Sudden Change

Meanwhile, in the space between dimensions, Apocalypse’s body rapidly vanished. He shouted triumphantly, "Iron Man, I won."

Wang Bert watched Apocalypse disappear and pretended to attack the pyramid in anger, but the smile in his eyes gave him away. "Sorry, I won."

Inside the stolen body, Professor Charles’s consciousness, which had been terrified moments ago, suddenly smiled. "Apocalypse, welcome to my body."

Apocalypse froze, instinctively sensing that something was wrong. He wanted to flee, yet hesitated because he could not bear to abandon this body.

That moment of delay ensured that Apocalypse could never leave the body again.

One mysterious rune after another lit up across Professor Charles’s body. Then, the runes connected, forming a powerful seal that firmly trapped Apocalypse inside the body.

The seal was only the beginning. Immediately afterward, the ultra-concentrated Mutant Cure hidden inside Professor Charles through spatial means erupted, flooding his entire body. Even Apocalypse could feel his abilities rapidly disappearing.

The power of this ultra-concentrated cure even surpassed the Mutant Cure. Wang Bert had created it through technology and Money Power.

With a bang, Apocalypse fell from the bed to the floor. He roared, "You and Iron Man set me up!"

"Is there a problem with that? Bert said that no matter how you plotted, your ultimate goal would definitely be my superpowers, so all we had to do was play along."

Professor Charles said, "Everything we did before was an act, so that you could smoothly complete your plan. Apocalypse, you succeeded, and so did we."

"Despicable! You bunch of despicable bastards!"

Apocalypse roared as he cut open his arm and let himself bleed, hoping to expel the medicine that way. Unfortunately, it was useless. The medicine had already seeped throughout his body, and his abilities were growing weaker and weaker.

That was evident from the fact that his wound refused to heal.

"Aren’t you the same?"

Professor Charles said, "In Bert’s words, the winner takes all. Apocalypse, you’re finished."

"I won’t be finished! I am the Mutant God! I will never be finished!"

Apocalypse placed a hand on the ground and used the power of the earth to suppress the medicine. His weakening slowed, but it did not stop.

Professor Charles said, "You are not the Mutant God. Bert is. He will arrive soon, and when he does, your time will be up."

Apocalypse gritted his teeth. "Professor Charles, don’t forget. If I die, you die too."

"I won’t die."

Professor Charles smiled. "Bert prepared a new body for me. Once this is over, I’ll transfer into it.

Not only will I not die, I’ll become younger. Oh, and that new body has hair. I’ll let those young people know just how handsome I was when I was young."

Professor Charles was clearly in an excellent mood. The reason was simple: they had won, Apocalypse had lost, and Earth would return to peace once more.

"You won’t get away with this! I will avenge this!"

Apocalypse shouted with a twisted expression. He had never imagined Iron Man would screw him over this badly.

Just then, with a bang, the pyramid’s door was smashed open. Wolverine and Jean rushed in. Outside the pyramid, Sabretooth and the others were desperately holding back Sunspot’s group of three.

"Professor!"

Seeing that Professor Charles was nowhere inside the pyramid, with only two Apocalypses present, Wolverine was overwhelmed with grief and fury. He roared, extended his claws, and lunged at Apocalypse with all his strength. He wanted to kill Apocalypse and avenge Professor Charles.

Apocalypse was shocked and hurriedly used telekinesis to restrain Wolverine. Wolverine was frozen in midair, unable to advance, roaring in fury.

"The professor is dead. The professor is dead. The professor is dead…"

Jean stared at Apocalypse ahead of her, falling into extreme sorrow and anguish. As a result, Black Phoenix’s power surged. She gave a savage smile, broke through the Mind Barrier, and took over Jean’s body.

Jean’s eyes swiftly turned red like two rubies. Then she flew into the air and laughed wildly. "I’m finally free!"

"Jean!"

Professor Charles was dumbfounded, and so was Wang Bert. Neither had expected things to turn out this way. Only Apocalypse was overjoyed. He vaguely recalled the matter of Black Phoenix and shouted, "You’re Black Phoenix? Help me! Iron Man set me up!"

Black Phoenix froze. Didn’t you set Professor Charles up and kill him? How did it become Iron Man setting you up? Apocalypse shouted, "Help me destroy the seal! I want to return to my original body. It can still be used."

"Why should I help you?"

Black Phoenix looked utterly disdainful. She was no righteous hero. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Apocalypse, if you want my help, fine. Kneel before me and submit."

Apocalypse flew into a rage. "You want me to kneel to you?"

"Is there a problem with that? You were trash in the last cycle, and you’re still trash in this one."

Black Phoenix snorted and clenched her right hand. Destruction Power erupted, reducing the entire pyramid to ashes and nearly scaring Wolverine and the others to death.

"Jean, what happened to you?"

Hank shouted in alarm. At the same time, Blink and the others abandoned their opponents and returned to Apocalypse’s side.

"I am not Jean. I am Black Phoenix, the true Mutant God."

Black Phoenix laughed wildly. "All of you, kneel. Otherwise, die."

As Black Phoenix spoke, a terrifying malice radiated from her body. Everyone felt as if they had been thrown into Hell and could not stop trembling.

"Why is this happening?"

Wolverine was close to losing his mind. Why had everything today become so strange?

"Even if I don’t know what happened to Jean, I have to save her."

Wolverine gritted his teeth and struggled with all his strength. Apocalypse immediately felt the pressure increase sharply. He cursed, then flung Wolverine away, sending him crashing to the ground.

After throwing Wolverine aside, Apocalypse stood where he was and panted heavily. He was extremely weak now, and he was getting weaker by the second.

"Apocalypse, you don’t have much time left. Kneel."

Black Phoenix said coldly, "I will not repeat myself."

Humiliation filled Apocalypse’s face. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but it was quickly replaced by resolve. He shouted, "Black Phoenix, I will not submit to you! I am Apocalypse, the Mutant God! I will submit to no one!"

"Then wait for death."

Black Phoenix was somewhat displeased. In her previous life, Scarlet Witch had failed to make Apocalypse submit. She had wanted to surpass Scarlet Witch in that regard, yet she had failed as well.

At that moment, Wolverine appeared beneath Black Phoenix and shouted, "Who are you? Where is Jean?"

"Isn’t this our tool wolf?"

Black Phoenix lowered her head and sneered. "To Jean, you were just a tool to spice up her life. She never loved you. She was always playing you."

"You’re lying! Give Jean back!"

Wolverine roared. Black Phoenix smiled disdainfully. "I can’t be bothered wasting words on you. I’m in a bad mood right now, so all of you can die."

With that, Black Phoenix raised her right hand, preparing to eliminate everyone present. Just then, a figure appeared out of thin air beside Apocalypse’s original body. It was Wang Bert, Iron Man.

Wang Bert waved a hand, and Apocalypse’s original body turned to ash and scattered away. Apocalypse roared, "Iron Man!"

"Why are you yelling so loudly after losing? Damn it, I finally dealt with you, and now an even bigger problem has appeared."

Wang Bert looked thoroughly annoyed. The entire plan had gone extremely smoothly, yet a major problem had emerged at the final moment—Phoenix had awakened.

Apocalypse nearly fainted from anger at Wang Bert’s words. He shut his mouth and said nothing more. On one hand, he did not want to be distracted. On the other, anything he said now would only humiliate himself.

Wang Bert pointed at Apocalypse, sending Professor Charles’s consciousness back to the Clone Base in New York. Then he shouted at Jean, "Jean, Professor Charles isn’t dead. Everything was a setup, a setup to trap Apocalypse."

"A setup?"

Everyone was stunned. They had fought so desperately to save Professor Charles, only for it to be a setup?

Wolverine and Sabretooth glared at Wang Bert in great dissatisfaction. Clearly, they had been used. In comparison, Hank and Mystique could understand Wang Bert. Something this important could not possibly be casually revealed to others.

Raven secretly thought, Iron Man really is formidable. Even Apocalypse was played like a monkey by him. It’s just a pity that something went wrong in the end.

"Professor Charles isn’t dead?"

Jean, inside Black Phoenix’s body, was overjoyed and tried to suppress Black Phoenix again. Black Phoenix snorted and effortlessly forced Jean back into the depths of her consciousness.

"Sorry, Iron Man, that won’t work."

Black Phoenix said arrogantly, "I’m already out. No one can make me go back."

"I know, but it was worth trying."

Wang Bert said, "Black Phoenix, I didn’t get enough of fighting Apocalypse just now. Let’s have another round."

"Iron Man, although your true body is incomparably noble, you are merely a clone. You are not qualified to fight me."

Black Phoenix was full of disdain. "For the sake of being Wanda’s man, I’ll give you a chance. Submit to me, or I’ll turn you into nothingness."

"When have you ever seen a Creator God surrender?"

Wang Bert smiled. "Black Phoenix, are you planning to destroy the world?"

"Yes. This world must be destroyed. Hmph, in the previous timeline, if Scarlet Witch had not gotten in my way, I would have destroyed this world long ago."

Black Phoenix did not deny it. Wolverine and the others were speechless. Why is it world destruction again? The world is such a nice place. Why do you all keep wanting to destroy it?

"Original Sin wants to destroy the world because It hates humanity."

Wang Bert asked, "What about you, Black Phoenix? Why do you want to destroy this world?"

Black Phoenix said, "Because I like it. I am destruction incarnate."

"Is that so?"

Wang Bert looked at Black Phoenix and asked, "Why do I feel that you want to run away? Destroy Mutant Planet and escape amid the chaos, so the Celestial Group can no longer find you."

"I’m not running away. I’m going to find my source."

Black Phoenix snorted. "My source is in the depths of the universe. Once I find it, I can ascend to become a Creator God. By then, the Celestial Group will be nothing."

"So the Celestial Group really is powerful. Otherwise, even Black Phoenix would not choose to flee from them."

Wang Bert’s gaze flickered. He did not expose Black Phoenix and instead asked, "My true body is outside. Aren’t you afraid he’ll slap you to death?"

"No, because your true body will definitely save Scarlet Witch and the others first. He won’t have time to deal with me."

Black Phoenix said impatiently, "I’m getting tired of this. Die."

With that, Black Phoenix raised both hands, preparing to attack. Just then, a small flickering figure appeared out of thin air behind her. The small figure clapped both hands together, and a gigantic green Time Magic Array appeared, enclosing Black Phoenix.

Franklin smiled smugly. "Black Phoenix, you talk too much."

That was right. Franklin had acted. Earlier, when he said he could not leave the manor, he had been lying to Apocalypse. Furthermore, Wang Bert had helped him construct this Time Magic Array.

"You were deliberately stalling for time?"

Black Phoenix flew into a rage. Violent Destructive Black Flame poured out of her body, transforming into two black phoenixes that blasted toward Franklin and Wang Bert.

"Time, reverse."

Franklin activated his power with all his might. The Time Magic Array activated, and the surrounding time began to flow backward. The two black phoenixes flew back along their original paths.

Black Phoenix’s expression changed slightly. She hurriedly unleashed her power to resist the Time Magic Array. The scene immediately froze. Time could not reverse any further, but the black phoenixes could not attack either.

"You little brat think you can reverse my time?"

Black Phoenix snorted and went all out. The two black phoenixes broke free of time’s control and continued forward.

Franklin struggled to maintain the Magic Array as he shouted, "Iron Man, what are you waiting for?"

"I’m adjusting it. Apocalypse, this move was originally prepared for you. Too bad you’re too weak. You weren’t even qualified to witness it."

Wang Bert smiled faintly. A circular radiance surged from his body and enveloped the surroundings. Every mutant felt a chill run through their hearts, as though their life and death were entirely in someone else’s hands.

This move was called Mutant Domain. Its function was simple: it controlled Mutant Genes. It was an ability Wang Bert had gained after mastering fifty percent of the Mutant Source.

Once this move evolved to its peak, he could freely manipulate other people’s Mutant Genes. At that point, Wang Bert would truly become the Mutant God.

"Black Phoenix, power reduced."

Wang Bert’s words became reality, and Black Phoenix’s power immediately began to decline. The Phoenix Force had long since fused with the Mutant Gene, so Wang Bert could control her.

That was not all. Wang Bert continued, "Franklin, power increased."

Franklin’s time abilities immediately increased dramatically, and even his body became much more stable. He whistled excitedly and drove the Time Magic Array with all his strength. The two black phoenixes rapidly flew back into Black Phoenix’s body. Then, Black Phoenix’s own time began to reverse.

Clearly, Wang Bert and Franklin wanted to turn Black Phoenix back into Jean.

"Don’t even think about it."

Blazing Black Flames erupted from Black Phoenix’s body as she desperately resisted the Time Power. But it was merely a final struggle. Under Wang Bert and Franklin’s combined efforts, her time was reversed bit by bit.

Seeing Black Phoenix in trouble, Apocalypse first sneered, then sent her a telepathic message. "Black Phoenix, let’s team up. This is our only chance to survive."

Apocalypse truly hated Black Phoenix, but that did not prevent him from cooperating with her. As a king, one had to be magnanimous.

Black Phoenix had no desire to turn back into Jean. She asked, "Apocalypse, how do we team up?"

"Suppress some of your power and return to the ground. I’ll send my final burst of energy to you through the earth."

Apocalypse said, "That energy can ignite your Phoenix Force. When that happens, the Time Magic Array will be destroyed."