Sitting on the sofa in the villa, Bai Qi was overjoyed as he looked at the three talismans on the coffee table.
Just yesterday, the successfully completed task brought the Rabbit Talisman to Bai Qi. Meanwhile, Valmont's subordinates found the Dragon Talisman in a volcano. Because Bai Qi was generous with his money, Valmont didn't immediately think of robbing banks but handed the talisman directly to Bai Qi for cash. There was also the Snake Talisman, which Kraven had snatched back from the Ratso.
This brought the number of talismans in his possession to seven, more than half of the total. The Shadowkhan ninja sent to the North Pole to search for the Horse Talisman had also reported back, saying they were close to pinpointing its exact location. The only one still unaccounted for was the Tiger Talisman, which balanced the power of the twelve talismans.
Although the original story mentioned the Tiger Talisman appearing as a prize in a pie-eating contest at a farm, no matter how much Bai Qi searched, he couldn't find any trace of it after visiting countless farms.
With the Lunar New Year rapidly approaching, it seemed the Tiger Talisman would only appear before the year's end.
As Bai Qi leisurely ate the fruit on the table, a portal materialized in the center of the living room, and a woman in yellow robes emerged.
Startled, Bai Qi leaped onto the coffee table, grabbed the Snake Talisman, and immediately turned invisible.
Seeing Bai Qi disappear, the woman spread her hands and flung them towards the door. A rope woven from golden light shot out from her hands, binding the invisible Bai Qi.
"What exactly do you want, Ancient One?"
Indeed, the woman who had suddenly appeared was the most powerful sorceress in the Marvel universe, the Ancient One.
"The Sorcerer? No, you are not the Sorcerer."
The Ancient One immediately sensed Bai Qi's unusual nature.
"I have seen many futures through my magic, but yours, Sorcerer, or rather Bai Qi, is shrouded in mist."
With a wave of her hand, Bai Qi was instantly pulled before the Ancient One. Before his seals were broken, Bai Qi was no match for the Ancient One, and even with his seals broken, he might not be able to defeat this human sorceress.
"Your appearance has introduced too many variables into the world. Perhaps your elimination would set things back on the right course."
The Ancient One's tone suggested she was not joking.
Bai Qi quickly said, "If I die, the world will truly be doomed."
"What do you mean?"
The Ancient One released her grip on Bai Qi, freeing him.
Now free, Bai Qi took two cold beers from the refrigerator and chugged them down.
Damn, that was intense.
After finishing, Bai Qi looked at the Ancient One standing beside him and awkwardly offered, "Would you like a can?"
The Ancient One said nothing, waved her hand, opened a portal, and took out a chilled beer.
"So convenient."
The Ancient One and the Sorcerer did not belong to the same magical system. The Sorcerer's magic originated from Earth, while the Ancient One's magic came from Dormammu.
In comparison, the Ancient One's magic was on a higher level than Bai Qi's.
Having recovered, Bai Qi sat back on the sofa and said to the Ancient One, "As a great sorceress, Master Ancient One, you must know how this world came to be."
The Ancient One replied, "Good and evil intertwine, each consuming and generating the other."
Bai Qi continued, "Then have you ever considered why ancient magic is now largely forgotten, replaced by technology?"
Without waiting for the Ancient One to answer, Bai Qi said, "The fundamental reason is that the world is regressing."
"The world is composed of two sides: good and evil. The struggle between them allows the world to develop in balance. However, due to a certain warrior, this balance has been disrupted. Righteousness has been dominant for too long, and dark energy has been suppressed. It's like having only day without night. If this continues, the world will eventually head towards destruction."
Bai Qi took a sip of his beer and said, "Therefore, what I am doing now is to set things right and make this balance spin again."
Upon hearing Bai Qi's explanation, the Ancient One showed a rare smile. "Indeed. Who would have thought that the demon everyone condemned would become the true savior of the world? Your answer satisfies me."
With that, the Ancient One summoned a portal and prepared to leave.
"Won't you teach me a couple of moves before you go?"
The Ancient One shook her head. "There's no need. You already possess two powers simultaneously. My magic seems insignificant. Letting things take their course will yield the best results."
The Ancient One's words struck Bai Qi. He had to admit, she was truly the Ancient One.
The two powers the Ancient One mentioned were, if Bai Qi's guess was correct, dark energy and the system that had been feigning death until now.
"No, I'm still too weak."
The Ancient One's visit had roused Bai Qi from his lethargy.
Today it was the Ancient One, who was reasonable and understood his words. What if someone unreasonable came tomorrow?
For instance, Superman.
Did he truly have the strength to fight now?
It was time to end his idle life.
A few days prior, the Shadowkhan ninja he had dispatched returned with a report that they had found an ancient underground castle left behind by a great sorcerer. However, due to the castle's active defensive magic, the Shadowkhan ninja couldn't enter and Bai Qi had to go personally.
The next day, Bai Qi, accompanied by Kraven, arrived at the castle's location.
It was hard to imagine that the castle was buried beneath a farm.
"Sorcerer."
Upon landing, Valmont, who had been waiting, stepped forward to greet him and report on the negotiations.
"I apologize, Sorcerer. This farmer is quite stubborn and refuses to sell the farm, no matter how high the price we offer."
Valmont, with his head bowed, subtly glanced up at Bai Qi and quickly added, "But rest assured, Sorcerer, I've already sent people to remove him. Soon you will be able to..." Su Dan Novel Network
Before Valmont could finish, the three stooges waddled back.
"Report, boss! We failed. That old man is a retired soldier, and we couldn't beat him."
A surge of heat rushed to Valmont's head. What excellent timing for this to happen, right after he had assured the Sorcerer of success.
"Never mind."
Bai Qi raised his staff and said, "Buying the farm was just a cover. Since it failed, let's find another way."
Bai Qi walked to a dirt slope next to the farm.
Although the castle was buried beneath the farm, the entrance to it was not on the farm itself.
Valmont called for an excavator, which leveled the dirt slope and then dug down another ten meters before finding the castle's entrance.
"No wonder. I didn't expect the castle's magic to still be active after all these years."
The reason the Shadowkhan ninja couldn't enter the castle was that its owner had constructed a large defensive magic circle within it.
This magic circle effectively blocked the intrusion of dark magic.
The Shadowkhan ninja, in essence, were products of dark magic. Therefore, even after so many years, and despite the magic circle's power being significantly diminished, it could still repel the Shadowkhan ninja.
This was also a result of righteousness being dominant. If dark energy had been dominant over the years, such a magic circle designed to resist dark magic would not have survived to this day.