The Ancient One, who was about to depart, found Chen Ye's question intriguing.
Closing her eyes gently, she seemed to be listening to the melody of time. The Time Stone around her neck glowed faintly purple.
Chen Ye guessed that she was observing the future, exploring its myriad possibilities.
Seeing that she might remain in this state for a while, he walked to the side, picked up two bottles of ice-cold soda from the table, and chugged them down.
Just as he finished the second bottle, the Ancient One finally opened her eyes.
Wisdom gleamed in her eyes, as if she had already comprehended the countless futures laid out before her.
"It seems you've found your answer, Ancient One. Would you be willing to share it with me?"
Chen Ye was genuinely curious about the alternative paths Peter Parker might have taken if he hadn't become Spider-Man.
The Ancient One glanced at him, a flicker of contemplation crossing her gaze.
She had witnessed countless versions of Peter Parker across countless timelines. Their life trajectories varied wildly: some became scientists, others businessmen, and some even turned into villains.
Regardless of who they became in each timeline, their endings were never good.
Some were killed by criminal forces, others died in accidents, and some even lived out their days in lonely old age.
Of course, a few did become superheroes other than Spider-Man.
"Perhaps you should see for yourself," the Ancient One said, waving her hand casually.
Chen Ye watched as the surrounding space shifted again, as if he had entered the river of time. Countless light screens materialized around him.
"Perhaps you should see for yourself," the Ancient One said calmly. With a gentle wave of her hand, the space around them began to twist and distort, as if entering a mysterious realm.
Chen Ye felt as though the space around him was veiled in a thin mist, blurring into indistinctness. Countless light screens materialized before his eyes, like stages in the universe.
Each screen represented a different universe, and within each, the life of a Peter Parker was recorded.
He saw Peter Parker's early life, no different from that of any ordinary person.
He witnessed Peter's childhood, his mischievous antics in school, his love story with Mary Jane, and the death of Uncle Ben.
The turning point was when some Peter Parkers were bitten by spiders and became Spider-Man.
Others, who never met a spider or were not Peter Parker, either died in accidents, leading to the annihilation of their entire universe, or through various means transformed into other superheroes.
Chen Ye saw Peter Parkers in the light screen who became members of the Fantastic Four, the Human Torch, the Hulk, and, most absurdly, Captain America.
Some Peter Parkers became villains, such as the Green Goblin, the Plague of the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse, or the Lizard.
However, Chen Ye discovered a shocking truth: regardless of which superhero Peter Parker became, no matter how extraordinary and exciting his life was, the universe he inhabited could not escape its destined demise.
It seemed only one path was correct—to become Spider-Man and take on the responsibility of fighting evil.
After reviewing the information the Ancient One had given him, Chen Ye closed his eyes and fell into deep contemplation.
He began to wonder if he, like Peter Parker, was merely a character in someone else's script.
The Ancient One had been observing Chen Ye's reactions closely. Seeing his nervousness, she couldn't help but nod inwardly.
She had gone to such great lengths to show him these things precisely to warn him against carelessly altering the lives of others, especially her future disciple, Stephen Strange, Chen Ye's college classmate.
Under no circumstances could the Ancient One allow Chen Ye to interfere with Stephen Strange's life path.
This was why she had gone to such trouble to throw Chen Ye into another universe. By the time he completed his mission, Strange would likely already be at Kamar-Taj, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
At that moment, Chen Ye opened his eyes and looked at the Ancient One, suddenly smiling. "Thank you. I understand now."
Chen Ye now understood the Ancient One's well-intentioned efforts. In truth, he was also an anomaly. The Ancient One's message was clear: he must strive to change the tragedies around him.
All Chen Ye could do was alter the tragedies of his friends. And as it happened, Strange was precisely Chen Ye's college roommate.
Though Strange was a bit temperamental and arrogant...
After all these years, Chen Ye figured he'd still help Strange if anything happened. After all, if Strange's girlfriend were to die, this universe would be destroyed by him.
If the Ancient One knew Chen Ye had misunderstood her intentions, she'd probably regret coming to see him today.
Then, a golden ring of light slowly materialized behind the Ancient One. The ring spun, and behind it, Kamar-Taj clearly appeared.
"Let's go," the Ancient One said to Chen Ye. "Come with me to learn about Portals."
But Chen Ye had no intention of leaving with her.
The Ancient One asked in confusion, "Don't you want to learn about Portals?"
Chen Ye smiled faintly, put on his Sling Ring, and drew a circle in the air.
Instantly, a golden ring of light appeared in the air, and behind it, Kamar-Taj also materialized.
"Ancient One, I've already learned," Chen Ye replied calmly. "I have other matters to attend to here. Once I've finished, I'll personally visit you and then travel to other parallel universes."
The Ancient One's calm eyes suddenly widened, clearly astonished by Chen Ye's feat.
"Did you learn this after seeing it just once? Or had you already studied it before?"
The Ancient One had originally expected Chen Ye to take several months to master portals. After all, portals were not ordinary magic; even the most gifted students at Kamar-Taj required at least a month to learn them.
The Ancient One couldn't help but wonder if her counterpart in another parallel universe had taught Chen Ye. The performance he was displaying was simply too shocking.
"Why don't you come to Kamar-Taj and train for a while? I'll even give you the title of Sorcerer Supreme," the Ancient One offered.
She had every reason to believe that with enough time, Chen Ye's speed and talent would make him the greatest Sorcerer Supreme in history. As for Strange? The Ancient One claimed she barely knew him.
Chen Ye declined, "Keep such a wonderful opportunity for Strange."
He knew his own limitations. Without the system, he would have wasted countless hours learning magic. By the time he mastered anything, the Purple Sweet Potato Spirit would have already snapped his fingers.
*What's the point of studying then? It's faster to just make a few more friends.*
Seeing his refusal, the Ancient One didn't press further. She stepped into the shimmering portal and returned to Kamar-Taj.
As for Chen Ye, he needed to settle affairs in Hell's Kitchen before heading to a Spider-Man parallel universe. He was curious to see which version of Spider-Man he would encounter.
-----------------------
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