The Ancient One's Legacy
Although Xia Yu had completely outmaneuvered Kaecilius, he ultimately let him go. It wasn't that Xia Yu was soft-hearted; in his mind, Kaecilius was no longer even human.
Kaecilius was really no threat to Xia Yu; he could kill him anytime. But Xia Yu was thinking about what the Ancient One had said before: to deal with Dormammu's problem in one fell swoop.
And the fate of the Ancient One.
After Xia Yu returned to the base, Ancient One's injuries were under control, but her heart had stopped beating.
This statement sounds awkward, but that's how things were on the ground.
The equipment at the Avengers Compound is undoubtedly top-notch, and the medical system is a synthesis of Dr. Helen Cho's technology and various alien civilizations.
Not to mention that we still have a top genius like Doctor Strange around.
He tried various methods, including clicking and manual pressure, but he still couldn't activate the Ancient One's heart.
Xia Yu knew that it was because the soul of the Ancient One was unwilling to return to her body.
Upon seeing Xia Yu return, Doctor Strange didn't ask Xia Yu about Kaecilius, but instead spoke without even looking up.
"You know what? Kamar-Taj, or rather the Ancient One, gave me hope, but I questioned her. In front of the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, I questioned why she used dark power to sustain her life."
"For a time, I even understood Kaecilius's betrayal, although I didn't agree with the way he did it."
"I used to think that everyone had to follow the established rules for the world to have order. She banned certain magic, but she secretly used it to extend her own lifespan. I thought that was wrong. I thought she was doing it for her own immortality, but she gave up her own life to save me. I feel like a bastard."
Doctor Strange's words contained sadness, but even more so, regret and guilt.
Xia Yu smiled slightly and said.
"You can drop the 'feeling,' you're a complete bastard anyway. And who told you she's dead? You're not a doctor anymore, you're a mage, aren't you?"
Doctor Strange suddenly looked up and stared straight at Xia Yu.
"Her soul, her soul, I understand, but I don't know where her soul is, and a long time has passed; her body is about to lose its life functions."
Doctor Strange nervously pointed to the Ancient One's body and said...
"Don't forget, my nickname is Yu Shen, the new generation deity people talk about. You're in charge of finding her, I'll take care of my physical problems."
As Xia Yu spoke, he reached out and transferred a stream of True Qi, desperately keeping Ancient One's life hanging by a thread.
Doctor Strange immediately jumped up.
"This is impossible, it's unbelievable! Her cell activity has actually recovered! What did you do?"
Xia Yu tilted his head and thought for a moment.
"You're right, it's about using energy to maintain her cellular activity. But how I did it, I think we can talk about that later. A soul can't stay outside for long."
This statement reminded Doctor Strange to stop talking nonsense and immediately adjust his mental state, controlling his soul to leave his body.
It immediately drifted towards the outside of the base after leaving.
Ancient One, harboring suicidal intentions, originally planned to travel around before his soul dissipated.
But as soon as she left the Avengers' base, she saw the huge statue that Xia Yu had built for her.
Having silently protected this world for thousands of years, it would be a lie to say that they have no attachment whatsoever.
But after seeing the statue Xia Yu had made for her, Ancient One suddenly felt a sense of relief, a mix of nostalgia, comfort, and satisfaction.
Although he found a successor before his death, leaving a new generation of Sorcerer Supreme for the world, even the greatest Hero and the strongest are first and foremost human beings.
As an individual, no one wants to simply vanish into thin air after death, but the Ancient One couldn't loudly proclaim to the world how long she had protected them and how great she was.
However, the statue of Xia Yu gave her a sense of spiritual satisfaction and continuity.
Finally, I've left a real mark on this world, a mark that belongs only to me.
The Ancient One, in her spirit form, reached out her hands and touched the statue, although there was no physical contact between the spirit and the physical form.
But the Ancient One could still feel every inch of the statue's protrusions, grains, and smoothness.
This is the proof that I have lived in this world.
Ancient One floated into the air, facing the face of her own statue, and felt a surge of emotion.
"Thank you, Xia Yu, for giving me such a perfect gift at the end."
Ancient One touched the statue's face and murmured, as all the important moments of his life flashed before his eyes.
"I think if you return to your body, Xia might give you even more gifts in the future; this one certainly won't be the best."
Doctor Strange's spirit floated to the side of the Ancient One.
Ancient One wasn't surprised by his arrival at all, and continued to stare intently at the statue as she spoke.
"I'm already exhausted. I finally get a break. You don't want an old woman like me, who's thousands of years old, to keep working, do you?"
Ancient One smiled and said that she had found a successor and Xia Yu had even erected a statue for her. She felt that her departure was much better than she had expected.
She used Dark Magic to prolong her life, not to enjoy it. She hadn't had a very comfortable life over the years, and she was certainly very tired.
"We can discuss this in a different way. Xia is still trying her best to maintain your health. Let's go back first. The final choice is still yours, isn't it? Time is running out."
Regardless, Doctor Strange felt that surviving was the priority.
"You still don't have a mage's mindset; time is always relative."
As soon as Ancient One finished speaking, the surrounding space froze, and the fountain at the base entrance began to slow down incredibly, with each drop of water falling to the ground and slowly splashing out clearly visible.
Having done all this, the Ancient One didn't want to say anything more. Instead, she took Doctor Strange's hand and quietly watched the splashes of water.
The immense spiritual power and magical energy emanating from the Ancient One's soul silently flowed into Doctor Strange's body.
Of course, these powers will not immediately enhance Doctor Strange's strength, but they will continuously increase his strength over a period of time until he has fully absorbed them.
Doctor Strange could sense that the Ancient One was determined to die. He understood Ancient One choice, but he also wanted to say something to change her mind. However, he didn't know how to say it; it wasn't something he was good at.
Fortunately, Xia Yu's voice rang out just in time.
Updates have been inconsistent lately. I'm currently in my hometown, preparing for my wedding. We have a baby, but we haven't had the wedding banquet yet. I originally planned to wait a few years, but I compromised due to my parents' insistence. The wedding is on December 2nd, the 18th day of the tenth lunar month. I will continue to update in the next few days, but the timing will be irregular. Updates will resume normally a day or two after the wedding. Thank you everyone.