Fortunately, the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. intervened in time, and through persuasion, they managed to usher all the visible media reporters out. However, they couldn't guarantee that no so-called self-media individuals were hiding to continue filming.
Three hours passed in a flash.
"He's here," said Old Man, holding a blowfish atop Mount Rushmore, his expression solemn as he looked ahead.
Behind him, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, led by Nick Fury, held their breath, not daring to exhale. The reason was simple.
Magic detectors had long been standard issue for every S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, used to detect the presence of magic. But now, the magic detectors in everyone's hands were emitting ear-piercing alarms. Looking at them, the readings had reached their peak, as if they were about to explode.
Not long after Old Man spoke, the air in front of them began to warp. A massive rift appeared, as if space had been violently torn apart.
Then, two four-clawed demonic dragons, entirely emerald green, emerged from the rift. Simultaneously, they expanded the rift's width, transforming it into a portal.
The two demonic dragons eyed the humans before them, their bloodthirsty and brutal nature fully displayed. They let out growls, itching to rush forward and devour them all, but they ultimately held back, standing obediently on either side of the portal.
After the two demonic dragons took their positions, Bai Qi emerged from the portal at a leisurely pace.
The moment Bai Qi appeared, heaven and earth changed color. Black clouds obscured the sun, turning day into night. Dense, shadowy ninjas materialized all around, encircling Mount Rushmore completely. Both the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who had been secretly deployed and the onlookers were now under the control of the shadowy ninjas.
The agents, brandishing their weapons, attempted to resist, but Nick Fury stopped them in time.
Nick Fury, with a displeased expression, looked at Bai Qi and said, "The Holy Lord, quite the grand entrance."
Bai Qi glanced at Nick Fury without speaking, but his expression conveyed everything: utter disdain for conversation with Nick Fury.
It wasn't until Old Man stepped forward and asked, "Holy Lord, where is Xiao Yu?"
Upon seeing Old Man, Bai Qi leisurely waved his hand. A troll ninja stepped forward, carrying an iron cage. Inside, Xiao Yu was imprisoned.
"Xiao Yu, you..."
The moment Chen Long saw Xiao Yu, his emotions surged. But as he observed Xiao Yu's current state and expression, the rest of his words caught in his throat.
Although imprisoned, Xiao Yu was unharmed. She wasn't bound by ropes or chains, and to ensure her comfort, the cage contained a small sofa, a small table, and steaming hot tea and some pastries. Xiao Yu showed no fear or terror on her face.
Those who knew she had been captured might have thought she was out experiencing life.
This wasn't the most absurd part. What was truly preposterous was that Xiao Yu wasn't alone in the cage. A blue-haired girl in a maid outfit was chatting and laughing with Xiao Yu, as if the chaos unfolding outside was of no concern to them.
Bai Qi waved his hand, and the troll ninja, along with Xiao Yu, retreated.
"Where is what I asked for?"
Old Man wasted no time. He gave Nick Fury a look, and the understanding Nick Fury signaled. A fully armed agent stepped forward, opening a briefcase. Inside was the Eye of Horus... a replica.
"Have him come over, I need to inspect it."
Nick Fury frowned and said, "How do we know you won't just snatch it?"
"Don't you have a choice? I can choose to terminate the exchange. Can you?"
Indeed, in this transaction, Bai Qi held absolute dominance. He could end the exchange at any moment, but the Dragon family could not. While kinship could sometimes unleash immense power, it could also become a person's greatest weakness.
Nick Fury, though unburdened by kinship, could not be too forceful due to Old Man's status. Furthermore, he had his own ulterior motives at this moment.
From Old Man's perspective, it was impossible for him to join S.H.I.E.L.D. and serve the United States. Moreover, with his old-fashioned views, he would never pass on his knowledge to S.H.I.E.L.D.
The best course of action now was to target Old Man's two disciples, Tarak and Xiao Yu.
Tarak, despite his seemingly simple-minded and perhaps not-so-intelligent demeanor, was an adult with an established worldview, less susceptible to external influence. Even if he were tricked into joining S.H.I.E.L.D., his loyalty wouldn't be guaranteed. Xiao Yu, however, had a mind that had not yet fully matured.
As the saying goes, "start with the children." Xiao Yu was at an age where she was full of wonder about the world and easily influenced by her surroundings. If S.H.I.E.L.D. could intervene at this stage and display enough appeal, they could definitely recruit Xiao Yu. Then, with her influence, Old Man's lifetime of knowledge would eventually belong to S.H.I.E.L.D.
And now was the perfect opportunity to improve her favorability.
Nick Fury nodded and said, "Agreed."
Seeing that their boss had agreed, the agent, despite his reluctance, had no choice. For the sake of his livelihood, he had to steel himself and walk towards the Holy Lord.
Before he could reach the Holy Lord, the demonic dragons on either side let out a roar, instantly causing the agent's legs to go weak. He froze in place, unable to move forward for a long time.
Seeing this, Bai Qi decided not to waste any more time. With a wave of his hand, the agent was instantly pulled before him.
However, Bai Qi didn't act himself. Instead, he motioned for Yong Huo, who was behind him, to step forward.
Yong Huo approached the agent. The horns on his head glowed red. Empowered by the Mind Stone, he quickly sifted through the agent's memories. In less than a minute, he found the crucial memories amidst the vast collection. Then, he used telepathy to transmit everything to Bai Qi.
Honestly, the replica created by Old Man was flawless. To prevent Bai Qi from sensing it was fake, he had even extracted a third of the original's power and infused it into the replica, using special magic to make it appear identical.
Even Bai Qi, at first glance, hadn't noticed anything amiss.
Unfortunately, in his meticulous planning, Old Man made a critical mistake. He shouldn't have presented the replica and the original simultaneously in front of so many people.
Coincidentally, this agent had been in the meeting room at the time and saw Old Man present two identical Eyes of Horus. Although he didn't know which was real or fake, and only caught a fleeting glimpse, that single glance was enough.