"Master Ancient One?"Qin Xiao didn't need to see her face to know who it was.
The Ancient One's slender figure stepped out of the portal.
"Qin, is this 177A Bleecker Street?" she asked.
Coulson suddenly appeared again and turned to Qin Xiao."Yes, Master Ancient One. Compared to you, he is the true guardian of Earth."
Qin Xiao gestured as he introduced Coulson.
The Ancient One glanced at Coulson, smiled faintly, and nodded in greeting.
Coulson swallowed hard, already wondering how on earth one was supposed to deal with the Sorcerer Supreme in the future.
With perfect courtesy, the Ancient One lightly patted Qin Xiao on the shoulder.
"You don't need to do anything. Let them resolve Asgard's affairs themselves. Odin has already made his arrangements."
Qin Xiao wasn't surprised that this was Odin's doing.Still, according to Odin's plan, Thor was performing far better than expected. By all logic, he should already have regained his power.
Qin Xiao carefully voiced his doubts.
"If this is just training, Thor is already much stronger than before. Why hasn't his power returned? Based on Thor's description of Odin, he should already qualify for the power of the Thunder God."
"Qualification?"The Ancient One laughed dismissively.
"Do you really believe the fairy tales Odin tells children? Training Thor is necessary, yes—but whether he regains the hammer and his power has nothing to do with a change in personality. The key is whether he truly faces death."
"What?"Qin Xiao was stunned.
"Think about it. Even if Thor just fell to the ground and you rushed over and beat him to death, do you think the hammer would come flying over on its own?"
"That damned old fox…"Qin Xiao muttered under his breath.
The Ancient One glanced at him.
"Do you think Odin conquered the universe with brute force alone? Do you really believe the ancient beings of the cosmos are as foolish as the rookies standing in front of you?"
She paused, then smiled.
"But since you're here, you might as well act like an elder. Come with me."
She called to Qin Xiao, drew a line through the air, and stepped forward—appearing instantly in front of Thor and the others.
At that very moment, the Destroyer rose up, flames burning atop its head, and fired a beam of blazing energy toward them.
The Ancient One lifted her hand and rapidly drew several circles in the air.
Golden light shot forth, forming a massive magical shield nearly two meters in diameter.
With a gentle push from her pale, delicate hand, the shield—dense with arcane power—shot forward.
The Destroyer's flame beam struck the shield, but it was like a baby colliding with a sprinting Hulk.
The shield didn't slow down in the slightest.
Instead, it surged upstream through the flames and slammed directly into the Destroyer's massive body.
It drove the machine back several hundred meters before slowly dissolving into the air.
"Hiss—!"
Everyone present except Qin Xiao sucked in a sharp breath.
Fandral turned to the equally stunned Hogun beside him and whispered,"Who is that? And why do I suddenly feel like Earth doesn't need us to protect it?"
Only Qin Xiao lowered his head and muttered quietly.
"She's been alive for thousands of years… I really don't know how she takes care of her hands. They look like a little girl's."
Bang!
The Ancient One tapped Qin Xiao on the head, then clasped her hands behind her back and walked toward Thor.
"I have known Odin for thousands of years. I know you were exiled to Earth. If you wish to regain the power of the Thunder God, you must understand why you fight. Everyone here today needs your protection. We will no longer help you deal with the Destroyer. Think carefully about how to protect the people around you."
After saying this, she ignored everyone's reactions, grabbed Qin Xiao, and returned to their previous spot.
But she wasn't done yet.
She opened another portal and placed the Destroyer less than a hundred meters from Thor and the others.
"You're being a little cruel, don't you think?" Qin Xiao pouted."Why not just stand there, mock him a bit, and pull the monster back? That would've been much easier."
The Ancient One's soft, pale hand struck his head again.
Qin Xiao had no idea where she got that much strength—his body hurt so badly he jumped on the spot.
Clutching his head, he shouted,"If you want to talk, then talk! Why do you always hit me?!"
"You deserve it," the Ancient One said calmly.
Somehow, a folding fan appeared in her hand. She waved it gently.
"I acted so Odin would know that when his son came to Earth, I didn't abandon him. Otherwise, you would've already become his full-time babysitter. If you were truly going to be the next Sorcerer Supreme, I'd have dragged you off long ago to bargain for more benefits."
Holding his head, Qin Xiao complained bitterly,"I have zero interest in being the Sorcerer Supreme. Guarding the Sanctum, being tormented by Dormammu thousands of times—I've had enough!"
Every time the Ancient One mentioned passing on the Time Stone, Qin Xiao felt there was some hidden conspiracy behind it.
So when she brought it up again, he couldn't help but vent.
The moment the words left his mouth, he realized something was wrong.
He looked back at her.
She was smiling at him—silently.
A very familiar smile.
"Uh—look over there!" Qin Xiao hurriedly changed the subject."Thor got beaten again! Look!"
The Ancient One didn't press him further and turned her gaze back to Thor and the others.
Sure enough, just as she said, Thor shook off his companions and charged straight toward the Destroyer again.
This time, he didn't say much.
He spread his arms wide.
"Loki! If you want to kill me, then do it now. End this here—don't drag them into it!"
Loki seemed momentarily shaken by the Ancient One's earlier attack. The Destroyer hesitated, instinctively glancing at her and Qin Xiao.
Seeing that neither of them intended to interfere, Loki's cruelty surged forth.
A massive beam of fire blasted toward Thor.
"No!"
"Thor!"
Cries rang out from all directions as the flame beam struck Thor head-on without mercy.
It hurled him dozens of meters away before dispersing.
When they looked again, Thor's body was charred black, like burned coke. His clothes had been reduced to rags.
His face was so darkened it was nearly impossible to recognize him.
Thin white smoke still rose from his body.
In that condition…Even a god might not survive.
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