Chapter 153 : The second generation of Avengers, apprentice of Kamar-Taj?
In his private room in the Main God Space, Li Yu gazed at the floating temporal ripples before him.
Within the ripples, the bustling traffic of a modern city street shimmered, a chaotic yet authentic display of life.
He raised his hand to touch the ripples, feeling a subtle energy fluctuation at his fingertips. He turned his head and asked,
"Main God, can I only go to this specific point in time?"
[This Reincarnation World is of a higher level, and the flow of time cannot be precisely controlled. Multiple high-energy life forms have been detected, with energy intensities far exceeding those of conventional Hunters. It is advised that the Hunter proceed with caution!]
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in the void, offering no further explanation.
Li Yu nodded, understanding. The energy level of the Marvel Universe was inherently far beyond ordinary worlds. It was already remarkable that the Main God could send him precisely to this location; demanding further adjustment of the timeline was unrealistic.
"In that case, this point in time it is."
He no longer hesitated. A faint golden light emanated from his body, and his form transformed into a streak of light, vanishing into the darkness of the Main God Space.
The next second, Li Yu landed steadily on a bustling street.
The honking of cars, the chatter of pedestrians, and the music from shop windows instantly flooded his ears. Sunlight filtered through the gaps between tall buildings, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
He looked up at a street sign by the roadside, which clearly read:
"Greenwich Village Central Avenue, New York"
This was one of the core areas of the Marvel Universe.
To confirm the current timeline and which multiverse it was, Li Yu walked to a newsstand at the street corner and casually picked up a recent newspaper.
The headline on the front page was particularly striking: "Second Generation Avengers Assemble, Main Members Announced."
Below it were photographs of six individuals.
Sam Wilson, wearing a blue suit with a star-spangled banner emblem on his chest, was the Second Generation Captain America.
Yelena Belova, clad in a black combat suit, was the Second Generation Black Widow.
Kate Bishop, with a bow and arrows on her back, was the Second Generation Hawkeye.
Robert Reynolds, with a tall stature and golden light emanating from his body, was an old acquaintance of Li Yu's: the Fallen Reincarnator, Sentry.
James Barnes, with a gleaming metal arm, was none other than the Winter Soldier.
Li Yu scanned the photos and made a judgment: this was the era after Avengers: Endgame.
Most of the first generation Avengers had already retired. Iron Man sacrificed himself to snap his fingers and save the world, and Captain America, after returning the Infinity Stones, remained in the past and grew old.
Bruce Banner, the Hulk, went into seclusion, no longer participating in worldly affairs.
Thor, the God of Thunder, disheartened by the loss of loved ones, left his homeland.
Vision died at the hands of Thanos, and Scarlet Witch Wanda, after turning dark, isolated herself.
The current world was primarily protected by these ordinary Second Generation Avengers, with Sentry Robert Reynolds being the sole exception.
He was said to possess the power of a million exploding suns and had the characteristic of becoming ten times stronger when he turned dark.
Li Yu recalled seeing him before; that was merely his bright form.
If Sentry were to turn dark, he would awaken the Void persona. At that point, the power of the Void alone could instantly eradicate all life on a planet.
However, his target this time was not Sentry, but the Soul Stone among the Infinity Stones.
After Iron Man's snap, the whereabouts of the six stones became a mystery. Based on the circumstances, Li Yu speculated that the most likely hiding place for the six Infinity Stones was the building not far ahead.
177A Bleecker Street, Greenwich Village, New York City, the Kamar-Taj Sanctum Sanctorum.
This was a typical Victorian Gothic Revival style villa, not particularly tall, yet exuding an aura of stability and gravitas.
The dark brick exterior walls had endured the test of time, covered in weathered marks and traces of rain, their color deeper than the surrounding modern buildings, like an antique steeped in time.
The most peculiar thing was that hurried passersby didn't even glance at the villa, as if it were enveloped by an invisible barrier, completely blending into the background.
"It's indeed protected by a concealment spell," Li Yu thought to himself, not daring to intrude rashly.
Although Kamar-Taj's strength had significantly weakened after the Avengers war, it was still the most powerful force on Earth.
The one in charge here now should be the Sorcerer Supreme Wong, known as the melee mage.
Dr. Strange, Dr. Strange, was at the peak of his power.
How to extract the whereabouts of the Infinity Stones from these top-tier mages was his biggest challenge at the moment.
Li Yu waited quietly at the street corner. Not long after, several young men and women, holding a brochure, walked to the villa's entrance.
Almost simultaneously, the tightly shut door automatically opened, and a Black man in a gray mage robe emerged, smiling as he led them inside.
"What's this?" Li Yu's eyes lit up. Another White teenager ambled over, a brochure casually tucked into his jeans pocket.
Li Yu's mind stirred, and a wisp of breeze, transformed into a current of air, gently lifted the brochure.
The teenager instinctively reached out to grab it, but the brochure seemed to have grown wings, flying further and further away, eventually landing in Li Yu's hand.
The teenager stood frozen, scratching his head, a look of confusion gradually appearing in his eyes, as if he had completely forgotten why he came here. He turned and melted into the crowd, soon disappearing from sight.
Li Yu unfolded the brochure, which was written in intricate magical runes:
[Have you ever sensed the undercurrents surging behind the veil of reality? Have you ever glimpsed truths unknown to mortals in the trajectories of stars or ancient symbols?
Do you believe that the material universe before your eyes is merely a fragile corner within infinite dimensions?
Kamar-Taj is no ordinary academy.
It is hidden amidst the snowfields of the world's roof and the mists of the mind, a vanguard where generations of mystic masters guard multidimensional reality, a place where the ancient wisdom of magic is passed down like a torch.
Dr. Strange from the Avengers is a member of Kamar-Taj.
To have seen this brochure proves that you possess the potential to become a mystic artist.
Those interested may come to this address for an interview.
Address: 177A Bleecker Street, New York City]
"Kamar-Taj actually needs to rely on recruitment brochures to attract apprentices?"
Li Yu's expression was strange. In his impression, only Hogwarts next door would do such a thing.
However, this did give him an opportunity to openly infiltrate, saving him a lot of trouble.
Li Yu suppressed his entire Cosmo, adjusting his aura to be indistinguishable from an ordinary human, and slowly walked towards the Sanctum Sanctorum's main door.
As he approached, the seemingly ordinary wooden door instantly transformed. Its material became purplish-gold with a metallic sheen, its surface carved with intricate magical patterns, and the doorknob was a fist-sized blue gem, exuding mysterious energy fluctuations.
"As expected of a sacred place with a thousand-year legacy; even the main door is priceless," Li Yu sighed inwardly. The door had slowly opened, and the Black mage from earlier stood inside, a kind smile on his face.
"Welcome, young man about to step into the world of magic. Please follow me."
Li Yu followed the mage into the hall. Ancient magical scrolls hung on the walls along the way, and the air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood and energy.
The Black mage introduced as they walked:
"Don't be nervous. We are the mystic artists of Kamar-Taj, with a thousand-year legacy. You must know Dr. Strange of the Avengers, right? He is our companion, and many difficult crises have been resolved by us working together with the Avengers."
"Where is Dr. Strange? Where is he now?"
Li Yu suddenly asked, getting straight to the point.
The Black mage smiled and shook his head.
"I understand your eagerness to meet Master Dr. Strange, but don't rush. Before that, you must first pass the mystic artist entrance test. If you fail the test, we will erase all your memories of Kamar-Taj to ensure the secrets of the magical world are not leaked."
"You want me, a Gold Saint who has awakened the Eighth Sense of the Cosmo, to participate in a mage apprentice test?"
Li Yu suppressed the urge to complain, following the mage with a strange expression.
Never mind, since he was here, he would make the best of it. He wanted to see what kind of trick Kamar-Taj was playing this time.