Worries? None at all. Based on his understanding of his son, Leon, if there were any real danger, he wouldn't be so calm, camping with his parents and siblings in the park.
Ever since Leon had shown his extraordinary nature, his way of thinking and his wisdom had exceeded Li Xiang's wildest imagination. He knew then that Leon was a natural god, though at the time he simply thought he was the son of God. Leon's maturity was far beyond his years.
Li Xiang and his wife, Amy, had completely let go of their worries. They still went to work, but only for social interaction and to maintain a routine. Their working hours had been significantly reduced, and Amy had decided to quit her job after this semester. The couple planned to buy a luxurious RV and take a cross-country trip through the United States, visiting every city and corner. After the U.S., they'd move on to other countries. As for their two younger children, they would leave them in Leon's care.
When the old man told Leon about this plan, Leon readily agreed, jokingly complaining that the two children were just an "accident" and that his parents were "true love."
Li Xiang and Amy were completely free in terms of longevity, health, and wealth. Leon fully supported this and was happy to see it. "Play, do whatever you want. When you're done with Earth, go play in Asgard, then other galaxies and planets. When you're done with this universe, go to other dimensional universes."
For an immortal life, the greatest fear isn't death but the loss of motivation, interests, and hobbies. Take, for example, the cosmic elders like the Grandmaster and the Collector, who had lived for countless years and had to artificially cultivate interests. Without them, they would be walking corpses, and their minds might even become twisted and insane.
Not to mention, when Leon expressed these ideas, Li Xiang and Amy were full of excitement and longing. It had to be their son! Travel across the country? Travel the globe? Small-time thinking. Traveling the entire universe and multiple universes was the truly exciting adventure. Of course, all of that was for later; they would talk about it more after they had traveled across the U.S.
While barbecuing, Amy was chatting on the phone with her best friend. The father and son, meanwhile, were still discussing the matter of the Great Serpent. Leon never hid anything from his family. He had even given his parents a book of cosmic secrets for their amusement, allowing them to understand the situation of the major forces in the universe. Li Xiang especially loved reading these, as they were truths and secrets that ordinary people could never know.
"If the Great Serpent is revived, what will happen to the Earth?" The father was still kind-hearted by nature, worried that many innocent people would die.
Leon shook his head, picked up a spice bottle, and sprinkled it on the skewers. "Don't worry, Father. The Serpent's first target for revenge is Odin and Asgard. The Earth is just a byproduct—another snake, so to speak."
"That's right." The father nodded in agreement, mainly because of the last sentence. In his heart, Leon was the strongest. The Great Serpent, the God of Fear—they might sound powerful, but they were definitely no match for Leon. He was that confident.
"By the way, when I picked up Lily and Dean yesterday, I saw that Teacher Perrone looked worried and unhappy. I felt like something might be wrong." Dad seemed to have remembered something and mentioned it casually.
Amy, sitting in a chair not far away and on the phone, paused and glanced at the father and son, observing them out of the corner of her eye.
Leon didn't think much of it. He took a grilled skewer, took a satisfied bite, and chewed the meat. "A demon has entangled her."
"Huh?" Dad looked at Leon in disbelief. "Can a demon come here? Is it a powerful one?"
"Not here, but in her childhood friend. Its ability is quite interesting: it spreads fear in dreams, absorbs it to become powerful, and kills people."
"It's pretty similar to the Serpent's ability," Li Xiang said, picking up a plate to put the skewers on and sprinkle them with spices.
"Demons, ghosts, and collections of resentment all have similar abilities," Leon said.
He took the plate, walked a few steps, placed it on a small table, and poured a glass of juice. "You didn't plan to help, but the girl likes you a lot." The old man nudged Leon's shoulder, his tone playful. At this moment, they didn't look like father and son but like brothers.
"I left a mark of my power in her soul. The demon can't hurt her, and it might even be good for her," Leon said. Since he had seen the situation, he had definitely prepared for it. He had a good impression of Perrone and wouldn't let him die. As he finished speaking, his eyes moved slightly. "The action is quite fast."
Boom!
In the Pacific Ocean near the northeast of the Philippines and the Mariana Islands, dark clouds gathered in the sky, forming a vortex. Terrifying thunder exploded constantly, and strong winds churned the once-calm sea into monstrous waves. A medium-sized fishing boat rose and fell with the surging water.
"Damn it, retract the trawling net quickly! We have to get out of here!" the captain roared, directing the sailors in a raincoat. "What are those idiots at the Meteorological Bureau doing? Didn't they predict there would be no wind and waves today?"
The captain moved through the boat as the heavy rain poured down and the ship swayed violently. The experienced captain knew they had to leave this area. He didn't know how long the storm would last, but he saw the strange dark cloud vortex and lightning in the sky and knew this was no ordinary weather. He wiped the rain from his face. It was then that he thought he heard something. He turned and looked toward the edge of the deck, out at the surging sea. In the distance, he thought he saw lightning coming from deep within the water.
As the captain stood there stunned and the sailors worked to retrieve the nets, a terrifying wave suddenly surged toward them.
"NO! Damn it, grab on to anything you can!"
"Throw away your nets! Hurry!"
Amid the roars, the massive wave completely overturned the fishing boat. The captain and sailors were tossed into the churning sea. To make matters worse, the overturned boat pressed them underwater, and the surging waves made it impossible for them to break the surface. They were about to die.
Just as they were desperately waiting for death, praying in their hearts that the gods would save them, a miracle happened. An invisible force swept over them, and they found themselves rapidly floating upward. They broke the surface of the water, and the fishing boat that had been overturned was also righted and lifted into the air. The wind and waves could no longer touch it.
Choking on water, the group of people looked at the scene in shock. They then suddenly fell, hitting the deck like bags of flour. Fortunately, it wasn't a long fall, and they only groaned in pain. As they raised their heads, their bodies froze, and their eyes reflected an image they would never forget.
In the raging waves, beneath the swirling dark clouds and constant flashes of lightning, a gorgeous and noble figure stood. A white cloak with a blue inner lining and long black hair swayed in the wind. The figure stood upon the surging waves as lightning illuminated her majestic and sacred form.
The heavy rain fell, but it seemed to avoid her. Everyone, including the captain, instinctively knelt on the ground, praying to the heavens in this miraculous moment, their faces filled with fanaticism.
"The Scorpio Gold Saint!"
"It's Lady Salina!"
"She saved us! Great God, thank you for your mercy!"
They all recognized the figure—the one who had ignited a global fervor, whom people admired, envied, and feared. The world saw her as a true member of the Guard Corps under God's command: Salina, the Gold Saint.
As if hearing their excited voices, Salina turned her head and looked at them. She gracefully extended a hand and waved it backward without a word. Using her powerful psychokinesis, she held the fishing boat, and with the captain and sailors kneeling and praying on its deck, she moved it away from the dangerous, churning sea.
Salina didn't give the matter a second thought. For her, it was just a casual act, just like the words that once echoed in her ears. Beneath her cold exterior, she possessed an indelible passion and kindness.
Looking down at the sea, through the surging water, she saw the Mariana Trench, the deepest in the world, and a battle taking place 11,000 meters below the surface.
"It's a lively scene, but it's still too late," Salina murmured.
As she spoke, a terrifying change swept across the world. A violent aura spread like a dark cloud to every corner of the Earth. The world was filled with strange phenomena, as if it had been turned upside down. The clear sky was covered by dark clouds, turning day into night, and the night was filled with strange light. The sea reacted, and countless creatures became anxious, crying and roaring. Even the magnetic field became chaotic, causing an uncontrollable feeling of fear to breed in everyone's hearts.
The only places completely unaffected were the small town of Sedona, the port of Madripoor, Sokovia, and the various training and research bases established by Leon.
Teen Mutant Academy
"Damn it, how could this happen?" The X-Men suppressed the uncontrollable fear in their hearts and tried to comfort the students. The sound of crying, screaming, and roaring was a cacophony of terror, and their efforts to comfort them were largely ineffective. Some students with weak control were on the verge of losing control due to their fear.
Suddenly, an invisible and gentle psychic energy swept through the academy, like a light dispelling darkness, calming the fear in the hearts of the students, teachers, and staff.
"Do not be afraid of the fear in your hearts, children. You are the masters of your own minds. Fear is not invincible," Professor X's gentle, encouraging voice entered everyone's minds. Under his guidance, the students finally calmed down. The X-Men handed the students over to the other teachers and hurried to the principal's office.
In the office, Professor X, sitting in his special wheelchair, looked very serious. Seeing the X-Men gathered, he didn't waste any time. "There was a terrible energy fluctuation in the Mariana Trench," he said directly. "And a terrible life was released."
"Professor, what is it? Was what we just experienced caused by that life?" Cyclops, Scott, was the first to ask.
"Yes. This life is very ancient and powerful. Its appearance makes the whole world mourn. I can feel that it is constantly creating fear, absorbing it, and gradually becoming stronger," Professor X said, taking a deep breath. His usual gentle demeanor was gone.
"Creating fear? How?"
"It is too powerful. The tyrannical aura it possesses is spreading throughout the world. Everyone will be infected by this aura and will breed fear. As it becomes stronger, this fear will make people crazy, desperate, and even kill them."
"Spreading throughout the world?" Everyone was shocked.
A bearded man in a white vest and brown jacket, a cigar in his mouth, spoke up. "This is a global crisis. If it isn't stopped, it means both humans and mutants will perish?"
"You've guessed correctly, Logan. We must find a way to stop it. Defeat or kill it before it absorbs more fear and becomes stronger," Professor X said, rubbing his brow. "We don't have much time. The breath of fear has already caused people all over the world to become terrified and chaotic. Logan, Scott, and Jean, you must set off as soon as possible. I am going to wear a mind-amplifying helmet to see if I can slow the spread of this fear."
"We understand. Jean, let's go." In this critical moment, Scott didn't waste any words and led everyone out of the office to a fighter jet, heading to the site of the incident.
(End of Chapter)
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