"Smack!"
A vast and invisible force of rules spread outwards.
In the blink of an eye, fifteen USB drives scattered around the world turned to ashes.
These USB drives contained backup plans left by Ultron, and the owners themselves were unaware that their data had been tampered with.
"Consumed 20% of life force."
Wenwu frowned slightly. This was the first time he had drastically altered reality, and even with the Power Stone's enhancement, the cost was still considerable.
Of course, this enormous cost precisely proves that Ultron did indeed leave a contingency plan; otherwise, the price to pay for rewriting reality would not have been so high.
The rest of the time.
News of the Ten Rings taking over Sokovia quickly spread around the world.
Global public opinion is in turmoil again, and countless people are outraged.
The Ten Rings has taken a strong stance and established itself in the heart of NATO, causing the NATO alliance and its leader, the United States, to lose face.
Led by the United States, a number of NATO member states have spoken out in succession, jointly condemning the Ten Rings Empire".
In response to public opinion, the Ten Rings announced that its deployment to Sokovia was solely aimed at ending decades of conflict on the land.
Sokovia is not a NATO member state, NATO has no right to interfere with its affiliation.
This response failed to quell NATO's anger. NATO has suffered repeated setbacks in the Middle East, being pushed back Ten Rings, and now its heartland has been penetrated by the enemy. They cannot accept this situation.
The United States, leading its NATO allies, rapidly mobilized troops and assembled them on the Sokovia border.
The war broke out instantly.
However, after the initial engagement, the NATO allied forces quickly suffered a crushing defeat under the onslaught of the Ten Rings fighters, the Iron Legion, and the human-enhanced troops.
The world once again witnessed the formidable military power of the Ten Rings Empire.
The Ten Rings attack exerts a suppressive effect on NATO allies, representing a strike at a lower level.
The United States urgently deployed a large number of war machines and Sentinels to the front lines, barely managing to hold back the battle and gain a brief period of stalemate.
This is only because the Ten Rings haven't used their full strength; they're just using this conflict as training.
Of course, the two sides also reached a tacit understanding that neither would send any superpowered individuals into the fray.
NATO's top brass knows that once their superhuman combat forces join the war, the Ten Rings will inevitably send their own strong fighters. With such strong fighters, their chances of winning are even lower.
"My lord, the army of Yisi Country has launched an attack on our border!"
On the Heavenly Palace Tower, a holographic projection of Ching-Lin appeared, reporting military intelligence to Wenwu and military officials.
"That's actually a good thing. They started the war first, which gives us a reason. We'll push the border inwards and then annex their entire territory. I'll make sure these squid lose their foothold again."
A smile played on Wenwu's lips, but a chilling glint flashed in his eyes.
"Yes, my lord!"
Ching-Lin bowed and accepted the order.
"Within Yilan, the United States occupies the Persian Gulf region, which seems to connect to Afghanistan, right?"
Wenwu asked.
"That's right, my lord. You intend to conquer this region?"
Ching-Lin instantly understood his thoughts.
" The Afghanistan people have suffered for a long time. Opening this passage will bring the entire region of Afghanistan into the 'Ten Rings ' map."
With a look of pity on his face, Wenwu spoke slowly.
"Yes, sir! I will arrange the battle plan immediately!"
Ching-Lin responded respectfully.
"No need to rush things; let the frontline soldiers hone their skills through the fighting."
Wenwu gave further instructions.
"Clear!"
After Ching-Lin bowed, the holographic image disappeared.
Ching-Lin withdrew, Wenwu opened a holographic screen, displaying the improved and optimized "Qi" cultivation method.
He planned to promote this body-strengthening exercise within the empire.
He originally considered mass-producing basic enhancement potions to improve the physical condition of ordinary people. However, the total population of the Ten Rings is now close to 80 million, and enhancing everyone with potions would require a massive amount of resources, which even the Ten Rings could not afford with its current resources.
So he sought another way out, launching an optimized version of the "Qi" cultivation method that was easier to learn and more effective.
The promotion is not mandatory; it simply encourages people to practice on their own.
As for the possibility of the technique being leaked, Wenwu didn't care; he considered it a way to strengthen the physique of all humankind.
A few days later, the Ten Rings Empire launched simultaneous attacks on the US military base and the Yisi Country within Yilan.
The Ten Rings Empire has launched a multi-front war, and the flames of war continue to spread outwards.
Many small Middle East governments are intimidated by the power of the Ten Rings, and their people are filled with anxiety.
" Tony Stark, look at this! This is the chain reaction you've started! This war started because of you, do you know how many people will die because of it?!"
Inside the newly built Stark Tower in New York, Steve Rogers pointed at Tony and shouted angrily.
"That's utter nonsense. I admit Ultron partly to blame for my mistake, but you can't pin the entire war on me. If you're so capable, go to the White House or the Ten Rings Empire and try to persuade them to stop the war!"
Tony laughed in anger at these accusations.
This old fogey wants to pin the blame for the war on him; it's truly speechless.
" Tony, no matter what, this is a chain of events you caused. From now on, you must report any high-risk weapons you develop in advance!!"
Carol's gaze fell on Tony, her tone carrying a strong sense of pressure.
Why should I report to you what research I do? I'm not one of your employees!
Tony simply found these people's minds incomprehensible.
"Alright, let's put that aside for now. Tony, tell me about your underwater military base. It seems the military hasn't approved your construction of that facility."
Fury then walked up to Tony and spoke with a serious expression.
"It's just a large-scale laboratory."
Tony didn't want to explain further to this group.
" Tony, when I first saw the news about you shutting down the weapons department, I still had some respect for you. But now you're mass-producing weapons again. What's going on?"
Steve's tone turned cold.
"I arm myself and the Earth to defend against threats from outer space. Otherwise, with your body modified by the serum, how could you possibly withstand powerful enemies from beyond the realm? That shield you're holding, I even helped you reforge it back then, isn't it a weapon? Why don't you just throw it away?"
Tony couldn't help but retort sarcastically.
Earlier, Steve's shield was taken by Wenwu and used to fight against Carol.
Later, Tony used Secondary Adamantium to forge a new shield for him.
"You...!"
Feeling his pride wounded, Steve slammed his shield into the floor and turned to leave quickly.
"You broke my floor, don't you have to pay for it?"
Tony called out jokingly to his departing figure.
" Tony, you were too impulsive."
Fury offered a word of advice, then turned and left.
Carol followed Tony out of his mansion.
"Hmph, what absurd, one after another they come to question me."
Tony's face darkened, and he muttered to himself.
He actually endorsed what the Ten Rings team had done!
Since the rise of the Ten Rings, local conflicts around the world have decreased significantly, and people in large parts of the Middle East are able to live in peace. In contrast, before the rise Ten Rings the United States, the United States had long been involved in the internal affairs of other countries, plundered resources, and constantly ignited wars.
"Sir, you have received an email from an unknown source."
JARVIS's voice echoed in the room.