A little while later, Sam and Jean walked down the stairs.
Jean looked completely different.
The heavy, tired look in her eyes was gone.
She felt lighter than air. She had never felt this free in her entire life.
There were no more loud voices in her head, and no more fear of a cosmic fire.
Because the heavy burden was finally lifted, a new side of Jean came out.
She was incredibly happy and full of life.
She showed a very cute, playful side of herself.
She walked close to Sam, wrapping both of her arms around his waist and leaning her head against his shoulder.
When they walked into the kitchen, they found Anna sitting at the counter, happily talking to Little D.
Anna saw Sam and immediately walked over to him.
She didn't hesitate. She reached out and grabbed his other hand, holding onto his arm tightly.
For Anna, the feeling of skinship was completely addicting.
She could finally touch another human being without hurting them.
She didn't want to let go.
Both Jean and Anna were being very clingy.
They held onto Sam like he was their safe harbor in a storm.
Sam didn't mind at all. He just smiled, his Golden Core providing a steady, warm energy that made both girls feel perfectly safe.
He patted their heads, happy to see them so relaxed.
They spent the afternoon just talking, eating apples, and laughing with Little D.
It was a simple, beautiful day.
A few hours later, the front door opened.
Natasha walked in. She was wearing her sleek black S.H.I.E.L.D. suit.
She had just finished a long day of work.
She walked into the kitchen and stopped. She saw Sam standing there, with Jean hugging his left arm and Anna hugging his right arm.
Natasha let out a soft whistle.
She looked at Jean, noticing the bright, glowing energy radiating from the teenager.
Natasha knew exactly what that meant.
"Well,"
Natasha smiled, giving Jean a knowing look.
"You work fast, Jean. I am proud of you."
Jean's face turned pink, but she didn't hide. She just smiled back proudly.
Anna looked at the beautiful redhead. She was very curious.
"Hi,"
Anna said shyly.
"I am Anna Marie. Are you Natasha?"
"I am,"
Natasha said, walking over to the kitchen counter.
"Jean has told me a lot about you. It is nice to finally meet you."
Natasha reached out her bare hand to shake Anna's hand.
Anna quickly pulled her hand back, looking worried.
"Wait, I can't,"
Anna warned her.
"Sam's energy is strong enough to stop my power, but I don't want to hurt you."
Natasha just smiled confidently and kept her hand out.
"I am not a normal human anymore, Anna,"
Natasha explained softly.
"I am a Cultivator, just like Sam. I am at the Foundation Establishment Stage. My energy is much thicker than you think. Try it."
Anna looked at Sam. Sam gave her an encouraging nod.
Slowly, Anna reached out and took Natasha's hand.
Anna closed her eyes, waiting for the sudden rush of energy. But it didn't come.
Instead, she felt a cool, solid wall of Yin Qi protecting Natasha's skin.
Anna's mutant power was still trying to pull the energy away, but it was incredibly slow.
It felt like trying to empty a large swimming pool with a small spoon.
"You see?"
Natasha smiled, giving Anna's hand a firm, friendly squeeze.
"Because my stage is high, your power is much less effective. It would take hours of holding hands for me to even feel a little bit tired."
Anna looked down at their connected hands. She smiled faintly.
Sam wasn't the only one she could touch.
Cultivation was real. It wasn't just a trick of Sam's Golden Core; it was a path that everyone could walk.
"This is amazing,"
Anna whispered.
"It really is,"
Natasha agreed, looking at the three of them.
Her plan to build an array for Sam was coming together perfectly.
"Welcome to the family, Anna."
Natasha let go of Anna's hand and looked at Jean.
Her sharp eyes studied the teenager.
She could feel a new, powerful warmth coming from Jean's body.
"I am very curious, Jean,"
Natasha said, her eyes shining with interest.
"Sam told me he broke the walls inside your head. He let the Phoenix out of its cage. How does the fire feel now?"
Jean looked down at her hands. She smiled.
"It feels like it belongs to me now,"
Jean answered honestly.
"It doesn't feel like a monster anymore. It feels like a part of my own soul."
Natasha smirked. She loved a good challenge, and she wanted to see this cosmic fire for herself.
"Words are just words,"
Natasha said playfully.
"Show me, Jean. Let's go to the backyard. I want a sparring match."
Jean blinked in surprise, but then her smile grew wider.
She felt a rush of confidence.
"Okay,"
Jean agreed.
"Let's do it."
They all walked out into the large, grassy backyard. The sun was starting to set, painting the sky in beautiful colors.
Sam and Anna stood on the porch to watch. Anna watched with wide, excited eyes.
Natasha stood on one side of the yard, completely relaxed.
"Do not hold back, Jean,"
Natasha called out.
"Hit me with everything you have."
Jean took a deep breath. She didn't build a wall in her mind. Instead, she opened the door.
Her green eyes suddenly flashed with a brilliant, glowing orange light.
With a loud swoosh, a wave of powerful telekinetic energy exploded from Jean.
But it wasn't just invisible force anymore.
The energy was wrapped in bright, burning Phoenix fire.
The grass around Jean caught fire as she pushed her hands forward.
A massive wave of orange flames rushed straight toward Natasha.
The heat was incredible. Even from far away, Anna had to cover her face.
Natasha's eyes widened.
She quickly moved out of the way, jumping high into the air as the fire scorched the ground where she just stood.
As Natasha landed, she looked at the burning grass.
She was genuinely shocked.
'That fire is no joke,'
Natasha thought to herself.
'It burns through everything. If my cultivation was not at the Foundation Establishment Stage, I would have a very hard time fighting her. Her raw power is terrifying.'
But Natasha was a master fighter, and she had her own Cultivation arts.
She reached into her suit and pulled out a sleek, silver dagger.
Instead of throwing it, Natasha pushed her thick, cool Yin Qi directly into the metal.
The dagger glowed with a pale, sharp light.
She tossed the dagger on the ground, but it didn't fall. It floated smoothly in the air.
Natasha leaped up and placed her feet gently on the flat side of the blade.
With a simple thought, the dagger shot up into the sky, carrying Natasha with it.
She was flying.
She moved through the air like a graceful dancer, dodging Jean's waves of fire from above.
Jean looked up, totally amazed.
Natasha was surfing on a flying dagger!
Jean tried to focus her telekinesis to catch her, but Natasha was simply too fast and too experienced.
The flying dagger zipped through the air, completely avoiding the Phoenix fire.
In the blink of an eye, Natasha flew right behind Jean.
The cool edge of another small blade gently touched the back of Jean's neck.
"Got you,"
Natasha whispered softly from behind her.
Jean stopped using her power. The orange fire faded away, and her eyes turned back to their normal green color.
She had lost the match.
But as Jean turned around to face Natasha, she wasn't sad.
She wasn't angry or disappointed.
Instead, she was breathing heavily, and a massive, bright smile was on her face.
Her heart was beating with pure excitement.
For her entire life, using her powers meant fear. It meant losing control or hurting someone accidentally.
But today, she let her fire out completely.
She fought with everything she had, and nobody got hurt.
She looked at Natasha, and then at Sam on the porch.
Jean felt incredibly happy.
Who could have thought that sparring and fighting with fellow cultivators would be this much fun?
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