"When drawing a bow, draw the strongest; when using an arrow, use the longest."
The ancient proverb echoed through the battlefield.
"To shoot a man, first shoot his horse; to capture the bandits, first capture their king."
The Dark Elves' leader had been devoured by the Dragon King in full view of his troops. With their commander gone, the remaining army and warships were no longer a threat.
Frank and Xu Wenwu led their nine-person squad to divide and conquer the enemy forces. After the Dragon King pushed the tsunami back into the sea, the Dark Elves began surrendering en masse. The squad seized control of the Dark Elves' main warship, fulfilling the Dragon King's specific request for this prize.
As the Dark Elves threw down their weapons, the battlefield fell silent. The victors turned their gaze skyward.
"Retreat."
Hong Fei's final word lingered in the air before he departed. He was advancing, not retreating. Two immense forces surged within him, flooding his body like a breached dam. His form tore, repaired, and restructured itself in rapid succession.
Hong Fei's physique and Soul both swelled with power. While his body strengthened, his energy surged exponentially higher. As he'd suspected, the latter far outpaced the former. Instead of returning to Sokovia, he opened a portal directly to Antarctica's frozen wilderness.
In the vast white expanse, a golden point of light burst forth, rapidly expanding into a near-perfect circle. As the golden lines connected, the space within shifted, projecting a light blue sky. Hong Fei stepped through the portal only to slip and fall face-first onto the ice.
He pushed himself up, fingers plunging into the frozen ground. With a sickening squelch, a jagged wound tore open on the back of his hand. Warm blood sprayed across the white snow, stark against the frozen landscape.
Steam rose as the blood melted its way through the ice like magma. Hong Fei stared silently at his wound. Then, without warning, more branches of injury erupted from the initial tear. What began as a surface wound deepened until bone became visible. Cracks spread from his palm to his wrist, then snaked up his arm.
Hong Fei's body convulsed as energy surged through him, shredding his clothes into tatters. Wounds now covered his entire form, hot blood pouring from each one. His body was destroying and repairing itself simultaneously. Though the process was excruciating, Hong Fei welcomed it with anticipation. He'd become something of a masochist, longing for this strange, bone-deep pain.
Soon, Hong Fei stood as a blood-soaked figure against the pristine white backdrop. His energy churned violently within him. For years, this power had lain dormant in his body—formless, quality-less, primarily used to activate skill cards and the Eyes of Death.
Their passive ability could autonomously repair physical trauma, though the latter was usually unnecessary. Few enemies could lay a finger on him, let alone inflict real damage.
Hong Fei pondered whether to fully convert the energy into Dragon Power, but hesitated. With only half of the Dragon Power in his possession and the rest scattered across the universe as fragments, he decided to hold off. Why expend his own energy converting it when he could simply take it from elsewhere? Besides, he had deeper thoughts about energy itself.
Dragon Power was undeniably powerful. Yet, if it remained merely Dragon Power, it wasn't enough. Hong Fei envisioned something greater—Dragon Power fused with Soul, energy, Qi, and everything else that was uniquely his, culminating in the creation of "Power of Hong."
That was the ultimate goal. Integration was what he sought most—a unification of all his strengths into one formidable force.
The Book of Rites proclaimed: "There are not two suns in the sky, nor two kings on the earth, nor two masters in a family, nor two superiors above."
In his early days of weakness, he had eagerly gathered every useful ability, knowing that any skill might prove crucial in a pinch.
But as his strength grew, the utility of these fragmented abilities diminished. At this stage, he could solve most problems with a single approach. Now, it was time to consolidate. If he could merge these fading abilities into one cohesive force, it would be ideal.
Energy surged through him, swelling his body until it suddenly reached his eyes. First came a numbness, then an itching, and finally a sharp, stinging pain. His eyes turned bloodshot, and with a soft drip, a drop of blood fell from the center of his pupils. In the Dragon Dimension, the Dragon Power churned like a tsunami, rolling in colossal waves.
Hong Fei's Soul perched at the center of the dimensional gate, enduring the dual baptism of physical strengthening and energy enhancement while withstanding the relentless scouring of Dragon Power. The pain was excruciating, but the reward was worth it—twice the pain meant twice the joy.
Gritting his teeth, his cheeks flushed and veins bulging, Hong Fei's Soul trembled violently. He was right—this was pure happiness.
In New York, Hong Fei ordered the retreat. The nine-person group turned to leave without hesitation, only to be called back by Thor.
"Wait! Where's the Dragon King? Where did he go?"
Big Head stepped forward, glancing at Frank and Xu Wenwu before smiling.
"The boss is busy, but he'll come back for you later."
Thor looked down at the Dark Elves, who had long lost their will to fight.
"What about them?"
Big Head shrugged.
"Don't know."
"Didn't he say? Kill them or capture them?"
"Nope."
Thor's face twisted with frustration.
Frank suddenly spoke up.
"You seem to need help?"
Thor nodded.
"Yes. Since the Dragon King didn't make arrangements, I want to send these Dark Elves back to Asgard for judgment. It'll make the victory ceremony complete."
"We can't help with that," Frank replied.
"No, I don't mean help me send them back. I want to see Jane and my mother."
Frank raised an eyebrow.
"Where are they?"
"The Dragon King knows."
Frank shook his head.
"We don't know either."
Thor thought for a moment, then said, "Then take me with you."
Frank paused, then nodded.
"Alright."
Thor gathered the Dark Elves, raised Mjolnir high, and called out, "Heimdall!"
In an instant, the Bifrost Bridge descended from the sky, enveloping the Dark Elves. Moments later, they were gone.
"Let's go!"
Thor finally relaxed, a smile spreading across his face.
"Wait!" Another voice called out. Steve and a group of Avengers rushed over. Tony spoke first.
"Leaving already?"
The metallic clang echoed as Ivan lowered his mask.
"What, are we staying for dinner?" he drawled, arrogance dripping from every word.
Tony shot him a glance but stayed silent.
"Thank you," Steve said firmly.
Frank shrugged, his tone indifferent.
"Don't mention it. If there's nothing else, we'll take our leave."
"How's... how's Hong?" Steve asked.
"Alive."
"Tell him I'm grateful."
Frank's lips twitched.
"Doubt he cares."
An awkward silence settled over the group. With stiff gestures, they parted ways.
Thor boarded the Dark Elf warship alongside the nine-person team. The vessel hummed to life, gliding toward the sea before vanishing into thin air. Within moments, it disappeared completely from view.
Steve stared at the rolling waves, letting out a heavy sigh.
Tony clapped his hands, forcing cheer into his voice.
"Alright, folks, chin up! We've got plenty to do next."
But Steve shook his head.
"No. Everyone should go home and rest."
The group turned to him, puzzled.
Steve gestured to the ruined cityscape.
"There's nothing more we can do here. This isn't just a neighborhood or a family—it's an entire city. People need space to grieve, to vent. Our presence won't help right now."
He glanced at the exhausted faces around him.
"And we need rest too."
Half a day later, the rubble-strewn streets buzzed with activity. Rescue teams and supplies poured in from across the globe.
Three days passed.
Hong Fei reappeared.
He strolled into Blackwater Town just after returning to Sokovia. Construction at the Superpower Park was already underway, pavilions rising from the earth like skeletal frames.
Tourists hoping to photograph the dragons were barred from the site, relegated to setting up tripods by the lake for impromptu picnics.
With a thunderous boom, waves surged over ten meters high, erupting from the lake's surface. The White Dragon broke through the water, sending sprays cascading.
The crowd erupted, tossing aside their lunches to fumble for cameras and phones. Their cheers were deafening, their excitement palpable.
Hong Fei made his way to the castle gates. Two massive cats lounged lazily on the ground, yawning as they blinked sleepy eyes at him. He darted forward, giving their heads an enthusiastic scratch.
Inside the doorway, a one-tailed fox stood watching him. Its crystalline eyes brimmed with curiosity, head tilting thoughtfully.
Hong Fei crouched down, arms open, clicking his tongue softly.
The fox rolled its eyes, turned tail, and scampered off.
His smile froze mid-air.
A soft laugh drew his attention. Dr. Helen Cho stood on the lawn just inside the gate, arms wrapped around a Dijiang. Her smile outshone the sunlight streaming down around her.
Hong Fei stood up, reached out and grabbed lightly in the void. A cluster of wildflowers materialized in his hand. Wildness, he mused, was chaos—the more chaotic, the wilder it became.