While wandering in Bruce Banner's garden.
Bi Xiao was completing the upgrade of the Golden City, which had reached its final stages. By incorporating the corpses of ten Hell lords, its power was greatly enhanced.
It was filled with dazzling divine radiance.
Overlooking the magnificent city below, Bi Xiao knew that its only shortcoming was the insufficient amount of magic, which had been resolved after he upgraded its core dimension world, though it would take time to accumulate.
Additionally, Bi Xiao believed his direction was correct.
With the Golden City, even though he hadn't yet ascended to a single-universe entity, he was truly on par with those at that level of power.
Another issue Bi Xiao needed to consider remained the same.
He needed to create his own realm. Although he was accustomed to staying on Earth, his level of thinking and perspective had already diverged significantly from humanity. For Earth, he maintained a semblance of humanity out of habit.
In reality, Bi Xiao was no longer human and viewed matters with much more detachment.
For example, when the Hell lord descended upon Earth, the immense pressure plunged the planet into chaos, causing numerous car accidents and disasters with a high death toll. Bi Xiao had the power to restore the lives of those who died but chose not to.
By human moral standards or the ideals of superheroes, if one had the ability to prevent suffering, one should do so regardless of the outcome.
Bi Xiao's perspective was different; the outcome was non-interference.
This was a form of dominance. No wonder that after becoming a deity, they viewed humans and other lower civilizations as ants. The Celestials, too, treated lower civilizations as experiments, destroying them if deemed worthless.
Many things, such as human humor and tear-jerking shows, seemed like child's play to Bi Xiao, evoking no feelings whatsoever.
Bi Xiao knew that what he pursued and valued was beginning to shift. In the future, he might not stay on Earth for long periods and might occasionally visit to reminisce about his past life.
With a silent sigh, he acknowledged that this was perhaps a necessary part of chasing the supreme path.
Suddenly, he sensed something, his eyebrows lifting.
Meanwhile, at the manor.
It was already night. Wanda and Pietro were eating dinner heartily, while Bruce Banner and Bella were more composed.
During the meal, Wanda suddenly remembered something and asked Bella, "I recall there was a big guy called Juggernaut with you?"
"Yes, when I was in Forks Town, Shaw had Juggernaut follow me for protection. Later, when I left, Juggernaut also left. I don't know where he went, but he mentioned seeking revenge on Professor X due to some past conflict."
Bella nodded. As a bodyguard, Juggernaut was highly cost-effective. He didn't need food or drink and followed orders well. Bella could have him do anything, and he would comply.
The cost was just some money, which Juggernaut loved. Boxes of loose change made him very happy.
Bella quite liked this somewhat temperamental but straightforward giant. After finishing his job, he eagerly sought to battle Professor X.
Who knows how things are now.
"Do you want to find Juggernaut?" Bella asked, puzzled. Wanda and Juggernaut didn't seem connected.
"I want to study Juggernaut's Crimson Gem. Recently, I've been researching crimson magic." Wanda explained. Unlike Pietro, both she and Bella followed the path of sorcerers, continuously learning to strengthen themselves.
Compared to Bella, Wanda had a significant advantage, and it would be a waste not to learn.
Understanding this, Bella realized, "If you want to find Juggernaut, I set a magical coordinate on him before he left. You can locate him through it."
"Thank you," Wanda expressed her gratitude, enthusiastically pouring Bella a glass of juice.
Bella accepted it gladly.
When Bella first appeared, Wanda had mixed feelings towards her. Though not outright hostile, she was certainly displeased. Fortunately, Wanda was gentle, and Bella also had a gentle nature. Over time, they grew quite close.
They became like very good sisters. Both being sorcerers, they enjoyed discussing magic.
Even Pietro sometimes jealously remarked that they seemed like twins.
There was supposed to be another member, Jean Grey, the Dark Phoenix. However, due to her dual personalities and sharing her body with another persona on alternating days, similar to Bruce Banner, she naturally stayed at the mutant academy and didn't come to the manor.
As they chatted, suddenly, Wanda, Bella, and Pietro stopped their movements, standing up abruptly, their eyes fixed beyond the manor.
This startled Banner, who had no idea what was happening.
Then, Hulk provided an explanation in his mind.
Banner was surprised, "Outside, there's a presence that disgusts you?"
At that moment, Pietro, Wanda, and Bella turned into beams of light and disappeared. Banner, realizing he couldn't just stay in the manor, especially considering his semi-guest status due to Hulk, decided to follow.
Reluctantly, he got on his electric scooter and headed out. Running there would take too much time.
Outside the manor, a winding path flanked by dense forests stretches out. Under the streetlights on either side of the road, some flying insects are hovering. However, beneath one of the streetlights, a faint black figure is scanning the surroundings.
"Finally found it, but there's a barrier here. If I touch it, I might be attacked."
Under the light, a pale and handsome face is revealed, dressed in a purple suit, with black threads occasionally flickering in his eye sockets. This is Blackheart, the son of Mephisto, the Lord of Hell.
Blackheart was sent to Earth on a mission to find a target. Although reluctant, he couldn't defy his father Mephisto's orders. He had ambitions, but now was not the time to overthrow anyone. After all, his current power was far inferior to Mephisto's. If his ambitions were discovered, the result would be death.
After days of searching, Blackheart finally found the place, but was blocked by the barrier. Forcing his way through with his abilities might result in death. He knew he was special, and normal methods couldn't kill him, but he didn't want to test if this could.
His target was a figure who could kill ten Hell lords, including Lucifer, and was more terrifying than his father Mephisto. Blackheart was unwilling to come, fearing that the other party might kill him on sight.
So, Blackheart could only wait. He believed the other party would eventually notice him.
As expected, three individuals appeared within the manor's barrier: Wanda, Bella, and Pietro. They immediately formed a circle around him. A terrifying aura emanated from them, causing the insects around the streetlights to drop dead instantly. The powerful aura rushed towards Blackheart, who was startled but not overly nervous.
He couldn't afford to provoke the powerful figure, but that didn't mean he was powerless. He was already at the demigod level. Although the three before him were strong, they didn't make him overly anxious.
"A demon?"
Wanda coldly stared at Blackheart, red light flickering in her eyes as she prepared to open the mirror dimension, coordinating with Pietro and Bella to kill him. She had no fondness for demons, especially after the Hell's Gate incident, which made her thoroughly hostile towards them.
Seeing Wanda's aggressive stance, Blackheart immediately raised his hands in surrender and quickly shouted, "Hey, beautiful lady, I'm not here to cause trouble."
"I'm here to deliver a message on behalf of my father, Mephisto, the Lord of Hell."
Blackheart spoke humbly, devoid of the arrogance expected of a Hell lord's son. He knew how to assess the situation and the people before him were not weak compared to him. This humility was Blackheart's survival strategy.
Wanda, Pietro, and Bella remained vigilant. Though Blackheart claimed to represent Mephisto, they couldn't kill him outright. As Wanda was about to contact their leader, a tall figure emerged from a ripple in the space beside her.
"The son of Mephisto, Blackheart."
The voice was calm but carried an oppressive force, making Blackheart instinctively tremble. He looked at the newcomer with fear in his eyes. The figure before him seemed more like a vast galaxy, beautiful and noble yet deadly.
"Yes, I am Blackheart. I'm here to convey my father's will," Blackheart said carefully, his voice low and humble, afraid that the figure might kill him at any moment.
The figure, Bi Xiao, observed Blackheart with interest. "You seem very nervous?"
"Respected Guardian, anyone facing you would be nervous. Your authority has spread throughout the hell dimension, and countless demons fear your power," Blackheart responded immediately.
"No wonder you're a demon," Bi Xiao laughed. "Demons know how to adapt their speech."
Shaking his head, Bi Xiao continued, "Alright, what does he want you to convey?"
"My father's message is in this." Blackheart took out a parchment scroll, encrypted with Mephisto's power and will, which even Blackheart couldn't peek into. It was clearly to guard against him. Blackheart understood that the meeting between the two big figures was not something he could be involved in.
With a flash of his eyes, Bi Xiao made the scroll fly from Blackheart's hand, hovering in front of him and opening automatically. After a brief glance at the contents, Bi Xiao said, "You can go back now. I've agreed to his request."
The Blackheart demon immediately let out a sigh of relief and disappeared after bowing.
His departure was exceptionally swift.
Seeing this, Wanda couldn't help but chuckle. Standing beside Bi Xiao, she curiously asked, "What does Mephisto want to do?"
"He wants to pledge allegiance to me." Bi Xiao slightly raised his chin, indicating the three to look at the parchment scroll in front of them.
The three looked at it at once, and saw lines of demonic text appearing on the previously blank parchment scroll. The text then transformed into English, causing Wanda and the others to have peculiar expressions.
Because the descriptions were excessively flattering, so much so that it was unbecoming of someone of Mephisto's stature to say such things.
It sounded completely like the sycophantic flattery a lackey would use on a mob boss, only more disgusting.
"Did Mephisto really say this?" The white-haired boy scratched his head incredulously. "I thought Mephisto would be scarier than I imagined, but now..."
Now Pietro's impression was completely shattered.
Bi Xiao shook his head. "Demons have always been this way—cunning and deceitful by nature. This is true for low-level demons, and even for someone as powerful as Mephisto. Moreover, facing a life-and-death crisis, Mephisto has to make a choice and naturally wants to eliminate my hostility towards him as much as possible."
"Life-and-death crisis? Are you referring to Heaven?" Pietro, who was quite knowledgeable about Hell, asked. After all, if Bi Xiao didn't explain it, there was always Thor to keep him informed.
"It's not just Heaven; other dimensions are also eyeing Hell greedily. Besides, I have no intention of sparing Hell. Mephisto and his territory are prime targets, and everyone wants a piece of it. With so many contenders, Hell is bound to be divided."
Bi Xiao explained.
"So, he wants to ally with us?"
Pietro suddenly understood.
"I don't think so," Bella calmly analyzed. "Though he seems to be allying with us, I believe he's hedging his bets. He must have other plans as well. Someone like Mephisto would never rely on a single contingency."
"Indeed, anyone who ascends to the throne of Satan isn't simple," Wanda agreed.
Bi Xiao smiled, patted Wanda on the head, and then, as she pushed his hand away in annoyance, continued, "He sees the looming crisis, so our side is likely his best bet."
"Heaven must also have some contact with Mephisto."
"Heaven? Is that possible?" Pietro scratched his chin skeptically.
"Don't forget, there are rifts between us and Heaven. Heaven won't ignore the rich prize that is Earth. Moreover, we previously eliminated Gabriel, one of Yahweh's most loyal warriors. I've also killed several Hell lords, including Lucifer. This will undoubtedly alert Heaven."
"If Heaven and Hell go to war, they will certainly consider me as a factor. If Heaven isn't foolish, their priority will be to target me. Only by eliminating me can they safely conquer Hell and then turn their attention to Earth."
Bi Xiao understood their motives thoroughly. A little imagination revealed Heaven's intentions clearly.
"So, Heaven's deal with Mephisto is to lure you in during the war and then ambush you," Pietro quickly grasped the situation and said angrily, "These guys are really treacherous."
"This is strategy and planning. For the sake of their interests, they will do whatever it takes to eliminate threats. Originally, Hell, Heaven, and Earth were in a balance. My emergence has disrupted this balance maintained for countless years, so Heaven is bound to act."
Bi Xiao was indifferent to this, considering that just as Heaven viewed him as a threat, he viewed Heaven as prey. They were mutually antagonistic, so any means were justified.
"Mephisto betting on both sides is quite the strategy," Pietro, thinking quickly, immediately guessed Mephisto's intentions. After all, the parchment had no information about any deal with Heaven—not even a mention.
It was just full of flattery.
"He's gauging my attitude towards Hell and himself. If he laid all his cards on the table at once, he would fear that I'd eliminate Heaven and then him. Betting bit by bit is his strategy. I think our next meeting will be in person."
"Could this be a conspiracy between Heaven and Mephisto?" Bella worriedly asked at this moment.
"We'll know when we meet, but it's unlikely. The enmity between Mephisto and Heaven is too deep for him to trust them."