At Kamar-Taj, on a makeshift stage set up in the courtyard.
"To commemorate the Ancient One, I've decided to hold the first annual Sorcerer Supreme Memorial Day Singing Contest here. We shall honor the great Sorcerer Supreme through song!"
Oh no! The Head-Seven Cup is turning into the Memorial Day Cup!
Damn you, Watt!
The Ancient One wished he could rise from the dead right then and there.
But on the lid of the coffin, which contained the former Sorcerer Supreme's body, a bright blue glowing Cloud Seal appeared, surrounded by numerous tiny, almost invisible Rune seals.
Tongtian Lu, Ghost Suppressing Soul Stabilizing Talisman! Old man!
You can't rise from the dead even if you wanted to!
The Ancient One, in the black and white photo, still wore a benevolent smile, eyes wide.
Wait, when did you go to the Eastern magical world to learn this kind of talisman-like magic?
I don't recall anyone teaching you this, nor does anyone know how to draw talismans in mid-air with bare hands!
"Heh heh, heh heh heh!"
A melodious, stirring tune began to play.
"Joyful gongs and drums, ushering in years of celebration..."
Noticing the odd expressions of the sorcerers, Qingshui pressed the pause button on the speaker.
"My apologies, I played the wrong song. It should be this one. I just decided to sing a Chinese song, to bid farewell with a song from the Sorcerer Supreme's homeland."
Qingshui used his Bluetooth-connected phone to switch to another song.
The intro began.
"Snowflakes~ fluttering~, north wind howling~, heaven and earth~, a vast expanse~..."
A few minutes later, Qingshui, still feeling the emotion, handed the microphone to Mordo.
The young Black man first spoke a long string of heartfelt words, recalling various past events with the former Sorcerer Supreme, saying that the Ancient One was a true enlightened master, his mentor and friend, and so on. Then he began to sing.
"It's been a long day, without you my friend..."
Qingshui subtly wiped his eyes again, forcing out more tears, then clasped his hands together, tilting his head, adopting a moved expression.
Magnificent!
Truly magnificent!
Heartfelt and sincere, especially the rap section, which perfectly showcased the inherent talent of Black people.
"Wong, you're up next."
Qingshui winked at Wong.
Wong lowered his head slightly, feeling something was off, yet also somewhat familiar.
It was like...
...serving the previous Sorcerer Supreme had felt this way too?
Which meant...
"Alright!"
Wong nodded without hesitation.
This feeling indicated that the new Sorcerer Supreme, like the previous one, was the type with a small heart but a lot of mischief brewing inside.
So he absolutely could not offend him!
He needed to do more and talk less!
"Oh, by the way, little Wong, you mentioned the Sorcerer Supreme succession ceremony earlier. What's the process for that? Will other magical factions attend the ceremony? And will there be gifts to receive? I really like the gem diadem from the Vault of Valtorr, and I also like the Book of Pharaohs from Egypt..."
Wong recalled a legend that had been circulating in his family for many years, its authenticity unknown.
Back when the Ancient One took over as Sorcerer Supreme, he collected a lot of protection money from the major magical powers on Earth under the guise of receiving gifts...
Now, thinking about it, this should...
...this should be necessary compensation for the sacrifices the Sorcerer Supreme made to protect Earth!
How could that be protection money!
It was clearly the sorcerers' heartfelt gratitude towards the Sorcerer Supreme!
"Ahem, this... well..., esteemed Master Watt, as for gifts, generally, once you successfully assume the role of Sorcerer Supreme, you can hold a conference to make an announcement, impart some of your magical experience, and so on. What you should receive will naturally come, and what you don't have will be supplemented later."
"So when does this succession ceremony begin?"
Qingshui asked impatiently.
"This isn't something we can just start whenever we want; it depends on the situation. Generally, there are two methods."
"Speak."
"The Sorcerer Supreme's mission is to protect Earth from Dimensional Demon God invasions. If one day a Dimensional Demon God invades Earth, and you can successfully repel it, that directly proves you are the strongest sorcerer on Earth, possessing the ability to protect Earth. Then everyone will naturally be moved by your powerful strength, magnificent presence, and selfless spirit."
"Makes sense. What about the other way?"
"By holding a Mage Assembly to elect the Sorcerer Supreme, inviting all mages to participate. As long as you win the final championship, that works too. Ancient One defeated all her competitors through that competition back then."
So it basically comes down to flexing your power. If your fist is big enough, that's all that matters.
"How long does it take to hold an assembly?"
"Typically, it needs to be announced to the magical world a year in advance. However, this situation is usually reserved for when the Sorcerer Supreme's lifespan is nearing its end, with no successor, and no suitable heir can be found through the Eye of Agamotto. My suggestion is for you to wait patiently."
"Are you sure a Dimensional Demon God will come knocking?"
"Dormammu."
As Mordo finished his performance and began walking this way, Wong mouthed something to Qingshui, then went to Mordo to take the microphone and stepped onto the stage.
He sang the Great Compassion Mantra, which was quite fitting.
But it was a DJ electronic version.
This was also extravagant!
Now this is music!
But…
Dormammu, huh?
Right. Ancient One had siphoned a lot of energy from Dormammu's Dark Dimension, gaining a long lifespan in return, but her body had also been corroded by dark energy.
Now that the old man was dead, Dormammu would likely be the first to sense it.
Ancient One's death was indeed a perfect time for Dormammu.
With the Sorcerer Supreme who had repeatedly repelled him gone, it was worth a try.
If the new Sorcerer Supreme was stronger than Ancient One, then things would remain as they were. If not, then he would intensify his efforts, attempting to devour the dimension where Earth resided.
And for Qingshui, as long as he wanted to be the Sorcerer Supreme, whether he had officially taken office or not, Dormammu was an unavoidable hurdle.
So, am I stronger than Ancient One now?
Qingshui wasn't sure.
He had never fought Ancient One at her peak.
However, in the field of magic, he still had a certain gap compared to a grand mage like Ancient One.
He had read most of Kamar-Taj's current magic, and some of it couldn't be used with just Qi or Chakra; it required the power of a Dimensional Demon God to cast. Qingshui hadn't tried any of those spells.
Apart from using the Sling Ring as an intermediary to contact the relatively reliable Vishanti, Qingshui hadn't interacted with any other multiversal deities.
In this regard, his potential seemed a little lower.
However, Magic Tool Puppets, Tongtian Lu, Ninjutsu, and various technological creations gave Qingshui advantages that Ancient One lacked.
And his biggest advantage, in fact, was that he possessed two Infinity Stones.
One more than Ancient One.
The Mind Stone had been in Qingshui's hand for a long time.
It was just that for a long time, Qingshui hadn't encountered an enemy that forced him to truly use the Stone's power.
Doctor Doom, whom he met in the Altos Dimension last time, was powerful enough, but that was in a different universe, and the Mind Stone couldn't be used there.
As for Hydra and the occasional incidents in the magic world, such as interdimensional creature invasions and dark mages causing trouble, the enemies he encountered didn't warrant using the Mind Stone in combat.
This time, Dormammu was at least a Dimensional Demon God. He should be able to test the limits of his current strength, right?
However, one Mind Stone alone wasn't enough. Only by mastering the power of the Time Stone could he have a fallback. At worst, he could be like Strange, disgusting Dormammu with negotiations and remaining invincible.
That night, after the First Sorcerer Supreme Commemoration Cup ended, Qingshui retrieved the Book of Cagliostro and read it cover to cover all night.
This book recorded a large amount of dark magic and forbidden knowledge about souls, and also explained many principles of time magic.
He read for a full seven days.
Outside, the performers Qingshui had arranged to sing opera and the caterers for the open-air banquet also left that day.
Because that day was the seventh day after Ancient One's death.
If Ancient One didn't want to remain in this world as a ghost or evil spirit, then today would be her last day here.
As expected, this day would also be when Dormammu sensed the dark energy that remained with Ancient One leave his dimension and descend upon Earth.
Ancient One's soul was very valuable, after all, it was the soul of a powerful Skyfather Level grand mage. Dormammu must have coveted it, thinking that through the connection of dark energy, he could intercept this precious soul.
However, Ancient One had already gone to Great God Eternity, so he definitely wouldn't get it.
Thus, the dimension where Earth resided was Dormammu's only target at the moment.
In the best signal room at Kamar-Taj.
Several orbs were casually placed on the table, projecting light to form a holographic projection.
"I know, I know, but I really don't have time right now. I have to focus all my strength on preparing for a major event."
Qingshui sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, his hands in an accordion-playing posture, speaking to Captain America in the hologram.
Next to him was a bald man with a dark complexion.
Nick Fury.
He was no longer one-eyed. Leading Shadow S.H.I.E.L.D., he had returned to the front lines, albeit underground. There were many dangerous situations that required him, the former director, to personally lead. Having only one eye made it difficult for him to shoot, so he had used Regeneration Serum to regain the eye he had lost.
"We repelled a terrorist attack in Vienna and rescued the King of Wakanda, but we also uncovered a hidden enemy force.
Watt, I assume you've already seen the report Steve and I submitted to you.
What could possibly be more important than five super soldiers released by Hydra?
They're capable of completely paralyzing a small country's combat power in a single day through assassinations and other means. You know how dangerous they are!"
Nick Fury demanded, his face dark, as he questioned Qingshui.
Hey, you dark-skinned bald guy.
I haven't even settled the score with you for messing with me last time!
"You're right, I was indeed held up by something more important. If not handled properly, it could threaten all life on Earth."
Qingshui said with a grave expression.
"Threaten the entire Earth? Is it another alien invasion?"
Nick Fury subconsciously shoved his hand into his pocket, fondling the red and blue pager.
"It's even more serious, because with the previous Sorcerer Supreme having passed away, Dormammu, the Dimensional Demon God from the Dark Dimension, who covets Earth's dimension, will invade."
Steve scratched his head.
"Seventy years ago, I was the only monster. Seventy years later, I'm teaming up with a bunch of people who, like me, are considered monsters to fight aliens. That's already incredible. Now you're telling me there's some dark god not from this universe to deal with? Please forgive this ignorant, ninety-something-year-old man."
Nick Fury's attention was elsewhere.
"You just said Sorcerer Supreme? The previous one? What about the current one?"
"That would be me."
Qingshui pointed to himself with his thumb.
"I'll be taking over soon."
"You?"
"What's with that expression? Why do you look like the world's about to end?"
Qingshui's finger quickly pointed back at Nick Fury.
The latter changed the subject, saying, "I've never heard you mention anything about magic or wizards."
"Then why would I tell you?"
"The Security Council doesn't know either."
"Then they don't know."
"But you're the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."
"But being the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and being the next Sorcerer Supreme aren't mutually exclusive, are they?"
Nick Fury nodded in satisfaction.
"Hmm, it seems choosing you as director was the right decision. If those people knew certain things, it would greatly hinder you."
"So, you're saying all the good and bad things, and in the end, it's still your credit, right? How shameless."
Nick Fury was indeed shameless. He completely ignored Qingshui's words and instead asked, "Are you confident you can handle this? Do you need help?"
Hearing the word "help," Steve stepped forward, puffing out his muscular chest.
"If your situation is more urgent, then we should assemble the Avengers. Then, like before, find the enemy, or wait for the enemy to appear, and give them a good beating."
"Captain, the help I'm talking about isn't you. While I don't mean to hurt your feelings, you probably can't be much help against an enemy of this caliber."
Nick Fury said, hitting a nerve.
"I have some confidence."
Feeling the two Infinity Stones hanging around his neck, Qingshui nodded.
No matter how strong Dormammu was, he wasn't so strong that two Infinity Stones couldn't handle him.
Hearing Qingshui's words, Nick Fury nodded slightly.
Although he didn't get along with this guy, he still highly respected his abilities.
So he continued, "If you need help, contact us as soon as possible. Also, for matters like this in the future, I think you should disclose them internally as early as possible. Perhaps some of us have trump cards that can deal with the crisis?"
"Nah, no need. Speaking of which, I learned this trick of compartmentalized management from you, and sometimes it's quite useful."
Qingshui waved his hand.
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