The armor's head snapped back violently, its body lifted into the air, and after flying backward several meters, its waist slammed into the edge of the bar, causing a cacophony of shattering stone and glass. Rhodes felt as if his head had been struck head-on by a giant hammer, snapping back rapidly. Fortunately, the armor's structure protected his cervical spine.
Then, as the armor itself recoiled violently, it felt like being on a fast-moving rollercoaster, with a force pressing his head downward. Fortunately, the armor's protection for the user was strong enough; otherwise, with this back-and-forth motion, his head would surely only be attached to his body by skin and flesh now.
Hong Fei stepped forward, gripped the end of the long spear with one hand, gave it a flick, and lifted it. The spear tip, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, landed precisely and cleanly on Rhodes' throat. From three meters away, Hong Fei said: "Still want to try?" Rhodes remained silent. He was using the armor's system to analyze everything that had just happened.
When the astounding speed and power data appeared, he widened his already prominent eyes, almost unable to catch his breath. On the other side, Hong Fei did not urge him to reply. His eyes scanned the armor's structure continuously, pondering how to break through this sturdy shell. A rumbling ion thruster sound echoed as Tony flew up, wearing a brand-new suit of armor.
This armor's shape had shed the roundness of the previous ones, becoming angular, with a more imposing temperament. Most prominent of all was the straight Cross-blade on his back. Hong Fei always had the feeling of seeing a little Gundam. Seeing Rhodes lying in the ruins, Tony immediately fired two Pulse Cannons.
Hong Fei retracted the spear instantly, gripped it with both hands, held the front hand loosely, and flicked the rear hand violently. The spear head suddenly turned and lunged at Tony. The slightly curved spear head smashed toward the armor's waist and abdomen like an iron whip. He had thought Tony would dodge, but he didn't expect him to reach behind him.
Suddenly, a cold, shimmering long blade appeared, and he slashed without hesitation and without any technique. The blade and spear crossed. There was no collision sound as imagined. The blade passed through the spear shaft with ease. The spear head, under inertia, lunged forward barely, hit the armor lightly, and then fell.
With a clinking sound, the weight in Hong Fei's hand decreased, and his front foot exerted force to stabilize his stance. The three-meter long spear was now only about two meters left. The spear head, along with a portion of the shaft, had been sliced off by a single blade strike. The cross-section revealed a silvery metallic luster, as smooth as a mirror.
Looking at Tony again, the blade in his hand was straight, with the exact same form as the Cross-blade Hong Fei had used. The hilt, the back of the blade, and two-thirds of the blade face were gold and red, matching the color scheme of his armor. Only the edge was incomparably bright. Looking at the straight, sharp tip, it seemed to always have a point of jumping cold light, making people fearful.
"Surprised?" Tony said with a smile. Hong Fei nodded. He was indeed surprised. He didn't expect Tony to forge a blade himself, and even less did he expect this blade to be so sharp; its material was definitely not ordinary. Secondary Adamantium. This was the first thought that flashed through Hong Fei's mind.
Although he didn't know where Tony got it, or whether it was inherited from Howard, in any case, he couldn't think of any material that could forge a blade capable of cutting his alloy spear shaft so easily. The smooth cross-section looked even cleaner than a knife cutting through tofu. Rhodes, lying on the side, came back to his senses.
He stood up slowly and walked behind Tony, asking again: "Who exactly is he? His speed and strength are simply beyond my understanding of humans." "But he is still human." Tony flashed the blade, appearing to have gained some confidence, and said: "He is the one who kidnapped me." Hong Fei: "And stabbed you twice." Tony's face darkened, though it couldn't be seen while wearing the armor.
Rhodes was surprised: "He is the one in the black clothes and White mask? But when did he use a blade…"
"Shut up, that's not important. You just need to know he is my enemy, and today I can take revenge!" Tony looked indignant. Rhodes had to put this matter aside for now, leaving it for later. Then he pursed his lips and said: "Tony, I think we should be more careful. Do you have a gun?
I couldn't hit him with the Pulse Cannon just now." Tony didn't turn his head: "No, bullets are even more useless against him. You stand aside and watch how I subdue him." Hong Fei was left with only a two-meter-long metal rod in his hand, but he was not annoyed. Instead, he swirled the rod with one hand, immediately creating a whistling wind. He said in a calm tone: "Are you that confident?"
Tony stepped forward and said: "Of course, you can't break my armor, but I can chop you in half with one strike!" In the midst of speaking, he took off, ion thrusters firing under his feet, his body rushing forward rapidly. The Cross-blade slashed at Hong Fei's head without reason. In such a situation, a head-on confrontation would undoubtedly lead to a crushing defeat.
Hong Fei dodged sideways and knocked on the back of Tony's head. Just as he was about to hit, the armor suddenly accelerated to avoid the blow. Coming back to his senses, Tony said: "Jarvis, well done." "Thank you, sir." Jarvis's voice echoed in the room, with no known source. Tony looked down at Hong Fei from above: "You can surrender.
I promise I won't kill you, otherwise, I don't know what the outcome will be." Hong Fei shook his head while holding the rod, and at the same time waved at him. Tony stopped talking nonsense and lunged forward with the blade. To be honest, Hong Fei felt no threat looking at his movements. All the dodging stemmed from the sharp blade and his armor.
Therefore, Rhodes, standing on the side, saw Hong Fei's footsteps moving strangely. His body was sometimes like a willow leaf drifting, and sometimes like a giant elephant stepping on the ground. The change of lightness and heaviness, plus the balance between slow and fast, even though Tony's blade light was as swift as a web under the armor's augmentation, it couldn't hurt Hong Fei at all.
Half a minute later, Tony, who was attacking intensely, became a bit impatient. Rhodes: "Do you even know how to use a blade?" "Shut up, of course I…"
Bang! With a crisp sound, Hong Fei took advantage of his moment of retracting the blade to change momentum, swung the rod, and smashed it into the back of the armor's head. Immediately, the armor smashed into the ground with a bang.
Hong Fei didn't hesitate to insert one end of the rod under the armor, and like a crowbar, lifted it violently. The armor suddenly flew into the air. At the same time, ion streams sprayed from the soles of the armor again. Hong Fei didn't wait any longer. His lead hand gripping the rod tightened, and the rod shadow slashed down suddenly.
When using a rod to strike people, the most powerful part is between the tip and about thirty centimeters from the tip, also known as the strike point. Moreover, the rod Hong Fei was using now was a hard, thick iron rod made of pure alloy. As it slashed down, a whistling wind sound exploded instantly, just like ghosts crying and wolves howling.
The rod's tip struck the armor's lower back in a flash of sparks, halting its forward momentum with a resounding clang. Hong Fei pressed his advantage, the black staff becoming a blur as strike after precise strike hammered against the metal shell. Though Tony's judgment had failed him, every attempt Jarvis made to intervene met Hong Fei's perfect counter.
Rhodes gaped, breath catching in his throat. The relentless assault reminded him of ocean waves crashing against cliffs—each impact stronger than the last. Yet through the storm of blows, Tony's grip never wavered from the hilt. The rhythmic clang of metal on armor mingled with showers of orange sparks.
With sudden grace, Hong Fei pivoted aside. His battle cry erupted like a lion's roar across the savanna, a tiger's challenge in the mountain forests—or thunder cracking through clear skies. The shockwave of sound rattled Tony and Rhodes, their eardrums throbbing as dizziness washed over them.
Hong Fei's gaze locked onto the armor's fingers. In one fluid motion, he used the rod to mark his target—a scarlet streak appearing across the metal. His arm rose high before driving downward with brutal precision. The angled tip tore through the air, the shaft plunging straight for the narrow gap between gauntleted fingers.
Zzzzt—electric light exploded instantly from the hand. Tony recoiled as searing pain shot through his fingertips, his grip failing. With a deft flick, Hong Fei sent the Cross-blade spinning upward. His left hand snatched it from the air, the weapon's edge glinting as he leveled it before his eyes. "Fine craftsmanship," he mused, lips curling into a predatory smile. "Mine now."