After Yang Chen spoke, the Ancient One materialized from the empty space he had addressed.
She looked at him with a hint of puzzlement.
“You know me?”
“The Sorcerer Supreme who has protected Earth for centuries? I’ve heard of you. The seniors of my sect hold you in rather high regard.”
Yang Chen answered calmly, but the implications behind those words sent waves crashing through the Ancient One’s mind.
She had never heard of a powerhouse like Yang Chen, someone who stood near the very top even among Sub-Skyfather Tier (𝐈𝐕) beings.
Much less these mysterious seniors from his sect.
She hadn’t observed Yang Chen anywhere in this universe.
More importantly, she hadn’t seen anyone like him in any of the other Parallel Universes she had examined either.
Everything that had happened lately forced the Ancient One into deep thought.
She had never encountered anything quite like this before, and she had no intention of resorting to force.
At least, not unless Yang Chen and the organization behind him did something that threatened Earth.
But determining exactly how she should deal with Yang Chen and his mysterious faction was something she needed to consider very carefully.
Less than half a minute had passed since the three men were dragged into the Mirror Dimension before the Ancient One fell silent in thought.
Only then did Tony fully register the fact that he was standing inside some kind of special dimension.
If the Ancient One meant him harm, then unless someone powerful was nearby to protect him, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
The realization sent a chill down Tony’s spine.
Cold sweat slowly appeared on his forehead, and he couldn’t help edging another half step behind Gawain.
Perhaps Tony’s movement disturbed her thoughts, because the Ancient One soon returned to her senses.
She looked at Yang Chen again.
“I hope none of you intend to do anything that would endanger Earth. I have no desire to make enemies of you.”
Yang Chen smiled.
“You can rest assured on that point. In fact, the human race of the Eight Desolations Realm has always been protecting this planet, and even this universe.”
“Is that so? Then why have I never heard of you?” The Ancient One clearly wasn’t prepared to simply accept his claim, but neither did she openly reject it.
Instead, she seized the opportunity to extract more information.
Yang Chen remained completely composed.
The temperament of a swordmaster meant that even if a mountain collapsed before his eyes, he could remain perfectly calm.
With an utterly serious expression, he answered,
“The Eight Desolations Realm does not exist within this universe. You could think of it as a world that exists alongside this universe, though it is far more powerful.”
Yang Chen paused for a moment before continuing.
“In truth, if the Great Calamity weren’t approaching, our worlds might never have come into contact at all. Reaching this side was extremely difficult in the past.”
[Emotion Points from the Ancient One +350]
The Ancient One’s expression didn’t change, but inwardly, she was deeply shaken.
If Evan hadn’t been watching the system interface the entire time, she might actually have fooled him.
Unfortunately for her, Evan had been staring right at it.
Far away in Queens, the corners of Evan’s mouth curled upward.
As long as they could fool the Ancient One, everything that came afterward would become much easier.
She might even end up explaining away certain inconsistencies on her own.
After all, the Ancient One was still human.
And people tended to believe what they were willing to believe.
As for the idea that swordmasters didn’t lie?
Please.
It wasn’t that swordmasters couldn’t lie.
They simply considered lying beneath them.
Besides, the person deceiving her was Evan.
What did that have to do with Yang Chen, an upstanding swordmaster?
Back inside the Ancient One’s Mirror Dimension, she remained outwardly composed despite her shock.
“What exactly do you mean by this Great Calamity? And you said reaching this universe was difficult before. Does that mean it has become easier now?”
Yang Chen took a couple of steps before answering.
“No one knows exactly what the Great Calamity will be. Whenever a calamity of that magnitude approaches, the Heavenly Secrets fall into chaos. That phenomenon has already begun within the Eight Desolations Realm.”
“As a result, the seniors of our sect cannot divine the exact nature of the calamity. All they can determine is that it may bring destruction upon the entire Multiverse.”
“As for travel between our two worlds, perhaps the Great Calamity itself is responsible. Some time ago, Spatial Gates began appearing one after another throughout the Eight Desolations Realm. Beyond those gates lies this universe.”
“Most of the Spatial Gates that appeared within territories controlled by humanity lead to Earth. As for whether gates have appeared in territories controlled by other races, or even in other planes of the Eight Desolations Realm, we don’t know.”
The Ancient One nodded.
She had no idea whether any of this was actually true, but at a time like this, she absolutely couldn’t lose her air of composure.
Otherwise, she would immediately place herself at a disadvantage.
“That information is the sincerity offered by our Azure Profound Sect,” Yang Chen said.
“What about yours, Ancient One?”
The Ancient One paused.
Then she slowly replied, “That depends on what you require. No matter how sincere an offer may be, if it doesn’t satisfy the other party’s needs, then that sincerity is ultimately meaningless.”
“In that case, has our sincerity satisfied you?”
After a brief moment, she chose to answer truthfully.
“It has. This information is precisely what I need at present. So tell me, what do you require in return?”
Yang Chen smiled slightly.
Then he turned his gaze toward Tony, who was still standing behind Gawain.
“We’ll probably be imposing on Mr. Tony Stark quite a bit in the days ahead. So how about letting him learn some useful magic from you?”
The Ancient One nodded.
“Very well. I can provide Tony with some instruction in magic.”
Tony, still standing behind Gawain, immediately became restless.
“So that’s it? You two just decided my schedule for me?”
Despite his complaint, however, Tony didn’t refuse.
He might be arrogant, but he wasn’t stupid.
This was obviously an opportunity that could benefit him enormously.
Gawain spoke up as well.
“You should take this seriously. You’ve already seen for yourself what magic can do. I don’t know enough structured magic to teach you properly, but the Ancient One clearly does. Learning from her will only benefit you.”
Tony nodded.
That was as good as agreeing.
In the end, the discussion left everyone satisfied.
The Ancient One had obtained valuable information.
She also thought highly of Tony’s potential, after all, in certain Parallel Universes, Tony Stark had even become the Sorcerer Supreme.
Tony, meanwhile, had gained the opportunity to study magic.
That could only be a good thing for him.
If he eventually learned to integrate technology and magic even further, the future combat capabilities of Iron Man would be nothing to scoff at.
As for Yang Chen and Gawain, they appeared to have gained nothing on the surface.
But until the Ancient One had thoroughly investigated their story, she almost certainly wouldn’t act against either of them.
More than that, she would probably prevent other Skyfather Tier (𝐕) beings from making a move against them as well.
After all, as things currently stood, this appeared to involve contact between two entire worlds.
And the other world clearly possessed considerable strength, perhaps even significantly more than Earth itself.
“I’ll bring Tony to Kamar-Taj every afternoon for training,” the Ancient One said.
“Once he has developed a certain degree of mastery over magic, I’ll give him spellbooks so he can continue studying on his own.”
With that, the Ancient One’s figure disappeared.
A moment later, Yang Chen, Gawain, and Tony found themselves back inside Stark Tower.