Hong Fei burst through the dimensional exit to find Kunlun's people blanketing the mountains and plains. Over ninety percent had cultivated Qi. To him, they were amateurs—but by the outside world's standards, every last one qualified as elite regardless of age or gender.
Yet they were aliens. Human-like appearances couldn't mask their fundamentally different origins. Scanning the sea of faces—some fearful, others hateful or simply bewildered—Hong Fei's brow furrowed. A single gesture knocked the crowd unconscious. Those who'd glared with hatred never woke up. He tore open a portal, dumping them outside Dragon Palace for Chen Qi's disposal.
Let the man decide whether to dissect them or pickle them in liquor. Inside the Dragon Dimension, power roared like a caged beast. Hong Fei's suppression had cleaved the energy into two distinct masses, yet one kept bucking against its restraints, sending violent tsunamis crashing against his control.
The backlash seeped into his very soul. His face paled in waves as his body bloated grotesquely, skin stretched taut over throbbing blue veins.
"Even dead, you won't shut up," he cursed silently, turning toward Kamar-Taj. A portal yawned open beside him before he could move. Ancient One extended a beckoning hand. Hong Fei stepped through.
They stood at the heart of an endless desert. The scorching sun had baked away every trace of moisture, leaving gravel that could blister skin at a touch. Not a single living thing stirred in the wasteland. Ancient One's cloth shoes barely indented the superheated stones. The Eye of Agamotto gleamed at her chest as a massive spellbook hovered before her.
Hong Fei arrived just in time to see her bald head shining like a beacon under the merciless sun. Noticing his stare, she wordlessly pulled up her hood.
"Sorcerer, we've got a problem."
Ancient One acknowledged him with a hum. He thrust out his swollen hands.
"This isn't normal. I'm certain Shou-Lao the Undying is dead."
The proof lay in the multiple skill cards now stored within him—he'd long since deduced that killing a target yielded more rewards than mere defeat.
"It is indeed dead."
"Then why am I like this?"
"This is normal."
Hong Fei's frown deepened.
Ancient One shook her head.
"Do you consider Dragon Power strong?"
"Extremely."
He paused.
"But Shou-Lao wasn't. Perfect fusion rate aside, its combat performance barely hit ninety percent."
He knew that threshold intimately—when he'd forced over ninety percent against Captain Marvel, the explosive power had nearly torn him apart. Shou-Lao—not that Hong Fei meant disrespect to the dead—had been Dragon Power incarnate, yet wielded it with all the finesse of a child swinging a sledgehammer. Beyond its mildly impressive lava breath, the creature's techniques were laughable. He hadn't even needed the reinforcements he'd lined up—The Foundation, Thor, and Ancient One herself had gone unused.
"Why do you think that was?"
Ancient One pressed. Hong Fei thought for a moment, tilted his head, and said, "Perhaps it's been idle too long? Combat skills atrophy. Or maybe it never had much experience to begin with?"
Ancient One gave no reaction.
"Other ideas?"
Hong Fei blinked, then ventured, "Am I just that strong?"
The corner of her mouth twitched.
"It's the body."
"The body?"
Hong Fei chewed slowly on the meaning behind this revelation when sudden understanding flashed through his mind. The Ancient One answered directly, "It's Dragon Power—a concentrated force whose external manifestation should be pure energy."
"Should be?"
Hong Fei echoed.
"The universe was created," she continued. "I know that. Therefore, everything has its own form. Life evolves naturally to survive and develop, but a person can't simply transform entirely into water from the inside out while maintaining normal biological functions."
"Magic can't achieve that?"
"No."
"What about reality manipulation?"
"It can," she admitted, "but it requires constant power infusion to sustain. Sever that connection, and the subject either reverts or dies outright."
Hong Fei grasped the concept. Life took many forms. The difference between him and Shou-Lao the Undying was the distinction between physical and energy-based existence. Previously, he'd assumed energy-based life was superior—now he wasn't so sure. At minimum, the two states seemed equal, neither inherently better than the other.
"So when Shou-Lao inhabits a body," he mused aloud, "it's bound by that form—vulnerable to injury when the flesh is damaged. Which raises the question: why force conversion from energy to physical form? Especially when it didn't even succeed? Yet it manifested as pure energy before me..." He trailed off, then snapped his fingers.
"Wait—maybe that was just power manipulation, not an actual abandonment of its physical vessel?"
The Ancient One fell silent, weighing her response. After a long pause, she explained, "Energy-based lifeforms generally surpass physical ones in strength. They're immune to many attack forms, and their pure energy composition grants abilities beyond mortal reach."
Hong Fei nodded—ever-changing forms and immunity to conventional weapons were talents flesh could never replicate.
"However," she continued, "energy beings rarely develop advanced intelligence. Typically, they operate on instinct alone—regardless of their power."
Hong Fei's mind leapt to another cosmic force: the Phoenix. None would call it weak, yet by human standards, its behavior hardly qualified as intelligent.
His brow furrowed.
"So Shou-Lao sought greater intellect by taking physical form? Willingly sacrificing its energy-being advantages to create this vulnerability?"
"Perhaps," the Ancient One said lightly, "it didn't realize it was creating a weakness during the conversion."
Hong Fei's pupils dilated. Of course—energy beings lacked higher cognition, acting primarily on instinct. Shou-Lao's drive toward physicality would have been subconscious, seeking intelligence it couldn't comprehend. Only after gaining a body and burgeoning awareness would it recognize the trap it had built for itself.
This discovery must have been a big surprise for Shou-Lao the Undying... After a beat, Hong Fei ventured, "So it halted mid-conversion? Remaining half-transformed, hiding its true state, while splitting off Dragon Power to craft a decoy body?"
"I don't know for certain," she replied. "That's for you to investigate."
Ancient One shook her head.
"You took an egg."
"Oh, right."
Hong Fei remembered. He clasped his hands in the air, and the Dragon Egg appeared directly from the Dragon Dimension. The egg, once white, had turned pure gold. Under the bright light, the thin, soft shell revealed the life gestating within.
Hong Fei's eyes widened.
"It wants to change form again?"
Inside the egg, the dragon wasn't a Western dragon but a pure Eastern one.
Ancient One shook her head.
"No, this is just a means, not the goal. It wants to replace you."
"Replace me?"
"Exactly. By merging with you and occupying your soul, it could break free from the shackles of its imperfect body and become a true physical life form."
Hong Fei understood. This thing wanted to possess his body.
"So my guess was wrong. It didn't not want to become a physical life form—it couldn't?"
"The conversion of life forms isn't that simple. I've seen many Iron Fists, but I've never encountered a physical existence like you, someone who can fuse with Dragon Power so perfectly."
"So it didn't just want its own power—it coveted my body too?"
Hong Fei cursed inwardly. Bitch.
Ancient One frowned. She looked at Hong Fei, puzzled.
"I thought it would be the one to emerge this time because it possessed the ability and spirit to suppress you. My plan was to awaken your soul at that moment and work with you to suppress and devour it. But why was its spirit destroyed by you instead? What did you do to it?"
Hong Fei raised his eyebrows, surprised Ancient One had underestimated him. He grinned.
"I chewed it up and ate it."
Ancient One's temple twitched.
"It didn't show weakness to you?"
Hong Fei thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"At first, it probably considered it, but once the fight started, it didn't dare."
If Shou-Lao the Undying had shown weakness during the battle, Hong Fei would have devoured it even more decisively. In short: he was too strong.
Ancient One glanced at the golden egg in Hong Fei's arms.
"You can eat it."
Hong Fei looked down.
"Now?"
"Right now."
As she spoke, Ancient One extended her hands, forming a strange gesture. Yellow magic patterns emerged on the golden egg, rapidly spreading and wrapping around its surface. She rotated her hands inward, and the egg shrank rapidly. In the blink of an eye, it was no larger than a golden Liuwei Dihuang Pill.
Hong Fei had never taken that medicine himself, but he'd seen Big Head eat it often. He pinched the gold pill between two fingers, studying the miniature divine dragon inside.
"Is this thing edible?"
As soon as he spoke, the floating magic book beside them trembled, and the ghostly face on its cover began to scream. At the same time, the Eye of Agamotto hanging on Ancient One's chest started rotating on its own.
"Someone's coming," Ancient One said casually.
Hong Fei turned abruptly. The void beside them rippled, and several figures clad in black armor stepped through. Each held a stick in their hand. Hong Fei laughed.
"The Time Variance Authority?"
Ancient One nodded.
"They're looking for you."
"I guessed as much. Is this why you said I'd leave?"
Ancient One nodded again.
Hong Fei's gaze swept over the newcomers. He shook his head.
"Are they here to die? How could they not even detect the Mirror Dimension?"
The group stood beside Hong Fei and the Ancient One, but their white-knuckled grips on their staffs and darting eyes betrayed their tension. Some fumbled with detection instruments while others inched forward like skittish deer. Idiots, every last one of them.
The Ancient One's voice cut through the silence.
"They possess temporal displacement technology."
"I know."
"You have similar capabilities."
"Oh?"
Hong Fei turned sharply toward her.
She pointed at his eyes. His fingers brushed his eyelids—the Eyes of Death. A revelation. He'd always assumed their power lay solely in hyper-perception, slowing his perception of the world. Yet here stood someone casually informing him of untapped potential.
A proper system would've been nice. The Eyes clearly held depths worth exploring. He swallowed the Liuwei Dihuang egg in one practiced motion.
The effect was instantaneous. His bloated body deflated like a punctured balloon, abnormalities vanishing within moments.
"The enchantments on the shell will regulate absorption," the Ancient One added. "Your White Dragon will benefit as well."
Hong Fei gave a curt nod. The Little Dragon Girl's silence was unnerving—without his psychic senses confirming her presence, he might've believed her gone.
"Sorcerer," he said, straightening his rumpled collar, "what's your assessment of them?"
She barely glanced at the uneasy group.
"I see them with my eyes."
Hong Fei's head snapped around. "You've changed."
"Nothing remains static."
"And no entity controls everything indefinitely."
"Hmm. Anything else?"
"Control isn't inherently virtuous, nor chaos inherently vile."
"Eloquent," Hong Fei remarked. "But how do you know about them?"
"Because I'm dying."
Fantastic. Did some oracle whisper secrets, or had she gone digging herself? Three seconds of mental gymnastics later, he abandoned the line of inquiry—too convoluted.
"Why target me now?"
Her gaze pierced him, as if witnessing the churning cosmic energy within, her ears attuned to the dragon's roar beneath his skin.
"From this moment, you wield power to alter the universe's fate."
The revelation didn't surprise him. If a timeline's doom was predetermined, the Time Variance Authority ignored all actions preceding that collapse—unless they threatened to rewrite destiny itself.
He almost asked why this timeline was doomed. Almost. The question died on his tongue. The answer didn't matter—destruction was unacceptable regardless.
But if even these bureaucratic timekeepers acknowledged his capacity to defy fate, he'd simply do what he did best: push forward with everything he had.
"Even if you asked," the Ancient One said bluntly, "I wouldn't know."
"Then let's be clear."
Hong Fei cracked his knuckles.
"They've chosen their prey. I don't think they have the ability to force me to leave. Furthermore, I think we have two options now. First, I pretend to be defeated and go back with them directly, then look for an opportunity to slaughter my way through them. Second, I kill them all right now, and then you send me to their base, and we both work together to annihilate them all."
The Ancient One fixed him with a steady gaze.
"It is better not to kill."
"That won't do."
Hong Fei shook his head.
"I never liked them before, and now that they're targeting me? Put yourself in my shoes—what would you think? I can't stand it."
His mind raced through the concepts: the Time Variance Authority, the Sacred Timeline, Kang the Conqueror, the Multiverse War. All these grand titles sounded intimidating, designed to inspire awe without substance. But what was the point? At their core, they were just villains playing the Riddler, posturing and scheming. And in the end, once they were wiped out, another, even more powerful boss would inevitably emerge to crush the former. It was all the same tired routine.
Hong Fei didn't see the Marvel Universe as a casual game. Yet, reality felt eerily similar to a single-player RPG: level up, hack through monsters, and fight bosses. It didn't matter how impressive or terrifying the boss of the moment seemed. Sooner or later, he'd be carrying a blade to chop off their head.
And when he stood triumphantly on that boss's head, basking in the high of victory, another, stronger adversary would inevitably appear. Their backstory, introduction, and strength would make him exclaim, "Holy crap, this one's even more awesome than the last!"
But even then, he didn't need to dwell on it. Sooner or later, he'd be carrying that same blade to chop off their head too. Forge ahead with courage, never slack off. Fate might be unpredictable, but man could conquer heaven.
As long as he kept growing stronger, every powerful enemy he encountered would eventually fall, their head severed and kicked around like a ball. This was the momentum Hong Fei had cultivated on Earth over the years—riding the wind and waves, hacking through thorns, crushing everything in his path.
So, whether the Time Variance Authority was good or bad, and no matter how terrifying the Multiverse War sounded, he wouldn't let it shake him. This was all about him. Hmm, if he could spark a Multiverse-wide conflict, would the instant boost be enough to make Odin call him Daddy? Wait, that metaphor didn't quite land.
Thor had always treated him like a brother. Thinking about becoming his grandfather felt unkind, downright cruel. Still, the logic held. Chaos was good for him. Creating chaos made him stronger, and stopping chaos did too—but to stop chaos, there had to be chaos first. With that clarity, Hong Fei's thoughts settled. What TVA? They were mortal enemies!
"I'll go with them," Hong Fei declared. "Go undercover, finish them off, and come back."
Stab Kang the Conqueror to death, dismantle that self-righteous Sacred Timeline, and unleash a chaotic Multiverse. The energy surge alone might propel him to immortality on the spot.
The Ancient One sighed, her expression weary. "No, you don't need to involve yourself with them. It's meaningless. You should aim for a broader vision and future."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"It is a compliment."
"Alright then," Hong Fei said, crossing his arms. "Tell me, what should I do now?"
The Ancient One said directly, "Do you not feel that the Dragon Power you just harvested is not as docile as before?"
"Yeah," Hong Fei admitted. "The new underling doesn't seem very willing to listen."
In the Dragon Dimension, the newly devoured Dragon Power and the original Dragon Power, though from the same source, were like identical twins—one gentle and mature, the other irritable and unruly.
Hong Fei was ready to start taming it the moment the conversation ended. You think you can just waltz into my house and leave? Not a chance.
"You have a way," the Ancient One said. "Stop joking. What way would I have?"
Hong Fei shot back.
"You really do," she insisted, her tone serious. Hong Fei shook his head firmly.
"I don't."
"You can have one."
"This... I really don't!"
Meeting someone like Hong Fei must have been the most dazzling firework the bald Sorcerer Supreme could hope for at the end of her life. She forced a smile.
"You have a seal."
A seal? Hong Fei didn't need to think hard. The answer flashed in his mind—the one-time skill card. It was the first purple skill card he'd ever obtained, and he remembered exactly how he got it: by giving Thor a side-explanation of the birth of the great filial son of Azeroth.
Active skill card: Odin's Seal (Purple 1/1) - Thor Odinson: "This is a seal, and also a form of cultivation. The sealed person will automatically break it after completing the process of facing their own heart and power, and then their strength will advance by leaps and bounds. Note: Consumes huge energy, use with caution."
Hong Fei nodded solemnly.
"Hey, guess what? I actually do have it!"
The Ancient One's smile grew even more strained.
But something didn't sit right with him.
"That won't work. If I seal myself and lose all my strength, won't I be at the mercy of these idiots?"
He gestured toward the group of TVA employees outside, some frowning, others looking bewildered.
"I think there should be other ways. If it's not obedient, I'll just tame it slowly."
"The seal is the best way," the Ancient One said cautiously. "You should be aware that your current power system is complex and mixed. You have Dragon Power, Light Energy, Qi, that strange energy of your own, and this body of yours that's always suddenly strengthening and improving. You told me you hoped there could be a way to integrate all your powers. I don't have such a method, and it's very hard to find a solution in the entire universe. But you can create it yourself."
Hong Fei's interest sparked.
"What do you mean?"
The Ancient One nodded.
"This is the best and only opportunity I can see."
Hong Fei's excitement grew.
After the Dragon Power appeared, he'd briefly considered using it as a foundation to integrate all his powers. But apart from strengthening himself and activating skill cards, there hadn't been much progress. When Photonic Energy Control emerged, the Dragon Power couldn't merge with the Light Energy, forcing him to split his mental focus during battles to guide and control them.
Judging from the description of the "Odin's Seal" purple skill card, it seemed it might indeed push him to integrate all his powers. This is a seal, and also a form of cultivation. The description had a metaphysical flavor that struck him as a bit ridiculous. What did it mean to face one's own heart and power? If one couldn't face it, did that mean the seal could never be broken?
Hong Fei didn't buy it. Odin was at the Skyfather level, and he was almost there himself. If he couldn't break the seal from the inside out, he'd simply find someone stronger to help. For example, lock Wanda up and let her study the Darkhold properly. There were plenty of ways, but the best result would still be for Hong Fei to break the seal himself. Only then could he seize that opportunity for integration.
If he really seizes the opportunity to complete the great unification, then from then on, it won't be the Dragon Power dominating, but the "Power of Hong" that is unparalleled! This is clearly an extremely worthwhile deal. Hong Fei nodded.
"Okay, I'm very willing to try. Is this the real reason you want to send me away?"
"Yes. Their current target for you is not you yourself, but the Dragon Power at 100% state. However, after this operation fails, they will soon be able to find out who you are through information on Earth. If you can self-seal and leave Earth, then it will be very difficult for them to find you easily. If you break the seal yourself, then their targeting of the Dragon Power will also fail, and from now on, you will basically be worry-free."
Is that true? I don't believe it. This kind of flag-planting statement is usually slapped in the face hard. Hong Fei looked outside and added, "So I have to go now?"
"Yes."
Fortunately, I had arranged most of the matters on Earth in advance, otherwise wouldn't there be a whole pile of things waiting for me to explain to you now? Hong Fei looked at the Ancient One gloomily. The Ancient One, "I have already said it."
Actually, it would be fine not to leave; Xu Wenwu, Frank after awakening, and others should all be able to go head-to-head with the Time Variance Authority and win. But the Time Variance Authority itself symbolizes trouble, and Hong Fei did not want them to directly disrupt his plans and arrangements on Earth right now. Crucially, he really wanted to unify his powers.
"Alright, where are you planning to send me?"
Unexpectedly, the Ancient One shook her head directly. She pointed to a magic book with a ghost face on the side, "Magic will send you to the most suitable place."
Hong Fei's mouth twitched.
"Sorcerer, it's not that I'm unwilling to believe you, but your statement is really hard for me to be convinced by. What does it mean to be the 'most suitable place'?"
"Rest assured, under my control, time and magic will, based on your state, find a location that best fits your future breakthrough, and then send you there."
"Sorcerer, after the seal, I will become an ordinary person. I don't know the situation on the other side, and I'm afraid I'll just 'gg' as soon as I get there."
"It's different. Although your strength has become ordinary, your experience, skills, and vision are still there."
Hong Fei thought for a moment, wondering if the Eyes of Death would be sealed. If not, then his confidence would be even greater. Moreover, there are many good things stored in the Dragon Dimension. If it can be opened normally, then him cosplaying as Iron Man or something similar is not impossible. The Ancient One seemed to see through his thoughts and said directly, "I suggest you make the worst-case plan first."
Alright, that's highly likely not possible then. Hong Fei thought for a moment, opened the Dragon Dimension, reached both hands inside and rummaged around, and soon pulled out a huge pile of items. Knives, swords, guns, Iron Man Armor, nano armor bracelets, Vibranium, Uru, clothes, shoes, food, water, towels, toothbrushes, facial cleanser, facial masks, pistols, submachine guns, sniper rifles, grenade launchers, Rocket launchers, nukes...
The Ancient One first nodded silently, thinking Hong Fei's preparations were very thorough; then she frowned deeply, thinking Hong Fei was being too dramatic; finally, her eyes widened, feeling that the man in front of her definitely had some issues.
"It's already strange enough that you carry these things with you, but are you planning to carry them all on your back now?"
At the end, the Ancient One pointed to the nuke. She was, of course, not afraid of the nuke; while its power was indeed great, it definitely could not hit her. Hong Fei looked at the supplies covering the ground, his brows furrowed in thought.
"Sigh, it's too much."
"The iron armor and cold weapons should be enough," the Ancient One suggested. "It's all those scientists' fault for not making the nuke smaller."
"I don't understand why you are so obsessed with the weapons of the ordinary world."
"Because I was once a truly ordinary person."
Finally, Hong Fei changed into a set of clothes right in front of the Ancient One. The Sorcerer Supreme turned her back directly. Hong Fei stood clad in a combat suit he hadn't worn since the British Museum heist.
The Vibranium Cross-blade and Sword of Sif rested crossed on his back, secured by hidden buckles. Pistols were holstered on both thighs, a dagger tucked into a pocket, and magazines with various specialized rounds stuffed into every available space. An assault rifle and sniper rifle hung from his shoulders. His bulging backpack carried extra ammunition, food, and water. The bulletproof vest was sturdy, though the tactical belt felt a bit heavy. Nano armor bracelets gleamed on his wrists. By all logic, this should be more than enough. He paused, then grabbed the grenade launcher again.
"I'm ready," he declared. The Ancient One turned, her expression momentarily stunned.
"Alright, I know it's a bit over the top," Hong Fei admitted, stashing the grenade launcher back. He reached for a handful of gold bars and shoved them into his pocket.
"Aliens probably like gold too, right? If not, these heavy things can double as hidden weapons."
The Ancient One pressed her lips together, saying nothing. When Hong Fei was fully geared, he looked every bit the special forces soldier embarking on a perilous mission.
"Are you ready?" the Ancient One asked, her voice low and steady. Hong Fei gave a solemn nod. He closed his eyes, and the purple card within him slid into its slot. Drawing a deep breath, he felt energy rapidly coalesce.
The card shimmered with violet light before dissolving into flowing sand, its power enveloping him from the inside out. With no resistance from Hong Fei, the sealing energy seeped smoothly into every corner of his body, finally encasing his soul.
Outside, a beam of purple light flashed and vanished. Suddenly, the weight of his gear felt more pronounced, and he frowned. The sealing power hadn't just targeted his energy—it had also locked away his enhanced physical strength. But this was a good sign, indicating his goal of unifying his powers was closer to completion. He tested the connection to the Dragon Dimension—still intact, though the gate remained closed.
"The destination isn't outer space, is it?"
"It won't be," the Ancient One assured him. "Magic won't choose a planet unsuitable for your survival."
"That's good. Let's begin."
The Ancient One studied his appearance briefly before nodding. She turned to the ghost-faced spellbook, raised her hands, and pulled them apart. A straight yellow line of light appeared. With a few precise motions, she crafted an intricate magic circle in the air. It flipped ninety degrees and settled on the ground, rapidly expanding.
Hong Fei stepped into its center. Forming a hand seal, the Ancient One twisted her wrists gently. The Eye of Agamotto opened, and the Time Stone glowed with emerald light. Green specks fell into the magic circle, its radiance growing blindingly intense. Maintaining her mana output, she asked, "Are you ready?"
"Ready... Wait," Hong Fei interrupted. "Help me notify my people. Tell them I've gone on a long journey." He hesitated, then added, "Also, I have one last question. You've helped me many times—what do you need me to do for you? Equivalent exchange is the unchanging principle of all things."
"Are you sure you want to know now?" she asked. Hong Fei nodded.
"The sooner I know, the sooner I can prepare."
"Good."
For once, the Ancient One was direct.
"I have two requests."
"Please speak."
"First, don't let this universe be destroyed."
"I won't let that happen."
"Second, help me take care of Strange. If possible, make him your disciple in the future."
Hong Fei immediately raised his eyebrows; he couldn't guess the Ancient One's deep meaning for a moment. Are the Vishanti not good enough anymore? Or did she take a liking to this Dragon King's power? You have a good eye!
"Good."
Hong Fei nodded and agreed. Both requests seemed very ordinary now. The first one was something Hong Fei would prevent anyway. The second one would definitely offend the Vishanti, but there was no time limit. He could just take Strange as a disciple when he could chop off all three heads of the Vishanti.
Neither request infringed upon Hong Fei's own interests, so he had no reason to refuse. The Ancient One also nodded with great satisfaction. She smiled at Hong Fei and said, "This should be the last time we meet."
Hong Fei nodded gently, "Take care."
"Take care!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the Ancient One's hands moved suddenly. The light of the magic circle under Hong Fei's feet surged again, and layers of illusory circle images rose rapidly, tightly surrounding Hong Fei in the center. Suddenly, all the circle images rotated rapidly, and an extremely powerful force instantly shrouded this world.
Crack! With a soft sound, a crack appeared in the mirror dimension. Instantly, the Time Variance Authority staff who were scattered outside searching for traces turned their heads to look over. The mirror dimension shattered. Seeing the magic circle containing huge energy and the gradually illusory and rapidly flickering figure inside, they immediately ran over, raised the batons in their hands, and pointed them at the Ancient One.
"Stop your actions!"
At the same time, the leader took out a small object and pressed it towards the Ancient One. The power of time descended in an instant. The Ancient One glanced at them and continued the movements in her hands. The group looked at the Ancient One in utter astonishment, then looked at each other. The leader frowned and walked directly toward the Ancient One, the baton in his hand lighting up and poking directly at the Ancient One's waist.
Boom! When he got within a meter, this person was suddenly hit by an invisible force, and his whole body flew backward. He spat out bright red blood in the air, and when he landed, he turned into a pile of yellow sand and melted into the desert. The next moment, before the others could react, the invisible force descended again, and all the Time Variance Authority personnel were completely wiped out in an instant.
In the magic circle filled with light and shadow, Hong Fei nodded at the Ancient One with satisfaction. As the dignified Sorcerer Supreme, she shouldn't be bullied by a strange organization. Such decisive killing was worthy of the title of Guardian of Earth. A moment later, the entire magic circle turned into a dazzling pillar of light, and Hong Fei, who was surrounded in the center, could no longer be seen from the outside.
Hong Fei felt an intense tearing sensation. The brighter the light, the stronger the tearing sensation became. Finally, the magic circle, whose brightness had almost reached its limit, suddenly paused. Following that, the magic circle suddenly reversed and converged rapidly inward, finally condensing directly into a tiny point of light, and with a soft "pop" sound, it disappeared from the world.
The Ancient One withdrew her hands, and the spellbook fell to the ground. The ghost face on the cover remained frozen, and the Eye of Agamotto on her chest trembled slightly, causing the Time Stone to suddenly roll out. She looked at the piles of sand that had turned from people around her. With a wave of her hand, a strong wind rose, and in a short while, the entire desert was as flat as before, showing no traces at all.
She picked up the Time Stone and tapped it gently. A burst of green light instantly spread across dozens of miles, seeping into the sand before vanishing in the blink of an eye. After tucking the stone away, she bent down to retrieve her spellbook and finally opened a portal to leave. Moments later, a team appeared in the desert. They conducted tests, investigations, even attempted time regression, but in the end, they left empty-handed.
The early morning sky was clear, the moon bright, and the stars sparse. The endless plain stretched out before them, unbroken by mountains or even low hills. The ground was littered with sand and gravel, dotted here and there with withered, brittle shrubs. Suddenly, a violent flash of light erupted across the surface. The high-energy pressure and the swirling wind forced the sand and dust to scatter in all directions.
A continuous buzzing filled the air, and in an instant, a massive crater formed. The intense light illuminated hundreds of meters around. Small creatures scurried out from underground nearby, their sharp, reflective eyes glinting in the distant darkness. Then, without warning, the light converged, and the sound ceased abruptly. Rodents rustled cautiously, scanning their surroundings before retreating to their nests with light steps.
"Hoo!"
The figure lying on the ground exhaled sharply, rolled to the right, crossed his legs, and pushed himself up into a kneeling position. His back twisted, his hands gripping the rifle steadily. The small animals turned and fled.
Behind the scope, his brown eyes gleamed sharply. His slow, steady breaths produced clouds of mist in the cold air. After a few minutes, Hong Fei pivoted on his knees, scanning the area. Aside from a few small predators, he found no immediate danger.
He set the gun down, his breathing relaxed but rapid. The chill of the deep night wilderness seeped into his bones. He frowned as he surveyed the surroundings. The animals he had just seen were identical to those on Earth, and even the shrubs were strikingly similar. Had the Ancient One's magic circle failed? Had it simply transported him to another continent? That would be absurd.
With a thought, Hong Fei tilted his head back to gaze at the sky. His brows furrowed, pupils trembling slightly. There was the moon, Polaris, and the familiar ladle-shaped constellation. Sure, other planets might have moons, and Polaris could be visible elsewhere. The similar positions, environment, and lifeforms might all be coincidences. But with so many coincidences stacking up... could it still be mere chance? Surely the Ancient One wasn't that incompetent. Or maybe she wasn't as powerful as he thought?
As he pondered, the distant sky suddenly lit up, followed by a massive explosion that echoed through the heavens. Yellow and black flames rolled across the horizon, and a beam of intense light shot upward. Hong Fei whipped his head around, eyes narrowing. In an instant, all his doubts vanished, replaced by a surge of energy. Then, he suddenly stood on the spot and jumped upward violently. After landing, he felt his brain vibrate and ache.
"Damn it, I forgot I can't fly."
Guess where this is?