American Comics: Tales of Cultivator

Chapter 163: Retreat, Seeking Help, Avengers Candidates

Night gradually fell, and in the clouds, a bright full moon was half-hidden.

Tang Song closed the thick steel door, activated the Restriction Formation he had set up, and sat cross-legged in the center of the Altar.

Throughout the Manor, among the decorative Rockery and flowers, some Equipment extended outwards, forming arrays of gleaming Optical Focusing Mirrors.

More than a dozen desktop-sized Optical Focusing Mirrors were aimed at the bright moon hanging in the sky. The Moonlight was gathered by these mirrors, transforming into strands of Silver Light that projected onto the Lake Surface.

For a moment, the calm Lake Surface of Tang Manor's Artificial Lake rippled slightly. The bright Moonlight seemed to undulate on the Lake Surface like a silver plate.

In the entire gourd-shaped Artificial Lake, at the mouth of the gourd, the silver Moonlight undulated like a giant silver ball, flowing into the Lake Bottom along with the Lake Water. The silver Moonlight in the Lake Water gradually transformed into faint cyan Moonlight Essence as it flowed. Inside the Lake Water, some Koi Carp seemed to sense an Earthquake coming, swimming in panic from the Lake into the Manor's Waterway.

Deep in the Lake Bottom, the originally still, grotesque White Bone Skeletons began to move, floating to the Lake Surface, greedily swallowing the scattered Moonlight Essence in the Lake Water.

And more Moonlight Essence surged into the area beneath the stone pavilion along with the Lake Water, entering the Secret Room at the Lake Bottom through the four feet of the dragon turtle carrying the stele...

The thirty-six Fortune Longevity Golden Coffins on the Altar opened wide.

Thirty-six shimmering Body-Protecting Silver Armored Corpses faced the sky above, assuming the posture of Sky Corpse Worshipping Moon, swallowing and absorbing the purest Lunar Yin Essence! In the very center of the Altar, Tang Song sat cross-legged on the Green Jade Cushion, holding the Ghoul White Bone Banner in his left hand, and forming a Sword Finger with his right. A Sword Shadow, almost tangible, appeared. With strands of pure white Sword Essence circulating, Tang Song was carving intricate Spirit Marks onto the Banner Body of the Ghoul White Bone Banner.

The Banner Pole of the White Bone Banner, as thick as an index finger, was warm and smooth like jade, yet hard as iron.

Tang Song's Sword Finger moved, rapidly cutting and carving the White Bone Banner Pole, quickly leaving behind dense, ant-bite-like marks on its surface.

Soon, having finished carving a White Bone Banner, Tang Song placed it three feet in front of him and began circulating the Heavenly River True Essence within his body. Slowly, after an unknown number of cycles,

The dense Spirit Marks on the White Bone Banner Pole lit up, and strands of viscous, reddish, translucent gas emerged from the Banner Body.

This was the purest Vital energy and Blood power accumulated by the Ghoul White Bone Banner from devouring hundreds and thousands of living beings and Demons.

The Ghoul White Bone Banner was like a White Bone grinding mill composed of dozens of Restriction Formations and thousands of Spirit Marks.

Living beings swallowed into the Banner would have their flesh and blood, Vital energy and Blood, and soul crushed and devoured.

Their bone and flesh and blood would turn into nourishment within the White Bone Banner, and their souls would nourish the Ghost God within the White Bone Banner.

But as the grinding mill turned, grinding nine times, the purest Vital energy and Blood power left behind was comparable to some Great Medicine for Vital energy and Blood.

Strands of Vital energy and Blood power began to surge from within the White Bone Banner into Tang Song's body.

Strands of Vital energy and Blood were continuously absorbed, absorbed, absorbed by Tang Song, entering his four limbs and hundred bones, strengthening his tendons, bone, and Vital energy and Blood...

Tang Song formed his hands into a lotus flower shape, his ten fingers rapidly moving. Dazzling silver light formed complex Talismans in the air, which rapidly imprinted onto the acupoints all over his body!

Tang Song was performing a technique from the Daoist Sects that used external force to stimulate the physical body.

Among the Buddhist and Daoist schools, Buddhism has the Impervious Golden Body, and Daoism also has Golden Tendons and Jade Bones! Both are methods for cultivating the physical body. Both schools also have their Demon-Subduing Arhats and Xuanmen Protectors.

But generally speaking, most people in both Buddhist and Daoist schools primarily focused on cultivating techniques.

Tempering the physical body and cultivating both techniques and martial arts simultaneously was rare even on the Yanfu Continent.

It was precisely because of this that the concept of achieving sainthood through the physical body was considered so precious.

However, the true inheritance disciples of both Buddhist and Daoist schools naturally had their own ways to compensate for the deficiencies of their physical body.

Buddhism had Bodhi Ghee (a type of spiritual medicine), which was said to be brewed from three thousand Great Medicine, and even included the powdered golden bodies of enlightened Buddhist monks.

It was said that by applying Bodhi Ghee to the entire body daily, one could achieve a physical body capable of subduing a Flood Dragon in just sixty years, no less than a Demon Cultivator of the same level.

Although Daoism did not have as many golden body relics from reincarnated eminent monks as Buddhism, the Golden Tendon Pills and Jade Bone Pills of the Grand Supreme Dao De Sect were equally effective as Buddhism's Bodhi Ghee.

The method Tang Song was using was inherited from the Grand Supreme Dao De Sect. This method could stimulate the physical body's acupoints and absorb the effects of Golden Tendon Pills and Jade Bone Pills.

Although Tang Song did not have Golden Tendon Pills or Jade Bone Pills available, the human body itself contains Great Medicine, and the Vital energy and Blood power extracted from the Ghoul White Bone Banner after devouring countless living beings was no less effective than Golden Tendon Pills and Jade Bone Pills.

The person who originally created this method was a Nascent Divinity Great Cultivator from the Demonic Sect, who was also a genius in Daoist techniques.

Daoist schools often said that the human body contains Great Medicine, which was meant to encourage people to tap into their own potential. This person, however, took a wrong turn and treated people as medicine to refine.

In the end, he actually managed to figure something out, which was this kind of Vital energy and Blood power.

In the time of the Ancient Heavenly Court, he would devour mortals and cultivators from entire nations at will.

He was even more ferocious than some Demon Kings and Great Demons, truly a monstrous figure of his time.

At the Nascent Divinity stage, his physical body was comparable to a Pure Yang Demon Cultivator, making him invincible at the same level and even capable of challenging Pure Yang True Immortals of a higher level.

Later, when his Nascent Divinity underwent Yang transformation and he attempted to use heavenly lightning to temper his Nascent Divinity, he was directly struck by the Five Thunders of the Nine Heavens Responding Yuan Puhua Heavenly Lord, scattering his soul.

This kind of method, considered taboo, had long been lost even on the Yanfu Continent. Tang Song found this method in his Root Source Imprint.

One Banner, two Banners, three Banners, four Banners...

Four Ghoul White Bone Banners, containing the purest Vital energy and Blood power of tens of thousands of people, transformed into strands of reddish, translucent gas that completely surrounded Tang Song.

Soon, they formed a cocoon around him, looking like reddish amber!

...

"It's been three days already! Boss still hasn't come out of retreat!?"

In the small conference room of Tang Song's Study at the Manor, Kane used a knife and fork to cut German red sausage into thin slices, sandwiching them in bread to make a simple sandwich, which he ate in large bites.

"Boss said he would be in retreat for at least five or six days, and up to half a month. Boss won't be coming out for at least a few more days!"

Lane skillfully used chopsticks to pick up a small steamed bun, dipped it in vinegar, and put it in his mouth.

Beside him, a tablet computer continuously refreshed information. Some urgent matters were specifically highlighted in red.

Lane ate his breakfast while busily handling the affairs at hand.

The normal business operations of the Group had already been entrusted to professional managers. The things that appeared on Lane's computer were confidential matters that could not be known by outsiders.

For example, the Trading Company they established was actually a Money Laundering Company, used to launder money earned from counterfeit money, smuggling, black casinos, and some inconvenient funds through this Trading Company.

The Tang Group had four such Trading Companies under its name. Each company had a monthly flow of over 100 million US Dollars. The overall direction of these companies was personally controlled by Lane.

"Hello, Mr. Justin,"

Lane, who was checking a dividend account from Italy, had his phone on the desk suddenly ring.

Lane glanced at the phone number, picked up the phone, and answered.

"You wish to see our Boss? I'm sorry, Mr. Justin, Boss is not in New York recently. Is there something you need?"

"Not in New York! Didn't Tang just return from Monaco! Alright, when he returns to New York, please tell him I have something to discuss with him and need to see him!"

Kane stuffed the last bit of sandwich at hand into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed it.

"Justin Hammer! He's looking for Boss?"

Lane put the hung-up phone back on the desk: "It's nothing important. These past few days, Stark Industries has been using all its connections and public relations to suppress Hammer Industries.

Justin Hammer's purpose in looking for Boss at this time is probably to ask Boss to act as an Intermediary to speak to Tony Stark and plead for leniency!"

"Stark Industries is suppressing Hammer Industries, why? Is Stark Industries planning to re-enter the arms market?"

Kane asked, somewhat puzzled. He had been on the East Africa battlefield recently and wasn't very aware of what was happening in New York.

Moreover, company matters were usually handled by Lane.

Lane picked up the cup full of soy milk next to him and took a sip, answering Kane's question without lifting his head from his work: "Because Tony Stark suspects that Hammer Industries hired someone to kidnap Ivan Vanko!"

"Ivan Vanko, isn't he in..." Kane thought of Ivan Vanko, whom he had just seen at the Base a few days ago, and immediately understood.

"I remember we still have a large number of Hammer Industries shares..."

"That doesn't matter. Boss bought Hammer Industries shares with the intention of a backdoor listing.

Once Tang Industries merges with Hammer Industries, it can instantly become the largest Arms Supplier to the Federal Department of Defense!"

Kane listened to Lane's words, silently picked up a silver plate, and began cutting the steak on his plate without a word.

Forget it! Leave the thinking to Boss and Lane...

"Bang!"

In the top-floor Office of Hammer Tower, Justin Hammer slammed the phone in his hand onto the floor.

Not in New York? How could that be? This Asian clearly didn't want to help him!

Damn bastard... Justin Hammer loosened his tie, standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. In the reflection on the glass, his eyes were filled with anger, helplessness, and a hint of grievance.

In Monaco, he had indeed thought about bringing Ivan Vanko to his Hammer Industries to counter Tony Stark.

But he had only thought about it and hadn't started taking action.

At most, he had only called to inquire about the prison where Ivan Vanko would be held.

He hadn't expected Tony Stark to hack into his mobile phone and use it as an excuse to launch an all-out suppression against Hammer Industries.

This was also the first time Justin Hammer had truly witnessed the influence of Stark Industries within the Military.

Several batches of military equipment produced by Hammer Industries for the Military were successively returned under the pretext of being substandard.

Even when he used some connections and offered money, he couldn't get the Officer responsible for acceptance to overlook it.

Someone from the Department of Defense had spoken, stating that if several more batches of military equipment failed acceptance, The Pentagon would consider replacing Hammer Industries with a more capable Arms Company as a supplier.

Hammer Industries had only been a Department of Defense Arms Supplier for a short time.

If they were kicked out of the supplier ranks by the Department of Defense on the grounds of substandard quality,

That would be a fatal blow to Hammer Industries...

This wasn't just about stock; it even concerned whether Hammer Industries could maintain a foothold in the arms industry.

Hammer Industries absolutely could not lose its qualification as a Department of Defense Arms Supplier! Justin Hammer stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window for a long time, finally making up his mind.

He walked to the Office desk, took out a spare mobile phone, and dialed a number—

"Beep beep beep—"

There was a dial tone on the other end! "Tony Stark!"

Justin Hammer slammed the phone in his hand onto the floor again! New Mexico

In a coffee shop, Tony Stark, wearing sunglasses, took out the phone from his pocket. Looking at the caller ID, he directly hung up the phone.

"Whose call? Justin Hammer?"

Across from Tony Stark, a Bald Head Black Person wearing an eye patch held a coffee cup. Just by looking at Tony Stark's expression, he guessed the identity of the person who had called him.

"You also have manpower placed around Justin Hammer?"

Tony Stark looked at the Spy Chief in front of him, not giving him a friendly look.

After all, anyone who found out that their newly promoted personal secretary was an Agent sent to monitor them wouldn't be happy.

Alright, Tony admitted he had thought about getting his new private secretary into bed.

Thinking about almost getting involved with a Female Agent who was skilled at killing in bed... Tony Stark felt a bit, well, scared! "Justin Hammer? No, no, he's not qualified enough!" Nick Fury smiled and said, "Relax, Tony, Agent Natasha wasn't sent to monitor you, she was sent by me to protect you!"

"Palladium poisoning, your recent behavior seems to be self-indulgent, which is very dangerous!

Could it be that the famous Iron Man can't even treat himself?"

Tony Stark leaned lazily back in the coffee shop seat. Hearing Nick Fury's words, he retorted, "I'm trying, don't worry, I'll definitely find a method to solve it!"

"Time waits for no one, Tony, the toxin has already invaded quite deeply!" Nick Fury's single eye keenly observed the neck deliberately covered by Tony Stark's high collar.

"You don't understand, Agent, this is science. Do you know how difficult it is to find an element that can replace palladium among all elements? I've tried almost every element—"

Tony Stark, his emotions somewhat out of control, reprimanded the Agent in front of him who didn't understand the field.

"No, perhaps, you haven't tried all elements. Your Father, Howard Stark, after developing the Arc Reactor with Anton Vanko back then, upgraded the reactor himself!

I have some items here that your Father left for you, hoping they can help you!"

"My Father, what exactly happened back then? Ivan Vanko said my Father was a thief, a robber..."

Tony Stark looked at Nick Fury and asked hesitantly.

He was afraid of hearing bad rumors from Nick Fury's mouth, which would damage the tall image he had always held in his heart.

But he also urgently wanted to know the truth, which was why he accepted Nick Fury's invitation to come here.

"Back then, Anton Vanko and your Father jointly developed the Arc Reactor, but Anton Vanko wanted to use the Arc Reactor for personal gain, while your Father wanted to use it to launch a global energy race and improve the entire world's energy structure. Later, some matters happened, and Anton Vanko was expelled from the Federation..."

Nick Fury spoke to Tony Stark about the events of that year, avoiding the sensitive points.

"So what is the purpose of you inviting me here?"

Tony Stark listened to Nick Fury's narration and made his own judgment. He took off his sunglasses, which he put in his jacket pocket, and looked directly into Nick Fury's eyes, asking: He had dealt with Nick Fury, this cunning Spy Chief, more than once, and he knew Nick Fury's style of doing things well.

Neither giving him his Father's belongings nor recounting the events of that year was the Spy Chief's true purpose.

It was like fishing; these were just the decoys he had cast out. What followed would be his real purpose!

Nick Fury unhurriedly finished the coffee in his cup, then put down the cup and placed his hands on the coffee table, making his words sound more solemn:

"Tony, S.H.I.E.L.D. needs you!"

"Oh, come on, compared to your long and smelly whatever agency, the cover girls of fashion magazines need me more!"

Tony Stark took out a hundred-dollar bill from his suit's inner pocket and placed it on the coffee table.

"If you called me all the way from New York to New Mexico just to ask me to join your agency, then you're probably going to be disappointed! Do you know how much my salary is? Oh, right, I almost forgot, you guys still get dividends from Stark Industries every year! Remember! I'm the one supporting you!

This coffee is on me! Goodbye, Agent!"

Putting down the US Dollars, Tony Stark got up to leave.

Nick Fury looked at Tony Stark and said, "Tony, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the entire world are in danger right now, we need you!"

"World security? You should go find the World Security Council..."

Although Tony Stark said this, he stopped in his tracks, quietly waiting for Nick Fury's explanation.

"Tony! The enemy your Father and I fought against back then has returned!

This time they are lurking within S.H.I.E.L.D., and they even have people among the High-level Staff of various countries and the World Security Council!"

Nick Fury looked at Tony Stark, explaining the seriousness of the matters.

Nick Fury didn't want others to interfere with internal S.H.I.E.L.D. matters, but as his secret investigation into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal affairs deepened,

The results were shocking. A large portion of S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel were deliberately concealing things, including quite a few Level Six and Seven High-level Agents.

For a moment, Nick Fury didn't know who to trust, or who he *could* trust.

That's why he sought out Tony Stark, preparing to advance his Avengers Initiative.

"Hydra?!" Tony Stark pulled out a chair and sat back down.

He had heard the legend of Hydra from his mother since he was a child: the Howling Commandos, the evil Hydra, the righteous Captain America, an old story.

But if Hydra had truly returned, Tony Stark could imagine the seriousness of the matters.

"You said they are hidden within your organization?"

Tony Stark stared at Nick Fury with a scrutinizing gaze. Besides doubt, there was also a hint of disdain in his eyes.

Nick Fury's mouth twitched, and he sighed, saying, "Back then, the Federation implemented Operation Paperclip targeting German scientists, absorbing a large number of German scientists! The predecessor of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR), also absorbed a group of surrendered Hydra scientists under your Father's leadership.

The problem lies with them!"

As Nick Fury spoke, he gave Tony Stark a look, the meaning clear: Did you hear that? This is the consequence your Father caused, I'm not taking the blame for this!

"Cough cough!" Tony Stark seemed to be suffering from the symptoms of Palladium poisoning again, covering his mouth and coughing twice.

"What do you plan to do? Have me wear the Iron Man armor and kill everyone in your organization?" Tony Stark retorted!

"I have a plan!" Nick Fury took out a stack of photos from the pocket of his unchanging black trench coat.

"I plan to assemble a team to deal with alien invasions, superpowered crime, and to help us clear out the Hydra within the agency!"

Tony Stark picked up the stack of photos Nick Fury had placed on the coffee table and started looking at them.

"A big green guy who can transform, a mutant with iron claws... Are you making a cartoon, Superpower Boys?"

"These people are candidates. I will select the true Avengers from among them!" Nick Fury explained.

"Avengers? That's the name you came up with? Superpower Boys sounds better!" Tony Stark complained.

"Tony, Earth is not alone. The purpose of me assembling the Avengers is to tell those alien races who want to invade Earth.

Perhaps they are strong, perhaps we cannot resist, but the score will be settled with them. Even if we cannot protect Earth, there will be Avengers who will surely find them and seek revenge!"

Tony Stark was somewhat stunned by Nick Fury's words, which were almost tragic and solemn. After a long pause, he shrugged and said, "Alien invasion? That seems very far away from us!"

"It's not far away. It's just that every time Earth faces a threat, someone always steps forward. This time, it's your turn, Tony. This is your responsibility, and it's also the responsibility of the Stark Family!"

Nick Fury looked at Tony Stark meaningfully.

...

"Officer, we found the person!"

At this moment, a Middle-aged Man wearing a black suit and slightly Bald Head pushed open the coffee shop gate and walked in, interrupting their conversation.

Phil Coulson first smiled kindly at Tony Stark, then walked up to Nick Fury and said softly.

"If you two have something going on, I'll leave first. We can talk later when we're back in New York!"

Tony Stark looked at the two mysterious people, thinking of their Agent identities, frowned, and got up to leave.

"Tony, we came to New Mexico this time to find a potential Avenger. Now that we've found him, we need to assess his qualifications. Are you interested in meeting him?"

Hearing Nick Fury's invitation, Tony Stark immediately became interested.

"You seem a little scared!?"

In the black bulletproof sedan of S.H.I.E.L.D., Tony Stark was surprised to find that Nick Fury, who usually had a poker face and showed no expression other than seriousness, actually looked a little nervous.

"Who are we going to see? That big green guy, or the mutant with claws?"

Tony Stark flipped through the photos in his hand, unable to see what ability these people in the photos possessed that could make this Spy Chief nervous!

Nick Fury snatched the photos from Tony Stark's hand and stuffed them back into his trench coat pocket.

"He's not in these photos. To be honest, he was never within my consideration. If it weren't for the Hydra situation...

However, his ability is unique. If he can control his ability, it will take the Avengers' strength to the next level!"

...

Phil Coulson drove the car and soon arrived near a bar by the Highway.

Bars located on the Interstate Highway like this one had customers who were travelers passing through. The area in front of the bar was already filled with cars.

This small bar, which didn't even have a name, seemed to be doing good business.

"Aren't you going in?"

The car stopped at the bar entrance. Tony Stark pushed open the car door,

But he saw that Nick Fury and Phil Coulson showed no intention of getting out of the car.

"Tony, I need you to help me evaluate this person and see if he has the potential to become an Avenger!"

Nick Fury took out another photo from his trench coat pocket and handed it to Tony Stark.

Tony Stark took the photo and glanced at it: "A Motorcycle Racer?"

(End of chapter)