Not long after April Fool's Day had passed.
With everything coming back to life, Ke Chen's yard had become overgrown with weeds, so the three of them naturally worked together to clear them out.
Americans loved buying houses with yards precisely because of the lawns.
They could decorate their yards extravagantly and keep them perfectly neat, but they could not grow vegetables or anything like that.
That was a serious violation of the law.
A lush green lawn was pleasing to look at, so in the United States, there were countless landscapers who helped families unwilling to tend their own lawns.
Ke Chen and the others had nothing much to do, so they handled it themselves.
Peggy Carter and Lorna were not used to it, while Ke Chen had always done this sort of thing himself.
So the two of them followed Ke Chen's lead.
Although Lorna had been learning for quite some time, she always wanted to use her Mutant powers to get it done.
But this year was different. With the situation so tense, she did not dare use her powers even in her own yard.
After an afternoon of mowing, Peggy had not even broken a sweat, while Lorna had long since given up and gone back inside.
She only liked looking at flowers and plants, not tending to them herself.
Just then, an unusual sound suddenly came from the sky.
It sounded like something flying.
Ke Chen had been chatting with Peggy, but upon hearing it, he immediately looked up.
The sky was ablaze with crimson. A woman dressed entirely in red descended into the yard, a faint phantom of a phoenix lingering behind her.
"Jean Grey?"
Though it was Ke Chen's first time meeting Phoenix, the manner of her arrival had already revealed her identity.
Peggy also shifted into Captain Carter's stance, immediately going on guard.
Because Phoenix did not look well.
Magma-like blotches flickered beneath her skin from time to time, then vanished just as quickly.
Clearly, even now, she was still struggling against the Phoenix Force.
Her will was even tougher than he had imagined!
"You know me."
Jean Grey raised her chin, then spoke with a trace of pain in her voice.
"Yes, we both know you. My name is Ke Chen."
Ke Chen introduced them. "This is Peggy."
He took Peggy's hand, signaling for her not to act rashly.
He could not say whether Dark Phoenix or Scarlet Witch was stronger.
After all, the Phoenix Force and Chaos Magic were both among the three most powerful ancient forces in the universe.
The last was the Fairy Force, which had likewise existed since the beginning of the universe.
Chaos Magic seemed to originate from Chthon, the god of the underworld, and appeared less powerful than the Phoenix Force, which had been born at the dawn of the universe. Yet the two displayed roughly the same level of power.
Scarlet Witch could erase Mutants with a single sentence, while Jean Grey as Phoenix could make Mutants reappear with a single sentence...
In short, both were weapons of causality.
It was difficult to say which was stronger, but the gap between them certainly was not large.
On Earth-838, Captain Carter had seemed to exchange a few moves with Scarlet Witch, but she had died miserably, sliced in half at the waist by her own shield.
Moreover, that world's Wanda had been controlled by this world's Wanda through the influence of the Darkhold.
Her strength had been nowhere near its peak, and she could only barely wield a fraction of it.
Clearly, for a Super Soldier, matching a god with mortal strength was praise, but it was not something she could truly accomplish.
If Captain Carter attacked Dark Phoenix, her outcome probably would not be much better...
Ke Chen could only hurry to stop Peggy's hostility.
"What did you come to us for?"
Seeing how much Jean Grey was suffering, Ke Chen immediately asked.
He was afraid that if Jean Grey lost control, the Phoenix Force would erupt and destroy the yard.
After all, this was his home.
"I need your help."
A flicker of hope appeared in Jean Grey's eyes as she spoke.
"How can I help you?"
Ke Chen asked, then stopped Lorna, who had come outside.
Lorna had emerged from the house after sensing the energy fluctuations outside.
She was the most hostile toward Jean Grey, believing that Jean Grey was the reason all Mutants had been affected.
If Peggy had not stopped her, Lorna probably would have attacked directly.
But clearly, Lorna was no match for Jean Grey.
"You mentioned the Phoenix Force. You understand it. I saw it in time."
Pain flashed across Jean Grey's face before she immediately asked.
A burst of fiery red energy suddenly surged from her body, only for her to force it back inside at once.
Even Peggy and Lorna could sense that something was wrong with her.
Feeling that immense power, Lorna immediately did not dare make any rash moves.
So she had been tormented by power like this all along?
"Do you know how to control it?"
Jean Grey walked up to Ke Chen and asked.
A wave of psychic power rushed directly toward Ke Chen, but he blocked it.
Both of them possessed powerful Telepathy.
It made Ke Chen afraid to imagine how awful things would be in a world full of Mutants without that ability.
Jean Grey's own Mutant power was Telepathy. The Phoenix Force was external, greatly enhancing her strength.
"I don't know."
Ke Chen shook his head.
He took out a glowing card and gave it a try.
Unfortunately...
[Does the host wish to use the God-Tier Stealing Card? Telepathy can be stolen from Phoenix Jean Grey, but the host already possesses it, so use is not recommended. The Phoenix Force is a primordial force of the universe and does not fall within the scope of abilities or skills. It cannot be stolen.]
The Phoenix Force could not be stolen.
Of course, seeing how much Jean Grey was suffering, even if he had obtained the Phoenix Force, he might not have been able to control it.
The Phoenix Force was simply too powerful. Humans were far too insignificant before it.
"Help me!"
Jean Grey grabbed Ke Chen directly, and pain flashed across her face.
"Please."
Jean Grey felt as though her body were about to be torn apart. The pain was beyond words.
Fortunately, the Phoenix Force needed her body and soul as its host. Otherwise, she would already have become a fiery red phoenix.
Ke Chen looked at Jean Grey, who seemed on the verge of losing control, and frantically searched for a solution.
He had not expected Jean Grey to come directly to him and ask him for help.
But the problem was that how to master the Phoenix Force was practically an unsolved mystery.
Perhaps tired of waiting, Jean Grey also briefly lost control of the Phoenix Force, and her expression gradually grew cold.
If she became completely cold and emotionless, Dark Phoenix would take control of her body.
That would be extremely bad for Ke Chen.
"I have a way!"
He immediately looked at Jean Grey and said.
Sure enough, a trace of struggle instantly appeared on Jean Grey's cold face.
Even without using Telepathy to enter her mind, Ke Chen could sense her condition.
Besides herself, there was also the power of the phoenix in her mind, constantly influencing her and even fighting her for control.
Once she became exhausted or fell into a disadvantage, the Phoenix Force would take the lead.
That was something Ke Chen did not want to see.
So, after seeing Jean Grey briefly recover, he immediately said, "I know someone who can help you."
Before you continue