"K'un-Lun… it's been a long time since I heard that name," Gu Xing said.
Danny's eyes widened.
"What? You know about K'un-Lun?" he asked, surprised.
Colleen looked between the two of them, confused.
"What exactly is K'un-Lun?"
Gu Xing glanced at her.
"It's a secret realm," he said calmly. "It opens once every ten years."
Danny couldn't hide his surprise.
"You even know that…" he muttered, then nodded. "That's right. It's a secret realm."
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"How do you know about it?"
Colleen also looked at Gu Xing, waiting.
"Among the many secret realms, it's not that hidden," Gu Xing replied. "Most of its champions travel the world."
He paused briefly.
"I know this because of my lineage."
In truth, most of his knowledge came from his past life—but that didn't make this explanation entirely false.
He remembered seeing fragments of information about secret realms in a book his father had left behind.
'Now that I think about it… my family might have its own secrets too.'
Danny and Colleen both fell silent, thoughtful.
Danny frowned slightly.
"Other secret realms?"
Colleen followed up.
"And… what lineage?"
Gu Xing waved it off.
"You'll understand in the future," he said. "Knowing too much right now won't do you any good."
He shifted the topic.
"What level have you reached in your martial arts?"
"Level?" Danny looked confused.
Gu Xing sighed.
Time to explain things properly.
"You don't know?" he said. "Don't tell me you left K'un-Lun right after obtaining your Chi?"
Danny looked a little guilty.
"I'll go back," he said. "I just need to finish my business here first."
Shaking his head, Gu Xing began explaining.
"Martial arts are divided into stages," he said. "First is body training, then Chi sensing, Chi nurturing, and finally Chi channeling."
"It's simple. You train your body so your Chi can grow. Once it's strong enough, you sense it. Then you nurture it using the energy of the world, and finally, you learn to channel it through your body."
He looked at Danny.
"From what I can see, you reached peak human condition… then skipped two stages and went straight to Chi channeling."
Colleen scratched the back of her head.
"Can you explain it more, Coach?"
Gu Xing stared at her blankly.
"No."
Danny, on the other hand, seemed to understand a little—but also looked more confused than before.
"I've never heard of this…" he admitted.
Of course you haven't, Gu Xing thought.
I came up with it myself.
"You'll learn more in the future," Gu Xing said. "For now… let's see how strong you are."
He stepped in front of Danny, one hand behind his back, his posture relaxed.
"Let's see the might of the Iron Fist… Protector of K'un-Lun."
"What?" Colleen frowned. "Coach, are you sure? His hands don't look normal."
"Don't worry," Danny said as he took his stance. "I won't use Chi."
Gu Xing smiled slightly.
"You can use your Chi," he said. "Otherwise, it'll be boring."
Danny looked at him carefully.
There was no arrogance in his expression.
Only confidence.
Taking a deep breath, he nodded.
"Alright… I'll show you why I'm the champion of my realm."
Colleen, seeing this, simply stepped out of the training area and sat casually on a nearby bench.
"I'll let you have the first move," Gu Xing said.
Danny didn't respond.
He dashed forward instantly.
His fist glowed as he struck.
Gu Xing didn't parry.
He leaned back slightly, letting the punch pass, while his leg snapped forward—kicking the inside of Danny's stance.
Danny reacted quickly, lifting his leg into a side kick.
Gu Xing weaved past it with ease.
He continued to dodge and shift, reading every movement.
'Even if he doesn't look slow… his Chi control is limited to his fist,' Gu Xing thought. 'Entry-level Chi channeling at best.'
Frustration flashed across Danny's face.
"Do you only know how to dodge?!" he taunted.
Gu Xing smiled.
Bam!
An airwave burst outward, scattering across the hall. Their clothes fluttered violently, and even Colleen's hair was pushed back by the sudden gust.
Squinting, she looked toward the center—
Her mouth slowly formed an "O."
At the center of the mat, Danny stood frozen.
His glowing fist had been caught.
Gripped firmly in Gu Xing's hand.
And Gu Xing's hand—
Was glowing too.
A steady orange light wrapped around it.
"C-Chi?" Danny stammered, disbelief clear in his voice.
Gu Xing glanced at him.
"You've got some power," he said calmly. "I should return the favor."
Before Danny could react—
Gu Xing's other hand, wrapped in Chi, shot forward.
Ghak!
The strike landed directly on Danny's solar plexus.
Danny's body lifted off the ground and slammed into a nearby punching bag.
The bag swung violently.
Gu Xing clapped his hands lightly, as if dusting them off.
"Not bad," he said. "But your control is insufficient."
He looked at Danny calmly.
"Early-stage Chi channeling… barely passable."
Colleen stood up and walked over. "Is he going to be alright?"
"Don't worry," Gu Xing replied. "I controlled my strike. He'll be fine."
He didn't want to blast a hole through the wall, so he restrained his Chi—just enough to send Danny flying without causing real damage.
Kneeling on the ground, one hand clutching his stomach, Danny looked up.
"Ugh… you said e-early stage?" he asked, wincing. "Then what stage are you?"
'Hmm… I should be nearing late stage,' Gu Xing thought.
"Me?" he said aloud. "I'm around intermediate. One level higher."
Colleen frowned slightly. "One level higher and you're already this strong? I thought you were above Chi channeling."
Gu Xing shook his head.
Even he didn't know what came after.
"It was a good spar," he said, shifting the topic. "But you should focus on improving your Chi control. You have a large reserve, but poor control limits your output."
He walked over and helped Danny to his feet, patting his shoulder.
"Fix that, and you'll reach my current level soon enough."
Gu Xing turned away.
"Anyway, I'll leave you two for now. Call me if you need anything."
He started heading upstairs.
He needed to cultivate.
The feeling of growing stronger… it was addicting.
Before he could take another step—
"Coach!"
He stopped and glanced back.
Colleen stood there, hesitating for a moment before speaking.
"Can I… learn Chi too?"
Gu Xing looked at her quietly.
"All this time, I thought Chi was just inner focus… breathing and discipline," she continued. "But that—what you just did… I want that strength too."
Danny watched silently.
Gu Xing smiled faintly.
He waved his hand dismissively.
"Maybe in the future," he said. "For now, focus on helping the Iron Fist with his problems."
Without waiting for a response, he continued upstairs.
Colleen watched him go, disappointment flashing across her face before she sighed and shook her head.
"I'm sorry I dragged you into this," Danny said.
"It's fine," she replied. "Maybe after I help you, he'll teach me."
Danny hesitated.
"How did you get your power?" she asked.
He looked down slightly.
"My training… my lineage… it's different," he said. "I can't really help you with your martial arts."
Colleen nodded, then smirked.
"Then I guess I'll just help you with your problem, Iron Fist."
She lightly punched his shoulder.
Danny let out a small laugh.
"Thanks."
---
Somewhere in New York—Hell's Kitchen.
Gunshot echoes tore through the building.
"Stop him!"
"He's just one man!"
"It's the Devil!"
Down a narrow hallway, a group of thugs rushed forward, weapons raised, desperation clear in their voices. At the far end stood a man in red.
One of them lunged—
Only to be taken down instantly, a sharp knee crashing into his face before he could even react.
More followed.
Again and again.
But the man didn't fall.
With only his twin batons in hand, he moved through them like a storm—precise, relentless. Every strike was calculated. Every step controlled.
Bodies hit the ground one after another.
The chaos didn't last long.
Soon—
Silence.
The hallway was still.
The man stood alone, chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. Bruised. Exhausted.
But unbroken.
Slowly, he straightened.
Listening.
Waiting.
Ready.
He was the Devil of Hell's Kitchen.
Daredevil.