Chapter 107: Encounter with the Hulk Again

The Ancient One had no intention of sending Clark to Kamar-Taj for magic training classes; instead, she offered one-on-one teaching in the New York Sanctum. This undoubtedly counted as special treatment.

Despite his curiosity about the Ancient One's favoritism, Clark didn't let it hinder his earnest study of magic. He even turned off his phone to eliminate all distractions from the outside world.

The teacher was genuine in her teaching, and the student in his learning, yet Clark's progress over the days was not as promising as one might hope.

In the Vishanti magic system, the portal spell is considered a foundational entry-level spell, the first that every magician must learn and master upon initiation, while Astral Projection is considerably more advanced.

However, Clark managed to master Astral Projection in just three days, while making no substantial progress with the portal spell, a fundamental among fundamentals.

The Ancient One did not comment on Clark's unusual performance. Instead, she employed the same method used on Doctor Strange in the movies, sending Clark to a freezing, snowy environment.

"This is Siberia, close to the permafrost region." Looking at the vast wilderness before them, the Ancient One casually said to Clark, "Now you have two choices: freeze to death here or learn to use the Sling Ring to leave this place on your own."

After speaking, the sorcerer had already turned and disappeared through a portal, leaving Clark alone in the icy wilderness.

Back in the New York Sanctum, Daniel, upon seeing the Ancient One's return, couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Can Clark really do it? There's no rush right now, do we need to push him like this?"

The Ancient One calmly replied, "He'll be fine. His physique is special. Even temperatures that could freeze a polar bear to death can't truly threaten his life. Returning safely will be no difficulty for him. The only difference is whether he comes back using a portal or makes the long journey on foot."

...

Surrounded by the vast and desolate landscape, Clark felt utterly frustrated.

Life and death bring great fear, and he understood the rationale behind seeking breakthroughs at the edge of life and death, a concept known as "stealing the heavens" in martial arts.

But if this method was to be effective, shouldn't he be placed in a situation of certain death first?

The weather in Siberia is indeed terrible, but that depends on who you're talking about. For Clark, who had twice broken through his limits, the environment here couldn't even give him a cold, let alone freeze him to death.

Surely, the Ancient One must be aware of his physical condition, so her arrangement must have a deeper meaning, right?

With that thought, Clark began to practice the portal spell amidst the icy wilderness.

Holding the Sling Ring in his left hand in front of him and drawing circles clockwise with his right, sparks exploded in the air before him like festival fireworks, a sign of the portal spell's activation.

However, the sparks before Clark were intermittent, never forming a complete whole, far from meeting the requirements for creating a portal.

In fact, just making these sparks appear had taken Clark five days to achieve.

Compared to Doctor Strange, who learned the spell in less than ten minutes in the movie, Clark's progress was indeed at a muggle level.

Repeated practice brought little improvement.

As the day darkened and hunger and thirst set in, Clark put away the Sling Ring and scanned the surroundings, quickly spotting an ice mountain that could block the wind and snow.

He approached the ice mountain and pulled out a model the size of a matchbox, which resembled a small house.

Placing it steadily on the ice and stepping back, he pressed the control button on his wristwatch.

Biu!

The compact model instantly transformed into a small mansion resembling a European castle. Entering, he found it stocked with food and water.

This was the temporary base they had set up during their first trip to Siberia with Hank Pym, intending to unearth Captain America but accidentally discovering the Winter Soldier's hideout.

It was ironic that, a decade later, the same setup was being used again in Siberia.

Entering the house, Clark cooked himself a lavish dinner, enjoying the meal while admiring the snowscape outside, unaware that a portal had quietly opened on one side of the ice mountain. The Ancient One and Daniel stood on the other side, observing his every move.

Seeing the mansion standing defiantly in the snow, Daniel's expression turned peculiar: "What exactly does he think this training is?"

Even the Ancient One could only smile wryly: "It seems he's unlikely to learn the portal spell any time soon. I anticipated that the cold of Siberia wouldn't bother him, but I didn't expect him to be living so comfortably there!"

Shaking her head, the Ancient One added, "However, his comfortable days won't last much longer. In the upcoming troubles, it's doubtful his house will remain standing."

Daniel looked at the Ancient One with confusion, but she offered no explanation.

Dismissing the portal, the Ancient One turned and walked towards a corridor within the Sanctum: "I'll return to Kamar-Taj. When Clark comes back, you can bring him there to find me."

That night, the lights in the mansion shone brightly through the snowstorm.

Clark slept peacefully in bed, while his astral form, holding a book on gravitational theory, meticulously studied.

Unable to train or directly strengthen himself in the astral state, he still found learning feasible.

In the movies, Doctor Strange used this ability to transform from a muggle to the Sorcerer Supreme in less than a year. Clark planned to do the same, hoping to accelerate his learning process.

Time passed slowly in the astral state, and the dozen books Clark brought with him were quickly memorized.

Just as he was about to review the knowledge, he suddenly felt the ground shake.

This is bad, the house is collapsing! Startled, Clark's astral form hastily returned to his body. When he opened his eyes, the house was on the verge of collapse.

With a wave of his vibranium cloak, Clark created a large hole in the collapsing roof and shot up into the sky, narrowly escaping being buried under the rubble.

Looking down, he saw a three-meter-tall green behemoth standing on the ruins of the house, its eyes filled with battle intent, staring dead at Clark and emitting a deafening roar.