Chapter 394: Are You Guys Playing Cosplay?

A shawarma stand two blocks from downtown New York, a common Middle Eastern grilled meat dish.

The American with the firm ass sat in the center, staring blankly—probably remembering his first love?

Su Su Tuoni Stark silently shoved a piece of meat into his mouth, leaned back on the bench, and chewed repeatedly while forcing his facial expression to remain still.

'Alright, guess that piece of meat just didn't suit his taste.'

Damn, he'd almost forgotten who recommended this place to him.

But if it was one of his own employees, next time they showed up for work, he'd kick their ass hard with his dress shoe and make them go to HR to collect their N1 salary.

No, he'd buy this place outright and promote that guy to Food Director so he could taste this crap every day.

Munch munch

Stark snapped back to reality—maybe he should say something to lighten the mood—but the dry, juiceless, flavorless lump of meat stuck in his throat.

Oh God.

Even the meals he got during his last kidnapping by terrorists in the Middle East tasted better than this piece.

Should he spit it out?

He casually glanced at the armored, cloak-wearing man beside him who loved using hammers—the male lead of 'Point Break'—whose peripheral vision was flickering toward him.

'Guess that Arabic flatbread with cheese, lettuce, and pickles isn't tasty either.'

It could also be wrapped in flatbread with minced meat, sauce, and salad—though he'd never tried it, logically it couldn't be bad, since this stuff was called the Middle Eastern sandwich.

How bad could a sandwich be?

Su Su Tuoni Stark picked up a napkin, wiped his palms, then rubbed hard across his greasy lips, staring at the shop door, hoping a gang of robbers would burst in right now.

'Seriously, maybe just stop eating? I know wasting food's bad, but you're a god—you don't need to torture yourself like this.'

The big guy beside him shoved another rolled-up bundle into his mouth; Su Su Tuoni Stark quickly glanced at him from the corner of his eye and couldn't help but admire him.

He decided he'd swallow this lump in 510 seconds, then try the fries on the table.

One two. Three. Welcome to the Multiverse Chat Group.

He suddenly stopped chewing and rubbed his eyes.

This group is dedicated to building.

Su Su Tuoni Stark jolted upright from his slouched position, spine rigid, and swallowed the piece of meat whole.

'Cough… cough cough… cough!'

'Su Su Tuoni?'

'OK, I'm fine!'

Banner grabbed a bit of minced meat and shoved it in his mouth: 'Alright… guess it suits your taste. Eat slow, no one's racing you.'

Su Su Tuoni Stark felt his throat scraped raw; one hand clutched his neck, the other grabbed a cola and took a sip.

But his attention wasn't on that—he was stunned, staring at the sudden image and scrolling text appearing in his mind.

Meng Qi: 'Woke up too fast—movie characters walked into reality.'

Meng Qi: 'Amitabha, this monk's dharma name is Zhen Ding. Greetings to all the new big shots in the group.'

Su Lin: 'Wu Liang Tian Zun, this Taoist's dharma name is Tai Chu. Greetings to all the new big shots in the group.'

Klein: 'May God's mercy and the Holy Spirit's inspiration remain with all you big shots. Amen.'

Weigong Shilang: 'I'm a bit confused.'

Li Huowang: 'I'm feeling dizzy.'

Su Lin: 'Holy shit, Long Brother! I'll go find last month's bill.'

Xiao Yan: 'Who's Feng Chu? Ye Fan?'

Ye Fan: 'Little Yan, wait till I get back from the Star Realm and we'll train together.'

Lu Mingfei: 'Iron Man! Tang Ni! Sign my autograph later!'

Luffy: 'Hey everyone! Welcome the new guys!'

Zhang Chu'an: 'The chat group's value keeps rising—I'm embarrassing all you big shots.'

Song Shuhang: 'No problem, Chu'an Brother—we'll cultivate slowly.'

Han Li: '.'

Zi Jin Shen Long: 'Zhang Chu'an, I gave you that corpse-nourishing land last time. Dragon Grandpa remembers this guy eats dragons and leaves no bones.'

Ge Xiaolun: 'Holy shit, what the hell is this? Penguin Group's new service? Iron Man?! I'm Batman too!'

Li Huowang: 'Multiverse Penguin Group.'

Ge Xiaolun: 'Bullshit—who's pranking us?! Wait till I smash your head with my Great Sword and you'll learn what cruelty means!'

Li Huowang: 'Garen? Don't you have two bros named Zhao Xin and Cheng Jiawen?'

Ge Xiaolun: 'It's Yaowen, not Jiawen! The Super God Academy Demacia Squad is us three!'

In his own world, Ge Xiaolun was certain someone was using high-tech to prank him.

He squinted at the two losers in his dorm room—Cheng Yaowen and Zhao Xin—these guys definitely didn't have the tech; this kind of high-tech stuff didn't suit them.

That Li Huowang guy calling me a bro? I'm straight! Male gender, love females!

But wait—what if it's real? No no no, telecom scams are rampant now—better be cautious, let's play along for now.

They say if someone rushes to talk about money, they're definitely a scammer.

Ge Xiaolun: 'Where can I top up Q-coins for this thing?'

Li Huowang: '???'

What's going on with this guy? Why would Garen top up Q-coins? Are you buying yourself a God King skin?!

Zhongli: 'New group members, as you heard when joining, this group is a communication tool spanning countless different worlds.'

In the end, Zhongli still stepped forward to briefly explain the chat group's function; during Zhongli's explanation, no one sent messages to flood the screen.

Including the fact that everyone is in different universes, that others exist in other worlds, how to input messages in the chat group, how to use Cross-World Within runes, etc. —though described briefly, it was highly effective.

Ge Xiaolun: "Guys, you're kidding, right? This is even crazier than those aliens I fought! I get it—you're cosplaying. I've seen the movies!"

Su Su Tuoni Stark: "I must be dreaming."

Su Su Tuoni Stark: "Hey buddy, why not just say you're aliens? That I could accept—I fought plenty of aliens just two hours ago."

Zhongli: "By common reason, you could consider us aliens too."

Su Su Tuoni Stark: "Thanks—I don't have to investigate why this barbecue place added marijuana and still tasted awful."

Su Su Tuoni Stark pondered for a long while; during his bathroom break, he asked JARVIS to confirm his physical condition—aside from slight heart rate fluctuations, no other abnormal fluctuations were detected.

His brain showed no issues either, though it couldn't be ruled out that some higher-level technology was affecting him.

He wiped his hands with a paper towel, found the barbecue shop cashier still cleaning in the kitchen, tossed her a bank card, and told the Avengers they'd meet again tonight due to an unexpected situation.

"You all must come to my place tonight," Su Su Tuoni Stark said, winking at them after glancing at the chef behind him: "Trust me—it's important."

He certainly wasn't going to reveal this matter—he was just preparing in case something happened to him.

Just in case, he invited the other Avengers over first; if he studied the chat group and found no issues, he'd make up another excuse later.

Before leaving, he pinched a piece of barbecue and shoved it into his mouth, smiling as the corners of his lips lifted toward them.

Just as bad—looks like I'm not dreaming.

Seeing Su Su Tuoni Stark rush off in a panic, Thor put down his wrap and shrugged at the others: "Tasted pretty good—why didn't he take some to go?"

The gate to the Void God Realm was thick and towering, with chaos churning nearby; behind the gate lay a path leading to the Spirit Realm.

Shi Hao was waiting here like a hunter, hoping to catch a celestial prodigy from the Immortal Realm—but while waiting, he noticed strange images and text suddenly appearing within his soul.

At first he thought he'd been tainted by some ill omen or afflicted by a unique technique, but after a while he realized this thing had another origin.

Shi Hao: "What a miraculous object—it's even more powerful than the Void God Realm. But why do your names feel familiar?"

Not long ago, while traveling to the Void God Realm, he lost his way and accidentally entered another realm, seemingly a world from the future.

He happened to stumble into a sect's victory banquet; he intended only to observe, but discovered the sect was extravagantly drinking bottle after bottle of Immortal Wine—luckily, the vast Immortal Qi within the wine, combined with his occasional training in the Forbidden Zone's master's domain, helped him.

Now, the Zhe Xian Curse can no longer harm him.

Shi Hao: "Su Lin, Ye Fan, Xiao Yan. Tianyi Sect?"

Shi Hao: "Brothers, it seems our fates are deeply entwined."

Purple Gold Divine Dragon: "Big Boss, don't say that—meeting is fate. As for that incident when Little Dragon spoke foolishly after drinking—"

Shi Hao: "No fight, no acquaintance. Brother, that song of yours—still fresh in my memory."

He had a strong impression of those names; as the saying goes, wine reveals truth—those guys pointed at him and insulted him, especially that strange true dragon—its song was actually catchy!

Su Lin: "Oh? So you're the same one! Come over quick—I'll treat you to Zui Xian Niang."

Su Lin: "Where's my sect's Sacred Teaching Stele? Did Emperor Yufeng take it to your world? Ye Fan?"

Ye Fan: "Lend it to me—I'll smash some people with it and return it."

Su Lin: "Then what am I supposed to smash people with?!"

'So those people back then weren't all from the same realm?' On the Bronze Sparrow Altar, Shi Hao sat quietly, yet he was extremely wary of Su Lin's invitation.

Though he'd beaten them up at first, the situation suddenly reversed—he ended up being crushed by them.

If he hadn't suddenly woken from that dream and returned to the present, that stele would've landed on his head.

Is this how you send someone home?!

Tap… tap… tap—footsteps came from afar.

Shi Hao was carefully examining the Cross-World Within rune in his hand, trying to study this rune that appeared out of nowhere, when he heard the footsteps of a "rabbit."

That was Yi Hai, a prodigy from the Immortal Realm.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Yi Hai asked.

Shi Hao's eyes shifted, then suddenly fixed on Yi Hai; he rose and said: "Brother, please wait—I'm Huang, entrusted by your sister to guide you to that mysterious prison."

"Huang? Good—must be you. You look somewhat like that Qin family brat." He sized Shi Hao up, his cold sneer softening into warmth:

"Your useless younger brother is too weak—I gave him some pointers, and during that process he mentioned you. Indeed, just as the rumors say."

"Aren't you afflicted by the Zhe Xian Curse?"

The moment he saw Shi Hao, he recognized him as an unimaginable enemy—far more terrifying than he'd expected. The soul and power displayed could not possibly belong to someone weakened by the Zhe Xian Curse.

"I'm a bit stronger than ordinary cultivators—I can still hold out for a few more days," Shi Hao smiled.

"And since my cultivation is still intact, I'll do a few favors for my brothers to secure some convenience for my family in the Upper Realm."

Hearing Shi Hao's words, he immediately realized this man had been misled by his sworn brother and sister; a mocking thought arose in his mind: 'Cute fool.'

His younger brother had recently had all his sinews snapped and been easily trampled underfoot.

Convenience? If this mission yields results, he might as well cease targeting Huang's younger brother and offer him minor protection—after all, the other still has the Five Elements Mountain behind him.

"Hmm." His smile faded slightly, his tone growing casual:

"Fine. Their wishes are mine too. Lead the way."

This useless man still had one last use—no need to turn hostile was best.

Yi Hai's expression turned cold, but Shi Hao's smile grew even brighter—this struck Yi Hai as obsequious, deepening his contempt.

Yi Hai urged: "Huang Brother, don't waste time."

"Wait a moment—I'll bring out the mysterious prison and we can go directly." Shi Hao pulled out a rune, activated his spirit, and a blue portal appeared before them.

An extremely powerful spatial law blocked spiritual perception, and an extraordinarily subtle concealment technique hid it—though visible to the naked eye, the portal could not be detected by spiritual sense at all.

"After you." Shi Hao tucked away the rune and gestured toward the portal.

Yi Hai stepped forward, studying the gate for a moment; though he knew it was no ordinary thing, he wouldn't blindly trust Huang's words and enter.

He looked down on Huang, but wasn't foolish enough to believe everything he said.

"Lead the way," Yi Hai ordered Shi Hao.

"Yes." Shi Hao replied respectfully, which slightly eased Yi Hai—he knew how high this man's pride had once been.

Yet in that moment of relaxation, Huang kicked out with lightning speed, too swift to evade.

The radiance of a treasure art blazed on his foot, like a sun exploding—Lei Guang appeared.

"You?!"

Though he had been prepared, Yi Hai never expected someone afflicted by Zhe Xian Curse to move this fast. Even if he could counter this strike, shock still surged within him.

Shi Hao was also astonished. This man's strength was truly formidable—he must be an extraordinary figure in the Immortal Realm, and just right—

to have some value.

In a fleeting instant, the two had clashed ten times, but in the end, Yi Hai was blasted into the teleportation gate by another sudden burst of divine light from Shi Hao.

Shi Hao: "Su Zongzhu, I've come."

Su Lin: "Come then—the fine wine is already prepared."

After sending this message, Su Lin hurried back to his duty post—yes, the Jiang Zhiwei.

His true body had appeared at the Source the moment he entered Weigong Shilang's world; all synchronized data requiring processing was temporarily set aside.

"Twenty-plus bottles consumed, thirty bottles' card cost, nine out, thirteen back—you owe me a hundred bottles." Su Lin stood outside the Source, rubbing his hands, waiting for the other's arrival.

A figure flew in from the rising teleportation gate.

Yi Hai stabilized his stance, his heart tightening as he prepared to retreat—but he sensed something different.

All Dao principles manifested here; infinite mysteries lay within his spiritual perception. Merely being here continuously replenished the insight he had long lacked.

The wonder of collective wisdom was within reach.

"Where is this place?" Yi Hai was stunned—and then noticed, not far off, even nearly within arm's reach, a weak cultivator watching him:

"A blessed land! No—this is an unparalleled treasure ground! Hahaha!!!"

The teleportation gate behind him remained open; Huang had knocked him here but controlled his power precisely, sparing him harm—this gave Yi Hai a psychological illusion.

"Who are you over there?" Su Lin asked.

Yi Hai's expression darkened, his gaze cold and deep. How could such a treasure land be shared with a lowly cultivator like this? Judging by the aura on his body, his foundation was nearly perfect—he must have dwelled here for a long time.

"Hmph."

He struck instantly—orderly divine chains wove together, wrapped in apocalyptic Lei Guang, surging toward Su Lin. He didn't care if this man was connected to Huang—he'd cripple him first.

As Yi Hai's palm neared Su Lin's crown, a palm suddenly slapped across his face.

Su Lin murmured: "What stinking fish and rotten shrimp."

All protective treasures and treasure arts were pierced through; every force Yi Hai unleashed was engulfed and flung together—a spear of light shot out toward the teleportation gate.

Boom—!!!

Shi Hao, observing from afar, stared blankly at the colossal light spear flying out of the teleportation gate. That terrifying power, once unleashed, flew straight toward the Spirit Realm Gate on the opposite side.

All hidden arrays behind the gate, all ambushes designed to prevent intruders from the lower realms, vanished in an instant—

into ash and smoke!

The Spirit Realm Gate—shattered.

(End of Chapter)