Shame and anger are predictable reactions—it means he still retains at least a shred of dignity. But shame and anger are also the most futile emotions. Only those who haven't truly strived to better themselves, who recognize their flaws but refuse to change, or who harbor lofty ambitions yet resent those more capable than themselves, feel such despair after failure. Regardless of the reason, none of them deserve pity.
What Hong Fei despises most are the indecisive, the hesitant—those who falter when action is needed and wallow in regret afterward. Such people disgust him to the point where he can't stand to look at them for more than a second. Even though a crystal-clear card had floated up from Danny's body, it didn't make Hong Fei view him any more favorably.
"If you move again, I'll put a hole in your face," Hong Fei snapped. Harold froze, his fingertips hovering just above the gun hidden beneath the seat. Hong Fei stepped forward, crouched down, and pressed Danny's head to the side with one hand while reaching for the skill card with the other. Danny instinctively struggled, but Hong Fei's grip remained unyielding.
With the physical strength boost from his second-stage evolution, Danny stood no chance of resistance. Hong Fei pinched the card and pulled slightly, immediately feeling a tug from it. At the same time, Danny let out an inexplicable scream.
Hong Fei paused briefly, then, without turning, fired a shot to dispatch Harold. He activated his Eyes of Death, and his vision flooded with golden light. Inside the crystal skill card, a pure golden liquid seemed to swirl with a life of its own. Pale golden streams of energy radiated from the card, their other ends connected to Danny's chest.
Beneath Danny's clothes, a dragon-shaped tattoo glimmered with golden light, its energy extending faintly to his fists. These pathways were dim and sparse, invisible without the Eyes of Death. The energy was identical to the currents emitted by the dragon bones buried beneath the house.
Hong Fei tried pulling the card again, and the energy streams began to move, acting like conduits that siphoned Danny's Dragon Power into the crystal card. "Ah! It hurts! What are you doing to me?" Danny screamed. Hong Fei frowned. "Shut up!" Even he wasn't entirely sure what was happening.
In the past, skill cards had no connection to the individuals who dropped them. Moreover, acquiring a skill card didn't strip the original owner of their abilities. So far, Hong Fei had obtained two fusion cards: "Qi" and "Lesser Hulk Bloodline." The first had already been absorbed into his body, proving immensely useful. It had come from Nobu Yoshioka of The Hand after his death. The second card remained unused.
The first card offered no insight into this situation. The second card hadn't weakened Abomination when it dropped, nor had it deprived him of his abilities. So why was this happening? Was Dragon Power somehow unique?
Overthinking wouldn't help. Hong Fei gripped the Dragon Power firmly and yanked. The energy streams at the card's edge stretched like glue, sticky and elastic. Danny's screams grew more agonized. Hong Fei silenced him with a swift strike to the neck, knocking him unconscious. Even so, Danny's body twitched involuntarily.
The golden light within Danny's body surged toward the crystal card as Hong Fei intensified his pull. When the last shimmering tendril vanished, only a dragon-shaped tattoo remained—then the air cracked with energy. Danny's chest erupted in blinding radiance, the golden light coalescing into a massive dragon that materialized with thunderous force.
Wings unfurled with a sound like tearing canvas. The dragon's maw gaped toward Hong Fei, its roar vibrating through his bones. This wasn't just a vision from the Eyes of Death—it warped reality itself. The shockwave of its cry whipped against his face, stinging like a sandstorm.
Most men would have crumbled before such a beast. But courage had always been Hong Fei's defining trait. He kept pulling the card, sparing the dragon only a sidelong glance. "Bite me or shut up," he snapped. "Your choice."
The dragon didn't—or couldn't—respond. Maybe it lacked true sentience. Hong Fei planted his boot on Danny's sternum and hauled backward. The man's limbs jerked violently as the phantom dragon's roars grew faint, strained. "Mine," Hong Fei growled through clenched teeth.
With a final wrench, the last golden ember left Danny's body. It darted into the crystal card like a sparrow seeking shelter. The dragon illusion shattered into motes of light. The card, now gleaming like forged gold, pulsed in Hong Fei's grip.
Deep in K'un-Lun's forbidden caverns, a snow-white dragon egg shuddered. "Who?!" The voice reverberated through the hollow chamber. "Why has my connection to half the Dragon Power vanished?" Rage thickened the words. "I am the Dragon Power. No one steals from me!" The egg rocked violently, its shell striking stone with cannon-like booms. "That imbecile Danny Rand—why did he leave? Does he forget his oath as Iron Fist?"
The quaking ceased abruptly. A wave of draconic will radiated outward, flooding every corner of K'un-Lun. Citizens froze mid-step, bowls slipping from numb fingers. Then the command came, echoing in every mind at once: "The Iron Fist's power has been stolen. Hunt the thief. Bring it back."
Fusion Card: Dragon Power (Fragment)
Grants partial Dragon Power. Curse: Upon death, all power returns to the Dragon Power.
Hong Fei stared at the card. "A fragment?" He nearly laughed. "What kind of scam is this?" Was Danny defective, or had the Dragon Power always been fractured? Did every Iron Fist inherit just a sliver, or was Rand uniquely lacking?
After a moment's thought, the first theory seemed likelier. The answer probably lay with that so-called Undying Dragon—the creature that kept dying and resurrecting like a cosmic joke.
This is probably the biggest difference between Dragon Power and Phoenix Force. The Phoenix doesn't manifest as a singular being—it only ever needs a host. And crucially, a host, never a master.
Looking at the hosts of the Phoenix Force throughout the ages, no one has ever truly turned it into their own power; on the contrary, they are often influenced by the Phoenix Force, leading to many accidents. Compared to the Phoenix Force, Dragon Power is obviously much better behaved. And because the Undying Dragon is constantly dying and being reborn, there is no such thing as a "host".
because it always exists in the K'un-Lun dimension and has become an important core foundation of K'un-Lun, it seems to have become a tool for cultivating "Iron Fist" Guardians for K'un-Lun. If all the Dragon Power were passed out, the Undying Dragon should die and disappear directly, and then, like the Phoenix Force, continue to exist in the form of pure "Dragon Power".
The Death and rebirth time of the Undying Dragon is basically fixed, so the power received by the Iron Fist should also be constant. After all, as a sacred beast of K'un-Lun, it shouldn't and has no reason to smash its own brand. As for why some people are terribly strong and some are frighteningly weak, in Hong Fei's simple thinking, the key must be the user.
No matter how good a weapon is, if it is given to a coward, don't expect any outstanding performance; this is the most basic truth. However, the above are all inferences. In addition, is this "portion of Dragon Power" a lot or a little? How much Dragon Power does that so-called Undying Dragon actually have left? Second reaction: Why is there a so-called curse?
This is something he has never heard of before. After Death, all power is merged into the Dragon Power. Is this a curse that all Iron Fists throughout history have suffered? If so, wouldn't the Dragon Power actually be getting stronger all the time?
But in reality, why does it seem that the Iron Fist has gradually weakened generation after generation, and the last two generations are shockingly weak? Suddenly, Hong Fei felt that "Dragon Power" must have big problems. After pondering for a moment, Hong Fei shook his head and indeed turned his finger to put away the fusion card.
There were too few clues, and the directions for thinking were not comprehensive. He didn't know much about K'un-Lun, and even less about Shou-Lao the Undying. Thinking more is useless and only adds trouble. As for the specifics, after the fusion, he believed there would be a clearer answer!
That's right, fusion is a must, because the level of Dragon Power is very high, even if it is only a part, it is enough for him to make significant progress in strength. As for the curse, he basically doesn't take it to heart. Regardless of whether there is any conspiracy or overt plot hidden behind it, it will only be after he dies that the power will be absorbed by the Dragon Power.
But by then, he will be gone, so why would he need to care about the Dragon Power? The only thing to care about is the possibility of being "accidentally killed". If he dies, the Dragon Power becomes stronger, and by the way, K'un-Lun can have another Iron Fist.
If in the future, people from K'un-Lun leave that dimension and come to Earth specifically to find people with Dragon Power, then it proves that the Undying Dragon definitely has a problem. Hmm, the Dragon Power is innocent; it is just a powerful force. On the ground, Danny Rand's body stopped twitching.
His face was pale, his aura was very weak, and his flame of life seemed even weaker than those of patients on their deathbed. Hong Fei withdrew his gaze, for fear that if he looked at it for one more second, his suspicion of the Dragon Power in his heart would increase by another point. So, is the actual Dragon Power really at the same level as the Phoenix Force as rumored?