How About a Friendly Match? (Third Update)

Since Guan Heng had made it clear that he was friendly toward Mutants, and Li Qianhuan and Logan had introduced him to the X-Men at the school, the X-Men knew a little about him. They had no reservations about Guan Heng, and their conversation flowed easily.

A group of adorable children were playing freely on the school grounds when a ball suddenly rolled out of a little girl's hands. She went to retrieve it, but tripped over a stone and was about to fall.

"Careful!" Guan Heng saw what was happening and instinctively raised a hand, using invisible Qi Control. Thanks to his increased mental strength, he could now control air currents from more than ten meters away. It was as if an invisible hand gently caught the girl and kept her from falling.

Guan Heng picked up the ball and handed it to the child. "Here you go. Play carefully, and don't fall again."

"Thank you, big brother!" Guan Heng's sunny smile kept the girl from feeling afraid of a stranger. After thanking him, she hugged the ball and ran off to play.

"Guan Heng, that invisible control just now was a lot like the telekinesis some of our Mutants have," Professor X asked curiously. "Is that your superpower?"

"Yes, Professor. It's called Qi Control," Guan Heng explained carefully. "I learned it in the ancient Kunlun Secret Realm in Huaxia. Unlike a Mutant's innate superpower, Qi Control can be learned by most ordinary people with enough practice. It can strengthen the body and help ward off illness."

"Hmm. Huaxia's Qi Control is truly remarkable," Professor X praised. "And the people of Huaxia who developed it are even more remarkable. It's a pity I know so little about it."

Guan Heng watched the children run and play across the school grounds. "These children are much safer and happier here than they would be outside. I hope they can live peaceful lives without being disturbed. The world outside is another matter. When will ordinary people and Superpowered Beings finally coexist in peace? After all, ordinary people are partly responsible for the growing number of Mutants, yet they completely ignore that fact."

He had witnessed the Anti-Mutant Church hunting down Li Qianhuan, threatening to nail her to a cross. Mutants and Superpowered Beings in America also faced far too much hostility and misunderstanding. Spider-Man and the Hulk, for instance, were misunderstood and hated wherever they went, and were hunted down. If S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't recruited Peter, which amounted to keeping him under surveillance, his fate might not have been much better than Banner's, who was forced to flee from place to place.

"If everyone thought the way you do, Mr. Guan, and could see the heart of the matter, how wonderful that would be," Professor X said with a sigh. "But there are still very few people who can understand and accept us. My abilities are limited, and most Mutants have a very difficult life."

"That's why two extreme factions have emerged among the Mutants," Guan Heng analyzed, rubbing his chin. "Your school and the X-Men offer an olive branch and uphold justice and peace, while that Mr. Magneto wields swords and plans to settle everything through force."

He sighed, then continued, "In any case, I consider you my friends. If X Academy ever runs into trouble and needs help, just let me know. My abilities may be modest, but I'll do everything I can to help."

"Guan Heng..." In a sincere tone, Guan Heng made his position clear to Professor X and all the X-Men.

"Haha, Mr. Guan, you're much too modest," Cyclops Scott said excitedly. "You may say your abilities are modest, but I can tell you're no ordinary person. That invisible Qi Control just now was impressive."

Cyclops sounded eager to test himself against Guan Heng. As a young, proud, and exceptionally powerful Mutant and X-Man, he really wanted to spar with him.

"I wouldn't call it impressive. It's just the result of training regularly—nothing special," Guan Heng said with a faint smile, still modest as ever.

"How about we spar?" Scott finally challenged him. "To be honest, you can see we don't have many people here. I can't keep challenging the girls, can I?"

"Hmph." Phoenix and Storm both looked unimpressed.

"Of course, I can't beat them either," Scott said, looking every bit like a man who wouldn't fight a woman. "The other kids are too young, and I haven't been able to find a sparring partner in a long time."

"What about Wolverine?" Guan Heng asked.

"Don't even ask. That guy does nothing but drink," Cyclops said. "I went to spar with him, and he told me flat-out that all he knew was killing; he'd never learned how to spar. Fighting Logan would definitely draw blood. It'd be like dancing on the edge of a knife."

Scott adjusted his Ruby Quartz Glasses and grinned. "What do you say? Let's have a match. Most strong people—and most real men—become true friends only after they've fought each other."

Actually, Professor X and the other X-Men wanted to see how strong Guan Heng was, since neither he nor Jean could sense Guan Heng through their telepathic abilities. They were curious about his mysterious powers. But Guan Heng was a guest at X Academy and a new friend of the X-Men, so they worried that asking him to spar out of the blue might offend him.

"Sure, let's spar." Guan Heng agreed at once. Aside from fighting the Hulk, Green Goblin, and Loki, I haven't fought many others. It's hard to find opponents evenly matched with me, and I haven't been able to let loose. This is a great chance to gain real combat experience. I really want to see how strong the X-Men are.

"It's an honor to have a friendly match with the famous Cyclops," Guan Heng said happily.

"Professor, is that all right?" Cyclops turned to ask Professor X, who nodded. "Go ahead. Just remember to show restraint."

"Great! Come with me." Scott dashed to the garage and quickly wheeled out a motorcycle. "Our training grounds are two kilometers north."

"Vroom!" The motorcycle started. Cyclops gave Guan Heng a mischievous grin. "I hope you can keep up, buddy." Then he sped off in a cloud of dust.

Guan Heng smiled faintly and raised a hand toward the sky. "Come out, my personal mount, Huang Santai!"

The Giant Dragonfly appeared in front of Guan Heng in an instant. He grabbed the reins on its back. "Catch up with the motorcycle!"

Huang Santai beat its wings and shot into the sky, moving with incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it caught up with Cyclops's motorcycle.

Two streaks—one in the sky and one on the ground—flickered in and out of view at high speed, then vanished from sight. The children at the school and Professor X and the others watched in astonishment.

The Giant Dragonfly was so impressive that even Professor X was dumbfounded. "He can summon giant insects, too? What other surprises does this amazing young man from Huaxia have in store for us?"

"Let's get the car and go see," Professor X said. "Let's find out just how powerful our new friend is."