The Ancient One's Request

Xiao Han stepped into the meditation room, his gaze lingering on The Ancient One for a moment.

The Earth's guardian looked so ordinary, yet she contained unfathomably deep power.

"Supreme Sorcerer." Xiao Han gave a slight nod. "It seems my arrival has caught your attention."

The Ancient One waved her hand lightly, and a cup of tea appeared out of thin air before Xiao Han.

"Please, sit. Your presence is like a torch in the night. It would be hard not to notice you."

Xiao Han accepted the teacup and sat down cross-legged.

The fragrance of tea filled the air, carrying a peculiar energy fluctuation.

"So, did you come to warn me to leave Earth?"

"Quite the opposite." The Ancient One took a sip of tea. "I came to thank you."

Xiao Han raised an eyebrow. "Thank me?"

"You stopped Loki's scheme and prevented a war among the Nine Realms." The Ancient One's gaze passed through the window and looked into the distance.

"Moreover, you taught Thor humility. That is crucial for the future king of Asgard."

Xiao Han narrowed his eyes. He had no idea what The Ancient One was really after. Based on what he knew, she should have said that he had disrupted the timeline rather than praised him.

But he still chuckled softly. "I only did what I wanted to do."

"That purity is precisely what makes it so rare." The Ancient One set down her teacup.

"Xiao, how much do you know about this universe?"

"Enough."

A golden glint flashed in Xiao Han's eyes. "For example, I know Dormammu is coveting Earth. I also know Thanos is collecting the Infinity Stones."

The Ancient One's expression shifted for the first time. "You even know about those..."

"I also know your secret."

Xiao Han stared directly into The Ancient One's eyes. He more or less understood how much she knew about him.

Perhaps she only knew that he was an outsider, but not his identity.

"The Time Stone in the Eye of Agamotto, and the power you draw from the Dark Dimension."

The air inside the meditation room instantly froze. Outside the door, Mordo subconsciously tightened his grip on his weapon.

The Ancient One remained silent for a long while before suddenly laughing. "Interesting. It seems I underestimated you."

She rose to her feet, her robes moving without any wind. "Since that's the case, why don't we go somewhere else and talk in greater detail?"

She drew a circle with both hands, and a portal shimmering with golden sparks opened before them.

On the other side was the snow-covered summit of the Himalayas.

Xiao Han stepped through without hesitation.

The bone-chilling wind had no effect on him. Under the influence of his Biofield, the snow beneath his feet did not even retain his footprints.

The Ancient One stepped out of the portal after him. "It's quiet enough here. We can speak freely."

"What do you want to know?" Xiao Han asked directly.

"Your purpose." The Ancient One's expression grew serious.

"With such power, you nevertheless choose to stay on Earth. What exactly do you want from Earth? Including the matter of your origins."

Xiao Han looked toward the endless mountain ranges in the distance. "A home."

The simple answer left The Ancient One slightly stunned.

"My origins? You may not believe this, but I'm actually a Kryptonian. I simply came to this world by accident." Xiao Han made it up on the spot and immediately began spinning nonsense.

After a pause, he continued, "Here, I was given a new life. I only want to live according to my own wishes and protect the things I believe are worth protecting."

"Does that include making an enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"It includes doing anything I want." Golden light swirled in Xiao Han's eyes.

"As long as they don't come looking for trouble with me."

The Ancient One pondered for a moment. "What if I invited you to join Kamar-Taj and become the new Supreme Sorcerer?"

The proposal left Xiao Han stunned. "Why me?"

"Because you can see things I cannot." The Ancient One's voice suddenly sounded weary.

"I have guarded this world for too long, Xiao.

"The Time Stone has shown me countless possible futures, but in every timeline, there is one common ending: my death. Though that is my own choice."

Xiao Han keenly caught the meaning behind her words. "You're preparing for the transfer of power."

The Ancient One nodded. "Doctor Strange still needs time to grow. And your appearance... is a variable. A presence that was never supposed to exist."

"Moreover, your arrival has already made the timeline unclear. I can no longer observe it."

The wind and snow intensified atop the mountain, but an invisible barrier formed around the two of them. The snowflakes silently melted several meters away from them.

"I can't accept." Xiao Han finally answered. "I have my own path to follow."

The Ancient One seemed to have expected that answer long ago. "Then at least promise me one thing. When darkness descends and Earth needs you, you will step forward."

Xiao Han smiled. "That depends on what I feel like doing at the time."

The Ancient One smiled as well. "That's enough."

She opened another portal. "Would you like to visit the library? The books at Kamar-Taj may be useful to you."

Xiao Han's eyes lit up. "That's a good idea."

Inside Kamar-Taj's library, ancient bookshelves towered into the clouds, while the air was filled with the mingled scents of parchment and sandalwood.

Xiao Han stood in the center, the golden patterns on his black battle suit faintly visible beneath the candlelight, forming a curious contrast with the library's ancient magical atmosphere.

"This is the most complete collection of magical texts on Earth."

The Ancient One stood with her hands behind her back, her broad yellow robes moving without wind. "It contains the accumulated wisdom left behind by the Vishanti, Agamotto, and every Supreme Sorcerer throughout history."

The librarian, Wong, eyed Xiao Han warily. "Supreme Sorcerer, this person is..."

"A guest, Wong." The Ancient One spoke gently. "He has the right to consult any book he wishes."

Wong's mouth fell open in surprise, but he soon recovered his professional composure. "What category do you need?"

"All of them."

Xiao Han's Super-Sight had already begun scanning the bookshelves. "Especially those concerning the Multiverse and the Dark Dimension."

"Supreme Sorcerer, these texts are far too dangerous. Even experienced sorcerers need guidance before they can..." Wong exclaimed in shock.

"Let him read." The Ancient One interrupted him softly, her gaze remaining fixed on Xiao Han.

"I trust Mr. Xiao knows his own limits."

Xiao Han gave a slight nod. His Super-Sight activated, and he analyzed the entire structure of the library in an instant.

The arrangement of the shelves, the ordering patterns of the books, and even those areas hidden by magic were all exposed beneath his Super Senses.

The words on every spine, the symbols on every page, and even the secret contents sealed by magic all appeared within his field of vision.

"Interesting."

Xiao Han walked to the nearest bookshelf and gently brushed his fingers over a row of heavy tomes inlaid with gemstones.

"Your magical system is completely different from Asgard's. They rely on the Divine Power in their bloodlines, while you... borrow power from dimensions."

Xiao Han continued toward the section on spatial theory, his fingers hovering above a row of books inlaid with blue gems.

"Your magic is built on borrowing dimensional energy. That explains why you need Sling Rings as conduits."

Wong's mouth fell open in astonishment. "You only looked at the classification of the shelves and already..."

Xiao Han had already taken down Basic Spatial Principles and begun flipping through it.

His fingers turned the pages at a speed beyond human reach, pausing on each page for no more than a second.

Books that would take ordinary people months to study were completely memorized by him in less than two minutes.

"Spatial folding... dimensional positioning... energy anchors..."

Xiao Han closed the book, a thoughtful light flickering in his eyes.

He raised his right hand and tried to trace the path for opening a portal as described in the book, but only a few faint sparks stirred in the air before vanishing.

The corners of the Ancient One's mouth lifted slightly. "It seems that even Superman must follow the basic laws of magic."

Xiao Han was not bothered. "I was only testing the theory."

He pointed to his temple. "The knowledge is all stored here now. I simply lack a channel for channeling energy at the moment.

"After I return, I'll consider using the energy within my body as a medium so that I can use magic."

Wong's expression shifted from wariness to pure shock. "You... you memorized the entire book?"

"Not just this one."

Xiao Han walked toward the next bookshelf. "Introduction to the Mirror Dimension, Basics of Astral Projection, Compendium of Defensive Spells... they're all on my reading list."