Thunder Temple, Undercurrents Everywhere

Back at the safe house in Queens, Lin Ye did not feel much fatigue. Instead, the further development of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and the unlocking of [Thor Form] left him invigorated. Destroying an alien fleet seemed to have been nothing more than a high-quality warm-up.

In the living room, Dr. Banner was nervously staring at the live news broadcast projected holographically before him. The screen showed a devastated New York and the survivors of the disaster. The moment he saw Lin Ye return, he nearly sprang to his feet.

"Mr. Lin! Are... are you all right? The news said... said that you..." Banner was so excited that he could barely form a coherent sentence. Through surveillance footage and news clips, he had vaguely learned of Lin Ye's godlike feats.

"I'm fine. Just stretched my legs a little." Lin Ye spoke casually as he poured himself a glass of water and sat down. "What about you? Were you affected?" He meant Hulk.

Banner shook his head, a strange look crossing his face. "It's strange... I was scared this time too, but that anger... seemed to have been suppressed by an even stronger feeling of... awe? He didn't strongly demand to come out." Perhaps that was the subtle psychological change caused by witnessing absolute power.

"That's a good thing." Lin Ye nodded. It seemed keeping Banner in the safe house had been the right choice. "Get ready, Doctor. It's time for us to move."

"Move?"

"Yeah, somewhere more spacious, safer, and better suited to our status." A glint of lightning flashed in Lin Ye's eyes. "It's time to establish a base of our own."

With a thought, he connected to the system.

"System, use the reward [Special Building 'Thunder Temple' Blueprint]."

[Command confirmed. Loading blueprint... Loading complete.]

[Please select a construction site for the Sanctuary. Note: The site must meet certain spatial and energy requirements.]

An incredibly complex, grand holographic architectural blueprint appeared in Lin Ye's mind, blending technology with mystery. It was not a house in the traditional sense, but more like a comprehensive fortress integrating living quarters, research facilities, defenses, and energy gathering. At its core was a massive lightning energy conversion and storage device capable of absorbing lightning energy from nature and even the cosmos for its own use.

As for the location... Manhattan was definitely out of the question. It was too conspicuous. Brooklyn? Queens? Staten Island? Or... outside the city?

Lin Ye walked to the window and fully spread out the Mind Network, sensing the terrain and energy flows around New York. In the end, his gaze settled on a remote mountain region upstream of the Hudson River, north of New York. Few people ever went there, the terrain was treacherous, and... the underground rock formations contained abundant iron ore as well as a faint vein of some special energy mineral. It was perfect for the Sanctuary's foundation and supplemental energy source.

"This place." Lin Ye confirmed the coordinates.

[Location confirmed. Construction commencing... Estimated time required: 6 hours. Construction will affect atmospheric conditions. Please maintain concealment.]

"Remy, block all satellite and radar detection in that area. Create sustained severe thunderstorms as cover."

"Command executed."

In an instant, thick clouds gathered over the mountain region north of New York without warning. Lightning flashed, thunder roared, and torrential rain poured down. Perfect natural cover had formed.

At the same time, deep inside the mountain Lin Ye had selected, far beneath the earth where no one could see, miraculous construction began.

The system's immense power intervened directly! Massive rocks were precisely cut, moved, and reassembled by invisible forces. Pre-designed special alloy components and energy conduits materialized from thin air, rapidly assembling according to the blueprint. Deep energy wells were drilled, connecting geothermal heat and the faint mineral veins. A vast lightning energy collection matrix flickered in and out of sight within the storm clouds above the mountain peak...

All of it proceeded beneath the system's concealment, silent yet unimaginably efficient.

S.H.I.E.L.D., Triskelion Headquarters, late at night.

Nick Fury's office was still lit. Before him floated more than a dozen split screens, repeatedly playing footage of the Battle of New York from every angle, especially simulations calculating Lin Ye's passage through the spatial portal and the subsequent explosion of the mothership.

Coulson and Natasha stood nearby, their expressions grave.

"The analysis results are in," Commander Hill said as she entered with a report in hand. "Based on the residual energy and observational data from the other side of the portal, the destructive force caused by 'Thunder' Lin Ye over there was equivalent to multiple concentrated detonations of strategic nuclear weapons in the ten-megaton range. Alone, he destroyed the Chitauri command center and at least seventy percent of their main fleet."

The office fell utterly silent. Though they had prepared themselves mentally, the quantified figures still made their scalps tingle.

"The last thing he said before leaving was, 'Build a small base'..." Natasha murmured. "We need to closely monitor his movements. Power like that, if we can't control it..."

"We can't control him." Fury cut her off, his voice low. "At least, we absolutely cannot try right now. His stance is clear: cooperation is acceptable, supervision is not. We have to accept this new reality."

"But his choice to remain near New York is a signal in itself," Coulson analyzed. "He seems to have some interest in maintaining the existing order. We can start there and attempt deeper cooperation. For example, we could share some non-core intelligence on supernatural incidents in exchange for his intervention, or at least consultation."

Fury's single eye gleamed. "Agreed. Hill, draft a new framework for a cooperation agreement. The terms can be more generous; emphasize equality and mutual benefit. Natasha, you'll liaise with him and maintain... friendly contact." He placed special emphasis on the word "friendly."

"What about those two 'items'?" Hill was referring to the Tesseract and the Mind Scepter.

"Seal them away under the strictest security level. Without my direct order, no one is to touch them, including for research." Fury had made up his mind. He had taken Lin Ye's warning to heart.

Asgard, Golden Palace.

Thor returned to report with Loki, whose shackles had been put back on. Odin sat upon his throne, listening to Thor's somewhat disjointed account.

"A Midgardian who controls lightning? And his power even surpasses yours, Thor?" Odin's single eye revealed a thoughtful look. "He also defeated Loki, who held the Mind Scepter, with ease... Interesting."

Loki snorted coldly from the side, but he did not dare argue. Lin Ye's electric shock had left him deeply shaken.

"Father, his power is incredibly pure and powerful, as though he is lightning itself." Thor's voice carried both admiration and fighting spirit. "Perhaps we could form a friendship with him?"

Odin fell silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Watch him closely, but do not make contact for now. Midgard... is undergoing rapid change. We need to observe."

Hydra, a secret base.

Through informants embedded within S.H.I.E.L.D., detailed intelligence on the Battle of New York was also placed before Hydra leaders such as Alexander Pierce and John Garrett.

"Unbelievable power..." Pierce stared at the footage, his eyes filled with greed and wariness. "If such power could be used for Hydra's great cause..."

"It'll be difficult." Garrett shook his head. "According to the reports, he is almost immune to Loki's mind control, and his strength is unfathomable. Trying to recruit him by force would be extremely risky."

"Then we observe and wait for an opportunity." Pierce tapped his fingers against the table. "Perhaps... we can find a weakness in his 'cooperation' with S.H.I.E.L.D. An individual this powerful must have needs. Find them, and we can get close to him."

Six hours later.

The storm in the mountains north of New York gradually subsided, and the dark clouds dispersed as if nothing had happened.

Yet deep within the chosen mountain, a magnificent Sanctuary blending futuristic technology with classical mysticism had silently risen.

Lin Ye brought Dr. Banner through a concealed portal opened by lightning energy, entering the Sanctuary directly.

Dr. Banner was too stunned by the sight before him to speak.

The Sanctuary's interior was immensely vast. Its towering dome resembled a starry sky, while faint lightning energy flowed through it like an aurora. At the center stood a huge hall, with various functional areas arranged around it: living quarters, a training ground, and—what Banner could not tear his eyes away from—a top-tier integrated laboratory far beyond S.H.I.E.L.D.'s standards! Much of the equipment inside was unlike anything he had ever seen. It seemed to combine Earth technology, Chitauri biotechnology, and some even more advanced energy technology.

At the center of the laboratory stood a transparent container connected to countless energy conduits, seemingly intended to store and study certain high-energy objects... or lifeforms?

"Do you like it, Doctor?" Lin Ye asked with a smile in his voice. "From now on, this is your new home. Next door is your personal laboratory. You can study how to 'communicate' with your green friend to your heart's content. All resources are unlimited."

Banner trembled with excitement. For a scientist, this was practically paradise! "I... I love it! Thank you so much, Mr. Lin!"

[Ding! Dr. Banner's loyalty and favorability have greatly increased!]

Lin Ye nodded in satisfaction. He walked over to the Sanctuary's central control console and placed his hand on it.

"Remy, take over all Sanctuary systems and upgrade into the Sanctuary's intelligent core."

"Command received. System integration and upgrade in progress... Upgrade complete. Greetings, Master. Remy, the intelligent core of Thunder Temple, is at your service." Remy's voice became livelier and more layered, as though he had truly gained the concept of a "home."

The lights throughout the Sanctuary lit up one after another. Various devices hummed to life, and the energy flow stabilized into something powerful and steady.

"Activate the full-spectrum concealment field. Unauthorized targets must be unable to find it or enter it. Connect to the global network. Prioritize monitoring information related to S.H.I.E.L.D., Stark Industries, Oscorp, the underworld, and... all abnormal energy signals."

"The field has been activated. The surveillance network has been deployed."

Lin Ye felt as though he had become one with the entire Sanctuary, sensing total control over it. This was what a proper base should be.

After thinking for a moment, he gave Remy another command. "Also, search for information on all teenagers named Peter Parker within New York, especially Queens. Prioritize individuals who may recently have been bitten by radioactive spiders or encountered similar unusual incidents. Keep them under observation. Do not make contact unless necessary."

"Command recorded."

After dealing with everything, Lin Ye looked out the window.

Thunder Temple had been established. Next came the question of how to make its name truly resound throughout the world.

He needed more talent, more resources, and... a suitable opportunity for the Sanctuary to make its official debut.

And he knew that in this world, only just beginning to stabilize after chaos, there was no shortage of "opportunities."

Undercurrents were still surging.

End of Chapter Thirteen.