C85: Buddha's Light Appears
Theoretically speaking, as a D-rank card, [Ip Man] is naturally inferior to a C-rank like [Fire Cloud Evil God].
Among D-rank avatars, Ip Man—Ye Wen may not be considered top-tier in combat potential, especially when compared to martial juggernauts in higher ranks. On the other hand, Fire Cloud Evil God easily qualifies as one of the most lethal among the C-rank cards, boasting explosive power and fearsome technique.
Under ordinary narrative development, Fire Cloud Evil God would utterly overwhelm Ip Man.
But in this hybrid world—stitched together from the mythos of both Marvel and DC—rules are meant to be bent. Illusion is just another weapon.
Ip Man and Fire Cloud Evil God are both manifestations of Li Ran himself. One is a direct transformation, utilizing his real body and movements; the other is a semi-autonomous projection born from the card system—an externalized avatar.
When you're essentially fighting yourself, the hierarchy of card rankings becomes irrelevant.
Thus, Li Ran—while using the appearance and skills of Ip Man only needs to feign power with carefully measured strikes, mimicking Ip Man's iconic "Ten Punch Flurry" from Ip Man 2. The Fire Cloud Evil God, being a clone controlled via system intuition, counters with the expected timing, creating the illusion of a fierce, evenly matched martial contest.
…
While Li Ran performed his choreographed duel, a more chaotic battle unfolded below.
The Hand, the ancient ninja clan known for their dark magic and resurrection arts—longtime enemies of Daredevil—swarmed Matt Murdock and his allies with swords, sai, and naginata.
Weakened by prior ambushes, the Defenders were no longer at full strength. Luke Cage, though still bulletproof thanks to the chemical experimentation done by Reva's lab under Seagate Prison, had clearly lost some momentum; his strikes lacked the punishing force they once carried.
Matt's billy club slashed through the air with less precision than usual. Every twist of his torso sent pain shooting through his body, and his once-fluid combat rhythm had turned sluggish.
Jessica Jones, physically recovered from her last skirmish with Kilgrave's pawns, found herself hampered by the tight interior of the Chinese restaurant. With limited room to maneuver, her raw power was reduced to brute shoves and short punches.
Wesley Gibson, a wild card from another world entirely hailing from the Wanted universe where bullets curve and fate is literal—continued to fire arc bullets that found their marks. But no matter how curved, his rounds couldn't fell a horde trained to die twice for the Hand.
Surprisingly, the least injured was Danny Rand—the Iron Fist.
Though his martial arts lacked the refined elegance of Wing Chun or the brutal chaos of the Fire Cloud Evil God's style, his chi-infused fist—the gift of Shou-Lao the Undying and training in Kunlun made him the MVP in this tight skirmish. When cornered, he would channel that molten energy and send Hand ninjas flying with a blow that cracked tiles and sent shockwaves through furniture.
Thanks to Iron Fist's bursts of power, the Defenders wounded and on the edge managed to hold the line.
Meanwhile, high above the fray, Madam Gao, a former high priestess of the Hand with ties to the Chaste, climbed to the second floor of the dim sum restaurant, leaning heavily on her cane.
The dragon bones—the "keel"—that once prolonged her life were failing. The centuries she spent hiding in the shadows of Manhattan's underworld now weighed on her frail limbs like lead.
From her vantage point, she caught a glimpse of Danny's glowing fist and momentarily lost composure. She breathed faster but forced her eyes away from Kunlun's champion. Her attention shifted slowly but knowingly to the Fire Cloud Evil God, now standing before Li Ran.
Sensing the climax, Li Ran subtly signaled the clone.
With synchronized precision, the Fire Cloud Evil God raised one palm and brought it down with dramatic force.
Li Ran staggered backward, eyes wide, as if the blow had genuinely overpowered him.
The clone smirked: "Wing Chun is fluid, adaptive—offense melded into defense. It's passable kung fu… for stretching out a fight."
Making a subtle fist salute—a gesture of challenge in southern Chinese martial arts—Li Ran narrowed his eyes. "Fire Cloud Evil God. That wasn't your full strength just now, was it?"
"Of course not," the clone replied without missing a beat. "If I fought seriously, the fun would be over too soon."
"What?!" Matt Murdock gasped between exchanges with his opponent. The near slip of his billy club nearly cost him an arm, but Luke intercepted the blow. Even so, the shock didn't fade from Matt's face.
So the balanced exchange between Li Ran and the Evil God had been a ruse. The villain had been holding back all along.
[Fable Gained: Daredevil +340]
Li Ran continued in character: "You blocked all my strikes on your left side. Why? Compensating for an injury?"
The Evil God's expression darkened. After a brief pause, he replied coldly: "So what? Even half-dead, I can erase all of you."
His gaze swept over the Defenders, then locked back onto Li Ran.
"But you came all the way from Penglai," the clone declared theatrically, invoking the mythical Chinese isle of immortals, "so I might as well show you something rare. Consider this a gift."
The clone's hands slowly rose, and suddenly, the air was filled with low Sanskrit chanting.
Behind him, a golden [卍]—the Buddhist manji, ancient symbol of light—blazed into being.
"The First Form of the Tathagata Palm—Buddha's Light Appears."
The air thrummed with chi.
"What... What is that?" Madam Gao's cane clattered to the floor, forgotten. Her eyes widened in awe and fear as she stared at the radiating symbol behind the Evil God.
[Legend Notoriety: Daredevil +65]
[Fame Increase: Jessica Jones +210]
[Fame Increase: Luke Cage +165]
[Fame Increase: Danny Rand +190]
[Mythic Reputation: Madam Gao +375]
[Fear Gained: Hand Ninjas +1]
…
There was no denying it: the moment was cinematic. From golden aura to Sanskrit chants, the display of the Tathagata Palm was transcendent.
Even Matt Murdock, blind but blessed with radar sense, could feel the spiritual density condensing in that single palm strike.
With a deafening boom, a massive handprint embedded itself into the wall behind Li Ran.
He turned his head, expression tight.
Even knowing it was staged, even trusting his own timing, the impact still rattled his core.
Luckily, the clone had pulled back at the last millisecond.
The building didn't collapse but the spiritual weight of that imprint left the entire room breathless.
It wasn't quite as reality-shattering as Stephen Chow's exaggerated Kung Fu Hustle scene where the Tathagata Palm flattens buildings but for the Defenders, the impact was overwhelming.
Danny Rand stared at the handprint, then looked down at his own glowing fist.
Despite the chi of Kunlun that surged in his veins, he couldn't help but question:
Could even the Iron Fist deliver such a strike?
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