A Show of Strength

Captain America’s words made everyone present go speechless.

Why would he ask that at a time like this?

Couldn’t he just honestly pretend he knew nothing?

Why was he trying to get attention? Did he really think he was some messenger of justice?

Wasn’t he just joking around?

Just because people called him Captain America, did he really think he was some kind of captain? Did he have to meddle in everything?

Tony, especially, was utterly speechless. It was enough that someone had saved him—why care whose head the nuke had been dropped on? As long as it had not landed on his own head, wasn’t that enough?

Why was he getting involved in something like this?

Couldn’t he see that everyone was honestly thanking her? Why did he have to come out and question her now? And in that accusatory tone—wasn’t that just asking for trouble?

"It went back where it came from. I sent it back to where it was launched from."

Ancient One did not seem angry. Still smiling, she explained to Captain America.

"Back where it came from?" Captain America paused, and his expression immediately turned grim.

"So you sent the nuclear bomb back to America’s military district?"

"That’s right." Ancient One continued with a smile. "No matter who it is, they must take responsibility for their actions, mustn’t they? If they do something wrong, they naturally have to pay the price."

"But…"

Captain America wanted to say something else, but Chen Mu cut him off without hesitation.

"There are no buts. America launched a nuclear bomb at our forces, and this matter is not over!" Chen Mu looked coldly at Captain America and continued, "America must give an explanation for this. Otherwise, it will face China’s wrath."

"…"

This left Captain America speechless. America truly was at fault for all of this.

"Don’t forget, the American military launched that nuclear bomb at everyone present. You were within its target area too." Chen Mu looked mockingly at Captain America and continued, "Once that nuke exploded, you would have died as well. There was no possibility of survival."

"But if my sacrifice could bring victory, then I would be willing to make that sacrifice." Captain America took a deep breath and said so.

"That sounds pretty nice."

Chen Mu looked at Captain America speechlessly and said, "If I’m not mistaken, didn’t you also want to leave New York just now? What happened? Didn’t you say you were willing to sacrifice yourself?"

"But a sacrifice has to have value." Captain America scratched his head, his face full of bitterness. "The sacrifice I hope for is to perish together with the enemy, not to die for no reason after the enemy has already been defeated."

You make a good point. I actually have nothing to say in response.

Chen Mu could only be speechless at Captain America’s words.

Still, Captain America did have a point.

If his sacrifice could end the war and bring victory, Captain America might really be willing to die.

After all, that was his character setting.

"However, you also know that we have already wiped out all the aliens, yet under those circumstances, the American military still launched a nuclear missile at us without hesitation. In my view, they were not trying to eliminate the aliens—they wanted to eliminate China’s Space Force."

Chen Mu looked at Captain America and said, "The American military you represent has now declared war on our Space Force. Do you think they should not pay the price for that?"

"…"

Captain America truly had nothing to say this time. The Space Force’s power was something he had witnessed with his own eyes. He knew full well that with America’s current military strength, it simply could not provoke China.

He had no idea which idiot had ordered the launch of that nuclear bomb. Couldn’t they read the situation?

Did they really think China had only this one Space Force?

Forget everything else—the Xingtian Armor alone had demonstrated the ability to open portals. Before your nuclear missile could even arrive, they could have already left.

What was the point of launching that nuke?

Insane!

"Forget it. China will seek justice for itself, so stop meddling in this." Chen Mu could not be bothered to say anything more to Captain America and instead turned his gaze to Ancient One.

"Ancient One, since you’re here, I’ll return the Time Stone to you. I also need to return to China. There are still many things China needs to do next."

Earth had been invaded so fiercely by aliens. As people of Earth, China could not simply stand by and watch.

And now, China needed to show its strength to the universe.

The Space Force’s intervention this time had been meant to flex its muscles and display its power. But was that merely for the people on Earth to see?

In China’s eyes, Earth was merely a beginner village. The other countries on Earth were, at most, novice players. Displaying overwhelming, invincible power before those novice players and leaving them shocked did not hold any real meaning.

China’s true target for this show of strength was the other civilizations in the universe.

China had already seen Asgard’s strength. In China’s view, it seemed to be nothing special. Yet Asgard still enjoyed a great reputation throughout the universe, which fully proved that the civilizations of the current universe were only so-so. With China’s current strength, it could absolutely claim a place among them.

Since that was the case, China naturally had to display its own strength.

That was why the Space Force had joined this war: to establish its prestige, display China’s might, and let the aliens know that Earth was not a place to be trifled with!

And this Battle of New York had allowed the Space Force to achieve its intended goal.

They had effortlessly annihilated the Chitauri army, while the Kunpeng’s attacks had reached the level of the Bifrost. Its locked-on attacks left enemies nowhere to flee. That point alone was enough to deter some petty threats.

The Kunpeng’s attacks could even hit ships in the middle of a jump. Could planets that could not even move possibly escape?

The Kunpeng was equivalent to carrying a portable version of the Bifrost, capable of unleashing Bifrost-like attacks anytime and anywhere.

Even if some alien civilization truly came into conflict with China, China could directly use the Bifrost to blow up its home planet. Who would still dare provoke China then?

The Sanctuary Ship, which had fled in panic and still been destroyed, was sending precisely that message to the other civilizations in the universe.

Earth was not a soft target that anyone could squeeze whenever they pleased.

Dare to invade Earth? Then they had better weigh their own capabilities carefully—and consider whether they could afford the consequences!

"You don’t need the Time Stone anymore?"

Hearing Chen Mu’s words, Ancient One was filled with curiosity.

"I don’t. I found another Time Stone."

Chen Mu nodded. Borrowing something and returning it was one of his principles in life. Did you think I was one of the mages from your Kamar-Taj lineage?

Of course, the most important reason was that the system had now produced a Time Stone, so there was naturally no need to keep Ancient One’s Time Stone any longer.