Lucky Day for the Ancient One

Authors Note-

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After Master Gu Yi's departure, Ivan tasked the Red Queen with informing Eli to visit him at the Devil's Hut in three days. He then plunged into his laboratory, eager to unravel the mysteries within the three time-turners.

Ivan thrived on acquired knowledge and embarked on a meticulous analysis. He enlisted the Red Queen's help in dismantling the time turners piece by piece, meticulously recording the magical runes etched on each component. The materials used and even the underlying principles of operation fascinated him. Every rune, every intricate part, fueled his growing addiction to understanding the technology of time manipulation.

Finally, Ivan grasped their essence after disassembling the three sand cores within the converters. Unlike the coveted Time Gem, capable of traversing any point in time, these converters were powered by "Sands of time," a far inferior treasure. Though amplified by the magic runes, their effect was limited to a mere few days of time reversal.

Holding the three-time sands in his palm, Ivan wrestled with their potential uses. The allure of manipulating time sparked various schemes. He could foresee winning lottery numbers and capitalizing, but his vast business empire rendered such wealth pointless. Targeting enemies with staged accidents held no appeal either – with his current power, eliminating them wouldn't require such theatrics. Stock market manipulation seemed equally uninspired; experimentation and leisure with Tina held more charm. Even becoming a prophetic charlatan held little interest.

The solution arrived after a lengthy contemplation. What if he used the Time Gem, acquired through his upcoming deal with the Ancient One, to locate his timeline? Sealing it within the time sands—extracting his own time from the grand river—could render him impervious to erasure, even by Thanos wielding a complete Infinity Gauntlet. The risk was minimal; failure would only cost the three sands.

Three days later, Master Gu Yi returned. An impatient Ivan wasted no time, leading the Ancient One directly through a hidden doorway into the Devil's Hut.

As Master Gu Yi stepped through the doorway, a distinct fluctuation in space tipped her off. The ordinary-looking door was a portal to another realm. She found herself in a stark building surrounded by similar structures. A white-walled room held only a large table and a few chairs inside. A beautiful girl sat patiently in one chair.

Gu Yi's vast knowledge couldn't prepare her for the stunning beauty. Her pure eyes and noble demeanor emanated a soul-cleansing aura. An intriguing mystery cloaked her, making her strength challenging to discern.

"Dad, you took forever! I promised a classmate we'd go shopping today. Much later, and I would've left," she pouted, her regal air replaced by a playful child's demeanor.

Ivan patted her head affectionately. "My apologies, Eli. I'll manage my time better. Now, about summoning those two… are you sure you want to manifest them both while awake? It's a demanding feat. You don't have to take such a risk."

Eli waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry, Daddy. Unlike other places, this space is perfect. I've been training diligently for years, and not a single day has been missed! My mental power is up to the challenge."

Seeing her confidence, Ivan didn't argue further. He nodded. Eli closed her eyes, her body radiating an increasingly powerful divine light. The intensity surprised even Gu Yi, momentarily igniting a strange reverence.

The light intensified until it suddenly separated from Eli, condensing into two light clusters in the air. These clusters gradually solidified into humanoid figures.

One resembled Eli with a benevolent smile and an aura of all-encompassing divinity. Earthly power pulsed from her, conveying a sense of stability and strength.

The other figure defied description. Though humanoid, it constantly shifted, encompassing male, female, young, and old – a representation of everything.

With her centuries of experience and vast knowledge, Gu Yi made a startling guess about their identities. But she hesitated to voice it. If she were right, the implications would be earth-shattering.

Ivan soon confirmed his suspicions. He gestured towards the Eli-like figure. "Allow me to introduce Gaia, the Mother Earth, Earth itself – you may address her as you please. Just understand her immense significance."

"Immense significance indeed! Mother Earth is a powerful being that sustains all life on our planet. We owe her the utmost respect."

Master Gu Yi was very dissatisfied with Ivan's attitude. He hurriedly bowed to Gaia and said, "Gu Yi pays tribute to Mother Earth!"

"Don't be too polite; I don't care about these false rituals; just treat me as ordinary." Gaia felt good about the ancient master because she knew everything about life on Earth and knew the ancient. She is a true saint who protects the earth wholeheartedly and protects humanity; even if she absorbs Dormammu's dark power, it is not for herself.

Ivan pointed to another indescribable humanoid body and said, "You can call her Alaya. There is no age, no gender, no thoughts, no feelings, only the instinct for human beings because it is a collective of human beings. Consciousness can never truly form life. As long as a human being is alive, it will not disappear. Always stand on the side of human beings and think about human beings."

"It's unbelievable that this kind of existence exists." Master Gu Yi muttered to himself.

Ivan smiled, "Everything is possible; it has been shown in front of your eyes, and what is impossible is that it should be no problem for them to witness the contract."

"No problem, of course. It doesn't matter whether you sign the contract or not. Since you can invite them as witnesses, you are different from those who break your promises. If you want, we can trade now."

Ivan didn't expect Master Gu Yi to be a brainless fan of Gaia and Alaya, and it was so easy to get it done.

"Thank you for your trust, but talking about some things is better. The so-called brothers make up their minds, so this contract should be signed."

Ivan said and handed a dragon contract to Master Gu Yi. Master Gu Yi just read the general contents of the contract, and there was no problem. 

Ivan smiled, made a significant stroke, and signed his name. Then, he handed the Ego's power beads to Master Gu Yi and took the Eye of Agamotto.

Master Gu Yi held the bead in her hand. The warm feeling spread throughout her body, and she almost groaned in comfort. She felt that she had gained a lot today. With this bead, the burden on her body was significantly reduced, and she would feel much more relaxed.

But Gu Yi didn't know that today was her lucky day. After completing the transaction, Gaia suddenly said, "Gu Yi, you have been guarding the earth for all these years, and I have seen it all, but I couldn't take action for reasons. Help you. I have a rare chance today. Let me give you a gift."

Gaia said, waving her hand, and a cloud of energy flew into the hands of the ancient master: "This is a mass of earth's divine power; its ability is tolerance and absorption. The power of darkness in your body is the Dormammu swallowing rule. The fusion of the universe has evolved. Even if I can't eliminate it, it can make you less painful. You can use the power of the earth to absorb the part of the dark power that is harmful to you."

"Thank you for the gift of Mother Goddess Gaia. With it, I can last for a few more decades." Master Gu Yi, who knows the goods, immediately understood the preciousness of the earth's power in her hand and hurriedly bowed to Gaia.

Initially, the ancient one should have been over; she had already gained a lot of benefits, but she did not expect that at this time. Gaia turned to look at Alaya and said, "The ancient one is also the protector of human beings. You can't be too stingy if you can help. Help!"

Alaya, who had been silent for a long time, wanted to hear this and suddenly stretched out a hand; a white light group flew out, fell into the hands of Master Gu Yi, and then returned to the picture of standing still—moving state.

"That's not bad. It's rare for you to be generous this time, Gu Yi. Just accept it."

Master Gu Yi looked at the light group in his hand, wondering what use this thing was.

Gaia explained: "This is the pure consciousness of human beings. It has no attack power, no defense power, and can't assist, but for you, it is better than the earth I gave you before. Divine power is still useful; its later function is to share, to help you share the damage to your body; because of the erosion of Dormammu's dark power, your body is under enormous pressure all the time; it is like an ordinary person carrying a hundred on her back. Now you have the power of belief, and after it is integrated into your body, it will help you share the pressure. If you need to bear the weight of 100 pounds, now you only need to bear the weight of 10 pounds. You will only have to control 1:10 of the original.."

When Master Gu Yi heard this, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she immediately merged the white light group into her body, smiling pleasantly. It was so comfortable, which she had not enjoyed for many years.

Seeing Gu Yi's enjoyment, Ivan felt a little jealous and wanted to ask what had happened to Gaia and Alaya today; they had become so generous.