Lin Feng nodded in understanding. While the MCU never explicitly explained where the Ancient One went after her death, the comics offered a different explanation: she hadn't truly died but had faked her death to escape her debts.
"Another path is through physical transcendence, elevating the body's life level to Celestial Father-level. Have you heard of the cosmic overlord Thanos, Mr. Lin? He followed this path," the Ancient One said.
"Of course, I've heard of him," Lin Feng replied.
Without expressing surprise at his knowledge, the Ancient One continued, "At this level, one achieves what is called an Indestructible Body. The life level becomes entirely different from that of ordinary beings, allowing one to traverse the cosmos, ignore life-prohibiting zones, and vastly extend their lifespan. The most striking manifestation of this leap in life level is the extension of one's lifespan."
Lin Feng nodded, deeply moved. After merging with the Super Soldier Serum, he had felt his lifespan would extend to at least two hundred years.
After integrating the basic Homelander template, his team of scientists, through cellular-level research and analysis, estimated his lifespan could exceed one thousand years.
After further merging with the War God Ares' War Godhood, his lifespan instantly became infinite.
Each fusion represented a leap in his life's tier.
"The kings of the pantheons in various mythologies are at least Celestial Father-level beings," the Ancient One continued. "Most of them tap into their own bloodlines. Take the Olympians and Asgardians, for example. They are descendants of the ancient Earth demon gods, their bloodlines naturally imbued with such power. They simply need to cultivate it to its limit."
Seeing that Lin Feng showed no surprise at the claim that the Asgardians and Olympians were descendants of ancient Earth demon gods, the Ancient One grew even more certain of her judgment.
"As for us born later, we can only reach the Celestial Father-level by comprehending the power of heaven and earth. Especially since you've also learned magical power, you should understand how crucial it is to grasp the great Dao of the universe." The Ancient One explained, "The more cosmic mysteries you uncover, the faster you'll break through. Of course, there are shortcuts. Take Dormammu, the Dark Dimension Lord. He was once a secret arts mage on Earth. After merging with the Dark Dimension, his essence underwent a leap in quality. But there's a catch: he can never leave the Dark Dimension again."
"I know him," Lin Feng nodded. "Being locked up in that massive prison of the Dark Dimension for so long, with no one to talk to, he must have gone stir-crazy. No wonder he's been trying to trick people on Earth into releasing him. All this Ancient God Whispers nonsense—I bet he's just gone completely mad from boredom."
The Ancient One was taken aback by this novel perspective, then couldn't help but laugh. She had to admit, Lin Feng's idea was truly unique. She had never considered it before.
Humans were social animals, after all. It was one thing to stay home and keep to oneself, but to spend countless eons in complete isolation, with no conversation, entertainment, or any other form of diversion—that was entirely different.
"In short, those with a bloodline must tap into its potential. Those without must strive to comprehend the heavens and earth, transforming their power into something they can wield. Achieving this makes one a Celestial Father-level being," the Ancient One said. "There are no specific characteristics, only that all paths eventually converge at this point. This first convergence point is the Celestial Father-level."
Lin Feng understood. After all the talk, there were really only three effective paths.
One path is through an exceptionally powerful innate bloodline, like that of the members of noble clans. They are born with extraordinary potential and only need to fully develop their bloodline, as exemplified by the Asgardians, including Odin, Hela, and Thor.
Thanos also follows this path. As a Titan, his race possesses immense power and astonishing potential.
Scarlet Witch Wanda is another outstanding representative of this path. The Chaos Magic within her has inherent potential, and by continuously delving into it, she could break through to the Celestial Father-level.
The second path involves extraordinary encounters, like those of Captain Marvel or Dormammu, who transcended ordinary mortals to reach the Celestial Father-level through unimaginable fortune.
The third path is that of the Ancient One, who achieved the Celestial Father-level through post-natal cultivation. Relying on her extraordinary comprehension, she mastered various powers and gained profound understanding of cosmic mysteries.
For Lin Feng, these three paths were essentially laid before him.
He could either wait to continue drawing for the advanced Homelander template, which he might never obtain, and achieve a physical breakthrough.
Or he could follow the Ancient One's path, delving into magic, racking up debt, and stubbornly refusing to repay it.
However, he had another path: the War Godhood of Ares, the God of War. With gradual accumulation, breaking through to the Celestial Father-level was not impossible.
The thought gave him a headache, as neither path was simple.
"Actually, Mr. Lin, with your current strength, Dual Cultivation of Magic and Martial Arts, you're not without a chance even against a Celestial Father-level opponent. At the very least, you could hold your ground and remain undefeated," the Ancient One said. "The most crucial aspect of reaching the Celestial Father-level is the leap in life essence. However, in terms of combat power, it's a different story—each has its own strengths and weaknesses."
Hearing this, Lin Feng immediately understood the Ancient One's meaning.
Life essence was one thing, combat power another.
Reaching the Celestial Father-level was a clear threshold, one you'd naturally sense when you achieved it.
But combat power was far more complex.
With the power of three major systems at his disposal, Lin Feng could hold his own even against Celestial Father-level experts.
Take Thor's strength in *Avengers: Infinity War*. Wielding Stormbreaker, he even beheaded Thanos—a formidable feat, though it was arguably taking advantage of Thanos's weakened state.
Against a peak-strength Thanos, he couldn't perform nearly as well, and even three combined couldn't match him. Yet this demonstrated how much Stormbreaker amplified his inherent combat power.
Wielding Mjolnir, Captain America Rogers could even hold his own against Thanos in a short-term battle, sometimes even suppressing him.
If the same weapon were in Odin's hands, even a peak- Thanos would have to think twice.
Therefore, even though Lin Feng's life essence hadn't yet reached the Celestial Father-level, he wouldn't be at a disadvantage in a real fight. Thanos' physical strength might not even match Lin Feng's current terrifying power.
Seeing Lin Feng appear to be on the verge of a breakthrough, Ancient One smiled and nodded.
She was willing to guide him because, after observing him for so long, she had realized his pure nature and lack of intent to harm Earth. He was a reliable ally within their ranks, someone she could count on for support.
Of course, Ancient One didn't care how Lin Feng acted as a capitalist in the mortal world—whether he used cement trucks to kill a few senators or not.
Lin Feng's power had greatly diminished her fear of being unable to glimpse the future.
Only then did she realize that for years, she had been relying too heavily on the Time Stone's power to avoid misfortune and seek the best outcomes. But by forcing too many outcomes, she had ended up gaining nothing.
She intended to take Stephen Strange as her disciple in the future, but if Lin Feng could break through to the Celestial Father-level, his very existence would undoubtedly serve as a massive deterrent to major cosmic powers and dimensional demon gods.
Therefore, she was willing to help Lin Feng as much as she could.
"I understand. Thank you for clearing my doubts, Supreme Sorcerer," Lin Feng said gratefully.
"Actually, even if I hadn't said anything, you would have realized it eventually. You are a magical prodigy unlike any I've ever seen. Even my future disciple, Stephen Strange, cannot compare to you. In terms of magical insight and application, you are already nearly my equal," the Ancient One said, shaking her head.
Lin Feng was indeed a super-magical genius she had never encountered before. Even when she used the Time Stone to observe Doctor Strange's cultivation speed, it paled in comparison to Lin Feng's.
The Ancient One was already a rare magical genius, one in centuries, to have reached her current level. Yet Doctor Strange's potential surpassed hers, and Lin Feng's potential surpassed Doctor Strange's.
His learning speed was astonishing, as evidenced by the rate at which Lin Feng borrowed magical texts. They also sparred regularly, exchanging insights and understanding of magic.
She discovered that Lin Feng's comprehension of magic had reached a terrifying level. Anything he learned, he mastered almost instantly. His insights and proficiency after only a few years surpassed her own accumulated over several centuries of practice and contemplation.
If he continued at this pace, she feared he might become a god of magic within a century, possibly even ascending to godhood himself.
The Celestial Father-level was merely a minor hurdle before him.
So she couldn't understand why Lin Feng was so anxious and desperate to break through.
For beings like them, who could live for millennia and observe the passage of ages, time was the most worthless of commodities.
If he were to properly retreat and cultivate at Kamar-Taj, focusing on comprehending magic, he might even ascend to godhood. After all, even ordinary humans had ascended to godhood in the Marvel universe.
If it weren't for the Ancient One's predetermined death, given more time, her life essence might have evolved to the level of a god.
Her combat power was firmly at the Celestial Father-level, but the essence of her physical being hadn't reached that level; she had taken a different path.
"So you don't need to rush. If you push too hard and lose control, it will be a disaster," the Ancient One said.
She feared that Lin Feng's anxiety might be exploited by the Demon Gods from beyond the veil. If he were to fall under their influence, there might be no one left on Earth who could stop him.
-----------------------
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