The Infinity Gems are akin to nuclear weapons. They are kept in storage, maintained and serviced. Even in times of war, they wouldn't be readily deployed unless facing an existential threat. Their primary function is deterrence.
Bai Qi, despite his widespread influence and disruptive actions, operates within limits. After executing major operations, he and his direct subordinates would enter a period of silence, subtly orchestrating actions through intermediaries to avoid direct association. Once the attention on Bai Qi waned, dissipated by time and other events, he would resurface to continue his activities.
This has been Bai Qi's consistent principle: to let everyone know he is not to be trifled with, yet to avoid excessive ostentation, maintaining a low profile that cultivates the illusion of non-aggression.
Currently, this "nuclear weapon" not only serves as a deterrent but also brings him benefits. There is no need to rush its deployment.
More importantly, for the Prime World to become part of the Void, besides maintaining sufficient strength, the World Wall needs to be weakened or a breach created. This would allow Void particles and a small number of Void creatures to enter, enabling the Prime World to adapt gradually, thus preventing self-destruction due to incompatibility.
Once the Prime World is fully adapted, the final and most crucial step is to use sufficient power to shatter the World Wall.
Within the Prime World, very few possess the capability to either shatter the World Wall or create a breach.
In Bai Qi's estimation, the most feasible method is the power unleashed by gathering all five Infinity Gems.
He currently possesses the Mind Gem and the Space Gem. The Time Gem is held by the Ancient One on Earth, and there is a high probability of acquiring it through negotiation. As for the remaining two gems, Bai Qi doesn't need to search for them; Thanos will bring them to him.
All he needs to do is continue his progress as planned, and when Thanos arrives, he will receive a grand surprise.
Led by Yong Huo, Bai Qi arrived at the core area of the laboratory, where he found Doctor Octopus, Otto Octavius, engrossed in his work. Also present was an elder with white hair.
Upon seeing Bai Qi, Octavius set down his test tube and was about to step forward to greet him. However, the elder with white hair beat him to it, approaching Bai Qi with an excited expression. "You, you are the Holy Lord, aren't you!"
Bai Qi raised an eyebrow and replied, "Yes, I am."
"That's wonderful! I've finally met you. They said that if I help complete the experiment, you would reward me with the divine power of eternal life."
Bai Qi chuckled, "Of course. With me, eternal life is but the smallest of gifts."
With a wave of his hand, Bai Qi infused a surge of magic into the elder. In an instant, the elder's appearance transformed. His hair turned black again, and the age spots on his face vanished. He felt the changes in his body, overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude, nearly prostrating himself before Bai Qi.
"I have reversed your age by ten years," Bai Qi said. "Work hard, and you will receive what you desire."
At this moment, Bai Qi recognized the elder's identity. Despite his age, this individual was a prominent figure in the scientific community, at least in his past. His name was Miles Warren, the first target on the list.
In his youth, Warren held a significant position in science, particularly in genetic engineering. As he aged and his health deteriorated, Warren became increasingly obsessive, seeking the secret of eternal life through human genetics, even resorting to illegal human experimentation. This led to his downfall. He was expelled from his laboratory, and all his research data was confiscated.
Yet, even with virtually nothing, he did not abandon his dream of immortality. He spent all his savings to establish a clandestine underground laboratory, earning money through illicit activities to fund his research. This continued until Yong Huo found him.
Dealing with such an obsessive individual, Yong Huo didn't even need mind control. Simply informing Warren that he could grant him eternal life was enough to make him readily follow.
Bai Qi valued Warren not for his past scientific standing; there were plenty of intelligent individuals in this world. Warren was ranked first because, in the Spider-Man saga, he had successfully cloned Hydro-Man and Spider-Man's girlfriend Mary Jane. Although both clones eventually collapsed due to immature technology, there had been a partial success.
Now, with the support of the advanced technology Bai Qi provided, the probability of achieving his desired outcome would be greater.
"Octavius, tell me, what is your progress?"
Hearing Bai Qi inquire about their progress, Octavius and Warren lowered their heads. After a long pause, Octavius, as the lead researcher, cautiously replied, "My lord, please follow me."
Warren knew where Octavius was taking Bai Qi and Yong Huo and remained behind, continuing his experiment.
Octavius led Bai Qi and Yong Huo to a warehouse where experimental subjects were stored. As the lights flickered on, Bai Qi saw numerous cylindrical containers, each over two meters tall. He approached and examined several of them, his expression growing increasingly grim. These were far from perfect specimens; they were grotesquely malformed, some mere blobs of flesh, not even qualifying as semi-finished products.
After inspecting them all, Bai Qi finally found one that was somewhat acceptable, though "acceptable" was relative to the others. At least this one bore a resemblance to a human.
"Didn't I provide you with the experimental data for cloning Superman? Why have they turned out this way?"
At the inception of Project Cadmus, besides researching mutated organisms, a primary objective was to replicate Superman. The data Bai Qi had obtained indicated that the Superman cloning experiments had already yielded some results.
Octavius sighed, "My lord, we did utilize the data you provided. However, human genes were mixed with Superman's cloning for stabilization. But your genes are too powerful; we are currently unable to control even a fraction of them."
Hearing this, Bai Qi fell silent. It was true that the Superman clone created by the Illuminati's data explicitly stated that half of its genes were derived from humans, serving as a stabilizer. Now, the clone Bai Qi desired also contained human genes, but coupled with his own demonic lineage. The combination of three distinct genetic profiles presented a complexity far beyond simple addition.