Chapter 70: Sending Thanos to Hell

“What’s wrong with Thanos? Why did he stop after taking one step forward? Now he’s just standing there grinning like an idiot,” Captain America asked.

“It’s an illusion,” came the reply.

“Are we not being too cruel?” Captain America asked, unable to hide his discomfort, voicing what many of the others were feeling as well.

“Do you even know what will happen if Thanos succeeds in assembling all six Infinity Stones? The entire universe—not just Earth, but the entire universe—will lose half of its intelligent life. And you think we’re being cruel?” Yang Xin retorted sharply, and then turned to shout at Thor, “Thor, keep going! Don’t stop!”

An endless loop, an unbroken cycle—Thanos’ head was chopped off again and again. He tried every way he could to change the outcome, but this was nothing like the split forces of the Avengers in the third film. This time, Yang Xin had brought together nearly every superpowered being on Earth. Their combined strength was unprecedented.

Even if it was just a matter of numbers, they could overwhelm Thanos. He tried to escape, but every attempt was thwarted—either he was restrained or some unknown force sealed him in place. Thanos could even sense that his attempts at creating spatial wormholes were being interrupted by some mysterious power, making any escape impossible.

“What are you trying to do?” Thor panted heavily after beheading Thanos once again.

“I’m simply following the will of the gods and sending him to hell,” Yang Xin replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“I’ve already sent him to hell—a thousand times or maybe eight hundred!?” Thor bellowed furiously.

“Actually, not counting the nine times you were killed, you’ve only killed Thanos thirteen times so far,” Yang Xin replied coolly.

“You! I—damn it!” Thor looked to the heavens in exasperation, then hefted Stormbreaker and advanced once more.

No one knew how many more times Thor struck down Thanos before asking again, “What is it you really want?”

“I want to send him to hell. Truly, to hell.”

“Aren’t we doing that right now? Just stop that damned time loop!” Thor snapped.

“You’re killing him, but what I mean is sending him to hell,” Yang Xin said calmly.

“What’s the difference?!”

“There is a difference. Killing him is simply killing him. Sending him to hell is sending him to hell. They’re not the same thing,” Yang Xin answered, his tone mild.

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said.”

“You mean…” Thor trailed off, finally starting to understand Yang Xin’s intention.

“Have you killed enough yet?”

“Killing him a hundred times, a thousand times, even ten thousand times isn’t enough!” Thor growled, panting heavily.

“In fact, you still have ten million five hundred sixty-five more times to go. Oh, make that ten million five hundred sixty-four. We’ll talk when you’ve had enough,” Yang Xin said.

“It will never be enough!” Thor roared, charging forward with Stormbreaker once again.

“Then we’ll talk when you’re done,” said Yang Xin, making a gesture of invitation.

At first, Thor swung his axe with the full force of his fury, but as the cycle dragged on and the number of deaths mounted, his attacks grew perfunctory, then half-hearted. Ultimately, only his will kept him moving. At last, he flung Stormbreaker aside and collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath, his eyes staring blankly at the sky.

“I’ve had enough. Even killing him won’t bring back my people. What is it you want?” Thor asked again.

He wasn’t the only one who wanted to know. Everyone present, even Thanos himself, was desperate for an answer.

Time rewound.

Once more, time reset to the moment Thanos first set foot in Wakanda. This time, the Hulk didn’t bother clubbing him—he tossed his weapon aside and lay down, too tired to care about another fight.

“Shall we talk?” Yang Xin said with a smile.

Thanos glanced at him dully, took a deep breath, then set aside his armor and weapons—including the Infinity Gauntlet and the stones—before sitting down.

At first, he’d been full of boundless rage. But after endless loops and ceaseless deaths, the fact that he hadn’t gone mad was testament to his iron will.

“What do you want?” Thanos spat on the ground with disdain, then growled in a hoarse voice, his cold eyes fixed on Yang Xin. For the first time, he looked at him directly.

Yang Xin understood Thanos’ anger. Anyone would want to vent after being trapped in a time loop and killed without end.

“I told you: to send you to hell.”

“Kill me if you must, but don’t humiliate me!” Thanos brandished his heavy blade.

Yang Xin was unfazed. He knew Thanos was putting on a show—if he truly meant to fight to the death, he would never have removed his armor, and he would certainly have kept the Infinity Gauntlet.

“Hell is another dimensional space connected to Earth. It isn’t part of the main universe, yet it’s inextricably linked to our world. I want you and your army to take a trip through that dimension.”

“What do you mean?” Thanos’ eyes narrowed in confusion.

“In fact, I actually agree with your theory of universal balance,” Yang Xin said, then repeated the arguments he’d once discussed with the Ancient One.

“Then why did you stop me?” Thanos finally understood that everything he’d experienced—his current predicament—was orchestrated by the man in front of him. Still, he was surprised to hear Yang Xin agree with his philosophy.

As for whether Yang Xin might be lying, the thought never crossed Thanos’ mind. Yang Xin now held every advantage—timing, terrain, and unity. Victory was certain; he had no need to deceive.

“Your method is flawed. Balance must come from the universe itself, not from artificial intervention. By doing it your way, you’ve lost the support of others,” Yang Xin said gently.

“But if no one acts, the universe’s resources will one day be insufficient for intelligent life…” Thanos grew more bewildered.

“So your solution is mass slaughter? That’s not the way, old Thanos. Billions will resist you, and if you ever provoke a truly powerful being, you’ll be wiped out in an instant.”

“I’m not afraid to die!” Thanos said, tensing his neck.

“But your mission remains unfinished. If you die, the universe will still one day face the crisis you fear. So…”

“So?” Thanos held his breath, alert, while everyone else listened intently.

“So let’s try a different approach. Your method is all about restriction. If that doesn’t work, let’s create more—expand the supply. If we can develop boundless space and resources, achieving perfect balance between life and death, then your worries would be over. Isn’t that obvious, yet you never thought of it?” Yang Xin said, exasperated.

“The universe is finite…” Thanos began, then suddenly his eyes widened. “You mean the hell dimension?”

“How is that possible?” Thanos stood and paced. “Impossible! Hell isn’t suitable for intelligent life!”

“Demons. Countless demons, great and small,” Yang Xin interjected.

Thanos’ breath caught. “Damn it, there are indeed endless demons in hell.”

“But if demons can survive there, can you guarantee that other intelligent beings could as well? If you can guarantee that, I’ll… I’ll send my armies to conquer hell.”

“Of course, I can’t guarantee it.”

Thanos’ eyes dimmed, and the problem once again seemed insurmountable. But Yang Xin’s next words made everyone’s eyes go wide in shock.

“But there’s someone who can.”

“Who?!”

“Let me introduce my esteemed master, the previous Sorcerer Supreme—the Ancient One!”