Chapter 2: The Great Mother, Part 1
My God! This is a disaster! This is the Marvel world! Stay calm, stay calm. The person in front of me right now is the strongest on Earth, recognized as a Father-Heaven Level powerhouse, the boss of Earth's magical world, and a five-hundred-year-old scheming woman... the Ancient One.
I can't afford to provoke her. She couldn't have sensed that I'm an outsider Soul and plan to wipe me out, could she? Please, no! I was just born. With my Super-God talent, the glint-glint fruit, and the three types of Haki, if I die before even using them, it would be a total loss.
Zhang Chu was thinking that even if he couldn't start a harem like some anime protagonist, surely he could at least escape being a'single dog.' What's the deal now? Becoming a loot box upon landing? Or a 'GG' at the very start? No, no, no! Don't come over here!
The Ancient One had just sensed the child in the room waking up, so she brought in some freshly prepared milk at the perfect temperature (don't ask why it was perfect; the answer is the Time Stone). Looking at the newborn, she set down the bottle, and her thoughts drifted back to last night...
"Mage Lan! Go back quickly! You're pregnant; you cannot participate in this extra-dimensional invasion!" Mordo roared.
Mordo was a mage from the Holy Land of Kamar-Taj. Having studied under the Ancient One, he was considered one of the stronger practitioners on the mystical side.
But now, all he could do was shout. The extra-dimensional invasion was so fierce that he had no energy left for anything else; even that momentary distraction of shouting almost caused him to be hit by an extra-dimensional monster's attack.
"This is a moment of life and death for Earth. Mephisto and Dormammu have joined forces. The Ancient One is being held back by Dormammu and his dark wizards, while Mephisto leads his subordinates and other dark wizards to attack the three Sanctums. As the strongest Disciple of the Ancient One and the Protector of the Hong Kong Sanctum, how can I hide in the back!" A Chinese woman's hands manifested magical arrays as she slowly flew into the air.
The woman had an exquisite face, and despite being in maternity clothes, she possessed an inviolable majesty. Judging by the size of her belly, she looked ready to give birth very soon.
The woman waved her arms, hurling spells at the demons and dark wizards. Her powerful magic instantly tore a rift through the enemy ranks! The pressure on the other mages eased significantly, and under the leadership of Mage Lan, the mages of the Hong Kong Sanctum began their counterattack. Everything seemed to be going smoothly.
However, just as they were about to repel the invaders, an old man in a black robe and hat suddenly appeared before them. Seeing him, the faces of the mages changed instantly. The newcomer was none other than the Lord of Hell, Mephisto.
Lan floated down to face the King of Hell directly. "Mephisto, haven't you learned your lesson from last time? You dare to prance in front of me again? This time, what stays behind won't just be a Clone."
"Hahaha, Lan, things are different now. How much strength do you have left? You've ruined my plans time and time again. Today is your end. I will use the fires of Hell to completely incinerate your Soul to satisfy my hatred!" Mephisto laughed wildly. This time, he hadn't hesitated to cede territory to Dormammu to join forces, all for the purpose of killing this woman who had thwarted him countless times.
"Against a mere Clone of yours, I have enough!" As soon as she spoke, Lan raised her hand, sending spells flying toward Mephisto. Mephisto dodged and raised his staff, lighting up several magic circles to fire black magical lasers against Lan's incoming magical barrage.
The two sides traded blows back and forth, but even though she was close to giving birth, Lan still held the upper hand. After dodging Lan's multiple magic cannons once again by a hair's breadth, Mephisto stood his ground as flames began to rise beneath his feet—his signature skill, Hellfire.
"Barrage Lan truly lives up to her name. Even when about to give birth, you can still fire off spells in mass. I admit I can't beat you with just this Clone, but things are different now! This isn't a one-on-one. With these burdens around, I won't lose." With that, Mephisto pointed his finger toward the Hong Kong mages and the Hong Kong Sanctum.
The Hellfire surged like a bursting dam toward the Hong Kong Sanctum and the mages.
Originally, the Hong Kong Sanctum was protected by a barrier, but it had been destroyed in the previous fighting. Now that Mephisto was targeting the Sanctum and the surrounding mages, they were helpless. Lan knew they couldn't withstand the Hellfire with their abilities, so she immediately flew in front of them. Her hands performed a Fusion of magical arrays, and a massive magic shield appeared between the mages and Mephisto.
The Hellfire slammed into the shield and could no longer advance easily. However, it was only 'not easily'; Mephisto's Hellfire was still slowly pushing toward Lan and the others. Seeing Lan struggling, the mages used their magic to help her stabilize the array. It wasn't that they didn't want to attack Mephisto, but they simply couldn't...
Although they were Protector mages of the Sanctum, they were not on the same level as a high-tier being like Mephisto, even if the Mephisto before them was only a Clone...
"Hahaha, let's see what you do now! Today, I will invade China, and using it as a starting point, I will invade Earth. Once I have this planet, I will make Dormammu pay back several times over for the territory he took from me! Hahahaha!"
Lan looked back at the mages supporting her, then looked toward the north—the direction of her hometown, the place where she was born and raised. She seemed to make a decision, and her eyes became firmer than ever before.
"No, Mephisto, you're wrong. This is the last place you should have come to, and the place you are least likely to invade! Because this is China, and those who offend China, though far away, must be punished! Soul Resonance!" She raised one hand above her head, pointing her index finger to the sky, as waves of energy rippled out from her body.
Suddenly, the earth seemed to respond to her, and as far as the eye could see, beams of golden light began to shine.
Mephisto suddenly felt an incredibly vast and majestic pressure weighing down on him, rendering him unable to move. He hastily withdrew his Hellfire to protect himself before feeling slightly better.
But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, Lan spread her arms and floated slowly in the air, as if the earth itself were empowering her. She declared: "Dragon Vein Awakening, help me destroy the enemy."
This time, it was Mephisto's face that turned pale. "Damn it, how is this possible? How did the energy in your body suddenly become so strong? Your body can't possibly absorb such intense energy; you'll die before long if you use it! Damn it! You crazy woman! Who do you think you are? The Savior? Damn it, damn it!"
At this moment, Lan was covered in golden light, looking like a goddess from the Nine Heavens descending to the mortal realm. She opened her lips, and a cold, majestic voice rang out: "Who am I? Heh, then listen well! First, I am the Protector mage of the Hong Kong Sanctum. Second, I am the eldest Disciple of the current Sorcerer Supreme. Third, and most importantly, I am a person of China. Every inch of ground you stand on is the territory of my China. This land is a place you can never touch. Earth will also become the place you regret visiting most!"
Having spoken, she pointed a slender finger, and golden light converged at its tip. A terrifying pressure descended, driving Mephisto to near despair! He felt that this light had already locked onto him, just like Odin's Divine Artifact, the spear Gungnir. No matter where he ran, he would be struck down...
"Die!" The words, devoid of emotion, escaped Lan's lips. A beam of golden light shot out from her fingertip.
"No! No! Aaaaaah!" Under Mephisto's despairing gaze, the golden light instantly transformed into a massive pillar of light, obliterating him within it...
Before long, the phenomenon slowly faded. The mages stared blankly at the golden figure slowly descending from the sky. No malice could arise in their hearts, only worship and respect. She truly was the Ancient One's most trusted Disciple, the number one person beneath the Ancient One!
As soon as Lan landed, the golden light slowly receded into her womb. When the light vanished completely, Lan stumbled and nearly fell. Seeing this, the mages rushed forward to support her. Some called for a stretcher, while others opened a Teleportation Gate to send Lan to the infirmary within the Sanctum.
Mephisto hadn't been wrong; Lan's body indeed could not withstand such a massive amount of spiritual energy. Her life had now entered a countdown... Lan's face was pale, and she appeared so weak that it seemed a light breeze could knock her over. She was a completely different person from the goddess who had led the mages to crush the demons earlier. Just as everyone was at a loss, a sparking circle of light appeared by Lan's bed, and a figure stepped through. The newcomer was Lan's master, the current Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One!
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Thank you for reading to the end of this chapter, and if you can help by giving me votes of confidence, I would appreciate it ^_^