Sam walked across the clear, mirror-like water of Jean's mind.
Soon, he saw it.
Standing in the middle of the peaceful mental world was a massive, unnatural gray wall.
It was thick, cold, and heavily fortified.
Charles Xavier had built it with all of his telepathic strength to lock the fire away.
But to a Cultivator with a Golden Core, it was just a fragile cage.
Sam walked up to the gray wall and raised his hand.
His heavy, pure pink Qi wrapped around his fist like a glowing glove.
He pressed his hand firmly against the block.
*CRACK!*
The wall was strong, but it could not withstand Sam's heavy energy. A deep crack formed, and a small hole broke open.
Instantly, a blast of bright, burning orange fire shot out from the hole.
The heat was unbelievable. It was the energy of the sleeping Phoenix trying to escape.
Sam didn't step back. Because he was sharing Jean's body and soul through Dual Cultivation, their energy pathways were perfectly linked.
Sam opened his Dantian and pulled the wild cosmic fire straight into his own body.
He gathered the intense fire and fed it directly into his Golden Core.
The energy was ancient, pure, and incredibly rich.
Sam's body shook slightly as his golden star absorbed the cosmic flames.
The massive power pushed his limits in seconds.
With a deep, resonant hum that echoed in his soul, Sam broke through his bottleneck.
He advanced from the Early level to the Middle level of the Golden Core Stage.
Feeling the massive surge of his new strength, Sam didn't stop.
He pushed both of his hands against the cracked wall and unleashed his Golden Core Qi.
*BOOM!*
The mental wall shattered completely. It broke into a million tiny pieces that rained down and faded into the clear water. The cage was finally gone.
Sam looked up at the sky.
Floating above him was a giant, breathtaking bird made entirely of pure, swirling cosmic flames. It was the Phoenix Force.
Sam stayed perfectly still, keeping his pink Qi wrapped tightly around his soul.
He knew exactly what he was looking at.
Fortunately, this was just an avatar—a small seed or fragment of the cosmic entity that had attached itself to Jean.
If it had been the true, complete body of the Phoenix Force, Sam's soul would have burned to ash the second he looked at it, even with his Golden Core.
The giant fire bird slowly woke up. It stretched its massive, burning wings, filling the mental sky with warm light.
Then, it lowered its huge head and looked directly at Sam.
Sam held his breath, ready to defend Jean's mind if the bird attacked.
But the bird didn't attack. It opened its glowing beak, and instead of a furious, destructive roar, it made a soft, beautiful, humming sound.
The sound vibrated through the mental world. It felt peaceful, warm, and calm.
Sam smiled, feeling a massive wave of relief wash over him.
The ancient fire wasn't angry. It was just happy to be free from its tight cage.
Sam had done it perfectly. He had reached Jean and broken the wall just in time.
If Charles Xavier had kept the bird locked up for a few more years, the fire would have grown furious and insane.
It would have woken up angry and burned the entire Earth to ashes.
But now, the fire was calm. The bomb had been defused. And Jean was finally free.
Sam slowly pulled his mind away from the clear water and the glowing fire bird.
He opened his physical eyes. He was back in the warm bedroom.
Jean opened her green eyes at the exact same time.
The heavy, scary pressure inside her head was completely gone.
She didn't feel a dangerous bomb anymore.
She just felt a warm, comforting light spreading through her entire body.
Tears of pure happiness rolled down her cheeks.
She threw her arms around Sam's neck and hugged him as tightly as she could.
"It's gone,"
Jean cried softly into his shoulder.
"The cage is gone. I feel so free, Sam. Thank you."
Sam wrapped his arms around her bare back, holding her close. He gently kissed the top of her head.
"You are safe now,"
Sam promised her.
Over by the door, Anna was still sitting quietly on the carpet.
She didn't know what had just happened inside Jean's mental world.
She couldn't see the giant fire bird or the broken walls.
But she could see that the bright, glowing light between Sam and Jean was slowly starting to fade.
The magical exchange of Yin and Yang was settling down.
The beautiful "show" was over, and now it was just a very intimate moment between a boy and his girlfriend.
Anna blushed deeply.
She realized she should give them some privacy.
Just then, her stomach made a quiet rumbling sound.
She had skipped lunch and run all the way to the car. She was very hungry.
Anna quietly stood up, carefully opened the bedroom door, and slipped out into the hallway without making a sound.
She walked down the grand staircase, looking around the massive, quiet mansion.
She was trying to find the kitchen to find a snack, but the house was so big she didn't know which way to go.
"Hello, Miss,"
A very soft, polite voice said.
Anna jumped in surprise and spun around.
Standing on a small table in the hallway was a tiny, beautifully carved wooden doll.
The doll was wearing a little black robe, and her eyes glowed with a friendly blue light.
Anna's jaw dropped. She was completely shocked.
"Who... what are you?"
Anna asked, her eyes wide.
"I am Heavenly Demon. But Master Sam calls me Little D,"
The puppet said, giving Anna a perfect, deep bow.
"I am the Master's assistant. My sensors indicate that your blood sugar is a little low. Are you hungry?"
"I... yes, I am,"
Anna said, still staring at the living doll.
"Please follow me,"
Little D said cheerfully.
The tiny puppet jumped down from the table.
She moved perfectly smoothly, walking down the hall and leading
Anna into a large, beautiful kitchen.
Little D climbed up onto the kitchen counter.
She used her tiny wooden hands to push a basket of fresh, red apples toward Anna.
"Here you go, Miss Anna,"
Little D smiled.
Anna reached out to take the apple.
As she did, her bare finger accidentally brushed against Little D's tiny wooden hand.
Anna gasped and quickly pulled her hand back in pure panic.
"Oh no! I'm sorry! Don't touch me!"
Anna cried out. She was terrified that her mutant power would drain the life out of the little girl.
But Little D just tilted her wooden head, looking perfectly fine.
"Do not worry, Miss,"
Little D explained politely.
"I do not have human biology. I am made of hundred-year-old Ironwood and powered by the Master's pure Qi. You cannot drain me or break me."
Anna stopped breathing for a second.
She looked at her bare hand, and then she looked at the little wooden puppet.
Very slowly, Anna reached her hand out again. She gently touched Little D's wooden arm.
Nothing happened. There was no horrible suction. There were no stolen memories. It just felt like warm, smooth wood.
Anna's eyes filled with happiness.
She could actually touch her! She could hold her without wearing thick leather gloves.
A massive, joyful smile broke across Anna's face.
She gently picked Little D up with both of her bare hands and held her close.
"You are amazing, Little D,"
Anna laughed.
"You are very nice too, Miss Anna,"
Little D replied, patting Anna's thumb with her tiny hand.
In just a few minutes, the lonely mutant girl and the magical wooden puppet became very fast friends.
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