Oh my god! This is the Marvel Universe! Calm down, stay composed. Right in front of me is one of the most powerful beings on Earth, recognized as a Skyfather-level superhuman, the pinnacle of Earth's magical community, a 500-year-old scheming woman... the Ancient One.
I can't afford to mess with her. She must have sensed that I'm a foreign soul and intends to eradicate me! No, I just got reborn, with extraordinary talents, the Pika Pika no Mi, and Haki. I can't die now, that would be a huge loss.
Zhang Chu thought that even if he couldn't have a harem like the protagonist in that anime, at least he could escape the fate of being single, right? What's happening now? Am I about to be wiped out as soon as I land? Or is this an early game over? No, please no! Stay away from me!
The Ancient One had just sensed that the baby in the room had woken up, so she entered with a bottle of milk at the perfect temperature (thanks to the Time Stone, don't ask how). She looked at the newborn child, put down the bottle, and her thoughts drifted back to the night before...
"Master Lan! You must go back! You're pregnant; you can't participate in this extradimensional invasion!" Mordo shouted.
Mordo was a sorcerer from the sanctuary of Kamar-Taj, a disciple of the Ancient One, and one of the stronger figures in the mystical realm.
But now, he could only shout because the extradimensional invasion was too fierce, and he had no energy to spare. Even his godly roar almost got him hit by an extradimensional monster.
"Earth is at a critical moment of survival. Mephisto and Dormammu have teamed up. The Ancient One is held up by Dormammu and his dark sorcerers, and Mephisto has brought his subordinates and other dark sorcerers to attack the Three Sanctums. As the strongest disciple of the Ancient One and the guardian of the Hong Kong Sanctum, how can I hide?" A Chinese woman, her hands forming a magic circle, slowly floated into the air.
This woman was incredibly beautiful, exuding an aura of majesty despite her maternity clothes. Judging by the size of her belly, she was due to give birth soon.
With a wave of her arm, she sent magic spells crashing down on the demons and dark sorcerers, instantly tearing a gap through the enemy ranks with her powerful magic. The pressure on the sorcerers drastically decreased, and under the lead of Master Lan, the sorcerers of the Hong Kong Sanctum began their counterattack. Everything seemed to be going smoothly.
Just as they were about to drive back the invaders, an old man in a black robe and hood suddenly appeared before them. The sorcerers' faces changed instantly, recognizing the Hell Lord, Mephisto.
Lan floated down, facing the Hell Lord directly. "Mephisto, haven't you had enough last time? How dare you bounce back in front of me? This time, it won't be just an avatar left."
"Hahaha, Lan, times have changed. How much power do you have now? You've thwarted my plans time and again. Today is your end. Only by burning your soul with Hellfire can I quench my hatred," Mephisto laughed maniacally. This time, he had even ceded some territory to Dormammu for their alliance, all to kill this woman who had ruined his plans countless times.
"Just an avatar of you is enough to deal with!" Lan fired spells at Mephisto as she spoke. Mephisto dodged, raising his staff to cast several dark magic beams at Lan's barrage of magic missiles.
They fought evenly, but even heavily pregnant, Lan had the upper hand. After narrowly dodging Lan's multiple magical cannon shots, Mephisto landed on the ground, and Hellfire began to rise from beneath his feet.
"Bullet Storm Lan, indeed. Even about to give birth, you can cast spells en masse. I admit I can't beat you with just this avatar, but things are different now! We're not fighting one-on-one. With these burdens around, I won't lose." Mephisto pointed at the Hong Kong sorcerers and the Sanctum.
Hellfire surged toward the Hong Kong Sanctum and its sorcerers like a breached dam.
Originally, the Hong Kong Sanctum was protected by a barrier, but it had been destroyed in the previous battles. Now, Mephisto aimed to attack the sanctum and the surrounding sorcerers, leaving them helpless. Lan knew they couldn't withstand the Hellfire, so she quickly flew in front of them, merging her magical circles into a giant shield between the sorcerers and Mephisto.
The Hellfire hit the shield and could advance no further. But it didn't retreat either, slowly pushing towards Lan and the sorcerers. Seeing Lan struggle, the sorcerers used their magic to help reinforce the shield. They couldn't attack Mephisto because they simply weren't on the same level.
Even though they were guardians of the sanctum, they couldn't compare to someone like Mephisto, not even an avatar.
"Hahaha, let's see what you do now! I will invade this 'Flower Nation' today, using it as a starting point to invade Earth. Once I conquer this planet, I'll take back the territory Dormammu stole from me many times over," Mephisto boasted.
Lan glanced back at the sorcerers supporting her, then looked north, towards her homeland. Making up her mind, her eyes filled with unprecedented determination.
"No, Mephisto, you're wrong. This is the last place you should have come to, and the place you'll never conquer! Because this is the Flower Nation, and those who offend us, no matter how far, shall be exterminated! Soul Resonance!" She raised a hand above her head, pointing to the sky, as waves of energy spread from her body.
The ground seemed to respond, emitting beams of golden light.
Mephisto felt an immense, overwhelming pressure pinning him down, rendering him immobile. He hurriedly retracted his Hellfire to protect himself, feeling slightly better.
But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, Lan extended her arms, floating gracefully. It seemed the earth itself was empowering her as she declared, "Dragon Veins, awaken and help me vanquish the enemy."
Mephisto's face turned pale. "Damn it, how is this possible? Your energy is suddenly so strong. Your body can't absorb that much energy; you'll die soon! Damn it, you crazy woman! Who do you think you are, a savior? Damn it!"
Lan's body was now glowing with golden light, like a goddess descending. Her voice was clear and authoritative, "Who am I? Listen well! First, I am the guardian sorcerer of the Hong Kong Sanctum. Second, I am the chief disciple of the current Sorcerer Supreme. And third, and most importantly, I am from the Flower Nation. Every inch of this land is our territory. You will never touch it. And Earth will be the place you regret coming to the most!"
With that, she pointed a slender finger, gathering golden light. The immense pressure made Mephisto almost despair. He felt the light locking onto him, like Odin's Gungnir. No matter where he fled, he would be struck down...
"Die!" Lan's emotionless words fell, and a beam of golden light shot from her fingertip.
"No! No! Ahhhhh!" Mephisto's despairing cries echoed as the golden light turned into a massive pillar, obliterating him...
The phenomena slowly dissipated, and the sorcerers gazed in awe at the golden figure descending from the sky, filled with nothing but respect and admiration. She was truly the Ancient One's most trusted disciple, second only to the Ancient One herself!
As Lan landed, the golden light returned to her belly. When it completely faded, she staggered, almost falling. The sorcerers rushed to support her, calling for a stretcher and opening a portal to the Sanctum's medical room.
Mephisto wasn't wrong; Lan's body couldn't handle such immense spiritual power. Her life was now on a countdown. Lan's face was pale, her body weak, a stark contrast to the goddess-like figure who had just led the sorcerers to victory. As they panicked, a sparking portal appeared beside her bed, and out stepped her mentor, the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One!