Fusion with the Dark Blade, Rejecting Kaecilius

Lin Du deliberately slowed his pace, making Kaecilius mistakenly believe he could exploit an opening.

Then, Lin Du extended a hand.

"Let's be friends. My name is Lin Du."

Upon hearing this, Kaecilius was overjoyed.

With this new member blessed with heaven-defying talent joining him, his plan to overthrow the entire magical world was within reach.

He hurriedly gripped Lin Du's hand tightly.

At that moment, a voice quietly rang out in Lin Du's mind.

[You have come into contact with Kaecilius. You are now integrating his "Dark Blade" ability and his control over shadow energy.]

In an instant, simulated training sequences concerning Kaecilius's powers began playing in Lin Du's mind.

Kaecilius's power was slowly merging with his own.

When the fusion neared its end, Lin Du released Kaecilius's hand.

As the fusion was completed, Lin Du felt an unprecedented, surging power roil through his body. He closed his eyes and carefully savored the intertwining of old and new power within him.

Kaecilius watched Lin Du's every movement, a smile curling across his lips.

With a mage of such heaven-defying talent joining him in attacking Ancient One,

what was there to fear about finding a way to deal with her?

"Very good, Lin Du. From now on, you will be my most powerful assistant. I will grant you all my power."

Lin Du simply shook his head.

"I pursue the light. I refuse to fall into darkness."

He then slowly moved toward Ancient One.

This scene left both Kaecilius and Ancient One stunned.

At the same time, astonishment and anger flashed through Kaecilius's eyes, but those emotions were quickly replaced by a helpless, cold sneer.

He knew full well that he was no match for Ancient One at this moment, much less for her and Lin Du working together.

Thus, he made a rational decision—retreat for now and wait for another chance to fight.

"Lin Du, I hope you won't regret your choice today."

Regret?

He had never regretted his choices.

In contrast to Kaecilius's furious frustration,

Ancient One was immensely excited and sincerely gratified by Lin Du's decision.

In Lin Du, she saw the dawn of hope for the future.

With Lin Du joining Kamar-Taj,

Kamar-Taj would surely return to its former peak.

"Lin Du, thank you for your choice. Truly, thank you very much."

"Now, let me lead you back to Kamar-Taj. Endless magical knowledge awaits you there."

As soon as Ancient One finished speaking, the air around them trembled lightly. In the blink of an eye, the two of them were already standing in the familiar surroundings of Kamar-Taj.

Lin Du was not surprised in the slightest.

After all, for mages, using portals was as commonplace as eating and drinking.

"Master Ancient One, you've returned."

Wong and Mordo were busy handling routine matters.

When they saw Ancient One return alongside Lin Du, both were stunned for a moment before stepping forward to greet them.

However, Master Ancient One immediately instructed Wong and Mordo:

"Mordo, please arrange a place for Lin Du to stay. Wong and I have important matters to discuss."

Lin Du understood at once, guessing that Master Ancient One likely wanted to privately discuss his unusual experience of instantly mastering magic.

He said nothing and decided to settle in first.

Upon hearing this, Mordo hurriedly nodded, knowing that Master Ancient One's orders could not be ignored.

He gave Lin Du a warm smile, then led him toward the accommodations specially prepared for visitors.

At that moment, Wong's brows were tightly furrowed. His eyes shimmered with undisguised astonishment as he stared fixedly at Master Ancient One, trying to process everything that had just happened.

"You're saying... Lin Du mastered multiple spells simply by watching our battle with Kaecilius?"

Wong looked at Ancient One in shock.

Master Ancient One nodded slightly, approval flashing in her eyes.

"That's right, Wong. There truly are some people in this world whose perception and understanding of magic far surpass those of ordinary people."

"Lin Du is clearly one of them."

"Even I cannot help but marvel at his talent."

Upon hearing this, Wong's thoughts drifted back to the moment Ancient One and Kaecilius had displayed their power.

Kaecilius's magic power had surged like raging waves, enough to bury an entire city beneath an endless night.

Master Ancient One, meanwhile, possessed unfathomably profound power. Every movement she made seemed to contain the mysteries of the universe.

But Lin Du was merely a beginner. How could he so quickly grasp, or even surpass, the magical attainments of those two?

It was simply unbelievable.

Even Ancient One, the current Sorcerer Supreme, had undergone endless years of cultivation before gradually lifting the veil on those profound spells.

For ordinary people, even an entire lifetime would not be enough to glimpse even the threshold of the hall of magic.

Wong fell silent for a moment, then turned to Ancient One. Determination shone in his eyes as he voiced his thoughts. "Master, I have a suggestion. We should keep Lin Du here."

"I dare guarantee that his potential will be our key to victory when we face Dormammu in the future."

"That ever-encroaching dark power is forcing us to seize every possible advantage."

Hearing Wong's words, Ancient One could not help nodding.

"I feel the same. Lin Du's talent makes me feel as though I have caught a glimpse of a long-lost dawn of hope."

The conversation naturally shifted, and Ancient One brought up another key person. "Speaking of which, how is Strange doing? Has he made any progress?"

A trace of helplessness crossed Wong's face, and he gently shook his head.

"Strange, that former renowned surgeon, seems to have built an insurmountable wall around himself."

"He has been at Kamar-Taj for more than three days, yet he still has not grasped the true essence of opening a portal."

"The obstacles in his heart are harder to overcome than any challenge in the outside world."

After hearing this, the corners of Ancient One's lips rose slightly, revealing an almost imperceptible smile.

"How about this? Tomorrow, bring Lin Du and Strange to see me together."

"Sometimes, encouragement between companions can move the heart more than any lecture."

"Perhaps Lin Du's exceptional nature can become the turning point that helps Strange break free from his own restraints."

Elsewhere, Mordo, who was leading Lin Du around and explaining Kamar-Taj, could not help asking,

"Lin Du, why does Master Ancient One think so highly of you? This is the first time I've ever seen her value someone so much."

Lin Du stopped walking and gazed into the distance at Kamar-Taj's magnificent scenery, drawing in a deep breath.

He slowly turned to look at Mordo, determination gleaming in his eyes.

"I think you should ask Master Ancient One about that."

"Where am I staying?"

At the same time, Lin Du wondered how he could touch Mordo and fuse with Mordo's power.