Qingshui naturally went with the flow, making thorough preparations. He put on his Sling Ring, donned his armor, checked the Eye of All Things and the Web of Zoroyades, then nodded to Odin.
The latter gave a slight nod in return and raised Gungnir.
This spear, representing the authority of the All-Father, was crafted from a branch of Yggdrasil and possessed the power to connect with the World Tree.
"I shall ask Yggdrasil to protect you with its branches and leaves, escorting you to the edge of this universe. From then on, you'll be on your own."
Odin brought Gungnir down, then pointed it at Qingshui.
Instantly, two immense, translucent leaves closed in around Qingshui. Qingshui found that his vision wasn't obstructed, but his perception, after passing through the leaves, was weakened a hundredfold.
Yggdrasil was of a high caliber; even a single branch or leaf was a top-tier natural treasure.
"It's about to begin."
Qingshui couldn't hear any sound from outside, but he could make out Odin's lips moving.
The leaf-enclosed chamber slowly lifted Qingshui upwards, starting slowly and then accelerating. In just a few breaths, the Ancient One disappeared from his sight.
The position continued to rise, leaving the open-air golden hall, following the Yggdrasil roots that stretched straight into the sky, and breaking through the clouds.
The speed increased rapidly, and the scenery outside changed kaleidoscopically. Even with Qingshui's dynamic vision, he couldn't make out what was happening outside.
This felt very similar to traveling on the Rainbow Bridge just now.
Until a certain moment.
Qingshui felt his vision change again, from the previous vibrant colors to a vibrant black.
As if breaking free from the shackles of space-time, at this moment, Qingshui looked back and saw that the Yggdrasil branch behind him had grown to a point where it could no longer be clearly observed with the naked eye.
And behind the branch was a vast, abstract line that was constantly moving.
Because this place transcended the concept of three-dimensional space and existed outside of time, Qingshui could barely make out the various scenarios depicted within that line.
That was the past, events that had transpired in this universe.
This was the true face of the timeline!
No, using "timeline" wasn't accurate enough. The truly accurate description should be a single universe within a multiverse!
Beyond the Yggdrasil branch, this line branched into countless phantoms, each representing every possible evolutionary path of this world.
Yggdrasil had pulled him out of this universe from that point in time!
So, what next?
Qingshui's gaze shifted to his arm.
Beneath the Electrolight Armor, the Sling Ring on his finger glowed faintly gold.
This was borrowing the power of the Vishanti, a multiversal deity, to make a call across universes.
The next instant, outside the leaf-wrapped chamber, sparks lit up, and a golden teleportation circle appeared.
A man in a red Cloak of Levitation and gold-and-red Iron Man armor, enveloped in golden light, stepped out of the portal.
"Hello!"
The Iron Man mask opened, revealing Tony Stark's face, who mouthed words to Qingshui.
Even though there was no air here and he couldn't breathe, Qingshui faintly heard a familiar voice in his ears.
Unlike the flamboyant and frivolous Tony in his own universe, this Tony Stark appeared more mature and steady. Yet, what remained unchanged was that unique confidence inherent in his character, and also...
...a certain flamboyance.
"What, do I look like my handsome face has captivated you? I can understand, but I like hot chicks, and I'm already married."
Tony winked at Qingshui.
The Watos sub-unit embedded in the Electrolight Armor quickly analyzed what Tony had said by the movement of his lips.
"No, I just didn't expect that my little brother in this universe could become the Sorcerer Supreme in another universe."
Qingshui likewise spoke to Tony.
He believed that any Tony Stark would be able to discern what he was saying just by reading his lips.
"I don't believe it. You're clearly bragging. Stark never bows down to anyone, and neither would any other universe's Tony Stark. Otherwise, he wouldn't be Tony Stark."
Tony, as expected, analyzed what Qingshui had said and scoffed.
"I'm telling the truth. I'm the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. here."
"Even a S.H.I.E.L.D. director couldn't make Stark his little brother."
"But you, in this world, are listed with S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Listed as what?"
"Senior Science Advisor."
"I knew it. How can an advisor be considered the director's little brother? At most, they're just partners."
Tony said to Qingshui.
At that moment, a small portion of the golden light surrounding Tony separated and transformed into a small cat.
"Alright, it only looks like a kitten, but it's actually a tiger."
The ancient Hoggoth.
Legend has it he is the last survivor of an ancient, mysterious race, having existed since the dawn of creation. Eternal and everlasting, he possesses an innate ability to exist beyond space and time, earning him the moniker "Eternal Hoggoth."
"Don't waste time here. Every second we linger requires more energy."
Hoggoth opened his mouth and roared.
Though no sound could be conveyed, a powerful mental thought still reached Qingshui's senses through Yggdrasil.
"Alright, Lord Hoggoth, we'll leave it to you."
Tony spoke, his expression slightly serious.
Hoggoth nodded slightly and looked at Qingshui.
More accurately, he looked at Yggdrasil.
"Follow me!"
The golden kitten burrowed back into Stark's body, transforming into a streak of light and flying towards the depths of the endless multiverse.
Yggdrasil's branches swiftly followed, their speed no less than Hoggoth's.
After traversing countless cosmic gaps, Hoggoth finally stopped in a place so broken that its timelines were fractured, twisted, and even knotted.
This was the Altos Dimension, a ruined dimension left behind after a complete dimension was destroyed.
Yggdrasil's branches, following the golden streak of light, plunged straight in.
Semi-transparent, emerald-green leaves opened and closed, depositing Qingshui into a desolate swamp.
By then, Tony, who had arrived earlier, was already using magic combined with some of the technological equipment on his armor to monitor the environment.
A translucent, emerald Yggdrasil leaf landed in Qingshui's hand, forming a peculiar Rune Magic. Then, Yggdrasil's branches slowly withdrew.
This was a marker. When Qingshui needed to return, he could use this marker to summon Yggdrasil's branches, bringing him back to his original world.
"Earth similarity index ninety-eight point three percent, one point zero four times gravity, air oxygen concentration twenty-one point five percent, current temperature twenty-four degrees Celsius. Multiple unknown fungal organisms and flora/fauna detected..."
Tony looked at the holographic display inside his armor and spoke to Qingshui:
"Buddy, this place is pretty similar to Earth, but if you're just a sorcerer with a normal human body, I suggest you don't take off your armor. If you get infected by unknown viruses, bacteria, or fungi, normal human immunity won't be able to resist. Speaking of which... your armor should have an internal ecological maintenance system, right?"
"I understand. Connect to my radio signal for easier communication."
Qingshui nodded slightly at Tony.
"OK, you can bypass J.A.R.V.I.S.'s password protection by simply typing 'Doom Sucks' in English. Also, record this magic from me; radio isn't always useful everywhere, it can be interfered with."
Tony gestured to Qingshui.
After connecting the radio, Qingshui received the data for the magic Tony mentioned.
More than magic, it was a method of applying mental and spiritual power.
It had a very old-fashioned name.
Telepathy.
It involved compressing mental energy into a thread, with both parties vibrating at a specific frequency to transmit information. As long as they were within sensory range, communication could essentially ignore all interference and obstacles.
Some twins, couples, or parent-child pairs, either naturally or through intense emotional resonance, have highly synchronized mental frequencies, sometimes leading to accidental instances of such telepathy.
And Tony Stark had found a way to normalize this accidental phenomenon.
"What do we do next?"
Qingshui transmitted this thought to Tony via Telepathy.
This Telepathy is really handy.
Unlike spoken or written language, Telepathy could convey a lot of meaning in an instant, without the need to spend time speaking or reading.
"Excellent, it seems your control over mind and spiritual energy is quite good. Now, just follow my lead. I mapped this place when we were flying, and if we head in the direction I point, we'll reach Antuakh Main City soon."
Tony replied to Qingshui.
"Then why didn't we just go straight to the main city instead of coming to a place like this?"
Qingshui sent the message to Tony while looking into the depths of the swamp pond nearby.
Within his expanded sensory range, now nearly two thousand meters, a massive aquatic monster, over sixty meters long and resembling a Cretaceous plesiosaur, was assaulting from beneath this enormous pond.
This monster, shaped like a Mosasaur, had the same strange blue pattern appearing in multiple places on its body.
"You really think about it, the commotion we made when we arrived in this world was huge. What if someone found us?"
Tony spread his hands, a magic cannon already emerging from his armor's shoulder, ready to attack at any moment.
Clearly, he had also sensed the anomaly beneath the water.
*"Whoosh!"*
A massive wave erupted.
The next second, an endless barrage of magical cannon fire began.
However, the blue patterns on the water monster lit up, summoning the surrounding water to its side, forming a watery sphere that protected it.
The magic cannon only blew the water sphere apart, without harming the monster inside.
Tony raised an eyebrow, about to increase the power, when the monster's body instantly shattered into pieces, scattering across the ground.
Thin, almost invisible lines retracted from mid-air, drilling back into Qingshui's armor.
The Web of Zoroyades was tough and could be stretched to an extremely fine, razor-sharp point.
"You can tell I wasn't using my full power just now, right? I just wanted to control the force to capture this Ogopogo number two alive. We need to study the patterns on it; they might be related to Antuakh's rune civilization."
"How do you know this thing is an Ogopogo?"
Ogopogo is actually quite famous on Earth, a monster legend similar to the Loch Ness Monster.
"It just looks a bit like it. The one I keep at home also sprays water and is about the same size."
Qingshui: ...
So, the most famous monster in North America is basically a pet goldfish in your house.
"Same goes for now. Just take a photo, and let's keep going."
"Fine, too bad. I wanted to find a companion for the Ogopogo at home."
Qingshui rolled his eyes at Tony, though Tony couldn't see it through the mask.
"You said earlier you were worried about making too much noise, meaning there are enemies here? Are you afraid they'll discover us?"
"Let me correct you. It's not fear; I just don't like trouble."
"So, who is that person?"
"Doctor Doom, and a few of his subordinates. In my universe, Doom is considered my enemy, occasionally an ally when facing external invasions. Both he and I are climbing the paths of technology and magic simultaneously, so I know him best. He's had several good plans ruined by Reed and me working together."
Doctor Doom?
That's not someone to trifle with.
"Is he here for the Book of Altos too?"
"Pretty much. Altos was a grand sorcerer who nearly unified magic and science, the greatest rune sorcerer in history. Doom's goal is the same as his: if he can integrate magic and science, he will ascend to godhood, the kind of god that exists in the multiverse. Even if he doesn't succeed, by acquiring rune magic highly compatible with science and some of Altos's research, with his abilities, he could at least reach Altos's height in life and possess the power to contend with Dimensional Demon Gods."
"What about his subordinates?"
"Aaron Davis, Quentin Beck, William Baker, and Ovi Octavius."
"Uh... what are their abilities?"
"An enchanted exoskeleton suit called the Prowler, a Hollywood special effects artist who can use illusion magic, a sand man who learned earth magic, and a woman with eight tentacles on her back."
Qingshui immediately understood.
An enchanted Prowler, Mysterio with illusion magic, Sandman with earth magic, and Doctor Octopus, who became a woman.
None of these individuals had risen to prominence yet in Qingshui's world, but that didn't stop Qingshui from having some understanding of them. This was despite most of them having received magical enhancements.
Sparks flashed, and a golden portal opened.
"Let's go. Remember to be discreet."
Tony cautioned, then stepped into the portal first.
Qingshui followed close behind.
This was Antuakh Main City, once the most prosperous region in this dimension.
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