Chapter 148: Spaceship

This was the first time Gu Chongyan had used pure psychic power to attack since his transmigration, and the effect was undeniably extraordinary.

The formidable wave of psychic power engulfed the Mandarin like a rising tide, feeling as though countless tiny silver needles were attempting to pierce his brain.

Sensing this immense mental assault, the sapphire-set ring on the Mandarin’s left ring finger suddenly erupted with a blue radiance. An equally powerful surge of psychic energy was released, sealing and protecting his consciousness.

The existence of the mind-amplification ring successfully blocked Gu Chongyan’s psychic tremor.

However, the Mandarin’s Ten Rings possessed one inherent flaw: only a single ring could be utilized at any given moment.

While the mind-amplification ring automatically intercepted the shock of the psychic tremor, it simultaneously disrupted the energy gathering process of the matter-rearrangement ring.

With a faint pop, the clustered energy of the purple circle suddenly dissipated. Although the Mandarin hurriedly regained his composure and re-concentrated his power, duels between experts were decided in mere fractions of a second.

In an instant, the half-closed cage slammed shut like a gaping, bloodthirsty maw.

"Crystal Ice Freeze!"

The closed cage encapsulated the biting chill of an entire glacial realm, erupting in that split second to reach nearly absolute zero.

The Mandarin was undoubtedly formidable, proficient in both martial arts and magic, and armed with ten mystic rings capable of matter rearrangement, mental control, flight, and more, leaving him virtually without weaknesses.

Yet, no matter how powerful he was, he remained human. And as a human, he had to obey the fundamental laws of biology.

Faced with such terrifying frost, even with strength approaching planetary tier, the Mandarin’s body froze solid for a fleeting moment.

Strike while the iron is hot; Gu Chongyan dared not afford the Mandarin the slightest chance of turning the tables. The very instant the Mandarin’s movements slowed, a streak of white light shot from his hand.

"Expelliarmus!"
"Ring-summoning Charm!"

With a few low hums, beneath the piercing white light, the ten mystic rings adorning the Mandarin’s stiffened fingers instantly slipped away. Pulled by an invisible force, they flew straight into Gu Chongyan’s outstretched palm.

"Ah, you’re courting death!!"

The moment the Ten Rings fell into Gu Chongyan’s possession, the surging Qi within the Mandarin’s body violently burst forth, shattering the extreme frost.

The Ten Rings were his very lifeline. Seeing them fall into enemy hands, the Mandarin’s eyes turned bloodshot, his aged and sinister face twisting into a hideous snarl. Roaring, he threw a punch that pulverized the surrounding ice and snow into dust as he lunged at Gu Chongyan.

"Hmph, a cornered beast fighting to the death!"

With a cold snort, a flash of disdain crossed Gu Chongyan’s eyes.

The Mandarin was indeed formidable, but that power was entirely built upon the foundation of the Ten Rings. Stripped of them, he likely couldn't even defeat Iron Man.

"Crucio!"

Facing the roaring charge of the Mandarin, Gu Chongyan did not hesitate. With a casual flick of his finger, a dazzling green beam hissed through the air and struck the Mandarin squarely in the chest.

"Aaaah!!!"

A piercing, miserable scream echoed through the mirror dimension. The Mandarin felt as though his very soul was being burned away. He collapsed into the snow, thrashing and screaming in unending agony.

Gu Chongyan did not even bat an eyelash at the shrieking man.

For a ruthless supervillain with blood on his hands, merely dying from excruciating pain was getting off easy.

Yet, in the end, he did not allow the Mandarin to scream himself to death—not out of mercy, but for the sake of the Mandarin's possessions.

As Iron Man’s arch-nemesis, the Mandarin possessed a wealth of treasures. Aside from the Ten Rings now in Gu Chongyan's possession, there was also a spacecraft and a giant dragon.

Years ago, when the Mandarin’s initial uprising failed, he discovered a natural underground cavern in the northwest.

This cave was colossal, resembling an underground city. Right at its center rested the wreckage of a crashed alien spacecraft, and inside that vessel lay a massive, lizard-like creature bearing an uncanny resemblance to the dragons of Western legend.

That dragon was Fin Fang Foom, hailing from the Dragon Star, who had crashed onto Earth ages ago due to a fortuitous coincidence and fallen into a deep slumber ever since.

The Mandarin’s Ten Rings, his mastery of martial arts and magic, and even the capital he used to found the Ten Rings organization a century later all originated from that spacecraft.

Now that the Ten Rings were his, Gu Chongyan had no intention of letting the spacecraft slip through his fingers.

Glancing down at the Mandarin, who lay panting heavily on the ground, Gu Chongyan said coldly, "Tell me the location of that spacecraft, and I’ll grant you a swift death."

Hearing this, the Mandarin’s expression shifted drastically as he abruptly raised his head to stare at Gu Chongyan.

"How do you know about that? I’ve never told a single soul!"

"That is none of your concern. You only need to answer honestly," Gu Chongyan replied flatly.

The Mandarin gathered his wits, his face turning pitch black. He stared daggers at Gu Chongyan, his eyes filled with a hatred so profound he wanted to tear him apart limb from limb.

"Heh, you want my treasures? Keep dreaming."

"Is that so?" Gu Chongyan sneered. He picked the mind-amplification ring from the collection of Ten Rings and twirled it before the Mandarin's eyes.

"You’ve worn these rings for so many years. You surely know what this particular ring is capable of, don't you?"

The Mandarin’s expression flickered, his eyes darting frantically as his mind raced.

Seeing this, Gu Chongyan chuckled. "It seems you are well aware. I advise you to tell me everything honestly, or the only one who will suffer is you."

"Don't even think about seeking the easy way out through death. Remember, I am a sorcerer; toying with souls is my specialty. If you don't satisfy me, don't expect to find peace even in the grave."

Furthermore, Gu Chongyan plucked out the matter-rearrangement ring.

"I recall this ring can rearrange the atoms and molecules of matter, even capable of resurrecting someone who has recently died. If you don't want to experience dying multiple times, you'd better stop struggling."

The combination of the mind-amplification and matter-rearrangement rings completely cut off all avenues of escape for the Mandarin.

His complexion shifted wildly, cycling through shades of green and purple like a painter's palette.

Ultimately, yearning for a quick and painless end, the Mandarin yielded to Gu Chongyan’s threats and revealed the coordinates of the spacecraft.

Not only that, but Gu Chongyan also uncovered why the Mandarin had joined forces with Killmonger.

As it turned out, the Mandarin had long been attempting to repair the alien spacecraft, intending to use it as his ultimate trump card to conquer the world.

However, the technology of the Dragon Star far surpassed that of Earth. Although the Mandarin had used the mind-amplification ring to enslave several scientists, he had never been able to repair or fully decipher the vessel's systems.

During this process, he crossed paths with Killmonger and learned of Wakanda's existence.

Thus, the two struck an alliance: the Mandarin would help Killmonger exact his revenge, and once Killmonger seized control of Wakanda, he would utilize Wakadian technology to help the Mandarin repair the spacecraft.

A wave of understanding washed over Gu Chongyan. No wonder Killmonger had looked down on him earlier; compared to the Mandarin—who possessed immense power, ruthlessness, and an entire organization like the Ten Rings—his own front was somewhat lacking.

In truth, if not for a stroke of good fortune and sufficient caution, he might not have succeeded in subduing the Mandarin so easily.