On Earth-65, near a farmland in Kamar-Taj, Nepal, golden sparks flickered, a portal opened, and Lucas stepped out.
After leaving the Altar of Eternity, Lucas and Chthon went their separate ways. Lucas went to see the male Ancient One, and Chthon went to see the Vishanti.
Looking at the parched wheat fields ahead, as if they hadn't been watered or tended for a long time, Lucas's brows furrowed slightly.
The male Ancient One came from a farming background. After stepping down as Sorcerer Supreme of Earth-616, he lived in seclusion here, and when he had nothing to do, he returned to his old profession. For several years, he had meticulously cultivated this land, and it had never been abandoned.
Could something have gone wrong?
Taking a step, Lucas left the wheat field and walked towards the male Ancient One's thatched hut. Before he even got close, he sensed the male Ancient One's mental fluctuations, and the two greeted each other from a distance.
Knock. Knock.
Lucas politely knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Lucas pushed the door open and saw the male Ancient One sitting cross-legged, a faint smile on his lips. In front of him, two cups of tea had already been placed on the low tea table.
"Please." Ancient One gestured, inviting Lucas to sit down and drink tea.
Lucas smiled in response, also sat cross-legged, picked up a teacup, and took a light sip.
Good news, it was bland like water, with no bitterness or strange taste.
Putting down the teacup, Lucas smiled and said, "I congratulate master on his daily progress in tea making, reaching a higher level."
Ancient One stroked his beard and smiled, refilling Lucas's cup. "Most practice in the world is like this, diligent study and hard practice day after day, year after year, and eventually there will be gains."
"Master is right." Lucas picked up the teacup, took another sip, and found it slightly bitter.
"What's wrong? Is there a problem with the tea?" Ancient One asked.
"It's slightly different from the previous cup." Lucas replied.
"There are no two identical leaves in the world, and no two identical cups of tea." Ancient One said, picking up the teacup in front of him and draining it.
He refilled it, took a light sip, and his brows immediately furrowed.
He drained it, and refilled it again.
"Hmm... it is a bit different, a little more bitter. Perhaps I waited too long for you, and it steeped for too long."
Putting down the teacup and no longer trying, Ancient One deflected, and then proceeded to explain the principle to Lucas: tea leaves contain substances such as tea polyphenols, theophylline, and caffeine, and prolonged steeping will cause a large amount of these substances to leach out, making the tea bitter.
"Master, it only took me three to five minutes to walk from the wheat field." Lucas said faintly.
This amount of time shouldn't affect the taste of the tea.
"Mm, walk faster next time." Ancient One nodded.
He changed the subject, "You really stole the show in the battle between the Cosmic Beings and the Dark Celestials and Logos."
"Master, you got the news so quickly?" After taking another sip and putting down the teacup, Lucas was a little surprised.
Ancient One glanced at Lucas, his tone faint. "Maybe I didn't 'get the news' but was one of the parties involved, and I also participated in that battle."
Lucas was silent, picked up his teacup, and took another sip. The battlefield was chaotic at the time, and he was busy posing. With so many Ancient Ones, he didn't pay close attention and truly didn't recognize the male Ancient One.
But he couldn't say that directly.
"Master, although there are no two identical leaves in the world, there are two similar flowers. I thought that was your variant." Lucas said without blushing or skipping a beat.
"Hehe." Ancient One chuckled, not dwelling on this too much, but instead asked about the post-battle matters.
After the Dark Celestials were defeated and fled, due to the limited range of the Luminous Sanctum, many Sorcerer Supremes did not participate in the subsequent pursuit of the Dark Celestials and returned to the Luminous Sanctum.
"This and that, and so on."
Lucas, in a few words, informed Ancient One of the decisions made by everyone on the spaceship and the subsequent meeting with Eternity.
"Master, what do you think of the benefits I've secured for you? A portion of the Multiverse's new law of balance, rounded up, is comparable to Eternity and other Abstract Entities."
Ancient One's tone was calm, but inside there were surging waves. "Lucas, guess why I resigned as Sorcerer Supreme."
"Eternity suggested it, I merely relayed it."
...
Returning to the Earth-404 bookstore, Lucas went upstairs to change his clothes and then went to the lounge on the first floor.
A moment later, scarlet smoke emerged from thin air, and a figure stepped out.
"Chthon, why are you the only one here?"
"Hoggoth and Agamotto do not agree to form a new trinity of Balance with me. They want to wait for the Living Tribunal to revive." Chthon said in a muffled voice as he took a seat.
"What about Oshtur?"
"Didn't see her."
After a pause, Chthon asked, "Sorcerer Lucas, how are things on your end?"
Lucas shrugged, "It also messed up."
Hearing this, Chthon's brows furrowed, and his fingers unconsciously tapped on the table.
Suddenly, a scarlet light flashed in his eyes. "Sorcerer Lucas, since Logos is in our hands, why don't we..."
Making a chopping motion with his hand, Chthon said, "Act first and report later. I'll seize a portion of the Living Tribunal's authority first to ensure the Living Tribunal doesn't revive."
"If the Vishanti and Ancient One still don't agree, then we'll find others to replace them."
Lucas glanced at Chthon, deep in thought.
Chthon was unwilling to give up the fat meat that was already in his mouth, and neither was Lucas.
This law was seized by him from Logos, not snatched from the Living Tribunal. By all accounts, it should belong to him and be at his disposal.
"Good."
Nodding, Lucas stood up and motioned for Chthon to follow. He took a step, and with a flash of pure white light, he disappeared from his original spot.
In the Superflow, a small, lifeless dimension far from the reality, a pure white light flickered, and Lucas stepped out of it.
After a while, a scarlet light glowed, and Chthon appeared.
This was a small world that Lucas had discovered during his travels through the Multiverse.
Separating Logos was no easy feat. To avoid causing a stir that would affect Earth-404, Lucas specifically moved the location here.
Noticing Chthon's fervent gaze, Lucas, in a practiced manner, quickly formed hand seals, and mysterious runes were inscribed in the void, outlining a gate-like symbol.
Open!
Lucas pushed his hands forward sharply, and the glowing portal opened wide. On the other side of the portal, nine ferocious giant dragons, pulling an ice coffin, flew out of a vast expanse of white and sped towards the portal.
The sorcerer's instinct pulled Chthon out of his desire for the Living Tribunal's law.
He frowned and asked, "What kind of magic is this, and what runes are used? I've never seen them before?"
Space magic was not profound for the God of Black Magic, but an unseen rune piqued his interest.
"Want to learn? I'll teach you." Lucas chuckled, taking out a silver book.
"Seeing as you're so passionate about magic and truth, I'll sell you this 'Lucas divine book 1 (Part 1)' for eighty billion."
Chthon said nothing, simply taking the book and putting it away, indicating acceptance of the transaction.
For Chthon, even if the magic in this book had no practical use for him, as long as it could broaden his knowledge, it was worth it.
As the two talked, the nine giant dragons had also passed through the portal and arrived.
Chthon noticed that these nine dragons were in a very strange state, seeming to be alive, yet not.
And the material of the coffin was not ice, but a material similar to the stars in his Flickering Realm, existing between energy and matter, constantly converting between the two forms.
No!
Chthon suddenly froze.
This material had an additional characteristic compared to the stars in the Flickering Realm: existence and nothingness. It seemed to be converting not only between energy and matter, but also between existence and nothingness.
"Don't just stand there, Chthon, I'm entrusting Logos to you."
Opening the ice coffin, Lucas took out the sealed Logos and tossed him to Chthon.
"Be careful, don't damage the seal I placed inside Logos. Logos's law is ineffective against me, but it's very dangerous for you."
"Hehehe, don't worry, sorcerer Lucas. I won't make such a low-level mistake."
Chthon gave two eerie laughs, formed hand seals, and scarlet energy and black mist surged out, causing an altar to rise from the ground. On the surface of the altar, mysterious runes flickered in and out of existence.
Placing Logos on the altar, the mysterious runes all appeared, twisting and crawling towards Logos.
"Hehehe."
Laughing eerily again, Chthon also flew onto the altar, chanting obscure and difficult-to-understand incantations.
Chthon's deep voice echoed through this dead small world, instantly adding an unspeakable chill to this lifeless world.
As the incantations spread, the mysterious runes on the altar became increasingly twisted and frenzied. They seemed to come alive, desperately drilling into Logos's mouth, nose, eyes, and ears.
"Chthon, don't make it so disgusting, it makes us look like villains." Lucas complained.
Out of sight, out of mind. He simply flew to the side, took out a book, and quietly read it.
Hearing this, Chthon's incantation involuntarily paused for a moment. He really wanted to refute Lucas, but he couldn't spare the effort, so he could only sigh deeply in his heart.
I've seen your battle with Logos, your crawling tentacles weren't much better than mine.
Suddenly, Logos let out three screams, like sharp blades scraping against hard objects, piercing and shrill.
Lucas, from afar, sighed. Out of earshot, out of mind, he waved his hand and set up a barrier to block external sounds.
This way, he could finally read in peace.