Thunder

Chen Xu watched the Sorcerer Supreme, Ancient One, enter through the Sanctum gates. He felt that Ancient One had become somewhat unfamiliar, but he could not tell exactly what had changed.

"You..."

Chen Xu still voiced the question he wanted to ask, though he hesitated.

Through pupils enhanced by Omega Rays, Chen Xu stared at the Sorcerer Supreme, Ancient One. He saw that Ancient One was actually somewhat nervous. As the Sorcerer Supreme renowned throughout the universe, how many people could make him feel nervous? He had never shown nervousness when facing Dormammu, the ruler of the Dark Dimension, a being beyond time itself, or Cyttorak of the Crimson Cosmos. He had always faced them calmly, yet now the Sorcerer Supreme, Ancient One, was nervous.

But Ancient One's nervousness lasted an extremely short time. Chen Xu's eyes, having been transformed by Omega Rays, the Phoenix Force, and the Chaos Force, could now be called divine eyes, as though they were on the verge of seeing through the essence of the universe. Ancient One's moment of nervousness had lasted only an instant. Ordinary people could never have seen it with the naked eye, but Chen Xu caught it. He simply assumed he had seen wrong and did not take it seriously.

"Chen Xu."

The voice had not changed in the slightest. It was still clear and steady, yet it gave Chen Xu an entirely different feeling.

"Supreme Sorcerer, you're back. Have you finished your business?"

"Yes. My business is finished. Your task is complete now. You may return to the New York Sanctum and continue with your own affairs."

Chen Xu had not expected Ancient One to issue an eviction order the moment he returned, leaving him completely bewildered.

"Oh, all right then."

Chen Xu thought,

Maybe it was just my imagination.

Chen Xu was also excited by his newfound freedom. He could finally do his own things again, continue learning the magic he had yet to master, and finish the books he had not finished reading.

"All right, I'll leave this to you."

Chen Xu returned to his dormitory.

At this time, Ancient One was no longer the Ancient One of the past. What Chen Xu did not know was that his feelings had been right. Ancient One truly had changed. More accurately, this Ancient One was no longer the former Ancient One. He was now Dormammu, while the real Ancient One had already been imprisoned.

This was the price of borrowing the power of darkness. His soul would belong to the darkness, while his body would be controlled by Dormammu, the ruler of the Dark Dimension.

After returning to his dormitory at the New York Sanctum, Chen Xu became increasingly restless. He kept feeling that something terrible was about to happen. As a transmigrator, Chen Xu knew that this should have been the time when Stephen Strange, Doctor Strange, arrived and Ancient One was about to retire. Yet because of his appearance, Stephen Strange, Doctor Strange, had not appeared.

"Has Ancient One's retirement been indirectly changed by me as well?"

"But when I saw Ancient One, why was the Phoenix Force inside me constantly stirring, as though it were warning me about something?"

The more Chen Xu thought about it, the more irritated he became. He shook his head.

"Forget it. I'll just let things take their course!"

Chen Xu resumed his routine life, reading in the library and reinforcing the seals of the New York Sanctum. But while patrolling the Dark Dimension, he discovered something unusual. There was not a single dark creature in the Dark Dimension. Chen Xu found this incredibly strange. It was the first time he had seen such a thing since becoming a mage of the New York Sanctum. Even at its quietest, there would usually be one or two Dark Hounds running around inside. Yet now there was no movement at all. The silence made Chen Xu feel afraid and hesitant. This was not Dormammu's style. No matter what, he would always cause some damage before leaving.

Yet now, there was no movement whatsoever. Had Dormammu suddenly developed a conscience and stopped attacking Earth? That was obviously impossible. As the ruler of the Dark Dimension, how could he possibly let go of such a juicy prize as Earth?

Then this was strange.

Chen Xu directly entered the Dark Dimension to investigate. With his current strength, he was not afraid of Dormammu at all. Though he had never fought him, he was still confident that he could retreat unscathed.

The Dark Dimension before Chen Xu still looked the same as before. Countless kinds of energy flowed within it, colors constantly shifting and changing. Stars of every size floated silently through the Dark Dimension, yet there was not a single dark creature. The Dark Dimension's environment differed from Earth's. There was no such thing as air here. The various dark creatures within survived by absorbing the energy of the Dark Dimension's power. They did not need to eat like Earth's creatures, nor did they excrete waste.

Chen Xu walked quietly through the Dark Dimension, observing his surroundings. He spread out his mental power, strong enough to pierce the multiverse, and swept it through the area. There were still no dark creatures. Slowly, after quite some time had passed, Chen Xu stopped lingering in the Dark Dimension and headed outside.

Suddenly, Chen Xu stopped. He sensed a mass of dark energy, so powerful that even the Dark Dimension itself was twisting, rushing toward him. Chen Xu did not flee. Instead, he stood there quietly and waited. The dark power drew closer and closer, and Chen Xu did not hesitate any longer. He immediately put on God's Hand.

Chen Xu did not let down his guard. He watched the direction from which the dark power came. In an instant, a Dark Magic spell came crashing toward him, accompanied by another violent force that twisted even the surrounding space. It was clearly meant to kill, with no mercy whatsoever. Chen Xu immediately created a magic shield and blocked it.

Chen Xu laughed.

"Erbi Mengbilia, so it really is you. You still haven't given up? Do you still want to kill me? It seems I didn't teach you a painful enough lesson last time. Then let me make you face reality completely this time. You are no match for me."

Yet Mengbilia ignored him completely and continued attacking relentlessly. Every move was lethal, every spell carrying terrifying dark energy as it sought to kill Chen Xu.

"Damn, Mengbilia, you hate me that much? I really didn't expect that!"

But Erbi Mengbilia paid no attention to Chen Xu. Chen Xu noticed the change in him as well. As he continued entangling himself with him, he discovered that Mengbilia had been controlled again.

Chen Xu silently mourned for him. He was truly pitiful. This was the consequence of having no strength. Once one was too weak, this would happen. It made Chen Xu understand the importance of strength once again.

"Then, Erbi Mengbilia, let me make you come to your senses again!"

In an instant, Chen Xu used Lightning Magic. Lightning was one of the only attack methods that could directly target the soul and mind. A bolt of incomparably violent lightning.