As T'Chaka retreated, all eyes inside and outside the energy shield turned to Hong Fei. The next moments would be pivotal for both sides. Standing before the shimmering barrier, Hong Fei studied it in silence. T'Chaka had mentioned it was a Vibranium energy shield, a technology far beyond anything the outside world had achieved.
Built on Vibranium, its durability was beyond question. The shield appeared almost transparent, but its interior revealed a honeycomb-like polygonal structure. Sunlight glinted off the faint energy currents flowing within. Hong Fei's knowledge of such defenses was limited, mostly gleaned from Thanos's invasion.
During that battle, even orbital weapons—essentially mobile barracks—had barely dented the shield. True, the shield could be penetrated, but anything attempting to squeeze through would be melted by its rapid self-repairing capabilities. Hong Fei's goal wasn't to enter—it was to destroy. Bang!
His fists clenched, and the Ten Rings coalesced around his right arm. Scorching energy ignited, burning away the fabric covering his forearm to reveal taut muscles and defined lines. As he drew back his arm, the Ten Rings hummed and rotated, their intricate patterns activated by the surge of Dragon Power, bursting with golden radiance.
With a sudden tightening of his fist, the Ten Rings aligned perfectly along his arm. As he punched, Dragon Power surged through the rings, layering and amplifying the force. Boom! The air tore with a deafening crack, threatening to burst eardrums.
Golden ripples spread outward from the point of impact, cascading across the nearly transparent shield. Boom! Boom! Boom! Each punch unleashed a torrent of golden light, exploding against the shield's surface like relentless waves crashing against a shore.
Yet, despite the relentless assault, the shield remained remarkably stable, bolstered by Vibranium technology. Inside, the Wakandans erupted in cheers. Behind Hong Fei, Big Head and the others frowned. Hong Fei paused, his gaze piercing through the shield at the celebrating crowd.
He raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. If it weren't for T'Challa, he'd have planted a miniature sun in their midst by now. Xu Wenwu and the others exchanged uneasy glances at Hong Fei's back. To them, accepting this challenge had put Hong Fei in a precarious position—like riding a tiger you couldn't dismount.
Big Head stepped forward, his voice low.
"Boss, why not just force our way in? Same result."
"Nonsense," Hong Fei shot back immediately. Jessica chimed in, her tone sharp.
"I don't see the problem. Their smug looks are getting on my nerves."
Antonia nodded.
"I agree." Hong Fei sighed.
"I just gave them my word. It hasn't even been a minute."
Matt, leaning on his cane, murmured, "Exactly. We made a promise. Breaking it so soon would look bad. Word gets around, and it'll damage our reputation."
Xu Wenwu's chilling smile cut through the tension.
"As long as you kill everyone, no one's left to spread the word. What do you think?"
Even without seeing his face, the icy tone made Matt shiver. This was what Hong Fei admired about Xu Wenwu—their minds often aligned without a word. But this time was different.
"I promised T'Challa, so today's not the day."
He shook his head.
"But those looks they're giving me? Makes my skin crawl. There's this... darkness building inside me too. Like you, I need a proper fight to burn it out. Not today—but before year's end."
The unspoken truth hung between them: the Dark Elves were coming.
When that day arrived, no one would stop him. No one could. Wakanda's population versus the Dark Elves' numbers? Child's play. And let's not forget their armada of warships—the perfect launchpad for the Dragon King's galactic conquest. Sparing Wakanda wasn't just for T'Challa's sake. That sharp-witted sister of his factored in too.
Black Panther would never join his ranks. Future kings don't abandon their thrones to gallivant across the cosmos. The only way T'Challa would leave Earth? If Hong Fei reduced Wakanda to rubble first—and then he'd be the last person willing to tag along. Shuri was different. Hong Fei hadn't considered her until T'Challa brought her up. Now the idea took root.
Not because she idolized him—he couldn't care less about fangirls. No, her brilliance intrigued him. Technical genius always did. More importantly, she wasn't the type to stir up chaos. Give him a hundred quiet geniuses over one troublemaking Reed Richards any day. Speaking of which...
Hong Fei had run background checks on every "Reed Richards" the moment he arrived in this world. Back then, he'd only had martial arts knowledge and an ordinary body—but one conviction burned clear: if he found a Reed matching the profile, he'd eliminate the man at any cost.
It was survival. Only one of them could breathe the same air. Leave Reed alive, and Hong Fei might as well sign his own death warrant. Shuri? Different story. Mediocre combat skills, but that mind—and more importantly, she kept her nose clean.
Right now though, the princess's gaze held nothing but conflicted loathing. The admiration had curdled. Understandable. Hong Fei wasn't worried. His departure from Earth was inevitable—his whole team would go with him.
Holding the vibranium mine meant leaving guards behind. That meant liabilities. Complications.
"Step back," he ordered. "Give me space."
The crowd retreated. Hong Fei closed his eyes. His soul slipped into the Dragon Power Dimension—an endless void swimming with golden energy.
Formless, liquid power swirled through the expanse. Here, Hong Fei's soul seemed minuscule. Yet he alone commanded this realm. Outside, Xu Wenwu and the others watched Hong Fei's still form, muscles coiled. At his signal, they'd shatter the energy shield together and claim what they came for.
Inside Wakanda, warriors stood ready. Royals and chieftains barely blinked. Then—rupture. The void behind Hong Fei split open. Golden light exploded across the landscape, painting half the sky before resolving into another world entirely.
Through the shimmering curtain, a colossal golden dragon surged forward. By the time it reached the barrier, only its gargantuan head remained visible—eyes burning like twin suns.
The divine dragon suddenly paused, its majestic dragon head held high, dragon teeth protruding from its angry open mouth, and two dragon whiskers along with the dragon's mane on its neck swayed in the wind. The only strange thing was that the divine dragon's eyes were tightly closed. Instantly, Hong Fei seemed to have completely transformed into a golden figure.
The next second, Hong Fei suddenly opened his eyes, and the divine dragon behind him simultaneously glared, its golden vertical pupils suddenly bursting with intense light. As he thrust his arm forward, it was as if a hidden giant dragon suddenly awakened beneath his arm. The Ten Rings continuously expanded or contracted with the surge of Dragon Power, and the entire rings also turned pure gold.
When the golden fist met the energy shield, a thunderous roar immediately erupted, a sound like a muffled thunderclap on a clear day instantly assailing the entire plain! The transparent energy shield was instantly covered in golden light, as if someone had suddenly splashed golden paint on it.
The golden light, as if sentient, rapidly spread in all directions, thousands of golden shadows clinging to the energy shield like agile, swimming divine dragons. Everyone's eyes widened involuntarily. When the golden light spread to the top of the semi-circular energy shield's dome, the old Black Panther's pupils contracted. Crack!
A very faint but exceptionally clear sound suddenly arose on the prairie. In an instant, a fine crack suddenly appeared in the energy shield in front of Hong Fei's fist. Its appearance was like the blowing of a victory horn. In a flash, countless cracks violently erupted near the fist.
Following this, they spread outwards across the energy shield in irregular patterns, like spiderwebs or lightning flashing in the night, at a speed several times faster than before. When a crack several meters wide broke open above their heads, the entire energy shield suddenly flickered violently.
A few seconds later, as if the energy source had been instantly cut off, the entire shield rapidly disappeared upwards from its grounding point. The entirety of Wakanda was clearly exposed before Hong Fei, completely undefended. Looking at the other side, they were all silent with fear! However, Hong Fei had no mind to pay attention to the outside situation at this moment.
Dragon Power Integration: 32.71%
How much was it a few days ago? 27.04%! However, in just under a minute just now, the Dragon Power integration suddenly increased by more than five percent. This was almost equivalent to a year of arduous cultivation. If there was such a thing as "enlightenment" in the process of cultivating Dragon Power integration, then that moment just now must have been it.
At that moment, he even felt like he was the Dragon. Combat! This was a faster method than quiet integration. If one were to pull open Hong Fei's shirt now, one would clearly see that the dragon-shaped mark on his chest had almost grown into a lifelike true dragon. Fortunately, the mark itself was not large, and it was usually hidden under his clothes, so it wasn't easily seen.
Otherwise, if glimpsed, he might be mistaken for a gangster, and perhaps even asked to sing "Dare to Ask Where the Road Is."
Corresponding to the astonishing destructive power was the rapid consumption of Dragon Power. However, this was clearly very worthwhile. This was undoubtedly a powerful ultimate move.
It was perfectly understandable for an ultimate move to have a longer charge-up time and higher consumption. Facing ordinary enemies or even some common superheroes, Hong Fei felt he was already developing a trend towards becoming a "One-Punch Dragon King."
The idea struck him hard—his current integration level wasn't even halfway complete, yet the power he wielded already bordered on absurd. If he'd had this strength during the Battle of New York, he could've gone toe-to-toe with Thor for hours. So why did Shou-Lao's power seem so... underwhelming?
Was the dragon holding back, or was the Dragon Power itself overrated? If it was deception, Hong Fei would need to tread carefully, plotting every move like a grandmaster playing chess. If it was simply weak? Then he'd devour it whole—bones, scales, and all. His eyes sharpened, resolve hardening. As the energy shield flickered out, the Wakandans inside stood exposed, their shock raw and undisguised.
Even the old king, the Black Panther who'd ruled for decades with unshakable composure, couldn't mask his reaction. Their gazes locked. Hong Fei's earlier aggression melted away, replaced by a disarmingly casual smile. After what they'd just witnessed, would the old Panther even dare to raise a claw against him?