Staring at that gigantic black sun, like a black hole, the sun's core was deep and bottomless, but filled with countless mysterious patterns. The light it emitted was colorless, as if drawn with black paint, sketching vague yet light outlines on the canvas of the world.
The dance of particles was like rising flames, making it impossible for Xu Shang-Chi to look away from the unpredictable movements. He felt as if his soul was about to be drawn into the endless mystery and patterns, a view both terrifying, majestic, and magnificent.
Unconsciously, Xu Shang-Chi moved towards it, stretching out one hand as if wanting to touch the sun's rays. But it just hung there silently, not responding to anything.
Xu Shang-Chi thought he would communicate with the gods in the depths of the stars. But standing there, he realized they couldn't be communicated with. They themselves represented knowledge and truth.
In the moment of staring at them, infinite knowledge flowed into his brain. It wasn't specific energies or abilities, or any sort of enhancements. They were truths that couldn't be described by words or language, which was the real power they gave to their devotees.
Scene after scene poured into Xu Shang-Chi's mind. A man writhing in pain on a hospital bed, the Avengers gathered around him, the madness transmitted through clasped hands, endless multiplication, murder, chaos, assimilation, invasion...
Then an extremely complex system started from the center of the universe, countless monsters spread out from their seats, each one's image, name, personality, hobbies...
All these stories were preserved in his memory in graphic form. Xu Shang-Chi had never perceived his memory space so clearly before. It was as though everything had suddenly been organized. He could even recall specific memories from certain points in time with extreme accuracy.
Those truths and knowledge that he had acquired when staring at the black sun had turned into a black notebook with the patterns of the black sun on the cover. It quietly fell into the vast memory space. Xu Shang-Chi picked it up and began to flip through it.
Soon, he was immersed in the story known as the "Cancer Universe". He didn't know how much time had passed. When he finally finished reading the story, he gently opened his eyes, left his memory space, not taking any power they offered. Yet, he had obtained a key that could ensure his victory.
Xu Shang-Chi exhaled, finding that Riley had already opened her eyes, and a few seconds later Quill also woke up. They exchanged a look and understood what each other had gained.
"It's amazing, isn't it?" Quill sneered, "The life God known for its endless proliferation is one of them. Unfortunately, we can't directly address its real name, but I think you both understand what it has done to this universe."
Riley's eyes were filled with anger. The story had obviously made him furious. He hit the ground with his hand, growling, "Ma · Will abandoned his honor. He chose to live cowardly and he ruined the universe!"
Suddenly, a shadow fell over him. Jessica stood behind Riley, curiously watching the three, clutching her gun, she said uncertainly, "Did... did you succeed?"
Xu Shang-Chi sighed and said, "Don't worry, we're not insane. The ancient being that responded to our call does not spread chaos and madness. He is the carrier of knowledge, truth, and prophecy, so we gained truth from him."
"What truth?" Jessica seemed puzzled.
"The truth of the universe."
Quill patted the ground beside him, indicating Jessica to sit down. Jessica was still a bit cautious, but she didn't notice any changes in Xu Shang-Chi and Riley. There were no tentacles growing on their bodies, and their eyes did not look mad.
She thought, well, what if they were insane? The worst outcome would be that they would kill her, and she had long wanted to die.
With this indifferent and self-destructive attitude, Jessica sat by the fire, listening to the three discussing the story of the universe.
"Captain Marvelous Mar-Vell, a Kree hero who once helped Earth, spent his life striving for peace in the universe. He earned the respect of the Avengers and many human heroes. So when he became seriously ill and his days were numbered, they all visited him to comfort him."
Xu Shang-Chi started the conversation, giving examples to describe Mar-Vell, sketching a great interstellar hero figure for Jessica.
"But what our human heroes did not know, is that Mar · Will had already succumbed to his illness. He abandoned his past glory, merely to survive." Riley spat through gritted teeth. "When he felt helpless and in pain, he looked towards the star, he heard the stars calling, and to survive, he responded to the call."
"You did the same." Jessica wasn't infected by Riley's tone of grief and anger, she objectively commented, "Everyone wants to survive. I don't think it's shameful to do whatever it takes to achieve that."
"Yes, he certainly can sell his body and soul in order to survive, and no one can blame him. He can choose to follow his God to the depths of the stars, completely immerged in mindless folly, becoming an eternal entity oblivious to everything."