Knowhere

"Marvel's Magnetic Field Rotation"

Aside from Rocket Raccoon and Groot trying to seize control of the spaceship, only to be suppressed by Wei Xiuming, the journey was peaceful.

Although Yondu was the first to learn that Wei Xiuming would take Star-Lord to the Knowhere, on a cosmic scale, Wei Xiuming's side, after some twists and turns, arrived here first.

"Hey, big guy, are you really going to pay us?" Rocket Raccoon looked at Wei Xiuming in disbelief. "You're actually going to pay me 100,000 just for a cool-looking and powerful set of guns!"

"Of course, I've seen your weapon. It's very creative, but it uses outdated and obsolete parts." Wei Xiuming said, fiddling with the gun modified by Rocket Raccoon. "I'll give you some money to buy parts in the Knowhere. While meeting my requirements, you can bargain as much as possible. The rest of the money is yours. If the final assembled gun satisfies me, I'll pay you an extra 100,000... Conversely, if you try to cheat and leave behind some self-destruct device or something... hehe."

Two soft laughs sent a chill down Rocket Raccoon's spine.

"If you dare to lie to me, you and your tree-man partner Groot will be sold together as a commodity to the Collector Tivan. A smart raccoon, one of the few Groot in the world, the collector should like it."

"I'm Groot," the Groot said, looking at Wei Xiuming in horror.

Understanding his partner's meaning from those simple words, Rocket Raccoon said helplessly, "Okay, buddy, I won't give up on you."

Rocket Raccoon, having received a sum of money, was the first to leave the spaceship and went around buying parts to assemble guns; Star-Lord, on the other hand, refueled the spaceship, of course, paying for it himself.

As the liaison, Gamora sent a message to the Collector Tivan, and then all that was left was to wait quietly.

"I didn't expect you to abandon an item of this caliber and instead entrust it to Tivan for safekeeping."

Gamora looked up at Wei Xiuming: "And you possess the power to wield it."

During the voyage, Wei Xiuming opened the Orb and absorbed a portion of the energy from the Power Stone within. Instead of being blasted to ashes, he controlled it with ease.

This terrified Gamora, because anyone who could wield the Infinity Stones in this way was either a powerful being or had temporarily acquired the means to control them with the help of a powerful being—like Thanos's scepter for using the Mind Stone, and that part of the forbidden knowledge about the Space Stone.

"You know Thanos very well, yet you're also very unfamiliar with him."

After that, Gamora perhaps saw through something and deliberately revealed some information. "Thanos did indeed plan to do that, collect all Six Infinity Stones, and then snap his the Snap to eliminate half of all life in the universe—this was the result of meticulous calculations; only by doing that could the lifespan of our current universe be greatly extended."

"But one day he changed, abandoning his original ideals and simply collecting the Infinity Stones to eliminate half of all life in the universe, as if he had found his own life's purpose again... But he became exceptionally selfish, for his own sake. Thanos might not even stop after sacrificing half of all life in the universe; all life, all known and unknown, will be destroyed in his hands, until only death and Thanos remain in the entire world."

It has to be said that among the Black Order claim to be Thanos's son, his two adopted daughters, and his rebellious son, Gamora is the only one Thanos truly favors. This is because she understands Thanos's thoughts best. Even though Thanos doesn't reveal the slightest hint in his words or actions, Gamora can analyze his thoughts perfectly.

So Wei Xiuming changed his plans. Obtaining the Power Stone wasn't his original goal, so he figured he might as well entrust it to the Collector for safekeeping. After all, Thanos would come to Earth sooner or later to collect the Infinity Stones, and then he could just wait for the Mad Titan to deliver them to his door. Especially with the Soul Stone's demanding conditions, he might as well let Thanos make the sacrifice for him.

Soon, the Collector Tivan's maid appeared and, as an envoy, led the group to the collector's museum.

The collector's collection was very rich, consisting entirely of endangered species. Wei Xiuming even saw a dog wearing a spacesuit with the CCCP logo. Intrigued, he approached the display case and greeted it in fluent Russian. The dog responded to him, using its Mind Stone abilities to express its desire for freedom.

Wei Xiuming said, "This is their territory, I'll consider it... but it's no use going back to Earth now. The CCP has already disintegrated, and the unbreakable alliance is a thing of the past. You might as well stay here in Tivan where you have food, drink, and lodging."

The dog suddenly became dejected, then told Wei Xiuming its name— Cosmo the Spacedog.

The pink-skinned maid struck an exaggerated pose and introduced in a flamboyant tone, "Talia Tivan, the collector."

The collector, wearing glasses that displayed intricate patterns on objects, removed them, bypassed Gamora was about to greet him, and walked up to Wei Xiuming: "Sir, would you like to sell your body and soul? I can pay right now—how about four billion? Don't worry, I have expertise in this area, and I can even rearrange your consciousness into a body, a powerful physique comparable to a cosmic god."

"I'm sorry, my soul and body belong to me, and even the Triune Vishanti cannot take them away." Wei Xiuming was not surprised that the collector could see the special nature of his soul and body, but he did not expect that he, whose thoughts were dominated by his hobby, would make a direct offer.

"That's a real shame. So, would you Groot next to you? Just the carcass is enough; I can pay in advance." The collector wasn't surprised by Wei Xiuming's refusal; instead, he started discussing the price of the Groot with Wei Xiuming.

"Tivan, we've crossed half the galaxy and brought back the Orb ..." Gamora stepped in, stopping Tivan from wasting time on trivial matters.

"That's fantastic!" The collector's eyes never left Wei Xiuming; clearly, in his eyes, Wei Xiuming's identity as a transmigrator was far more valuable than the Infinity Stones. "Where are the items?"

Wei Xiuming took out the Orb from his waist, opened it to show the Infinity Stones inside, and then closed it again. "One Power Stone, four billion, you made a profit."

The collector calmly accepted the Orb: "How do you intend to pay? Cash, goods of equal value, slaves... or perhaps a planet?"

"I need a portion of the Celestials' body tissue and the energy they rely on for survival; the rest will be converted into cash," Wei Xiuming said. "This Gamora is Thanos's adopted daughter. I think you're quite clear about what the Mad Titan have been pursuing."

"No one can take this collection away, no one." The collector softened his tone, paused for a moment, and then said, "But what you need, I need some time to gather."

"It's alright, I need to wander around the Knowhere for a while. The cost of the purchases will be deducted from the payment," Wei Xiuming said, clapping his hands.

The collector said, "I have sent my maid with you as a guide to show you the scenery of the Knowhere ... Although she is just a servant, she represents my authority, and no one will dare to disregard her."

"Yes, Master." The pink-clad maid readily agreed upon hearing the collector's arrangement.

She desperately wanted to get away from the collector, even if she couldn't leave this place of Knowhere, a brief period of freedom would be wonderful—his long life had made the collector's temperament eccentric, for example, his terrible taste in clothes.

One of her relatives had been a collector's maid before her, but because she disappointed him, she had now become one of the collector's items, displayed in a showcase not far away.

"Kalena, listen, I need you to obtain the body tissue of that masked man by any means necessary—hair, blood, anything. If you succeed, I will grant you your freedom." As the maid walked past her with strange steps, the collector instantly transmitted a message into her consciousness. "If you can bear his offspring, I will give you a planet and make you its queen."

Due to his excitement, the collector's voice was trembling in the latter half of his speech.

A life form from another universe—he was so precious, so worthy of being collected. Although the transmigrator did not intend to sell his body and soul, the child who possessed half of his bloodline was also extremely valuable. Thinking of this, the collector felt his soul tremble.

The maid Kalena, was puzzled, but intimidated by the collector's reputation, she nodded in agreement.

Over the next period of time, Wei Xiuming first had Kalena arrange temporary accommodations for his group, and then went on a shopping spree in the Knowhere, even renting a temporary warehouse to store the items.

When Star-Lord returned, he was stunned by the supplies before him—having been ripped off while refueling, he knew all too well how Knowhere prices were in the Void. The supplies Wei Xiuming had purchased were not cheap; they could even be used to refurbish his ship.

However, in Wei Xiuming's hands, these things became a driver, while most of the rest became scrap.

"This is what I promised you... wait for Yondu to come and pay!"

Wei Xiuming shook the driver and said.

But as the saying goes, you never know whether an accident or tomorrow will come first, but Ronan will definitely come before Yondu.

Ronan's Dark Aster is a product of the Kree Empire's cutting-edge military technology. In terms of both combat power and speed, it far surpasses Yondu's Ravagers. The latter's ship is only a medium-sized warship, and a very old and dilapidated one at that—just like African men who only know how to shoot but not how to maintain their guns. In the hands of these space bandits, the Ravagers only needs to be able to fly. The best-performing part of the entire ship is the escape pod.

Of course, the ship's slow speed also saved Yondu's life. Knowing that a Ravagers was hindering his acquisition of the Orb, Ronan would definitely order the Ravagers to be sunk immediately upon seeing it.

However, Ronan was quite aware of the Collector's true identity. After all, he was a high-ranking member of the Kree Empire and had more contact with secrets than someone like Star-Lord, a small-time thug. He knew what other powerful forces or entities in the universe besides the three great empires were beyond his control. His Dark Aster was docked far from the Knowhere, and he led a team of men in small Necro Fighter to the Knowhere, hoping to intercept the Orb before Wei Xiuming could make the deal with the Collector.

If the deal was already done, then he could only vent his anger on Wei Xiuming—although he was a warmonger, a radical hawk who swore to fight Xandar to the death, everything he had was granted to him by the Kree Empire, and all his actions were within the powers granted to him by the Kree Empire law.

By offending the collector, the Kree Empire he represents will certainly face retaliation, and may even be reduced to the state of the Skrulls, who have the name of an empire but no real power.

If Ronan successfully destroys Xandar, the pro-war faction within the Kree Empire will undoubtedly gain the upper hand, and the Supreme Intelligence will issue orders favorable to them, making the destruction of the Xandar Empire imminent.

The so-called peace agreement was nothing more than a treaty signed between the Kree Empire Emperor and Xandar. Everyone within the Kree Empire knew that the true power lay with the Supreme Intelligence, and the Kree Empire Emperor was merely a puppet placed on the throne. The agreement was only a formality when the Kree it; otherwise, it was invalid and no different from a piece of waste paper.

Furthermore, Xandar was just the beginning. Ronan's real target was the Shi'ar Empire behind Xandar, because it was located in the buffer zone between the three great empires. If Xandar Empire did not want to be destroyed in the war, it had to pledge allegiance to one side.

The Skrull Empire had declined, and the Kree Empire was extremely aggressive, so the Xandar Empire sided with the Shi'ar Empire, learning their political system, their culture, their technology, and even forming a "Nova Corps" to maintain order within the empire.

Therefore, defeating Xandar is equivalent to defeating a small "Shi'ar Empire". The Kree Empire's desire for war will definitely be solidified, and by then, even if the Kree Empire doesn't want to go to war, it won't be able to.

Thanos's Chitauri only attacked Earth, located on the border of the Shi'ar Empire, and even failed. However, this prompted the Crystal to personally lead a team to "demand an explanation" from Thanos. Since Xandar, which was modeled after the Shi'ar Empire, was destroyed, the Shi'ar Empire would definitely launch a war against the Kree Empire.

That would be a war of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

However, Ronan's plan will be interrupted in the Knowhere, because Wei Xiuming is there.

With the power to annihilate a planet with a single punch, Wei Xiuming's Magnetic Field Rotation power increased by leaps and bounds.