Chapter Twenty-Two: The Visit of the Ancient One

“My young friend, won’t you invite me in?” The Ancient One removed her hood, and the evening sunlight glinted off her head, shining brightly.

Since the Ancient One showed no intention of hostility and openly displayed goodwill—holding the Time Stone right in front of Yang Qiu—he followed the proper rules of hospitality and welcomed her inside.

Speaking of ancestry, the Ancient One’s roots lay in China, though it was unclear which dynasty existed five hundred years ago.

After pouring a cup of tea, Yang Qiu sat opposite the strongest sorcerer on Earth, his heart stirred by complex emotions. He had always hidden and avoided discovery, but now it seemed he might have been suffering from paranoia all along.

“Um, Master Ancient One, may I ask you something? Did you already know about me? Why come now?” After a moment’s silence, Yang Qiu spoke up.

“You overthink it. So much has changed across every timeline. I saw your assassin named Parker, and also that monster hunter, but I truly hadn’t noticed you.” The Ancient One took a delicate sip of tea. “However, your actions just now pointed me in the right direction.”

“My actions just now? You mean the stopwatch?”

“Yes, exactly. There was a sudden fluctuation in the timeline, and from that, I traced your current location.”

Yang Qiu’s expression soured. Good grief—was this self-inflicted?

“No need to be nervous. I’m merely here to observe Earth’s future defenders.” The Ancient One reassured him.

“Defender? Me?” Yang Qiu replied, not seeing himself as such.

“Yes. Across countless timelines, I’ve witnessed you and your subordinates making undeniable contributions to protecting Earth.” The Ancient One smiled gently, as if seeing a worthy successor.

“I wouldn’t dare claim such a thing. Perhaps I only acted out of self-preservation at the time.” Yang Qiu felt a little embarrassed.

“Judge deeds, not intentions. If you judge intentions, no sage has ever existed.” The Ancient One’s manner was gracious. “You’re Chinese; you must have heard that saying.”

“I’m also here to offer some advice and chat about current affairs. In the future, you frequently avoid the heroes when acting, likely because you’ve glimpsed the mainstream timeline, correct?”

Yang Qiu nodded—he certainly didn’t want to get involved with Stark and the others.

“Child, what I want to tell you is that your perspective is too narrow. When facing threats beyond Earth, you and they form a single front. You must unite every possible force.” The Ancient One spoke earnestly. “As for style and personality differences, you’ve surely seen their fractured futures; those are insignificant.”

Yang Qiu smiled, saying nothing more.

Seeing his demeanor, the Ancient One shifted topics. “My time is running out. Originally, I planned to follow the old path for the remainder, since, regardless of the outcome, Earth cannot be left defenseless after I depart. But your presence has given me another option.”

Yang Qiu rubbed his nose. Was he really that important, or was the Ancient One simply employing a different persuasion?

“By the way, Master Ancient One, since you can peer into time, why do you not resist your destined death?” Yang Qiu asked.

“It’s useless for me alone to resist. Odin’s own end approaches—he will not allow me to outlive him, nor will I die much earlier.” The Ancient One calmly laid out a harsh truth.

Both she and Odin are cosmic deterrents—the equivalent of nuclear weapons among Earth’s factions. Odin would never accept Asgard lacking its ‘nuclear weapon’ while Earth retained one. If the time came and the Ancient One refused to meet death, their conflict would be inevitable.

“This…” Yang Qiu was momentarily speechless. In the story he knew, Odin was painted as a positive figure, but hearing this, it appeared he wasn’t exactly a friend to Earth.

“Don’t dwell on it. If the situation were reversed, my choice would likely mirror his.” The Ancient One explained. Ever since she became Sorcerer Supreme five centuries ago, Earth freed itself from being a vassal in practice, gaining independence from Asgard, and she would never allow Earth to return to that subordinate state.

“So what should I do?” Yang Qiu sighed inwardly, speaking up. Facing a true hero who had devoted every moment of life to Earth, he would never refuse to help if he could.

“Just focus on developing yourself.” The Ancient One extended her right hand, magical energy swirling in her palm, conjuring a beautiful starry sky. “What you need differs from those others. Right now, you require support in energy—that’s the gift I bring you today.”

Gazing at the starry sky, Yang Qiu admired her power from the depths of his heart. The mere wisps of energy released already surpassed all the spiritual strength he’d accumulated over time.

“If you give this to me, what about yourself?” Yang Qiu suppressed his excitement and asked.

“Two things. First, this isn’t all for you. Unless you develop enough power to protect Earth before my time ends, I’ll only hand it all over then. Second, I never use my own magic in daily affairs. I usually borrow power from other dimensions to defend Earth—that’s one reason it’s so vast.”

While speaking, the Ancient One established a connection between Yang Qiu and the ‘starry sky.’ From now on, Yang Qiu could rapidly replenish his spiritual energy using its power. His maximum strength hadn’t increased, but his recovery speed was now at its peak.

Yang Qiu blinked, the realization dawning on him. Indeed, in those films of his previous life, the Ancient One always used ‘borrowed’ power, often never returning it. Not to mention, the energy Yang Qiu used was barely a drop in the ocean, so the Ancient One’s combat ability would hardly be affected.

“Rest assured, I won’t disappoint your expectations! I promise, before you leave, I will become a major force in defending Earth.” Yang Qiu stood and bowed deeply.

“I’m not worried about that. What I hope is that, after I die, Earth keeps advancing, eventually reaching an era where every individual is as mighty as a dragon. Set a modest goal—let the average person surpass Asgard’s level.” The Ancient One seemed to glimpse another future, smiling as she patted Yang Qiu’s shoulder.

“Remember, keep your vision broad. And if you need any help, you can contact me—say, to forge ancient records from five hundred years ago.” The Ancient One winked at Yang Qiu and stepped into the portal.