I work as an editor at Marvel.

“Indeed, we have locked the underlying timeline, and because the Time Stone still exists in this world, the time travel function of the Pym Particles will gradually decrease over time,” Lin Zhengying explained.

The Pym Particles' ability to travel through time appeared after the Time Stone in another world turned to ashes. To put it simply, it's because after the access key disappeared, other types of keys could be inserted into the lock cylinder to take a look.

"Could you please unlock it temporarily? We can unlock it again when we get back?" Thor asked, getting up.

Lam Ching-ying shook his head. “No, this is a decision made by our superiors, and it is also for the purpose of fighting against Thanos in our world on the timeline. However, after inquiring, I have been authorized to help you.”

"How can we help?" Rocket Raccoon asked eagerly.

Lam Ching-ying opened his right palm, revealing a soul-binding chain. "I can use a magical artifact to bring your friend's soul back to the mortal world, but there's a condition: there must be an exchange."

"A bargaining chip? To exchange one person for it? This..." Thor was speechless. Natasha's life was precious, but so were everyone else's.

"It's not about using people, but about using a product called the Philosopher's Stone. It's a creation of Russian mystical alchemists, and for some reason, its manufacture has been banned. However, you can ask them if they have any in stock," Lin Zhengying said after putting away the Soul-Hooking Chains.

Thor looked at Heimdall, who shook his head. Asgard had communication with the Heavenly Court and the Clock Tower, but had never communicated with the alchemists.

“You can seek Tony’s help, our world’s Tony. After you get the Philosopher’s Stone, I can go there with you,” Lam Ching-ying added.

"Thank you for your help." Thor clasped his hands together in a gesture that was neither standard nor even entirely accurate.

Lam Ching-ying smiled and didn't mind. It was acceptable for the other party to be a little impolite due to unfamiliarity, given their good intentions.

Chapter 271 The Power of Connections

As the saying goes, having connections in high places makes things easier; the benefits of having a wide network of connections are obvious.

After learning of a temporary solution from Lam Ching-ying, Thor contacted Stark on Earth and explained the situation. Stark then turned to his younger self for help.

Tony wasn't particularly close to King and Ivan Vanko from the alchemists' side, and in fact, Tony still owed them a life-saving favor.

However, Tony is familiar with Ethan. After Ethan established new power in the Middle East, he maintained good relations with Russia, and Ethan himself also had a good relationship with Ivan Vanko.

Some of the equipment or materials embargoed against Russia were transferred through Ethan.

So, after Tony found Ethan, and Ethan then contacted Ivan Vanko, Thor's need for the Philosopher's Stone was resolved.

Ivan Vanko isn't too concerned about the Philosopher's Stone right now. After so much time and effort, Ivan Vanko has come to realize that while the person who first invented the Philosopher's Stone theory was undoubtedly a great alchemist, those who followed him have clearly gone astray!

So, in exchange for favors, Ivan Vanko made only one small request: to know what his counterpart was like in the other world.

When this request reached Stark's ears, Stark was still a little confused. If he remembered correctly, wasn't Ivan Vanko the guy who challenged him with a rudimentary arc reactor and was eventually sent to his death by his own shot?

After hesitating for a few seconds, Stark slightly embellished the process, but ultimately told the truth.

Stark thought that even if Ivan Vanko didn't back down, he would be a little angry, but throughout the whole conversation, Stark didn't sense any fluctuation in the other's breathing.

The call ended abruptly, with a beeping sound.

Stark looked at Tony beside him, unsure of what to say. The impact of the world's changes was immense. In his own world, Ivan Vanko had almost killed him, while in this world, Ivan Vanko had saved his life.

Now he's even asking for help from others; life is truly unpredictable.

"Don't worry, he'll send the stuff over." Tony patted Stark on the shoulder and said. Tony understood Ivan Vanko of this world, and as proud as he was, he wouldn't break his promise over such a small matter.

In Russia, Ivanvanko, having hung up the phone, walked towards the training ground.

Although what Mr. Stark said was a bit outrageous, Ivan Vanko himself thought that it was actually quite possible for such a thing to happen.

As for why his self in this world takes a completely different turn from his self in another parallel universe, Ivan Vanko still knows.

Ivan Vanko opened the door. Kim was preparing for his swordsmanship lesson. Hearing the noise, he turned around and asked, "Ivan, what's wrong?"

Ivan Vanko walked over and sat down in front of Kim, looking at the man who had changed his life. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "Thank you, Kim."

"Why are you suddenly saying this?" Jin glanced at Ivan Vanko. "If you really want to thank me, then focus on improving your academic performance. We didn't even get a third prize at the exchange meeting; it's unacceptable!"

“No problem, I’ve consulted with China, and the new textbooks and exam papers are all ready. I’ll arrange them for them tomorrow,” Ivan Vanko said with a smile.

"That's good." Jin nodded in response.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing. Could you help me open the seal on the collection vault?" Ivan Vanko said.

Jin put down his pen, looked at Ivan Vanko with a serious expression. "What do you want to do?" he asked. "Is this current restorer of alchemy going to follow the old path?"

“They’ve separated a piece of the Philosopher’s Stone; Asgard wants to use it to save someone,” Ivan Vanko said.

"To save people?" Jin paused for a moment. "If it's meant to be used to save people, you can open it yourself. Didn't I already tell you how to break the seal?"

“I know, but I still had to let you know,” Ivan Vanko said with a smile.

Jin rolled his eyes. How boring. He's such a grown man, yet he acts like a little kid.

After obtaining Jin's permission, Ivan Vanko went to his study collection, where the mummy teacher had left behind a large piece of the Philosopher's Stone after he disappeared. It had been there all this time, untouched by anyone.

Ivan Vanko clasped his hands together, and as the array flashed, a Philosopher's Stone the size of two souls detached from the main body and rolled into Ivan Vanko's hands.

The allure of the Philosopher's Stone remains, but it can no longer sway Ivan Vanko's mind. After all, he no longer seeks revenge, and his rival Tony is still far behind Ivan Vanko in terms of Proficiency.

Several hours later, the Philosopher's Stone was delivered to Stark via a teleportation array within the planet.

Immediately afterwards, without any delay, the Philosopher's Stone quickly arrived at the edge of the solar system, the edge of the sky-covering barrier, through Hextech's teleportation array.

After leaving the solar system's defense network, the Philosopher's Stone was observed by Heimdall, who then took it directly to Asgard.

After the goods arrived, Thor immediately went to the Embassy of the United Civilization of Diverse Humans once again.

Lam Ching-ying had completed all the preparations.

His mentor had told him that this was a good opportunity to gain merit. He had only recently become a permanent employee and wanted to be promoted again. It was impossible to rely on seniority; he could only accumulate merit. This was why Lam Ching-ying was transferred to be the ambassador.

"Master Lin, is this enough?" Thor asked, placing the Philosopher's Stone in front of Lin Zhengying.

Lin Zhengying picked up a copper coin with his right hand and gently rubbed it in front of his eyes, thus opening his third eye!

In the vision of the Heavenly Eye, a faint, purified soul power was constantly churning on the Philosopher's Stone.

Thor looked at Lam Ching-ying with some nervousness. He was really not good at matters of the soul and could only wait for the professional's opinion.

“That’s enough. There are two portions here. It seems the alchemists have taken into account all the possible losses,” Lin Zhengying said to Thor.

"When do we set off?" Thor was extremely anxious. It was still unknown how many memories Nebula had had stolen. If Thanos found out where the Soul Stone came from, it would be a real problem.

Even if he didn't know, Patton couldn't wait any longer. He wouldn't starve to death so quickly, but Patton's mental state was very worrying.

“Now we can.” Lin Zhengying said, waving his hand to put the various magical artifacts into his Taoist robe. Then he lit a long stick of incense in front of the statues of the Heavenly Emperor and the Ancestral Master.

"Let's go, lead the way," Lin Zhengying said to Thor.

To get to Barton from here, you have to rely on the Rainbow Bridge in Asgard and teleport there yourself, which could take an unknown amount of time.

Chapter 272 A Deep Understanding of the Concise and Convenient Heavenly Court Power Network

On Vormir, the land of souls, Barton slumped to the ground, gazing sorrowfully at the cliff before him, below which lay buried his companion who had come with him, Black Widow Natasha.

"Actually, there's another way to save her. Want to know?" The Death Guide floated up to Barton, uttering enticing words.

Barton slowly raised his head, a hint of confusion in his eyes. He had been with the Soul Stone for too long, and its constant murmurs had been affecting his mind.

The Soul Gem is the most unique of the six Primal Gems because it possesses a certain degree of self-awareness, which is extremely dangerous to the user.

"Actually, the method is very simple. All you need are two other people's beloved partners to bring the person back. Don't you want to give it a try?" the guide continued, speaking enticingly.

Barton lowered his head. The words of the Death Guide had indeed tempted him for a moment, but Thor had a better way. Barton wouldn't pay attention to this guy who didn't look like a good person until he was sure that Thor had failed. Two for one, four for two, if this continued, Thanos would never be able to wipe out the population. He should hurry up and protect them.

Beneath the cloak made of soul ash, Red Skull was somewhat disappointed. He had been trapped in this place for many years, and was only freed after Barton removed the Soul Stone. As for why Red Skull didn't take it himself, it was because he had no one to sacrifice.

After the Soul Gem left the cliff, the power that had trapped Red Skull dissipated, and Red Skull was now free to leave. However, having stayed there for so long without gaining anything was unacceptable to Red Skull; it felt like a huge loss.

He was still thinking about getting the Soul Stone before going back to Earth.

Seeing that Barton ignored him, Red Skull floated around Barton, testing whether Barton's reaction ability was still normal. The power of the Soul Stone was fatal to Red Skull. As long as Barton could use the power of the Soul Stone before he died, then Red Skull would be courting death if he made a move.

After numerous tests, Red Skull concluded that Barton's mind had been corrupted to some extent. Whether this corruption had undermined his ability to resist was still uncertain, but fortune favors the bold.

With just a gentle push, Patton could be sent to the underworld!

Red Skull slowly approached Barton, his Ash Cloak billowing as his claws, devoid of any flesh or blood, emerged from beneath the cloak, aimed at Barton's back.

A loud clattering sound rang out as chains were being pulled.

Immediately afterwards, Red Skull found himself caught in an invisible chain around his waist, the hook at the end of the chain piercing his collarbone. The force from the chain pulled Red Skull further and further away from Barton.

The red skull struggled with all its might, but the chains seemed to be specifically designed to deal with undead like him; the struggles only made the chains tighten their grip.

As he retreated, a bolt of lightning flashed past Red Skull, circled around Barton, and pulled him back to safety.

"Thor, you're here! Quick, she's down there!" Barton shouted, pointing to the cliff, only then noticing Thor's arrival.

Patton's eyes were now dark and sunken, as if he hadn't rested for months and his body was completely exhausted.

"Master Lin, what's wrong with him..." Thor sensed something was amiss and looked at Lin Zhengying.

Lin Zhengying frowned, wrapped the chain in his hand around the Red Skull's ash cloak twice, tied a knot, and threw it aside.

Then, he pinched Barton's chin with his right hand and lifted it up slightly. Barton's forehead turned black, and yin energy entered his body, causing his soul to tremble. This was a sign of impending death, the kind of death sign where all the energy of a ghost had been absorbed.

The Taoist Heavenly Eye swept over Barton and easily found the problem: the Soul Gem. This thing made no attempt to conceal itself and was extremely arrogant.

Reaching out, Lin Zhengying took out the Soul Gem and tossed it to Thor. Then, with a powerful palm strike, he sent Barton flying. Barton's scattered soul was simultaneously pushed back by the blow, which actually stabilized him somewhat.

"Lin Zhengying, Ambassador of Heaven to Asgard, respectfully reports to the Heavenly Emperor, requesting the assistance of the Heavenly Court's Chief Military Officer, Zhaohui Erlang Xiansheng Zhenjun, to open the Three Fires on the Crown of the Head!"

Lam Ching-ying's magic sword swept past Barton's head, and a faint golden light fell from the sky, flowing into Barton's head and shoulders like fuel.

With a loud boom, three clusters of flames surged up, burning away all the Yin energy that was wrapped around Barton.

"We hereby request Yama, the Lord of the Five Courts of the Underworld, to return the three souls to their rightful places and reunite the seven spirits!"

Lin Zhengying continued reciting, and then the Ambassador's Decree in Lin Zhengying's arms emitted a calming soul fluctuation, reshaping Barton's soul that had been affected by the Soul Gem, and pulling out some of the soul that had been drawn away by the Soul Gem and injecting it back into Barton's body.

Between two moves, Barton instantly returned to normal, while the intense aura emanating from him made Red Skull extremely uncomfortable.

It was only because Lin Zhengying came that the matter was resolved so quickly. What he just recited was not just random recitation; it was a power network similar to the original Maoshan's method of invoking gods, established by the Heavenly Emperor after unifying the Heavenly Court.

As the ambassador of the Asgardian embassy, ​​Lam Ching-ying's position was nominally equivalent to that of the head of a single hall in the underworld, one to two levels lower than the eight departments of the Heavenly Court. Therefore, apart from the normal reporting to the Heavenly Emperor, Lam Ching-ying used the term of a subordinate reporting to a superior when reporting to the Ministry of War, and used the term of a letter of request to the five halls of Yama, which was of equal rank.

Of course, this kind of incantation doesn't require a response from Yang Jian of the Ministry of War or Yama, the King of Hell. That would be incredibly annoying for them. Reciting their names refers to the power Lin Zhengying used and the route he took through the enhanced channel.

This is much more convenient than the original way of invoking gods. In the past, it was quite troublesome for each sect to invoke gods or find an immortal ancestor, because a person would have many titles, so ordinary people might have to learn the titles for several years before they could learn the Tao.

Now, by going through the official channels, all the titles are regulated, and following the regulations is fast and won't cause problems based on the closeness of the relationship.

Of course, where there is an official body, there is also a civilian body. All adults in the Heavenly Court can be regarded as civil servants. The resources they use all come from the Earth as a whole, so they must serve the people. The official way is equivalent to calling them when they go to work and going through the procedures.