As the dial of the Omnitrix rotated, an icon resembling a glowing Planet emerged—
That was the exclusive energy icon representing the Celestials!
Snap!
Peter tapped the Omnitrix, and in the next second, he instantly completed his transformation.
This was probably the most inconspicuous of all his transformations.
There were no special effects to speak of; only Peter himself could sense the changes in his body.
At this moment, he had completely turned into a Humanoid Energy Entity!
He could freely manipulate his body to undergo any form of transformation!
At the same time, he could unleash energy attacks powerful beyond imagination.
Furthermore, he had one hundred percent control over these energy attacks!
Just as a human can flexibly use their own fingers!
Perhaps because Peter's change was so subtle, Ego actually didn't notice a thing.
At this moment, he was still rambling through his final, mad speech.
"Lowly creature, don't even think about stopping me! Once the self-destruction process begins, there is absolutely no possibility of interruption. You are all destined to perish with me..."
Before he could even finish his sentence, Peter thrust his hand directly into Ego's Energy Core.
His palm passed through the crystal-like shell, reaching deep into the core made entirely of energy.
Ego's long-winded speech suddenly halted, and a blank expression appeared on his face—one Mantis had never seen before.
It felt as if a person had suddenly seen... another version of themselves!
Seeing his stunned expression, Peter couldn't help but tilt his head at him, revealing a mocking smile:
"Keep talking. Weren't you just being very loud?"
Ego didn't respond.
He couldn't speak.
Because he sensed something that he, an ancient being who had lived for billions of years, could not accept no matter what—the energy within his body was draining away.
It wasn't a leak; it was a torrent.
Like a dam bursting or a sudden avalanche, the Celestial energy he had accumulated for billions of years was now surging into Peter's body at an absurdly fast rate.
Moreover, once his energy was absorbed by Peter, it was like a stone sinking into the ocean, completely severed from his main body, with no response whatsoever.
Even as the energy drained, he could vaguely sense the Energy Seeds he had sown throughout the Universe over billions of years.
At this moment, they were disconnecting from his body one by one!
Finally, Ego came to his senses and couldn't help but let out a roar.
This time, the terror and madness contained within it were clearly audible to everyone present:
"Damn lowly creature, what have you done to me?!"
"Nothing much."
Peter shrugged and then thrust his other hand into Ego's core, his expression as calm as if he were discussing the weather:
"Just absorbing a bit of energy from you. Not much, just... all of it."
Hearing this, everyone on the scene was dumbfounded.
Peter... was absorbing the energy of a Planet?!
And he even claimed he would suck it dry?!
How could such a thing be possible!
"Impossible! This is impossible! I have existed for billions of years; no one can strip me of my energy..."
"Old geezer," Peter interrupted him, "you only have a few minutes left to live. Are you sure you want to waste your limited life on these meaningless conversations?"
Ego's face turned flushed red, but his voice was exceptionally pale:
"You're lying! You're simply dreaming!"
"My consciousness covers countless Planets."
"My seeds have taken root throughout the Universe."
"Over the past billions of years, the energy I have absorbed is comparable to an entire Sun!"
"By absorbing me, you are forcibly stuffing a cosmic-level life structure into your body."
"Doing this will only blow you up from the inside out!"
Hearing Ego's words, Star-Lord and the others couldn't help but glance at each other.
Rocket, the most intelligent in the group, couldn't help but look at Sif and ask:
"I think the old geezer has a point. Are you sure your boyfriend won't run into any problems doing this?"
"Don't worry!" Sif looked completely relaxed, even finding the time to pull out her phone and open a single-player mini-game Peter had developed to pass the time:
"Peter never fights a battle he isn't prepared for!"
As time passed minute by minute, everyone gradually noticed that Ego's body... was actually starting to shrink again.
And the speed of the shrinking was terrifyingly fast.
When he first shrank earlier, he was about thirty to fifty meters in size.
But now, in less than a minute, he had shrunk to less than ten meters tall.
Sif, who had finished a game due to a mistake, looked up and, seeing the ever-shrinking Ego, couldn't help but say:
"Almost there."
"Almost what?" Mantis's voice trembled slightly.
Sif glanced at her and Star-Lord beside her, adding with a relaxed expression:
"Your father is just about finished."
Sure enough, just as she finished speaking, Ego began to beg for mercy.
His voice changed from the previous mad roar to a humble plea.
At this moment, his energy form was faintly beginning to dissipate, and his once clear facial features were gradually becoming blurred:
"Young man, I think we can have a good talk. You are the strongest being I have ever seen in this Universe. If we can cooperate, I can share many things you need with you!"
"My knowledge."
"My star maps."
"I have witnessed the origins and growth of many civilizations since the birth of the Universe."
"I even know cosmic taboos that many super-powers in the Universe are unaware of."
"I can teach you how to sow seeds inside Planets, how to evolve life, and how to create new energy vessels."
Facing Ego's persuasive coaxing, everyone was truly worried that Peter would agree to his terms.
But Peter did not disappoint them after all.
His answer was crisp and direct:
"Idiot!"
"Is there a possibility that after you die, all these things will also belong to me?"
"What right do you have... to negotiate terms with me now?"
Realizing that persuasion was ineffective, Ego decisively switched his target:
"Quill."
Star-Lord's body stiffened.
"Child, stop him. Can you allow an outsider to kill your father right in front of you?"
Gamora immediately stepped in front of Star-Lord:
"Don't listen."
But Star-Lord did not choose to listen.
He stepped out from behind Gamora, raised the Energy Gun in his hand, and aimed it at Ego's head.
Bang!
Star-Lord pulled the trigger and roared:
"I said, I only have one father, and that's Yondu!"
Star-Lord fired several shots in succession, as if venting:
"This shot is for my mom."
"This shot is for Yondu."
"This shot is for all those siblings you discarded so carelessly."
"This shot is for... for you peeking at my friend's girlfriend just now."
Hearing Star-Lord's last sentence, Peter's movements couldn't help but pause.
He couldn't help but look back and praise Star-Lord:
"You kid, well done. Your path just got a whole lot wider~"
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