Chapter Summaries

The old man explained that Xia Yu should absorb Asgard’s origin after Ragnarok and revealed that their goal was to free the world from the influence of the movies that had predetermined its events. Xia Yu returned to the cave with the Ancient One, where the altar instructed him to build a sanctum in Sky City and strengthen the seal against the Dark Dimension, leaving him ready to discuss absorbing the Time Stone.

• The old man told Xia Yu to wait until Ragnarok destroyed Asgard before absorbing its origin, and said his group wanted the world to become independent of the movies that had shaped it.
• The old man sent the Ancient One away, altered her memories, and returned the system’s orb to Xia Yu, who absorbed it back into himself.
• Xia Yu returned to the cave, where the altar displayed instructions to build a sanctum in Sky City and expand the formation sealing off the Dark Dimension.
• The Ancient One explained that she had come for help because she could not activate the altar while suppressing Dormammu’s power, and Xia Yu agreed to help with the new sanctum.

Xia Yu helped Ancient One build a new Sanctum beside the Avengers Compound and welcomed Wong, who quickly warmed to the compound’s abundant food and its residents. Meanwhile, Dormammu empowered Kaecilius and his followers and sent them to destroy Kamar-Taj’s Sanctums.

• Xia Yu helped Ancient One build a new Sanctum beside the Avengers Compound and added early-warning measures to protect it.
• Ancient One postponed letting Xia Yu absorb the Time Stone until the crisis with Dormammu had passed, and Wong took up residence at the new Sanctum.
• Xia Yu showed Wong around the compound and offered him access to its dining hall, where Wong eagerly anticipated meeting the Avengers.
• Wong befriended the compound’s residents, and Tate’s mental power impressed him.
• Ancient One strengthened the Sanctum’s formation with energy from the Tesseract, making Earth harder for Dormammu to sense.
• Dormammu empowered Kaecilius and his followers and ordered them to destroy Kamar-Taj’s Sanctums.

Doctor Strange toured Xia Yu’s floating sanctum with Wong and dismissed the claim that Xia Yu had pulled a planet back, insulting the Avengers and Xia Yu. Tate overheard him and challenged him, then sent two flying swords at Doctor Strange.

• Doctor Strange told Wong he believed the floating landmass had been created with technology rather than by Xia Yu pulling back a planet.
• Wong urged Doctor Strange to spend time with Xia Yu’s group, but Doctor Strange continued to look down on them.
• Wong tackled Doctor Strange when a rush of air approached, then discovered that Tate had confronted them with his flying swords.
• Tate said he wanted to teach Doctor Strange a lesson for insulting the Avengers and Xia Yu.
• Doctor Strange dismissed Tate’s challenge, and Tate sent two flying swords straight toward his face and heart.

Tate tested his flying swords against Doctor Strange and repeatedly proved he could strike before Strange finished casting spells. Doctor Strange called their contest a draw, but Xia Yu appeared and brought them out of the Mirror Dimension.

• Tate used his flying swords to stop inches from Doctor Strange and Wong, startling them with their speed and precision.
• Doctor Strange challenged Tate by claiming he could trap him in another dimension, and Tate urged him to try.
• Doctor Strange opened a portal to the Mirror Dimension, but Tate repeatedly targeted him whenever he sensed energy from the Sling Ring.
• Tate explained how he detected the Sling Ring’s energy, and Doctor Strange conceded that Tate was strong but called the contest a draw because Tate could not escape the Mirror Dimension alone.
• Wong challenged Doctor Strange’s claim, and Xia Yu appeared as the Mirror Dimension rippled and returned them to normal space.

Xia Yu teased Doctor Strange about his arrogance after Tate defeated him, prompting Strange to return to Kamar-Taj and study magic. Meanwhile, Kaecilius sacrificed an African town to channel Dormammu’s power, leaving a passage between Earth and the Dark Dimension open.

• Xia Yu praised Doctor Strange sarcastically, while Tate mocked Strange for losing their sparring match.
• Xia Yu lectured Tate about humility in front of Strange, then invited him and Wong to eat.
• Strange left for Kamar-Taj and buried himself in magic books, while Wong went to the Avengers Compound for a meal.
• Kaecilius slaughtered the residents of an African town and arranged their bodies in a rune-covered square.
• Kaecilius and his followers opened a small passage to the Dark Dimension, and Dormammu’s black light reduced the corpses to dust.

Dormammu transformed Kaecilius and his followers with blood, souls, and Dark Magic, then ordered them to destroy Kamar-Taj's Sanctums. Kaecilius destroyed the London Sanctum, and Master Mordo discovered that the Ancient One was nowhere to be found.

• Dormammu transformed Kaecilius and his followers into powerful, partly inhuman beings and ordered them to destroy the Sanctums.
• Kaecilius tested his enhanced Dark Magic and vowed to kill the Ancient One after completing Dormammu's mission.
• Kaecilius and his followers attacked the London Sanctum, killed its sorcerer, destroyed the building and its protective formation, then escaped.
• Mordo, Wong, and Master Daniel arrived too late, sensed the powerful Dark Magic, and Wong and Daniel returned to guard their Sanctums.
• Mordo returned to Kamar-Taj to notify the Sorcerer Supreme but could not find the Ancient One.

While dining with Odin and the Ancient One, Xia Yu learned that the Ancient One planned to leave Kaecilius for Doctor Strange to face and expected Xia Yu to intervene if needed. Kaecilius destroyed the New York Sanctum and then attacked the Sky Temple, where Doctor Strange and Mordo arrived as its defenses came under threat.

• Odin and the Ancient One shared hot pot with Xia Yu, and Odin recalled eating the silver shadows into extinction.
• Xia Yu asked the Ancient One why she had not stopped Kaecilius, and she explained that Stephen needed an ordeal and that she intended to resolve Dormammu's threat.
• The Ancient One told Xia Yu that Kaecilius had grown stronger because of him and that he might need to fight Kaecilius.
• Kaecilius destroyed the New York Sanctum and reached the Sky Temple by hijacking a tourist transport ship.
• Doctor Strange and Mordo arrived too late to save Master Daniel or the New York Sanctum, then teleported to the Sky Temple when its alarm sounded.
• The Sky Temple's defenses slowed Kaecilius's assault, but the Ancient One remained missing and its defenders feared they could not hold out.

Wong learned the Avengers were seventy-five million light-years away and could not return to help defend the New York Sanctum. As Kaecilius and his followers broke through the defenses, Wong, Doctor Strange, and Mordo fought them, leaving the Sanctum’s formation on the verge of destruction.

• Wong asked F.R.I.D.A.Y. to contact the Avengers, but learned they were on a team-building trip seventy-five million light-years away and their exact location was unknown.
• Wong returned to the Sanctum, where Doctor Strange and Mordo joined him to face Kaecilius and his followers.
• Kaecilius broke through the Sanctum’s barrier, revealed his altered appearance, and offered to let Wong, Mordo, and Doctor Strange serve Dormammu.
• Kaecilius hurled an energy spear at Doctor Strange, and Wong blocked it, sending both of them crashing through cabinets of magical artifacts.
• Mordo fought Kaecilius while Kaecilius ordered his followers to destroy the Sanctum’s formation; Doctor Strange and Wong joined the fight after Mordo’s Magic Baton was cut in two.

Doctor Strange, Mordo, and Wong fought Kaecilius as the Sky Temple's magical foundation was destroyed, and a sentient cloak saved Strange from a lethal strike. Kaecilius offered them a chance to serve Dormammu, then revealed the Ancient One's connection to Dark Magic, prompting Strange to confront him about the missing pages.

• Mordo, Doctor Strange, and Wong struggled to injure Kaecilius as his scales shrugged off most of their attacks.
• The Sky Temple's magical foundation was destroyed, and Wong faltered as Kaecilius attacked him.
• Mordo struck Kaecilius from behind, but Kaecilius used the force of the blow to swing at Wong; Strange stepped in to protect him.
• A dark red cloak pulled Strange out of danger, chose him as its master, and joined the three sorcerers against Kaecilius and his returning followers.
• Kaecilius offered to spare them if they swore allegiance to Dormammu, then claimed the Ancient One knew Dark Magic and used it to live for thousands of years.
• Doctor Strange asked whether Kaecilius meant the missing pages described sacrificing darkness for a long life, and Kaecilius demanded to know if Strange had read them using the Eye of Agamotto.

Kaecilius tried to persuade Doctor Strange to join Dormammu, but Strange refused and joined Wong and Mordo in a desperate attack. Kaecilius transformed, defeated them, and was challenged by Xia Yu as he claimed no one could save them.

• Kaecilius told Doctor Strange that Dormammu could grant eternal life, but Strange rejected him and called his followers monsters.
• Doctor Strange, Wong, and Mordo resolved to fight together and attacked Kaecilius with coordinated magic.
• Kaecilius endured their strikes, healed his wounds, and transformed into a larger, more monstrous form.
• Kaecilius caught Doctor Strange and Mordo by the throat after breaking Mordo's energy blade, while Wong's shield faded.
• Kaecilius mocked Wong's hope for rescue, but Xia Yu appeared beside him and challenged his claim that no one could save them.

Xia Yu used hypnotic songs sent directly into Kaecilius’s mind to drive him and his followers away from the ruined sanctum, allowing Doctor Strange and the others to survive. The Ancient One then appeared with Xia Yu and asked him to protect the Hong Kong Sanctum, telling him to intervene against Dormammu if necessary.

• Kaecilius searched for the unseen voice while Doctor Strange and the others recovered.
• Xia Yu sent a medley of catchy songs into Kaecilius’s mind, leaving him screaming and rolling on the ground.
• Kaecilius’s followers helped him leave the floating landmass, where the voice stopped but the melodies continued to haunt him.
• Doctor Strange, Wong, and the third person returned to Kamar-Taj to seek the Ancient One’s help after the sanctum was destroyed.
• The Ancient One appeared with Xia Yu and asked him to keep the people at the Hong Kong Sanctum alive and intervene against Dormammu if needed.

The Ancient One gave Xia Yu instructions for protecting Earth after her death and explained why she and Odin could not be kept alive. After she left, Xia Yu honored her with a statue, then Captain helped him face his fear of changing events by reminding him that the Avengers would stand united.

• The Ancient One gave Xia Yu foundation stones and instructions to rebuild the Sanctums if they failed to stop Dormammu, and warned him against reckless use of the Time Stone.
• The Ancient One reflected on the life she had missed while guarding the world, but told Xia Yu that she and Odin had to die to prevent a greater catastrophe.
• After the Ancient One left, Xia Yu shaped a statue of her outside the Sanctum and decided the world should learn of her sacrifice.
• Captain found Xia Yu drinking alone and invited him to talk about the choices and consequences weighing on him.
• Captain urged Xia Yu to act against immediate danger rather than let fear of unknown consequences stop him, and they agreed that the Avengers would stand united.

After the Captain helped Xia Yu resolve his doubts, Xia Yu focused on Kamar-Taj as the Ancient One prepared for her death and set a trap for Kaecilius. Kaecilius attacked the Ancient One at the New York Sanctum, and she moved the fight into the Mirror Dimension.

• The Captain helped Xia Yu decide not to compromise when people's lives were at stake, and Xia Yu thanked him by singing until the Captain fled the Sanctum with his hands over his ears.
• The Ancient One returned to Kamar-Taj, gave Doctor Strange full permission to use the Eye of Agamotto's spells, told him about Xia Yu's need to absorb the Time Stone's energy, and ordered repairs to the New York Sanctum.
• The Ancient One sent Mordo and Doctor Strange to repair the New York Sanctum, drawing Kaecilius and his followers out of hiding.
• Kaecilius, tormented by Xia Yu's melodies and unable to concentrate, attacked the Ancient One after she teased him about needing bedtime music.
• The Ancient One swept the surroundings into motion and brought everyone into the Mirror Dimension to protect ordinary people.

The Ancient One, Kaecilius, Doctor Strange, and Mordo fought across a Mirror Dimension that became increasingly distorted as sorcerers folded space and reversed gravity. Kaecilius lured Doctor Strange into danger by exploiting the Ancient One’s deliberate retreat, leaving Strange falling toward his blade.

• The Ancient One sensed Xia Yu watching and began fighting Kaecilius, while Doctor Strange and Mordo faced Kaecilius’s five followers.
• Doctor Strange and Mordo used their magical artifacts to evade their opponents and draw the battle across the Mirror Dimension, where space and gravity grew chaotic.
• The Ancient One and Kaecilius joined the expanding fight, and she repeatedly avoided meeting his attacks head-on while guiding their battle toward Doctor Strange.
• Kaecilius realized the Ancient One was avoiding a direct clash and deliberately moved closer to Doctor Strange.
• Kaecilius feigned a powerful strike, then reversed gravity beneath Doctor Strange and swung his energy blade toward the falling sorcerer.

The Ancient One took Kaecilius's blade while saving Doctor Strange, and Xia Yu intervened when Kaecilius's followers cornered them. After sending the wounded Ancient One and her companions to the Avengers Compound, Xia Yu confronted Kaecilius and began singing.

• Kaecilius stabbed the Ancient One as she appeared between him and Doctor Strange, then tried to strike her again while raging over her devotion to Doctor Strange.
• Doctor Strange escaped with the Ancient One, while Kaecilius ordered his followers to pursue them and Mordo tried to slow the attackers.
• Xia Yu appeared and knocked two of Kaecilius's men aside with a powerful double strike.
• Xia Yu sent Doctor Strange, the Ancient One, and Mordo out of the Mirror Dimension to the Avengers Compound for treatment.
• Kaecilius confronted Xia Yu, who mocked him and his followers before starting to sing.

Xia Yu provoked Kaecilius throughout their fight, dodging his attacks and wearing him down with relentless chatter until Kaecilius accepted a can of Coca-Cola and tried to strike him. Xia Yu reflexively stepped aside and slapped Kaecilius flying, leaving him looking aggrieved.

• Kaecilius remembered Xia Yu's brainwashing song and attacked him in a rage.
• Xia Yu dodged Kaecilius's strikes while taunting him, and casually sent away Kaecilius's underlings.
• Exhausted, Kaecilius demanded that Xia Yu stand still and let him cut him down.
• Xia Yu offered Kaecilius Coca-Cola and promised not to dodge, so Kaecilius drank it and leaped at him with his blade.
• Xia Yu stepped aside at the last moment and slapped Kaecilius across the cheek, sending him spinning through the air.

Xia Yu kept the Ancient One’s body alive while Doctor Strange searched for her soul. Strange found her contemplating the statue Xia Yu had built, but she remained determined to die as she passed her power to him.

• Xia Yu let Kaecilius go and returned to the Avengers Compound, where the Ancient One’s heart had stopped.
• Doctor Strange regretted doubting the Ancient One, and Xia Yu used True Qi to maintain her body while Strange went in search of her soul.
• The Ancient One found Xia Yu’s statue and felt it gave her a lasting mark on the world.
• Doctor Strange urged the Ancient One to return to her body, but she slowed time and chose to rest instead.
• The Ancient One transferred her spiritual and magical power to Doctor Strange, and Xia Yu’s voice interrupted them.

Xia Yu persuaded the Ancient One to abandon her plan to die and let him seal the dark power inside her, while Doctor Strange supported him. Her survival set off unknown changes across the universe, though Xia Yu remained unaware as he began building the seal.

• Xia Yu urged the Ancient One to live, offering to seal the dark power inside her so she could grow old naturally.
• Doctor Strange joined Xia Yu in asking the Ancient One to face the future with them, and she placed her hand on theirs and returned to her body.
• The Ancient One opened her eyes, triggering changes in gravitational and magnetic fields and other forces across the universe.
• Old Master Li awoke on an unknown moon, cursed, and flew toward Earth as three big-headed figures decided to observe the altered river of fate before vanishing.
• Xia Yu began using the Tesseract's energy to build a seal inside the Ancient One, unaware that her survival had created new storms in the universe.

After Xia Yu saved the Ancient One and she left to travel, he decided against immediately repairing the sanctums while considering how to deal with Dormammu. Dormammu ordered Kaecilius to destroy the last Hong Kong Sanctum within three days, where Doctor Strange and Mordo ambushed him.

• The Ancient One gave up her role as Sorcerer Supreme and the Time Stone, then arranged a new identity and took money from Xia Yu to travel the world.
• Xia Yu reflected on his doubts about changing fate, then gained confidence after saving the Ancient One and hearing Captain America's counsel.
• Xia Yu decided not to use the Ancient One's artifact to repair the sanctums immediately, and considered a longer-term plan against Dormammu.
• Dormammu ordered Kaecilius and the Dark Apostles to destroy the Hong Kong Sanctum within three days.
• Doctor Strange and Mordo surprised Kaecilius at the Hong Kong Sanctum, restraining him and several followers with magical armor and shackles before hurling hundreds of explosive artifacts at them.

Doctor Strange and Mordo attacked Kaecilius with hundreds of energy-blade artifacts, but Kaecilius survived and damaged the Hong Kong Sanctum's defenses. As Earth's dimensional defense collapsed, Dormammu's black mist enveloped Kaecilius and began restoring his body.

• Doctor Strange and Mordo unleashed a storm of energy blades that killed Kaecilius's five followers and shredded Kaecilius nearly to his bones.
• Kaecilius revealed that he was still alive, then ran into the damaged Hong Kong Sanctum to carry out Dormammu's orders.
• Doctor Strange and Mordo followed Kaecilius into the sanctum, but he destroyed several formations before they could stop him.
• The dimensional defense protecting Earth collapsed, and a beam of black mist enveloped Kaecilius as flesh and nerves began appearing on his body.