The Soul Stone's Consciousness
When the Red Skull's true spirit entered Xia Yu's body, his own soul immediately and spontaneously launched a defense. The power originating from the Source surged towards this wisp of true spirit like a tidal wave.
Having absorbed Ego's original body and then Asgard, Xia Yu's Source power was incredibly profound. Faced with Xia Yu's powerful Source...
The Red Skull's wisp of true spirit seemed like a lamb entering a tiger's den, as if it were being delivered to Xia Yu as food.
However, that insignificant wisp of true spirit instantly transformed from an attack state to another state the moment it came into contact with Xia Yu's Source.
It was like a plaster stuck to Xia Yu's Source, and then an irresistible force came from the outside, directly affecting Xia Yu's soul through this wisp of true spirit.
"Oh no!"
Many folk tales he had heard in his previous life flashed through Xia Yu's mind.
When Xia Yu was very young, he lived with his grandparents in the countryside for a period of time. Back then, whenever someone swam in the river or accidentally fell in and drowned, the village would spread the rumor that it was Water Ghost looking for a replacement.
Legend has it that those who drown will become Water Ghosts, never to be reincarnated, until they find a substitute to fall into the river and drown in their place.
Then the Water Ghost was freed and liberated.
Xia Yu was experiencing this scene with great imagination. The difference was that when he was a child, he had only heard about Water Ghosts harming people, but today he was the one foolishly rushing in.
The soul was swiftly pulled from the body and rapidly descended towards the altar below the cliff.
Perhaps the speed was too fast. In Xia Yu's soul perception, everything around him seemed to be stretched into lines, constantly elongating. Then, suddenly, when things returned to normal, he found himself standing in a hazy gray space.
The Red Skull's wisp of true spirit had already transformed into human form, still dressed in a black robe, floating behind Xia Yu, motionless, its eyes devoid of any light, as if the robot had been shut down.
Is this the space inside the Soul Stone?
Xia Yu recalled watching a movie in his previous life. Thanos entered this place and saw Gamora as a child, while Tony saw Morgan as an adult. Although Xia Yu did not the Snap, he also wanted to see if the person he cared about most was Natasha or his parents from his previous life.
Sure enough, a flash of light appeared, and a person appeared in front of Xia Yu.
He had white hair and a white beard, and wore a black robe similar to the Red Skull's, except he wasn't wearing the large hood.
Xia Yu recognized this person; it was none other than Stan Lee, the Old Master Li.
However, the Old Master Li in front of him was completely different from the Xia Yu had seen before. He exuded a kind of oppressive aura that even Xia Yu found suffocating.
Especially those eyes, they were completely devoid of any human warmth, utterly emotionless, staring straight at Xia Yu.
"Damn it, this isn't the old man I usually see. Why is it his image inside the Soul Stone?"
Xia Yu felt a chill run down his spine, his entire body tense, adopting a defensive posture.
The situation was strange, Xia Yu didn't dare to act rashly. However, if Stan Lee were to make a move, Xia Yu wouldn't mind going all out.
However, the old man in front of him didn't say anything, just stared straight at Xia Yu, but the pressure emanating from him grew heavier and heavier.
Xia Yu was currently only a soul, and facing this person's unreserved pressure, he felt the pressure growing heavier and heavier, and he knew that he would collapse sooner or later if this continued.
"No, we're doomed if this continues. Never mind, let's just do it first."
Just as Xia Yu was about to make a move, the old man's expression suddenly changed, and the oppressive aura emanating from him receded like a tide.
The old man was in the same predicament as Red Skull, like a robot that had shut down, completely devoid of energy and spirit.
However, this situation only lasted for a few seconds, just as Xia Yu was about to step forward to take a closer look at what was going on.
The old man suddenly blinked, like someone who had been sleeping suddenly waking up.
The person in front of me was sleeping standing up, with their eyes open.
First, his eyes came to life, and then his whole body moved involuntarily.
The old man, as if warming up before exercise, shook his limbs shakily and then twisted his waist in a circle.
He reached out and touched the black robe he was wearing, muttering a few curses under his breath before turning his gaze to Xia Yu.
Xia Yu recognized that look; he had seen the old man several times before.
"Grandpa? It really is you! What are you doing here? And what was that all about?"
Xia Yu spoke, but his feet didn't move an inch. Heaven knows if this was true or if it would change in a moment.
As if he knew what Xia Yu was thinking, Old Master Li rolled his eyes at Xia Yu and said in an annoyed tone.
"That wasn't me at all. You've got some nerve, daring to directly kill the guardian of the Soul Stone. What are you trying to do? Are you trying to break the rules and steal the Soul Stone?"
"Do you know the power of the Soul Stone? Do you know you almost died just now? If it weren't for me? Heh!!"
The old man sneered, growing angrier the more he thought about it. He reached behind his black robe and pulled out a huge, hammer-shaped balloon.
They started smashing things down on Xia Yu's head repeatedly.
Xia Yu was dumbfounded. Where did this person escape from? He didn't see any storage equipment on their person.
"I told you not to break the rules, I told you not to kill the Soul Guardian. If I hadn't arrived in time, do you know how much I depend on you?"
The old man talked as he hit Xia Yu's soul body. The slight vibrations from the balloon-like hammer were not painful; in fact, Xia Yu felt a little comfortable.
Just to appease the old man, Xia Yu dodged a few times and shouted that he was admitting defeat.
This old man was completely different from the one before. After only a few exchanges, he started panting heavily, looking exhausted. He stopped, pointed at Xia Yu, and said...
Do you even know where this place is?
"Isn't this the interior of the Soul Stone?"
Xia Yu asked curiously.
The old man didn't answer Xia Yu's question immediately. Instead, he reached behind him again, and the hammer disappeared, replaced by a beach chair. The old man sat down shakily, then looked up and spoke to Xia Yu.
"This isn't the Soul Space; this is the outer space of the Soul Stone, a place used to store guardians, and also where the Soul Stone's own consciousness resides."
"The Soul Stone itself possesses consciousness; you mean the Soul Stone is a living being?"
Xia Yu suddenly felt that many of the analyses he had read in his previous life were still reliable; the Soul Stone did indeed possess its own consciousness.
"A life form? Actually, not really. In Huaxia language, this is a magical artifact with Artifact Spirit, but this Artifact Spirit is somewhat different from the Artifact Spirits of other magical artifacts in Huaxia. Today is a rare opportunity, so come and sit down to listen to me."