Jean remained silent for a long time, lost in thought.
No one knew what was going through her mind.
After a while, she suddenly spoke, her voice filled with gratitude.
"Thank you, Master Luo Bai."
The moment she said this, everyone was stunned.
Even Luo Bai was surprised. He had not expected Jean to thank him.
Caught off guard, he couldn't help but ask, "I took away your power. Shouldn't you hate me?"
Cyclops, standing nearby, quickly echoed his thoughts.
"Jean, he took your power!"
Jean shook her head and gave a bitter smile.
"But I couldn't control it. I didn't even understand it."
The truth was, Jean never truly understood the Phoenix Force.
Even among mutants, including Professor X, very few truly comprehended what the Phoenix Force really was.
All they knew was that it was incredibly powerful—so powerful that it could overwhelm Jean and cause her to lose control.
That was why Professor X had spent years helping Jean suppress it.
But no matter what, there were always times when she couldn't control it.
And this time, the Phoenix Force had completely slipped beyond her grasp.
Its sheer power had consumed her will, leading to tragedy.
Mystique had died because of it.
That made Jean despise the Phoenix Force even more.
"I don't want to be controlled anymore!" Jean cried, her voice breaking.
"If it weren't for this power, I wouldn't have become like this... I wouldn't have... killed so many people."
Her words plunged the room into silence.
No one spoke.
But at this moment, they all understood.
Luo Bai had taken away Jean's power, and in the end, it seemed like a blessing in disguise.
For Jean, the Phoenix Force had been nothing but a curse.
Now that she was free of it, she could finally live without fear of losing herself again.
Realizing this, the X-Men understood why Jean was grateful to Luo Bai.
Seeing Jean in such emotional turmoil, Professor X did not press her further.
He knew she needed time to process everything, so instead, he turned to Luo Bai and greeted him respectfully.
"Hello, Supreme Mage. We meet again."
Luo Bai responded politely, "Hello."
"Would you mind speaking with me in private?" Professor X asked.
Luo Bai nodded. "Of course."
As soon as he agreed, the others stepped aside, giving the two men ample space to talk.
Once they were alone, Professor X got straight to the point.
"Master Luo Bai, did you come here specifically for Jean's power?"
Luo Bai was a pragmatic man—he had no need for deception.
"Yes," he admitted without hesitation.
Professor X's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Then... you already knew what this power was?"
Luo Bai nodded.
"I do. The Phoenix Force is just a fragment."
Professor X frowned. "Phoenix Force? Could you explain it further?"
Luo Bai thought for a moment before answering.
"The Phoenix Force is a cosmic entity that was born in the universe. Originally, it existed as a singular whole, possessing the power to destroy and recreate entire multiverses. But eventually, it was shattered into fragments."
"These fragments were scattered across different timelines and universes. The one common trait they share is that they seek out hosts. Jean Grey is one such host."
"In fact, she is the most perfect host for the Phoenix Force. However, at her current level, she cannot control it. The Phoenix Force has a strong will of its own, and most of the time, it dominates its host's consciousness."
"This is because the Phoenix Force absorbs the life energy of its host and those around it in order to restore itself."
Hearing this, Professor X finally understood everything.
"Does it affect your will?" he asked cautiously.
Luo Bai shook his head.
"No. And I can control it."
Professor X sighed, nodding in understanding.
"To be honest, I always knew that she suffered because of this power. Thank you for helping Jean."
Luo Bai shook his head.
"I didn't intend to help her at first."
Now that the Phoenix Force had been absorbed, there was no longer anything for him to do here.
With that thought, Luo Bai turned to leave.
But just as he was about to walk away, Professor X spoke again.
"Actually... there's something else I'd like to ask you."
Luo Bai stopped and turned back.
"What is it?"
Professor X hesitated before asking, "I heard that you used your influence to get the government to recognize Polaris's identity. She's no longer a wanted criminal, correct?"
Luo Bai blinked, as if recalling something from the past.
"Oh, that… yeah, I believe I did."
Professor X nodded.
"I also heard that you founded the Justice League?"
Luo Bai raised an eyebrow.
"How do you know about that?"
Professor X smiled slightly.
"Stark held a press conference. He announced that the Avengers were disbanded and that he is now a member of the Justice League."
Luo Bai was momentarily caught off guard.
"A press conference?"
He hadn't been aware of that.
After all, he had been busy dealing with Mephisto in various dimensions lately, leaving him little time to focus on what was happening on Earth.
But knowing Stark, Luo Bai wasn't the least bit surprised that he had made a big public announcement.
This kind of move was typical of him.
Thinking about it, Luo Bai chuckled.
"Yeah, that sounds about right. There is such a thing."
As soon as Luo Bai confirmed it, Professor X made an unexpected proposal.
"Actually... I would like to join the Justice League, along with the X-Men. Would you be willing to accept us?"
Luo Bai was a little surprised.
"You've been doing fine as the X-Men. Why do you suddenly want to join the Justice League?" he asked curiously.
Professor X hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"I know this may seem sudden. But I've read the official reports on the Justice League—they speak very highly of it."
"Ever since you defeated Hydra, the government has been fully supportive of the Justice League."
"When I created the X-Men, I had hoped for mutants to be accepted by society. But... in reality, that process has been incredibly difficult."
"If the X-Men could work alongside the Justice League, I believe it would improve our relationship with both the government and the public."
Professor X's voice was filled with genuine sincerity.
His reasoning was logical.
Though Luo Bai hadn't been paying much attention to earthly matters, he knew that after the fall of Hydra, the government's attitude toward super-powered individuals had changed dramatically.
Previously, many government leaders feared or opposed superhumans.
But after the exposure of the Insight Plan, the government had shifted its stance, now openly supporting enhanced individuals.
In fact, the President himself had even requested to meet with Luo Bai.
But Luo Bai had been too busy, so he simply ignored the request.
Given the current political climate, it made sense that Professor X wanted to use the Justice League to improve the X-Men's public standing.
However…
Luo Bai saw no reason to agree.
He responded calmly.
"Your honesty is commendable, and I appreciate your sincerity. But for now, I can't accept your request."
Professor X wasn't surprised by this answer.
So he quickly said, "I understand your concerns. I will prove my determination. If the Justice League ever needs us, the X-Men will do everything in our power to help. So please reconsider."
Seeing him so persistent, Luo Bai simply waved his hand and said, "Let's talk about it later."
With that, he opened a portal and returned to Kamar-Taj.
Meanwhile, somewhere in deep space…
A powerful figure sat upon his throne, gazing at the vast universe.
Thanos, the Mad Titan, had set his sights on Earth.
"The Ancient One… is gone."
"Odin… is gone too."
"This is the perfect time to carry out my plan."
His deep voice echoed through the darkened chamber as he turned to his most trusted subordinates—the Black Order.
"Have you located the Infinity Stones?" he asked.
Ebony Maw, ever loyal and meticulous, stepped forward and respectfully answered, "Yes, my lord. The Power Stone is on Xandar, and the Soul Stone remains under the protection of the Soul Keeper."
Thanos narrowed his eyes. "And what about the other four?"
Ebony Maw hesitated for a moment before replying, "According to our latest intelligence… the remaining four stones appear to be on Earth, all in the possession of a Supreme Sorcerer named Luo Bai."
What?
Thanos was momentarily stunned. All four stones are in the hands of a single sorcerer?
His expression darkened as he asked, "Are you certain? Wasn't the Space Stone in Asgard? And wasn't Loki sent back to Asgard along with it?"
Ebony Maw nodded. "That was our initial report. However… it seems that the Space Stone has somehow ended up in the hands of this sorcerer, Luo Bai."
Thanos tapped his fingers against the armrest of his throne, deep in thought. "Luo Bai, Supreme Sorcerer…"
He had heard this name before.
Rumors spoke of a sorcerer bold enough to challenge Odin himself in Asgard.
"What else do we know about him?" Thanos asked.
Ebony Maw bowed his head slightly. "Not much, my lord. Our intelligence indicates that he has only been at Kamar-Taj for a few years, but he is regarded as the most gifted sorcerer of his generation."
Only a few years?
Thanos smirked. That means he's still inexperienced.
Even if he possessed four Infinity Stones, without the proper control or the Infinity Gauntlet, their power would be difficult to wield.
After all, mortals were not meant to withstand the raw energy of the Stones.
Now that both Odin and the Ancient One were gone, Earth was more vulnerable than ever.
This was the perfect opportunity.
If left unchecked, these so-called "protectors" would only grow stronger, making it far more troublesome to retrieve the Infinity Stones later.
Thanos made his decision.
"Prepare the fleet. We move to Xandar."
The first step was acquiring the Power Stone. Then, with both the Power and Soul Stones in his grasp, he would descend upon Earth.
Once there, taking the remaining four stones from a mere human sorcerer would be no more than a trivial matter.
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