The Nelson and Murdock Law Office.
Lately, aside from searching for answers as to whether he was addicted to violence, Matt's primary task was handling the defense for Elektra. He was truly caught in a dilemma regarding this matter. On one hand, he wanted to plead not guilty for Elektra, but on the other hand, if he secured a not guilty verdict for her, he would have to accept the exact same innocent outcome for Lady Bullseye and Typhoid Mary.
"But the issue lies in the fact that Elektra is indeed innocent. She was a member of the Chaste from the very beginning, so I know for a fact she wasn't an intentional accomplice of the Hand. Back then, she lacked her own subjective awareness. But the other two are a different story entirely—one is a Bullseye copycat, and the other is even worse, a literal former villain. You simply cannot lump them together."
By the time Peter arrived at the law office, Matt was in the middle of discussing Elektra's situation with his partner and brother, Foggy Nelson. Foggy, who looked a bit chubby, was analyzing the point with Matt. "But the problem is, we have no way to separate them. At least, the jury won't agree to it, unless you can use your personal connections to pull Captain America into the jury pool. Are you guys close?"
Matt gave a helpless shake of his head. It was precisely at this moment that Peter knocked on the door. Foggy looked at Peter with a trace of confusion, as he was unaware that their firm had taken on such a young client. However, Matt stopped Foggy with a single gesture. "This gentleman is a guest of Mr. Rand. He is merely using our office as a meeting place."
Foggy expressed his understanding immediately. Matt stood up and led Peter into an empty room, and a brief moment later, Danny arrived. It was rare to see him out of his superhero costume today; instead, he pushed open the door dressed in a formal suit.
Nonetheless, he still recognized Peter.
"Hello, Spider-Man. I am very glad to see you here."
Peter blanked for a moment upon hearing this, and then inquired back out of curiosity, "Did you recognize me because of my chi?"
The Iron Fist nodded. "Chi itself is a form of life energy. Everyone's life energy is distinct, which is why I can perceive you directly. Have a seat, Spider-Man."
The moment Peter sat down, he immediately launched into his inquiry. "Do you think I could learn this kung fu of yours?"
"Of course, I mentioned before that you possess that kind of latent potential yourself..."
Danny only realized the full implication of the words at this point, turning to look at Peter with a mixture of surprise and delight. "Are you planning to practice martial arts?"
"Uh, pretty much. It's mainly because I encountered a special seer named Madame Web. She prophesied that an enemy might appear who could render me unable to use my spider magic. To prepare for such a scenario, I need to come to you, because you know where to go to learn some kind of spider style."
Peter attributed the source of the immortal power to Madame Web, and then looked at Danny. The latter came to a sudden realization after a brief moment of thought, nodding his head. "I understand what that lady meant, Spider-Man. She doesn't just want you to learn how to utilize chi; she wants you to become an Immortal Weapon, just like me."
"In the distant East, much like the Nine Realms of Asgard, their mythology—or what they call immortals—resides within their own extra-dimensional realms, namely the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven. Each city is guarded by an Immortal Dragon, beasts that are themselves immortal and eternal, capable of bestowing formidable power upon others."
"Each city recruits suitable disciples from the mortal realm, teaching them the methods of utilizing chi. Those among them who deem themselves powerful enough will proceed to challenge the trial of the Immortal Dragon. They slay the beast, carve out its heart, and through a specific ritual, fuse its power together with their own chi."
As the Iron Fist spoke, he caused the immortal power within his body to condense into his right fist. "According to the rules, each city can only possess a single Immortal Weapon at any given time. In other words, the East can have at most seven Immortal Weapons simultaneously."
As for the safety of the Immortal Dragons, there was no need to worry. They were inherently "immortal beasts," and the trials were not actual life-or-death battles; the dragons would hold back. For them, having their hearts carved out was a trivial matter, and they would resurrect and reform after a couple of days.
Having finished explaining the origin of the immortal power, the Iron Fist hesitated to continue, prompting Peter to finish the thought for him. "I'm guessing one of those immortal beasts is a spider, right? Otherwise, I wouldn't have come looking for you."
The Iron Fist let out a sigh.
"Yes. Among the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven, there is a minor extra-dimensional realm known as the Spider Kingdom. Its Immortal Dragon is called the Mountain Spider. And whether it is fate or sheer luck, the Spider Kingdom currently does not have an Immortal Weapon."
"Awesome! Then why are you sighing?"
The Iron Fist stared directly at Peter, shaking his head. "The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven consist of seven minor extra-dimensional realms, and they require a connection to the outside world. To establish this connection while maintaining the unity of the Seven Cities, they choose to hold the Tournament of the Heavenly Cities every eighty-eight years. The Immortal Weapons of the Seven Cities duel one another, and the victorious dimension becomes the gateway for communicating with the outside world for the next eighty-eight years."
Peter came to a sudden realization. "Since you are an Immortal Weapon who can operate in the outside world, that means the one who won last time was you, right?"
"I am the sixty-sixth Iron Fist, Spider-Man."
Danny looked at Peter calmly. "I have not yet participated in the tournament of this generation, but I know that for the past sixty-six cycles of eighty-eight years, the victor every single time has been K'un-Lun's Immortal Iron Fist."
Uh...
"In other words, for thousands of years, the gateway from the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven to the outside world has always been K'un-Lun. Those searching for the path of martial arts, those capable of being chosen as disciples by the Seven Capital Cities, must without exception enter through K'un-Lun first. Do you understand what that implies?"
Peter drew a full association. "It means... K'un-Lun has the right of first refusal when picking disciples?"
"More accurately, it is a matter of convenience. K'un-Lun does indeed take away a larger share of the exceptional disciples, but the other places aren't terrible either. Their locations are famous across the land—for instance, Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou. Their Immortal Dragons are known throughout the nation: the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, the Black Tortoise. Whereas..."
Whereas the Spider Kingdom was simply called the Spider Kingdom, and its Immortal Dragon was called the Mountain Spider.
Peter more or less understood what Danny meant. "Meaning, if you take me there, it will be very awkward?"
"You will be highly unwelcome. You will likely be viewed as garbage discarded by the other six cities and dumped onto them. If you truly intend to go, you must be mentally prepared."
After the Iron Fist finished speaking, he added one more note, "Additionally, remember to get your passport ready, because K'un-Lun truly is located right in the Kunlun Mountains. Their dimensions overlap."
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