Once everyone had gathered, Charles turned his wheelchair and spoke to the crowd.

"Last night, I sensed an abnormal mental fluctuation."

His voice was low and steady, yet tinged with a heavy sense of gravity.

"Its origin is unknown, and it does not belong to this dimension."

"The energy level is extremely high."

When he uttered the last two words, the old man's brows furrowed tightly together.

As the Mutant with the top telepathic abilities on Earth, once Charles extended his mental tendrils, he could cover the entire globe even without the assistance of an amplifier.

The terrifying nature of this level of power was unimaginable.

Because of this, any high-intensity energy release on Earth could not escape his perception, and last night's situation was ironclad proof.

"Extremely high?"

Wolverine Logan scratched his head with a puzzled look on his face.

That word "high" was too abstract; what kind of concept was that supposed to be?

Seeing that the Professor's expression was off, the others also put away their playful smiles, realizing that this matter was no small deal.

"In all my life, I have never seen such an exaggerated energy burst," Charles slowly said, his tone carrying unprecedented seriousness.

Jean keenly caught the keyword.

"Professor, did you mean just now that there is an entity that does not belong here?"

Charles nodded, a dense, unresolving gloom condensed between his brows.

That aura was too special.

It was pure to the point of being eerie.

Never in Earth's history had there been a similar energy fluctuation.

It did not seem to belong to this dimension; rather, it felt like a foreign object forcibly squeezed in from some higher-dimensional rift.

"An outsider descended, which immediately triggered a conflict."

Scott crossed his arms, his gaze sunken and cold.

"Who could force back an existence like that? Even you couldn't track their traces?"

"The process was extremely brief."

Charles shook his head, his fingertips gently tapping the armrest, "And, an unparseable force forcibly severed my mental link."

The hall was in dead silence.

The X-Men looked at each other in dismay.

Even Professor X's brainwaves could be interfered with?

How was this possible?

Charles let out a long sigh, his eyes filled with worry.

There were more and more variables.

Some things exceeded common sense.

He vaguely felt that some huge shadow was spreading.

But where the source was, he couldn't see through it.

Logan clicked his tongue irritably, his steel claws faintly visible in his palms.

This feeling of not knowing the background made him extremely uncomfortable.

Compared to those convoluted conspiracies, he missed simple and brutal hand-to-hand combat more.

As long as there was a clear target, his claws could tear everything apart.

What he feared most was this suffocating feeling of having strength with nowhere to use it.

"It is indeed tricky."

Jean rubbed her temples with a solemn expression, "If it's an accident, that's one thing. If it's intentional..."

She paused, her tone tightening.

"Humanity may have to face threats from an unknown dimension. Professor, should we notify the authorities over there?"

"They move faster than I do."

Charles gave a wry smile, "The joint investigation team has already intervened at the scene of the incident. The commotion is huge, so presumably 'that person' will not turn a blind eye either."

He waved his hand, signaling everyone to calm down.

Although the situation was dangerous, it was not a desperate plight.

The ice between Mutants and humans had already thawed, and the conflict had eased somewhat.

There was no need to panic at this moment.

They only needed to lie low and observe.

The exact moment the crisis broke out would be the time for them to truly make their entrance.

Charles had always advocated for peaceful coexistence.

Even though humans betrayed, utilized, and harmed Mutants time and time again, he was still willing to be the one who mended the rifts.

But this did not mean he was a saintly father.

He knew very well when he should make a move.

Adding flowers to embroidery attracts no attention, but providing charcoal in snowy weather is what truly etches itself into people's hearts.

Stepping forward when the public fell into despair and order was on the verge of collapse.

This was the best timing to establish their position.

Rather than releasing useless goodwill ordinarily, it was better to grant redemption at a critical moment.

The remaining members nodded successively, approving of this strategy.

Charles was silent for a moment, a dim and unclear light flashing in his eyes.

He suddenly said in a low voice:

"Also, that person who could contend with that power..."

"Perhaps it is 'him'."

The air in the conference room froze for an instant, then was broken by a name.

"You mean Li Da?" Jean's eyebrows raised slightly, a trace of inquiry flashing in her eyes.

That man was far too mysterious. Externally he looked no more than a youth, but his gaze was as seasoned as an elder who had lived for a thousand years. His strength was bottomless, and he always maintained that gentle and polite demeanor toward Mutants, making it hard for people to associate him with danger.

"If it is him, this possibility indeed exists." Ororo had a good impression of this, after all Li Da had never shown any hostility.

Scott nodded silently, his face somewhat pale. Remembering how he had been knocked unconscious to the ground with a casual wave by that teenage girl back then, this future leader of the X-Men still felt he couldn't hold his head up in terms of face.

A dignified elite, actually defeated by a child's strike. This was not only an insult, but even more so a warning bell.

Fortunately, Scott was reasonably broad-minded and didn't hold a grudge against this trivial matter for a lifetime, otherwise that girl would probably have been blacklisted by him.

Hank broke the silence: "Professor, where did that battle take place?"

"Around Houston."

After getting the answer, Hank walked straight to the desk. He skillfully started up that old laptop, his fingertips tapping rapidly on the keyboard.

Moments later, the screen lit up.

"Found it."

Hank stepped aside, and the members behind him immediately crowded around.

Several photos and an encrypted file popped up on the screen, with the serial number impressively written as "Zero Two Three".

That was footage from a drone overlooking from high altitude. The originally wide highway looked as though a layer had been shaved off by a giant blade; the road surface was fractured and twisted, and the surroundings were densely covered with large, crater-like holes. Farther away, huge rifts spread out radially, numbering in the tens of thousands in diameter.

The entire room was in dead silence.

Hacked the Houston Police Department's internal network and retrieved the on-site investigation data. The FBI had already intervened and was jointly forming a special task force with surrounding cities.

"Good grief..." Ororo drew a sharp breath, her gaze locked tightly onto those startling traces of destruction, "This isn't a battle; it's practically carpet bombing."

Cyclops also put away his contempt, his brows tightly locked: "This kind of destructive power... is chilling."

The intuitive visual impact made everyone realize that the severity of the situation far exceeded expectations.

Just at this moment, Hank threw out a key question:

"Professor, was Mr. Li Da's engagement with that monster from the unknown dimension a coincidence, or was it intentional?"

This question was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples layer upon layer.

Coincidence, or planning?

This was a suspicious point worth pondering.

If it were a coincidence, so be it, but if it were man-made, then this Li Da's methods would be unfathomable.

Being able to actively lock onto a target and carry out strikes was enough to show that his style of action leaned toward protecting one side.

The previous precedent of raiding Stryker's base also corroborated this point.

Professor X rubbed his chin, his brows slightly furrowed: "Perhaps there is indeed an element of coincidence, but we cannot rule out the possibility that he struck out proactively."

"What's the point of guessing back and forth?" Wolverine Logan scratched his head irritably, his voice hoarse, "Don't we have his number in our hands? Why not just make a call and ask clearly?"

Although this remark was crude, it instantly enlightened everyone.

Indeed, although they weren't intimately acquainted with Li Da, they weren't entirely without interaction either.

Asking a question wouldn't go so far as to damage harmony.

Charles helplessly twitched the corner of his mouth, then signaled Hank.

Hank understood tacitly, took out his phone to search his contacts, and dialed that number.

After a long ringing tone, a clear youthful voice came through the receiver.

"Morning, Professor, Hank, and Jean."

The tone was relaxed and natural, as if it were a morning chat.