Chapter 220: Phoenix Spreads Its Wings
In the Xaviers School infirmary, the afternoon sun shone on Ororo Munroe's face.
She lay on the hospital bed, cold sweat beading on her forehead. Chu Hang had just teleported her back; her body still ached, but her eyes were clear.
Scott stood by the bed, his brow furrowed beneath his red visor.
"Did he really do it?" Scott asked in a low voice.
"Chu Hang stripped Apocalypse's mental imprint?"
Ororo nodded, her voice hoarse:
"He's much stronger than I imagined. The enhancements Apocalypse gave me were like paper in front of him; he only used one finger..."
She couldn't continue, covering her face, her shoulders trembling slightly.
All the things she did while controlled, the ruins of the Polish town, the sea of fire in the Mumbai slums, all the people who died in the storms she created.
Hank pushed the door open, carrying a cup of hot water in his blue furry hand.
He handed the water to Ororo:
"Where is Apocalypse now? What about the other Horsemen?"
"The Cairo Pyramids." Ororo took the water cup, her hand shaking.
"Psylocke, Angel, and Magneto Erik. They are all controlled, just like I was. Apocalypse knows I've been freed, he'll definitely—"
A 'boom' echoed through the academy, a loud noise interrupting their conversation.
Scott's face changed; he grabbed the tactical visor from the table.
"Damn it, they're here so fast!"
Hank rushed to the window. In the distance, two black dots in the sky were approaching at supersonic speed, trailing purple and golden energy wakes behind them.
"Evacuate the students!" Hank roared into the communicator.
"Everyone to the underground shelter, immediately!"
Panicked footsteps echoed in the corridor. Kitty phased through walls with several children, and John's palms shot out flames.
Ororo struggled to get up, but Scott pressed her back down:
"You just had the imprint stripped, you can't even stand steady. Don't make things worse."
"They're coming for me." Ororo gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with guilt.
"Apocalypse won't let a traitor go. I can't let the school—"
Boom!
The entire wall was cleanly sliced open by a psionic blade, the bricks and stones cut perfectly. Purple energy crackled at the incision.
Psylocke stepped in over the rubble, her eyes dyed pure white by Apocalypse's imprint.
She scanned the infirmary, her gaze locking onto Ororo on the bed, a cold smile playing on her lips.
"Traitor." Her voice was emotionless.
"My Lord ordered me to bring you back, or execute you directly."
She made a grasping motion with her right hand, and a three-meter-long psionic blade condensed, aiming to strike Ororo.
Scott took off his visor, and an Impact blast roared out, directly colliding with the psionic blade.
The roar was deafening, energy clashed, and all the instruments in the infirmary shattered.
Psylocke merely took half a step back. The psionic blade dispersed and instantly reformed, this time into six blades, twisting in from different angles.
Hank roared, his muscles bulging after his beast transformation, and he lunged at Psylocke, his Talontearing at her throat.
Psylocke's figure shifted like a ghost. Her right-hand blade sliced at Hank's back neck. The blow, imbued with a mental Impact, made him scream and fall to the ground, blood seeping from his seven orifices.
Scott tried to fire another Impact blast, but found his body stiff. Psylocke's mental power clamped him, preventing him from even moving his eyelids.
"Too weak." Psylocke shook her head, raising her hand to finish off both of them.
The ceiling exploded.
Metal wings tore through the air. Angel dove down from the hole, his wings like blades slashing at the fleeing students.
John raised his hand to spew Fire, but the flames were extinguished by Angel's wings before they could fully form. The child was swept away by a wing, crashing through two walls.
Kitty tried to take people through the wall to escape, but found that Angel had scattered metal powder, which formed an energy field in the air, blocking her phasing ability.
"None of you will escape." Angel landed in the center of the corridor, his metal wings spread.
"My Lord has commanded to destroy this nest that shelters traitors."
He flapped his wings, and hundreds of metal feathers shot out like a rainstorm.
Desperate screams echoed in the corridor.
The feathers stopped in mid-air.
No, they didn't stop; they were blocked by an invisible barrier half a meter away.
Golden-red flames surged from the end of the corridor, not a destructive rampage, but a warm light of protection.
Jean Grey stood there, her hands extended, her eyes burning with a faint Phoenix Flame. She could feel the power within her boiling, but this time it wasn't out of control; she was actively summoning it.
Jean could hear the Phoenix whimpering deep within her consciousness. It wasn't a roar urging her to destroy, but a question asking what she needed.
Protection.
She answered in her heart.
The golden-red flames instantly filled the entire corridor, but instead of burning anything, they transformed into transparent energy cocoons, enveloping all the students.
Angel's metal feathers struck the flame barrier, emitting a harsh grating sound, but they couldn't penetrate it.
Shock flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by the anger twisted by Apocalypse's imprint. He flapped his wings and charged at Jean, his wings crossing like scissors to strike down—an attack capable of cutting through an armored vehicle.
Jean didn't dodge.
She took a deep breath, and the Phoenix Force flowed according to her will. She raised her right hand, and a fireball appeared in her palm, not a chaotic ball of energy, but a precisely constructed energy structure.
The fireball shot out of her hand, splitting into a dozen golden-red threads in the air, coiling around Angel's wings as if alive.
Angel screamed. The threads weren't burning him, but invading his body, searching for that golden imprint.
Jean gritted her teeth, veins bulging on her forehead. She was mimicking Chu Hang's method, using the Phoenix Force to strip away Apocalypse's control.
But she soon realized she had underestimated the difficulty.
Apocalypse's imprint was too deeply rooted, intertwined with Angel's core consciousness. Forcibly stripping it would destroy his mind.
The Phoenix Force began to stir restlessly; it disliked delicate work, it wanted to burn everything directly.
Jean could feel her body heating up, golden-red cracks appearing on her skin, a sign of overflowing power.
No, I can't lose control.
She remembered what Chu Hang had said: the Phoenix is not meant to conquer, but to guide.
Jean closed her eyes, her consciousness sinking into the burning mental World within her.
The Fire Phoenix circled there, its immense wings stirring destructive flames with every beat. It awaited her command, eager to be unleashed, eager to incinerate the enemy before it.
But Jean did not give that command.
She walked towards the Fire Phoenix, reaching out to gently caress its burning wings. It was scorching hot, so hot that her consciousness-body's palm was melting, but she didn't withdraw.
I need you to help me protect, not destroy.
The Phoenix tilted its head, confusion flashing in its eyes made purely of flame.
Protect? What is that? It only knew burning, rebirth, and then burning again.
Jean showed it memories with her consciousness. Scottawkwardly comforting her on the training ground, Hankstaying up late in the lab to mix inhibitory agents for her, Professor Charles's gentle smile, and the children in the corridor who looked at her with trust.
These people are who I want to protect. Not because they are strong, but because they believe in me.
The Fire Phoenix was silent for a long time, then lowered its head, its massive beak gently nudging Jean's hand.
Jean suddenly opened her eyes, and golden-red flames erupted from within her, but this time it wasn't uncontrolled fury, but an orderly torrent.
The flames condensed into a five-meter-tall Phoenix phantom at the infirmary door. It spread its wings, enveloping all the students beneath them.
The phantom was semi-transparent, revealing the golden-red energy circulating within.
Angel's attacks struck the Phoenix phantom, being gently but firmly neutralized.
The metal feathers lost their kinetic energy the moment they touched the flames, falling lightly to the ground.
Psylocke also charged over, six psionic blades striking simultaneously. The Phoenix phantom let out a long cry, its tail feathers sweeping out. Golden-red flame waves met the purple psionic energy. The two forces collided, shaking the entire building.
Jean knelt on one knee, panting heavily. Maintaining such precise defense consumed far more energy than explosive attacks. She could feel her stamina rapidly draining, and her vision began to blur.
But she gritted her teeth and held on, the Phoenix phantom unwavering.
Just as Psylocke was about to increase her output, a golden light tore through space, appearing behind her.
Chu Hang placed his right hand on Psylocke's back neck, his Law of Spirit precisely stripping the imprint from her brow like a surgical knife.
Psylocke's body stiffened, struggle appearing in her pure white eyes, followed by clear pain.
At the same time, Chu Hang made a grasping motion with his left hand, and Space Law condensed into a cage around Angel.
He snapped his fingers, and the cage rapidly contracted, compressing Angel into a ball. Then he raised his hand and pointed at the energy ball, similarly stripping the imprint.
Both Horsemen simultaneously collapsed to the ground, covering their faces and weeping once their consciousness returned.
Chu Hang ignored them and walked over to Jean. Jean was exhausted, but the Phoenix phantom still steadily protected everyone.
He could tell that what this child learned in the desert was not just release, but also the much harder skill of containment.
Chapter 221: Apocalypse's Wrath
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Medical Room.
The pungent smell of disinfectant mixed with the scent of blood, creating an atmosphere as heavy as lead.
Chu Hang was about to speak and comfort Jean Grey, who was mentally exhausted, when his expression suddenly tightened. He abruptly looked out the window. In his Law of Spirit perception, a vast energy fluctuation, like a collapsing sea of stars, was rapidly approaching at a terrifying speed.
Three hundred kilometers—a distance unattainable for mortals—yet that dominating, heaven-overlooking pressure had already crossed space, settling heavily upon everyone's hearts, making the air feel viscous.
Apocalypse. Not only had he come, but he had brought his strongest Horseman—Magneto.
"Charles!" Chu Hang did not turn around, his voice transmitted directly to the depths of the Underground Room via communicator. "Immediately wake all students and evacuate everyone to the Third Underground Emergency Shelter! Activate the Highest Level Defense Protocol! Apocalypse is early!"
Almost simultaneously, inside the Underground Cerebro Amplifier Room, Charles Xavier, who had been unconscious due to mental backlash, suddenly opened his eyes amid a severe headache. Hank McCoy, who was beside him, immediately supported him. Charles ignored the dizziness, having already received Chu Hang's urgent warning in his mind.
Inside the Medical Room, everyone's faces instantly turned pale.
Scott Summers struggled to climb out of the rubble, stubbornly wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, his voice hoarse from his injuries: "How much time do we have?"
"Two minutes, at most." Chu Hang's voice was frighteningly calm, like a frozen glacier. "He brought Eric. The imprint Apocalypse left deep in his soul is deeper and firmer than those of the previous three Horsemen combined."
"Bang!" Hank slammed his fist hard against the remaining half-wall. The sturdy wall bricks cracked instantly, and spiderweb cracks spread out. "Magneto plus an Apocalypse who has recovered to Mid-Tier Heavenly Father Level... this school's Defense System probably won't last ten minutes against him!"
"Then hold on for ten minutes."
Chu Hang walked over to Jean, placing his large hand gently on her shoulder. Pure Law of Life energy, like a warm stream, slowly flowed into her pale body. Jean's trembling eyelashes gradually settled, and her face regained a trace of color.
"You did very well just now, Jean." Chu Hang's gaze was gentle yet firm. "But the coming battle will far exceed your imagination. Phoenix Force, you need to learn to actively guide it, not passively endure its outburst. Remember, the will born from protection is always the strongest power."
Jean bit her lip tightly and nodded heavily.
On the other side, Psylocke and Angel also helped each other stand up, their eyes filled with guilt and determination.
"It was us... we led Apocalypse here—" Psylockewhispered.
"Now is not the time to assign blame." Chu Hanginterrupted her, his gaze sharp as a knife as he swept over everyone present. "You have just had the mental imprints stripped away, and your souls are still unstable. Can you still fight?"
Angel moved the massive metal wings on his back, producing a grating metallic friction sound, like an enraged eagle.
"As long as I can move, I can fight. This school saved my Life; now it's time for me to repay that debt."
Ororo also sat up from the hospital bed, electric light flickering at her fingertips, making a crackling sound. A faint smell of ozone permeated the air.
"Me too. When I was controlled, my power took too many innocent lives. This time, at least, I want to use it to protect these innocent children."
Chu Hang surveyed the group. Every one of them was injured and mentally fatigued, but their burning fighting spirit had not been extinguished. He nodded slightly, his heart settling somewhat.
"The Defense System is activated, and the shelter doors are sealed." Charles's voice came through the communicator, tinged with exhaustion and gravity. "But Hank is right; these physical defenses might not last thirty seconds against Eric. Chu Hang, what is your plan?"
Chu Hang slowly walked to the broken window, his gaze piercing through the glass shards toward the distant sky.
The clouds there began to spin in an unnatural manner, forming a massive vortex. The structure of space groaned under the strain, like thin paper being torn by an invisible giant hand.
"The plan is simple." Chu Hang turned around. In his deep eyes, the light of ten Laws—Time, Space, Strength, Body, Life, Death, Reality, Soul, Mental, and Devour—rotated and extinguished like stars. "Stall them."
"I will confront Apocalypse directly."
"Eric is up to you, Charles. You are the only one who might be able to bypass Apocalypse's barrier on the mental level and reach Eric's true consciousness."
"The rest of you, Scott, Ororo!" Chu Hang's voice exploded in their minds. "Block the aftermath of the battle! Protect the main building structure; absolutely no attack must reach the underground shelter! Angel, Psylocke, clear out those out-of-control metal constructs!"
"You're taking on Apocalypse alone?" Scott shouted in disbelief. "He's a genuine Skyfather level!"
"I know how strong he is." Chu Hang raised his right hand. In his palm, a miniature Law Domain composed of ten-colored brilliance slowly emerged, like a nascent, microcosmic Universe, radiating heart-stopping power.
Before his voice faded, the sky completely tore open.
A gigantic Space rift opened savagely above the school. Ancient and complex golden runes burned along the edges of the fissure.
Apocalypse slowly stepped out of it. Behind him were Magneto, whose eyes were vacant and whose body was surrounded by a terrifying magnetic field, and a monstrous metal sphere, over fifty meters in diameter, assembled from the metal beneath Cairo.
Apocalypse landed on the lawn in front of the main building. With every step he took, the ground shook heavily.
He surveyed the weathered manor. There was no anger in his eyes, only a divine indifference that regarded all things as dust.
"Charles Xavier."
His voice was no longer a mere sound wave, but a resonance mixed with mental Impact, like thunder from antiquity, penetrating all walls and sounding directly in the depths of everyone's soul.
"I once granted you the opportunity to lead these 'futures' in my great purification. But you chose to shelter traitors and steal my Horsemen."
Apocalypse slowly raised his hand, and golden light erupted from his palm. This was not mere energy, but a more fundamental authority. "Now, witness how the new World you rejected will bury your old era."
[Molecular Manipulation] Activated!
The soil and grass blades on the lawn were instantly decomposed and reorganized, transforming within three seconds into countless crystal spikes, clear and sparkling with cold light.
They surged toward the main building like a reverse tsunami, emitting sharp, air-splitting shrieks.
Chu Hang's figure flashed, and he appeared ten meters in front of the main building.
He loosely clenched his right hand, and the invisible [Space Law] condensed into a transparent yet indestructible barrier in front of him.
The crystal spike frenzy struck the barrier, as if hitting a wall of absolute stillness. All kinetic energy was instantly stripped away, and the spikes silently shattered and fell.
Apocalypse's gaze finally settled on Chu Hang, the golden light in his eyes intensifying, like the surface of a star.
"It was you, the anomaly... who dared to strip away my imprint." He didn't use 'ant' but a word that intrigued him more.
"An old fossil abandoned by his own era, who slept under a pyramid for five thousand years." A hint of mockery played on Chu Hang's lips. "What right do you have to talk about a 'new World'?"
Apocalypse laughed in extreme anger. He spread his arms, and the surrounding space began to twist violently, making a 'crackling' sound like shattering glass. [Molecular Manipulation], [Energy Amplification], and [Space Distortion], three abilities he had honed for thousands of years, activated simultaneously, weaving together into a golden Law Domain one hundred meters in diameter, radiating an aura of destruction.
The edge of the Domain touched a corner of the main building, and the century-old structure began to silently decompose.
Bricks, steel bars, and glass were instantly dismantled into their most basic atoms, then immediately reassembled in the air into a dozen roaring metal dragons that lunged toward Chu Hang, carrying scorching heat waves.
Chu Hang neither dodged nor avoided. He also unfolded his Law Domain. The Domain, woven with ten-colored brilliance, instantly expanded, colliding head-on with Apocalypse's golden Domain!
"Ohm—!"
There was no earth-shattering explosion; the moment the two domains collided, the air in that area was compressed into pure white solid matter, which then rapidly diffused outwards. Where the Impact passed, the lawn was peeled up, thick trees were ripped out by the roots, and the remaining half-wall of the Medical Room was instantly reduced to dust.
Inside the Domain, as soon as Apocalypse's metal dragons rushed into Chu Hang's ten-colored Domain, they were sliced into countless fragments by the crisscrossing [Space Law], then crushed into metal powder by the violent [Law of Strength], and finally annihilated into nothingness by the counter-collision of the Laws of Lifeand Death.
For the first time, Apocalypse's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly. In thousands of years, this was the first time someone had been able to stand as an equal against him in a direct Domain confrontation.
"Interesting."
As soon as his voice fell, Apocalypse's figure vanished from his spot, appearing ghost-like three meters behind Chu Hang in the next instant. His right hand condensed an energy spear burning with golden flames, silently thrusting toward Chu Hang's back.
Chu Hang didn't turn his head. With a backhand swing, the dark trident materialized out of thin air, and its black-glowing tip accurately parried the tip of the spear.
The aura of silence from the Law of Death and the violent energy from the Energy Amplification violently collided, erupting in a blinding white light that seemed to devour all surrounding light. The entire foundation of the Xavier Manor groaned painfully under the force of the clash.
Chu Hang used the force to drift back ten meters, twirling the trident in his hand so its tip pointed distantly at Apocalypse.
He could clearly feel that the power of this Mid-Tier Heavenly Father Level clone was rapidly approaching its limit.
Although Apocalypse controlled fewer Laws, every one of them had been tempered for millennia, and his mastery and profound understanding far surpassed that of this clone.
The more troublesome factor was Eric in the sky.
Magneto hovered fifty meters behind Apocalypse, slowly spreading his hands. An invisible force field enveloped the entire manor, extending ten kilometers in all directions.
The steel frames inside the school buildings groaned under the strain, sounding as if they could be ripped apart from the inside by this force at any moment.
Chu Hang split off a wisp of [Law of Spirit], like an invisible probe, attempting to infiltrate the depths of Eric's consciousness and awaken his suppressed self.
However, as soon as his mental power made contact, it struck a solid barrier composed of countless ancient golden runes. Every attempt to break through triggered a fierce backlash from the runes.
He couldn't force it; he needed Charles's cooperation.
"Charles!" Chu Hang shouted urgently into the communication channel while swinging the trident, its tip continuously stabbing, stirring up layer upon layer of Deathripples that forced back Apocalypse's three consecutive lunges. "I will use Law of Spirit to tear open a passage around the periphery of his consciousness core. You must immediately use the Cerebro Amplifier to link up telepathically, and we will jointly pull him out of the cage!"
"Understood!" Charles's resolute voice replied.
In the Third Underground Cerebro Amplifier Room, Charlessat centered in the instrument, hands pressed to his temples. Vast, silver-white mental power surged forth like a tide, passing through tens of kilometers of strata and space, accurately locking onto Eric high in the sky.
"Eric, my old friend, I know you are still in there."
Charles's consciousness touched the golden mental cage. He could feel that Eric's true will was trapped in the deepest darkness of the prison. He tried to penetrate it, but each time he was burned and repelled by the runes imbued with Apocalypse's will, causing fine beads of blood to seep from his temples.
On the ground, Chu Hang was engaged in lightning-fast close combat with Apocalypse using the trident, while simultaneously splitting off thirty percent of his mental energy. He transformed the [Law of Spirit] into billions of silver threads thinner than hair, constantly probing and analyzing the weak points of the runic barrier from countless tricky angles.
Apocalypse noticed his intention, a cold sneer appearing on his face. "You want to save him? Foolish compassion. My imprint has long merged with his soul. Forcible stripping will only turn him into a mindless husk."
"That remains to be seen!"
Chu Hang gritted his teeth, and the power of the ten Laws was instantly pushed to its limit!
The [Space Law] stabilized the coordinates, the [Law of Time] slowed the trigger speed of the runic backlash, and the core [Law of Spirit] condensed into an incomparably sharp, invisible dagger, aimed at a resolved node, and fiercely cut down!
"Now!"
Charles in the Underground Room instantly perceived the fleeting crack. Without hesitation, he gathered all his mental energy into a single point, charging in like a silver lightning bolt!
Consciousness passed through layers of golden mist, and Charles finally saw where Eric was imprisoned—a pure white, empty mental space. Eric was curled up in a corner, hands covering his head, his body trembling incessantly, repeatedly and desperately murmuring something.
Charles walked closer step by step, finally hearing the fragmented phrases clearly.
"I killed them... I killed those people with my own hands... It was me... All me..."
"Eric!" Charles rushed forward and firmly grasped his shoulders.
"That wasn't your fault! Apocalypse was controlling you, Eric!"
Eric slowly lifted his head. Those eyes, once sharp as an eagle's, now held nothing but endless emptiness and despair.
"But my hands were moving, Charles... my power was tearing their bodies apart..."
His voice was hoarse and trembling, filled with bloody memories. "I could feel the fear and pain of every person as they died... Charles, I could feel it... right inside my head..."
Chapter 222: The Phoenix Descends
Charles's mental power rushed into Eric's shattered consciousness.
The golden mark left by Apocalypse struggled, the ancient runes twisting like living things.
Charles didn't retreat; he poured in decades of accumulated power, calling out his old friend's name again and again.
"Eric, those who died are dead, but the living still need you!"
Charles's voice echoed in the void.
"Remember our oath? Mutants and humans coexisting peacefully. Apocalypse only brings destruction, and you have never been a Destroyer."
A flicker of light appeared in Eric's hollow eyes.
Suppressed memories surged forth—his wife Magda's smile, his daughter Nina running in the grass, Charlesarguing with him about ideals late into the night over a chessboard, and the compatriots who followed him.
"Charles..." Eric's voice was hoarse, "Can I still atone?"
"You don't need to atone, old friend." Charles smiled, looking tired, "Just be yourself again."
High in the sky, Eric's body trembled.
His eyes, covered in golden runes, suddenly burst forth with silver-white light.
A magnetic field, truly his own, spread wildly. Metal within a ten-kilometer radius trembled.
Apocalypse paused for a moment, turned, and for the first time, a look of shock appeared on his face.
The metal sphere, more than fifty meters in diameter, that enveloped the school, was cracking.
"Impossible..." Apocalypse roared, "My mark is absolute!"
Eric roared in response.
"Absolute?" He raised his hands, silver-white light swirling in his palms, "Who do you think you are? A God?"
The giant metal sphere exploded.
Tens of thousands of steel fragments reorganized in the air, transforming into hundreds of ten-meter-long giant spears. Each tip glowed with terrifying fluctuations.
"This strike is for those who died by my hand!"
Eric's voice was filled with grief and indignation.
Hundreds of spears descended from the sky, pointing directly at Apocalypse.
Apocalypse raised his hand, and his golden domain contracted into a light cocoon to protect himself.
The spears slammed into it with a deafening roar, the Impact compressing the air into white shockwaves. But the deflected spears turned in mid-air, stabbing again from behind.
Apocalypse frowned, forced to divert his attention to defense.
Chu Hang moved.
The dark trident transformed into a stream of light, its tip wrapped in the Law of Death, accurately piercing the cracks blasted into the shield by the spears. Space Lawcondensed at the trident's tip, stabbing into the golden light cocoon.
"Pfft—"
The shield broke open, the trident's tip passed through, carving a deep wound on Apocalypse's shoulder. Golden blood spurted out, corroded by the Law of Death, turning to ash and dissipating.
Apocalypse roared in pain.
Twisted fury appeared on his face. He was wounded; a variable, a useless knight, had actually made him bleed.
"You deserve to die!"
Apocalypse's eyes turned into pure golden flames, and he spread his arms.
His surrounding energy surged, distorting and deforming space. Molecular Manipulation, Energy Amplification, Space Distortion, and Matter Restructuring—four law-level abilities were simultaneously pushed to their limits.
The golden domain expanded wildly, instantly enveloping Eric.
Eric only had time to condense a magnetic shield before being struck.
He fell from a great height, breaking three large trees and creating a five-meter-diameter crater in the ground. Blood gushed from his mouth.
"Eric!" Charles exclaimed in the communication channel.
Chu Hang's expression darkened.
Magnetic field control wasn't in his hands yet; Magnetocouldn't die this early.
"Never mind, I'll use this opportunity to let Jean fully awaken the Phoenix Force. I've waited so long; it's time to reap the rewards."
Chu Hang looked towards the medical room.
Jean Grey bit her lip, pressing her hands to the ground, barely maintaining a golden-red protective barrier to shield the injured students behind her.
Veins bulged on her forehead, and her body trembled, nearing its limit. But Chu Hang could sense that deep within Jean's body, the power suppressed for over a decade was frantically assaulting the cage of her consciousness, yearning for release.
It was time.
Chu Hang took a deep breath, and the dark tridentdissipated, turning into black light points that merged into his body.
He didn't continue attacking, instantly teleporting thirty meters above the medical room's ruins, clasping his hands together in front of him.
Ten Laws converged in his palms.
Space, Time, Power, Life, Death, Spirit, Reality, Soul, Body, and the Devouring Law copied from the Celestials. They condensed into a fist-sized light sphere, emitting heart-palpitating fluctuations.
This wasn't for attack.
Chu Hang threw the light sphere into the sky, where it exploded a hundred meters up, transforming into countless multicolored energy threads that enveloped the entire school like a giant net.
These threads were markers, precisely locating all Lifeforms at the law level.
Apocalypse understood his intention, a cruel smile appearing on his face.
"You want to protect them? Laughable compassion. I'll show you how fragile your protection is!"
Apocalypse didn't pursue, changing his target and clasping his hands together.
A golden energy torrent, imbued with destructive power, blasted directly towards the medical room. Wherever that power passed, space tore, the earth shattered, and the air was scorched into plasma by the high temperature, emitting dazzling White light.
Jean's pupils contracted.
That power was enough to instantly vaporize everything within a hundred-meter radius. Scott, Ororo, Psylocke, Angel behind her, and the children in the underground shelter—no one would survive.
"No... don't..." Jean's voice trembled.
She desperately urged the Phoenix Force, trying to build a stronger defense.
But the power was too chaotic, sometimes gentle, sometimes violent, unable to form a stable barrier. Golden-red flames violently flickered around her.
In the nick of time, Chu Hang appeared before Jean.
He didn't deploy a defense, nor did he use law power to resist. Instead, he turned, placed his hands on Jean's shoulders, and met her terrified eyes with his deep gaze.
"Jean, listen to me."
Chu Hang's voice was soft, yet it cut through the din, clearly reaching Jean's ears.
"The Phoenix within you has never been an enemy. It is the Universe's most primal power of creation and destruction. It chose you because it believes you can wield it. But you've always been afraid, afraid of its power, afraid of harming those you love if you lose control."
Tears welled up in Jean's eyes.
"I can't... control it... Every time I let go, it just..."
"Then don't control it."
Chu Hang interrupted her, his voice incredibly firm.
"Jean, power never needs to be controlled; it needs to be guided. The Phoenix Force yearns to protect, yearns to be reborn, and you are its direction. Now, don't think about suppressing it, but tell it—who you want to protect, what you want to safeguard."
The golden torrent of destruction was already upon them, its scorching heat lifting Jean's hair.
The threat of Death made every cell in her scream. But Chu Hang still stood before her, unmoving.
Jean stopped trembling.
She closed her eyes, her consciousness sinking into a burning mental World. A fire Phoenix circled there, its giant wings fanning destructive flames with each beat.
This time, Jean didn't flee, didn't try to lock it in a cage. She spread her arms, embracing the flame that could incinerate souls.
"I want to protect them."
Jean whispered in her heart.
"Everyone, everyone who believes in me, all the children who haven't seen tomorrow's Sun. Phoenix, if you truly chose me, then lend me your power."
The fire Phoenix tilted its head, and in its eyes, composed purely of flames, a gentle light appeared for the first time.
It lowered its head, gently pressing its burning forehead against Jean's chest.
The boundless golden-red flames were no longer violent, transforming into a warm stream that merged into every cell, every wisp of Jean's consciousness.
Jean suddenly opened her eyes.
Her pupils had completely turned into golden-red flames, her long hair moved without wind, and tiny flames danced at the tips of each strand.
Terrifying energy erupted from within her, golden-red flames shooting up like a pillar of light, tearing through Apocalypse's destructive torrent and devouring it completely.
Apocalypse's attack stopped ten meters from the medical room, hitting an invisible wall.
No, it was a flame domain.
A domain composed of pure Phoenix Force. Its edges burned with golden-red flames, yet its interior was warm like spring.
All the students hiding in the ruins could feel that power gently embracing and protecting them.
Chu Hang smiled, released Jean's shoulders, and stepped back three paces.
At this moment, the Phoenix Force within Jean was no longer out of control; it had truly merged with her will. The level of this power far exceeded the limits of his clone.
Apocalypse's smile froze.
He could feel that the golden-red flame contained terrifying power capable of threatening his very existence.
"This... what is this...?"
Apocalypse's voice trembled for the first time.
Jean slowly raised her head, golden-red flames burning in her eyes, her voice surprisingly calm.
"This is the power of the future you spoke of. Apocalypse, your era ended five thousand years ago."
Chapter 223: Perfect Cycle
Jean hovered in mid-air, golden-red flames swirling around her.
She raised her right hand, her fingers curled into a phantom grip, and the Phoenix Force condensed into a burning spear of light.
The arrogance on Apocalypse's face vanished.
He could feel it; the essence of that power exceeded his understanding.
This was not mere energy, but power on a Multiverse level.
"Impossible... How could such power exist within a mortal..."
Apocalypse's voice trembled as he urged his golden domain with both hands, constructing a defense.
Jean did not respond.
Her consciousness resonated completely with the Phoenix Force, and she could clearly perceive the will of this power.
It wanted to incinerate the tyrant before her.
The spear of light left her hand.
A golden-red stream of light tore across the sky, ripping open space and scorching a fissure through the atmosphere.
Apocalypse's golden domain was like thin paper before the spear of light, instantly torn to shreds.
Apocalypse roared, pouring all his energy into molecular manipulation, attempting to decompose the spear of light.
But the Phoenix Force did not follow the laws of physics at all.
The spear of light pierced through his chest.
There was no blood, no wailing.
Apocalypse's body began to disintegrate from the wound, turning into countless golden specks of light.
Those specks of light struggled in the air for a second, then were burned into nothingness by the Phoenix Force.
Everyone at Xaviers School was stunned.
The eternal Mutant who had ruled ancient Egypt for thousands of years was gone, just like that.
Not sealed, not defeated, but completely erased.
Eric lay in the deep pit, watching the golden-red figure in the sky, his throat tightening.
He had seen countless powerful Mutants, but he had never seen power of this level.
Charles perceived everything through the cerebro, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.
The Phoenix Force within Jean had awakened; this should have been a good thing, but the intensity of that power exceeded his expectations.
Chu Hang stood on the ruins.
He felt that Jean's state was wrong.
After Apocalypse died, the Phoenix Force did not calm down; instead, it became even more manic.
Having lost its clear target, it began to release energy in all directions.
Golden-red flames erupted from Jean's body, turning into a tornado a hundred meters in diameter, spreading wildly.
Wherever the tornado passed, grass, trees, and buildings were all turned to ash.
Damn it.
Chu Hang's pupils constricted.
The awakening of the Phoenix Force was too rushed; although Jean could control it briefly, once the threat was removed, that power would spiral out of control.
Jean hovered in the center of the tornado, clutching her head with both hands, letting out painful screams.
She could feel the flames within her devouring her sanity, wanting to burn everything.
"Jean!"
Scott rushed out of the ruins, wanting to get closer, but after running only ten meters, he was forced back by the heatwave, the edges of his visor even melting out of shape.
Ororo summoned thunderclouds to try and extinguish the flames, but the lightning was evaporated the moment it touched the edge of the tornado.
"This power... We can't get close at all."
She gritted her teeth.
Psylocke and Angel also approached from the air, but the high temperature and energy shockwaves prevented them from even entering within a hundred-meter range.
Angel's metal wings made a harsh, warping sound in the heatwave, forcing him to urgently pull up to a higher altitude.
The children in the underground shelter saw this scene through the monitors and were all scared into hugging each other.
Sister Jean, usually gentle and kind, was now like a god of destruction, ready to turn the entire school into scorched earth at any moment.
In the cerebro room, Charles desperately used his mental power to reach Jean's consciousness, but every time he just touched the edge of her mental World, he was scorched and repelled by the Phoenix Force.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his face was pale.
"It's no use... Her Spirit is wrapped too tightly... I can't get in..."
Charles's voice was weak.
Eric crawled out of the deep pit, looking at that golden-red tornado.
"If we don't stop her now, the whole school—no, the whole of New York—will be destroyed."
Eric said in a deep voice.
"Charles, you have to make a decision."
His meaning was clear.
If there was truly no other way, they would have to use extreme measures.
Charles closed his eyes, his fingers trembling.
Let him erase Jean's consciousness with his own hands?
The child who grew up in the school and treated him like a father?
No, he couldn't do it.
Chu Hang moved.
He did not hesitate and walked straight toward that golden-red tornado.
Every step he took was steady.
"Chu Hang, are you crazy!"
Scott shouted.
"Even Professor Charles can't get close to that power; you'll be burned to ashes!"
Chu Hang didn't look back, just raised his right hand.
A ball of the same golden-red flame appeared in his palm.
That was the Phoenix Force he had just copied.
It was enough to keep him from being destroyed in this storm.
The golden-red flames formed a thin protective layer around him, isolating the high temperature and energy shockwaves.
Chu Hang stepped into the range of the tornado.
The violent flames rushed up, biting at his protection; while being consumed, they were simultaneously replenished by Chu Hang, and he just walked step by step toward Jean like this.
Fifty meters. Forty meters. Thirty meters.
Twenty meters. Fifteen meters.
Eric widened his eyes, unable to believe that someone could persist for so long under that kind of power.
Ten meters.
One meter.
He saw Jean's eyes.
Deep within those eyes filled with golden-red flames, there was a trace of clarity, a trace of despair, and a trace of pleading.
She was struggling, desperately suppressing the power within her, but the Phoenix Force was too strong; she simply couldn't control it.
Chu Hang extended his right hand, his fingers penetrating the flames, and pressed them onto Jean's forehead.
Scalding hot.
The temperature was enough to melt steel, but Chu Hangpressed down firmly, the flesh of his palm constantly carbonizing and then regenerating.
He mobilized all the Law Power within him—Space, Time, Spirit, Life, Death, Reality, Soul, Body, Force, Devour—ten types of laws operating simultaneously, constructing a channel between him and Jean.
The channel was fragile, liable to be overwhelmed at any moment.
But Chu Hang desperately held it steady, his consciousness probing along the channel into Jean's mental World.
It was a sea of fire.
Golden-red flames were burning, devouring everything.
Jean's consciousness was curled up in the center of the sea of fire, wrapped in the raging flames, about to give way.
The Fire Phoenix circled above her head, continuously injecting power, but that power was too vast; Jean's body and Spirit could not withstand it.
It was like pouring the water of a river into a cup; the cup would only be overwhelmed.
Chu Hang's consciousness took human form and appeared in the sea of fire.
He stepped on the void, every step burning, but he paid it no mind, walking straight to Jean.
Jean raised her head, tears welling up in her golden-red eyes.
Those tears were evaporated before they could fall.
"I can't control it... Chu Hang... It's too strong... I can't hold on much longer..."
Jean's voice trembled.
Chu Hang crouched down, pressing his hands onto her shoulders.
"I know. But Jean, do you remember the perfect cycle I told you about?"
Jean froze.
"The Phoenix Force doesn't need to be suppressed; it needs an outlet."
Chu Hang's voice was very soft.
"The X-gene within you is the container, your telekinesis is the water turbine, and the Phoenix Force is the water flow.
The problem now is that the water flow is too rapid, the turbine can't turn, so the water is overflowing."
Jean bit her lip, not understanding what he wanted to do.
Chu Hang took a deep breath and activated Ability Amplification in the mental World.
It was an SSS-Rank ability he had copied from Apocalypse, but he had already stripped away the mental control part, leaving only the pure amplification effect.
"What I'm going to do now is strengthen your turbine, letting it withstand this water flow, and even actively guide the water flow to rotate."
Chu Hang's hands, pressed against the position of Jean's forehead, began to glow.
"But this will be very painful, more intense than any pain you've ever experienced. Are you ready?"
Jean looked into his eyes and saw the seriousness and trust within them.
She gritted her teeth and nodded heavily.
"Do it."
Ability Amplification activated.
Golden light gushed from Chu Hang's palms, penetrating deep into Jean's mental World.
That light spread along her X-gene chain, beginning to modify, strengthen, and reconstruct from the very bottom.
Every gene node was glowing, and every helical structure was reorganizing.
Jean let out a heart-wrenching scream.
It was like countless red-hot steel needles piercing into her Soul, every cell being torn apart and reorganized.
Her body twitched violently in the real World, and blood began to seep from her seven orifices.
But Chu Hang did not stop.
He knew this was a necessary path; retreating would mean everything was lost.
Ability Amplification went deep into the core of Jean's telekinesis, and that mass of mental energy source, which was originally only the size of a fist, began to expand.
Onefold, twofold, fivefold, tenfold.
Jean's telekinesis surged in just a few seconds.
Chu Hang simultaneously used the Law of Spirit to carve a complex circuit deep within her consciousness.
This circuit connected the X-gene, the telekinesis core, and the Phoenix Force, forming a perfect circulatory system.
The Phoenix Force flowed out from the Fire Phoenix, no longer directly impacting Jean's body, but first being guided into the circuit.
The circuit diverted the power, part of it strengthening Jean's genes, part of it converted into telekinesis, and the remainder flowed back to the Fire Phoenix, forming an inexhaustible cycle.
It was like water flow driving a water turbine, the water turbine driving a generator, and the energy produced could then pump water to replenish the source.
As long as this cycle remained unbroken, Jean could continue to grow, and the Phoenix Force would not spiral out of control.
The circuit construction was complete.
The violent golden-red flames suddenly calmed down.
They didn't disappear, but were brought into an orderly track.
The flames flowed along the circuit, and with every cycle, Jean's aura grew stronger by a fraction.
Jean opened her eyes.
Golden-red flames were still burning in her pupils, but they were no longer manic, instead carrying a gentle majesty.
She could clearly feel that the Phoenix Force was still within her, but it was no longer a monster, but an obedient partner.
In the real World, the golden-red tornado shrouding the school slowly contracted, and finally, it all flowed back into Jean's body.
The high temperature on the ruins dropped rapidly, and the scorched smell in the air dissipated.
Jean slowly descended to the ground, her feet standing firmly.
She raised her hand, and a ball of golden-red flame appeared in her palm, dancing docilely.
She tried to increase the output, and the flame instantly expanded to the size of a human head.
She then withdrew her power, and the flame S-Rank to the size of a fingernail.
Perfect control.
Chu Hang stepped back two paces from behind her, the burns on his body healing.
He looked at Jean's back, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
Success.
Charles perceived Jean's state through the cerebro, and he slumped in his chair, tears welling up in his eyes.
Eric stood at the edge of the deep pit, looking at the young girl who had already completely mastered the Phoenix Force, unable to speak for a long time.
The girl who had been on the verge of losing control a few minutes ago was now standing at the pinnacle of the Mutant power pyramid.
Chapter 224: Silent Gift
Standing amidst the ruins, Chu Hang remained motionless.
Jean had mastered the Phoenix Force, and golden-red flames swirled around her.
But Chu Hang felt that something was wrong.
Something was burning inside his body.
It wasn't the pain of flesh and skin; it was a scorching agony radiating from the depths of his genes.
Just a moment ago, while helping Jean construct the cycle, he had utilized ten types of Laws and activated his ability amplification.
But that wasn't the problem.
The problem lay in the Phoenix Force he had copied.
Chu Hang looked at his right hand, from which golden-red flames were emerging from his palm.
Just like the one inside Jean, it carried a Multiverse-level fluctuation.
But it was uncontrollable.
Jean's Phoenix Force had the recognition of the main bodyand was restrained by a perfect cycle.
The one Chu Hang had copied was purely a Beast, rampaging through his body.
This clone only had a carrying capacity limit of Skyfather level.
The Phoenix Force far exceeded this level.
Chu Hang could feel his Law Domain being torn apart.
The blue crystal pillars of the Space Law were cracking, the green river of the Law of Time was boiling, and the black mist of the Law of Death was beginning to spiral out of control.
He closed his eyes and tried to absorb it using the Devouring Law.
It was useless.
The moment the Devouring Law touched the Phoenix Force, it was burned back.
This was not a difference in quantity, but a suppression of quality.
The Phoenix Force represented creation and destruction, the cornerstone of the Multiverse.
Although his Devouring Law was strong, it had only been copied from the Celestials and had not yet fully integrated with the Concept of Greed.
If the collision continued, he would be the one to die.
Beads of sweat broke out on Chu Hang's forehead.
The pain inside grew more intense, like red-hot iron wires stirring within his blood vessels.
Golden-red patterns surfaced on his skin, spreading and corroding.
He couldn't let anyone see this.
Chu Hang took a deep breath, suppressing the fluctuations within his body.
He looked up and smiled at Charles and Eric in the distance.
"Professor, the school is stabilized. You will have to handle the reconstruction yourselves."
His voice was calm, revealing nothing unusual.
Charles arrived in his wheelchair, frowning as he looked at Chu Hang.
"Your condition is not right."
Charles's Spirit power was extremely sharp; although Chu Hang appeared fine on the surface, his energy fluctuations were chaotic.
"I'm fine."
Chu Hang shook his head and turned to Jean.
Jean stood there, worry flashing in her golden-red eyes.
She could feel that the Phoenix Force inside Chu Hang was running wild.
Powers of the same origin would resonate.
"Chu Hang, you..."
Jean had just started to speak when Chu Hang's body swayed.
He dropped to one knee, supporting himself with his right hand, gasping for air.
Where his palm pressed against the ground, a charred handprint was burned into it.
Eric's expression changed, and he moved to step forward.
Chu Hang raised his left hand to stop him.
"Don't come over."
His voice was hoarse.
He could feel it; the origin of the Phoenix Force was staring at him.
An existence that transcended dimensions, a pure will of creation and destruction.
It had discovered that someone had stolen fragments of its power.
Chu Hang's consciousness was dragged into another space.
There was nothing there, only golden-red flames burning.
A giant Fire Phoenix hung in the void, every feather composed of Multiverse energy.
It lowered its head to look at Chu Hang, with no kindness in its eyes.
"Thief."
The voice exploded deep within his consciousness, causing his Law of Spirit domain to tremble violently.
"You stole my power, yet you lack the qualification to bear it."
The Fire Phoenix spread its wings, each flap unleashing a storm of destruction.
"I should have burned you, but you helped Jean construct a perfect cycle."
Chu Hang gritted his teeth, kneeling on one knee in the void.
The pressure of the Phoenix Force was too strong; his ten Laws were like candles in the wind, liable to be extinguished at any moment.
"I give you two choices."
The Fire Phoenix leaned down, bringing its massive head right in front of Chu Hang.
"First, relinquish my power; I will take it back, and you can live."
"Second, try to tame it, but you have a 99 percent chance of dying, your consciousness burned into nothingness."
Chu Hang looked up, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins.
"And if I succeed?"
The Fire Phoenix remained silent for two seconds.
"If you succeed, the power will be yours."
"But I warn you, no one can tame the Phoenix Force at the Skyfather level."
"Jean Grey is the host I chose; she has the qualifications."
"And you..."
Chu Hang's lips curled upward.
"I was never a gentleman to begin with."
"Stealing power is my ability."
He stood up, unleashing all his Law Power.
Space, Time, Power, Life, Death, Spirit, Reality, Soul, Body, and Devouring—ten Laws circulated within his body, forming a fragile but complete cycle.
"Come."
"Let me see just how strong Multiverse-level power really is."
Surprise flashed in the Fire Phoenix's eyes, then turned to indifference.
"Arrogant."
"I will grant your wish."
Golden-red flames surged forward.
Chu Hang's consciousness was submerged.
Every inch of his Spirit was burning, every Law was collapsing.
The Space crystal pillars exploded, the river of Time evaporated, and the black mist of Death was ignited.
Pain.
Pain beyond anything else.
But Chu Hang did not give up.
He mobilized the Devouring Law to absorb this power.
The Devouring Law transformed into a black vortex, desperately devouring those flames.
But there were too many flames; the vortex couldn't digest them in time, and it was being stretched larger and larger, on the verge of exploding.
If this continued, he would die.
Chu Hang bit the tip of his tongue, using the pain to stimulate his consciousness and keep it clear.
He remembered what the main body had said: the core of the Concept of Greed was not possession, but an insatiable desire for evolution.
Then he would use this power as fuel.
Chu Hang stopped resisting and proactively let go of all defenses.
The Phoenix Force rushed into the core of his Law Domainand began to burn his source.
The Fire Phoenix was stunned.
In Reality, Chu Hang collapsed on the ground, blood seeping from his seven orifices.
Jean rushed over, pressing her hands against his chest.
She could feel that the Phoenix Force inside Chu Hang was running wild, burning his essence of Life.
"No, don't..."
Jean's voice trembled, and tears dripped onto Chu Hang's face.
The Phoenix Force inside her was also restless, wanting to help but not knowing how.
Charles stopped his wheelchair nearby, using his Spiritpower to probe Chu Hang's condition, his face turning pale.
"His consciousness is collapsing."
"The origin of the Phoenix Force is burning his very existence."
Eric stood to the side, his fists clenched.
He had seen countless people die, but this time he felt powerless.
This was a level he could not intervene in.
Jean closed her eyes, her consciousness sinking into her body.
"Phoenix, I beg you, save him."
She shouted in her heart.
The will of the Fire Phoenix descended into her mental World, its voice complex.
"He chose the most dangerous path, actively abandoning his defenses, wanting to use his source to bear my power."
"He is gambling with his Life."
"Is there a way to save him?"
Jean's voice was urgent.
The Fire Phoenix remained silent for a few seconds.
"I cannot help him, but you can."
Jean opened her eyes wide.
"What should I do?"
"The Phoenix Force inside him shares the same origin as yours and can establish resonance."
"You must guide the power within you to connect with the one inside him, forming a larger cycle."
The Fire Phoenix explained.
"But this requires an extremely deep connection of Spiritand Life."
"Your consciousnesses must fuse completely, and your Lifeenergy must be shared with him."
"Simply put, you must become his anchor to help him stabilize his collapsing source."
Jean bit her lip.
"Will it be dangerous?"
"Not much for you; you have already mastered the Phoenix Force."
"But this will cause your Souls to be deeply entangled, making it hard to separate afterward."
"And..."
The Fire Phoenix paused.
"This requires the most primitive ritual of Life communion."
"Do you understand?"
Jean's cheeks flushed, but looking at Chu Hang's pale face, her eyes became resolute.
"I understand."
She turned to Charles and said, "Professor, take the others away. Don't let anyone come near."
Charles paused, realizing something.
He looked deeply at Jean, then maneuvered his wheelchair backward.
"Let's go, Eric. Go tend to the other wounded."
Eric frowned, wanting to speak, but was stopped by a look from Charles.
The two of them quickly led Scott, Ororo, and the others away from the ruins area.
Jean waited until the surroundings were completely quiet, then took a deep breath.
She leaned down, pressing her hands against Chu Hang's chest, as golden-red flames surged from her palms and seeped into Chu Hang's body.
At the same time, she closed her eyes, her consciousness sinking into Chu Hang's mental World.
It was already a sea of fire.
Chu Hang's consciousness was curled up at the core, surrounded by the Phoenix Force, on the verge of being burned into nothingness at any moment.
Jean's consciousness took on a human form, appearing in the sea of fire.
Without hesitation, she spread her arms and embraced Chu Hang's consciousness.
"I'm here to help."
She said softly.
Then she guided the Phoenix Force within her own body.
That power she had mastered flowed along the mental connection and surged into Chu Hang's body.
The two Phoenix Forces of the same origin met inside Chu Hang's body.
Jean's Phoenix Force was like a gentle hand, soothing the raging flames inside Chu Hang.
Under her guidance, the two powers intertwined and resonated, slowly forming a larger cycle.
In Reality, Jean took off her outer garment.
Her body was covered in a golden-red light film, radiating a holy and primitive aura.
She unfastened Chu Hang's clothing, letting their skin press tightly together.
This was not desire; it was a ritual.
The most ancient ritual of Life communion, used to stabilize a collapsing source.
Jean could feel that the Life force inside Chu Hang was draining away rapidly.
The Phoenix Force was burning too fiercely; the ten Laws were already on the verge of collapse.
If a connection wasn't established, he would completely dissipate within three minutes.
She leaned down, pressing her forehead against Chu Hang's forehead, her hands pressed against his chest.
Golden-red flames surged from her body, enveloping them both.
On the level of consciousness, Jean's Spirit and Chu Hang's Spirit began to fuse.
She saw his memory fragments—the struggle on the battlefields of World War II, the madness of opposing Thanos, and the gentleness when he helped her construct the cycle.
This man was no hero, merely a greedy thief.
But he stole power to protect the things he cared about.
Jean's heartbeat synchronized with Chu Hang's.
Her Life energy, through skin contact, was continuously infused into Chu Hang's body.
Those energies, carrying the mark of the Phoenix Force, acted as a stabilizer within Chu Hang's body, re-restraining the Devouring Law that was about to explode.
Time passed bit by bit.
Jean could feel that the Phoenix Force inside Chu Hang, under her guidance, was slowly being incorporated into the new cycle.
That cycle was similar to the perfect cycle within her, but more complex, as it had to accommodate ten Laws simultaneously.
The Devouring Law began to take effect.
It no longer resisted the Phoenix Force, but instead treated it as fuel, absorbing, digesting, and converting it bit by bit.
The Phoenix Force was broken down into the purest Multiverse energy, merging into every one of Chu Hang's Laws.
The Space Law crystal pillars re-condensed, with golden-red flame patterns appearing on their surfaces.
The river of the Law of Time resumed its flow, the water turning golden-green.
The black mist of the Law of Death stabilized, with tiny flames dancing within the mist.
Every Law was transforming, evolving toward a higher level.
Jean lay on top of Chu Hang, gasping for air.
Her cheeks were flushed, and her forehead was covered in sweat.
This process was longer than she had expected, and nearly thirty percent of her Life energy had been expended.
But she did not stop.
Because she could feel that Chu Hang was breaking through.
His Law Domain, under the catalysis of the Phoenix Force, was leaping from the rule layer to the concept layer.
The Devouring Law and the Concept of Greed fused completely, forming a brand new core of power—the insatiable desire for evolution.
This core was like a black hole, frantically absorbing energy.
Absorbing the Phoenix Force, absorbing the Life energy input by Jean, and even absorbing the free-floating Multiverse energy in the surrounding space.
Chu Hang's aura began to climb.
Skyfather level high-tier.
Skyfather level peak.
Cosmic Overlord level.
Chapter 225: Convergence
Chu Hang opened his eyes to a white ceiling.
It was the medical room at Xavier's School.
He moved his fingers.
Something was wrong.
The energy fluctuations within his body had changed; it was no longer Skyfather level, but a higher level.
Ten laws were operating steadily, with the Devouring Lawrotating at the core, while the other nine laws circled around it.
Cosmic Overlord level!
Chu Hang sat up, the thin blanket sliding off. His skin was intact, with no burns.
But there was a strange new energy inside him: a golden-red, gentle Phoenix Force.
He closed his eyes to recall.
The Phoenix Force had gone berserk, he had let down his defenses and used his source to contain it, and then his consciousness had blurred.
Someone had held him in the sea of fire, warm Life energy pouring in to stabilize his collapsing source.
Who saved him?
Chu Hang opened his eyes and scanned the medical room. On the bedside table sat a glass of water and a few books—psychology works that Charles often read.
A woman's coat was draped over the chair in the corner; it was pale gray, with dust on the edges.
It was Jean's coat.
The doorknob turned.
Jean pushed the door open and entered. She had changed into clean clothes: black pants and a white shirt, her hair in a ponytail.
Her cheeks were flushed, her gaze drifting, avoiding his eyes.
She was holding a tray with porridge and bread.
She placed the tray on the bedside table, her voice very soft.
"You're awake?"
"The Professor said you might sleep for a day."
She looked at the tray, refusing to look at Chu Hang.
Even the tips of her ears were red.
Chu Hang spoke, his voice hoarse.
"How long was I unconscious?"
"Six hours," Jean replied.
"After the battle with Apocalypse, you suddenly collapsed, and the Phoenix Force went out of control. The Professorand Eric couldn't interfere with power at that level."
She paused, her voice becoming even quieter.
"Later, you stabilized it yourself and broke through."
Himself?
Chu Hang stared at her.
That wasn't right.
He closed his eyes and let his consciousness sink into his body. The surface of the Devouring Law was wrapped in golden-red flame patterns—processed, gentle, and controllable.
More importantly, this Phoenix Force carried the aura of another person.
It was Jean's mental fluctuations.
"You saved me," Chu Hang said.
Jean's body stiffened. She bit her lip and nodded.
"The Phoenix told me the method."
"Establish a Life connection and guide the out-of-control power into a cycle."
"I... I did it."
"What method?"
Jean's face turned even redder, and she took a deep breath.
"The Life-Merging Ritual. Mental fusion, sharing Lifeenergy."
"I transferred thirty percent of my Life force to you to stabilize your source, and then guided the two Phoenix Forces to establish resonance..."
She stopped, not daring to continue.
Chu Hang was stunned for two seconds.
Life-Merging Ritual. Mental fusion. Sharing Life energy.
He looked down at himself, then at Jean's flushed face. He understood.
"So..." Chu Hang's voice was somewhat complicated. "You saved me in that way?"
Jean nodded violently, then shook her head, then nodded again.
"The Phoenix said it was the only way!"
"You were dying at the time, all ten laws were collapsing; if we didn't establish a connection, you would have completely dissipated."
"I had no other choice..."
She covered her face and crouched down.
Chu Hang watched her, silent.
This clone was merely a projection of his main body's power. He had come to the X-Men Universe to replicate the Phoenix Force.
Now the goal was achieved, and he had even broken through to the Cosmic Overlord level.
But the price was Jean.
This girl had paid too much to save him. Not just thirty percent of her Life force, but an entanglement on the Soullevel.
The Phoenix had said that this kind of connection was very difficult to break.
Chu Hang reached out and pulled her up.
Jean still wouldn't look at him, her eyes red.
"I'm sorry, I really had no choice at the time."
"If you feel..."
"Stop," Chu Hang interrupted her.
He could feel the Phoenix Force within Jean resonating with his own; the two forces were intertwined, indistinguishable from each other.
He could even perceive Jean's emotions—panic, shame, and a trace of anticipation.
This connection was deeper than he had imagined.
"You saved me," Chu Hang sighed. "I should thank you."
Jean looked up, her eyes red, her voice tearful: "It's not a question of thanking me or not."
"The Phoenix said this connection would entangle our Souls, and it's very hard to separate."
"I can feel your emotions, and you should be able to feel mine too."
"This is not an ordinary rescue..."
Tears rolled down.
Chu Hang looked at her and suddenly realized something.
This clone had broken through to the Cosmic Overlord level, exceeding the preset limit.
The clone was just a power projection of the main body; it was impossible to independently ascend to this level.
Unless something had changed.
He closed his eyes and probed into his body again with his consciousness.
Deep within the Law Domain, next to the black hole core of the Devouring Law, there was an extra golden-red point of light.
It was very small, but the energy fluctuation was stable, like an anchor point.
It was Jean's Life imprint.
It wasn't a residue of energy. It was a fragment of her Soul.
During the Life-Merging Ritual, she hadn't just transferred thirty percent of her Life force; she had also fused a small part of her Soul into his source.
This was the real reason for the breakthrough.
Jean's Soul fragment had acted as a stabilizer, preventing him from collapsing when he endured the Impact of the Phoenix Force.
At the same time, that fragment carried the imprint of the X-Men Universe, establishing a deep connection between the clone and this Universe.
Chu Hang opened his eyes and looked at Jean.
She had paid far more than he could have imagined. She hadn't just saved him; she had given him a part of herself.
Just as Chu Hang was about to speak, he suddenly felt another fluctuation.
It was very familiar, coming from a very distant place and approaching rapidly.
The main body.
Chu Hang's pupils constricted slightly.
The main body had sensed that the clone had broken through and also sensed the uniqueness of this Universe.
The X-Men Universe originally repelled outsiders, but now, because of Jean's Soul fragment, that repulsion had vanished.
The main body could descend.
Chu Hang stood up and walked to the window. The sky was clear, but space was trembling.
The Multiverse barrier was being torn open, and some massive entity was squeezing in.
Jean sensed the anomaly and walked to his side. "What's wrong?"
Chu Hang didn't answer, staring at the sky.
Three seconds later, a crack appeared.
A massive wound spanning half the sky. Gold, blue, black, green—over a dozen colors of light poured out from the crack, churning in the clouds.
The alarm at Xavier's School sounded.
Charles's voice spread across the campus via the broadcast: "Everyone get to the shelter! Immediately!"
Jean's expression changed.
She could feel the energy fluctuations inside the crack; they were of the same origin as Chu Hang's, but countless times more powerful.
Cosmic Overlord level. Or perhaps even higher.
Chu Hang turned around. "My main body has arrived."
Jean was stunned. "main body? You are..."
"A clone," Chu Hang said calmly.
"My true body is in another Universe; this body is just a projection."
"But now, because of you, I have established a connection with this Universe, and the main body can come over."
Jean took a step back. "So you, from the very beginning..."
"I came here to analyze this Universe's power system, to prevent the Multiverse from being destroyed."
Chu Hang stated his purpose straightforwardly. "But I didn't expect it to develop like this."
He paused. "You saved me, and the price was binding yourself to me."
"It's not your fault, it's mine."
Jean bit her lip, tears welling up again. She wanted to say something, but swallowed the words that came to her lips.
The crack in the sky contracted, all the light converging into a single point.
That point hovered, then fell.
It wasn't fast, but for every meter it descended, space distorted by a fraction; the walls of the medical room cracked, the floor shook, and the window glass shattered completely.
Jean instinctively erected a telekinetic barrier to protect them both.
But the next second, she froze.
That figure passed through the roof and landed silently in the center of the medical room.
It didn't smash through the floor, didn't kick up a shockwave; it drifted down like a feather.
It had the exact same face as Chu Hang, the same height and build, and even the expression was similar.
The only difference was the eyes—in those eyes hid the desire to devour a sea of stars, along with the accumulation of countless battles.
The main body looked at the clone and the corners of his mouth curled into a smile. "Well done. Not only did you obtain the Phoenix Force, but you also broke through."
The clone Chu Hang didn't speak, quietly watching the main body.
The two stared at each other for three seconds, then simultaneously raised their hands. Their palms pressed together.
Golden light erupted, filling the entire medical room. Jean closed her eyes subconsciously, and when she opened them again, only one Chu Hang stood there.
The clone had disappeared; all power, memories, and experiences had flowed back into the main body.
Chu Hang moved his fingers.
The clone's ten laws, the tamed Phoenix Force, and the Soul fragment from Jean were all fused into his source.
The bottleneck of the early-stage Cosmic Overlord levelwas broken through. Mid-stage. He stood firmly at the mid-stage of the Cosmic Overlord level.
It wasn't just an increase in power. More importantly, his connection with the X-Men Universe was completely stabilized.
Jean's Soul fragment acted like a key, allowing him to freely enter and leave this Universe without being repelled by the Multiverse barrier.
Chu Hang opened his eyes and looked at Jean.
The girl's face was pale, her eyes dazed.
She could feel that the connection was still there, even clearer than before.
After the clone merged into the main body, her Soulentanglement with Chu Hang not only hadn't disappeared, but had deepened instead.
Chu Hang stepped closer and placed his hand on Jean's forehead.
"I have left a mark in your source; if you are in danger in the future, you can call me."
"In exchange, I will protect that Soul fragment of yours well."
The voice was very soft, but unquestionable.
Jean bit her lip, wanting to say something, but in the end, she just nodded.
Chu Hang withdrew his hand and turned to look out the window. Charles's wheelchair was approaching rapidly, and Eric was flying in mid-air, staring at this side vigilantly.
Scott, Ororo, and Hank had all arrived.
He had no interest in explaining. He unfolded his Space Law, and a crack appeared behind him.
Before leaving, Chu Hang looked back at Jean one last time: "Master the Phoenix Force well."
"When we meet next time, I hope you can stand on your own."
As the words fell, he stepped into the crack. Golden light flashed, and he disappeared.
The medical room returned to silence, leaving only Jean standing by the broken window.
She held her chest, feeling that faint, lingering connection within her.
Deep in her Soul, a corner felt empty, but at the same time, the aura of another person had taken its place.
She would never be able to shake it off in this lifetime.