A sudden voice made Lin Feng scratch his ears, even thinking he was hallucinating.
The ancient battle dance footage reappeared in his mind.
Damn, these familiar lines, what’s going on?
Lin Feng stopped in his tracks, frowning as he looked towards the source of the sound.
A massive figure, clad in golden armor.
Lin Feng clicked his tongue.
"Celestials?"
The style of this armor was exactly the same as the Celestials Lin Feng had encountered.
Besides them, Lin Feng couldn't think of anyone else who would dress like a bucket.
The golden armor lowered its gaze and repeated, "You cannot continue fighting!"
As it spoke, the golden armor pointed at the foam universe that had been destroyed by the two of them.
Its every movement conveyed a sense of silent heartache.
As if its heart had shattered along with the foam universe.
Lin Feng's brow furrowed into a question mark.
"This... brother?"
"You may call me O." the Celestial in golden armor said.
"O?"
A strange self-appellation.
Lin Feng pointed at the dying old Thanos with his finger. "Do you think he still has the ability to stand up and fight me in this state?"
The Celestial calling himself O fell silent...
It seemed he had arrived too late.
The old Thanos was clearly on his last breath, unable to fight even if he wanted to...
"Alright, it appears I am indeed too late."
"Lin Feng, I wish to have a word with you..."
Lin Feng waved his hand impatiently.
"No time!"
Seeing that the old Thanos was about to meet his end, and he hadn't asked his questions yet, how could he have time to chat with you?
Leaving O aside, Lin Feng approached the old Thanos.
The old Thanos looked at Lin Feng quietly.
The madness and bloodlust in his eyes had vanished. Now, he looked like an ordinary old man.
"Lin Feng... where exactly do you come from..." the old Thanos's gaze was somewhat unfocused.
"You are not in the timeline, neither in the future nor the past..."
"Your appearance has changed the entire timeline..."
"You... do not belong to this universe, do you..."
Just speaking a few words accelerated the old Thanos's fading life force.
As expected of the old Thanos who had slaughtered countless universes, he had analyzed Lin Feng's origins with reasonable accuracy.
Lin Feng was not surprised. His uniqueness was something that anyone with the power to influence time and space could roughly deduce.
Lin Feng squatted down, a sense of melancholy washing over him.
This was the second Thanos he had defeated.
"The loser has no right to ask questions."
"Now, I ask, you answer."
Despite his feelings, Lin Feng felt no sympathy for the old Thanos.
His hands were stained with the blood of countless universes, bearing sins unimaginable to ordinary beings.
The old Thanos merely smiled, offering no rebuttal.
Lin Feng voiced his confusion. "I cannot understand."
"Why did you spread word of me?"
"Whether it was during the Infinity Stones incident or this time with the Time Variance Authority."
"I am quite sure we have no deep-seated enmity, right?"
Lin Feng swore on his conscience that even the Thanos of his own universe, before he committed any evil, Lin Feng had never gone out of his way to confront him.
As long as they did not pose a threat to the universe or to Lin Feng, Lin Feng would not proactively kill them.
However, trouble always seemed to find Lin Feng inadvertently.
This was what people often meant when they said, you might not seek trouble, but that doesn't mean trouble won't find you...
The old Thanos grunted, lying there for a long time before sighing softly. "Does one need a reason for killing?"
Lin Feng tilted his head and retorted, "Don't you?"
The old Thanos chuckled and continued, "For me, no..."
Lin Feng scoffed, "That is truly a brutal statement..."
However, Lin Feng could somewhat relate to what the old Thanos said.
Many things do not require a reason. Someone like Thanos might simply destroy a universe for amusement when bored.
These actions stem from one's own desires, just as protecting the ones you love requires no reason.
"Then why did you come after me?"
"There are so many powerful beings in the universe, why did you choose me?"
"Did you think I was easy to bully?"
The old Thanos's words made Lin Feng feel underestimated, as if everyone thought he was a pushover.
Lin Feng's question made the old Thanos fall silent again.
Lin Feng was not in a hurry. He sat cross-legged in the void, waiting for the old Thanos to speak.
He was keeping the old Thanos alive with his energy; he wouldn't die anytime soon.
After a long pause, the old Thanos finally gave his answer.
"Death took a liking to your soul..."
Lin Feng blinked, completely bewildered.
"What the heck? The Goddess of Death? Hela?"
The old Thanos grunted, "You know her too?"
Lin Feng nodded instinctively.
Of course, he knew about Hela, the Goddess of Death, given how many Marvel cinematic universes and lore he had read.
He had even captured a Goddess of Death, Hela, and personally sent her to Asgard.
Now, that Hela was squatting on Blue Star in disgrace, with one arm hanging limply.
However, the Hela the old Thanos spoke of was clearly not her.
She must be the Goddess of Death from the old Thanos's universe, far more powerful than the Hela of Lin Feng's own universe.
"I destroyed so many universes and offered up so many souls, including many who were powerful beings that roamed the universe."
"But her collection is truly vast."
"She seems to have lost interest in ordinary souls."
Lin Feng fell silent.
"So she set her sights on me..."
"Yes, your soul is very special... though I don't know why it's special," Thanos explained.
"But I will personally bring whatever she desires to her..."
Lin Feng didn't know whether to laugh or cry, at a loss for words.
"You're just a complete simpering dog..."
"Does that sound like an insult?"
"Perhaps. Do you care?"
"Whether I care or not, it's meaningless now..."
"You're quite open-minded about it..."
"There's nothing to be open-minded or not. I've expected this day would come."
When one is on the verge of death, what is there to care about.
It seems that everyone, before dying, feels that everything is meaningless.
But inevitably, there will still be some attachments, some lingering affections, some regrets.
For the old Thanos, during his cosmic slaughter, he undoubtedly sensed his own fate.
It was merely a matter of when it would arrive...
"Do you have any other questions? If not, I'll withdraw my energy." the old Thanos said weakly.
He could feel Lin Feng's energy keeping him alive, and it was uncomfortable, causing him pain all over. He would rather find release sooner.