The Hardest Choices Often Require the Firmest Conviction

"In fact, I don't think so."

Thanos raised his right hand, and on the golden Infinity Gauntlet, the other five Infinity Stones, apart from the Soul Stone, were flashing with a sharp light.

The Heart of the Universe has yet to appear; instead, the Soul Stone has emerged as a controller, the implications of which are enough to make Thanos think of something that would benefit him.

"It's no use, Thanos."

"You are indeed the man chosen by the rules of this universe."

"You believe you are destined by heaven."

"In the past, there would definitely have been no problem."

Faced with Thanos's defiant actions, a rare flicker of emotion appeared in the Soul Stone's usually stern and indifferent voice.

A ripple of regret.

"However, if you insist on going your own way and letting Beckett, who doesn't belong to this universe, break the rules..."

"Then you will no longer be the one destined by fate."

The Soul Stone continued its earnest persuasion, though its tone remained rigid and unpleasant, every word it spoke was true.

Although the rules of the universe are cold and rigid, they are by no means weak entities that can be manipulated at will.

Even Thanos wants to help your son rebel against me, and I'm still going to give you the treatment of a chosen one?

Are you kidding me?

The rules are unforgiving; one thing is one thing, and they are clearly distinguished.

"Father..." Beckett, standing next to Thanos, frowned and looked up at his adoptive father's face, which remained calm and expressionless, showing no emotion whatsoever.

He wanted to say that even without the "Heart of the Universe," he believed he could find other ways to break through.

Hasn't he made it this far step by step all these years?

"Without the power of the Heart of the Universe, Beckett would never have been able to open that final door, would he?" Thanos asked calmly, his voice steady, as if he had guessed Beckett's thoughts.

"Yes." The Soul Stone gave him a positive answer.

Thanos nodded knowingly.

Now he finally understood why Beckett had failed to take the final step, even though he had planned for Beckett to absorb the dimensional energy from Hela.

The rules of the universe are not so easy to break.

Even Thanos himself is essentially a product of the rules of this universe.

"Since that's the case..."

"Give me the Heart of the Universe." Thanos's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he stretched out his left arm, commanding.

"I can't do it," the Soul Stone refused outright.

"Beckett's rapid growth has threatened the rules."

"At this point, he must die."

The Soul Stone directly stated the prerequisites for obtaining the Heart of the Universe.

This is also why it brought Thanos into the alternate dimension of the "Heart of the Universe".

It needs Thanos, the Thanos one, the only one in the universe who can kill Beckett.

Boom!!!

Golden energy erupted instantly, and the blond-haired, blue-eyed Beckett appeared in front of the face conjured by the Soul Stone in the next second, throwing a punch!

"It's no use. This is just an illusion of my energy. With your current strength, you are not capable of killing me."

"Outsiders".

The illusory face disappeared before Beckett's eyes, only to reappear on his head.

It's obvious that no ivory can come out of its Barry.

"The only thing capable of destroying Infinity Stones is an Infinity Stones."

This statement is an unbreakable truth for Thanos and his son, who have not yet obtained the Heart of the Universe.

"Thanos, I know you still have many doubts in your heart, but I can tell you this: I, or rather we, have no ill intentions towards you."

"You are the one we have chosen. You can perfectly wield the power of the Infinity Stones, and naturally you can also perfectly wield the power of the Heart of the Universe."

"I can also tell you that the power contained in the Heart of the Universe far surpasses that of the Infinity Stones."

"Once you obtain the Heart of the Universe, you will be able to easily defeat the invading Darkseid and easily achieve your ideals."

"Even those ancient gods who are high above will no longer be your match. You will be the supreme overlord of the entire universe, and no one will be able to oppose your will."

"You can remove those gods who occupy the positions of power but do nothing."

The Soul Stone's stern voice held a strange allure. "If you act now and kill Beckett,..."

"Kill him, and you will get everything I have described to you."

Sacrificing Beckett led to the departure of a formidable enemy, the achievement of a lifelong pursuit, and a reshuffling of the ancient divine order.

Thanos admitted that he was tempted.

He couldn't help but be moved.

The Soul Stone was like the fuse that ignited the war on Titan, repeatedly scorching the burning flame of ideal civilization in Thanos's heart.

"Father...?" Beckett turned around and looked at Thanos was closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Where did the Grandmaster get the map?"

Thanos opened his eyes and, with unwavering willpower, forcefully suppressed all Thanos thoughts, calmly asked.

This was the last question in his mind.

"It was I who guided him to obtain it."

The Soul Stone readily agreed without the slightest hesitation.

The Soul Stone, possessing a high degree of intelligence, made this decision after Beckett advanced to the level of a false Queen of the Gods by relying on Hela's dimensional power.

Or rather, this was a decision made by those supreme rules.

Unfortunately, Darkseid's sudden invasion disrupted the operation of the rules, and the gods who had been chosen by the rules to kill Beckett were also held back and unable to move.

It wasn't until the Grandmaster's Sakaar was destroyed that the Soul Stone found the Grandmaster, who hadn't been pursued by the top gods of another universe because of the explosion of Sakaar.

The Grandmaster, who harbored murderous intent towards Beckett, naturally found a perfect match with the Soul Stone.

After that, guided by the Soul Stone, the Grandmaster found a map with clues about the location of the Heart of the Universe and handed it over to Thanos.

Thanos's personality dictates that he will prioritize obtaining the Soul Stone, which he is most confident in acquiring. Therefore, he will definitely send his most trusted Beckett, to retrieve the Heart of the Universe, whose authenticity is uncertain.

After all, Thanos wasn't afraid that Beckett's strength would surpass his own.

Or rather, Thanos would prefer to see Beckett surpass him in power, so that Beckett could seamlessly take over the Dark Order after Beckett's successful retirement.

After Thanos obtained the Soul Stone, he possessed the power to kill Beckett, now that all six Infinity Stones were gathered. It was for this reason that the Grandmaster reappeared to reveal the "truth" to Thanos, prompting Thanos to travel to Titan. There, Thanos was pulled into the Heart of the Universe by the Soul Stone's pre-ordained methods on Titan.

Everything was part of the Soul Stone's plan.

Now, only one final step remains—to have Thanos intervene and eliminate Beckett, the outsider who is about to break the rules.

"No..."

"No, Father..."

Looking at Thanos's silent face, which remained unspeakable for a long time, Beckett's eyes slowly rose with disbelief.

"... Beckett."

"Do you remember what I said to Astra the Kree when I wanted the Mind Stone?"

After a long silence, Thanos spoke.

In an instant, Beckett's thoughts were pulled back to that year.

That was the day Thanos obtained the first Infinity Stones — the Mind Stone.

"I don't remember," Beckett shook his head repeatedly.

"I said..."

Thanos lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on his right hand, which was slowly raised to his chest. All six Infinity Stones, including the Soul Stone, were shining brightly. His voice was somewhat hoarse.

"The most difficult choices often require the strongest will."

One update today, all chapters of "Fatherly Love and Filial Piety" will be released tomorrow.