Chapter 1134: Might

…

On the fourth day since the Zealots and Sorcerers had formally engaged in warfare, Stephen Strange, the foremost among the new generation of the Five Great Novice Sorcerers, joined the battle and quickly rose to fame.

During a Zealots assault on the New York Sanctum, Strange took on three adversaries alone, successfully repelling the attacking Zealots and even managing to escape Kaecilius who appeared afterward.

Following that battle, the new generation of young and talented sorcerers finally began to shine. Leading the pack were the Four Great Novice Sorcerers, including Strange, who undoubtedly stood out in the war.

Apart from sorcerers like Wong and Mordo, who were the most seasoned members of the faction, these four had defeated the most adversaries. However, there was another formidable young sorcerer who had excelled in the war— Yunlan, a disciple of Ancient One.

Nevertheless, as the war continued, the Zealots aligned with Kaecilius drew increasing power from the dark dimension, bolstering their strength. Sorcerers could no longer simply defeat them as easily as they did at the outset.

Moreover, Ancient One had sensed the impending arrival of Dormammu and had refrained from frequent engagement in the conflict. He needed to be in optimal condition to face Dormammu. Lin Rui’s previous warning had alerted Ancient One to the impending threat.

The Zealots’ relentless assault on Sorcerers was motivated by their belief in Dormammu’s imminent arrival— a powerful backer on their side.

Even though Dormammu might consume Earth upon his arrival, those already immersed in darkness could easily transition to the dark dimension or venture beyond the boundless universe of the Nine Realms.

However, those Sorcerers who were lured by Kaecilius into embracing the darkness were unaware. Once ensnared in darkness, they would have no opportunity for redemption. Moreover, it remained uncertain whether Dormammu would still regard them after devouring Earth.

Nevertheless, given Dormammu’s reputation across multiple universes and dimensions, even the Zealots who summoned him were unlikely to meet a favorable end.

On this day, just after the conclusion of a battle between the Zealots and Sorcerers, Kaecilius, the leader of the Zealots, was seated cross-legged on the ground in a quiet residential building in a remote American town. As he meditated, his body was enveloped in layers of dark energy, far denser than before.

Exhaling deeply, Kaecilius emerged from his deep meditation after a few minutes. As he opened his eyes, the swirling black energy that surrounded him rapidly receded into his body, leaving only distinct traces of dark energy invading his eyes.

“Stephen Strange… The genius most likely to inherit Ancient One’s legacy and become the new Sorcerer Supreme?” The black light in Kaecilius’ eyes gradually dimmed as he muttered to himself.

Evidently, Strange’s recent impressive performances had caught Kaecilius’ attention. If not for Strange’s remarkable luck, Kaecilius could have eliminated him during their previous encounter.

However, as a protagonist of the unfolding narrative, Strange undoubtedly possessed a luck factor. Even if his strength fell short of the current Kaecilius, he had the means to escape when outmatched.

In the absence of Ancient One’s intervention, Strange had inadvertently become a significant obstacle to Kaecilius’ mission of dismantling the sorcerer faction. Moreover, the evaluation of Strange by Sorcerers intrigued Kaecilius. The new Sorcerer Supreme? The very title he aimed to eradicate!

“However… Ancient One has been hiding away lately, leaving no opportunity!” Pondering the new sorcerer Strange, Kaecilius’ expression turned gloomy as he muttered to himself.

Kaecilius acknowledged the formidable power of the Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme. Dormammu was well aware that Ancient One posed the greatest hurdle to his conquest of Earth. Thus, when Kaecilius communicated with Dormammu, the latter instructed Kaecilius to eliminate Ancient One first.

…

Given Kaecilius’ strength, he was certainly not capable of directly dealing with Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme. Thus, Dormammu didn’t instruct Kaecilius to kill Ancient One outright. Through several interdimensional communications, Dormammu bestowed special dark power upon Kaecilius.

As long as Kaecilius seized an opportunity, he had a chance to severely weaken Ancient One. Once Ancient One was gravely injured, nothing could prevent Dormammu from consuming Earth.

As for those who had summoned him to Earth, Dormammu cared little about their fate after the consumption. Whether they descended into the dark dimension or perished on their own was of no concern to him.

After consuming Earth, Dormammu would continue to roam countless universes for centuries. As long as the universe didn’t reset, he would endure indefinitely. His reputation would resonate across myriad universes, instilling fear in anyone who heard his name.

After these musings, a deep abyss of dark energy began to well up in the palm of Kaecilius’ right hand. Unlike the earlier chaotic dispersion of energy, this dark energy rapidly extended forward, converging into the shape of a long blade.

As the dark energy coalesced into the form of a blade, Kaecilius forcefully clenched his right hand, gripping the illusory dark energy. The black hue rapidly dissipated from the grasp point, leaving a semi-transparent long blade in Kaecilius’ hand.

Within this semi-transparent blade were flowing strands of black threads. This blade was crafted from the dark energy conveyed by Dormammu, intended for Kaecilius to inflict harm upon the Ancient One.

If Kaecilius managed to wound Ancient One with this blade, it was certain that Ancient One would be gravely injured, rendering him incapable of resisting Dormammu’s arrival.

Swish!

“I must find a way to harm Ancient One!” Kaecilius muttered coldly as he swiftly swung the blade before him.

…

Subsequently, the Zealots intensified their attacks on Sorcerers, resorting to near-suicidal tactics to strike at them. Even if a Zealots sorcerer was severely injured, they didn’t yield; instead, they unleashed all of their dark energy in a final burst of damage.

Due to this shift in tactics, casualties within Sorcerers increased once again. Young sorcerer prodigies like Strange also became targeted. Within a single day, two emerging sorcerer talents fell victim to Zealots’ self-destructive attacks, fueling anger and helplessness within Sorcerers.

In the end, when Kaecilius launched an ambush that nearly killed Strange, Ancient One finally took action.

……

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