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 both seemed convinced that he was Lucifer.
He did not believe that someone as capable as the Sorcerer Supreme could mistake him for someone else, so he asked:
"Ancient One, are you so certain that I am Lucifer?"
Ancient One nodded gently, then shook his head.
"Yes and no."
Lu Xi looked utterly bewildered and could not help saying:
"Could you explain that more clearly? It's hard to understand something so ambiguous."
Ancient One's gaze was profound as he slowly said:
"I am not entirely sure of the specifics 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 climbed the stairs 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, and you can take some with you."
Lu Xi vaguely felt that the other party's enthusiastic attitude was somewhat strange, so he asked:
"Logically speaking, if I really might be Lucifer..."
"Then shouldn't your duty be to drive out 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, gazing calmly at Lu Xi as he slowly spoke.
"Although I am still not entirely certain what your true nature is."
"What is certain is that 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 on.
"All right, then does that mean you won't interfere if I stay here?"
Ancient One nodded gently, his eyes deep and complicated.
In truth, how could he not have wanted to interfere with Lu Xi's existence? He simply lacked the power to do so.
Ever since Lu Xi had descended from the sky like a meteor, Ancient One had tried using the power of the Time Stone to peer into the future.
But he had discovered in horror that the scenes of the future had become blurred. He could no longer clearly see events far ahead as he once could.
The unknown filled him with dread. He had also attempted, within the Time Stone's projections, to forcibly drive Lu Xi away.
Yet every result of those projections had been despairing, producing only countless worse endings.
Either the two sides would battle fiercely, causing Earth to split apart and its defensive formations to be destroyed, leaving Earth exposed to endless danger.
Or it would draw Thanos's attention, causing that terrifying being to descend early and bring catastrophic ruin to the Universe.
After weighing the options, he helplessly discovered that maintaining the status quo, as things were now, was actually the best choice.
Ancient One sighed softly, withdrew his wandering thoughts, raised his head, and asked gently:
"I believe you came here this time because you have something to ask of me?"
Lu Xi nodded and stated the purpose of his visit.
"That's right. I want to know whether my arrival will change the future."
Ancient One's expression became mysterious as he softly said:
"It will, and it will not."
Lu Xi frowned. Clearly disliking such vague mystical talk, he asked somewhat urgently:
"What does that mean? Can't you explain it clearly?"
Ancient One smiled faintly and patiently explained:
"I know what you are worried about. Our timeline possesses a power of self-correction."
"Certain predetermined key points will inevitably occur unless powerful external forces interfere."
"For example, Stark becoming Iron Man was destined to happen. Even if you deliberately cause some minor changes, he might take a few more detours, but he would still ultimately become Iron Man. This... is the result of the timeline adjusting itself."
Lu Xi's eyes lit up as he asked:
"So I don't need to worry that the butterfly effect caused by my arrival will affect the future?"
Ancient One gently shook his head.
"Not necessarily. If the force of the intervention is powerful enough—for example, if Iron Man is killed ahead of time—then a dead man naturally cannot become Iron Man."
"And the timeline will have difficulty converging back toward its predetermined future. Thus, whether the future changes depends on the strength of the intervening force."
"An ordinary person would be unlikely to change the fact that Tony became Iron Man, no matter what he did. But Skyfather-level powerhouses such as you and I possess enough strength to resist the timeline's corrective force, forcibly kill Tony, and thereby change the future's course."
After hearing this, Lu Xi fell into thought and murmured:
"I think I roughly understand now."
Suddenly, his brow rose as he sharply caught a key term in Ancient One's words.
"Skyfather-level? What does that mean?"
Ancient One nodded and patiently explained:
"From the perspective of power, 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 fire giant—we are all Skyfather-level powerhouses."
"The most outstanding among them even possess power sufficient 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 fortunate.
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 spoke of the second purpose of his visit.
"Ancient One, may I learn your magic?"
After all, Kamar-Taj possessed a complete magical system, with all manner of functions.
If he could learn it, it would be far more convenient than figuring out his abilities on his own.
A trace of difficulty flashed across Ancient One's face as he slowly said:
"Your power system may not be very compatible with ours at Kamar-Taj."
"Our magic relies on specific methods of drawing energy and guiding the mind, while the power you possess is too unique and powerful. Forcing the two together may produce unforeseen consequences."
However, he did not completely refuse Lu Xi.
After thinking 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 are two basic magic books. You may take them back and read them."
"If you can gain an introduction from them and master some basic magical applications, you are welcome to return to Kamar-Taj anytime for further study."
Lu Xi accepted the magic books, sensing the mysterious aura emanating from their pages, and said sincerely:
"Then thank you, Ancient One."
Afterward, he put away the magic books, rose to his feet, and took his leave.
Ancient One smiled and nodded as he watched Lu Xi depart, his eyes still carrying an inscrutable meaning.
Before you continue