Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Power of the Divine Dragon

One of Marvel’s most renowned superheroes, Peter Parker—also known as Spider-Man—often juggled various part-time jobs. On one hand, the Parker family wasn’t exactly wealthy, but more importantly, Peter was preparing for college applications by gaining experience through community service and social practice. For most American high school students, participating in social work and charity events is almost a rite of passage for admission to a good university.

Of course, if you’re someone like Tony Stark, that’s a different story—money can make the world go round, a truth that holds in any universe.

Yet all this is the ordinary path of a typical high schooler. Gu Zhongyan, who only wished to improve his mastery of magic and one day shatter the barriers of the world, had never considered, nor did he wish, to attend college in the perilous Marvel universe. Even if he got into a university, what then? In the Marvel universe, academic credentials are among the least valuable things. Wasn’t it better to devote that time to enhancing his magical prowess?

Besides, in an American family, not aspiring to college is hardly considered a cardinal sin.

After some thought, Gu Zhongyan expressed that he had no intention of applying to college; after high school, he would simply seek employment. However, as the words reached his lips, something occurred to him, and he shifted his tone, looking at Father Langdon.

“Actually, I was just about to discuss this with you. Recently, I've become interested in economics and would like to undertake some social practice at a financial firm or institution. Have you heard of a company called Midtown Circle Financial? If possible, I’d like to intern there for a while. Could you help me with that?”

“Midtown Circle Financial?” Father Langdon pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “I’m sorry, dear, but I don’t recall whether our church has any connections with that company.”

“I can look into it for you. If we do, I’ll try to arrange an internship for you, but I can’t guarantee success. Are there any other firms you’re interested in? If this doesn’t work out, we can consider an alternative.”

“No need,” Gu Zhongyan shook his head. “I’m only interested in Midtown Circle Financial for now. If you’re unable to help, I’ll try submitting my own application.”

Seeing this, Father Langdon did not press further. “Alright, since you’ve made your decision, I wish you good luck. I’ll head to the church now—perhaps when I return tonight, I’ll have good news for you.”

“Alright, goodbye.” Gu Zhongyan nodded, watching Father Langdon leave.

Midtown Circle Financial, in the Marvel universe, was just an unremarkable small company—but Gu Zhongyan knew well that it was in fact one of the Hand’s strongholds. Beneath its building lay the bones of a dragon.

For over four centuries, the five leaders of the Hand owed their immortality not only to their mastery of the art of ‘chi,’ but also to the presence of the dragon bones, which prolonged their lives. The dragon bones belonged to Shou-Lao, the guardian of K’un-Lun, whose body, left behind after his death, harbored a unique power: the Power of the Dragon.

Mentioning the Power of the Dragon inevitably brings to mind the legendary Phoenix Force of the Marvel universe. Although their names are similar, in truth, these are powers of different orders entirely.

Within Marvel lore, the Phoenix Force hails from the primordial universe, born at the dawn of all things—an entity of chaos and immortality, eternal yet ever-changing, the child of the cosmos. It is the embodiment of life and psychic energy, symbolizing vitality and emotion. It serves as the nexus for all spiritual consciousness that exists or will exist across the infinite multiverse; it is both the creator and source of psychic power, the vessel and ruler of the emotional and life energy of all future generations in the multiverse.

As the embodiment of life and emotion, the Phoenix possesses supreme perception and intuition, allowing it to sense every manifestation of psychic power and wield all psychic abilities. It can create, manipulate, or annihilate any aspect of space and time at will—teleportation, time travel, dimension manipulation, and even traversing any point in the multiverse. It can effortlessly destroy or create any spatial or temporal dimension and move freely through all realms, dimensions, and universes.

It wields dominion over causality, weaves fate, manipulates all things, and can rewrite history at a whim, unbound by the laws of cause and effect. The Phoenix Force’s full manifestation has never appeared in the Marvel universe; depending on its completeness, its influence can range from universal, to multiversal, or even transcend the omnipotent universe.

Compared to the Phoenix Force, whose grandeur nearly shatters the highest ceilings of the Marvel universe, the Power of the Dragon is decidedly more modest. In Marvel, aside from advanced technology, mutants, and aliens, deities also have their place.

The most famous of these are rooted in Norse mythology—Thor, the God of Thunder, who would later become one of the Trinity of the Avengers. But aside from Norse mythology, other pantheons exist in Marvel as well.

The Power of the Dragon comes from the Eastern Heavenly Court, bestowed by the Grand Supreme upon Shou-Lao, the guardian of K’un-Lun. As guardian, Shou-Lao possesses the trait of immortality. In K’un-Lun, by passing the trial and defeating Shou-Lao, one can extract the Power of the Dragon from his heart and be granted the title of Iron Fist. When slain, Shou-Lao’s soul returns to the Grand Supreme and is then reborn in K’un-Lun.

Like the Phoenix Force, the Power of the Dragon also varies in strength: the longer Shou-Lao lives between reincarnations, the more power he accumulates; the shorter his lifespan, the weaker the force. For instance, the present Iron Fist, Danny Rand, is often called “the weakest Iron Fist in history” because the Shou-Lao he slew was only five years old, and the power he gained was pitifully scant.

Returning to the dragon bones: every time Shou-Lao dies, a set of bones is left behind. As a supernatural magical being from the Eastern pantheon, Shou-Lao’s remains can naturally be used to craft a wand.

Beasts and dragon bones—these were the targets Gu Zhongyan had set for himself upon embarking on the path of the Mind Sorcerer. By drawing power from a beast and crafting a wand from dragon bone to channel his magic, he could successfully step into the realm of the Mind Sorcerer and become a true mage.

Originally, he had planned to sneak into Midtown Circle Financial and search for the dragon bones. But after Father Langdon mentioned social practice, he realized he had a better option. As the priest of Clinton Church, Father Langdon might not be wealthy, but his social standing was significant. If the church had any dealings with Midtown Circle Financial, Gu Zhongyan could use him as a stepping stone and gain entry with ease, without arousing the slightest suspicion.