While the shadow of General Ross's ambitious genetic meddling loomed over Virginia, Huang Wen remained blissfully unaware of the brewing "Abomination" project. In his mind, the threat of the Hulk's military pursuers had been largely neutralized by the influence of the Sherman family. He assumed the military had settled for a few blood samples and moved on—a rare miscalculation for a man who usually knew everything.
Back at the Wing Chun Academy, life had found a temporary, albeit busy, rhythm. Bruce Banner had left once more, his expression a mixture of dread and hope as he headed out to have a "final" talk with Betty Ross. He went alone this time, leaving John behind to guard the gym.
"Tony Stark was actually here?" Huang Wen asked, raising an eyebrow when John recounted the billionaire's visit later that afternoon.
Silly Girl's voice chimed in through the academy's speakers, sounding quite amused. "Indeed, Master. Mr. Stark attempted to hack into our visitor logs to manufacture an appointment. I took the liberty of showing his AI, J.A.R.V.I.S., why he shouldn't play with fire. He was quite interested in the Chitauri vessel."
Huang Wen let out a soft chuckle. "Let him wait. Stark's ego needs a bit of cooling off before we talk business. Besides, I have more important things to attend to."
He retreated to the quiet of his private quarters on the fifth floor. His heart hammered with a rare sense of anticipation. He had been holding onto a very specific reward: the Legendary Character Draw earned from the defeat of the Mandarin. This was the first time the system had offered a 'Legendary' tier pull, and the weight of that potential felt like a physical presence in the room.
"System," Huang Wen whispered, his eyes closing. "Initiate the Legendary Character Draw."
A brilliant, piercing blue light flooded his vision. It was more vibrant than any pull he had ever made, shimmering with an intensity that seemed to vibrate his very soul. As the light coalesced, a familiar yet profoundly different figure appeared in the center of the interface.
"Congratulations! You have obtained the Legendary Character: Ah Xing (from Kung Fu Hustle)."
Huang Wen's breath hitched. "Ah Xing again?"
But this wasn't the petty thief or the 'God of Gamblers' version he had encountered before. This was the post-metamorphosis Ah Xing—the man who had his Ren and Du meridians forcibly opened by a beating from the Beast, achieving a state of innate enlightenment.
"Character: Ah Xing." "Essence: 666 points." "Qi: 208 points." "Spirit: 10 points." "Skills: Rulai Divine Palm (Buddhist Palm), Rapid Healing, Ultimate Martial Arts Comprehension." "Evaluation: A once-in-a-century martial arts prodigy. His mastery of the Rulai Divine Palm allows him to channel the very heavens through his strikes. In terms of raw combat potential, he stands at the pinnacle of the human legendary realm."
Huang Wen stared at the stats. While his own Essence (physicality) was already quite high, Ah Xing's Qi was more than double his current level. Most importantly, the Rulai Divine Palm was a legendary technique capable of creating massive craters and leveling buildings with a single push. It was exactly the kind of "ultimate move" he needed.
"Integrate!"
The surge of power was unlike anything he had felt before. It wasn't just a rush of energy; it felt like a flood of ancient wisdom and biological restructuring. His cells hummed with a new frequency. The Rapid Healing factor of Ah Xing stacked with his own already high Essence, making his body's regenerative capabilities border on the supernatural. He wasn't quite at Wolverine's level of immortality yet, but he was getting dangerously close.
Most importantly, the Martial Arts Comprehension acted like a massive overclock for his brain. Techniques that previously took weeks to analyze now seemed elementary. He felt his understanding of Internal Martial Arts leap forward, closing the gap between his technical skill and Huang Liang's natural talent.
When he opened his eyes, the room felt different. His Qi had more than doubled, and his Spirit had nearly reached a new peak. He felt... complete.
The following days were filled with a rare, domestic peace. Jack had delivered Belle's university admission papers and identity documents, and Huang Wen took it upon himself to drive her to her first day of classes. Belle, ever the devoted partner, had refused to live in a single dorm room, insisting on coming back to the Academy every night.
Listening to her talk about campus life, eccentric professors, and new friends over dinner made Huang Wen feel human again. It was a grounding influence that kept him from becoming too lost in the pursuit of absolute power.
But in the world of heroes, peace is a fragile thing.
On the third day, as Huang Wen was meditating on the roof, Silly Girl's voice broke the silence, and this time, she sounded urgent.
"Alert! Master, the signal from the watches issued to Logan and Yuriko has been lost."
Huang Wen's eyes snapped open, the golden light in his pupils flaring. "Lost? Did the hardware fail?"
"Negative. The signals were severed simultaneously. The last known GPS coordinates place them in a remote sector of Texas."
A cold dread settled in Huang Wen's stomach. Logan was now armed with the Indestructible Vajra skill and Yuriko was a master combatant in her own right. For both of them to go dark at the same time meant they hadn't just been ambushed—they had been overwhelmed.
"Silly Girl, pinpoint the location. I'm going now."
Huang Wen didn't bother with the car. He stepped off the edge of the roof, his body dissolving into a blur of light. Using his massive Qi reserves and his new understanding of space, he moved across the continent in a series of sonic-boom-inducing leaps, arriving in the Texas desert in less than twenty minutes.
He found himself standing on a desolate stretch of dirt, miles from any town. The silence was eerie.
"This is the spot, Master," Silly Girl confirmed through his earpiece.
Huang Wen looked down. The ground was scorched. A perfect, blackened circle sat in the middle of the dirt, as if a localized inferno had descended from the sky. There were no bullet casings, no signs of a struggle, and no tracks. Just a charred, hellish mark that smelled of sulfur and ancient heat.
Huang Wen crouched down, touching the blackened earth. It was still warm. He channeled a bit of his own fire energy into a nearby patch of dirt, creating a similar burn mark. He compared the two.
"This isn't just fire," Huang Wen muttered, his brow furrowing. "The temperature required to char the earth this deeply in such a short time... it's beyond ordinary ability users."
He expanded his telekinesis, scanning for any trace of Logan's scent or Yuriko's metallic signature. Nothing. It was as if they had been erased from existence.
"Silly Girl, search the database for fire-based entities or events in this region over the last forty-eight hours. Specifically anything involving the supernatural."
As he waited for the analysis, his mind raced. Could it be a high-level mutant? Or something worse? He looked at the scorched circle again. The shape was almost... ritualistic.
Suddenly, a name he had long forgotten surfaced in his mind—a name associated with vengeance, chains, and a fire that didn't just burn the flesh, but the soul.
"Is it possible?" Huang Wen whispered to the desert wind. "Has the Spirit of Vengeance already come for them?"