Chapter 14.
Although Li Yue said he wouldn't attend the opening ceremony of the Stark Expo, he still watched the live broadcast on his computer.
Tony descended from a plane in his Iron Man suit. Amidst a shower of fireworks, he landed on one knee directly onto the stage, triggering loud cheers from the crowd below.
Soon after, mechanical arms emerged from the ground and removed his suit, revealing Tony in a sharp, elegant suit underneath. This caused the audience to erupt in even louder applause and cheers.
The ovation continued for more than ten seconds. During that time, Tony didn't speak. Instead, he turned his head, cupped his ears with both hands, and soaked in the cheers from the audience with a smug and self-satisfied expression.
Once the noise died down, Tony finally spoke — and true to form, delivered a line full of arrogance, claiming he alone could guarantee world peace.
Seeing this, Li Yue couldn't help but gag a little. It was peak narcissistic Tony. In the movie, Tony had already acted arrogantly during the opening ceremony while suffering from palladium poisoning. Now that he was free of that danger, his arrogance had only grown.
The crowd under the stage responded with another wave of enthusiastic cheers to Tony's words.
In short, from what Li Yue saw in the live broadcast, the event didn't look like the launch of a science and technology expo — it looked more like a one-man show for the superhero Iron Man.
Li Yue wasn't watching out of boredom. He was concerned that someone might try to pick a fight with Tony during the opening ceremony. But it seemed everything went smoothly at the event.
Seeing the successful launch of the Stark Expo, Li Yue stopped watching and began his own cultivation. He planned to leave with the Ancient One (Gu Yi) the next day and prepare for his journey back.
At that moment, Tony had just left the stage. As he stepped outside, he was quickly surrounded by a crowd. Some were Iron Man fans looking for autographs, others were young celebrities hoping to gain favor with him, and some were company executives wanting to discuss partnerships.
With the help of his bodyguard, Happy, Tony finally broke free from the crowd and reached his sports car.
Standing next to the car was a blonde woman. Although the playboy in Tony was visibly tempted, he still couldn't help but throw in a flirty comment.
Unfortunately for him, the woman was a police officer. She had come to serve Tony with a duty, summoning him to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington at 9 a.m. the next day.
Tony had expected this. Of course, the military couldn't stay out of it — they wanted something from Tony Stark. But they were too inexperienced to deal with him.
With his good mood ruined, Tony started his sports car and sped off with a roar of the engine.
The next day, Li Yue woke up very early. By now, he barely needed sleep. As long as his soul cultivated and his body rested through the night, he'd be full of energy the next day.
After getting up and washing, Li Yue left his room and went to the training square to begin his morning practice alongside a group of masters.
The square was filled with all kinds of mages — yellow, black, white, ordinary, and even some with physical disabilities. Among them was an elderly man with a white beard wearing a robe, missing half an arm. Li Yue recognized him from the movies — he was the one who had once fiercely slapped Doctor Strange.
When Li Yue first saw him, he had stared at him for a long time, which made the old man feel uneasy.
At Kamar-Taj, the morning training focused on fundamental magic techniques, such as drawing portals, creating magic shields, conjuring magic whips, and more. Even though Li Yue had already mastered these, he still insisted on training with the others every day.
After finishing the morning practice, Li Yue felt it was time to formally say goodbye to the Ancient One and thank her for her teachings–. This past month had been his starting point — and the most important period in his cultivation journey.
He had finally figured out how to travel between worlds. The starry sky he had seen before his first crossing was imprinted in his mind. To travel to another world, he needed to "light up" the stars in that mental sky.
So far, two stars had been lit. One represented the Marvel world, and the other, the X-Men world. Now, he needed to continue cultivating space energy until he could ignite the third star — enabling another world traversal.
The last time he crossed worlds, it happened because he touched the Tesseract and absorbed a large amount of space energy, which lit the second star. That's why Li Yue believed it was necessary to find a way to obtain the Space Stone — it would make world-traveling much easier.
Of course, these were only his theories for now. The actual outcomes still needed to be tested.
While thinking about all this, Li Yue unknowingly arrived at the entrance of the hall where the Ancient One resided. He walked in directly, confident that she already knew he was coming.
Inside, he saw the Ancient One sitting peacefully. On the table in front of her were a teapot and two cups. She was making tea, her movements calm and measured, as if they contained the very essence of natural law.
"Venerable Ancient One, I think—"
"Master Li Yue," Gu Yi smiled gently, interrupting him, "there's no need for words just yet. Sit down and have a cup of tea first."
She gestured for Li Yue to take a seat and poured him a cup of freshly brewed tea.
Seeing Gu Yi like this, Li Yue didn't rush to speak about his departure. Instead, he slowly sipped the tea. Although he still didn't fully understand how to appreciate tea, he no longer drank it all in one gulp like before. Instead, he drank it slowly, gradually savoring its fragrance.
"Master Li Yue, I already know the reason you've come today," Gu Yi said at last, breaking the silence after Li Yue had finished two cups. "I will not stop you, but I do have something I must tell you."
"Thank you, Venerable Gu Yi, for your teachings this past month. I will always remember them. If there's anything you would like me to do, please say the word—I will do my best to accomplish it."
Li Yue replied earnestly. Although his time with the Ancient One had been short, he was sincerely grateful for her guidance.
"I have no orders for you. Just follow your heart and do what you believe is right. But I must remind you—the future has changed. You cannot rely too heavily on what you think you know. Ever since you arrived on this Earth, many things... I can no longer foresee."
Li Yue was taken aback and silently contemplated the meaning of her words.
"Venerable Gu Yi... Can't you see the future using the Time Stone?" he asked.
"It's not that I cannot see the future," she replied calmly, "but that the future has become unclear—full of too many possibilities. Before you arrived, I foresaw that Kaecilius would fall to darkness in a few years, that Doctor Strange would come to Kamar-Taj, heal his hands, and eventually save the world… and that I would die."
Gu Yi spoke in a calm, detached tone, as though what she was saying had nothing to do with her personally.
"But now, that future has changed. No one can predict what is to come."
While Li Yue and Gu Yi were talking, the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington had already begun.
The leading senator immediately began putting pressure on Tony, demanding that he surrender the Iron Man technology. As was later revealed in the movie, the senator was actually a member of Hydra.
But this was –Tony Stark. In just a few witty remarks, he left the senator speechless. With no other options, the Hydra-backed senator called in Justin Hammer, the CEO of Hammer Industries, hoping he could challenge Tony.
Unfortunately for Justin Hammer, things didn't go as planned. The moment he appeared, Tony mocked him with biting sarcasm.
Hammer, who was constantly trying to outshine Stark Industries and win over the U.S. military, had been thrilled when Tony shut down the weapons division of Stark Industries. He thought Tony had lost his mind by making such a reckless decision.
Hammer Industries quickly stepped in to grab the government's arms contracts and began selling their own weapons to the military. For a moment, Justin Hammer thought he was finally living his dream.
But then, Iron Man appeared—and Tony publicly admitted that he was Iron Man.
The U.S. government, understandably greedy for such advanced tech, would have loved to roll tanks up to Tony's house and seize the armor by force. But they couldn't. And they didn't dare.
Instead, they secretly threw their support behind Hammer Industries, hoping they could replicate the Iron Man suit. But unfortunately, not everyone was a genius like Tony. Even with strong government funding, Hammer Industries made no meaningful progress.
Eventually, the government had to back off. They had invested millions of dollars with no returns in sight—and even a fool wouldn't keep investing in a lost cause.
Meanwhile, Iron Man's reputation only grew. His armor kept improving, version after version, and the public's support for him soon surpassed even that for the government itself—causing many politicians to panic.
So, after a secret Hydra meeting, the hearing was organized with the aim of pressuring Tony Stark into surrendering his Iron Man technology. Justin Hammer was invited as an expert in weapons technology.
But Hammer couldn't match Tony's wit and could only retaliate by insulting Tony's father.
Seeing the hearing going nowhere, the Hydra-affiliated senator turned to a military representative—Colonel Rhodes, Tony's close friend—and asked him to read a specific document.
However, Rhodes was Tony's friend. Of course, he took Tony's side. If not for Rhodes constantly playing mediator between the military and Tony, the military might've already tried to seize the Iron Man suit by force.
But Tony had no intention of wasting more time. With a few taps on his phone, he hacked into the hearing's system and displayed videos of failed Iron Man suit copies from various countries.
When the footage of disastrous failures from North Korea, Iran, and Hammer Industries played on screen, the entire audience erupted in shock.
Tony also seized the opportunity to sarcastically mock Justin Hammer:
"It'll take other countries five to ten years to replicate the Iron Man suit… and Hammer Industries? Maybe twenty years."
His words sparked a burst of laughter from the audience.
Then, with a confident smirk, Tony declared:
"I alone can bring about world peace!"
Eventually, this confrontation concluded with Tony as the clear victor. But that didn't mean the government—especially the Hydra-affiliated senator—was willing to give up so easily.
Meanwhile, in a dimly lit, run-down room, a rugged man with long, unkempt hair stared at the television, watching Tony's triumphant performance. His face twisted with hatred.
Without saying a word, he turned away from the screen and focused on his work—intensifying the development of a device. Eventually, he completed a crude exoskeleton suit, equipped with electrified whips and powered by a reactor strikingly similar to Tony Stark's Arc Reactor.
At this time, Li Yue had finished his conversation with the Ancient One and was preparing to leave Kamar-Taj. Before departing, he wanted to bid farewell to Master Kaecilius and Master Mordo.
When he found Kaecilius, the man was deeply engrossed in magical training, which surprised Li Yue.
"Master Kaecilius, I came to say goodbye. I'm leaving Kamar-Taj," Li Yue said.
Kaecilius stopped his practice and turned to him.
"Master Li Yue, why are you in such a hurry to leave?"
"It's nothing serious. My training is on the right track now, and I'm not yet a full-fledged sorcerer. There's no need for me to remain in Kamar-Taj. I'm heading back."
Of course, Li Yue couldn't say, "I'm going back to participate in the plot," so he made up an excuse to get by.
Kaecilius didn't press the issue. Though he regretted that he couldn't continue training alongside Li Yue, he respected his decision.
"Master Li Yue, we shall meet again!"
"Take care, Master Kaecilius. Remember, the loss of your wife and child was not your fault. I hope you can heal in time. And when we meet again, I hope we can be friends."
After saying what was in his heart, Li Yue turned and left.
"Friends, huh? I hope so…"
Kaecilius stared at Li Yue's back, eyes flickering with mixed emotions, lost in thought.
Next, Li Yue sought out Master Mordo.
"Master Mordo, I came to say goodbye."
Mordo didn't seem surprised by Li Yue's words, as if he had already expected it.
"Master Mordo, let me tell you a story," Li Yue said before Mordo could respond.
"A long time ago, the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth gave birth to a powerful item called the Hengyuan Pearl. The great deity Yuanshi Tianzun refined it into two forms—a Spirit Bead and a Demon Pill.
The Spirit Bead was destined to become a hero–, able to eliminate evil and protect the world, impervious to corruption. The Demon Pill, however, would become a force of destruction and chaos.
Yuanshi Tianzun cast a divine spell that would bring down heavenly lightning in three years to destroy the Demon Pill. Taiyi Zhenren, another celestial being, was tasked with embedding the Spirit Bead into the newborn child Nezha.
But due to a cosmic mix-up, the Spirit Bead and Demon Pill were switched. The one who should've been a hero became the Demon King.
Yet in the end, Nezha and Ao Bing sacrificed their lives to save the world."
Li Yue had adapted the story from the animated Chinese film "Ne Zha" that he had watched in his previous life, using it to make a point to Mordo—especially about the greatness of Nezha's character.
"Master Mordo," Li Yue continued, "even someone born to be a demon can change their destiny and save the world. Power itself isn't good or evil. It's how you use it that defines you. You can use power to protect the world, or to destroy it."
His words struck Mordo hard.
Mordo's expression became unreadable—full of doubt, shock, and disbelief. The story had clearly shaken his worldview. Although he didn't know who Yuanshi Tianzun or Taiyi Zhenren were, or what a Heaven Tribulation Spell was, he grasped the essence of the story: someone fated to be a villain had chosen instead to be a hero.
For the first time, Mordo began to question his belief… and wonder if the rigid beliefs he had clung to were truly right.
"So, Master Mordo," Li Yue said with a calm smile, "don't cling too tightly to conventions. Learn to break past the constraints of the mundane world. I hope you'll reflect on that the next time we meet."
He looked at Mordo, who had fallen into deep contemplation, and thought to himself: 'I've done all I can. Whether you change your future or not, that's up to you.'
Without disturbing him further, Li Yue turned and vanished. His figure disappeared from Kamar-Taj in an instant.
Malibu, California – Tony Stark's Villa
Inside the sleek, high-tech living room of Tony's Malibu mansion, a soft flicker of light appeared—Li Yue materialized out of thin air.
"Welcome, Mr. Li Yue," came Jarvis's familiar voice, calm and polite as ever. It was already accustomed to Li Yue's sudden arrivals, no longer surprised by his appearances.
"Hey, Jarvis. What's Tony up to?" Li Yue asked casually. Without hesitation, he walked over to the fridge, pulled out a can of Happy House soda, and made –himself comfortable on the plush sofa.
During his month of training at Kamar-Taj, the environment had been peaceful—but the food? A little too simple. After all, Kamar-Taj wasn't exactly a five-star resort.
"Mr. Stark and Miss Potts are currently in the underground lab, engaged in… a rather intense discussion," Jarvis reported diplomatically, still showing his signature AI tact.
"Should I inform Mr. Stark that you've arrived?"
"No need, Jarvis," Li Yue said, waving a hand lazily. "I'll wait here."
"Also, I'm bored. Project a game for me, will you?"
"Of course, Mr. Li Yue."
A 3D holographic game projected onto the coffee table, and Li Yue leaned forward to play, sipping his drink as if he lived there.
After about ten minutes and several games, the elevator doors opened and Tony Stark walked in with Pepper Potts. Pepper was smiling warmly, while Tony looked amused as he spotted Li Yue on the sofa.
"Well, well, look who finally decided to come back after a month," Tony teased. "Jarvis, why didn't you tell me Li Yue was here?"
"Sir, Mr. Li Yue specifically asked me not to disturb you."
"Relax, Tony. I told Jarvis not to bother you," Li Yue cut in, pausing his game. With a wave of his hand, the game projection vanished instantly.
Standing up, he walked over to greet them.
"Ms. Potts, it's been a while," he said with a respectful nod and extended his hand.
"Mr. Li Yue, it certainly has," Pepper replied warmly, shaking his hand briefly. Their rapport was friendly—Li Yue had once saved her life, after all, and she hadn't forgotten.
"Alright, I'll let you two talk," Pepper said, giving them space. "I've got some things to handle at the company."
With that, she took her leave, though somehow, the air felt slightly awkward as she did.
Once she was gone, the tension lifted. Li Yue and Tony were close now—perhaps even closer than Tony was with Rhodey at this point.
"So," Tony asked with a grin, "where the hell were you this past month? Not even a phone call."
Tony and Li Yue sat down on the sofa, and Tony was the first to speak.
"So, where the hell were you all month?" he asked.
"I told you—I went to learn magic," Li Yue said calmly.
Tony blinked. "Are you serious? You told me there are aliens out there, and that was barely believable. But now you're saying magic? What even is that?"
Seeing Tony's skeptical face, Li Yue smirked. "Alright then. Looks like I'll have to open your eyes."
He pressed both hands down, and in an instant, the entire villa transformed. The walls twisted, the floor bent, the ceiling turned upside down—the entire house folded in on itself like a complex puzzle. The ground under Tony and Li Yue began to shift, pulling them apart, the distance between them stretching endlessly.
"I BELIEVE YOU! I BELIEVE YOU! JUST STOP—MY PRECIOUS VILLA!!"
Tony shouted in panic, watching helplessly as his beloved home seemed to shatter and rebuild into something surreal.
He was drifting farther and farther from Li Yue, the floor extending like a rolling wave, until it seemed to stretch into infinity. Tony's voice cracked with urgency.
Li Yue burst out laughing. It was the first time he'd seen Tony this flustered. Still, he ended the spell and restored the villa to its normal state, as if nothing had happened.
Tony clutched his chest, breathing –heavily.
"Li Yue… next time, give me a warning first. I almost had a heart attack," he muttered, patting his chest.
"But seriously," he added, looking around at the perfectly intact room, "how the hell did you do that? I saw the whole villa fall apart! And then suddenly, boom—back to normal."
Li Yue took a sip of his soda and smiled. "That's magic. The result of my training over the past month."
Tony's eyes lit up. "That was magic? That was awesome! Where did you learn it? Give me the address, I'll go there too. Name your price!"
Li Yue chuckled and shook his head.
"Forget it. You're better off sticking to your Iron Man suits. The tech path suits you more—and honestly, it's just as powerful in its own way."
"Yeah… I guess," Tony said, settling back into the sofa. "As a genius inventor, it makes sense I'd use tech to save the world."
He wasn't really interested in becoming a magician, but the idea of combining magic with tech?
Now that intrigued him. He filed that thought away for later.
Then Li Yue's expression turned serious.
"Alright, Tony. I didn't come back just to show off. I'm here for a reason. Remember what I told you before I left? To stay alert?"
"Of course I remember," Tony replied. "I even –had Happy carry a portable suit, just in case. But nothing happened this whole month. Why?"
Li Yue leaned forward. "Because I've seen glimpses of your future—fragments. And in one of them, someone is preparing to attack you. Worse, he's managed to recreate the arc reactor, though a more primitive version."
Tony's eyes narrowed. "Impossible. The arc reactor tech is mine. No one else could replicate it—not without my data. It's not public. It's not even on a server."
Li Yue didn't argue. He simply said, "Check out these names: Ivan Vanko and Anton Vanko."
Tony's expression stiffened. "Jarvis, you catch that? Run a check on Ivan Vanko and Anton Vanko… Wait, that second name—it sounds familiar."
He paused, digging through old memories. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers.
"That's it! I saw Anton Vanko's name once, in some of my dad's old research notes."
Just then, Jarvis chimed in with the results.
"Search complete. Sir, Anton Vanko was a Soviet physicist who defected to the U.S. in 1963. However, he was accused of espionage and deported in 1967.
Ivan Vanko is his son. Also a physicist. He was imprisoned in Kopesk for selling plutonium to Pakistan. Only limited public data is available."
Tony listened quietly, eyes narrowing as pieces began to fall into place.
He remembered seeing Anton's name on the arc reactor blueprints. In fact, it had been listed before his father's. But somehow, Anton had been discredited, deported, and erased from history.
Now his son—Ivan Vanko—was out for revenge.
Tony rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "So… what should I do, Li Yue?"
He looked at Li Yue seriously, knowing his friend had insight he didn't.
"Tell me your plan."
"How about we lead the snake out of the hole?" Li Yue suddenly suggested, turning to look at Tony.
"Lead the snake out of the hole? And how do you plan to do that…?"
The Next Day
Li Yue appeared in the living room of Tony's villa as usual.
"Jarvis, where's Tony?" Li Yue asked casually.
"Mr. Li Yue, Mr. Stark is currently in the gym with Mr. Happy, doing physical training. Would you like me to inform him of your arrival?"
"No need, I'll go to them myself." Li Yue replied as he made his way to the gym—he was already as familiar with the place as if it were his own home.
Inside the gym, Tony was sparring with Happy in the ring. Tony wore gloves and gear, trading punches with Happy. But it was mostly one-sided—Happy's size made him slow and clumsy, no match for Tony's quick movements. Fortunately, he was wearing plenty of protective gear, so he wasn't getting hurt too badly.
"Good morning, Tony. Happy." Li Yue greeted as he walked in.
"Morning, Li Yue. Want to hop in and take a few swings at Happy?" Tony joked, wiping sweat from his brow.
"No thanks, I'd rather not accidentally kill him." Li Yue declined with a smile.
He flopped down on the nearby sofa, grabbed a piece of fruit, and started snacking while watching the match. Despite not training for a month, Li Yue had learned real combat skills from Mordo—practical and brutal techniques honed in life-or-death scenarios.
Tony, on the other hand, was looking decent. His fighting style actually resembled Wing Chun, with precise and quick strikes. It reminded Li Yue of Ip Man from his past life's movies. He imagined Tony in his Iron Man suit striking a pose, saying:
"Wing Chun. Iron Man. I'll take on ten." That thought nearly made him burst out laughing.
"Tony, are you learning Wing Chun? Your moves kinda look like it." Li Yue asked curiously while peeling a banana.
"You know Wing Chun too? Yeah, I've been training under a master who claims to be Bruce Lee's brother." Tony replied with a grin.
Li Yue raised his eyebrows in surprise. So this world really does have Bruce Lee… interesting.
Just then, Pepper entered the room.
"Hey, Tony, the notary is here. Can you come sign the transfer documents?" She called out. Then, noticing Li Yue: "Oh! Mr. Li Yue, you're here too! Good morning."
"Good morning, Miss Potts." Li Yue stood up politely, though something about the scene felt familiar. Then it hit him—Tony was about to hand over the company, which meant she was about to show up...
Right on cue, a stunning woman walked in—office tight black skirt, a crisp white blouse, and that unmistakable fiery red curly hair. She held a few documents and moved with the grace of a dancer and the confidence of a soldier.
Li Yue's eyes lit up slightly. Black Widow.
It was her—no doubt about it. Even Happy couldn't help but stare until he broke Tony's trance with a light smack to the head.
Li Yue stared a little longer—not because he was entranced, but because he knew this figure all too well. He had seen her countless times in the movies. She truly lived up to her reputation—deadly beauty, calm demeanor. The woman who once bathed in water that even Durant would consider holy.
Natasha Romanoff, a top SHIELD agent working undercover as Natalie Rushman, had infiltrated Stark Industries' legal department to get close to Tony and gather intel on the Iron Man tech.
Natasha noticed Li Yue's presence and was momentarily surprised. She had been told he was away for a month.
"Why is he back now? I'll need to update Director Fury later." She thought, though her face betrayed nothing.
She smiled professionally and turned her attention back to Tony, knowing her current mission was to charm and observe.
Soon enough, with Li Yue watching, Tony officially handed over company management to Pepper. When he jokingly suggested Natalie become his personal assistant, Pepper rejected the idea instantly. She knew Tony better than anyone else.
As Natasha and Pepper walked away, Tony's eyes were still glued to Natasha's back. Li Yue rolled his eyes.
"Tony, you might want to stop drooling. She's not exactly who you think she is."
"What? Do you know her? What do you mean she's not simple? She looks... perfectly normal to me. I mean, sure, she's stunning, but—"
"I'm just saying—take my word for it. Be careful." Li Yue said calmly, not revealing her identity.
"So, are you ready for the plan?" Li Yue changed the topic.
"Of course. If I know Ivan Vanko, he won't miss this chance. Let him come—I'll be waiting with my latest suit. I'll make sure he remembers who the real genius is."
Tony replied confidently, his smirk full of anticipation.
...…..
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