This was the fundamental reason Superman could ultimately transform into Silver Superman, Golden Superman, and even shatter the multiverse with a single punch.
After all, relying on devouring stellar energy alone, even swallowing a hundred stars would amount to no more than a drop in the ocean before the vast universe.
Moreover, every cell in his body was spontaneously releasing a strange resonance, merging together until they formed a powerful barrier that firmly enveloped his body, indestructible and immovable.
It was the legendary "Man of Steel."
"This ability... is incredible."
Chen Xiao let out a long breath, his expression filled with shock.
Unfortunately, although his consciousness had reached the microscopic level, the limit of what he could currently observe remained at the cellular level.
He still could not truly delve inside his cells and witness the real-time changes in his chromosomes and genes, much less capture the deepest transformations within his Kryptonian cells.
Chen Xiao then redirected his mind, turning his attention toward another hidden, special source of energy within his body: the X-Gene.
Under the meticulous sweep of his mental awareness, he discovered a group of unusual cells within his body. They were scarce, accounting for only a tiny fraction of his total cells, and their distribution was also quite concealed. Most lay dormant in noncore regions such as the muscles and fatty tissues of his limbs and torso. They coexisted with the Kryptonian cells without interfering, neither disturbing the other. It could even be said that they lacked the power to disrupt the way the Kryptonian cells operated.
Although these X-Gene cells accounted for a negligible proportion, their absolute number was still staggering when calculated against Chen Xiao's current physical density and total cell count, both far beyond an ordinary person's. They had already exceeded a hundred trillion.
Under his microscopic view, they had a distinctive shape, each forming a regular hexagonal structure. Over a hundred trillion cells linked together, fitting with precision to weave an invisible network throughout his body, like crisscrossing energy circuits within a human being.
Looking deeper, each cell resembled a miniature star, while the entire network was like a star chart spanning the galaxy, vast, intricate, and concealing mysteries, exuding an indescribable sense of profundity.
Chen Xiao instinctively realized that the fundamental code behind mutants' abilities lay hidden within this cellular matrix spread out like a field of stars.
Just as he immersed himself in the magnificent sights inside his body, a mutant with wings spanning several meters swept through the air and landed steadily on the institute's athletic field.
In the headmaster's office, Warren Worthington III stood looking somewhat ill at ease.
Storm, Ororo, sat behind the desk, with Wolverine, Logan, standing beside her. The two had been discussing business and stopped at his arrival.
Looking at the tense young man before her, Ororo rose and spoke gently. "Hello, I'm Ororo, headmistress of the Xavier Institute. And you are?"
Warren looked up somewhat uneasily. "My name is Warren Worthington III... I heard this place takes in mutants. Is that true?"
Sensing his apprehension, Ororo nodded lightly. "Yes. This is a sanctuary for mutants."
"Wait, Worthington!" Logan suddenly spoke, his tone wary. "I remember the laboratory that came up with that mutant 'cure' was called Worthington."
His words made Warren stiffen. His eyes gradually dimmed, and he admitted quietly, "That's right... The person who developed that drug is my father."
As soon as he finished, he instinctively held his breath, thinking he would immediately be turned away.
But Ororo saw through his thoughts and smiled gently. "Don't worry. This is a school for mutants. Whoever you are outside, whatever you've done, as long as you're willing to come here, our doors will always be open to you."
Warren froze, his voice trembling slightly. "R-really?"
"Really." Ororo nodded solemnly.
Once his emotions had settled somewhat, Ororo asked, "Warren, since that cure came from your father's laboratory, do you understand its true nature?"
Warren did not hesitate. "It isn't a chemically synthesized drug at all. It comes from a mutant whose ability suppresses the genetic activity of other mutants."
"What?!" Logan's brow furrowed. "So this so-called 'cure' is actually a copy of a living person's ability?"
Warren nodded. "They extracted that mutant's DNA, analyzed its suppression mechanism, and made it into an injectable preparation."
"But this suppressor gene can only be copied. It can't be synthesized artificially."
Ororo frowned slightly. "In other words, there's only one source for the cure. Without that person, the drug supply stops completely."
"Yes."
Logan slowly exhaled. "That guy is far more dangerous than we thought."
Warren's arrival revealed the truth behind the "cure," but beyond that, it caused no further ripples.
In New York, however, a large crowd of protesters had already gathered outside a newly renovated Worthington Company facility that was about to be designated a mutant vaccination center.
These mutants held uniformly produced placards and stood in orderly lines along both sides of the street, shouting in unison:
"We don't need treatment!"
"We're not sick!"
"We must resist!"
In America, whenever the public was deeply dissatisfied with a policy, people would spontaneously gather in the streets, expressing their demands through peaceful assemblies and urging the government to repeal or amend the relevant legislation.
That day was no exception. On the third day after the official announcement of the "mutant cure," hundreds, even thousands, of ordinary mutants flocked to the Worthington Company's doors, maintaining pressure.
Most belonged to the lowest ability tier, level-one mutants. Their abilities were weak and almost entirely nonoffensive. After registering with the authorities, they lived no differently from ordinary people. Even laboratories devoted to studying the mutant gene had little interest in them.
Such a large public demonstration naturally attracted a great many media reporters. Cameras were set up, with live feeds connected to major news platforms in real time.
Numerous police officers were also stationed along the street, carrying riot-control equipment to maintain order and guard against unexpected clashes. After all, in the public's eyes, every mutant bore the label of "potential threat."
But just then,
Boom!!!
The first floor of the Worthington Company building suddenly exploded. Flames carrying scorching waves of heat surged out of the windows, and the shockwave instantly knocked down nearby reporters and police officers.
"Ah!"
"Take cover!"
The sudden explosion threw everyone into confusion. Screams and shouts mingled as the crowd scattered like a tide, fleeing in every direction.
The attack immediately triggered a federal emergency response.
Shortly afterward, a video quietly appeared across the internet. At the center of the frame was Magneto.
His expression was cold as he stared straight into the camera, his voice low yet penetrating:
"Today's explosion was only the prologue."
"As long as that drug remains in circulation, our actions will not stop. No city is safe, even if you're simply walking down the street."
"This was never a situation I wished to see. But from the day the first 'cure' appeared, you had already declared war on us."
"So I sincerely invite all my fellow mutants to join the Brotherhood and stand up for the survival of our entire kind."
"Of course, we will never force those unwilling to join. We ask only that you do not stand in our way."
On the day the video was released, more than ten major cities across America suffered successive attacks.
Casualties exceeded several hundred. As the news broke, the entire nation was shocked, and the world's attention turned toward it.
That day, Magneto's public declaration rapidly spread everywhere. Chen Xiao and the others saw it immediately as well.
That evening, having just finished dinner, the X-Men assembled once more and returned to the same office they had used that morning.
Click!
Storm switched off the television and turned toward Chen Xiao, Shadowcat, and the others, her tone steady. "What does everyone think about this?"
Wolverine leaned against the wall with his arms folded. At her question, he said quietly, "He's declaring war directly on the American government. The authorities won't stand by and do nothing."
Shadowcat looked anxious. "But if that happens, mutants could suffer terrible casualties."
Chen Xiao shook his head lightly. "The issue isn't how many people die. It's that this drug has already dragged humans and mutants into a vortex of confrontation."
"In just half a day, more than ten cities were attacked in succession. Their deployments were meticulous, their operations coordinated."
"It looks like Magneto has far more cards up his sleeve than we estimated." His expression was calm, his tone level.
On reflection, it was hardly surprising. If Professor X was the spiritual beacon of moderate mutants, Magneto was the undisputed commander of the resistance.
Not only was his combat strength exceptional, but he had also led the Hellfire Club in his earlier years and single-handedly founded the Brotherhood of Mutants. It was only natural that his influence would be deeply entrenched.
This Magneto was by no means the solitary figure from the movies.
Otherwise, after that battle against Stryker's troops several years ago, how could he have remained hidden for three whole years without a trace while being hunted by both the American authorities and the X-Men?
His deeper strength actually far exceeded what appeared on the surface. Hundreds, even thousands, of mutants stood behind him.
Among them were both those who resisted openly and "invisible mutants" who had never exposed their identities but had quietly entered society's middle and upper ranks.
Although they could not conveniently show themselves, they had no trouble secretly providing funds, supplies, and intelligence.
They did so merely to prepare for a rainy day and leave themselves a way out.
Perhaps even Professor X himself had once been among them.
While Chen Xiao rapidly sorted through the day's events, teasing out their threads, Wolverine and the others had already begun to disagree.
"I think we should act immediately and stop them."
Wolverine's voice was low. "If we let Erik keep this up, all-out war between humans and mutants is only a matter of time. The consequences would be unthinkable."
"How do we stop them? We don't even know where their base is."
Storm glanced at Shadowcat, Iceman, and the others, her tone growing slightly heavy. "Besides, Jean has joined their side too. With Magneto and his core team as well..."
"Can we really suppress the Brotherhood as we are now? Or are we planning to lose a few more teammates?"
Her words made Wolverine's brow tighten.
At present, Scott was severely injured and unconscious, Professor X was dead, and the X-Men's fighting strength had been nearly halved.
Even with Chen Xiao joining them, their overall strength was still clearly inferior to what it had been.
The enemy's known top combatants were Magneto first, followed by Jean. Below them were Juggernaut, whose strength was enough to clash head-on with Chen Xiao; Arclight, who could release high-energy shockwaves; Nightcrawler, who could overpower Storm at close range; Pyro John; and over a hundred well-trained ordinary mutants.