Chapter 126: The Ancient One of the Past (Bonus Chapter 7 of 50 for Silver Alliance Leader Scorching Dawn)

Back on the plane, Mei Mumu naturally used the Eye of Agamotto to revert to his crippled appearance.

The Soviet soldiers in the rear cabin had crossed the battlefield to bring the cargo back. Those hundreds of corpses were the three of them's greatest military achievement, and they cast gazes of awe toward the trio—a deep raid, extraordinary piloting skills, and unparalleled combat prowess; nothing commanded more respect than that. As long as no accidents occurred during the return flight, a medal was guaranteed; it was merely a question of its rank.

The massive engines of the B-24 bomber roared to life. The thunderstorm had eased slightly, but visibility remained poor. Without Mei Jiecau, a god-tier pilot, their only likely fate would have been to fly straight into a mountainside.

Shortly after takeoff, trouble arrived.

It certainly wasn't the feeble radar of the Japanese forces; after half a night, that electronic warfare B-29 had long since departed. In fact, in other timelines, the B-29 electronic warfare variant didn't appear this early. Its emergence in this reality was likely due to the presence of the super-genius Howard Stark in this world's America.

The surname "Stark" sounds familiar, doesn't it? That’s right; he was the father of Tony Stark, Iron Man—a billionaire, arms dealer, and absolute genius. This man was the Einstein of the Marvel world. Compared to a super-genius with an IQ likely exceeding 400 or even 500, the rest of the world might as well have been dullards. In the Marvel Universe, his series of inventions were epoch-making. Unfortunately, he would eventually die in a car accident orchestrated by Hydra...

The trouble Mei Mumu faced, however, did not come from the Americans.

When he saw a ring composed of shimmering, golden sparks suddenly ignite outside the cockpit windshield, Mei Mumu knew that his reckless use of the Eye of Agamotto had finally summoned a supreme entity. The other three in the cockpit were startled, but Mei Mumu immediately spoke over the internal comms: "Don't be nervous. She is someone I know. Pretend you didn't see her."

That’s right. The person who had arrived was none other than the Ancient One from 1943!

Normally, portals were static, and a portal appearing out of thin air would not move with the aircraft. However, a portal that could track the nose of a plane was undoubtedly an ultra-advanced technique. The next instant, a bald female sorcerer in blue robes, her expression indifferent, stepped out of the portal. She allowed the gale-force winds generated by the high-speed flight to whip her robes violently, yet she stood motionless, pinned to the nose of the aircraft.

Amidst the flashes of lightning, the Ancient One’s silhouette appeared truly terrifying. What on earth was this? Had a god descended? The B-24 bomber lacked a nose propeller; at the very front was a transparent glass dome, the position of the nose gunner. The Ancient One stood on the metal plating between the nose gunner's compartment and the cockpit.

She stood with her hands behind her back. She did not open her mouth, yet her telepathic voice entered the cockpit clearly, every word unhindered. "I sensed that someone among you used power that should not have been used. May I ask who it was? I need to have a word with him." Her tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority.

This entrance stunned Natalia, Yelena, and the miserable navigator. No one knew better than Mei Mumu just how formidable his teacher was.

"Natalia, slow the plane down. I'm handing the controls to you." With that, Mei Mumu rose from the pilot's seat and swiftly knocked the navigator unconscious.

"Oh?" The Ancient One tilted her head.

The hatch leading to the cockpit was closed, but Mei Mumu, fearing no discovery, simply flicked his fingers and opened a portal without the need for a Sling Ring. The next moment, he stepped outside the aircraft to stand face-to-face with the Ancient One.

The wind howled past. A normal person could never stand there; even at reduced speeds, the cruising speed of 281 kilometers per hour would have blown anyone away. Mei Mumu’s refined magical control allowed him to extend lines of magical energy, like whips, from his feet, anchoring him to the metal plating in front of the windshield.

"Who... are... you!?" The Ancient One looked at the crippled Soviet before her, her curiosity reaching a fever pitch.

"Greetings to you, Great Sorcerer Supreme!" Following the teachings of the future Sorcerer Supreme from the 2016 timeline, Mei Mumu performed a bow, hands pressed to his shoulders. Every movement of his fingers, whether extended or curled, held specific significance.

Seeing this gesture, the tension in the Ancient One’s expression eased slightly. "Oh? I did not expect that, aside from my Kamar-Taj, there existed another lineage descending from Agamotto?"

She had not fully relaxed, however, as she saw the magical vortex on Mei Mumu’s face; he was clearly using a powerful arcane technique to mask his true appearance. What troubled her was that, with her power as the Sorcerer Supreme, she could not pierce through that veil of destiny. This was somewhat awkward.

"I wouldn't call it another lineage! But we share the same roots and source, that is certain!" With that, Mei Mumu traced a mysterious magic circle in the air. Double-layered rings! Rhombuses! Triangles! They were layered upon one another, creating a special, complex combination in three-dimensional space that differed from standard Kamar-Taj arrays.

The Ancient One’s pupils constricted. This array was so ancient that she had almost forgotten it herself. "It cannot be... Agamotto. Your power actually comes from Agamotto. Tell me, are you carrying out a secret mission for Lord Agamotto?"

Mei Mumu gave a bitter smile. There was no secret mission; he had simply been unable to hold off Dormammu and had crawled back to catch his breath and see if he could level up! Of course, he couldn't say that. "The mysteries of time are not for mortals to grasp. Whether it is Lord Agamotto or you, Sorcerer Supreme, even after a thousand years, you cannot glimpse the entirety of it. I can only say that when that day comes, you will understand."

"Oh? Which day?" The Ancient One narrowed her eyes.

"You have lived for a thousand years; surely you cannot wait for a mere half-century?" Mei Mumu replied with a faint, calm smile.

"Very well. I will wait for you." The Ancient One at this point in time did not know that she was being fooled by her future self and her own disciple. Mei Mumu could well imagine how frustrating it must have been for the future Ancient One to deceive her past self when she made that decision.

Having sent the Ancient One off, Mei Mumu scrambled back into the cockpit. He used a small trick to wipe the navigator’s memory, leaving him to continue his slumber.

"Who was that just now?" Natalia finally couldn't help but ask.

"Natalia, do you remember what I told you about protecting humanity?"