Chapter Thirty-Five: The Terrifying Power Gem!

“Halt!”

No sooner had they boarded the warship than over a hundred Kree warriors, armed to the teeth, charged toward them. Leading them was none other than Star-Lord’s old adversary.

“Enough talk, attack! We don’t have much time!”

To avoid a scenario where Ronan grew impatient and tore through the Nova Corps, Hao Yun swiftly performed a hand seal, unleashing the Shadow Clone Jutsu!

“Ninjutsu: Shadow Clone Technique!”

Thousands of Hao Yuns appeared—some wielding Rasengan, others opening the Eight Gates, some harnessing Lightning Release, and others firing Railgun blasts—employing a crushing onslaught against the enemy.

The hundred Kree soldiers couldn’t even hold out for half a second before being wiped out. Reinforcements arrived continuously, but even their numbers couldn’t match the killing speed of Hao Yun’s clones.

Drax, dumbfounded, held his double-edged blades while watching the battle unfold. He exchanged a glance with Star-Lord.

“I think we don’t even need to come in. He alone is enough…”

“Yeah, sorry for holding you back,” Star-Lord replied, nodding in agreement. After all, being Earthlings, they were simply outclassed.

“No, I can’t defeat the current Ronan,” Hao Yun said, calming his comrades. It wasn’t that he coveted Star-Lord’s group’s combat prowess, but rather their status as bearers of destiny.

Ever since ascending to the Celestial Father level, Hao Yun had sensed that throughout the universe, some individuals carried invisible threads of fate. Some seemed ordinary but could transform into dragons soaring through the heavens when the moment demanded.

For example, Tony Stark, Captain America, and Thor were such people. Perhaps it was because of their identities as chosen ones that the Ancient One and Stephen Strange chose not to spoil the future.

Maybe, it was Hao Yun’s very existence that disrupted the story, making the Ancient One less rigid.

But now, on the planet Xandar, the strongest fate-bearers were undoubtedly Star-Lord and his Guardians of the Galaxy!

“Of course, we’ve long been prepared!” Star-Lord said proudly, patting his chest, where Rocket had designed a large-caliber cannon.

“Get ready. In one minute, I’ll blast open the gate!”

Hao Yun had already advanced to Ronan’s massive gate. They hadn’t encountered Gamora yet, and their speed was impressive.

As for the security doors, could they be tougher than the warship’s hull?

“A simple punch!”

Clenching his fist, Hao Yun struck straight ahead without embellishment.

“Bang!”

His fist collided with the gate, shattering it completely and revealing a vast interior.

At the bow of the ship, Ronan wielded his massive hammer embedded with the Power Stone, ready to break the golden shield formed by the Nova Corps. Standing resolutely at the entrance was Gamora, twin blades in hand, frost in her eyes.

“Gamora, you’re still so foolish. Look at what you’ve done…”

Hao Yun scratched his nose—seems like he had to intervene himself.

“Boom!”

Before he could raise his hand, Drax fired his blaster. Gamora was blasted away, her body twisted grotesquely, lying motionless.

Everyone looked at Drax, who flashed his earnest smile.

“Don’t let her badmouth my friends.”

“We’re all your good friends!” Hao Yun gave a thumbs-up, admiring his decisiveness.

“Are you trying to stop me?”

With Gamora dispatched, they faced Ronan directly. Ronan withdrew his hammer, turning to confront Hao Yun and the others.

“Of course, idiot. Watch this!” Star-Lord proudly tapped his chest. Rocket’s cannon assembly was now complete. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger, sending a powerful kinetic shell flying.

“Bang!”

The explosion kicked up a cloud of dust. Drax’s face lit up with joy.

“You did it!”

Only Hao Yun knew that in the original timeline, Ronan was impervious even without being on guard. Now? He still had to act personally.

“Star-Lord, Kylia, your mission is to dismantle the Darkstar warship. Ronan, leave him to me!”

Taking a deep breath, Hao Yun advanced steadily. Energy surged over him; his power was now at its peak.

Kylia opened her mouth to speak, but Gamora pulled her and Star-Lord away. As Thanos’s daughter, she understood the strength of cosmic warriors well.

Since a surprise attack couldn’t inflict damage, the forthcoming battle was beyond their scope.

At the Celestial Father level, sheer numbers no longer mattered; only equals could contend.

A faint ripple of energy scattered the dust faster, revealing Ronan’s form.

Sure enough, protected by the Power Stone, Ronan was unharmed, stepping out unhindered.

“You should know, with the Power Stone, you are no match for me.”

Ronan spoke coolly, exuding arrogance that begged to be punched.

Hao Yun twitched his lips—who hasn’t been a bit dramatic at some point?

“Then I want to try.”

“Ninjutsu: Top-Level Buddha Transformation, Thousand True Hands!”

He unleashed his ultimate technique. The colossal Buddha, once hundreds or thousands of meters tall, shrank under Hao Yun’s control to about ten meters. The concentrated energy boosted its damage exponentially.

Thousands of fist-sized hands pounded forward. Hao Yun, trained in the ninja world, single-handedly replicated the effect of an entire army.

“Hah, petty tricks!”

Ronan slammed his hammer down, unleashing a wave of purple energy that swept across the ship.

The Buddha hands shattered into dust the instant they touched the energy ripple, not lasting even a second. Hao Yun was hurled backward, crashing into the ship’s bow, suffering internal injuries.

As he fell, he couldn’t help but marvel: this Power Stone was truly the universe’s greatest treasure—ridiculously powerful!

“I told you, you’re no match for me.”

Ronan gloated, gazing at his hammer. With the Power Stone, he had enough confidence to face anyone—even Thanos himself.

“But I still want to try!”

Gritting his teeth, Hao Yun forced himself up. This time, he chose close combat.

He stepped forward, and a spatial gate appeared beneath his feet. As he descended behind Ronan, a long sword materialized in his hand, slicing toward Ronan’s hammer-wielding right arm.

“Naïve!”

Unfortunately, Ronan was no rookie. Having clawed his way up from the bottom, his combat experience was formidable.

He hooked his right foot around the hammer’s handle and swung it. The handle met the sword blade head-on.

The Power Stone’s energy flared again, but strangely, Hao Yun was not thrown backward.

“Not broken? What kind of sword is that?”

Ronan frowned, struggling to accept the result.

Hao Yun was equally surprised. Could his custom Zanpakutō really counter the Power Stone?

Though amazed that he could even block Ronan’s hammer, it didn’t stop him from showing off.

“This sword is one meter eighty long, with a blade of one meter thirty. One side is engraved with sun, moon, and stars; the other with mountains, rivers, and flora. It weighs thirty-three pounds and is named Xuanyuan!”