Xia Zuo wanted the Ancient One to teach him magic, so he needed to meet her. But she was in distant Kamar-Taj. Having Xia Zuo trek over mountains and across rivers to Kamar-Taj like Doctor Strange in the original story was unrealistic. After all, that place was simply too remote.
This was where knowing the plot proved its advantage. Xia Zuo knew that the sorcerers had a sanctum in New York, and inside the New York Sanctum was a portal that led straight to Kamar-Taj. To meet the Ancient One, he could simply go through the New York Sanctum, with no need for an arduous journey.
With the exact address, finding the New York Sanctum was not particularly difficult, so Xia Zuo soon arrived in front of a tall, old-fashioned building.
Tilting his head back slightly, Xia Zuo could see a slanted hash-shaped symbol at the very top of the building. He was very familiar with this symbol: it was the sorcerers' emblem. Most people who saw it would, at most, assume it was some kind of decoration, never knowing that it was the sorcerers' emblem.
In truth, the sorcerers could be considered an ancient and powerful force in this world. After all, for a thousand years, they had been responsible for protecting the entire world from invasions by other worlds. But they usually kept such a low profile that many people did not even know they existed.
Xia Zuo walked straight up, pushed open the New York Sanctum's doors, and went inside.
The antique decorations and period furnishings all indicated that this sanctum had stood for many years. But Xia Zuo paid little attention to any of that and instead looked around, searching for the mage guarding the New York Sanctum.
Xia Zuo knew something about the New York Sanctum's origins. Over a thousand years ago, the progenitor of the sorcerers had created the Three Great Sanctums to guard this world against invasions from other worlds, and the responsibility of protecting the sanctums had fallen to the mages.
The sanctums protected the world, and the mages protected the sanctums. Thus, every sanctum had personnel responsible for guarding it, and Xia Zuo was looking for the New York Sanctum's guardian.
"Is anyone here?!"
Looking at the empty hall, Xia Zuo was rather speechless. The sanctum's mages were supposed to guard this place, yet in his recollection, it was often deserted. Reality proved much the same. Though they were said to be standing guard, generally nothing happened in the sanctums, so those guarding them could be said to have a very leisurely time. After all, the Sorcerer Supreme stood above all the mages and held things together, so usually nothing would go wrong.
"This isn't a shop, little boy. Run along."
Just then, a man in a monk's robe slowly emerged from a corner. He intended to send Xia Zuo away. After all, to him, Xia Zuo was merely a child who had wandered into the sanctum by mistake.
"I want to see the Ancient One."
Xia Zuo wasted no time and stated the purpose of his visit outright.
"Who are you? How do you know about the Sorcerer Supreme?!"
The robed man's expression shifted slightly. If this child knew of the Sorcerer Supreme's existence, then he was no ordinary child and might even have a significant background. The robed man immediately grew serious. He needed to investigate Xia Zuo's background thoroughly.
"Where I come from doesn't matter, but I want to see the Ancient One. Forget it. I'll do it myself."
Xia Zuo spoke slowly. By the end, he had already lost his patience and activated Geass directly. A ring of light immediately appeared in the man's eyes.
There was no helping it. His current age was far too misleading. No one would believe a six-year-old child clamoring to see the Sorcerer Supreme. Xia Zuo understood this too. This mage guarding the New York Sanctum would never believe him, so he acted directly and took control of the middle-aged man. This was more convenient.
"Of course. I'll report to the Sorcerer Supreme immediately." The previously suspicious man instantly became respectful and hurried to Kamar-Taj to report the matter.
Yes, he went straight to Kamar-Taj!
The sorcerers' world was backward, and they had little contact with technological products. However, communicating was no difficulty for them. If anything came up, they could simply go there through a portal, which was actually more convenient. This could also be considered an advantage of being a sorcerer.
Inside an ancient, simple-looking building in Kamar-Taj, a bald woman held an old book in her hands, reading with great interest.
Though she was bald, there was nothing jarring about her appearance. She seemed to possess a calm transcendence beyond worldly affairs. This was the Ancient One, who had guarded Earth for many years, a true sage.
"Sorcerer Supreme, something has come up at the New York Sanctum. A child wishes to see you." The man slowly approached the Sorcerer Supreme and addressed her respectfully.
"A child wants to see me?"
The Ancient One looked up in surprise and glanced at the man. Her brow furrowed slightly, and she waved a hand at him. A surge of invisible energy instantly entered his body, and the red rings in his eyes immediately vanished.
As the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One was undoubtedly immensely powerful. Thus, she immediately sensed that the man was being controlled and freed him from his restraints at once. Only the Ancient One could do this.
In fact, Xia Zuo understood this too, so he had merely controlled the man to have him announce his arrival and had done nothing to harm him. In this respect, Xia Zuo knew his limits.
"Sorcerer Supreme? I... why am I here?"
Only then did the man regain his senses. He looked at the Ancient One in bewilderment. He had clearly been inside the New York Sanctum just moments ago, yet had appeared here in the blink of an eye. He could not quite make sense of it.
"You were being controlled. I've freed you now," The Ancient One said slowly. "Tell me what happened to you."
She was somewhat curious. After all, a child who could actually control a sorcerer was no ordinary child, given that a sorcerer's mental power was not weak.
"Yes. I was in the New York Sanctum today when a child who looked only five or six suddenly arrived. He kept insisting on seeing you..."
The man spoke quickly, recounting everything he knew without daring to conceal the slightest detail.
"Interesting. To think there's a child like that." The Ancient One chuckled, then slowly stood up.
"Come. Let's meet this interesting child."
P.S. Thank you to [155*****022] for the tip. Thank you very much! (I'm protecting your privacy, so I haven't written it out in full.)
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