The old man turned around.
When Marvel Qi saw the relaxed yet dignified face of the elder and heard the key words in his speech, his expression instantly changed into one of stunned admiration.
"Wow! Are you Earth's guardian… the Sorcerer Supreme?"
The old master, Ancient One, revealed his identity. When he saw Marvel Qi's dramatic reaction, he could not help but praise him.
"You child. You truly have the talent of a natural sorcerer."
"Not at all, not at all. You're being far too kind!"
While accepting the praise, Marvel Qi quietly canceled the attack command of his mechanical defenses.
Originally he thought this visitor was just some minor character. His plan had been simple. Disable the intruder first and ask questions afterward.
But now it was clear.
This was the Ancient One.
So why on earth had he even considered attacking him?
If he had the strength to defeat this old man, he would already be challenging Odin for fun. Would he still be living cautiously here?
The Ancient One noticed Marvel Qi canceling the command. Yet the old master showed no displeasure. Instead, he seemed to appreciate the boy even more.
This old man might actually be a good person.
Just like Marvel Qi himself.
After exchanging a bit of polite flattery, the Ancient One revealed his true purpose.
"Who are you?"
The old master asked directly and clearly. There was no hesitation in his tone.
Marvel Qi froze.
The question struck him like lightning.
He remembered something.
"You want to know why I am not following the rules?"
The Ancient One seemed to see through his confusion. He smiled gently, carrying an aura reminiscent of a certain wise headmaster.
"Although I do not know where you came from. There is a strange black veil deep in your soul that prevents me from seeing your deeper thoughts."
"But reincarnated travelers are not rare in the Marvel universe, are they?"
"From the fragments of information gathered on Earth, combined with both conventional and unconventional logic…"
"It is easy to deduce your identity. A traveler who knows our legends."
Marvel Qi felt his thoughts align perfectly.
This old sorcerer was brilliant.
And Marvel Qi was very familiar with dealing with elders like this.
A wise old mentor. A powerful telepath. A guardian of the world.
Marvel Qi had plenty of experience.
After all, he had already dealt with Professor X, the so-called ultimate weapon.
So the Ancient One stroked his long beard thoughtfully, projecting the image of an unfathomable sage.
Marvel Qi became even more excited.
When it came to charming old men, he believed no one in the Marvel universe could compete with him.
He struck while the iron was hot.
"I wonder what brings a master of another realm like yourself here today."
"I would be honored to offer even the smallest assistance to such a respected elder."
Then Marvel Qi displayed his most refined social skill.
Tea etiquette.
"Forgive me. Seeing such a gentle and noble elder, I became so excited that I forgot my manners."
"Please allow me to prepare some tea."
"Consider it a small gesture of respect from the younger generation."
The Ancient One chuckled.
"Oh, young man. You certainly know how to speak."
He sighed.
"If only my students had even a tenth of your talent."
Marvel Qi was used to this routine.
Magneto often sighed the same way whenever he saw him and remembered Professor X.
Marvel Qi immediately responded with enthusiastic praise.
"They must simply be too comfortable. But with a teacher like you guiding them, I am sure they will reach even greater heights."
The Ancient One interrupted with a wave of his hand.
"Enough, enough. That is nonsense."
Yet despite the words, he still looked pleased.
Even the Sorcerer Supreme could feel slightly dizzy when caught in such endless polite exchanges.
Finally the Ancient One muttered to himself.
"Yes… perhaps they are talented after all."
Did the Ancient One truly doubt his students' talent?
Of course not.
This was the man who could casually travel through time and nearly twist entire timelines.
Compared to him, many cosmic beings looked ordinary.
Still, teachers and parents always see their students as lovable.
The Ancient One was no exception.
Marvel Qi's praise had struck exactly the right spot.
After playing the role of respectful student long enough, Marvel Qi waited patiently.
He brewed a pot of fragrant Dragon Mirror Tea and poured a cup for the Ancient One.
Only after they shared the tea did he speak again.
With great sincerity he said,
"Your Excellency, Sorcerer Supreme, I have heard of many of your legendary deeds."
"It is a tremendous honor to assist you."
"Please do not stand on ceremony. You may speak freely."
The Ancient One was now sitting in a priceless huanghuali chair in the living room. The chair had once belonged to Professor X's collection and had somehow been moved here by Marvel Qi using a certain friend's name and a few clever adjustments.
The old master took a sip of tea.
Then he spoke directly.
"I have come to accept you as my disciple."
"What do you think?"
What did Marvel Qi think?
What choice did he have?
Of course he had to agree.
Even if following this old man would bring endless trouble, could he refuse now that the Sorcerer Supreme had personally come to his door?
Absolutely not.
Besides, he had just spoken so confidently.
Backing out now would be embarrassing.
Did he not claim to protect justice?
If he refused, the Ancient One might teach him what a sorcerer's iron fist truly meant.
So Marvel Qi immediately said with perfect obedience,
"This is exactly what I hoped for."
The Ancient One laughed happily.
"Good child. Your classical Chinese is excellent. I believe you will enjoy our ancient texts."
He began describing a grand vision of magical study.
But this was not just fantasy.
In the sacred libraries hidden in the Himalayas, many ancient spell books were indeed written in classical Chinese.
Being able to read them would bring great convenience.
In a way, this was a small hint before official enrollment.
A thick black leather book suddenly landed in Marvel Qi's hands.
The Ancient One said,
"This book is yours now. Study it well."
"It contains more than a million years of magical history. That should be enough to guide you through your beginner stage."
Marvel Qi almost burst with excitement.
"A million years of history?"
"I hit the jackpot!"
He immediately began flipping through the pages, eager to look like a diligent student in front of his new teacher.
As for magical debts?
Marvel Qi believed confidently that such a noble and wise Sorcerer Supreme would surely help his beloved student deal with those matters.
Besides, from Marvel Qi's perspective, that problem did not exist at all.
With that reassuring thought, he dove into the ancient magic text.
However, as he kept reading, a strange doubt appeared.
Why was the entire book about Dimensional Demon Gods?
More specifically, it explained how to become a "respectable creditor" to those cosmic entities.
Marvel Qi frowned.
This… had nothing to do with him, right?
He was only a beginner standing at the entrance of magic.
Why should he worry about cosmic-level entities?
Just as he was wondering whether the Ancient One had given him the wrong book, the Sorcerer Supreme suddenly spoke.
"Good. It seems you understand your task."
"Let us begin."
Marvel Qi froze.
Wait.
What task?
He had only skimmed the book!
His pupils trembled violently.
His expression looked like that of a child who had just learned that one plus one equals two and was suddenly forced to take a university mathematics exam.
Yet the Ancient One ignored his silent complaints.
A massive space ring spell formed around them.
In the blink of an eye, both teacher and student were transported elsewhere.
Marvel Qi looked around.
Then he froze.
Where was this place?
The land was bleak and decaying.
Rusting metal stretched endlessly across the horizon.
The air smelled of sulfur and decay, making him want to vomit.
This was hell.
And not even a good version of hell.
Marvel Qi looked at the Ancient One, confusion written all over his face.
The old master finally explained.
"This place is Dis."
"A dying dimension without an owner."
"As you guessed, it was once a fragment of the great Hell dimension."
"It belonged to the Iron Duke, Dis, whose Iron Hell was once famous across the multiverse."
Marvel Qi stared at the endless metallic landscape.
His mechanical heart thumped loudly.
The land was filled with enormous amounts of precious minerals.
His mouth nearly watered.
Marvel Qi was not foolish.
After hearing the explanation and remembering the rules about dimensional demon gods described earlier, everything suddenly made sense.
He looked again at the decaying iron world.
Now his eyes were filled with excitement.
Hell?
What a joke.
This was exactly the kind of hell he wanted.
If anyone dared say this place was worthless, he would fight them to the death.
The Ancient One noticed his excitement.
He nodded calmly.
"Mickey, this is the opportunity your teacher prepared for you."
"Do not disappoint me."
Marvel Qi immediately declared,
"My teacher will always live in the heart of his disciple."
"I will never disappoint you."
The old fox and the young fox looked at each other knowingly.
Both smiled.
After a moment the Ancient One said,
"There is no time to waste."
"This fragment of Iron Hell is a valuable commodity."
"I managed to secure it for you thanks to the Eye of Agamotto passed down from the first Sorcerer Supreme."
"To avoid attracting attention, we will stay here while you complete the fusion."
"Understood!"
Marvel Qi agreed immediately.
This dimension matched his abilities perfectly.
If anything, he was even more eager than the Ancient One.
Time passed slowly in the silent ruins of Iron Hell.
Two Kun hours passed. Each one equal to roughly two and a half hours.
Marvel Qi was no longer confident.
Sweat poured down his face.
Despite his determination, something simply refused to work.
Some things cannot be achieved through imagination alone.
Eventually Marvel Qi collapsed onto the metal ground.
His voice was hoarse but determined.
"Teacher… please give me a little more time."
"I will succeed."
The Ancient One sighed.
He crouched down and gently patted Marvel Qi's shoulder.
"Forget it."
Marvel Qi stared in shock.
Forget it?
How could they give up now?
Everything depended on this moment.
The light of ninety-nine paths.
The future seat of power.
Everything was tied to this opportunity.