Golden light erupted from Hong Fei's body before the Dragon Scale Seal, surging several meters high. The majestic force burned any Soul-Eater that dared touch even a wisp of Dragon Power to ash. Beneath his feet, a thin layer of black residue accumulated, and the Soul-Eaters within the seal finally hesitated, no longer rushing toward him.
They swarmed upward, abandoning the lower half of the gate. Hong Fei glanced back and saw Xu Wenwu wielding the Ten Rings with devastating precision, slaughtering Soul-Eaters in every direction. He single-handedly blocked and annihilated the majority of the swarm, and Hong Fei felt a deep satisfaction watching him.
The original outcome, where Xu Wenwu fell to the Soul-Eater leader, now seemed almost impossible to imagine. How could a thousand-year-old monster be instantly killed upon their first encounter? The only explanation was that Xu Wenwu's heart had broken after failing to save his wife, driving him to seek death.
Still, it was hard to picture Xu Wenwu and Yingli—Tony Leung and Fala Chen—producing such a child. Hong Fei hoped they wouldn't be too disappointed when the kid grew up. At least Xu Shang-Chi might turn out better than the version etched in Hong Fei's memories.
If the boy still grew crooked, Hong Fei would step in to help Xu Wenwu clean house. Worst case, the couple could always have another child. With Yingli's lifespan extended by dragon bones, Xu Wenwu wouldn't need to forsake immortality to grow old with her.
This meant the Ten Rings would remain with Xu Wenwu forever, continually bolstering Hong Fei's team under a people-oriented framework.
Even if Xu Wenwu eventually died and couldn't be resurrected, Xu Shang-Chi would have no claim to the Ten Rings.
"Kid, go wherever you need," Hong Fei mused.
"I'll just wear the Ten Rings myself—five on each hand."
For now, Hong Fei held back from actively joining the fight against the Soul-Eaters. His main target was the boss-level creature still lurking in the shadows, and he wanted to give everyone on the team ample combat experience.
Magic-side enemies were rare at this stage, and even in the future, they wouldn't be common. Still, training was essential. The old adage "sweat more in peacetime, bleed less in wartime" held true. Besides, Xu Wenwu had just joined.
He needed to prove himself in combat, to show why he deserved the third-ranking position under Hong Fei. Even Big Head, fighting alongside him, kept stealing glances at Xu Wenwu's performance.
Unconsciously, Big Head's resistance to Xu Wenwu's sudden rise began to fade. Combat prowess spoke louder than words, especially to someone as sharp and cunning as Big Head. In Hong Fei's eyes, Frank's position as first assistant was unshakable.
Frank had fought alongside Hong Fei the longest, and their rapport was unmatched. More importantly, Frank could handle pressure. No matter the enemy's strength, he remained steady as a mountain, delivering consistent damage. Who wouldn't value a teammate like that? Yet Frank had his limits.
As time passed, Frank's strength was becoming less prominent. Despite his top-tier combat skills, his human body constrained his potential. Fortunately, Hong Fei still had 'Qi' to teach him, and in the future, he could grant him abilities from 'fusion cards.' Xu Wenwu's arrival didn't just bring fresh blood to the team—it delivered a born commander and elite warrior out of thin air. Centuries of life had honed his combat instincts to razor sharpness, and his tenure leading the Ten Rings spoke for itself.
The Ten Rings' power was his own now, and he'd mastered qi cultivation with terrifying speed. His strength eclipsed even his former glory. The rings granted immortality, and with each passing year, the energy within him grew denser. Given time, he'd unlock even greater power from them.
Hong Fei watched his progress with keen anticipation. In his mind, Frank and Xu Wenwu stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the top tier. The second tier belonged to Big Head, Ivan, and Jessica.
Big Head's psychic gifts went without saying, but what truly set him apart was that brilliant mind—a learning capacity bordering on supernatural. Though his qi cultivation lagged behind Xu Wenwu's, his progress in other fields was undeniable. With time—and the occasional motivational lash from Master Hong—he'd blossom into a true Renaissance man.
Ivan's body might be sliding into old age, but his mechanical genius burned as bright as ever. Hong Fei had no doubt the man would eventually birth machines to shake the world.
Then there was Jessica—a mutation perfected. Flight alone made her the envy of millions, but her raw strength kept pace, still growing. Freed from the darkness of vengeance, she moved through the world like someone reborn.
If only she'd stop pestering Natasha, Yelena, and Antonia.
The third tier held the rest. Bronski—the Abomination—lacked the Hulk's raw power, but unlike Banner, he'd never fractured into two selves. No matter his form, he remained the same brutal, unbreakable force of nature.
That said, his current body might be his ceiling. Breaking past it would take something extraordinary.
The Red Room's cruel training had carved Natasha and Yelena into lethal weapons, their survival proof enough of their skill. Yet stacked against the others, they still fell short.
Antonia—the Taskmaster—could mimic any movement, but not the spirit behind it. All three might leap forward once they mastered qi.
Tiers existed, but Hong Fei could swear on his heart: he treated them all the same. Strength varied, but every one of them brought something irreplaceable to the table. Once they were his, they'd never want for respect.
Back to the fight.
The Soul-Eaters' swarm hadn't reaped the harvest they envisioned. Instead, their numbers plummeted with shocking speed.
Between Xu Wenwu's frontline and Frank's secondary defense, the monsters might as well have been charging into a woodchipper. Not one managed a counterattack—just slaughter, pure and simple.
A cluster of creatures threw back their heads, mouthparts gaping in a chorus of shrieks—like wolves howling for the pack.
Before long, Hong Fei suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet shudder violently. The tremor built, an earthen dragon rolling in its sleep, until the whole of Black Rock Mountain quaked.
His gaze flicked first to the lightless depths of the seal, then to the lake's undisturbed surface.
The Great Protector Dragon still hadn't stirred.
The mountain trembled with dull thuds, sending waves of thick dust vibrating outward. Every Soul-Eater that had breached the seal froze mid-movement. As one, their heads swiveled toward Black Rock Mountain, emitting high-pitched shrieks like worshippers at an altar. Then—boom!
The remaining Dragon Scale Seal detonated completely, shards of iridescent scales exploding outward. Most of the mountainside shuddered violently, massive boulders peeling away from the surface. They never reached the ground. A colossal figure erupted from the mountain's core, pulverizing the falling debris mid-air.
A hundred-meter-tall monstrosity tore through the rubble and dust. Its fleshy wings beat with hurricane force as it ascended, the resulting gale scattering debris for miles. A razor-sharp roar split the heavens, followed by the whip-crack of a dozen elongated tails lashing through the air.
This creature dwarfed its lesser kin by a hundredfold. Its desiccated body curled inward on clawed limbs, but the true horror lay in its head—two pairs of ebony horns framing tiny, piggish eyes, while a gaping maw dominated half its skull.
Every Soul-Eater turned worshipful gazes upward, screeching in ecstatic welcome. Hong Fei kept staring at the lake's undisturbed surface. No undercurrents stirred beneath—the Great Protector Dragon was playing an exceptionally patient game.
The Soul-Eater leader's wings snapped open as it pivoted midair. Black eyes like polished obsidian locked onto Hong Fei. No hesitation. It folded its wings and dove.
Despite its bulk, the creature moved with terrifying speed, covering the distance in a blink. But the first strike came not from Hong Fei—Xu Wenwu acted first.
The Ten Rings blazed with azure energy as he channeled more power than ever before. A single long-range punch sent twin bolts of cobalt force slamming between the beast's ribs. The creature screamed.
Xu Wenwu launched himself upward. Energy threads connected the rings into a whip that lashed around the monster's neck mid-swing. He landed boots-first on its back, yanking the makeshift noose taut with both hands.
Choked into submission, the Soul-Eater leader plummeted, skidding across the ground in a cloud of dust. A spiked tail whipped toward Xu Wenwu's head. He ducked into a forward roll, flipping to land before the beast as the rings cinched tighter around its throat.
The monster struggled to rise on all fours. Xu Wenwu seized the moment, wrenching the rings sideways. The Soul-Eater staggered, nearly collapsing. Tails thrashed in retaliation, but Xu Wenwu danced between them, each dodge punctuated by another vicious tug on the rings.
Only when the creature finally twisted its head to snap at his face did Xu Wenwu retreat. He'd anticipated this—retracting the rings as he vaulted backward. Still, he managed to drive three energy-charged punches into the creature's lolling tongue before escaping. The Soul-Eater's howls of pain shook the valley.
Xu Wenwu's display in that brief clash was nothing short of breathtaking. With just a little more cultivation, the idea of him taking on the Soul-Eater leader alone—Ten Rings and all—wouldn't be far-fetched. He landed beside Hong Fei, sweeping back a loose strand of hair with a frustrated sigh.
"Still not enough," he admitted. "Its defenses are formidable. Even without its soul-devouring abilities, I couldn't hold my own against it for long."
Hong Fei clapped him on the shoulder.
"Don't sell yourself short. You did better than anyone could ask. Given time, that thing won't even deserve to be your opponent."
Xu Wenwu chuckled, shaking his head.
"Time isn't exactly on our side."
"Since when has time ever stopped us?"
"You're right."
Xu Wenwu's grin turned wry.
"But for now, it's your turn."
"No problem."
Hong Fei stepped forward, flexing his fingers with a crackle of knuckles. As he balled them into fists, the joints popped like gunfire.