In the sky,
Xiao Han's figure shot straight into the sky, breaking through the clouds in the blink of an eye.
The outline of New York rapidly shrank behind him, the city lights turning into tiny dots of light, eventually swallowed by the deep blue night.
The altitude continued to climb, and the air became thinner.
His Biofield automatically adjusted, leaving him unaffected.
His skin could feel the subtle touch of cosmic rays, but for a Steel Body, it was merely a breeze.
"Not fast enough."
He adjusted his posture, his arms pressed tightly to his sides, and the Biofield formed a streamlined barrier on his body surface.
"Accelerate."
Bang!
His speed suddenly increased, breaking through Mach 100, Mach 130, until the edge of the atmosphere.
The curve of the Earth clearly emerged in his vision, the azure ocean and white clouds intertwined, breathtakingly beautiful.
The last layer of thin atmosphere was torn apart, and Xiao Han officially entered space.
In the boundless darkness, Xiao Han was like a retrograde meteor, speeding towards the Sun.
Without air resistance, his speed grew faster and faster, 0.1 times the speed of light, 0.2 times the speed of light...
After the last absorption from the Sun, his maximum speed could now reach 0.5c.
"At this speed, reaching the Sun will only take a little over ten minutes."
He relaxed his body, letting inertia carry him forward.
His Super Vision captured the subtle fluctuations in the Universe.
In the distance, astronauts in the International Space Station were observing Earth through the porthole.
On a more distant orbit, several satellites operated silently.
And on the other side of the Earth, a stealthy alien reconnaissance ship quietly lurked.
His Super Vision instantly locked onto the target, a strangely shaped reconnaissance ship, hidden above, its surface covered with some kind of optical camouflage, but it was useless against Xiao Han's X-ray vision.
"Not Earth technology... nor Asgard's style."
The spaceship seemed to sense the threat and suddenly started its engines, attempting to escape. Xiao Han hovered in the air, a golden light flashing in his eyes.
"Since you're here, don't leave."
His eyes suddenly lit up, and two crimson Heat Vision beams cut through the night sky.
There was no Earth-shattering explosion, no scattered debris, the Heat Vision precisely pierced the engine core, and the spaceship silently disintegrated like a punctured balloon.
A few pieces of debris brushed past his cheek, vaporizing upon contact with his skin.
"Looks like someone is very interested in Earth." Xiao Han noted down the coordinates.
After destroying the scattered spaceship debris, Xiao Han continued to accelerate.
The dark Universe unfolded before him.
Here, he felt true freedom.
No gravitational restraint, no air resistance, only the Eternal starlight.
The light of the Sun gently enveloped him, like a mother's embrace.
Warm, comfortable, full of power.
"This is what home feels like!"
He relaxed his entire body, letting the Sun's gravity pull him.
Golden energy flowed in his veins, every cell cheering with joy.
As the distance closed, the brilliant plasma flames of the corona danced before his eyes.
Xiao Han opened his arms, throwing himself into the embrace of the Sun like a returning wanderer.
The flames kissed his skin, not only without burning, but instead bringing an unprecedented sense of fullness.
He took a deep breath, although there was no air in space, the solar radiation was the best nutrient.
He adjusted his posture and began to decelerate.
Golden plasma surged like waves, and occasional solar flares released energy capable of destroying Planets.
But for Xiao Han, this was the purest source of power.
"Now..."
Xiao Han sat cross-legged in the churning corona, golden energy flowing around his body.
Flames enveloped him, energy pouring into every cell like a tide.
"It's time to start the experiment."
"If my power comes from the Sun, can magic also use solar energy as a medium?"
This idea had been swirling in his mind for a long time.
At Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One once said: "The essence of magic is the flow of energy, and the medium is just a tool for guidance."
So, since his body itself was an energy container, could he directly use himself as the medium for casting spells?
He needed to understand the essence of magic.
Xiao Han closed his eyes, recalling the knowledge he had learned at Kamar-Taj.
Ordinary sorcerers needed to rely on Sling Rings or magical artifacts to borrow energy from other Dimensions, and then guide it through incantations and gestures.
Part of the Ancient One's energy came from the Dark Dimension, but her power stemmed more from her understanding of rules.
And his own energy came from the Sun, completely internalized in his body, requiring no borrowing.
"If I can directly replace dimensional energy with my own energy, then magic will no longer require an external medium."
"Perhaps I should try a self-contract directly?"
Xiao Han raised his hand, a golden glow appearing at his fingertips. He softly chanted the Kamar-Taj contract spell:
"By my will, I connect to the streams of the Multiverse."
Instantly, he felt the solar energy within him tremble slightly, as if being pulled by some invisible rule.
But soon, the energy returned to calm.
The contract was established, but there was no channel for energy to flow.
He realized that the Kamar-Taj magic system was built on borrowing, while his energy belonged entirely to him, requiring no contract.
"Perhaps, I don't need to follow their rules."
"Are my rules the rules?"
Xiao Han decided not to imitate the methods of Kamar-Taj anymore, but to try guiding the energy in his own way.
He began his first attempt; he imagined energy flowing from his fingertips, forming sparks.
The result was only a few sporadic points of light that quickly dissipated.
In the second attempt, he adjusted the way the energy was output, making it wrap around his palm like a Biofield.
This time, the sparks lasted longer, but still didn't take shape.
In the third attempt, he no longer deliberately controlled the form of the energy, but let it flow naturally, like breathing.
"Perhaps, magic doesn't need to be forcibly shaped, but should follow the nature of the energy."
Xiao Han relaxed his mind, no longer fixated on the correct casting method.
He closed his eyes, imagining himself merging with the solar energy.
"I don't need to borrow any power, I am the power itself."
He slowly raised his hand, no circles drawn, no incantation, just letting the energy be released naturally with his will.
Buzz!
A golden spark erupted before him, then rapidly expanded, forming a complete portal!
On the other side, the clouds of Earth were clearly visible.
"It worked!"
Xiao Han could feel that each use of magic consumed a minuscule amount of energy, but the Sun's radiation continuously replenished him.
"As long as I don't leave the range of solar radiation, or don't deplete the energy stored in my body all at once, I can cast spells infinitely."
This meant he could teleport without limit, no longer relying on a Sling Ring, and could open portals at will.
He also had stronger spell power, after all, solar energy was purer than ordinary dimensional energy, and the spell effects might be stronger.
And he had a unique magic system; he could develop his own Sun magic.
Xiao Han hovered in the flames of the Sun, his eyes gleaming with contemplation.
"This ability has a lot of potential for development."
For example, energy compression, highly condensing solar energy to create attacks similar to magical cannonballs or weapons.
He could also interfere with Dimensions, using his own energy to stabilize or disrupt channels to other Dimensions.
Or... the fusion of magic and superpowers.
For example, combining Heat Vision with magic to form attacks that burn the soul.
Using the Mirror Dimension to trap enemies?
Or using space magic and Super speed to achieve intergalactic teleportation?
Xiao Han suppressed his excitement. magic and superpowers were more complementary. With his physical condition, few people would require him to use particularly advanced magic.
He looked towards Earth, a slight smile on his lips.
"It's still early. Before going back, why not try some more complex spells?"
He acted immediately, raising his hand, golden energy gathering in his palm. This time, he attempted to create a spatial gate that opened to other Dimensions.
For example, opening a spatial gate to the Hell Dimension to see what Hell looked like.
Or see if Dormammu was eager to negotiate?
Regardless, Xiao Han wanted to try, just like a child seeing a smartphone for the first time, wanting to click on everything.