Marvel Start With Reality Stone

*S.H.I.E.L.D.*

...

After hearing from Qi Jun about the percentage of energy cubes required for exchanging information, Nick Fury immediately left with his trusted subordinate, Phil Coulson.

Qi Jun had deliberately withheld giving Fury an exact amount to ensure that S.H.I.E.L.D. would prepare a large number of energy cubes. After all, the more the payment, the more information they would receive. At the same time, it would alert HYDRA, hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D., giving Qi Jun a chance to sell the same information again.

For Qi Jun, as long as it didn't hinder his interests or could bring him enough profit, he was willing to do business with anyone—even HYDRA, Dormammu, or Thanos! However, selling information to only one party and letting them dominate would be against his interests. A balance of power was far more beneficial to him. Because of Odin's involvement, Qi Jun wasn't planning to seize the Tesseract immediately. Even after replicating the location of the Dark Energy Base from Coulson's memories, he wouldn't make a move just yet. However, that didn't mean he couldn't extract some energy cubes containing immense power from S.H.I.E.L.D. beforehand.

By doing so, he could start getting accustomed to the Space Stone's power, and when he finally obtained the Tesseract, he'd be able to quickly master it, or perhaps even... melt it down!

...

"Ancient One, everyone else has left. Why not reveal yourself?"

After the last of the people left, the top floor of the building fell silent. But Qi Jun suddenly raised his hand, addressing the seemingly empty space beside him.

Having replicated the magic of Kamar-Taj and the skills from the Vishanti, Qi Jun was naturally very familiar with the subtle fluctuations of Mirror Dimension magic.

Moreover, Qi Jun was already a space mage himself, so he had an intimate understanding of spatial fluctuations. In fact, after Qi Jun used the mutated gem to simulate an energy wave as strong as a space collapse, the Ancient One had already appeared nearby.

This was one reason why Qi Jun had so quickly retracted the energy ball from earlier. The simulated wave wasn't real—convincing enough to fool S.H.I.E.L.D., but not for long against the Ancient One.

Had the illusion gone on too long, the Ancient One would have seen through it, so Qi Jun wisely pulled back.

Still, Qi Jun remained calm under pressure, managing to keep up the act in front of the Ancient One while fooling Nick Fury and Coulson. The Ancient One had watched with a raised brow, impressed, but as the protector of the mystical realm, she had no particular reaction to Qi Jun deceiving an earthly organization.

Besides, having witnessed Qi Jun's power firsthand, the Ancient One wasn't about to start a conflict over such a minor issue.

"Archmage Qi Jun, here is the tea I promised you. Please, accept it."

With the characteristic shimmer of Mirror Dimension magic, the Ancient One appeared beside Qi Jun, offering a beautifully wrapped tea box.

"Thank you, Supreme Sorcerer Ancient One," Qi Jun replied without hesitation, accepting the gift and giving the box a little shake. It felt heavy—this tea must be quite plentiful.

However, seeing the Ancient One now, apart from her magical attire being slightly different from the last time they met, she didn't appear injured at all. Qi Jun knew the Time Stone must have played a role in her recovery.

Although Qi Jun hadn't seen the Ancient One wounded, he knew that dealing with a space collapse, even a limited one, would have left her battered. Yet here she was, perfectly fine, which meant she had used the Time Stone to heal herself.

The question was—how much of a toll had using the Time Stone taken on her?

"Oh, it's Da Hong Pao tea! You're very thoughtful, Ancient One."

Qi Jun opened the box, noticing the premium tea leaves, and thanked the sorcerer.

"No need to be so formal, Archmage Qi Jun. While the original Da Hong Pao trees are heavily protected by the government, Kamar-Taj has long possessed many famous tea trees from around the world," the Ancient One explained with a smile. "Although Da Hong Pao is rare, it's not exactly a luxury at Kamar-Taj. And with the care of our sorcerers, these tea leaves also help strengthen one's mental faculties."

"Is that so?" Qi Jun raised an eyebrow. "I'll definitely have to try some. Please, take a seat!"

As he prepared the tea, Qi Jun asked casually, "So, what brings you here, Ancient One?"

The Ancient One smiled knowingly. "Archmage Qi Jun, surely you already know. After you summoned that energy ball with such immense power, how could I, the protector of Earth, not come to investigate?"

"I just didn't expect it to be you testing the intelligence agencies of the real world. Had I known, I wouldn't have been so alarmed."

Sitting opposite Qi Jun, the Ancient One chuckled, speaking as if it was all of little consequence.

"Is that so?" Qi Jun remained calm, continuing his work with the tea. He even conjured a small fireball to boil the water. "I half-expected you to be here to chase me off."

"You jest, Archmage Qi Jun," the Ancient One replied with a smile, pretending not to notice the underlying message in Qi Jun's words. "Kamar-Taj has never driven away a sorcerer who can fully control their power. Besides, Archmage Qi Jun, aren't we friends of Kamar-Taj?"

"Indeed, we are," Qi Jun said, finally letting down his guard and dispelling the magic he had been holding in reserve.

After showcasing his strength, it was clear that Qi Jun had gained the Ancient One's acknowledgment.

What Qi Jun didn't realize was that the Ancient One, too, quietly sighed in relief as Qi Jun dissipated his spell. The archmage truly possessed abilities beyond Qi Jun's full understanding—Earth's great protector indeed.