Ch 392: Preliminaries To A Secret Deal

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Ye Xiao rolled his eyes, saying unkindly, “I doubt you even know the meaning of ‘dragon’!”

Magneto chuckled awkwardly. He truly didn’t know. Despite his age, his having had a wife and child, his experience was limited.

Busy rushing around, rescuing his compatriots, he didn’t understand many proverbs common in human society. He only heard Wade and Ye Xiao mention them frequently. The latter lamented, seeming quite unwilling, hence his words.

“I agree to your terms!” Magneto, having few chips, changed the subject. “What do you need us to do for you?”

“Wrong, it’s what you need to do for me?” Ye Xiao sat on the steps in front of the Prime Minister’s Office, appearing relaxed. In reality, he didn’t have much time left. “You’re not really useful to me, so I don’t need you to do anything for me. On the contrary, your arrival here must be because of Wade’s big mouth. What’s wrong? Is your world about to end?”

Generally, Magneto’s impression on others was that he was reckless, seemingly never considering the consequences of his actions.

But in reality, unlike Professor X, who seemed steady but actually had a spirit of adventure deep down, Magneto was the more cautious one.

A person’s personality and habits are inseparable from their childhood environment.

Magneto grew up in a concentration camp and witnessed his parents’ death, which made him value life greatly. But because he had seen so much death in the concentration camp, he didn’t get emotionally affected by death.

It sounds contradictory, but it isn’t. From Magneto’s rescue operations, it can be seen that before each operation, he would think carefully, consider various possible emergencies, and be prepared for contingencies.

Having seen death often, he didn’t feel guilty when killing, because he knew what he was doing.

On the other hand, Professor X practically grew up in an ivory tower. He sympathized with the mutants’ plight, not just because he was a mutant himself, but because even if he were an ordinary person, he would sympathize with them. This had to do with his inherent goodness.

It can only be said that his parents protected him too well, preventing him from coming into contact with the truth of society. By the time he was able to know the truth, his personality had already been set.

Childhood and adulthood, the perspectives on the same thing are different. Though the results might be the same, the process is vastly different.

One living in a relatively peaceful environment, out of compassion, hopes to do something for his compatriots.

One living in a chaotic environment, sees the essence of the world from the beginning: might makes right. Therefore, he is used to speaking with his fists.

Both strive for a better survival environment for mutants, but their methods make them seem like two different people.

It can’t be said whose method is better; it depends on the era!

In a peaceful era, where the law and reason are respected, Professor X’s method might be more effective.

But there has never been a peaceful era. Laws are made by the victors; they are the reason, and reason doesn’t work with them. Therefore, Magneto’s method is more effective now!

Ultimately, Magneto softened. If he truly went all out, Professor X couldn’t necessarily stop him time and time again.

“Yes!” Magneto didn’t hide it. Their crossing of world barriers was to seek solutions in other worlds. They just didn’t expect it to be so smooth, encountering Ye Xiao, who had the ability to solve their world’s problems, in the first world they arrived in.

“Previously…”

He generally explained their world’s situation to Ye Xiao, and then expressed his worry.

“If humans really develop specialized food targeting us, it will be the apocalypse for mutants. Now that Charles and I are still alive, we can barely control the situation. After we die, I don’t know if anyone can take up the banner!”

Wolverine Logan’s strength is pretty good, and there are many mutants stronger than Logan. However, among them, they lack someone who can launch large-scale attacks, someone who can cause devastating damage to a region.

Like Professor X, even without Cerebro, mentally invading a city’s population is easy.

And like him, he inherently counteracts modern weapons, and in a city, he has absolute authority.

Their one overt and one covert approach created apprehension in human society, preventing the use of unconventional strikes, though humanity has ways to deal with Professor X and others.

Simply not selling them food could internally disintegrate the school Professor X built.

Of course, Professor X and others can be self-sufficient. If they have enough land to grow food, they can steal or rob, if they can.

They can’t, but Magneto can do the latter. The people above dare not gamble, dare not truly push the mutants to a dead end.

“You see things clearly, but it’s too late!” Ye Xiao shook his head, seeming rather emotional. “Humans are a very promising race. If they seriously develop themselves, they have unlimited possibilities. But they are loyal to infighting, lacking a unified voice. Like this era, everyone wants to be the world hegemon. Lacking strength, they secretly sabotage each other: assassination, infiltration, incitement—whatever works, they use it. They have absolutely no bottom line!”

“If they were secretly preparing this, they would never let the news leak out. The fact that it leaked out means they have already achieved good results!”

“You mean…” Magneto said with an extremely ugly expression, “Their specialized food has already been developed?”

“It’s not that it has been developed, it has spread, and it’s unknown how long it has been spreading!” Ye Xiao said affirmatively, “If you investigated the mutant birth rate in recent years and the mutant awakening ratio compared to previous years, you should easily find something!”

“Damn it!” Magneto couldn’t help but curse.

Even without investigation, he knew Ye Xiao was right. Previously, his energy was focused on gathering old members or recruiting newcomers, ignoring the growth rate of mutants.

The key is that he doesn’t know how many mutants there are in the world. Only Professor X might know a relatively accurate number.

But Magneto knew that Professor X wouldn’t easily check others’ privacy. The fact that he excitedly found him, inviting him to join the “seeking solutions in other worlds” project, shows that Professor X absolutely didn’t pay attention to the number of new mutants.

“This guy!” The more Magneto looked at it, the more displeased he was with Professor X. He wanted to slap Professor X’s bright forehead a few times. “Will you only notice when there’s negative growth?”

Professor X, still in the illusion Ye Xiao created, couldn’t respond.

Dark Phoenix stood aside without interrupting. She had already had her fill of scolding Professor X. Jean Grey was easy to fool; she wasn’t. There were just some things she wanted to say earlier but didn’t find the chance.

When Ye Xiao and Magneto made a deal through their gazes, she saw it and wouldn’t speak up to remind Professor X.

The more stubborn, the more stubborn. When he was young, Professor X could listen to advice. The older he got, the less willing he was to try other possibilities.

If it weren’t for the lack of other options this time, Dark Phoenix estimated Professor X wouldn’t think of seeking ways to coexist peacefully with humans in other worlds.

In Dark Phoenix’s view, there was no need to go to other worlds. As long as Professor X was willing to join forces with Magneto, the status of mutants would have been secured long ago.

One brainwashes all of humanity; if it doesn’t work once, do it multiple times. One uses strong means; they may not provoke others, but when attacked, they can strike back without hesitation.

Such a good combination, but because of that ridiculous persistence, mutants have been living in dire straits for decades. The status of mutants hasn’t changed, but has regressed.

During special times, they could cooperate with the government. Now, they can only pray for leniency from above.

Dark Phoenix has always disliked Professor X, not only because Professor X set up a mental barrier in Jean Grey’s mind, which he thought could isolate her, but also because of Professor X’s blind and inflexible persistence.

He has to go down one road, even if there are obstacles ahead, he doesn’t know how to turn. The obstacle doesn’t understand human language. Even if you run over it, it won’t cry out in pain.

Magneto is different. The most important reason she agreed to cooperate with Magneto, apart from other factors, is that Magneto has clear goals and flexible bottom lines. When things are impossible, Magneto chooses a strategic retreat instead of stubbornly fighting to the end.

“Your matter is settled,” Ye Xiao interrupted Magneto’s pointless condemnation of the illusion-trapped Professor X. “If heart-to-heart talks worked, you two could solve your current predicament without my help. Now, let’s talk about my business.”

“After dealing with Kang, I didn’t have much time left. Now, you’ve wasted so much of my time, I don’t have the energy to make further changes. Listen, I’ve transmitted a ‘story’ into Charles’s mind. He will brainwash all humans on this Earth according to this story. If there are any deviations, Dark Phoenix, you will intervene, right?”

“Oh?” Dark Phoenix crossed her arms, seeming relaxed. “Why do you think I’ll intervene?”

“If you don’t, then you don’t. I’ll just find someone else,” Ye Xiao didn’t fall for it. Since Wade came to pass on the message, it means the Void Land was ready. After thinking, he summoned Cassandra and said, “After supervising Charles’ brainwashing of all humanity, you can go back. I’ve given you the authority. That’s it. Ask my other self if you have any problems.”

“Ah, I’m dead!”

After an exaggerated shout, Ye Xiao’s body quickly disappeared, and the broken object in his hand was thrown to his other self through the vortex in his mind.

“???”

Cassandra touched her bald head, somewhat bewildered. “What… happened?”

She clearly remembered being at the base, watching Wade busy with something, others worriedly watching Ye Xiao disappear.

For them, Ye Xiao was no longer the “villain” who occupied their base. Before the afternoon banquet even started, just watching Ye Xiao conjure tons of supplies with a wave of his hand, they thought Ye Xiao was a true savior.

If Ye Xiao wasn’t so low-key, they would have erected a statue of him, worshipping him like a God.

As for Cassandra, honestly, she didn’t care much about power. She grew up in the Void Land, her personality gradually formed there. In her understanding, survival of the fittest is an unchanging truth.

If you aren’t firm, even with strength, the best outcome is becoming a manipulated puppet. The worst? Being eaten until nothing remains.

The Void Land used to be deathly still. Even without her strong rule, it wouldn’t have been better, possibly even more chaotic.

Ye Xiao came, establishing rules in the Void Land, letting flowers of hope bloom in the barren fields, transforming the deathly still Void Land into a City of Life full of hope!

No one dislikes such change; no one is dissatisfied with their current life. Anyone who dares to destroy the beautiful life they built with their own hands is their enemy.

This “everyone” includes Cassandra!

Cultivation is cultivation anywhere. With strength comes equal status. Cassandra no longer thinks of conquering worlds. Sunbathing at the base, having dinner parties, occasionally beating up Firestorm—this is her favorite daily life now!

“Who are you? Where’s Ye Xiao?” Seeing Ye Xiao disappear, Dark Phoenix instantly appeared beside Cassandra, raising her hand to strangle her, forcing her to reveal Ye Xiao’s whereabouts.

Cassandra had been with Ye Xiao for ten years. It was impossible to say she hadn’t gained anything. Even before her brain could process the situation, her instinct took over.

Dark Phoenix’s hand passed right through Cassandra’s body.

“Jean Grey? No, it’s Dark Phoenix!” Dark Phoenix’s action snapped Cassandra out of her daze. She looked around, seeing devastation.

Traces of bombardment by robot soldiers and Octopod Mechs were everywhere, with charred remains from flames in the ruins.

In front, the passage blasted out by Bullet was particularly obvious, with robot fragments along the sides.

The ground was covered with nanobots, like ants emerging from an anthill preparing to move.

This scene didn’t surprise Cassandra. When working for the Time Variance Authority’s small leader, she’d seen much worse, often caused by herself.

“Magneto, and my foolish brother!” Cassandra knew she wasn’t Dark Phoenix’s opponent. She immediately dematerialized her body, hiding in another space, finally having time to examine the remaining two.

Magneto’s signature helmet and Professor X’s signature wheelchair—individually, they might not be easy to recognize, but with Dark Phoenix, their identities were undeniable.

“You’re looking for my boss?” The ability to transport herself silently—the Time Variance Authority couldn’t do it, only Ye Xiao. In a flash, Cassandra understood. “You have to complete the task my boss assigned first!”

‘Foolish brother?’

Magneto’s mind raced, remembering what Wade said—Professor X had a sister who wanted to kill him in the womb—and blurted out, “You’re Cassandra?”

Similar! Really similar!

Ignoring gender, their appearances were about 70-80% similar.

Magneto and Professor X had known each other for decades, since their youth. Professor X’s changes at every age were familiar to him.

The outside world says they’re enemies, rarely seeing each other for years, fighting when they meet.

It’s a joke. Even if they met, would you know?

Every so often, Magneto would meet Professor X. Given Professor X’s disability, he was the one to visit, mostly at the school.

He entered openly. Professor X would beforehand turn off the school’s surveillance and give everyone a psychological suggestion to “ignore Magneto.”

This is why they could meet frequently without anyone knowing.

“So what?” Cassandra had no intention of reminiscing with them. Even if they were people she knew, the people in the Void Land were more important to her now.

‘If you dare run, you’re dead!’

Firestorm in the Void Land inexplicably felt a chill.

Ignoring his nervous looking around, Cassandra said impatiently, “Less chatter, get to work!”

Supervising the construction of the City of Life had made Cassandra efficient and decisive. She hated dawdling and wordiness… except for Ye Xiao and others.

“We have to wait for him to wake up!” Magneto thought he hadn’t been wordy; he only asked a name. They were siblings; why were their personalities so different?

However, he admired Cassandra’s quick temper. If Charles had this personality, how could mutants not prosper!

“Simple!” Dark Phoenix still cared about Ye Xiao’s whereabouts. A short probe showed she couldn’t subdue Cassandra quickly. It was better to have Professor X finish his work sooner.

Raising her hand, Dark Phoenix slapped Professor X’s forehead. The force left a bright red handprint.

“Hiss!”

Professor X involuntarily hissed, like a leg cramp waking him up, reflexively covering the painful area.

“Hiss!”

His scalp already burned; touching it was like adding salt to a wound, making Professor X’s facial features contort in pain.

“Hahaha!” Cassandra laughed. She was happy whenever Professor X was unlucky.

Professor X lifted his tearful head, seeing Cassandra emerge from dematerialization. The familiar face made his already unclear mind even more confused.

“You are…”

“I’m your father!” Cassandra reflexively said a teasing phrase Ye Xiao and others often used, realizing it wasn’t suitable. Without embarrassment, she said coldly, “Less chatter, get to work!”

She wanted to go back early to prevent Firestorm from escaping.

She didn’t know which world Firestorm came from. If he ran, finding him again would be difficult.

‘It was just a reflex, absolutely no other emotions!’

Thus comforting herself, Cassandra listened while Magneto explained to Professor X what had happened. She didn’t know what had happened either.

…

Meanwhile, while Cassandra and others finished up in this world, Ye Xiao’s clone was still busy in the time loop.

Time had come to the future.

Meanwhile, in the Void Land’s castle, Ye Xiao and Kang sat opposite each other, a fruit plate and snacks between them, and a glass of red wine in front of each.

Time was split into three lines here: one, Ye Xiao’s pursuit of Kang in the time loop; two, the two delaying each other, attracting each other’s attention.

“I know you want to kill me, and I know my strength is nothing before you! However…” Kang picked up a peanut and put it in his mouth, smiling. “Killing me won’t benefit you, right? We don’t have any conflict. There’s no need to be so unpleasant, is there?”

From Ye Xiao finding him here, Kang knew he’d lost, but only this Kang at this time node. He didn’t even know how many Kangs existed across the infinite time nodes.

Even if he died, another Kang from another time node would immediately take over as God of Time.

The inability to eliminate all Kangs across all time nodes meant Ye Xiao would face endless trouble.

‘I am invincible. How can you win?’

“No way, I’m a mercenary!” Ye Xiao sighed, taking a sip of wine from Kang’s collection. He didn’t know how long it had been stored. From the taste, it was better than Jiang Chen’s private collection. “Since my debut, my mission completion rate has always been 100%. I didn’t expect to fall here. Aren’t you the God of Time? Can you go back to the past and persuade my past self?”

‘Go ahead, and see if I don’t split you in two!’

“Hey, just kidding. I’m not the God of Time!” Kang waved his hands repeatedly, very humble. “I just used the convenience of time for my benefit. It’s my subordinates who are unruly, calling me God of Time. I almost believed it myself. If you hadn’t reminded me, I’d forgotten my identity.”

‘That’s right, I am the God of Time. Do you think I didn’t try to find you? Wait, no one can win me on time!’

“Not humble, are you?” Ye Xiao slapped the table, seeming angry. “I’m telling you, it’s better not to be a god. Those called gods are rarely good people. Although I’m the Sorcerer Supreme, I’m just one of the Vishanti’s followers with a higher status. You control so many worlds, you must have seen Sorcerer Supremes in other worlds. You should know Sorcerer Supremes only have a good reputation; they’re actually just inconspicuous cabbages! They taught me nothing; I learned everything myself. Some Sorcerer Supremes die without ever seeing the Vishanti. You can see how low our status is!”

‘Those who haven’t seen me don’t include me!’

How many Earths are there in the multiverse? It’s unclear.

But in any world with magic, there’s always a Sorcerer Supreme on Earth.

Even if the Vishanti grant every wish, so many followers praying together, responding one by one, it might take until your death to get your turn.

Among the many Sorcerer Supremes, Ye Xiao is definitely an anomaly.

Other Sorcerer Supremes are followers of the Vishanti. Only Ye Xiao has a cooperative relationship with the Vishanti.

Currently, their relationship is quite harmonious. The Vishanti solved Ye Xiao’s undocumented status, and Ye Xiao fulfilled his promise, giving the Vishanti a chance at transcendence.

Ye Xiao didn’t expect his strength to grow so quickly. The undocumented status he once feared—now, anyone who dares to challenge him, Ye Xiao will show them the truth with his fists.

The Vishanti didn’t expect Ye Xiao to act so fast. The chance of transcendence arrived just days after the agreement was reached. According to their expectations, even hundreds of years would be considered fast.

They got their benefits, so they readily responded to Ye Xiao’s summons; after all, no one dislikes more benefits.

While they chatted, the story on the third line was unfolding…