Phoenix Is Toast

Across the myriad worlds… Ahem, I mean, in Marvel’s multiverse, many superheroes have different identities in different Parallel Universes, and the circumstances of each counterpart vary as well.

The Spider-Man before him was one of the better-off Spider-Men. Even now, the only one who could firmly overpower him was Spider-Gwen, whom Li Congxin had taken special care of. None of the other Spider-Men could compare with this Captain Universe.

Yet this elite among Spider-Men now looked somewhat weak. The vast Cosmic Energy within him was rapidly draining at a speed almost visible to the naked eye. Every second, his strength was being weakened without pause.

Frowning slightly, Li Congxin looked at the man who seemed like a leaking funnel and said helplessly, "I already know what happened to you."

As he spoke, he casually waved a hand. Captain Universe Spider-Man immediately felt his spirit jolt, and the unbearable exhaustion weighing on him vanished without a trace. Although the Cosmic Energy within him continued to drain away, it no longer seemed to affect his abilities as an ordinary human or as Spider-Man.

"Thank you, Mr. Clark!" After his vitality returned, Captain Universe Spider-Man immediately thanked Li Congxin respectfully.

As a powerhouse who possessed the dual identities of Captain Universe and Spider-Man, his horizons were far broader than those of the Spider-Men from the other Parallel Universes. He had even encountered more than one host of an extradimensional demon god like Wanda or Jean Grey. Yet although they were all hosts, the relationships between those other hosts and their demon-god entities were nowhere near as peaceful and friendly as the relationship between Spider-Man and Li Congxin.

Just look at how terribly Jean Grey had been ruined by the Phoenix Force on the original timeline. For superheroes like them, power from a demon god was a double-edged sword.

It could expand your strength to an unimaginable level in an instant, but it could just as easily make you feel as though you were suffering beyond endurance.

Before this, he had never seen, or even heard of, a demon-god entity like Li Congxin who casually interacted with the Spider-Men and helped resolve their problems whenever they arose.

But as Captain Universe, he understood one principle all too well:

A god’s grace was as vast as the sea, while a god’s might was as oppressive as hell!

Li Congxin’s easygoing attitude was no reason for him to act without restraint.

Yet what he had encountered was truly horrifying. If he said nothing, he felt he might become a sinner against the entire universe. But if he spoke, could he really hand such a huge problem over to Li Congxin, who had nothing to do with them, and ask him to resolve it?

Just as Captain Universe Spider-Man was hesitating, Li Congxin continued, "The Cosmic Energy within you comes from Captain Universe, while the power of Captain Universe comes from Eternity, one of the Five Creation Gods. With Eternity dead, the Cosmic Energy within you has naturally become rootless duckweed. It will wither rapidly as time passes. This cannot be reversed."

"All I can do for you is keep your body from being harmed when this power disappears, just as I did moments ago. As for the rest, it isn’t something you should concern yourself with or ask about… Go back." As soon as he finished, Li Congxin waved his hand again. Captain Universe Spider-Man immediately felt his body fall beyond his control, as if some force were pulling him, and he plunged directly into the Spatial Vortex behind him, vanishing completely from the Earth-199999 Parallel Universe.

After sending Captain Universe Spider-Man away, Li Congxin raised his head. His gaze pierced through layer upon layer of Star Cores as he began searching the universe. A moment later, when he withdrew his gaze from the vast sea of stars, his expression held a trace of helplessness.

Sure enough, it was not merely the incarnation of Eternity in the Parallel Universe where Captain Universe Spider-Man resided that had disappeared. Even Eternity’s true form in the Earth-199999 Parallel Universe—and even in Hyperdimensional Space—was nowhere to be seen.

Moreover, in this universe, the portion of the laws represented by Eternity had also become incomplete!

What did this mean?

It meant that after Galactus, even Eternity had met with disaster!

They said that when the rainstorm was coming, the wind filled the tower. With the Celestials suffering massive casualties and Galactus and Eternity falling, the coming storm was already impossible to ignore.

Who knew how much longer those companions who had weathered countless storms would be able to enjoy a peaceful life?

Suddenly, Li Congxin’s gaze sharpened.

A sparkling, lightning-wreathed Any Door suddenly appeared before him. It was magic Li Congxin had not used in a very long time.

The person who walked out of the Any Door was naturally Doctor Strange, Mr. Stephen Strange. However, this legendary figure was not wearing his iconic Cloak of Levitation today. The cloak was floating beside him, wrapped around a red-haired woman. Everything except her head was bundled up tightly. It looked just like…

A concubine who had been washed, packed up, and prepared for the emperor’s pleasure?

But Li Congxin was in no mood to tease them now. From Doctor Strange’s grim, almost ugly expression, it was obvious they had encountered trouble—and a problem even Doctor Strange could not handle!

His gaze swept over Jean, who was ready for the emperor’s bed… Ahem, who was unconscious. Li Congxin said directly, "The problem she encountered isn’t serious. I can wake her up in an instant." As he spoke, he waved his hand, and Jean Grey, who had been unconscious, abruptly opened her eyes and looked around in surprise at the familiar yet unfamiliar scene.

It was familiar because this was Earth. To Jean, who had experienced a period of time travel, it was naturally both familiar and comforting.

But it was unfamiliar because Jean Grey had never visited Li Congxin’s villa before.

However, when she saw Li Congxin’s tall and handsome figure, the heart she had been holding in suspense finally settled. She hurriedly said, "Clark, I felt the power inside me suddenly disappear."

"I’m afraid it wasn’t just you." Although he said this aloud, Li Congxin’s mind had already turned toward Ava, who was resting in a bedroom at Avengers Base. Sure enough, the Phoenix Force within her had disappeared as well.

Although Ava had likewise lost the Phoenix Force, her body had become rather special because of Li Congxin. With the support of the Vengeance Divine Power, the disappearance of the Phoenix Force caused no harm to her body. She had not even felt it vanish, and she was sleeping soundly at that moment.

"The Phoenix Force within you and Ava disappeared at the same time. It seems that not only has Eternity fallen—even the Phoenix is toast!"

As soon as Li Congxin said this, not only did Jean widen her eyes, but Doctor Strange was also shaken to the core.

After all, in their understanding, the Phoenix was absolutely an even more terrifying existence than Galactus!

And now it was toast too?

With no mood to care about the reaction of this odd couple, Li Congxin told them to go back and rest. Then, with a thought, he vanished into the material plane.

The situation was becoming more and more serious, yet the Living Tribunal had shown no reaction whatsoever. Li Congxin felt he needed to find this administrator of the multiverse and have a proper talk with him.

That’s all for today—only two chapters. The story is nearing its end, and every plot segment needs to be considered carefully. I’ve only gotten four thousand words out so far.

For this final stretch, I may only write four thousand words a day. It should probably be finished within a few days.