"Haha—just you?" Wenwu narrowed his eyes, the Ten Rings on his wrists glowing with a cold blue light. "Avengers, don't you think a little too highly of yourselves? In front of me, you're pathetically weak."
"Last warning—let me pass!"
His gaze was sharp as lightning, the rings beginning to float and hum with power.
"Not a chance!" Yingnan replied.
The moment her voice fell, everyone behind her dropped into stance, their weapons blazing with red light. At the same time, Wenwu's forces mirrored them, weapons raised. The air itself seemed to freeze as both sides faced off.
Wenwu gave Shang-Chi one last look, then turned away.
"Burn this place to the ground!"
At his command, the black-clad soldiers surged forward. The clash erupted instantly—chaos engulfed the battlefield.
Shang-Chi wielded his staff, sweeping through enemies. The dragon-scale weapon glowed intensely, red streams of qi bursting forth with every strike.
Tony and Sam had already taken to the air. Repulsor blasts rained down in rapid succession, while Sam, wielding dual dragon-scale blades, swooped like a falcon—each strike claiming a life.
The Avengers weren't bound by any "no-kill" rule. Even Peter had killed before. Mercy toward enemies often only led to endless trouble—showing compassion to foes was cruelty to oneself.
With the Avengers' support, the village quickly gained the upper hand.
Karl, however, hadn't truly joined the fight. Aside from a few wind blades and fireballs, he held back. Wenwu wasn't his target—Tony had claimed that fight.
Karl's eyes were fixed on the creature behind the gate.
Even with the Azure Dragon beneath the lake, that monster had nearly broken through before. But now, with Karl and the dragon together, he was confident they could destroy it completely.
Meanwhile, Tony scanned the battlefield relentlessly for Wenwu. He needed to defeat him face-to-face—anything less would leave a knot in his heart.
---
Wenwu had already slipped into the ancestral hall.
He knew Ying Li's spirit tablet was here.
Sure enough, the moment he entered, he saw her portrait.
After lighting incense, he hadn't even turned around when Shang-Chi rushed in, gripping his dragon-scale staff.
"You think you can defeat me alone?" Wenwu said with a faint smile.
"Yes. And I'm not afraid of you anymore."
Shang-Chi's eyes were resolute, his staff glowing.
"No… you're still afraid."
Wenwu's voice was calm. The rings flared—and he struck.
A palm landed on Shang-Chi's chest.
Shang-Chi was sent flying, but he drove his staff into the ground, forcing himself to stop, carving a long trench behind him.
"You've lived your whole life in fear—running, hiding."
Wenwu advanced slowly.
Shang-Chi swung his staff, but Wenwu tilted his head and dodged effortlessly. The Ten Rings surged, blasting forward.
Shang-Chi blocked with his staff, channeling qi to deflect the force, then counterattacked.
They clashed in the open space before the hall.
Shang-Chi's talent was undeniable—within days, he had already grasped the basics of qi. Crude, but real.
Wenwu, on the other hand, fought with overwhelming force—wide, aggressive movements backed by the immense power of the Ten Rings. Without qi, Shang-Chi would've already been crushed.
Then—
An opening.
Shang-Chi's staff swept wide, leaving his chest exposed.
Wenwu leapt and drove a kick straight into him.
Boom!
Shang-Chi smashed through the wall, flying over ten meters before crashing down.
---
The explosion drew Tony's attention.
He immediately locked onto Wenwu and fired a repulsor blast mid-flight.
Wenwu crossed his arms. The Ten Rings flared, blocking the attack. Then they lashed out like whips toward Tony.
Tony dodged, igniting his energy blade and diving down for a strike.
The rings snapped back, forming a shield that stopped the blade. Wenwu countered with a kick, enhanced by the rings' power—sending Tony hurtling skyward.
At the same time, Shang-Chi charged again.
Wenwu punched upward—the rings shot out and slammed into Shang-Chi, launching him dozens of meters away. He skipped across the lake's surface before sinking beneath it.
---
High above, Tony deployed his drones.
They aligned before his chest, nanotech shifting to form a massive cannon.
"Energy fully charged. Ready to fire," J.A.R.V.I.S. reported.
A brilliant blue glow gathered—
BOOM!
A massive beam crashed down from the sky toward Wenwu.
The Ten Rings rose instantly, forming a barrier above him.
Explosion.
A small mushroom cloud erupted near the lake. Shockwaves rippled across the water and battlefield alike.
Tony descended slowly, hovering five meters above the ground.
"Sir, detecting a powerful energy surge—"
Before J.A.R.V.I.S. could finish, a blue ring-whip shot out from the smoke, wrapping around Tony's ankle.
With a violent yank, Tony was hurled toward the lake—following Shang-Chi's path.
He stabilized mid-air, regaining control effortlessly.
Then—
A roar echoed from across the lake.
Tony turned, zooming his vision toward the source—
The massive red gate on the mountainside platform.
"Come save me…!"
To everyone else, it was a monstrous howl.
But to Wenwu—
It was Ying Li's voice.
Without hesitation, Wenwu struck the ground with the Ten Rings, launching himself across the lake.
He didn't even glance at Tony as he passed.
Tony immediately gave chase. Faster than Wenwu, he reached the platform first, landing directly in his path.
"Move."
Wenwu's gaze was icy, filled with killing intent.
He was already at the gate.
One step away from "saving" her.
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