from the fierce attack.
Some of Xu Wenwu's Ten Rings soldiers nearby were pulverized into pulp under the onslaught.
Tony Stark, hiding behind some rubble, watched the ninja assault unfold.
"Jarvis, search for information on these individuals."
"Sir, no information is available on those three."
Tony clicked his tongue, realizing that these three must be Akatsuki members from the Ninja World.
Glancing up at the Akatsuki member seated on the rooftop, he thought, "Could this guy be the leader of the Akatsuki?"
In the sky, Konan sensed that her attack had not penetrated Xu Wenwu's defenses.
"Amaterasu!"
Uchiha Itachi activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and, after a brief glance at Konan in the sky, launched his attack with hers. Black flames erupted on Xu Wenwu's barrier.
Sweat appeared on Xu Wenwu's forehead. The strength of these attacks was the most intense he had encountered in his thousand years. Moreover, none of these opponents were ordinary—none were easy to deal with.
Taking advantage of a brief pause in Konan's paper spear attack, Xu Wenwu slammed both fists into the ground and took to the air. He then clapped his hands together, sending a shockwave outward from his body, using the Ten Rings as the source.
The Amaterasu flames on the Ten Rings were flung outward, igniting the entire Ten Rings headquarters.
Tony Stark, seeing the black flames land near him, jumped in fright and quickly ran to a safer location.
The Akatsuki members deftly avoided the flying Amaterasu flames. Itachi even extinguished the flames that came his way.
Xu Wenwu's barrier had now dissipated.
Facing the Akatsuki members, Xu Wenwu gripped the Ten Rings tightly, his expression serious, not daring to be careless.
"Water Style: Waterfall Jutsu!"
Kisame Hoshigaki quickly formed hand seals and slammed his hands onto the ground, summoning a massive wave of water that surged towards Xu Wenwu.
As the wave approached, Xu Wenwu sent five of the Ten Rings on his arm flying towards the water, splitting the wave in two and sending it crashing into the surrounding buildings.
At that moment, Hidan's attack followed closely behind. His triple-bladed scythe spun rapidly as he flung it towards Xu Wenwu, aiming to cut him down.
-----5------
·Chapter 716: Chibaku Tensei
As the scythe flew through the air toward Xu Wenwu, one of the Ten Rings on his left arm shot out to intercept it.
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing echoed through the air as the ring deflected Hidan's triple-bladed scythe, sending it spinning back, but not damaging it. Xu Wenwu frowned slightly, recognizing the unusual nature of the weapon.
Meanwhile, Charles Doyle, who was observing the battle from the rooftop, shook his head slightly.
Despite overwhelming Xu Wenwu, the Akatsuki members hadn't inflicted any serious damage on him. Their coordination was still a bit rough.
At that moment, a giant plant-like structure resembling a Venus flytrap erupted from the ground, entrapping Xu Wenwu inside. Suddenly, without any warning, Pain appeared on the battlefield.
The sudden arrival of Pain caught everyone off guard. Konan, Hidan, and Deidara all looked towards Charles Doyle on the rooftop for guidance. Zetsu, however, grinned in satisfaction.
Pain raised his hand, and a small black sphere of highly concentrated chakra appeared.
"Chibaku Tensei!" he declared.
In an instant, Xu Wenwu was pulled into the air by the gravitational force of the black sphere.
The earth below began to break apart as rocks, debris, and the ruins of the battlefield were all drawn upwards, forming a massive sphere that floated in the sky.
The debris continued to accumulate, increasing the size of the sphere and intensifying the pressure on Xu Wenwu trapped inside.
Xu Wenwu, caught off guard by the sudden attack, found himself unable to move as the gravity pulled him deeper into the growing mass.
He struggled to free himself, but the crushing force of the rocks left him powerless. The sealing properties of Chibaku Tensei prevented him from using the Ten Rings to break free.
As the rocks compressed tighter around him, Xu Wenwu realized too late that he should have focused his attacks on the black sphere at the center.
Now, encased in the massive floating boulder, he was completely immobilized, his body being relentlessly crushed by the ever-increasing pressure.
Nearby, Zetsu was breathing heavily, visibly exhausted from summoning Pain and supplying the chakra needed for the Chibaku Tensei.
The technique had drained nearly all of his chakra, and he was only able to complete the move thanks to his fusion with White Zetsu, which provided additional strength.
The small size of the Chibaku Tensei was a result of Zetsu cutting off the chakra supply as soon as Xu Wenwu was sealed. When the chakra flow ceased, Pain disappeared just as suddenly as he had appeared.
The Akatsuki members glanced at each other, then at Zetsu and Konan, their expressions a mix of understanding and curiosity.
They knew something was off but chose to remain silent for the moment. Instead, they all turned their gaze upward to the floating mass in the sky.
Though they had managed to seal Xu Wenwu, they still hadn't secured the Ten Rings, the true prize of this battle.
Meanwhile, Tony Stark had been watching the entire scene unfold. His worldview was once again shattered as he muttered to himself, "An artificial celestial body..."
"Jarvis, is the machine ready yet?"
"Sir, a suit has already been dispatched," replied Jarvis.
Tony nodded in acknowledgment, hiding in the shadows as he continued to observe the group. His plan was to make a swift exit once he got his hands on the Mark suit.
The Ten Rings headquarters had been nearly obliterated, and even its master, Xu Wenwu, was now sealed within the celestial body.
However, Tony couldn't help but silently critique the size of the celestial body—it seemed too small for what it was meant to do.
Just as Tony was making this observation, Xu Wenwu, trapped inside, realized that the crushing pressure of the rocks had ceased.
Blue energy coursed through the meridians in his arms, and in the next moment, the Ten Rings shot out from his hands, striking the surrounding rocks from within.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The members of the Akatsuki, who had been contemplating how to retrieve the Ten Rings, looked up at the noise.
Zetsu exclaimed, "This isn't good! I didn't use enough power—he's breaking out of the Chibaku Tensei!"
At that moment, Zetsu regretted cutting off the chakra supply prematurely. Had he continued, Xu Wenwu would not have had the chance to escape the seal.
As the Ten Rings continued to strike from inside, a tunnel was eventually blasted through the surrounding rock. With the breach and the absence of chakra to maintain it, the Chibaku Tensei began to disintegrate, and the large mass of rocks fell from the sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The falling debris crashed down, sending shockwaves through the area, shrouding the battlefield in dust and smoke.
As the smoke cleared, Xu Wenwu's figure emerged. He was bloodied, covered in dirt, and looked furious.
"Die!"
Xu Wenwu transformed the Ten Rings into a chain, swinging it toward the Akatsuki members. Each time the rings struck the ground, they left behind a massive crater.
Despite the speed and ferocity with which Xu Wenwu wielded the Ten Rings, he failed to hit any of the Akatsuki members.
Just as the others were about to counterattack, Hidan shouted, "Leave him to me!"
Wielding his triple-bladed scythe, Hidan charged forward, slashing at the Ten Rings that Xu Wenwu hurled at him, deflecting them with ease.
The other Akatsuki members, hearing Hidan's words, held back and observed the battle.
The two exchanged blows for several rounds, but neither managed to inflict any real damage on the other.
Although Hidan was powerful and his vibranium weapon and armor provided exceptional defense, Xu Wenwu's Ten Rings were equally formidable, serving both offensive and defensive purposes.
Hidan then unleashed his special technique, Bloodthirsty Triple Scythe, throwing the scythe in a spinning motion toward Xu Wenwu.
However, Xu Wenwu used three of the Ten Rings to pin Hidan's weapon to the ground and stomped on the chain, immobilizing it.
The remaining seven rings continued to float around Xu Wenwu, with two hovering protectively around him, ready to respond to any threats.
Uchiha Itachi, understanding Hidan's strategy, knew that Hidan was trying to get a drop of Xu Wenwu's blood on his weapon.
At that moment, Itachi spoke up, "Hidan!"
Hidan responded, "Huh?"
Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan spun rapidly as he looked at Xu Wenwu.
"Tsukuyomi!"
With the activation of Tsukuyomi, Xu Wenwu was pulled into Itachi's illusionary world.
In this world, a crimson moon hung high in the sky, and Xu Wenwu found himself bound to a cross, unable to move his arms. The Ten Rings, usually by his side, were nowhere to be seen.
"Where is this place?" Xu Wenwu demanded.
Itachi appeared before him, his voice cold and detached. "This is my world. Here, everything is under my control."
Itachi then made a hand sign and said, "Moonfall!"
The crimson moon in the sky began to descend, pressing down on Xu Wenwu within the illusionary space.
"Ahhh!" Xu Wenwu screamed in agony as the falling moon slowly crushed his mental and spiritual will to pieces.
------6------
·Chapter 717: Death
In the Tsukuyomi realm, Xu Wenwu found himself immobilized, helpless as the crimson moon in the sky slowly descended upon him, crushing his mental and spiritual will bit by bit.
The agony of having his consciousness shattered and reformed repeatedly was unbearable, each second feeling like an eternity.
Outside, the Akatsuki members observed the scene. To them, it seemed as if Xu Wenwu had suddenly faltered and dropped to one knee, just as Hidan's triple-bladed scythe grazed his face, leaving a bloody cut.
Despite Xu Wenwu's efforts to dodge, he couldn't completely evade the attack, and for the first time in many years, he found himself physically and mentally wounded.
Enraged, Xu Wenwu growled, "You have truly angered me."
The Ten Rings on his body began to emit a bright blue light, illuminating the entire mountain range. It looked as though he was about to unleash his most powerful attack.
However, before Xu Wenwu could act, he suddenly staggered, coughing up blood. The Ten Rings, which had been floating around him with menacing energy, fell to the ground. The overwhelming power he had been preparing to unleash dissipated.
"You... How is this possible?" Xu Wenwu gasped in disbelief.
It turned out that Hidan, after obtaining Xu Wenwu's blood with his scythe, had immediately activated his Curse Technique.
He had drawn a ritual circle on the ground with a triangle inside it, then impaled himself through the heart with a spear. Hidan's twisted laughter echoed as he performed the ritual, transferring the fatal damage to Xu Wenwu.
"Ha ha ha ha!" Hidan cackled maniacally.
"Xu Wenwu, your soul is now a gift to Lord Jashin. A thousand-year-old life, and it's the first time I've sacrificed someone this powerful to the Evil god!"
With those words, Hidan pulled the spear out of his own heart, a move that further exacerbated Xu Wenwu's injuries. Xu Wenwu coughed up another mouthful of blood before collapsing to the ground, powerless.
Though the Ten Rings had granted Xu Wenwu longevity and immense power, they did not make him immortal.
With his heart pierced, survival was impossible. As he lay on the ground, his gaze fell upon the Ten Rings, and he reached out weakly, trying to summon them back to him. But he no longer had the strength.
In his final moments, he saw a vision of his wife, Ying Li, beckoning to him. With that, Xu Wenwu took his last breath, his outstretched hand going limp.
Meanwhile, Hidan lay within his ritual circle, feeling an overwhelming surge of power coursing through him—stronger than any he had ever received from a sacrifice.
"Thank you, Lord Jashin, for your blessing!" Hidan exclaimed, knowing he had to remain in the circle for thirty minutes to complete the ritual, as required by the Jashin religion.
The other members of Akatsuki, familiar with the effects of Hidan's rituals, watched with calm indifference.
However, they couldn't help but notice that this time, the increase in Hidan's strength was particularly pronounced. They knew that the stronger the person sacrificed, the greater the benefit Hidan received.
Uchiha Itachi appeared before the Ten Rings, but instead of grabbing the equipment directly, he retrieved a sealing scroll and carefully sealed the rings inside.
As for Xu Wenwu's corpse, Itachi did not overlook it; for a ninja, even a body could hold numerous secrets worth investigating.
Charles Doyle, watching from the rooftop, was pleased with the Akatsuki members' performance. The group's coordinated assault had left Xu Wenwu with no chance to retaliate.
Xu Wenwu's defense had been exceptionally formidable—he had endured multiple powerful attacks, including Itachi's Tsukuyomi, without fully breaking. If not for Hidan's unexpected curse, who knew what more he could have unleashed.
As Charles pondered, Itachi suddenly appeared in front of him, handing over the scrolls with a respectful demeanor. "My lord, here are the Ten Rings you requested."
Charles nodded approvingly and took the scrolls from Itachi.
"Well done. I'm very pleased with your performance."
He then turned to the others and said, "We've got what we came for. Let's retreat."
Upon hearing Charles's command, even Hidan, who had been lying on the ground, got up. With a puff of smoke, the Akatsuki members disappeared from the scene.
Once the area was quiet, Tony Stark finally emerged from his hiding spot.
When they left, he noticed that Itachi had glanced in his direction before disappearing, likely aware of his presence.
Tony had encountered Itachi before, back when he was still loyal to Konoha and accompanied Charles. He had been a quiet, reserved boy back then, but now his power was terrifying.
Tony wasn't sure if Itachi had spared him out of indifference or because they had met before, but the whole incident left Tony deeply shaken.
The events in New York—the alien invasion, Asgardian gods, ninjas, rogue ninjas, and the ever-looming threat of the Hell Dimension—were all overwhelming his mind.
He looked around at the now-destroyed Ten Rings headquarters, feeling a sense of confusion. Just then, Jarvis's voice broke the silence. "Sir, the Mark 42 suit is approaching."
Tony looked up to see the Mark suit flying toward him and stretched out his arms as if to embrace it. The suit descended, fitting perfectly onto his body. Once fully equipped, Tony surveyed the area one last time before taking off into the sky.
As he flew, Tony instructed, "Jarvis, hold off on deploying the other two suits for now."
"Understood, sir."
"Connect me to Charles Doyle's virtual line."
-------7-------
·Chapter 718: Video Call
Charles Doyle was listening to Ginny's financial report when he received a call from Tony.
The Red Queen's voice chimed in, "Master, there's a video call from Tony Stark."
"Put it through!" Charles responded.
As soon as he spoke, a virtual projection of Tony Stark appeared in front of him.
"Hey, Tony," Charles greeted. "So, did you get your revenge?"
Tony, seeing Charles and Ginny beside him, couldn't tell if Charles was genuinely unaware or just teasing him.
"Buddy, do you know I almost got killed today?"
Charles looked puzzled.
"What happened?"
Tony, focusing on Charles's expression, replied, "I didn't defeat the Ten Rings. I nearly got taken out by them."
Charles waved it off, "That's impossible. If you didn't take them down, you wouldn't be in the mood to chat with me here."
"Come on, Tony, what did you find there? If it's something interesting, we might be able to strike a deal."
Tony, serious, said, "I'm not lying. I really almost died. If someone hadn't stepped in, you might not be talking to me now."
Charles was surprised, "The Ten Rings were that powerful? Who showed up? Thor? The Hulk? Or someone else I know? Don't tell me it was the wizards from the magical world."
Tony shook his head. "It wasn't them. It was the rogue ninja organization, Akatsuki. Their numbers have grown. I saw seven of them, and Uchiha Itachi was among them. But they didn't attack me; they acted like they didn't even notice me."
Hearing this, Charles stroked his chin in thought. "Why would they go after the Ten Rings? Tony, what did they do when they got there?"
Tony recalled what he had witnessed and said, "They killed the leader of the Ten Rings, then took his body and his weapon."
"His body and weapon..." Charles mused, "Those must be extraordinary, likely something supernatural."
Tony nodded, "Yes, his weapon was incredibly powerful, beyond expectations. My armor felt like paper against it."
"Buddy, do you have any idea what Akatsuki's goal is? Their strength is overwhelming, and I'm a bit concerned…"
Charles shook his head. "They're a mercenary group, taking on various missions. As for their ultimate goal, no one knows for sure."
Tony, hearing that even Charles didn't know, was slightly disappointed. He then said, "I'd appreciate it if you could look into it and find out what their objectives are. I'll cover any expenses. Also, find out how to contact them if one wanted to hire them."
Charles nodded, then said, "Sure, but investigating an organization full of S-rank rogue ninjas? That might cost more than you can afford."
Tony shook his head. "Buddy, I think you misunderstand. I just want to know their purpose."
Charles thought back to how in the Naruto world, Jiraiya paid the price of his life in order to investigate the Akatsuki organization.
"Tony, you might be underestimating this situation," Charles said, his tone turning serious.
"Investigating them poses a life-threatening risk, even for those of Kage-level or beyond."
"Finding a way to trade with them is far easier than uncovering their true objectives. Who can guarantee knowing their purpose without becoming one of them? And even then, it might take a long time to understand their plans."
Tony thought for a moment and then nodded. "You're right. I oversimplified things. If you ever find out what their goals are, let me know. I'm willing to pay for that information."
Charles nodded. "No problem."
"Tony, is there anything else you need?"
Tony looked at Charles and asked, "Buddy, do you have any vibranium? I think I need to upgrade my armor. I noticed that Jiraiya's kunai seems to be made from it."
Charles considered for a moment. He actually had quite a bit of vibranium left, even after using a lot of it to equip the ninjas during the Battle of New York.
However, given the timeline, Tony might soon start working on Ultron. Providing vibranium now might only cause more problems later.
"Tony, I don't have any extra vibranium right now. It's all been used to forge ninja tools," Charles replied. "If I get more, I'll trade some with you."
Tony wasn't surprised to hear this. In his mind, vibranium was supposed to be nearly exhausted, so he didn't dwell on it.
"Alright, if you get any, save me a portion. I'll trade you some new elements for it."
"OK!"
With that, Tony Stark ended the video call. However, his mind was still racing. He wondered if there was a connection between Akatsuki's appearance and Charles Doyle.
Could all of this really be just a coincidence? A group entirely made up of S-rank rogue ninjas didn't attack him, which seemed odd.
Was he really that insignificant?
…
On the other side-
After hanging up the call, Charles turned to Ginny and said, "Ginny, transfer $2 billion to my account. I have other uses for it."
"Yes, Boss!"
Ginny didn't linger in the room. After finishing her report, she quickly left, knowing that the man in front of her wasn't Charles Doyle's real body but rather a Wood Release clone.
In the Summoning Realm, Charles Doyle addressed the Akatsuki members in front of him.
"I have a new mission for you all. As time goes on, this world will face even more formidable foes. To bring in more allies, I need additional resources to help me draw more ninjas from the river of time."
With a wave of his hand, a stone coffin appeared before the group.
"This is a vampire created by Orochimaru using Selene's bloodline. It has the same abilities as the previous vampires—biting someone will turn them into a vampire within a few days, producing a blood core."
"Since Hidan is already hunting people for sacrifices, I'm giving you all a new task: before killing them, turn them into vampires, extract their blood cores, and then proceed with the sacrifices. This way, they can contribute a bit more to our cause."
Hidan grinned, "No problem, Lord Charles. You can count on me for this task."
--------8--------
·Chapter719: Celestials
The members of the Akatsuki listened intently as Charles Doyle continued his explanation.
"Even before the formation of this universe, there existed beings known as the Celestials, entities of unimaginable power that transcend the universe itself. After the Big Bang, these Celestials created the first planets, stars, and other forms of life."
As Charles spoke, he waved his hand, and an image of the Big Bang appeared before the group. Within the cosmic explosion, six glowing nodes flickered, followed by the appearance of an enormous Celestial figure, seemingly crafting a star with its hands.
The Akatsuki members were captivated by the image, astonished by the sheer scale and power depicted in the vision.
"In their desire to accelerate the expansion of the universe, the Celestials secretly planted their seeds across different planets."
"These seeds would lie dormant until the life forms on those planets reached a certain level of development. When that time comes, the Celestial within the seed awakens, bringing about the destruction of the entire planet."
Charles used magic to simulate the emergence of a Celestial, showing the Akatsuki members the cataclysmic event that would follow.
They watched in awe as a planet was torn apart by the birth of a Celestial, the massive figure towering over the remains.
Uchiha Itachi looked at Charles and asked, "Lord Charles, are you saying that Earth also harbors a Celestial waiting to be born?"
Charles nodded solemnly. "Yes, Earth is one such planet. The Celestial seed lies dormant within, feeding off the thoughts and emotions of the planet's inhabitants."
"The more life on the planet, the faster the Celestial grows. Conversely, the fewer the life forms, the longer it takes for the Celestial to mature, possibly even preventing its birth altogether."
Charles continued, "The mission I'm giving you is not just about dealing with enemies or obtaining resources. It's about delaying the birth of this Celestial by any means necessary."
"Every life you take, every sacrifice you make, contributes to this goal. We cannot allow Earth to become another victim of the Celestials."
"If sacrificing a group could extend the time of their emergence and give me more time to prepare, then I would choose it without hesitation."
"This is also why I don't mind Hidan conducting large-scale sacrifices."
"Since a sacrifice is necessary, why not make better use of them?"
Seeing the images and hearing the explanation presented by Charles Doyle, the members of the Akatsuki were all stunned by the terrifying things hidden within the Earth.
Just thinking about the celestial beings with planet-sized bodies made their scalps tingle, not to mention the powers they possessed.
At this moment, Zetsu spoke up: "My lord, how long will it take for the celestials of this planet to fully emerge?"
Charles responded calmly: "If nothing unexpected happens, it might only take a decade or so before they emerge."
Itachi thought for a moment before asking, "My lord, if we slaughter all the people of some countries, how much time can we buy?"
"And is there a way to stop their arrival?"
Charles looked at Uchiha Itachi and said calmly, "It can be delayed, but this method only treats the symptoms, not the cause."
"However, it's not a big deal. What I need is time and useful energy substances."
"The more time we can buy, the greater the advantage will be on our side. By then, I will have the power to resolve this crisis."
"Even in the worst-case scenario, we just need to find another place to live."
Besides the method from the original timeline, where the Eternals sealed away the Celestials, the remaining option was for Charles Doyle to handle it himself. Even if something went wrong, he had ways to retreat unscathed.
And knowing that there was a Celestial being conceiving beneath his feet made dealing with it much simpler.
At this moment, everyone's expressions became more serious. Although Charles had a solution, they knew they had to do their part as well.
Zetsu then asked, "My lord, should we infect most of the people and turn them into vampires? If more people die, will that extend the time?"
Unlike the others, Zetsu didn't care how many people died on this planet, as long as they could gather more blood cores to help Lord Charles.
Even if it meant slaughtering the entire planet, Zetsu would not hesitate. As for what would happen to Earth afterward, they could always live on another planet—this was hardly a problem for them.
Zetsu's ruthlessness was evident, but Charles refused, saying, "For now, limit the scope to certain countries. Without my approval, do not expand it further."
"Infect one area and cleanse it immediately. Do not let the vampires spread."
"This mission will be code-named 'Operation Blood Core'!"
Although vampires in this world were nothing to be feared, he did not want to cause unnecessary chaos, especially since the Ancient One was still on this planet, along with other formidable beings.
"Yes, Lord Charles!" x6
Charles nodded and then used the Merlin Array to return to the base in New York.
After Charles Doyle left, Hidan lifted his scythe and said, "Everyone, it seems this mission is going to be a long-term one."
"Get ready and follow me."
"I'm just curious how fast this vampire in the coffin can infect others..."
Uchiha Itachi glanced at the coffin, opened his Sharingan, and said slowly, "Leave it to me. It will actively infect more vampires for us."
---------9---------
·Chapter 720: Equipment Upgrade
After returning to the base, Charles encountered his wood clone handling business. As the wood clone was dispelled, he absorbed its memories.
Learning that Tony had called, he merely smiled.
Today's spoils had not yet been dealt with; he intended to hand over Xu Wenwu's corpse to Orochimaru for research, hoping he might discover something.
As for the Ten Rings, Charles took out the sealing scroll and, upon releasing the seal, the Ten Rings appeared before him.
Charles picked up one of the rings, and immediately, a system notification sounded in his ear.
Ding! Rechargeable item detected. Would you like to proceed with the recharge?
No!
Without any hesitation, Charles refused the recharge.
The Ten Rings possessed great power, granting their bearer immense strength and longevity. Although the exact lifespan they provided was unknown, it was clearly over a thousand years.
Moreover, the power of the Ten Rings was formidable, capable of molding someone into a powerful individual.
Holding the ring in his hand, with its blue light glowing, Charles frowned slightly.
In his memory, the Ten Rings had two forms: one with blue light in Xu Wenwu's hand and another with yellow light in Shang-Chi's hand.
But now, in his hand, the ring hadn't turned yellow—is there some reason behind this?
Charles realized he needed to study the Ten Rings further. Their material was neither Vibranium nor any known Earth metal, and they weren't forged using any known magical techniques.
He wondered if Kamar-Taj had any information on the Ten Rings, though it seemed that Wong, the librarian, wasn't familiar with them. Perhaps the Ancient One might know something.
Charles wasn't particularly concerned about the power or longevity offered by the Ten Rings. When he inherited Merlin's magic, he had already gained a long lifespan, making it difficult for him to die of natural causes.
However, simply recharging the Ten Rings felt wasteful.
Equipping his subordinates with the Ten Rings would be an excellent use of them.
After some thought, Charles decided to store the rings for now and try to uncover their true story later.
With a wave of his hand, he stored the Ten Rings in his inventory space and then entering the system space.
At this point, his strength was already very close to which was required by Odin, but he still needed a bit more. Charles had his own speculations about Odin's next task.
What he needed to do now was stack his defenses. Against the enemies he would soon face, the thicker his defenses, the safer he would be.
You think breaking through his first layer of defense would harm his body?
No, he had a second layer of armor waiting. And when you think you had finally pierced through the second, he would still have his immortality to greet you.
Harming Charles Doyle? Impossible.
Currently, he had the Dragon Ring, Merlin's Robe, and Merlin's Staff as his first line of defense. The second layer was his system's equipment.
Opening the equipment menu, he saw all six pieces of his gear were of the Jonin level. Charles knew it was time to upgrade them, as Jonin-level gear no longer suited his.
He glanced at his balance of 1.1 billion coins and immediately transferred the $2 billion that Ginny had sent into the system.
Charles then began upgrading his equipment. As the coins were consumed, the first piece of equipment was finally upgraded from Jonin level to Kage level. Looking at the coins, he noted that the upgrade had cost him 100 million coins.
Shaking his head at the sheer price, Charles realized that if he weren't so wealthy, it would be hard for anyone else to afford such upgrades.
He continued upgrading the rest of his equipment. After spending a total of 600 million coins, he now had a full set of Kage-level gear.
Equipment: Kage-level Kunai, Kage-level Headband, Kage-level Vest, Kage-level Manual, Kage-level Necklace, Kage-level Ring.
Satisfied with his new gear, Charles nodded. The Kage level was sufficient for his needs at the moment, though he planned to test the gear's effectiveness in the system's training ground.
With this in mind, he didn't delay and entered the training ground to begin testing.
…
Meanwhile, at the Ten Rings headquarters-
After nightfall-
The headquarters of the Ten Rings, now in ruins, was completely silent. However, one wall still stood firm, seemingly untouched by the destruction.
At that moment, a door in the underground portion of the mountain opened, and a group of Ten Rings soldiers emerged. Leading them was a Western man with a severed arm.
This man, Razor Fist, was one of Xu Wenwu's top subordinates. Before the battle, he had been in the underground training facility.
He had watched the initial events unfold via surveillance—Iron Man, ninjas...
However, the final battle had been so intense that all the surveillance equipment had been destroyed.
Razor Fist led the Ten Rings soldiers to clean up the battlefield, but they found no trace of Xu Wenwu's body or the Ten Rings.
Gazing at the devastated Ten Rings soldiers before him, Razor Fist spoke, "We must find the young master and the princess."
"As long as we find them, they who carry the master's bloodline will surely be able to avenge him."
"We must repay blood with blood!"
At Razor Fist's command, the other members of the Ten Rings army all raised their arms and chanted, "Blood for blood! Blood for blood!"
Razor Fist, Xu Wenwu's trusted aide, knew that the master's children carried the blood of both Xu Wenwu and Ying Li, and they would undoubtedly possess even greater power.
He recalled the master once saying that Shang-Chi had the blood of the Ten Rings and an unawakened Dragon Heart.
Razor Fist took another look the scene and nodded.
The Ten Rings army was vast, with different factions spread across the world. If they didn't find the leader's son to inherit the position, internal chaos would be inevitable.
"Clean up the site, then follow me to find the young master."
"Yes, sir!"
At Razor Fist's command, the Ten Rings army began clearing the battlefield and searching for Shang-Chi and Xialing.
----------10----------
·Chapter 721: Blood for blood!
After returning from the Ten Rings headquarters, Tony welcomed Dr. Bruce Banner three days later. Tony began to explain the pressures he had been facing recently, but as soon as he started, Bruce had already fallen asleep.
Although Bruce Banner didn't hear much, Tony felt much better after venting. The two then began a new collaboration and research project.
…
Meanwhile-
Razor Fist led the Ten Rings soldiers to New York.
Xu Wenwu had always had people monitoring Shang-Chi's location, keeping a close watch on his son's life. Following these arrangements, Razor Fist arrived at the building where Shang-Chi lived.
At this time, Shang-Chi was just nineteen years old, having fled from his father's Ten Rings organization for five years.
Having just gotten out of bed, Shang-Chi was working out in his room, doing push-ups rapidly. At that moment, the doorbell rang.
Shang-Chi stood up, his muscular build showing that he hadn't neglected his training over the years. He grabbed a shirt from the hanger, put it on, and walked to the door. Looking through the peephole, he saw Razor Fist standing outside.
Shang-Chi didn't recognize Razor Fist.
Shang-Chi opened the door and looked at the burly white man in front of him, asking, "Hello, who are you looking for?"
Razor Fist looked at the son of his leader and said, "Shang-Chi?"
Hearing this name, Shang-Chi knew something was wrong. Was his father's subordinate here to find him? He had been using an alias all this time.
"No, you've got the wrong person. My name is Shaun."
Bang!
Shang-Chi quickly slammed the door shut. He immediately grabbed a jacket, put it on, and picked up a backpack. He was preparing to escape through the window, even though he was on the sixteenth floor.
Razor Fist, looking at the closed door, grinned wickedly.
He took off his shirt, revealing his right hand without a forearm. With a flick of his arm, a large, glowing red blade extended from the broken arm.
Razor Fist slashed at the door lock, instantly destroying it, and kicked the door open.
Seeing Shang-Chi with a backpack, ready to flee, Razor Fist swung his blade directly at him.
He was here to bring back the young master but also wanted to test his strength.
As the blade came down, Shang-Chi grabbed a nearby coat rack to block it, but it was instantly split in two.
Taking advantage of the opening, Shang-Chi kicked Razor Fist in the chest, knocking him to the ground.
At that moment, several Ten Rings soldiers who had followed Razor Fist entered the room and quickly blocked Shang-Chi's escape routes.
Facing this multi-pronged attack, Shang-Chi stopped holding back and soon overpowered the attackers, leaving them sprawled on the ground.
Only Razor Fist could still stand after a few more exchanges. Seeing Shang-Chi's impressive skills, Razor Fist secretly nodded in approval.
After a few more rounds of back-and-forth, Razor Fist suddenly stopped his attacks, stepped back, and knelt down.
Seeing this unexpected action, Shang-Chi hesitated. Instead of attacking or fleeing, he asked, "Why?"
Razor Fist looked up and said, "The master of the Ten Rings, your father, Xu Wenwu, has been killed..."
"I've come today to bring you back to the Ten Rings organization."
Hearing that his father had died, Shang-Chi was skeptical, shaking his head:
"How is that possible? Father had the Ten Rings; how could he be killed?"
"You're lying to me, aren't you?"
Clearly, Shang-Chi couldn't believe that his father was dead. His father was very powerful; how could anyone have killed him?
Razor Fist took out a tablet from behind him and placed it on the ground.
"Here's some video footage from the battle."
Shang-Chi picked up the tablet, opened the stored video, and began playing the recorded battle scenes.
At this point, Razor Fist said, "Just four days ago, Iron Man Tony Stark led his army of armored suits to attack our headquarters."
"At first, Tony was no match for the master and was being pushed back step by step."
"The master dismantled his armor, and just as he was about to kill him, a group of ninjas appeared."
"They joined forces to defeat the master, and the battle leveled the headquarters..."
Shang-Chi watched the video playing before him; scenes of the earlier battle with Iron Man were all there. Just as his father was about to win, a group of ninjas wearing black cloaks with red clouds appeared, immediately suppressing his father upon engagement.
However, the footage of the battle with the ninjas cut off halfway, with no further continuation.
"What about the rest? And my father...?"
Razor Fist lowered his head and said, "The subsequent battle was too intense, and all the surveillance equipment in the base was destroyed. There's no recording of what happened afterward."
"As for the master's body, we suspect it was taken by the enemy, along with the Ten Rings, which have also disappeared."
Shang-Chi looked at Razor Fist and asked, "Isn't it possible that Father didn't die but just left the battlefield?"
Razor Fist shook his head, "We hope so too, but based on the traces left at the scene..."
Although Razor Fist didn't finish his sentence, Shang-Chi understood what he meant.
He clenched his fists tightly, his heart filled with immense anger.
Although he had escaped his father's control and lived the life he wanted these past few years, at this moment, he realized how much he loved his father.
He had lost his mother in his youth, and now, not long after reaching adulthood, he lost his father as well.
He has now no parents...
No home...
No family...
At this moment, a thought flashed in his mind: his sister.
"What about Xialing?"
"Is she still alive?"
Razor Fist nodded, "Xu Xialing escaped from the headquarters just before Tony's attack; she's currently in Hong Kong."
"After retrieving you, our next step is to find her."
Hearing that his sister was still alive, Shang-Chi breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, looking at the video showing Iron Man and the ninjas, he sighed, "But I'm no match for them. How can I avenge my father...?"
Shang-Chi was self-aware; though his skills were exceptional, capable of defeating several Ten Rings soldiers at once, he was no match for those ninjas and Iron Man Tony.
He didn't think he was stronger than his father, who wielded the Ten Rings, even though he wanted to avenge him.
Razor Fist said, "You possess the power of the Ten Rings and the Dragon's Heart. As long as you develop these two powers, you can surely avenge the master."
"Moreover, before his passing, the master had found some clues about Ta Lo, which will aid you."
Hearing "Ta Lo," Shang-Chi recalled the stories his mother had told him during his childhood.
"Ta Lo..."
Then, Shang-Chi's gaze hardened, and he said, "A blood debt must be paid in blood!"
Razor Fist nodded, "Blood for blood!"
His father's teachings resurfaced in his mind, and at this moment, Shang-Chi thought: Perhaps Father was right all along.