Chapter 89: Shockwaves Across the Globe!
Due to the Ancient One harnessing the power of the Time Stone solely on herself, and fixing her time at the moment of entering the Mirror Dimension, all of Qi Jun's attacks were rendered ineffective. However, Qi Jun wasn't without means to counter this. If the Ancient One doesn't apply the Time Stone's power directly to him, he could instead use the power of the Mutated Stone on her. While this technique may seem unbeatable to others, it wasn't to Qi Jun. The previous spatial slashes he sent out were ineffective because they lacked the Mutated Stone's power.
If Qi Jun had infused his attacks with the Mutated Stone's power, even a single spatial blade could have struck the "Green Ancient One," stopping her from exploiting the time trick. But the Ancient One's tactic annoyed Qi Jun, prompting him to teach her a profound lesson by deploying the forbidden Space Collapse technique.
Determined, Qi Jun combined the power of the Mutated Stone, opting not to expend his own energy but to utilize the Mind Warp ability, randomly teleporting within the Mirror Dimension, frustrating the Ancient One who struggled to catch him. The Mind Warp ability required no energy, whereas the Ancient One was continuously expending power. Despite maintaining her state at the initial moment in the Mirror Dimension, she would eventually pay the energy cost of activating the Time Stone.
Soon, Qi Jun completed his preparations. Stopping his evasive maneuvers, he faced the glowing green Ancient One. He wanted to say something, but the sight of the glowing green Ancient One left him speechless. She shone brighter than the Hulk ever did.
With a meaningful glance at the advancing Ancient One, Qi Jun pointed casually. Energy from both his reserves and the Mutated Stone was rapidly consumed, forming a small black dot at his fingertip. The sound of glass shattering filled the air as the dot emerged. Qi Jun, his face pale and body weak from the energy drain, felt a wave of terror from the black dot. Noticing the Ancient One's shocked expression, Qi Jun used Mind Warp to retreat to his lounge chair on the Venus space station.
Overwhelmed by the suffocating dread of the black dot, Qi Jun didn't have the presence of mind to order Tai Bai to open the solar panels for recharging. However, Tai Bai, prioritizing Qi Jun's well-being, automatically activated the space station's solar panels, initiating the recharge.
Back in the Mirror Dimension...
"No! How can this be!"
Just as Qi Jun departed, the black dot extended countless black tendrils, rapidly consuming space, causing everything they touched to collapse. The sound of fracturing space echoed continuously. Witnessing this, the Ancient One, reminded of a dimension's collapse she once observed, let out a desperate cry.
As she screamed, the black dot erupted, enveloping the entire Mirror Dimension in an instant. The dimension shattered entirely, and a tremendous energy wave spread outward. Qi Jun's office was obliterated, as was the entire floor. Fortunately, the office was on the top floor of the building, minimizing casualties.
Oddly, the energy wave only spread horizontally, turning upward rather than in all directions, as if guided by an invisible force to minimize damage. This was a result of Qi Jun's communication with the Mutated Stone. He knew the Space Collapse could level all of New York if uncontrolled, so he directed the energy to avoid catastrophic damage.
The wave still caused significant destruction, damaging everything in its path, including hundreds of satellites. The Ancient One, gravely injured and her artifacts cracked, reappeared on the ruined observation deck, shocking global superhuman organizations.
...
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, Operations Command Center
A deafening alarm filled the room, jolting everyone.
"This—this can't be!"
Staring at the projected screen displaying a top-level red alert, Nick Fury's usual composure shattered. His face, a mask of shock, couldn't believe the energy wave from New York had reached S.H.I.E.L.D.'s highest monitoring threshold, destroying everything in its path, including birds, clouds, and satellites. Among the casualties was a newly launched, high-altitude testing space carrier.