The Cost of Obtaining the Soul Stone

"Never mind, Lin, if you have something to say, just spit it out." Tony gave up on trying to structure his words, as the most important thing right now was to proceed with the planned mission.

Lin Yi paid no attention to Thor's taunt.

His calm gaze swept across the people present, and then shifted to the screen.

"I've watched you discuss this for so long, and it seems none of you realize that there's a stone you can't just waltz in and easily retrieve."

As he spoke, Lin Yi stepped forward and enlarged that orange Infinity Stone.

"The Soul Stone. Wanting to acquire it requires a certain price..."

For Lin Yi, there was no such thing as an absolute rule that the plot could not be altered. As long as it aligned with his own core principles, interests, and future development, Lin Yi did not mind meddling a bit to change the trajectory of the future.

Of course, he had hesitated too, which was why he had only now disclosed the information about the Soul Stone. Changing the plot might make the future branch off into vastly different directions, but Lin Yi quickly reasoned it out: the mere fact that he had transmigrated here was already the greatest alteration to the plot.

"The Soul Stone is located on Vormir, guarded by Red Skull... No, it's more accurate to say that he is trapped there."

"To a certain extent, this stone is the most dangerous of the six original stones, because it possesses a degree of independent consciousness."

As soon as these words were said, the atmosphere in the room suddenly turned heavier. A stone with self-awareness that required a price to acquire gave everyone a bad premonition.

Lin Yi paused and emphasized his tone: "The Soul Stone is, in essence, an eternally starved soul. And a starved soul can never be fed."

With that, Lin Yi looked at Natasha and Clint. The task of acquiring the Soul Stone fell precisely upon the two of them.

And their bond, resembling that of comrades and family alike, fully met the "sacrifice" condition for obtaining the Soul Stone.

Seeing the two of them look at him with a mix of confusion and heavy hearts, Lin Yi did not drag it out any longer. "The price of a living Soul Stone is to give up the soul of someone you truly love."

The moment his voice fell, feelings of unease cropped up in everyone's hearts.

Natasha and Clint's gazes intersected instantly, both seeing shock and heaviness in each other's complex expressions, along with a trace of doubt.

If what Lin Yi said was true, then one of them was destined to be left behind there forever.

"Are you sure about this, Lin?" Tony stepped forward. This was no small matter. He didn't know where Lin Yi had obtained the information about the Infinity Stones, but he believed Lin Yi wouldn't joke about such a thing; asking this question was simply an instinctive reaction driven by human emotion.

Lin Yi nodded silently. The others began to whisper among themselves; they wouldn't blindly trust someone they had just met not long ago, but with Tony's endorsement, the reliability of this information went without saying.

Rhodey was the first one who couldn't hold back, looking at the blue sister with a hint of reproach in his gaze: "Nebula, why didn't you mention such important information?"

The information about the Soul Stone had been provided by Nebula, and Rhodey's words caused everyone's gazes to converge on Nebula.

Nebula remained expressionless and spoke in a deep voice: "I didn't know. I only knew that Thanos killed Gamora on Vormir; I wasn't clear on whether the Soul Stone required... sacrificing a soul."

...That made sense too. Nebula had indeed mentioned Gamora's death earlier. At the time, everyone hadn't paid it too much mind, but looking back now, that act further corroborated the truth in Lin Yi's words.

"This is a mess..." Steve sighed. The plan had suffered a setback, and they needed to formulate a new one. Sacrificing Natasha or Clint... was simply not under consideration.

Clint tightened his grip on Natasha's hand, a grip he had maintained ever since Lin Yi spoke of sacrificing the soul of a loved one.

"Lin... is that so? Are there any other ways to get the Soul Stone?"

As soon as these words left his mouth, they caused everyone's gaze to shift away from the blue sister and back to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi didn't beat around the bush either: "I actually have two ideas."

"Since the Soul Stone possesses independent consciousness, the possibility of negotiation exists. Perhaps once we acquire the other five stones, we can use them to bargain with the Soul Stone."

"But I don't hold out much hope for the success rate of such a negotiation. It's possible the Soul Stone might not even deign to pay attention to us at all."

This was also a conjecture Lin Yi had seen before transmigrating. Apparently, in some lore, Captain Marvel was set up to negotiate with the Soul Stone in Natasha's place. Lin Yi didn't know if it was true or false, but he felt it was unlikely.

Because when Thanos went to Vormir back then, he already had three Infinity Stones in his possession.

"Would it work if we used the Reality Stone to construct a fake sacrifice?" It was Rocket who spoke.

Lin Yi shook his head in direct denial.

"When Thanos took Gamora to Vormir, he already possessed the Space, Reality, and Power Stones."

"He held familial affection for Gamora. If it worked, he wouldn't have sacrificed Gamora. Yet he had three Infinity Stones and didn't negotiate, or perhaps the negotiation failed? That remains unknown, but in any case, it proves that the likelihood of this conjecture succeeding is slim."

Tony was getting a bit impatient. This sensation of facing unknown danger made him jittery: "Lin, just spit out the second method."

Hearing Tony say this, the people who had just been whispering once again fell silent to wait for Lin Yi.

Lin Yi reached out and clenched his hand into a fist: "The second method—Tony, you should be able to figure it out."

"Since Thanos retrieved the Soul Stone, why don't we just go straight to Thanos and take it?"

This method caused an uproar among the crowd. Their immediate reaction was that this young man certainly had nerve.

Go to Thanos and take it... How did that Eastern saying go again? Newborn calves are not afraid of tigers, right?

Steve was the first to stand up and object: "That won't do. Thanos is immensely powerful. We can't quietly and stealthily retrieve the Soul Stone; it violates our core principle of avoiding changes to the past."

Lin Yi patiently explained: "The risk is indeed very high, but if we want to avoid the sacrifice, the feasibility of this plan is considered relatively high."

"The Thanos on Vormir—at that point in time, he will possess four Infinity Stones."

"You all go back to the past, retrieve five Infinity Stones, and hand them to me. Then I will return to the timeline where Thanos acquires the Soul Stone, and with the aid of the stones' power, I have the confidence to retrieve the Soul Stone without him noticing a thing."

This was Lin Yi's second method. Relying solely on the Avengers, the failure rate of this plan was far too high, but if it were his current self, whose strength slightly surpassed a Steel Body...

Against a Thanos without Infinity Stones in a one-on-one fight, Lin Yi could say he faced practically no pressure. But against a Thanos wielding multiple Infinity Stones, and needing to take the Soul Stone without him noticing at all, Lin Yi at the very least required the special functions of the Mind Stone and the Reality Stone.

It wasn't as if he could just walk up and knock him out with a chop to the neck, could he? Thanos's goal was always to execute his half-population plan. The very second he sensed danger, or discovered Lin Yi as this anomaly, he would use the Space Stone to flee.