Asgard

Boom!

The Rainbow Bridge descended directly into Asgard's temple, and Li Nian and Thor slowly emerged from it.

"So this is Asgard?!" Li Nian looked around in astonishment. Even in the movies, Asgard had been magnificently captivating—floating waterfalls, resplendent temples, airships streaking through the sky from time to time. Everywhere he looked was gold... every inch of it displayed Asgard's grandeur!

"Welcome back to Asgard!"

Focusing his gaze, Li Nian saw a tall, powerful figure in black standing at the entrance to Asgard before the Rainbow Bridge. It was the gatekeeper of the divine realm, Asgard's third-strongest warrior—Heimdall!

The man's golden pupils narrowed as he gave Li Nian an indifferent glance. He had little impression of this person, only knowing that he had been among those who had fought alongside Thor on Midgard last year.

After that, Li Nian had disappeared. Heimdall would not waste his time on insignificant people. He had kept more of his attention on Thor, the eldest prince, watching him fight across the Nine Realms and quell the wars.

Heimdall had not been doing too well recently, either. Possessing the sharpest eyes in the Nine Realms, he could naturally tell at a glance that the current Allfather was Loki in disguise, and he naturally knew where the real Allfather, Odin, had gone. But he said nothing. He believed Odin had his own plans and would not become an old man in a nursing home for no reason. Nor could Loki have taken the throne so easily.

In short, everything went without saying. Heimdall could roughly guess some of Odin's intentions. All he needed to do was pretend not to know, and leave the rest to Thor.

It was not as if Asgard would end up in his hands anyway!

"Hey! My good brother!"

Thor had no idea that his younger brother had stolen his home out from under him. He still wore that foolish grin as he stepped forward and gave Heimdall a bear hug. Li Nian felt a chill run down his spine at the sight; two big burly men embracing always seemed a little too affectionate.

"This is my comrade, Vision. He has come to Asgard this time to seek help," Thor said, introducing Li Nian to Heimdall with a foolish grin.

"Hello. I have heard of your legend—the eyes said to see through the Nine Realms. Now that I see them for myself, your reputation is well deserved."

Li Nian stepped forward and greeted him politely, only to see Heimdall's gaze fixed firmly on the Mind Stone in his forehead, leaving him no time to respond.

"Asgard does not allow outsiders to enter!" Heimdall gave Li Nian a cold look. A trace of surprise flashed in his eyes as he looked at the Mind Stone, then vanished in an instant.

Then Heimdall suddenly smiled. "Of course, if you are the eldest prince's guest, then naturally you may enter."

He turned around and made way for them.

Li Nian naturally followed Thor toward the temple, but after only a few steps, Heimdall called out to him again.

"Hey!"

Heimdall slowly turned his head and stared at the ring on Li Nian's right hand, unable to conceal the wariness in his expression.

"That ring on your hand... is no good thing. I advise you to destroy it as soon as possible!"

His golden gaze fell upon the black ring, yet he could see nothing within it. He had never seen such a strange and sinister thing anywhere in the universe, as if it had appeared out of thin air.

Heimdall was not making a suggestion, but issuing a warning. Li Nian could use that thing if he wished, but he had better not use something so dangerous in Asgard.

A typical case of handling his own people's affairs; once it concerned outsiders, he could not be bothered to care whether they lived or died.

"Thank you for the advice," Li Nian replied flatly. Of course, he knew the Black Lantern Ring was dangerous. It could be said that he understood it better than anyone in this world. A divine artifact that used corpses as hosts was never going to be anything good.

But Li Nian had no intention of destroying it now. This thing was practically made for him! It could also obtain a whole group of Black Lantern zombies. With it, he would have an endless army of the dead. He just wondered what would happen if he fought Hela, the Goddess of Death, someday.

Would both sides simply gain more and more troops as they fought? Or would the total number remain unchanged?

Li Nian did not think there was any conflict. Hela's forces were mainly undead, while the Black Lantern Ring controlled more zombies. One dealt with souls, the other with flesh; they were not comparable.

More importantly, the Black Lantern Ring was connected to a devastating weapon—the Land of the Dead!

Almost no one exiled to the Land of the Dead had any chance of returning alive, except Hal Jordan and Sinestro.

Li Nian thought that, if possible, he should still help Thor. After all, the kid was far too pitiful in the original story. His parents were gone, his sister was gone, his brother was gone, his hammer was gone, his friends were gone, even his home was gone. And in the newly released Thor 4, his ex-girlfriend and his axe were gone too! Could the entire universe find a second person this miserable?

"I haven't even asked—how is Earth now? Is Stark still as foul-mouthed as ever? Does Steve still cling to those old-fashioned ways? He is obviously so young, yet his way of thinking is even older than mine..."

Ever since seeing Li Nian, Thor had been chattering away at his side, asking one question after another. It was clear that he missed those comrades dearly.

"Sorry, Thor, but I haven't been on Earth recently either," Li Nian said helplessly. He truly could not stand a grown man being so long-winded.

"You haven't been on Earth? Then where did you go?" Thor asked in great surprise. In his impression, Earth's current technology should not yet have reached the point of interstellar travel. Even Stark should not have been able to accomplish that.

"I went..." Li Nian had just been about to explain when, step by step, they had already entered the temple.

Thor saw the old man seated high upon the throne, and his expression instantly turned solemn. He seemed like an entirely different person from the joking rascal he had been moments earlier.

Thor dropped to one knee, set down his hammer, and said respectfully, "Greetings, Father."

Thor deeply respected his father. After all, fifteen hundred years of father-son bonds far surpassed the mere few decades of human dynasties, both in length and closeness.

"Why does this visitor not kneel before his king?!"

At this moment, "Odin" paid no attention to his eldest son. Instead, he directed his anger at Li Nian, who stood there blankly, and shouted in feigned fury.

"You are not worthy!" Li Nian was joking? If the real Allfather Odin had been here, he might have given him some face. After all, he had no connection to Asgard and depended on none of them; speaking politely was already the height of courtesy. Much less when the Odin before him was a fake. Even if the real Odin had come, he had the Watchers behind him. Other than the five great cosmic entities, he feared no one!

"How dare you! You dare insult Asgard! Thor, I command you to throw him into the dungeon—now, immediately!" "Odin" on the throne flew into a rage. A mere mortal dared speak so arrogantly to a god. He truly did not know the height of heaven!

Thor was stunned by his words. He felt that something was off about his father, yet he could not tell what it was. But Li Nian's words—just three short words—had shocked him beyond measure. No one in the universe had ever dared speak to his father like that. Never!