Thanos didn't want to be a villain.

The next day, Dio was exchanging Taoist teachings with the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King when suddenly a powerful aura shot into the sky, only to quickly subside.

But this commotion means that Hela has emerged from seclusion!

Dio hurriedly left the Heavenly King's Palace and went to his own courtyard.

The gods who were familiar with Dio also came, and even Wang Lingguan, whom they had met once before, was present.

Inside the courtyard, a figure emerged, his entire body shrouded in a dark aura. White dots, gleaming within the blackness, intertwined, resembling a black and white fish.

The tangible aura transformed into flames that enveloped Hela, forming a brand-new set of divine armor.

The aura became extremely powerful, and Dio even smelled the scent of life and death intertwined within it!

Wearing a ferocious crown, Hela looked at Dio, who burst through the door, and laughed, "What's wrong? It hasn't been that long since we last met, and you've forgotten how to even step inside?"

Dio rushed up and hugged Hela, pulling her into his arms.

Hela responded enthusiastically to Dio, as if her personality had changed somewhat after she became stronger.

"How are you feeling?" Dio asked.

“That’s great. I can clearly see… you seem to have gained weight?” Hela’s answer was not what Dio expected. She reached out and stroked his face.

Sure enough, his personality changed.

Dio looked bewildered, yet felt it was only natural.

"It's fantastic. After thinking things through, I feel like I've broken free of a shackle, as if I was once locked up by a thick layer of armor."

Seeing Dio's surprised expression, Hela chuckled and gave the answer she should have given immediately.

Dio was still reeling from the shock of Hela's recent transformation and remained there.

"Alright, I need to settle things down a bit more. Your friend is here to see you." With that, Hela turned to the side, revealing her curvaceous figure, gently stroked Dio's chest with her right hand, and then turned and went back into the house.

Dio was even more shocked. To be honest, after being married for many years, this was the first time Hela had put on such a seductive act.

If Dio hadn't been so large that he had blocked Hela's allure from being seen by the people peering outside, it would have been a different story.

Dio snapped out of his daze, quickly left the courtyard, and used magic to repair the damaged gate.

"Congratulations on your successful advancement, sister-in-law!" Nezha immediately jumped out to congratulate her.

"Congratulations!" This was Zhao Yu.

"Hey, old man, your wife is progressing faster than you. Aren't you afraid of getting a scolding when you get back?" This was Li Erlang.

"Slap!" Zhao Yu slapped Li Erlang on the head, sending him flying.

"Congratulations, sister-in-law. In addition, His Majesty has sent congratulatory gifts: ten bottles of fine wine, one hundred taels of gold, and three peaches of immortality." As soon as Wang Lingguan finished speaking, the breathing of the few immortals watching the show and those standing nearby became heavy.

After Wang Lingguan finished speaking, he waved his hand, and a strongman and two maids carried three things inside.

Although Dio was eager to see what the peaches looked like, he was now more curious about why the people around him looked so envious and greedy.

Dio looked down at Nezha, who didn't seem particularly interested in him.

"What's wrong with them?" Dio asked in a low voice.

Nezha said with some envy, "Apart from the few star gods born in the Heavenly Court, there are almost no gods who are not worshipped. The wine bestowed by the Jade Emperor can alleviate the gods' dependence on incense and vows, and can also help us to comprehend the Dao more quickly, allowing us to advance further."

"What about gold? Is it the universal currency of Heaven? But what can you buy with just a hundred taels?" Di'o's expression became even more puzzled.

Nezha shook his head: "That's not gold, it's refined gold, which can be used to refine and forge magical treasures, armor, and even some treasures that immortals who are skilled in the laws of metal can use to comprehend the Dao!"

"Of course, it can also be used as currency."

Dio was dumbfounded. It had this effect?

"The peaches of immortality can accelerate our understanding of the Dao and increase our cultivation power. One peach can be equivalent to thousands of years of arduous cultivation." Nezha said, and envy reappeared in his eyes.

Dio was even more puzzled.

"Isn't there a Queen Mother's birthday banquet? Why are you so hungry? Can't you eat?"

Nezha's explanation for this question was simply: not everyone is qualified to eat it.

Even the Queen Mother's birthday banquet.

Having resolved his doubts, Dio muttered something to himself and returned to the courtyard with Hela.

The next day, Dio resumed his usual routine and continued to study Taoist magic.

It is called the Way, but it is actually the law.

What is Tao?

Every sip and every bite, every breath, the vast universe, the waxing and waning of the sun and moon—everything that enters the eye is the Tao.

Studying the Dao means comprehending its principles, specifically a particular principle or set of principles within the Dao.

Laozi gave the Dharma Image the method of cultivation, and after Di'e comprehended the power of the laws, his cultivation became twice as effective with half the effort.

As for the laws, Dio had obtained and touched the Mind and Power Gems, and thus possessed a certain amount of gem power. He used the gem power to comprehend the laws, and then used the laws to activate his Dharma form.

This whole process is very simple.

Dio succeeded without even consulting any deity!

Dio even felt that in the Dharma Form state, he could see the power of the laws even more clearly, and he could even use the corresponding spells and abilities without restriction!

Having achieved his goal through cultivation, Dio asked for a spell to freeze the Jade Emperor before bidding him farewell.

Watching Dio and Hela leave, Nezha and the two Erlang gods whispered among themselves.

"You know what? At first, he thought that the incense and prayers offered to the gods were a way for the Heavenly Court to control us." Nezha said, feeling amused, and covered his mouth to try and keep it up.

Li Erlang was very surprised, and Zhao Yu, who was usually expressionless, now had his eyes wide open in astonishment.

"Hahaha, I never expected him to have such an idea, it's absolutely hilarious!" Li Erlang burst into laughter, tears welling up in his eyes.

Zhao Yu quickly regained his composure: "Although the path of the Spirit Official can be mastered quickly, the early stages of cultivation are extremely difficult. If one is not careful, death and the dissipation of one's cultivation are the least of one's worries. Choosing to worship gods is a last resort. Otherwise, Marshal Ma would not have been reincarnated so many times, and the Heavenly Spirit Official would not be led by Brother Bingcheng alone."

"Hahaha, I don't know where he got this conspiracy theory from, that he actually believes the Jade Emperor would use such despicable means to control us!" Li Erlang ignored Zhao Yu's explanation and continued to laugh.

Soon, Zhao Yu's forehead veins bulged, and he slapped him on the back of the head, knocking him to the ground.

Talk about the other side.

Dio returned to Earth and used the Rainbow Bridge to travel back to Asgard first.

"By the way, what exactly is your current situation?" Dio looked at Hela, who was in a state similar to the half-dead figure in mythology, but still wanted to get the details from Hela.

Hela's hands churned with black and white flames, emanating a powerful aura.

“I can now control the two powers of ‘death’ and ‘life’. It seems I have grasped the ‘power of laws’ you mentioned!” Hela clenched her fist, the flames in her hand extinguished, and looked at Dio.

"Death and life?" Dio was surprised. Putting everything else aside, she seemed even stronger than Hela from the Marvel What If series!

"Go back and have a good fight with the old man! Let him see how strong I am now, and make him regret not choosing me!" Hela's style changed instantly, and in that instant she suddenly became more in line with the Viking female warrior in Dio's mind.

Yes, stereotypes are unacceptable.

After summoning Heimdall, the two were carried away by a rainbow streak of light.