Chapter 10: Sorcerer Supreme Visits? I'm Just an Unremarkable Rich Second Generation!
Early morning.
Sunlight squeezed through the gaps in the curtains, painting a golden beam on the floor.
Li Heng was woken up by hunger.
Not ordinary hunger, but a sense of hunger surging from the depths of his bone marrow, as if it were going to devour his entire being. After merging with the blood moon eye, his body's demand for energy suddenly skyrocketed, and yesterday's commotion had consumed a huge amount.
He turned over and reached out to grab the phone on the bedside table.
The screen clearly displayed: 11:47 AM.
"Fine, I slept until noon again."
Li Heng yawned, stepped barefoot onto the floor, opened the bedroom door, and walked out.
In the living room, Wanda was standing in front of the open kitchen, flusteredly frying eggs. She was wearing a white T-shirt that was obviously a size too large—that was Li Heng's—its hem barely covering her thighs, her bare calves stepping in slippers, her red hair casually tied into a ponytail, swaying gently with her egg-flipping movements.
As for Pietro, he was lying on the dining table looking at his phone, with a banana in his mouth. Seeing Li Hengcome out, he quickly stood up.
"Morning... Ah no, good noon, Big Brother!"
"Mm." Li Heng rubbed his eyes, walked over to the dining table and sat down, his gaze involuntarily lingering on Wanda for two more seconds.
Wanda in the morning light seemed to be coated with a layer of soft halo. She turned her head and saw Li Henglooking at her, her cheeks slightly flushed, but the corners of her mouth curved up.
"You're awake? I'm making breakfast... Although my cooking skills aren't very good, frying eggs should be fine."
"Not bad, better than me." Li Heng spoke the truth, "The last time I entered the kitchen, I almost blew up the microwave."
Wanda couldn't help laughing out loud.
At this time, Pietro muttered in a low voice, "Sis, the egg you fried... seems to be burnt."
"Ah!" Wanda looked down, and the egg in the frying pan had turned charred black. She hurriedly turned off the heat, flusteredly shoveled the egg onto a plate, and walked over to Li Heng with an expression of guilt.
"I'm sorry... I'm so clumsy..."
"It's fine," Li Heng looked at the pitch-black fried egg, was silent for two seconds, then picked up the fork and took a bite without changing his expression, "Mm... crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a unique flavor."
Wanda blinked: "Really?"
"Fake." Li Heng put down the fork, "But I'm hungry, so it doesn't matter."
Wanda laughed again.
This feeling was very wonderful—in this world full of wars and conspiracies, just three people sitting together eating burnt fried eggs could make her feel incomparable peace and happiness.
[Ding! Detected that the host is having breakfast with the heroine (even though it's burnt), triggering daily interaction rewards!]
[Wanda's favorability slightly increased! Current favorability: Gratitude +50, Trust +65, Dependence +45, Heartbeat +42!]
[System prompt: The 'Heartbeat' value has broken through the 40 Mark! The heroine's feelings for the host are transitioning from 'gratitude' to 'admiration'! Please host continue to maintain the contrast-cute persona of'seemingly cold yet gentle', the effect is outstanding!]
Li Heng pretended not to see this prompt, lowered his head and continued to gnaw on the disastrous fried egg.
However, just at this moment—
"Knock, knock, knock."
Three very rhythmic knocks came from the direction of the apartment door.
Neither hurried nor slow, neither heavy nor light, carrying a composure and elegance as if knocking on a threshold for a millennium.
Li Heng's movements stopped.
His brow furrowed slightly.
The security system of this building was top-tier; ordinary people couldn't reach this floor at all. And last night he had just changed the third door, and the door still retained the "souvenirs" left by Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D.. Being able to knock on the door unhurriedly under such circumstances, the visitor was definitely no ordinary person.
More importantly—
He did not sense any life aura outside the door.
No heartbeat, no breathing, no body temperature.
It was as if standing outside the door was not a "living person" at all.
"I'll go take a look." Li Heng stood up.
"Wait!" Wanda instinctively grabbed his wrist, "Could it be a bad guy?"
"If it were a bad guy," Li Heng patted the back of her hand, "he wouldn't knock."
Wanda froze for a moment, slowly letting go of her hand, but worry was still written all over those green eyes.
Li Heng walked to the door and glanced through the peephole.
There was a person standing outside the door.
An elderly white-haired man wearing a casual suit. He looked around seventy years old, his beard meticulously trimmed, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand, a gentle smile hanging on his face, his whole body exuding an indescribable composure, as if he wasn't here as a guest, but visiting neighbors in his own home.
But Li Heng's pupils contracted in an instant.
Because at this moment, the system was crazily refreshing the screen—
[Ding! Warning! Detected that the visitor outside the door is an extremely high-dimensional existence!]
[Identity recognition in progress... Recognition successful!]
[Visitor: Ancient One, Sorcerer Supreme, Guardian of Earth's magic dimension, guarding Earth for over a thousand years, proficient in all known magic systems, possessing supreme powers to manipulate time, space, dimensions, etc.!]
[Combat power evaluation: SSS-Rank (Universal Level)! Far exceeding the current host!]
[System suggestion: Host please stay calm! Ancient Onewill not harm others for no reason, she came today... probably for Wanda's Chaos Magic running wild last night!]
[Repeated suggestion: Lie flat! Lie flat! Lie flat! No matter what she says, the host only needs to show an attitude of 'I don't want to care about anything'! Do not proactively promise anything!]
Li Heng took a deep breath.
Ancient One.
Sorcerer Supreme.
The strongest magician in Marvel Earth, none other.
Having controlled the Time Stone for a millennium, single-handedly guarding Earth from multi-dimensional invasions, an existence that even dimension lords like Dormammuhad to fear by three points.
Such a big shot actually came in person?
"Open or not?" Li Heng asked himself in his heart.
The answer of course was—not opening was not an option either.
Since they had found their way to the door, if you didn't open it, she could still get in anyway. The only difference was that if you didn't open it, your fourth door would have to be replaced again.
"Click."
Li Heng opened the door.
"Good morning." Ancient One smiled and raised the teacup in her hand, "I wonder if I can come in and sit for a while?"
"Whatever." Li Heng stepped aside, "I have to say in advance, the tea here isn't very good, there's only instant."
"Instant is very good." Ancient One stepped into the living room, her gaze sweeping over the furnishings in the room, and finally falling on the two young people by the dining table.
Wanda and Pietro stood up nervously immediately upon seeing Ancient One.
Especially Wanda—she didn't know why, facing this white-haired old person, an indescribable fear surged from deep within her heart. That feeling was like some sealed power within her body was crazily giving warnings.
"Don't be nervous." Ancient One nodded gently to Wanda, "I'm not here to trouble you today."
Wanda was startled: "You... know me?"
"I know everyone in this world." Ancient One took a sip from her teacup, "Wanda Maximoff, a native of Sokovia, containing Chaos Magic from Chthon within you—an ancient power enough to reshape reality."
"And you—" Ancient One turned to Pietro, "PietroMaximoff, you also have awakened superhuman genes lurking inside your body, just not activated yet."
Pietro widened his eyes: "How do you know—"
"Because this is my duty." Ancient One said calmly, "Guarding Earth, understanding every potential threat and hope."
"So," Li Heng leaned against the wall, crossing his arms, "you're here to evaluate a 'threat'?"
Ancient One turned to look at him, a trace of interest flashing in those deep eyes.
"Not entirely." She said, "Last night, an extremely rare Chaos Magic fluctuation was released in this apartment. Although that fluctuation was brief, it was enough to penetrate the multi-dimensional barrier and be captured by Kamar-Taj's sensory array."
"At the same time, I also sensed another power—Progenitor Bloodline aura."
"Two completely different powers intersecting in the same place, this has never happened in the past thousand years."
"So I came to take a look."
Ancient One's gaze fell on Li Heng, her look becoming deep and earnest.
"Young man, what exactly are you?"
This question was very direct.
But Li Heng smiled slightly.
"I'm just a landlord." He said, "Usually collecting rent, sleeping, occasionally going out to supermarkets. If you insist on saying what I am—"
He thought about it.
"I'm probably an ordinary person who can sleep quite a lot."
Ancient One: "..."
Wanda couldn't help covering her mouth, afraid she would laugh out loud.
As for Pietro, he had a blank look on his face—although he knew Li Heng was very strong, facing a magician who claimed to have guarded Earth for a thousand years, being able to talk nonsense so calmly, this nerve was truly unmatched.
Ancient One was silent for a moment, then unexpectedly smiled as well.
"Interesting." She put down her teacup, "You're not quite what I imagined."
"I thought someone with the Progenitor Bloodline would be more arrogant and aggressive. But you..."
She looked Li Heng up and down.
"You seem to have no interest in power and conquest."
"That stuff is too tiring." Li Heng walked to the dining table and sat down, picking up the half-eaten burnt fried egg, "Do you know what it means to be a patriarch? Having meetings every day, dealing with disputes every day, people coming to complain to you every day. I'm too lazy to even think about what clothes to wear every day, let alone manage a race?"
"So you became a patriarch against your will?"
"I'm not even a patriarch." Li Heng took a bite of the egg, "Those vampires insist on calling me 'My Lord', what can I do? I can't possibly block their mouths one by one."
Ancient One looked at him, the smile in her eyes deepening.
"Alright, I understand." She slowly stood up, "You are indeed not a threat. Quite the contrary—you might be the least aggressive supernatural existence in this world."
"But that doesn't mean you can stay out of it."
Ancient One's tone suddenly became serious.
"Li Heng, do you know where the Chaos Magic inside Wanda comes from?"
Li Heng put down the fork: "Chthon. You just said it."
"Then do you know what Chthon is?"
Li Heng was silent.
Of course he knew.
According to the information searched, Chthon was an Elder Gods of the Marvel Universe, the most powerful Black Magic caster of the Old Gods era. He fled Earthbefore Atlantis sank and hid in other dimensions, but he left behind a book bound in indestructible parchment—the darkhold.
The Black Magic in this darkhold created countless evils in history. More importantly—it was the magic in the darkhold used by the wizards of Atlantis to create the first vampire Varna. In other words, the vampire race and Chaos Magic, tracing back to their source, pointed to the same origin—Chthon and the darkhold.
And now, Wanda's Chaos Magic and the Progenitor Bloodline within him were essentially branches of Chthon's power.
The resonance between them was not a coincidence, but the inevitability of destiny.
[Ding! Host's deduction is correct! System supplementary information is as follows—]
Chthon is not only the source of Chaos Magic, but also the indirect creator of the vampire race.
The magic within the darkhold created the first vampire, Varna, and Varna passed his power to Dracula, whose Progenitor Bloodline eventually was passed down into the host's body.
At the same time, another power of Chthon—Chaos Magic—was injected into Wanda's body in some way.
In short: The host and Wanda are like two branches split from the same large tree.
Your powers share the same origin, and therefore you naturally attract and complement each other.
This is the deep reason why the blood pact link could be established—not because the system opened a back door, but because your powers are essentially of the same origin!
After reading this prompt, Li Heng had mixed feelings in his heart.
The connection between him and Wanda was actually predestined from the very beginning?
It was not a forced CP by the system, but rather dictated by the laws of the world itself?
"Chthon was the most powerful Black Magic user of the Old Gods era," Ancient One slowly began, "He left behind a darkhold. The magic in this book created vampires and also bestowed Chaos Magic upon certain humans. Although these two powers branch differently, their roots are the same."
"Wanda's magic runaway last night, as well as the resonance of the Progenitor Bloodline within your body, are essentially projections of Chthon's power in the present world."
"This power—" Ancient One looked into Li Heng's eyes, "is far more dangerous than you imagine."
"If one day Chthon finds a way to return to Earth, he will try to reclaim all the power that belongs to him. By then—"
Her gaze swept past Wanda.
"Wanda will become his most perfect vessel."
"And you—"
She looked toward Li Heng.
"The Progenitor Bloodline inside you will also become his most coveted sacrifice."
The living room fell into a deathly silence.
Wanda's face turned pale.
She subconsciously clenched her fists, her fingertips trembling slightly, and deep fear surfaced in her eyes—
She would become someone else's vessel?
The power within her would ultimately push her into an irrecoverable abyss?
"Don't be afraid."
A warm hand covered the back of her hand.
Wanda raised her head and saw Li Heng looking at her.
His expression was still that lazy look, with even a faint trace of a smile hanging on the corners of his mouth.
But within those dark golden slit pupils, a flash of incomparably firm light shone.
"I said, just be yourself."
"I will be the monster."
"Whatever Old Gods, whatever Chthon—"
He casually said the next sentence, as if he were simply discussing today's weather:
"Whoever touches you, I will kill."
This sentence had no embellishments, no foreshadowing, and not even any emotional coloring.
But precisely such a casual sentence, bordering on perfunctory, carried more weight than any grandiose words.
Because it came from the mouth of a "slacker"—a person who should have been indifferent to everything, yet at the most critical moment, made a promise without hesitation.
Wanda's eyes instantly turned red.
Ancient One quietly watched this scene, the expression in her eyes becoming extremely complex.
She had lived for over a thousand years, seen countless heroes and villains, and witnessed countless oaths and betrayals.
But a person like Li Heng was the first time she had ever seen one.
He did not fight for justice, did not fight to save the world, and not even for himself.
He was simply doing it for one person.
A person worth breaking his "lying flat" principle for.
"You will not succeed," Ancient One said softly, "Chthon is an Old God, a Lord of Dimensions. Although your power is strong, compared to him—"
"I know," Li Heng interrupted her, "I definitely can't beat him right now. But so what?"
"I'm not in a hurry anyway."
He leaned back, resting his hands behind his head.
"When will he come? A hundred years? A thousand years?"
"I have plenty of time to slowly grow stronger."
"And he—"
The curve of Li Heng's mouth raised slightly.
"He has already waited for hundreds of millions of years. Waiting a few hundred more years shouldn't make a difference."
Ancient One was stunned.
She suddenly realized that this young man's way of thinking was completely different from everyone she had encountered in the past.
When faced with the threat of a Dimension Lord, others either felt fear, anger, or took desperate risks to find a method of confrontation.
But Li Heng—
He chose to "take it slow."
He was neither anxious nor impatient, neither worried nor fearful, as if time itself was his most powerful ally.
And in fact, for a vampire Progenitor successor possessing the Immortal Factor... time truly was his ally.
He could slack off for ten thousand years, and by the time Chthon came again, he would no longer be who he was today.
"You..." Ancient One shook her head, a smile involuntarily curling at the corners of her mouth, "You truly exceed my expectations."
She walked to the door and stopped.
"I will not force you to join Kamar-Taj, nor will I ask you to shoulder any obligations for Earth's safety," Ancient Onesaid, "but I have a proposal."
"Speak," Li Heng briefly responded.
"I can teach you some basic magic knowledge," Ancient One turned around, "not to make you a sorcerer, but to help you better control the vampire power within your body—and, when necessary, help Wanda control her Chaos Magic."
"Your bloodline and her magic share the same origin. If you learn to coordinate each other's powers, you can not only avoid similar runaway events, but perhaps even unleash a combined force far surpassing individuals."
"How about it?"
Li Heng thought about it.
Learning to control power, preventing Wanda from running wild again, and allowing their powers to complement each other?
This was indeed what he needed.
Furthermore—learning magic didn't require him to proactively do anything, just listening to someone give a lecture, considered as... a study hall class?
"Fine," he nodded, "but there's a condition."
"What condition?"
"The class location is at my home," Li Heng pointed at the sofa, "I don't go out."
Ancient One: "..."
"And don't be too early, I can't get up."
Ancient One: "..."
"Preferably after three in the afternoon."
"... Deal." Ancient One took a deep breath, trying hard to maintain the majesty of the Sorcerer Supreme, "Twice a week, at three in the afternoon, I will send someone to teach you."
"Right—" When she reached the door, she suddenly turned her head back and gave Li Heng a meaningful look, "Regarding our conversation today, and the truth about the Chaos Magic inside Wanda... I suggest you don't tell her too much."
"She is still too young. Knowing that she might become a vessel for an Old God will only increase her psychological burden. When she is strong enough, it won't be too late to tell her."
Li Heng fell silent for a moment and nodded.
"I understand."
Ancient One said no more, pushed open the door and walked out.
She stood in the corridor, picked up the cup of tea that had already gone cold, and muttered softly to herself:
"Chthon... Dracula's bloodline... the host of Chaos Magic..."
"With these three powers converging around the same person, is it a blessing or a curse?"
She shook her head, her figure gradually fading into the void.
...
In the living room, Wanda walked over to Li Heng and asked cautiously, "She's gone?"
"Gone." Li Heng collapsed back onto the sofa, "Don't worry, she's not an enemy."
"Um..." Wanda hesitated for a moment, "Those things she said, about the power inside me... are they true? Does my magic really come from an Old God?"
Li Heng looked at her nervous expression, recalled Ancient One's injunction, and decided to tell only part of the truth.
"Your power is indeed very special, but so what?" He reached out and flicked Wanda's forehead, "You are not equal to your power. Power is power, and you are you. A knife can kill people or cut vegetables, depending on the person holding the knife."
"You won't become anyone's vessel, because you are you. Understand?"
Wanda covered her forehead, her eyes slightly red, but she couldn't help smiling.
"You always say that... so casually, as if you don't care about anything."
"Because there really isn't anything to care about." Li Hengclosed his eyes, "When the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up; I'm not the only one carrying it."
Wanda looked at his utterly unbothered appearance, and an indescribable warmth surged in her heart.
She said softly, "Thank you, Li Heng."
"Don't thank me, the eggs you fried aren't finished yet. Wasting food is shameful."
Wanda: "... You're so annoying."
"Thanks for the compliment."
Warm everyday life flowed through the apartment.
But what Li Heng didn't know was—
Just under ten minutes after Ancient One left, an unprecedented emergency warning suddenly popped up in his mind!
[Ding!!!! Highest Level Early Warning!!!!]
[Abnormal cracks detected in Earth's dimensional barrier! Location: New York, Queens!]
[Crack source: Illegal dimensional experiment conducted by Hydra using lokis scepter (Mind Stone)!]
[The crack is expanding! It is estimated that in 30 minutes, creatures from an unknown dimension will invade Earth!]
[A more dangerous signal—the dimensional energy emitted by the crack is resonating with the Chaos Magicinside Wanda! If not handled in time, Wanda's magic might run wild again, and the scale will be more than ten times that of last night!]
Li Heng suddenly opened his eyes!
He turned head to look at Wanda—
Sure enough!
Faint red light was already beginning to glow on Wanda's fingertips. She clenched her hands tightly, a painful expression showing on her face.
"Li Heng... I feel... it's coming again..."
Damn it!
Li Heng grabbed Wanda's hand and shouted to Pietro at the same time: "Pietro! Go get that black backpack in my bedroom! There are backup energy suppression patches inside! Hurry!"
Although Pietro didn't understand why, seeing Wanda's condition, he immediately rushed toward the bedroom—
However, the moment he took his first step.
"Boom————!!"
The entire building shook violently!
In the sky outside the window, a huge purple crack was tearing open in the direction of Queens, as if someone had used an invisible knife to cut a slit across the curtain of reality!
From within the crack, countless distorted figures were frantically gushing outward!
Dimensional invasion—
has begun!
And what alarmed Li Heng even more was—
At the center of that crack, he faintly saw a pair of eyes.
A pair of aged, greedy eyes carrying eternal darkness.
Those eyes, looking straight through the crack—
were looking at Wanda.
"Chthon..."
Li Heng clenched his teeth.
He originally thought he still had plenty of time.
But reality told him—
Some troubles won't wait until you are ready to come.
And now, he only had one choice.
"Wanda, hold on to me."
In Li Heng's eyes, a dark golden light flared greatly!
No matter what happens—
Don't let go.
Chapter 11: Old Gods Gaze? I Will Shatter Your Eye with One Punch!
"Rumble—!!"
The entire apartment building trembled violently once again, even more intensely than before.
The sky outside the window had completely changed color—above Queens, a purple-black fissure hundreds of meters wide crossed the firmament, looking as if someone had used a red-hot branding iron to scorch a hideous wound onto the curtain of reality.
Inside the fissure was an endless, dark void.
Countless twisted creatures that defied the laws of nature were pouring out from that void—some looked like giant worms covered in eyes, some looked like smoking skeletons, and some were simply balls of unceasingly screaming purple-black smoke.
These dimensional creatures fell onto the streets of New York and immediately began frantically destroying everything!
Cars were overturned, streetlights snapped, and roads torn apart—screams, explosions, and the sound of collapsing buildings mixed together into a symphony of doom.
And this was only the beginning.
Because deep within that fissure—
That pair of aged, greedy eyes was still gazing in this direction.
Gazing at Wanda.
"Ah—!!"
Wanda clutched her head with both hands, letting out a painful scream.
The Chaos Magic within her body was going berserk at an unprecedented speed!
Scarlet energy gushed out from every pore of her body like roaring flames, dyeing everything around her blood-red!
The sofa was blown away, the coffee table shattered into pieces, and the television exploded with a "pop"—transforming the entire living room into an ocean of Chaos Magic!
"Sis!!" Pietro rushed forward, but was knocked flying by an invisible repulsive force, crashing heavily into the wall with a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
"Don't come over!" Li Heng shouted sternly, gripping Wanda's shoulders tightly with both hands at the same time.
The backlash of the Chaos Magic struck once again!
Even more painful than last night!
More than tenfold!
That sensation of his soul being torn apart distorted Li Heng's facial features in an instant.
Fine cracks began to appear on the surface of his skin, dark red blood oozing from them, making him look like porcelain ready to shatter at any moment.
But he didn't let go.
Not for a single second.
"Wanda! Look at me!"
Li Heng clenched his teeth until one cracked, his voice hoarse yet firm as iron.
"Look at me! You are not a monster! You won't be controlled by anyone!"
"You are Wanda Maximoff!"
"You are—mine!"
This sentence was like a flash of lightning, splitting open Wanda's chaotic consciousness.
In her pupils, which had been completely submerged by scarlet, a trace of clarity faintly flashed.
"Li... Heng..."
"Right, it's me." Li Heng endured the excruciating pain, forcing out a smile that was uglier than crying, "You promised to make breakfast for me just now, and you haven't finished yet. Even if it's burnt, I'll eat it, but you can't back out of your debt."
Wanda's lips trembled slightly, and a tear slid down the corner of her eye.
That tear was clear.
Not the scarlet of Chaos Magic.
But real tears belonging to Wanda herself.
[Ding! Blood pact deep link activated again! Host spiritual power injection successful! Heroine's Chaos Magicrampage level decreased by 30%!]
[But Warning—Root problem not resolved! Chthon's will within the dimensional fissure is still mentally eroding Wanda! As long as the fissure is not closed, the erosion will not stop!]
Li Heng suddenly raised his head, looking at the purple-black fissure outside the window.
Those eyes were still watching.
Carrying an ancient, cold, aloof mockery.
As if watching the struggle of an ant.
"Chthon..."
Li Heng muttered this name lowly, the dark golden slit pupils in his eyes suddenly contracting!
At that moment, something that had always been dormant inside his body was completely ignited.
It was anger.
Not that kind of hysterical rage, but a far deeper, far colder, far purer—
Wrath.
You shouldn't look at her.
Li Heng slowly stood up, gently placed Wanda on the sofa, and turned to look at Pietro.
"Watch your sister, don't let anyone approach her."
"B-Big bro, where are you going?" Pietro clutched his chest, struggling to crawl up from the ground.
Li Heng did not answer.
He walked to the window and pushed open the floor-to-ceiling window that was already covered in cracks.
The night wind surged in, blowing his hoodie and hair.
"System." He said in his mind, his voice unexpectedly calm.
[I am here, Host!]
"With my current strength, can I shatter that fissure?"
[Calculating... Calculation complete!]
[Host's current comprehensive combat power: A-Rank. Dimensional fissure stability evaluation: A+-Rank. Purely relying on force confrontation, the host's win rate is less than 20%.]
[But—]
[The system has detected a key variable: The Draculabloodline imprint inside the host has a historical origin with Chthon's power! The magic of the darkhold created the first-generation vampire Varna, and Varna passed his power to Dracula—the source of this inheritance chain is precisely Chthon's darkhold!]
[In other words—the Progenitor Bloodline within the host is essentially a "branch" of Chthon's power! When facing the source, while the branch power is at a disadvantage, if a "reverse impact" is performed in the correct way, it can interfere with or even cut off the source's suppression of the branch in a short time!]
[To put it simply—the host can use his own bloodline power to catch that fissure off guard! Because Chthonwould never expect that the power he created would turn around to attack him!]
After listening, Li Heng fell silent for two seconds.
Then he smiled.
"You mean—he forged a knife, and now this knife is going to stab back into him?"
[You can understand it that way! But note—this is only a one-time impact effect and cannot last long. The host must inject enough energy into the core of the fissure at the moment of impact to completely shatter it!]
[Additionally—during the impact process, the host will endure extreme backlash. Given the level of the Immortal Factor, it can guarantee you won't die, but... it will hurt very much.]
"Hurts again?"
Li Heng sighed.
"It's already hurt twice today, do you systems have some kind of misunderstanding about me?"
[The system is merely truthfully informing you of the risks! Whether to act is entirely up to the host to decide! The system will not issue quests nor impose penalties!]
"Got it."
Li Heng glanced at Wanda on the sofa behind him.
She was curled up in Pietro's arms, trembling all over, with scarlet magic still continuously overflowing from her body. But her eyes—those green eyes—were looking at him.
Carrying fear, carrying worry, carrying reluctance to part.
Carrying a gentle, heartbreaking gaze that only she could have.
"Li Heng... don't go..." She weakly extended her hand, "I beg you... don't go..."
Li Heng smiled at her.
That smile was very faint, very light, like a spring breeze brushing across the surface of the water, leaving no trace.
"Don't worry, I'm just going out to get some fresh air."
"I'll be right back."
He turned his head and faced the night sky.
Faced that fissure.
Faced those ancient eyes.
The next second—
Li Heng's body leaped out from the window!
Behind his back, a pair of huge dark-red bat wings suddenly unfolded!
The wingspan exceeded six meters, the membranes covered with ancient runes, every single rune emitting a dark golden glow—that was the imprint of Dracula's bloodline, the materialization of the Progenitor's power!
[Ding! Host actively activates 'Devil Wings' (vampireflight form)! Current flight speed: 2 Mach! Can burst up to 5 Mach in a short time!]
Like a dark golden meteor, Li Heng cut through the night sky of New York, heading straight for that purple-black fissure!
Along the way, countless dimensional creatures pounced toward him—worms covered in eyes, smoking skeletons, screaming purple-black smoke—they were like sharks that smelled blood, frantically surging toward Li Heng!
"So annoying."
Li Heng didn't even slow down.
A layer of light from the Vampire Domain suddenly erupted from the surface of his body—
"Vampire Domain · Expand!"
With him as the center, a space with a radius of fifty meters instantly turned into a dark red barrier!
All dimensional creatures that broke into the barrier, as if crushed by an invisible giant hand, let out shrill screams as their bodies twisted, disintegrated, and turned into dust!
[Ding! Vampire Domain takes effect! Enemy all-attributes reduced by 30%! Dimensional creatures average combat power evaluation: C-Rank, complete crushing!]
Li Heng pierced through layers of dimensional creature blockades, entering no-man's-land, and flew right in front of the fissure in the blink of an eye!
Viewed up close, this fissure was even more terrifying than seen from the ground.
Purple-black energy poured down from the fissure like a waterfall, distorting the surrounding space and time. Deep within the void inside the fissure, that pair of aged eyes was still gazing at him—or rather, gazing at Wanda behind him.
Chthon's will was using these eyes to try to cross the dimensional barrier and step back onto Earth!
"Have you seen enough?"
Li Heng hovered in front of the fissure, his dark golden slit pupils meeting that pair of aged eyes directly.
His voice wasn't loud, but through the resonance of the bloodline, it was transmitted into the void on the other side of the fissure.
"She is not your vessel."
"Nor is this world your playground."
"Therefore—"
He raised his right fist.
On his fist, dark golden light gathered crazily!
Dracula's bloodline imprint was burning comprehensively!
The Immortal Factor was operating wildly!
The power of the blood moon eye was outputting frantically!
The three powers merged into one, condensing into a single point on his right fist—
A dark golden light even more dazzling than the stars!
[Ding! Host activates 'Ancestors Fist'—concentrating all Progenitor Bloodline power to burst forth at a single point!]
[Notice—This attack will consume more than 80% of the host's energy reserves, and backlash is inevitable!]
[Estimated damage—SS-Rank! Enough to cause structural damage to the dimensional barrier!]
[But—Chthon's will is resisting with all its might! The host must deliver the attack to the core of the fissure before the backlash arrives!]
[Time window—only 3 seconds!]
Three seconds.
That's enough.
The corner of Li Heng's mouth curved into an arc.
"You used the darkhold to create vampires, thinking they would be at your disposal forever."
"You injected Chaos Magic into an innocent girl's body, thinking she would become your vessel to return to the mortal world."
"But you miscalculated one thing—"
He suddenly threw his right fist!
That point of dark golden light, like a miniature star, carrying the might to tear everything apart, slammed heavily into the core of the fissure!
"The power you created—"
"Doesn't necessarily have to listen to you!!"
"Boom—————!!!!!"
The heavens and Earth shattered!
The moment that point of dark golden light contacted the core of the fissure, it exploded violently!
A dark golden pillar of light piercing heaven and Earthextended from Li Heng's fist to the deepest part of the fissure; wherever it passed, the purple-black energy was completely evaporated, and the cracks on the dimensional barrier healed at a rate visible to the naked eye!
An aged, angry roar came from within the fissure—
"No!! This is my power! How could you—"
"Nothing is impossible."
Li Heng withdrew his fist, his whole body trembling slightly due to exhaustion of energy.
But in his eyes, an unshakeable light still flickered.
"Once your power reaches my hands, it is mine."
"How I use it is none of your business."
"Hum—!"
The fissure began to contract frantically!
In that pair of Chthon's eyes, a look of shock and fear appeared for the first time—he never expected that the power system he personally created would be turned against him by a successor to attack himself!
This was just like—
A sword suddenly turning around to hack at the swordsmith.
"This is impossible! You are merely an insignificant successor! The Progenitor Bloodline inside your body is nothing more than the dregs of my power! How could you—"
"So much nonsense."
Li Heng raised his fist once more.
This time, there was no dark golden light on his fist. His energy had been completely exhausted, and he was even having trouble standing steady.
But his gaze was sharper than ever before.
"If you want to come back, come yourself in person."
"Don't hide behind the fissure peeping at other people's women."
"That is—very creepy."
"You—!!!"
Chthon let out a furious roar, attempting a final struggle—a torrent of purple-black energy surged out from the fissure, trying to break through Li Heng's attack and tear open the dimensional barrier once more!
But—
It was already too late.
The core of the crack had been completely destroyed by the dark golden light, and its repair speed far exceeded the destruction speed of Chthon!
"Hiss——!"
That pair of aged eyes slowly dissolved in the dark golden light.
Finally, Chthon's voice echoed in the void, carrying endless hatred and resentment:
"You... you will regret it... I will return... She will eventually be my vessel... Your bloodline will eventually return to me..."
"By then——"
"I will let you watch with your own eyes——"
The voice came to an abrupt halt.
Because the crack—completely closed.
The purplish-black light completely vanished, and the sky returned to its normal deep blue. Stars twinkled in the firmament, as if nothing had ever happened.
New York's night sky once again returned to tranquility.
Those residual creatures that lost the support of the dimensional crack also rapidly disintegrated and dissipated in the light, turning into nothingness.
Li Heng hovered in mid-air, panting heavily.
His body had already reached its limit—over 80% energy consumption, coupled with the backlash of the Ancestors Fist, left every inch of his body in pain. His wings had been retracted, his hoodie was tattered, and his face and arms were covered in blood.
But he smiled.
"Hey, the fight is over."
"Time to go home and sleep."
He turned around and flew toward the direction of the apartment—oh wait, he couldn't fly anymore.
He plummeted straight down from mid-air.
"Uh-oh."
The sound of the wind whistled in his ears.
Li Heng closed his eyes.
Whatever, if I fall, I fall.
Anyway, with the Immortal Factor, I won't die.
At worst, breaking a few more bones, it will heal after a few days.
He had already prepared himself to make intimate contact with the concrete ground——
However.
The moment he landed, there was no excruciating pain as imagined.
Replaced by a warm, soft embrace.
"Li Heng!!"
Wanda's voice rang in his ears, carrying a crying tone and trembling.
She didn't know when she rushed out of the apartment, didn't know when she ran onto the street, and even less knew how she managed to catch a human falling from a height of dozens of meters in mid-air——
But she did it.
The red light of Chaos Magic enveloped the two of them, slowly landing on the ground.
Wanda tightly hugged Li Heng, tears falling like broken beads, dripping onto his face and chest.
"You idiot! Fool! Madman!"
"Why did you go! You were clearly already so heavily injured! You clearly——"
"You clearly could have ignored it..."
That last sentence was spoken in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible.
Li Heng lay in her embrace, struggling to raise his hand to wipe away the tears on her face.
"I said it before."
His voice was weak and hoarse, but the curve of his lips still carried that roguishness that made people both exasperated and amused.
"You are my person."
"Whoever bullies you, I will beat them."
"Whether it's Hydra or Old Gods——"
"In front of me, they all have to——"
He paused, using his very last ounce of strength to say that phrase——
"Kneel."
Wanda was stunned.
Then, she could no longer hold it in, burying herself in his chest and weeping loudly.
This time it was not fear, not sorrow, but a release of something suppressed for far too long that had finally found an outlet——
Catharsis.
Amidst her crying, Li Heng's consciousness gradually blurred.
[Ding! Combat settlement!]
[Host successfully repelled the will projection of Old Gods Chthon and closed the dimensional crack!]
[Evaluation Rating: SSS+! Perfect clearance!]
[Reward explosion——]
[1. Immortal Factor upgrade: Primary → Intermediate! Self-healing speed increased by 1000%, recovery time for fatal injuries shortened from days to hours! Under the current state, the host is expected to fully recover within 6 hours!]
[2. Dracula bloodline awakening degree increased: 0.01% → 0.1%! Progenitor Bloodline power comprehensively enhanced by 10 times! New ability unlocked—"Ancestors Fist" formalized, can be released without burning all energy, power increases with the bloodline awakening degree!]
[3. Special reward: "Chthon's Curse"—A mark placed on the host by Chthon before retreating. Currently in a dormant state, but when Chthon tries to invade Earthagain, this mark will become his biggest flaw! Specific effects pending activation.]
[4. Favorability settlement: Wanda's favorability skyrocketed! Current favorability—Gratitude +70, Trust +80, Dependence +65, Heartbeat +60!]
[The "Heartbeat" value broke through 60! System determination—The female lead has developed explicit feelings for the host! The blood pact link will be further strengthened!]
[Congratulations host, a solid step has been taken on the path of protecting the wife!]
Before losing consciousness, Li Heng saw the last system prompt——
[Extra reminder: The host exposed a large amount of strength information in this battle. According to system monitoring, S.H.I.E.L.D., Avengers, Hydra, vampire Secret Society, and Kamar-Taj have all captured tonight's abnormal energy fluctuations.]
[In other words——]
[All factions in New York now know there is someone like you.]
[Wish the host—sweet dreams.]
Li Heng: "..."
I knew it.
Every time I do a good deed, trouble finds its way to me.
But this time——
It was worth it.
He took one last look at the weeping Wanda in his embrace, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.
Then, he completely passed out.
...
Six hours later.
The morning sunlight spilled into the apartment bedroom.
Li Heng opened his eyes and found himself lying on his own bed. He was wrapped in bandages, but it didn't hurt much anymore—the intermediate effect of the Immortal Factor truly lived up to its reputation; yesterday's bone-shattering pain had mostly subsided.
He turned his head to look at the bedside——
Wanda was slumped over the edge of the bed, holding his hand as she slept.
Her eyes were red and swollen, with tear stains still lingering on her face; she had clearly been crying all night.
But in the morning light, her sleeping face was so peaceful and beautiful.
Looking at her, an unprecedented tenderness welled up in Li Heng's heart.
He gently pulled his hand out from Wanda's grip and covered her with a blanket.
Then——
He noticed something.
On the nightstand, a business card was placed.
The material of the business card was pure white parchment with gilded edges, and an exquisite rune printed in the center—that was the symbol of Kamar-Taj.
On the back of the business card, there was only a line of handwritten words:
"At three o'clock this afternoon, I will send someone to teach you basic magic. Also——we need to talk about last night's matter. ——Ancient One"
Li Heng looked at this line of text, remaining silent for a moment.
Then he flipped the business card over and pressed it under the alarm clock.
"Talk if we must."
"Anyway, I can't run away either."
He lay back down on the pillow, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Last night's battle made him deeply realize one thing——
This world was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
Chthon was merely an Old Gods, and in the Marvel Universe, there were many existences even more powerful than the Old Gods. Thanos, Dormammu, Galactus...
If someone threatened Wanda every time, he would have to risk his life just like last night——
Then how could he continue to "lie flat"?
"I need to become stronger."
This was the first time since Li Heng transmigrated that he actively conceived this thought.
Not to save the world.
Not to be any kind of hero.
Just to——
Next time someone dares to glance at his woman, he won't need to risk his life, he will only need——
A snap of the fingers.
Just as he was deep in thought, the system's voice sounded in his mind again——
[Ding! Detected that the host has generated the will to "actively become stronger"!]
[Reminder: Although this slightly conflicts with the "lying flat" principle, the system understands the host's motivation—protecting the female lead is the highest priority!]
[Therefore, the system specially opens the "Lying Flat Cultivation Method"—the host only needs to maintain close contact with Wanda during daily lying flat, and the blood pact link will automatically absorb the resonance energy of the two people's homologous powers, continuously strengthening the host's physique!]
[Simply put—the longer you stay with Wanda, the stronger you become!]
[Host, have you enlightened yourself? The best way of cultivation is to accompany your wife!]
Li Heng: "..."
He glanced at Wanda sleeping soundly by the bedside, then looked at the system's unserious prompt, his mouth twitching slightly.
"What kind of count is this? Romance cultivation method?"
But he had to admit——
This was indeed the most suitable cultivation method for him.
No cultivation, no meditation, no seclusion, just needing to stay with Wanda?
Isn't this just——
Changing the way to lie flat?
"Fine." Li Heng closed his eyes, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly, "I'll take this deal."
He turned to his side, looking at Wanda's sleeping face.
"From now on——you are responsible for sleeping."
"I am responsible for getting stronger."
"Clear division of labor, fair and reasonable."
Wanda seemed to have heard something in her dream, muttered a sentence, buried her face into his palm, and rubbed against it.
Li Heng was stunned for a moment, then softly sighed.
"Really can't do anything about you."
...
Meanwhile.
New York, Queens ruins.
S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopters hovered in the air, and black tactical vehicles blocked all streets. Personnel wearing hazmat suits were cleaning up the residual traces of dimensional creatures.
Nick Fury stood on the roof of a building, his single eye staring at the location of the crack in the sky that had already disappeared, his expression as gloomy as water.
"Give me an explanation," he said into the headset.
"Director, according to our analysis, last night's event was a dimensional invasion," Deputy Director Hill's voice came from the headset, "The source of the invasion was an illegal dimensional experiment at a Hydra laboratory somewhere in Queens—they used the energy of lokis scepter to tear open the spatial barrier."
"Hydra," Fury's voice was icy, "What kind of tricks are they pulling again?"
"There is one more thing, Director," Hill paused, "We discovered an abnormality in the monitoring data—last night's dimensional crack was forcibly closed by a person."
"A single person?"
"Yes. Monitoring shows that person released progenitor-level vampire energy fluctuations, and... a kind of power highly homologous to Chaos Magic."
Fury's pupils S-Rank sharply.
"Progenitor-level vampire? Chaos Magic?"
"Yes, Director. And according to energy trajectory tracking—that person came from Manhattan."
"It's that apartment from the earlier Battle of New Yorkthat released the abnormal mental shock."
Fury remained silent for a full five seconds.
"The same place, the same person."
He slowly spoke, his voice carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.
"Investigate. Dig up everything you can about him for me."
"I need to know who he is, what he wants, and——"
Fury turned his head, looking in the direction of Manhattan.
"Which side he is actually on."
And further away——
Sokovia, Hydra base.
Baron Strucker looked at the shattered dimensional experimental equipment in front of him, his face ashen.
"It failed," he muttered, "The energy of the Mind Scepter is not enough to maintain a stable dimensional crack. The will of that Old Gods cannot cross the barrier either."
"Then what should we do now?" his subordinate beside him asked.
Strucker was silent for a moment, then the corners of his mouth hooked into a cold arc.
"No, this is not necessarily a failure."
"We have at least confirmed one thing—the Chaos Magicinside that girl indeed resonates with Chthon."
"As long as we find the right way—using the Mind Scepterto activate all her potential—"
"She will become the most powerful weapon in our hands."
"Go prepare," Strucker waved his hand, "Initiate the 'Scarlet Project'."
"The target is—Wanda Maximoff."
His voice echoed in the spacious laboratory, carrying a bone-chilling coldness.
And at this moment, Li Heng was still soundly sleeping in his apartment, taking a nap.
He didn't know——
An even bigger storm was quietly brewing.
And the core of this storm——
Is precisely the red-haired girl by his side.
Chapter 12: Instructor of Kamar-Taj? I Just Want to Learn the Art of Sleeping!
One o'clock in the afternoon.
Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows to fill the entire apartment, illuminating the traces left by last night's battle clearly—the shattered coffee table, the scrapped television, the spiderweb-like cracks on the walls, and the scorch Marks of varying depths on the floor.
The entire living room looked as though it had been ravaged by a tornado.
But at this moment, no one cared about these.
Because—
"You burned the eggs again."
Li Heng stood at the kitchen doorway, watching Wandaflusteredly shovel an unidentified object resembling a piece of black charcoal out of the pan, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.
"I... I was just too nervous!" Wanda defended herself with a blushing face, "You were so badly injured yesterday, I wanted to make you something delicious to nourish your body, but—"
"But your culinary skills are indeed not very good." Li Hengwalked over, taking the spatula from her hand, "Forget it, I'll do it. Go wake up Pietro; that kid sleeps like a pig."
Wanda was stunned for a moment: "You know how to cook?"
"No." Li Heng shook his head openly, "But my instant noodle-making skills are number one in the world."
Three minutes later.
Three bowls of steaming instant noodles were served on the dining table.
Pietro walked out rubbing his eyes. Seeing the instant noodles, he was stunned for a moment, then sat down heavily and began slurping hungrily from the bowl.
"Delicious! Big Brother, your cooking skills are truly amazing!"
"Naturally. In the instant noodle world, if I claim second, no one dares claim first." Li Heng raised his eyebrows smugly.
Wanda held her bowl, looking at the golden noodles and emerald green chopped scallions (the only vegetables left in Li Heng's refrigerator) inside, and couldn't help laughing.
"This is the most delicious instant noodle I've ever eaten."
"Of course—wait, have you ever eaten instant noodles before?"
"No."
"...Then your evaluation has no reference value."
The three of them sat around the dining table eating instant noodles. The warm sunlight outside the window shone in, dispelling all the gloom of last night. If not for the pile of wreckage in the living room, it would simply feel like a most ordinary weekend morning.
But Li Heng knew in his heart that the peace was only temporary.
Ancient One had said that at three o'clock this afternoon, someone would be sent to teach him basic magic. Nick Fury was definitely already investigating last night's matter. Needless to say about Hydra—Baron Strucker would never give up his covetous desires toward Wanda.
And his Dracula bloodline, after last night's battle, had its awakening degree increased from 0.01% to 0.1%—it sounded very little, but in reality, it had already caused his comprehensive combat power to leap up a major step.
[Ding! Host's current status is being comprehensively scanned—]
[Stamina: 92% (Immortal Factor intermediate recovery complete!)]
[Energy reserves: 78% (Ancestors Fist consumption has recovered eighty percent!)]
[Bloodline awakening degree: 0.1% (Dracula inheritance Mark fully activating!)]
[Comprehensive combat power evaluation: Grade A (Increased by one grade compared to yesterday!)]
[List of new abilities—]
[1. Ancestors Fist (Official Version): Can be released without burning all energy, power increases with bloodline awakening degree! Under the current state, a single punch can shatter any defense below Grade A! Cooldown time: 24 hours!]
[2. Demon Wings (Evolved Version): Flight speed increased from Mach 2 to Mach 3, burst speed can reach Mach 7! Can fly continuously for 2 hours!]
[3. Vampire Domain (Enhanced Version): Radius expanded from 50 meters to 80 meters! All attributes of enemies within the domain are reduced by 35%! New effect—host can short-distance teleport within the domain (maximum distance 20 meters)!]
[System evaluation: Although the host almost wrecked himself last night, the gains were also solid. Is this the legendary—seeking wealth amidst danger? No, this is you seeking wealth through laziness!]
After looking at the panel, Li Heng nodded in satisfaction.
Grade A.
This rating meant he had surpassed the vast majority of Earth-level heroes and could arm-wrestle with the first-tier such as Captain America and Iron Man. Of course, he still couldn't compare to monsters like Thor and Hulk, but at least—
Self-preservation was no problem.
Protecting Wanda was also no problem.
"Li Heng? What are you daydreaming about?" Wanda's voice pulled him back to reality.
"Nothing." He put down his instant noodle bowl, "Right, this afternoon there is a... teacher coming."
"Teacher?" Wanda blinked in confusion, "What teacher?"
Li Heng thought about how to explain it.
He couldn't possibly say, "Last night, a thousand-year-old old sorceress came to my house as a guest, saying that I have the power of the vampire progenitor inside me and you have the Chaos Magic of the Old Gods inside you, so she wants to send someone to teach us magic," could he?
"Just a... teacher who teaches me to control my abilities." He said vaguely, "You come learn together too."
"Me? But I don't have any abilities—" Halfway through her sentence, Wanda suddenly remembered the rampaging crimson power inside her body last night, and her expression changed slightly.
"You saw it?" She lowered her head, her voice very soft, "Last night... I couldn't control myself..."
"That's not important." Li Heng interrupted her, "What's important is that you are fine now. As for that power—since it is in your body, it is a part of you. Rather than fearing it, it's better to learn to get along with it."
"So—" He tapped the table, "Three o'clock in the afternoon, class together. No being late."
Looking at his resolute gaze, the trace of unease in Wanda's heart gradually subsided.
"Okay." She nodded gently.
Three o'clock in the afternoon, sharp.
"Dong, dong, dong."
Three unhurried knocks on the door sounded.
Li Heng opened the door—
A man was standing outside the door.
Around thirty-something, tall and well-proportioned, with dark brown skin, a neat buzz cut, wearing a dark red slim-fit trench coat and a black turtleneck sweater underneath. His temperament was steady and introverted, his hands behind his back, his standing posture straight as a pine, resembling a sheathed sharp sword.
But what first caught Li Heng's attention was the belt hanging around the man's waist—hanging from the belt was a bronze-colored ring, in the center of which was engraved a rune identical to the one on Ancient One's business card.
The symbol of Kamar-Taj.
"Good afternoon." The man nodded slightly, his voice low and gentle, "I am a sorcerer of Kamar-Taj, Karl Mordo. Sorcerer Ancient One sent me."
Mordo.
Li Heng searched his memories for Marvel data—
Karl Mordo, the Senior Brother of Kamar-Taj, one of Ancient One's most proud disciples. In the movie, he later defected due to ideological differences, becoming an extremist hunting down sorcerers. But that was a later matter; at this time, Mordo should still be a loyal disciple of Ancient One.
"Come in." Li Heng stepped aside, "Slippers are at the door, change into them yourself."
Mordo looked down at the pair of pink rabbit-ear slippers—clearly Wanda's—the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, but he put them on expressionlessly anyway.
He walked into the living room, his gaze sweeping across the debris all over the floor, his brow furrowing imperceptibly.
"It seems last night's battle was... quite intense."
"Not bad, mainly the furniture suffered." Li Heng pointed to the only surviving single sofa, "Sit down, you might sit on fragments elsewhere."
Mordo sat on the sofa, his hands placed on his knees, his spine still straight.
Wanda and Pietro also walked out. Wanda curiously sized up this Kamar-Taj sorcerer, while Pietro stared at him vigilantly, as if evaluating whether he was a threat.
Mordo's gaze lingered on Wanda for a slightly longer time, then turned to Li Heng.
"Sorcerer Ancient One has already explained the situation to me," he began, "The powers of the two of you—the Progenitor Bloodline and Chaos Magic—both originate from the Elder Gods Chthon's darkhold. This means you must learn to coordinate each other's powers, otherwise—"
"Otherwise Chaos Magic will rampage, the Progenitor Bloodline will get out of control, blah blah blah." Li Hengsat down opposite, resting his hands behind his head, "Ancient One already said all that yesterday. Just tell me directly how to learn it."
Mordo was silent for a second, seemingly unused to this straightforward communication style. But he quickly adjusted his mindset, pulling a thin booklet from the inside of his trench coat.
"This is "Basic Meditation and Energy Guidance Technique" personally written by Sorcerer Ancient One. For your situation, the first step is not to learn any magicskills, but—meditation."
"Meditation?" Li Heng raised an eyebrow.
"That's right." Mordo opened the booklet, "Meditation is the foundation of all magic cultivation. Through meditation, you can perceive the flow of energy within your bodies and learn to communicate with it at the conscious level, rather than being led around by the nose by it."
"For Ms. Wanda—" He looked at Wanda, "Meditation can help you build a mental barrier to prevent Chaos Magicfrom overflowing without your permission. It can also reduce the erosion of Chthon's will upon you."
"And for you—" He looked at Li Heng, "Meditation can help you control the power output of the Progenitor Bloodlinemore precisely, avoiding exhausting all your energy with a single punch like last night."
After hearing this, Li Heng looked thoughtful.
Meditation?
To put it bluntly, isn't it just sitting still and emptying the brain?
Isn't this fucking—
Slacking off?!
He instantly perked up!
"Meditation? Just closing your eyes and sitting there without doing anything?" Li Heng pressed further.
"...From a certain perspective, yes." Mordo was somewhat surprised by his enthusiasm, "Meditation is indeed a form of 'motionless' cultivation, but the concentration it requires far exceeds—"
"I'll learn it! I must learn this!" Li Heng snatched the booklet over, "This is simply a cultivation technique tailor-made for me!"
Mordo: "...?"
Wanda couldn't help covering her mouth and snickering.
Pietro had a bewildered expression: "Big Brother, don't you think sitting still is very boring?"
"Boring? That's called cultivation! What do you know?"
Li Heng opened the booklet and scanned through it at ten lines a glance—
[Ding! Detected that the host has come into contact with the Kamar-Taj Basic Meditation Technique!]
[Evaluating—the core principle of this meditation technique highly coincides with the host's'Slacking Off Cultivation Method'! Under the meditation state, the host's body tends toward stillness, the spirit tends toward etherealness, and the blood pact link will automatically enter an efficient resonance mode!]
[Specific effects—during meditation, the closer the distance between the host and Wanda, the more resonance energy absorbed by the blood pact, and the faster both sides grow stronger!]
[Estimated data: Daily meditation of 2 hours is approximately equivalent to ordinary cultivation of 20 hours! If Wanda is also present meditating at the same time, the efficiency doubles again!]
[System evaluation: Host! This is your ultimate cultivation technique! The way to win while lying down is right before your eyes!]
Li Heng almost laughed out loud.
As expected!
Slacking off is the correct posture for becoming stronger!
He looked at Wanda, his tone rare in its seriousness: "Wanda, you must attend this three o'clock afternoon class every day from now on."
"Why?"
"Because—" Li Heng thought about his phrasing, "Because the powers of the two of us are of the same origin. If only I cultivate alone, the effect is only half. If you are also there, the efficiency will double."
"Simply put—you need to accompany me to'sit still'."
Wanda blinked, then couldn't help laughing: "Accompany you to sit still? Is this also called cultivation?"
"Don't look down on sitting still." Li Heng said solemnly, "The Buddha attained enlightenment by sitting motionless under the Bodhi tree. Maybe if I sit for a few months, I can also become a Buddha?"
"You're a vampire, you can't become a Buddha." Mordocoldly added a knife from the side.
"Details, they're all details." Li Heng waved his hand.
Mordo looked at the smiling young man in front of him, feeling a mixture of emotions in his heart.
He had originally thought that a person possessing the Progenitor Bloodline would be arrogant, cold, and ambitious—after all, the vampire progenitor Dracula had just such a personality. But Li Heng... completely did not play according to common sense.
He neither pursued power nor craved conquest, and even when facing an opportunity that could change the world, his first reaction was actually to "sit still".
Such a person, are they a genius or a madman?
"Regardless," Mordo restrained his thoughts, "Let's start the first lesson first. Please, the two of you, sit cross-legged, face to face, and close your eyes."
"Mr. Pietro, you can watch from the side, but please do not make any noise."
Pietro curled his lips and obediently retreated into the corner.
Li Heng and Wanda sat cross-legged facing each other, with about an arm's length of distance between them.
Wanda was a little nervous, clutching the hem of her clothes on her knees with both hands, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
"Don't be nervous," Li Heng said with his eyes closed, "Just think of it as a nap."
"...Can you relate everything to sleeping?"
"That's because sleeping truly is the greatest invention of mankind."
Wanda shook her head helplessly, but the corners of her mouth curled up involuntarily. She closed her eyes and tried to empty her consciousness following Mordo's guidance.
"Breathe deeply," Mordo's voice was steady and rhythmic, "Feel the flow of energy within your body. Do not try to control it, just—observe it."
"Like watching clouds. The clouds come, you watch them come; the clouds go, you watch them go. Make no judgment, make no intervention. Just—watch."
Wanda's breathing gradually steadied.
She felt it—
That crimson power within her body.
It had always been there, like an underground river, flowing silently deep within her body. Usually it was very quiet, so quiet that she almost forgot its existence. But once stimulated by the outside world—such as Chthon's will last night—it would surge violently, like a flood bursting its banks, washing away all her reason.
"I see it," Wanda said in a low voice, "It's... red. Like a river."
"Very good," Mordo nodded, "Now, imagine sitting down by the river. You don't need to jump into the river, nor do you need to stop the river water. You just need to—sit on the bank and watch it flow past."
Wanda did as she was told.
In the space of her consciousness, she saw herself wearing a white dress, sitting beside a crimson river. The river water was rapid and undercurrents surged, but she, sitting on the bank, was safe and calm.
Gradually, the speed of that river slowed down.
No longer a violent flood, it turned into a gentle stream.
And on the opposite bank of the river—
She saw another person.
A young man wearing a grey hoodie and sitting with his eyes closed.
It was Li Heng.
In the meditative space of consciousness, the Blood Pact link pulled the two into the same "scene"—this was something Mordo had not anticipated, but for two people with homologous power, it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Li Heng?" Wanda called out tentatively.
Li Heng on the opposite bank opened his eyes, saw Wanda, was slightly stunned at first, and then smiled.
"Yo, this meditation is quite high-end, it even comes with multiplayer online?"
Wanda couldn't help laughing out loud.
And in the real world, Mordo saw smiles appear on both of their faces simultaneously, his pupils contracting sharply!
Because he clearly perceived—
Two completely different energies—the dark golden Progenitor Bloodline and the crimson Chaos Magic—were blending at an incredible speed!
That blending was not confrontation, not suppression, but—
A dance together.
The two powers were like two intertwined threads, you in me and I in you, weaving an awe-inspiring energy landscape!
"This..." Mordo blurted out, "Sorcerer Ancient One didn't tell me that their resonance would be so strong!"
He quickly took out the communication rune to report the situation to Ancient One.
Meanwhile—
In Li Heng's consciousness space.
He looked at Wanda across the river, suddenly noticing a detail—in the river behind Wanda, besides the crimson Chaos Magic, there was also a trace of extremely faint, differently colored light.
That trace of light was... purple.
Dark purple.
It was like—some external power that did not belong to Chaos Magic.
"Wanda," Li Heng's expression turned serious, "There is a purple light in the river water behind you. Can you see it?"
Wanda turned around and looked at the river behind her.
Sure enough—in the crimson current, there was a faint dark purple light slowly flowing.
"What... is that?" Wanda's voice was somewhat nervous.
Li Heng stared at that purple light, and suddenly a prompt popped up in his mind—
[Ding! Abnormal energy residue detected inside the female subject!]
[Analyzing... Analysis complete!]
[Source of this energy: lokis scepter (Mind Scepter)!]
[Wanda Maximoff was once affected by the energy radiation of the Mind Scepter in the Hydra base! Although she herself was not directly controlled by the scepter, a trace of energy from the Mind Stone remained deep in her consciousness, forming an extremely covert 'anchor'!]
[This anchor is usually dormant, but once someone activates it through lokis scepter—it can remotely affect Wanda's mental state, and even control her behavior under extreme circumstances!]
[Warning—Hydra is very likely to have mastered the method to activate this anchor! If their 'Scarlet Project' is related to lokis scepter—then Wanda may be remotely controlled at any time!]
Li Heng's pupils shrank sharply!
The anchor of the Mind Stone?!
Hydra can use this to remotely control Wanda?!
"System, is there any way to clear this anchor?" he asked eagerly in his mind.
[Option 1: Use the power of the Progenitor Bloodline to forcefully purify—success rate 60%, but the process is extremely painful and may cause irreversible damage to Wanda's spirit! Not recommended!]
[Option 2: Use the power of the Mind Stone itself to remove the anchor—requires contact with lokis scepter or the Mind Stone body! But currently the scepter is in Hydra's hands and cannot be obtained!]
[Option 3: Improve Wanda's own mastery of Chaos Magic. When her spiritual barrier is strong to a certain extent, the anchor will automatically fail—estimated time required: 3-6 months!]
[System suggestion: Choose Option 3! Risks are controllable in the short term, and long-term benefits are maximized! During this period, the host needs to strengthen protection for Wanda to prevent Hydra from activating the anchor first!]
Three months.
He had three months to help Wanda build a sufficiently strong spiritual barrier.
And Hydra—would not give him that much time.
Li Heng withdrew from meditation and suddenly opened his eyes!
"Wanda, you come out too." His voice was hurried and solemn.
Wanda was startled by his sudden solemnity, also withdrew from meditation, and opened her eyes to look at him.
"What... what's wrong?"
"There is something inside your body," Li Heng lowered his voice, "Hydra left a 'backdoor' on you. They can remotely affect your mind through lokis scepter."
Wanda's face instantly turned pale.
"What do you mean... they can control me?"
"Not yet," Li Heng held her hand, "That backdoor is dormant and needs to be activated to take effect. But if Hydra uses lokis scepter to activate it—"
He didn't continue.
But Wanda already understood.
She lowered her head trembling, her hands subconsciously gripping Li Heng's hand tightly.
"So... I've always been their pawn? Even after escaping, they can still—"
"No."
Li Heng's voice was decisive.
"As long as I am here, no one can control you."
He turned to Mordo: "Does Kamar-Taj have any method to accelerate the construction of Wanda's spiritual barrier?"
After hearing what Li Heng described, Mordo's expression also turned solemn.
"The anchor of the Mind Stone... This is indeed a very tricky problem," he pondered for a moment, "Sorcerer Ancient One might have a way, but she is currently not at the Sanctum. The earliest she can return is in three days."
"Three days?" Li Heng frowned.
"I can first teach Wanda a 'consciousness barrier construction method'. Although it is not as effective as Sorcerer Ancient One casting spells personally, it can at least buy some time," Mordo said, "However—if Hydrareally intends to activate the anchor, we must prepare before they make a move."
"So—" Li Heng stood up and looked at the Manhattanskyline outside the window.
"The key is still lokis scepter."
"As long as we get the scepter, we can completely clear the anchor inside Wanda."
"And the scepter—is in Hydra's hands."
He was silent for a moment, and then made a decision that violated his "lying-flat principle".
"It seems I have to take the initiative for once."
Hearing these words come out of the mouth of someone who shouted "lying flat" all day seemed particularly out of place.
But at this moment, no one laughed.
Because everyone saw the chilling killing intent in Li Heng's eyes—
Whoever dares to touch Wanda.
He will go and wipe out their nest.
[Ding! Host triggers active event 'Falcon Operation'—penetrate the Hydra base and seize lokis scepter!]
[System prompt: This is the host's first active initiative! Although it conflicts with the lying-flat principle, considering the female lead's safety, the system understands and supports it!]
[Special reminder—The Hydra base is located in Sokovia, heavily guarded, with lokis scepter as the ultimate weapon. If the host wants to sneak in, a detailed plan is needed.]
[But more importantly—]
[The system has just intercepted an encrypted communication—Hydra's 'Scarlet Project' has entered its final stage!]
[They plan to activate the Mind Stone anchor inside Wanda within 48 hours!]
[The time left for the host—is not much!]
Li Heng clenched his fists.
48 hours.
He must get lokis scepter within 48 hours.
Otherwise—Wanda will be reduced to a controlled puppet.
"Mordo," Li Heng turned to the Kamar-Taj sorcerer, "I need you to help me do something."
"What is it?"
"Contact Ancient One." The dark golden vertical pupils in Li Heng's eyes contracted slightly, "Tell her—"
"I am going to Sokovia."
"And there—is about to become Hydra's graveyard."
Mordo locked eyes with Li Heng for three seconds, then slowly nodded.
"I will contact her."
He looked at the back of the young man in front of him, and a strange premonition suddenly surged in his heart—
This vampire who claimed to only want to "lie flat" would eventually change the destiny of this world.
Not because he wanted to be a hero.
But because—
He had someone he wanted to protect.
And at this moment—
Sokovia, Hydra base.
Baron Strucker stood in the center of a sealed laboratory, facing a huge machine—embedded in the core of the machine was a scepter exuding a dim blue light.
lokis scepter.
Mind Stone.
"Doctor," Strucker looked at the scientist in a white lab coat beside him, "How is the preparation for the 'Scarlet Project' going?"
"Everything is ready, My Lord." The scientist pushed his glasses, "We only need to input the target's mental frequency, and the scepter can remotely activate the anchor inside that girl's body. By then—her Chaos Magic will be completely under our control."
"How long?"
"Forty-eight hours."
Strucker's mouth hooked into a gloomy arc.
"Very good."
"Forty-eight hours later—"
"Scarlet Witch will be used by Hydra."
He turned and walked out of the laboratory, walking down the long corridor and past rows of heavily armed guards.
Behind him, the dim blue light of lokis scepter flickered uncertainly in the darkness, like an eye from the abyss, coldly watching all this.
And Li Heng, far away in New York, did not know—
At the very moment he made his decision, the Mark of "Chthon's Curse" inside his body suddenly grew slightly warm.
From deep within the Mark came an extremely faint voice—
That was Chthon's echo.
That Old God, although driven back to the dimensional abyss, the Mark he left behind was still silently—
Recording everything.
Waiting for—
Return.