Hong Fei sprinted to the edge of the wilderness, his arms laden with supplies. The ground was dusted with a thin layer of white frost, and the sweat evaporating from his face sent plumes of hot steam rising into the cold air. Below him, a large river surged downward, its current swift and unrelenting. Following the river's path, his eyes caught sight of a road that gradually emerged along the bank.
After running parallel to the river for over a hundred meters, the road and the waterway diverged. The road snaked into the forest, winding through the trees until it disappeared from view. In the distance, a massive fire raged, its flames devouring the forest and sending thick columns of smoke spiraling into the sky. Breathing heavily, Hong Fei climbed onto a massive boulder. He knelt, turned, and raised his sniper rifle, scanning the horizon.
Through the rolling flames, he could just make out the outline of a structure. Judging by its size and location, it had likely been a grand villa or estate. Now, more than ninety percent of it was consumed by fire, the remaining structure crumbling and broken.
Hong Fei barely had time to process what he was seeing before the roof beams gave way, collapsing into the inferno. The last few walls and floor frames that had been barely holding on tumbled into the flames, sending a fresh surge of fire roaring into the sky. Suddenly, Hong Fei swung his rifle upward, tracking a figure that burst out of the flames and shot into the air.
The sound of breaking air followed close behind... Within seconds, the figure vanished into the distant sky. Hong Fei lowered the gun abruptly, his eyes wide, his mouth slightly open as he exhaled rapid puffs of hot air.
"Are you kidding me?!" he muttered. When he'd first heard the explosion and seen the crimson beam of light shooting skyward, he'd had two guesses.
The beam was unmistakably powerful, radiating energy. Cyclops? Superman? The mansion in the forest had narrowed his suspicions. X-Academy. Professor X, the bald billionaire, was a well-known figure. Thinking of the X-Men, Hong Fei's mind raced with possibilities—skill cards, fusion cards, chaos, and more. But before he could even begin to feel excited, the figure that shot into the sky shattered his assumptions and locked the answer in place.
Through the sniper scope, he saw a powerfully built man flying rapidly with his arms outstretched, a red cape billowing behind him, dazzling against the night sky. Even more unmistakable was the S-shaped emblem on his chest.
"That motherfucker is Superman!" Hong Fei muttered under his breath, stunned and confused.
He couldn't believe the Ancient One had the power to send him here. This wasn't just a simple jump between parallel universes or multiverses. Something strange and inexplicable had happened. The thought spurred him into action. He quickly stood up, removed his gear, and began a thorough check of his physical condition.
From head to toe, from skin to heartbeat and breathing, he examined himself. Conclusion: Very handsome, very strong, very long, no abnormalities. Rubbing his wrist, he activated his nano armor, which quickly enveloped his body. The HUD screen in front of his eyes lit up. Arthur was offline, the backup system running automatically. Hong Fei initiated a self-check.
Conclusion: No abnormalities. Stowing the iron armor, he dressed again, packed his gear, and headed toward the source of the fire. It wasn't that he didn't want to think things through—he simply couldn't find any relevant clues at the moment.
It was like being given the question "1+1," which was easy to understand, followed by "Please summarize the author's central idea."
When faced with such a question, the greatest respect you could give it was:
Answer:
Hong Fei stripping down to don his iron armor and assess his condition showed just how seriously he took this bizarre crossing. Overthinking it wouldn't help.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Odin's seal required facing one's heart and confronting one's power—a process not unlike the cultivation tales where one tempers their Dao heart through worldly trials.
Arranging this process on Earth made sense. The familiar environment was comforting, and stepping away from the Marvel side had its perks. It kept him out of sight from certain meddlers and prevented Big Head from turning on him if he appeared weaker. Then again, Big Head wouldn't do that, would he? Hopefully, neither would anyone else.
Though he'd gone from extraordinary to ordinary, as the Ancient One had said, his experience, vision, and skills remained intact. As long as he avoided car explosions, hospital blasts, shop disasters, office building collapses, Superman's brawls, Batman's fights, and other such chaos, he'd be fine.
Starting from scratch wasn't an option. He had guns, gold, and, most importantly, the Vibranium nano armor, which usually kept him untouchable. His only regret was letting Dr. Helen Cho disable the armor's flight capability.
After all, his iron suit was primarily for masking his identity and avoiding nudity; its combat and auxiliary functions had been severely reduced. Who'd have thought the Dragon Lord of seven continents and five oceans would end up trekking through the wilderness? Not Hong Fei.
"I left in a hurry," he muttered. "If I'd known, I'd have stocked up on supplies. I thought I was heading into deep space, not sealing myself away. The Ancient One misled me..."
"At least I didn't agree to have kids," he added. If he'd returned years later to find Dr. Helen Cho holding a son he didn't recognize, he'd have had no choice but to eliminate the boy on the spot.
"Gungnir's still in the Dragon Dimension," he mused. "Odin's too old to need it anymore. Let the young handle the fights; the old man should retire."
"I wonder how many Skrulls were killed. Big Head better not have slacked off."
The thought of returning to an Earth occupied by Skrulls made him smirk.
"Wouldn't that give me a massive power boost?"
"Peter will mutate in a year or two. With the Superpower Foundation around, he and Mei should be fine."
"Sif's back in Asgard, so she's safe. Frigga's still there too. Thor should think about his father more often—his strength would skyrocket."
"Once Frank wakes up, he'll become The Punisher. Will Mephisto come for him? The Ancient One should keep an eye on it, but who knows after she's gone? I hope he stays safe."
"Xu Wenwu's murderous intent is nothing to scoff at. I hope the U.S. politicians meet their maker soon. Speaking of which, heaven used to grow on the World Tree. I wonder where it's drifted off to. I'll check it out when I get back."
"Everyone raves about Wonder Woman. I'd like to see her for myself. Not for any ulterior motive—just to see whose offspring is stronger, Zeus's or Odin's."
"Harley Quinn... If she's a doctor, I'd hire her as my private physician. If she's already lost it, forget it. It's not that I dislike her, but a gentleman doesn't take what others love."
"Mera, don't follow him—he's Aquaman!"
"Catwoman, please don't be Black. I'm afraid of the dark—I even sleep with the lights on..."
Hong Fei paused, frowning. Why am I obsessing over these women? Damn Odin's seal—it must have clouded my mind. I didn't even realize I'd been influenced. Odin's divine power is terrifying. Hong Fei's thoughts raced as he moved through the forest, climbing higher. The night sky ahead was impossibly bright, and he didn't need to think twice to know it marked human settlements.
The forest was eerily silent in the dead of night. Under the moonlight, Hong Fei followed the path upward, his mind wandering again. Superman's attire gave no clues about his current state. Had he found the Kryptonian spaceship? Fought alongside friends from his hometown? Met Batman?
The DC universe was vast, its timeline murky. Gotham City and Metropolis were based on reality, but pinning down the exact era or storyline was tricky. Was this a pure movie universe, a TV show, a comic, or some hybrid? Hong Fei couldn't tell.
Maybe it's everything mashed together—chaos incarnate. Wait, no. I'm just an ordinary person now. Chaos doesn't help me. Peace is better. Once I break the seal, then I can embrace the chaos. My knowledge of DC isn't as deep as Marvel, but one thing's certain: the dangers here are far greater.
The comics are riddled with darkness and corruption, far worse than anything I faced in Marvel. I need to stay cautious and alert. Batman's a hero, but he's not exactly team material. I'd rather steer clear of him. Superman, though—he's both a hero and a good ally. I'll find a way to connect with him, but I can't get too close. That's inviting trouble.
Diana's lasso—now that's something I'd love to get my hands on. Maybe I could tie her up... and play a round of truth or dare. The Flash? If he helps me find Supergirl, I might go easy on him. Assuming I'm stronger by then, of course. Aquaman—how would his trident stack up against Gungnir? Cyborg's armored suit—could it consume him?
Martian Manhunter? I don't know much about him. Green Lantern? Deadpool would probably adore him. Constantine? Not exactly a saint. Joker? A man of remarkable talent. Luthor, Bane, Two-Face, Riddler, Penguin, Scarecrow, Black Manta, Reverse-Flash, Black Adam, Deathstroke, General Zod, Darkseid, Doomsday...
Most of them are Batman's foes. Maybe DC's heroes are under too much pressure. The risk of them turning dark is high. What if they grow ten times stronger while losing their way? That'd mean better loot... No, I need to face my own heart. Everything I've thought—it's all genuine. So why hasn't the seal lifted yet?
Is it broken from the passage of time? Hong Fei maintained a steady pace, reaching the mountain's summit moments later. From the high ground, the city sprawled into view. Skyscrapers stood tall, lights blazing. A river cut through the center, its brightness fading into darkness toward the outskirts.
At the mountain's base lay the suburbs, a cluster of factories with chimneys spewing white smoke into the sky. Even from the summit, the hum of machinery echoed faintly.
Of course, the most eye-catching thing was not the night view, nor the blatant environmental pollution, but the beam of light shooting from the Earth into the sky, projecting a bat-shaped symbol high above. That's it. This is Gotham City—legendary, rough-edged, and teeming with talent. Love it! Hong Fei turned and left without a second glance.
"Go if you want. I'm not going anywhere. Once I break this seal, then I'll come back and make nice with Gotham's simple folk."
Hong Fei turned back down the mountain, wide awake despite the late hour, using the cover of darkness to press onward. His eyes tracked the path while part of his awareness remained focused inward.
Shou-Lao the Undying's death had granted him two cards. The first was the Fusion Card: Dragon Seal, described as: "Primal Dragon Power scattered across infinite universes. No barrier of space, time, existence or void can sever the connection between these fragments."
The second was an active skill card—Golden Dragon (Purple) - Shou-Lao the Undying: "Consume energy to summon a Golden Dragon. Its strength scales with energy expended."
There was no incomplete Dragon Power fusion card—Hong Fei had already absorbed that directly. Truthfully, he didn't much care about Shou-Lao's other drops. The Dragon Power was the real prize. Though he had to admit, the skill card's purple rating disappointed him—barely better than that useless Iron Fist in most respects.
With a thought, the fusion card dissolved into light and merged with his body. No pain, no discomfort, no temperature changes—just a subtle brightening of his vision when the process completed. He quickly pulled out a mirror to check and saw a golden vertical line glowing above his brow like a third eye. Thankfully, it faded after a few moments.
Then something stranger happened—a faint tug at his soul, so delicate he almost missed it. Just as he focused to examine the sensation, it vanished. His brow furrowed. According to the description, Dragon Seal manifested the inexplicable bonds between Dragon Power fragments, allowing their detection. That fleeting sensation matched perfectly.
Which meant...
Hong Fei's gaze sharpened. The card's description wouldn't lie. If this was true, Dragon Seal could guide him home. For the first time in hours, hope flickered in his eyes. With a guaranteed return path, his current location didn't matter—only breaking the seal remained. Once freed, he could go back whenever he chose.
The realization quickened his steps down the mountain path.
Midnight had long passed when he reached the road. No cars had passed for hours, forcing him to continue on foot. His natural athleticism helped—even with ninety percent of his enhanced physique sealed away, what remained put him far above average humans.
Then came the growl of an engine from below.
Hong Fei turned as twin headlights pierced the darkness. He raised his sniper rifle, peered through the scope, then immediately lowered it with a frustrated sigh before melting into roadside bushes. Moments later, a black sports car screamed past.
Only when the engine noise faded did Hong Fei emerge. Staring at the vanishing taillights, he spat the name like a curse:
"Bruce Wayne."
The irony wasn't lost on him—two armed men waiting on his first night here. Was this good luck or bad? In the movies, only world-ending villains warranted that kind of welcome. Hong Fei shook his head with a wry smile, pulled a water bottle from his bag, and took a long swig before resuming his journey on foot. The locals called it "taking the No. 11 bus," but right now, he just needed to put distance behind him.
After a long time, a small town with scattered houses and pastures all around was already in sight.