Chapter Summaries

Zhao Yu considered how combining spells might reveal new powers, then entered the Mirror Dimension with Hamir to learn the Shackles of the Vishanti. Hamir began explaining the spell, which drew on the Vishanti’s power and required weaving hundreds of fine magical threads.

• Zhao Yu reflected on his fused spell and resolved to keep mastering magic and searching for spells that could combine.
• Hamir arrived exhausted after spending seventy-two hours studying spell structures and asked Zhao Yu to use the Mirror Dimension to test dangerous magic.
• Zhao Yu opened a portal into his unusual Mirror Dimension, and Hamir remarked that he had mastered it remarkably quickly.
• Hamir summoned a dark golden chain that split into hundreds of streams of light and introduced it as the Shackles of the Vishanti.
• Hamir explained that the spell required tearing divine power into fine threads and weaving them together, then beckoned Zhao Yu closer to teach him how it worked.

Zhao Yu learned the Vishanti Binding Spell almost instantly and shocked Hamir by demonstrating its advanced chains. Meanwhile, Kaecilius returned to Kamar-Taj and challenged Wong, who seemed to be concealing an important accomplishment.

• Hamir explained the Vishanti Binding Spell, and Zhao Yu's knowledge resonance rapidly advanced his understanding to the current stage's limit.
• Hamir mistook Zhao Yu's silence for discouragement, but Zhao Yu said he had already learned the spell and formed layered chains of platinum-white light.
• Hamir inspected the chains in disbelief and questioned how an apprentice could master the magic so quickly.
• Kaecilius returned to Kamar-Taj with most of his expedition team, where Wong and others welcomed them.
• Kaecilius and Wong argued over their roles and achievements, and Kaecilius claimed to have destroyed ten nests spying on Earth that month.
• Kaecilius noticed Wong's restrained expression and suggested that Wong had accomplished something even more remarkable.

Kaecilius learned about Zhao Yu’s reputation as a gifted apprentice and sent Devon to summon him, but Zhao Yu refused to meet him. Kaecilius apologized for Devon’s behavior, then personally took Zhao Yu away to test his talent while Wong and Hamir watched from the Mirror Dimension.

• Kaecilius questioned Devon about events at Kamar-Taj and ordered him to identify the apprentice rumored to be a rare genius.
• Zhao Yu avoided the commotion surrounding Kaecilius’s return and refused Devon’s summons, shutting the door in his face.
• Kaecilius came to Zhao Yu’s room and apologized for Devon’s interruption.
• Kaecilius asked Zhao Yu to accompany him so he could see the new generation’s talent, and Zhao Yu followed.
• Wong and Hamir watched from the Mirror Dimension as Zhao Yu went with Kaecilius, and Wong said Kaecilius would act this way because of a fatal weakness.

Wong sent Zhao Yu to learn from Kaecilius, who intended to use the apprentice to prove his skill as a teacher. Kaecilius taught Zhao Yu to shape spatial magic into a cutting blade, but the chapter ended with Kaecilius noticing an unfamiliar transparent shape hovering over Zhao Yu’s palm.

• Wong watched Kaecilius take Zhao Yu away, while Hamir recognized that Wong had arranged the encounter to provoke Kaecilius.
• Kaecilius told Zhao Yu he wanted to test his teaching ability and showed him how to form a blade from sharpened space.
• Zhao Yu quickly shaped his own Spatial Blade and cut two intersecting lines into an ironwood beam.
• Kaecilius changed his plans and instructed Zhao Yu to train at the eastern training ground after sunset each day.
• Kaecilius later noticed a blurred, transparent shape hovering above Zhao Yu’s palm.

Zhao Yu mastered Kaecilius's spatial magic with startling speed, leaving Kaecilius shaken by the gap between their abilities. Zhao Yu left while privately considering whether Kaecilius could be trusted, and Kaecilius was left struggling to conceal how thoroughly he had been surpassed.

• Kaecilius watched Zhao Yu form stable spatial blades after only a brief lesson and struggled to hide his shock.
• Kaecilius asked Zhao Yu to demonstrate the full shaping process, then assigned him to study Spatial Geometry Paradox and said he would teach him rift folding the next day.
• Zhao Yu thanked Kaecilius and gained magic proficiency from the lesson, while privately deciding that Kaecilius's possible future betrayal made following him too dangerous.
• After Zhao Yu left, Kaecilius admitted to himself that Zhao Yu had mastered his Spatial Folding Art in hours and left him feeling utterly crushed.
• Zhao Yu glanced back at Kaecilius's closed door and considered following him only if he did not become a traitor.

Kaecilius resolved to find new magic after realizing how formidable Zhao Yu was, while Wong and Hamir checked that Zhao Yu would not be led astray. Zhao Yu revealed he had learned Kaecilius’s Spatial Blade in just over an hour, advanced his practice, and was summoned to meet Kaecilius again.

• Kaecilius decided to visit the library and find something new so he could prove he had not been surpassed by Zhao Yu.
• Wong and Hamir waited for Zhao Yu and warned him that they wanted to ensure Kaecilius was giving him the right guidance.
• Zhao Yu reassured them that he would not follow Kaecilius’s path, then demonstrated the Spatial Blade and said he had learned it in one morning.
• Hamir and Wong were stunned when Zhao Yu explained he had mastered the difficult spell in a little over an hour.
• Zhao Yu practiced until his Spatial Blade neared Level Two, then followed Devon to Kaecilius’s room after receiving a summons.

Kaecilius tested Zhao Yu’s Spatial Blade and then taught him Vishanti’s Sacred Sword, while secretly taking satisfaction in Zhao Yu’s apparent difficulty mastering it. Zhao Yu received system notifications indicating that he had comprehended the sword spell, but he kept the news to himself as Kaecilius encouraged him to keep trying.

• Zhao Yu demonstrated a remarkably stable Spatial Blade after only one day of practice, impressing Kaecilius.
• Kaecilius explained that the spell came from the Eye of Agamotto and demonstrated Vishanti’s Sacred Sword before teaching Zhao Yu its structure.
• Zhao Yu received notifications that he had comprehended Vishanti’s Sacred Sword and that Kaecilius’s War Aura increased his offensive magic cultivation speed.
• Kaecilius praised Zhao Yu and cautioned him that Vishanti’s Sacred Sword was difficult to learn, while Zhao Yu concealed his system notifications.
• Later, Zhao Yu struggled to control an orange-red arc of light as Kaecilius watched with amusement and reassured him that he did not need to master the spell immediately.

Zhao Yu revealed that he had mastered Vishanti's Sacred Sword, driving Kaecilius to despair over their disparity and toward forbidden magic. After three days of isolation and training, Zhao Yu was interrupted by Wong, whose grave expression suggested trouble.

• Zhao Yu summoned Vishanti's Sacred Sword and proved to Kaecilius that he had mastered the spell.
• Kaecilius brooded over Zhao Yu's talent and his own grief, then decided the forbidden library held power that could bring his wife and son back.
• Kaecilius killed the librarian, broke into the sealed shelves, read the forbidden books, accused Ancient One of lying, and stole pages.
• Zhao Yu continued training alone for three days, improving his Magic Shield, Mirror Dimension, and Sacred Sword spells.
• Wong arrived at Zhao Yu's door with a grim expression, and Zhao Yu asked what had happened.

Zhao Yu faced Kamar-Taj's inquiry into Kaecilius's betrayal and realized that his own rapid progress may have helped drive his mentor toward darkness. After discovering Kaecilius had trapped his room in a refined Mirror Dimension, Zhao Yu confronted him and recognized Dormammu's power consuming him.

• Wong brought Zhao Yu before Mordo and the other masters, who questioned him about Kaecilius's disappearance and betrayal.
• Zhao Yu told the masters he had seen no unusual behavior from Kaecilius, while Wong and Yacolet argued over Kaecilius's character.
• Zhao Yu privately suspected that his talent had stirred Kaecilius's jealousy and hid in his room while worrying about the Sorcerer Supreme's return.
• Zhao Yu discovered that someone had folded the Mirror Dimension into his room and identified the trap as an exceptionally refined technique.
• Kaecilius emerged from the distortion with blackened eyes, and Zhao Yu recognized that Dormammu's power was consuming him.
• Zhao Yu urged Kaecilius to stop, but Kaecilius praised the power and promised himself life without end.

Zhao Yu confronted Kaecilius, his former teacher, who tried to recruit him into Dormammu’s Dark Dimension. Zhao Yu defeated Kaecilius with powerful magic and left him wounded in a crater.

• Kaecilius urged Zhao Yu to join him and embrace the Dark Dimension, but Zhao Yu refused.
• Zhao Yu and Kaecilius fought with Spatial Blades, destroying the Mirror Dimension around them.
• Zhao Yu used four independently moving Rings of Raggadorr to counter Kaecilius’s attacks and overpower him.
• Kaecilius drew on Dormammu’s power, but Zhao Yu summoned Vishanti’s Sacred Sword and broke through his Shield of the Seraphim.
• Zhao Yu left Kaecilius badly wounded in a crater and told him he hoped he would choose the right path in his next life.

Zhao Yu’s clash with Dormammu’s attempt to retrieve Kaecilius shattered the Mirror Dimension and shook Kamar-Taj, drawing Kamidar’s attention to his power. Zhao Yu asked Kamidar to keep it secret, but Mordo took over his lessons and urged him to develop his ability.

• Dormammu reached through a rift to seize Kaecilius, and Zhao Yu’s Chaos Orb collided with the rift, cracking the Mirror Dimension and shaking real-world Kamar-Taj.
• Kamidar promised Zhao Yu he would keep quiet about the display, while Zhao Yu worried that the gossip-prone mage would reveal his secret.
• An unfamiliar mage summoned Zhao Yu to meet Mordo, who asked whether he was a genius.
• Wong told Zhao Yu that Mordo would take over his lessons, and Zhao Yu accepted the arrangement.
• Before dawn, Mordo told Zhao Yu not to let his ability gather dust and warned him that the path of magic was demanding.

Mordo tested Zhao Yu's magical knowledge and began teaching him Crimson Chains, an advanced spell. Zhao Yu learned it with astonishing speed, leaving Mordo confident that the lesson was under control even as Zhao Yu revealed he had no difficulty.

• Mordo asked Zhao Yu to list the spells he had learned and was stunned when Zhao Yu named Vishanti's Sacred Sword.
• Mordo showed Zhao Yu Crimson Chains and explained that it took 3.7 seconds to form, then demonstrated his practiced 3.6-second casting time.
• Zhao Yu formed Crimson Chains in 2.9 seconds, and Mordo told him to practice keeping the chain active for ten seconds.
• As Mordo explained the spell, Zhao Yu's Enlightener's Aura accelerated his progress until Crimson Chains reached Tier One.
• Mordo reassured Zhao Yu that mastering Crimson Chains would take time, but Zhao Yu told him he had not encountered any difficulties.

Zhao Yu rapidly mastered Crimson Chains, but Cyttorak’s attempt to interfere triggered his system to seize part of the deity’s power and transform the spell into a Crimson Contract Chain. Mordo was left stunned by its unusual, self-evolving magic, while Zhao Yu prepared to demonstrate what it could do.

• Zhao Yu showed Mordo that he had summoned Crimson Chains only minutes after receiving the spell tome, leaving Mordo speechless at his speed.
• Zhao Yu struggled to control the chain as Mordo asked him to maintain it, and Cyttorak attempted to interfere with the magic.
• Zhao Yu’s system activated its protection protocol, stripped away part of Cyttorak’s divine power, and transformed Crimson Chains into a Crimson Contract Chain.
• Mordo examined the transformed chain and sensed several intertwined magical qualities, while Zhao Yu said it had changed on its own.
• Mordo questioned what the chain could do, and Zhao Yu shook it as if preparing to show him.

Mordo was shaken by Zhao Yu’s five-colored chain and questioned the value of his own magical training as the Chitauri invasion devastated New York. The Avengers regrouped, Hulk stopped a giant warship, and the team faced more alien forces as the rift continued to expand.

• Zhao Yu demonstrated the chain’s five abilities, leaving Mordo stunned and despairing over the limits of his own magic.
• The Chitauri poured through the rift above Stark Tower and inflicted massive destruction and casualties across New York.
• Tony Stark fought the invaders and headed toward Parker Street after learning that his teammates were joining the battle.
• Loki’s scepter disabled Hawkeye’s fighter, and Captain America, Hawkeye, and Black Widow landed and helped civilians while Banner arrived.
• Tony led a giant Chitauri warship to the team, where Banner transformed into Hulk and halted it so Tony could cut it in half.
• The Avengers faced Chitauri soldiers surrounding them as more warships emerged from the still-expanding rift.

As the Chitauri invasion overwhelmed New York, Mage Mordo mobilized Kamar-Taj to divert much of the enemy into the Mirror Dimension. The battle continued to grind down both the mages and the Avengers, and Natasha ended the chapter wounded after fighting off a squad.

• The Avengers struggled to stop the Chitauri, but many invaders broke through and spread across New York.
• Mordo summoned Kamar-Taj's mages, declared that the Chitauri had crossed the boundary they guarded, and ordered them to defend Earth.
• Zhao Yu joined Mordo as tens of thousands of mages entered the Mirror Dimension and drew most of the invaders away from the real city.
• The mages used the Mirror Dimension to divide and contain the Chitauri, but their defenses weakened under the enemy's overwhelming numbers, so Wong ordered reserves deployed and Hamir to try the Hundred-Person Resonance Spell.
• In New York, Thor and Hulk fought the invading forces while the Avengers and military struggled to protect civilians; Natasha killed a squad of Chitauri soldiers despite her injuries and discovered she was bleeding.

The Avengers struggled to hold back the Chitauri as their stamina dwindled and the Portal kept pouring out reinforcements. Zhao Yu rescued Kamidar and his apprentices, then led them toward the New York Sanctum, where they spotted a lone fighter surrounded by Chitauri.

• A shield-wielding fighter fought through Chitauri soldiers to reach the red-haired woman while Tony Stark’s dwindling energy and Hawkeye’s fatigue weakened the Avengers’ defenses.
• Kamidar mistakenly brought his apprentice mages out of the Mirror Dimension and led them into a Chitauri attack, ordering the apprentices to run toward the Sanctum.
• Zhao Yu arrived and used Vishanti’s Sacred Sword to cut down the surrounding Chitauri, increasing his spell proficiency.
• Zhao Yu led Kamidar and the apprentices toward the New York Sanctum, clearing Chitauri with magical chains along the way.
• Zhao Yu and the mages saw a lone figure surrounded by dozens of Chitauri soldiers near burning cars.

Zhao Yu used his strange crimson chains to defeat Chitauri attackers and heal the unconscious Captain, leaving Kamidar and the apprentices questioning what they knew about magic. The chapter ended as Hulk saw the chain piercing Captain and charged at Zhao Yu in a rage.

• Zhao Yu opened a gap in the Chitauri encirclement, allowing Captain to fight back.
• Zhao Yu sent crimson chains through more than a hundred Chitauri, killing or immobilizing them and absorbing their life force.
• Kamidar objected that Zhao Yu was using magic on an ordinary person, but Zhao Yu showed him the chains were healing Captain.
• Kamidar and the apprentices struggled to reconcile Zhao Yu's magic with Kamar-Taj's teachings.
• Hulk saw the crimson chain embedded in Captain's chest, lost control, and charged at Zhao Yu.
• Kamidar asked Zhao Yu whether he could handle Hulk and suggested retreating if he could not.

Zhao Yu subdued Hulk, healed Steve Rogers, and returned the green giant while the Avengers continued fighting the Chitauri invasion. As Zhao Yu and the mages faced the warships’ overwhelming firepower, he prepared to stop the bombardment.

• Zhao Yu blocked Hulk’s attack, then trapped him in a golden halo that sent him high into the air.
• Zhao Yu used a blood-red chain to stabilize Steve Rogers’s wounds, and Steve woke and prepared to return to the battle.
• Zhao Yu opened a rift and dropped Hulk back in front of Steve, who froze in surprise.
• Thor fought off Chitauri soldiers while asking where Hulk had gone, and Zhao Yu told Steve that Hulk had spent an hour falling.
• Three whale-like warships approached and fired on Zhao Yu and the mages, but his barrier deflected their beam while Hulk damaged a ship from above.
• Zhao Yu watched the warships charge more weapons and said that dodging would never end.

Zhao Yu protected Kamidar and the apprentice mages from the Chitauri attack, using the Ring of Raggadorr to block a devastating blast and Vishanti Chains to destroy a warship and more than a hundred soldiers. As Kamidar struggled to comprehend Zhao Yu’s power, two more warships arrived, with Hulk trapped aboard one and another overpowering Thor.

• Hulk deflected the warship’s beams until its weapon failed, then leaped toward another approaching warship.
• Zhao Yu led Kamidar and the apprentices through the streets and raised a giant Ring of Raggadorr shield that withstood a blast that collapsed a nearby building.
• Zhao Yu’s system reported that the Ring of Raggadorr had resisted a high-intensity impact and would halve the power of subsequent attacks of the same type.
• Zhao Yu unleashed Vishanti Chains, freezing and tearing apart a Chitauri warship and more than a hundred soldiers, which caused the spell to level up.
• Kamidar watched Zhao Yu’s chains multiply and shred more enemies, while questioning his own ability and considering a return to the snow mountains.
• Two more warships loomed over the city; Hulk pounded the hull of one from its deck, while the other’s blue-white lightning dimmed.

Zhao Yu destroyed two Chitauri warships with a golden energy beam, then declined Tony Stark and Thor’s invitation to join them and warned that the Chitauri had a mothership. He returned to the New York Sanctum and entered the Mirror Dimension battlefield, where he pierced the armor of more than a dozen Chitauri with the Vishanti Chains.

• Thor and Tony Stark struggled against the Chitauri until Zhao Yu appeared and shattered two giant warships with a golden beam.
• Tony questioned Zhao Yu about the beam, while Thor thanked him for his aid; Zhao Yu said he was heading to another battlefield and vanished.
• Captain America invited Zhao Yu to join the defenders, but Zhao Yu refused and warned them that the Chitauri had a mothership.
• Zhao Yu reached the New York Sanctum, reported that he had escorted Master Kamidar to safety, and agreed to assist at the front line.
• Zhao Yu entered the Mirror Dimension battlefield and flew beyond the mages’ barrier despite their warnings.
• Zhao Yu used the Vishanti Chains to pierce the armor of more than a dozen Chitauri.