Ten minutes later, deep within Ta Lo village.
Inside a quaint, ancient courtyard, Peter and Daisy were sampling various exotic fruits they had never seen before. Sitting across from them, a white-haired elder and a stern-faced, middle-aged woman were studying them with furrowed brows.
They were precisely Elder Guang Bo of Ta Lo village and Ying Nan, the guardian of the village.
"Where did you hear about the Dweller-in-Darkness?" Ying Nan—who was Ying Li's younger sister and Shang-Chi's aunt—looked at Peter, her eyes completely filled with vigilance.
She could sense that Peter's strength was immense, but as to exactly how strong he was, even she felt entirely out of her depth.
Peter casually tossed the Ten Rings onto the coffee table. The moment Ying Nan saw the rings, she couldn't help but be startled:
"What did you do to my sister and Wenwu?"
"Your sister died more than a decade ago. Xu Wenwu was bewitched by the Dweller-in-Darkness, and all these years he kept wanting to return to Ta Lo to unseal that gate. If I hadn't come, your ending would have only been worse..."
Listening to Peter narrate everything regarding Xu Wenwu, the expressions of both Guang Bo and Ying Nan underwent a massive shift.
They had never imagined that Xu Wenwu was actually that kind of person, let alone expected that their past decision would ultimately cost Ying Li her life.
After a long silence, Guang Bo looked toward Peter and spoke:
"Young man, our Ta Lo village accepts your goodwill, but the Dweller-in-Darkness is not something that can be opposed by human force..."
Before his words could finish, an astounding aura abruptly erupted from Peter's body. Dual God Resonance, Cosmic Energy, Sage Mode... various terrifying energies that Guang Bo had never even heard of rotated over Peter's form like a revolving lantern show.
It left Ying Nan, who was standing to the side, completely dumbfounded. She could clearly sense that any single one of these energies could easily crush her to absolute paste.
She and the young man before her eyes simply didn't seem like biological entities from the same dimension!
"Now, do you still have questions?" Peter asked.
Guang Bo shook his head like a rattle, subsequently bowing respectfully toward Peter:
"Brave warrior, the Dweller-in-Darkness is entrusted to you. These days, you may freely enter and exit any area of Ta Lo village; absolutely no one will stop you."
Very good, old man. Didn't your path just widen up significantly~
Peter cast an appreciative glance at him, then turned to Ying Nan and said:
"You are responsible for taking good care of my girlfriend. It would be best to teach her your Ta Lo martial arts."
The exact instant those words were finished, Peter's form flashed, immediately appearing above the lake in the center of the village.
"WATER, PLEASE~!"
The Wizard Driver materialized around Peter's waist. The attribute switch was completed. Covered entirely in water magic, Peter didn't utter another word, immediately diving headfirst into the lake like a breaching fish.
Ying Nan stared blankly at Peter, who seemed to have completely dissolved into the lake water, and couldn't resist looking at Daisy to ask:
"Who on earth is he?"
Hearing this question, Daisy tilted her head, subsequently coming up with an explanation that Ying Nan could comprehend:
"You are the guardian of your village, right?"
Ying Nan gave a gentle nod.
"He is pretty much the guardian of our planet," Daisy said with an entirely earnest face, her voice completely brimming with her adoration for Peter.
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the lake.
Relying on the absolute liquefaction capability of his water attribute, Peter completed his search of the lakebed in just the blink of an eye. His gaze very quickly locked onto a massive, dragon-shaped stone sculpture.
"Because it has grown far too ancient, it could only prolong its lifespan through petrification?"
Muttering in this manner, Peter pressed his hand onto the dragon-shaped sculpture. Immediately following, the natural energy he had accumulated in the past instantly wrapped around his entire body, entering Sage Mode almost in the blink of an eye.
As the natural energy channeled down Peter's arm and into the statue, the stone shell over the sculpture began to crack and slough off in a flurry. In no time at all, a majestic white dragon presented itself before his eyes.
The Great Protector looked at Peter. Though it didn't open its mouth, its voice clearly transmitted into Peter's ears:
[Who are you?]
"Peter Parker." Peter cupped his fists in the water. "Excuse the intrusion."
[You are not of this village.]
"No. I come from the outside."
[What does the outside world look like now?]
This question caught Peter off guard for a moment. A divine dragon that had been slumbering for who knew how many years—the first question it asked upon waking up was actually this.
"It's quite lively," Peter answered truthfully. "There are good things and bad things, but overall, it hasn't reached the end of the world. With me holding the line, it won't get to the point where alien entities can harm this planet."
The giant dragon blinked, the scrutiny within its gaze shifting into curiosity.
[Your power is deeply complex... There are even many forces that even I cannot comprehend. For someone as powerful as you, what is it that you still wish to obtain by coming here?]
"The Dweller-in-Darkness," Peter answered concisely. "I will help you resolve him. Consider it fulfilling your long-standing wish."
These words acted like some sort of trigger. The dragon's pupils abruptly contracted, and the entire lakebed shuddered violently. Up on the surface, the villagers nearly thought an earthquake had struck.
[You wish to open the stone gate?]
"Not just open it. I intend to thoroughly annihilate the thing locked inside."
A long silence ensued.
[It cannot be killed.] The dragon's voice sank low. [Your ancestors tried many methods—burning it with fire, drowning it with water, striking it with lightning—yet none of it could harm it.]
"Just because those methods failed doesn't mean my method will fail."
[What method do you have?]
"You'll find out when the time comes." Peter smiled. "Right now, I need you to help me with two things."
[Speak.]
"First, give me your scales—my demand isn't exactly small. Second—" Peter flashed the Omnitrix on his left wrist, "—let me use this device to scan and copy your DNA."
Hearing this, the white dragon's expression couldn't help but turn deeply subtle.
[You wish to steal my power?]
"It's not stealing, it's inheriting it fair and square. Since you don't have much longer to live anyway, wouldn't it be better to pass your power down to me?"
The white dragon fell silent for a while. A moment later, a distinct trace of amusement surfaced within its eyes:
[You are the first human who has ever dared to speak to me in this manner. However, you are right. If you can truly resolve the Dweller-in-Darkness, then I can consider it a peaceful passing.]
Saying this, it shuddered its form, and over a hundred palm-sized dragon scales slowly drifted to float in front of Peter.
[Take them. I will also coordinate with you to fight shortly. I hope you will not disappoint me.]
"Coordinating in the fight won't be necessary. Since you can live a couple more years, why not just enjoy those couple of years~"
Accompanied by a flurry of billowing bubbles, Peter's form slowly surfaced from the bottom of the lake.
Daisy was the first to rush over:
"Peter! You're finally out. I almost thought you'd been eaten by that dragon!"
SPLASH~!
The lake's surface threw up a massive wave as the white dragon abruptly breached, the splashing water completely drenching Daisy from head to toe.
Beholding this scene, Peter didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He hadn't expected this ancient dragon to be quite so playful.
Seeing the Great Protector manifest, the surrounding Ta Lo villagers fell to their knees in a widespread display. Guang Bo couldn't resist kneeling to the ground either, but subsequently, he couldn't help but look at Peter and ask:
"Young man, are you truly going to face the Dweller-in-Darkness?"
"Otherwise, what did I come all this way for? To crash a free meal?"
Guang Bo was choked by Peter's retort, but he still hesitated, looking at Peter to ask: "How certain are you?"
Peter flashed him a confident, brilliant smile:
"If you're asking, it's one hundred percent."
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