The Kunlun Mountain Range.
Peter was following Daniel up the mountain. Neither of them carried any protective gear, cold-weather clothing, safety ropes, or similar equipment. Wearing just windbreakers, carrying their phones, and donning simple backpacks, they set off up the mountain. If anything went wrong, they would become prime material for a mystery documentary a few years down the line.
Lao Wang, who had met them for the handover, did not follow them up. He was a regular, ordinary person; escorting them to the foot of the mountain marked the completion of his job. The remaining path had to be traversed by the two superhumans themselves. As Peter walked, he watched Daniel leap and bound with immense familiarity, moving nimbly across the rugged terrain formed by glacial compression. Peter then glanced around. It was October, and this side of the mountain was already a vast expanse of white.
"Are you sure you won't step right into a snow hole?"
"I am very familiar with Kunlun, and the circulation of my Chi allows me to perceive my surroundings."
As Daniel spoke, he took off his windbreaker, stuffed it into his backpack, and took a deep breath. Peter quickly looked left and right, confirming that the path they were taking was one no normal person would ever attempt—a mountaineering route that practically didn't exist for regular climbers. If someone else happened to come across them and witness this scene, they would probably think Daniel was entering the first stages of hypothermia.
"Hurry up, Peter. We're almost there. Kunlun is just ahead."
"Is that so? Is there a divine temple at the peak, or is there a cave we need to pass through to get there?"
Peter asked while climbing. Seeing the Iron Fist extend a hand toward him, he reached out to grasp it. The moment their hands connected, the howling wind and snow abruptly ceased. The steep mountain path beneath his feet transformed into level ground. He staggered slightly before straightening up to look around. Daniel couldn't help but smile. "We have arrived."
Peter surveyed his surroundings. The entirety of Kunlun still retained the form of a mountain range. Endless peaks loomed in the distance, and looking straight ahead, he could only see the portions above the mountainsides, proving that they were currently atop the peak of a particular mountain. From this vantage point, a vast array of wooden, Chinese-style structures built against the mountainside came into view. They stretched almost from the base all the way to the summit, pavilions and terraces dotting the lush greenery.
Peter turned around and saw a wide, green-stone avenue leading to a massive mountain gate. Three grand characters were inscribed upon the gate: South Heaven Gate.
"I thought Kunlun would be more shrouded in mist and clouds. You know, looking more like a place where immortals live."
"That is just the ordinary world's imagination of Kunlun. After all, immortals are not permitted to interfere with the affairs of the mortal realm. Even with supernatural threats like the Hand, they only allowed martial artists trained in Kunlun to form the Chaste."
This was the very significance of the severance of heaven and earth. The various immortals would not interfere in mortal affairs, nor would they pursue faith or power. Instead, they left humanity to decide its own destiny.
The soldiers guarding the South Heaven Gate clearly recognized Daniel and greeted him. Peter followed him into Kunlun. Like the mountains outside, Kunlun featured an abundance of constructed buildings. However, the attire of the people inside was different from what Peter had imagined. Quite a few people wore modern clothing, and at a glance, most appeared to be human rather than a god-like race resembling the Asgardians.
"Where do we go next? How do we find the Spider Kingdom?"
"No need to rush. Let us first pay our respects to Lord Lei Kung. He is the mentor to the Iron Fist and knows more about matters regarding the Immortal Weapons."
Peter's expression became a bit strained. Although he had known for a long time that Lei Kung was the mentor of successive generations of Iron Fists, hearing that the Iron Fist was trained by Lei Kung—and that Lei Kung himself was essentially Kunlun's Instructor of the Imperial Guards—still made him feel rather odd.
And true to form, Lei Kung was currently in a place resembling a training field, instructing a large group of martial artists. He was bare-chested, revealing well-defined, robust muscles. But what made his appearance even harder to take seriously was the design Marvel had assigned him—he used a green bandana to completely blindfold the upper half of his face, a style identical to Iron Fist's attire.
"I've been wanting to complain about this masking issue of yours for a long time. Other people's masks are quite normal, but you guys basically just take a piece of cloth and wrap it around your head. Does this really do anything?"
"The greatest use of a mask for me is to conceal my identity. Using a specially tailored cowl or using a piece of cloth to cover my face makes no difference, Spider-Man."
As Daniel spoke, he stood politely to the side, waiting for Lei Kung to finish training his disciples. After watching for another ten minutes or so, the disciples were finally granted a temporary rest. Lei Kung walked over to Daniel. "It is a pleasure to see you, Immortal Iron Fist. Have you come again to commune with Shou-Lao regarding the immortal power?"
"Only in passing, Master Lei Kung. This time, I have been entrusted by someone to bring the one beside me to the Spider Kingdom to attempt the immortal trial of the Mountain Spider."
Hearing this title made Peter feel even more awkward, so he simply clasped his hands in a traditional martial arts salute to introduce himself. However, after Lei Kung closely examined Peter, an unexpected look surfaced on his face. "He has never learned the use of Chi. Strictly speaking, he cannot even be considered a martial artist. Are you certain he wishes to participate in the immortal trial?"
"He is a powerful warrior, Master Lei Kung."
"Precisely because of that, he should not participate in the trial. He would bypass many things that we need to learn."
Daniel countered, "No, he came here precisely to learn these things."
Peter watched the two of them speak in riddles for a long time, not quite understanding the underlying meaning of their exchange. However, after some discussion, they seemed to reach a consensus, though Lei Kung still offered a final suggestion. "Take him to see the Mountain Spider first. It will not be too late to seek out Shou-Lao afterward. Perhaps, by then, he will be able to offer you some additional assistance instead."
Once the two finished their conversation, Peter finally asked Daniel, "What did the words between you two mean?"
"Lei Kung believes that you are too powerful. Powerful warriors are different from beginners; you might not grasp the importance of all this cultivation. However, I believe this is exactly what you need to learn."
"The uniqueness of the immortal power lies not only in its immense strength, but also in its literal meaning—immortality. If a person obtains the immortal power and couples it with the circulation of Chi, they can guarantee their own immortality as long as their Chi continues to flow. This is an incredibly potent power, and only those deemed worthy are fit to possess it."
Peter understood Daniel's meaning, so he turned the question back to him. "But you didn't seem to agree with him?"
"Because Lei Kung does not know you. You may not yet know how to master Chi, but I believe you already possess the qualifications to become an Immortal Weapon."
Marvel's Kunlun is actually a different dimension from the Immortal Realm Ta Lo. Here, the concepts are integrated, primarily for convenience.
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