The Power to Create Galaxies

Lu Xi walked through the door and looked around.

He had seen this place in the movies. It should be the legendary New York Sanctum.

Ancient One smiled and said:

"Greetings, Lord Lucifer."

Lu Xi was puzzled. From Mephisto to Ancient One, they all seemed convinced that he was Lucifer.

He did not believe that someone with the Ancient One's abilities could mistake him for someone else, so he asked:

"Ancient One, are you that certain I am Lucifer?"

Ancient One nodded lightly, then shook his head.

"Yes and no."

Lu Xi looked utterly confused and could not help saying:

"Could you explain it more clearly? That kind of ambiguous answer is hard to understand."

Ancient One's gaze was profound as he slowly said:

"I do not know the exact circumstances either, but I believe that as time passes, you will understand in the future."

As he spoke, he extended a hand in invitation and smiled.

"Please, come upstairs and have a seat. My tea is already brewed."

The two slowly went upstairs and sat down in an elegant room.

Lu Xi picked up the hot tea on the table, took a light sip, and praised it.

"It tastes good."

He could sense that, for ordinary people, this tea should refresh the mind and strengthen the body.

Unfortunately, it no longer had much effect on him.

Ancient One smiled in response.

"Then I'll pack a few pounds for you later so you can take some with you."

Lu Xi vaguely felt that the other man's enthusiastic attitude was somewhat strange, and he could not help asking:

"Logically speaking, if I really might be Lucifer..."

"Then shouldn't your duty be to drive away dimensional demon gods like us? Why are you being so... polite to me?"

Lu Xi narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to discern something from Ancient One's expression.

Ancient One gently shook his head and looked calmly at Lu Xi as he slowly spoke.

"Although I am still not entirely sure what your true nature is."

"One thing is certain: you are completely different from the other demon kings. You are not merely a dimensional demon god. Your aura and the power you have displayed both possess unique qualities."

Lu Xi's heart stirred, and he pressed further.

"All right, then does that mean you will not interfere if I remain here?"

Ancient One nodded lightly, his eyes deep and complicated.

In truth, how could he not have wanted to interfere with Lu Xi's existence? He simply lacked the ability to do so.

Ever since Lu Xi had descended from the sky like a meteor, Ancient One had tried borrowing the Time Stone's power to glimpse the future.

But he had discovered in horror that the scenes of the future had become blurry. He could no longer clearly see far ahead as he normally could.

The unknown filled him with dread. In the Time Stone's projections, he had also tried to forcibly drive Lu Xi away.

Yet every projection had produced despairing results, leading only to countless worse outcomes.

Either the two sides would battle fiercely, causing Earth to crack apart and its defensive formations to be damaged, leaving it exposed to endless dangers.

Or it would draw Thanos's attention, causing that terrifying being to descend early and bring catastrophic disaster upon the Universe.

After weighing his options, he helplessly realized that maintaining the status quo was actually the best choice.

Ancient One sighed softly, drew back his wandering thoughts, raised his head, and asked gently:

"I believe you came to see me this time because you have something to ask, correct?"

Lu Xi nodded and revealed the purpose of his visit.

"That's right. I want to know whether my arrival will change the future."

Ancient One's expression turned mysterious as he said softly:

"It will, and it will not."

Lu Xi frowned, clearly disliking this kind of vague fortune-teller talk, and asked somewhat urgently:

"What does that mean? Can't you make it clearer?"

Ancient One smiled faintly and explained patiently:

"I know what you are worried about. Our worldline possesses a force of self-correction."

"Certain predetermined key points will inevitably occur unless powerful external forces interfere."

"For example, Stark becoming Iron Man is destined to happen. Even if you deliberately create minor changes, he may take more detours, but he will still become Iron Man in the end. This... is the result of the worldline adjusting itself."

Lu Xi's eyes lit up as he asked:

"So I do not need to worry that the butterfly effect caused by my arrival will affect the future?"

Ancient One gently shook his head.

"Not entirely. If the force of interference is powerful enough, such as Iron Man being killed in advance, then a dead man naturally cannot become Iron Man."

"And then it would be difficult for the worldline to converge back toward the predetermined future. Therefore, whether the future changes depends on the strength of the interfering force."

"No matter what an ordinary person does, it would be almost impossible for them to change the fact that Tony becomes Iron Man. But Skyfather-level beings like you and me can resist the worldline's force of convergence and forcibly kill Tony, thereby changing the course of the future."

Lu Xi fell into thought after hearing this and murmured:

"I think I roughly understand now."

Suddenly, his brows rose as he sharply caught a key term in Ancient One's words.

"Skyfather-level? What does that mean?"

Ancient One nodded and explained patiently:

"From the perspective of strength, any powerhouse capable of easily destroying a planet is considered Skyfather-level."

He raised a finger, pointed at Lu Xi, and continued.

"For example, you, me, Odin of Asgard, Laufey, king of the Frost Giants, and Surtur, the god of fire, are all Skyfather-level powerhouses."

"The most outstanding among them even possess the power to destroy and create galaxies, infinitely close to Universal-level."

Lu Xi's heart stirred. Only then did he truly confirm the level of his own strength, and he could not help secretly feeling relieved.

No wonder he had always felt that Ancient One before him did not seem as powerful as he had imagined.

So that was it. His own strength had already reached such a terrifying level.

Then Lu Xi stated the second purpose of his visit.

"Ancient One, may I learn your magic?"

After all, Kamar-Taj possessed a complete magical system, with all kinds of functions available.

If he could learn it, it would be far more convenient than figuring out his abilities by himself.

A trace of difficulty flashed across Ancient One's face as he slowly said:

"Your power system is probably not very compatible with that of Kamar-Taj."

"Our magic relies on specific methods of drawing energy and guiding the mind, while the power contained within you is too unique and powerful. Forcibly combining them may bring unforeseen consequences."

However, he did not completely refuse Lu Xi.

After pondering for a moment, he turned to take two ancient magic books from a nearby bookshelf, handed them to Lu Xi, and said:

"How about this? These two are basic magic books. You may take them back and study them."

"If you can gain an introduction through them and master some basic applications of magic, you are welcome to return to Kamar-Taj for further study at any time."

Lu Xi accepted the magic books, feeling the mysterious aura emanating from their pages, and said sincerely:

"Then thank you, Ancient One."

Afterward, he put away the magic books, rose, and took his leave.

Ancient One smiled and nodded as he watched Lu Xi depart, his gaze still carrying an unfathomable meaning.