People must have a clear understanding of themselves, and it is best to always keep their knowledge of themselves far exceeding the enemy's knowledge of them.
Trading punches with Hulk happened because Hulk's anger level was insufficient, his strength relatively decreased, and Hulk's attacks at the beginning could be said to be very casual, while Hong Fei himself went all out, utilizing his Dragon Power, Qi, and physical condition to the fullest.
Even so, in less than a minute of exchanging over a hundred punches, he was quickly beaten until he was in pain all over, and as Hulk grew angrier, Hong Fei directly retreated, and subsequently did not engage in a hard confrontation again, instead summoning Veronica's Hulkbuster Armor to barely manage a counter-attack.
Cutting the Helicarrier was not because his strength suddenly skyrocketed, nor was it because his sword path reached a divine level, but because the material of the "Sword of Sif" itself was extraordinary; Uru metal could conduct Dragon Power very well, and this sword itself also had Odin's personal enchantment, as well as the mysterious "divinity" left behind by Goddess Sif after years of use!
Under such numerous and complex conditions, coupled with Hong Fei charging up for a long time, he finally managed to unleash such an astonishing sword strike. But is such a sword energy attack something that can be used casually at any time and place? Just speaking of Odin's enchantment and Sif's divinity, it is not something Hong Fei can successfully activate every time.
It is not shameful to have a gap in strength; it is not shameful to be unable to defeat someone; even losing is not shameful. But if you clearly lost, and when reflecting on yourself, you are too stubborn to admit it even to your own heart, that is shameful!
Against Hulk, Hong Fei did indeed lose.
Without the Hulkbuster Armor, Hong Fei could only withstand a less angry Hulk; when Hulk got angrier, he had to rely on his flight advantage to dodge or simply retreat; when he had the Hulkbuster Armor and the Veronica system, there was no obvious advantage in a direct confrontation, and he could only cleverly use the fact that Hulk could not fly to seize an advantage.
As for whether the final result of Hong Fei throwing Hulk down from the sky and crashing him into Banner was a win or a loss, it is a matter of opinion. In any case, Hong Fei felt that he had lost.
But he had long anticipated such a result, and being able to trade punches with Hulk for over a hundred times was already a time worthy of his pride; this not only verified his strength but also indirectly confirmed his perseverance and endurance.
First, he had to suppress his fear, because the result was bound to be a loss, and then there was the action of forcing himself to swing his fists even when his arms were aching to the bone. These are the best lessons on the road of life. Because failure is often more memorable than success.
At this very moment, facing Thor, Hong Fei had the same mindset.
He knew he would inevitably lose, and it was impossible to trade hundreds of punches like he did with Hulk. Whether in the cinematic universe or the various universes in the comics, Hulk's strength fluctuations are closely related to "external stimuli"; he can be suppressed by human armies, or he can burst with combat power and slaughter the universe.
Compared to him, Thor's lower limit seems to be invisibly higher, because he is truly a god; what makes him powerful is not only his body and strength, but also thunder! In Greek mythology, the one who uses thunder as a weapon is Zeus. Of course, the two cannot be compared so rudely, but Thor's strength is still genuinely strong!
Thor had always been a force to reckon with. Even during his lazy stretches, his power remained firmly among the top tier of the Nine Realms. Though he hadn't fully awakened or separated from Mjolnir yet, he still deserved the title of God of Thunder.
So, getting knocked nearly to the point of vomiting blood by Thor's hammer wasn't exactly a disgrace for Hong Fei.
A few years ago, Hong Fei had been just an ordinary mortal. His body and strength were entirely within human limits—though his skills were notably sharper than most. Now, the fact that Thor hadn't killed him with a single blow was proof enough of his rapid progress.
Still, it didn't make the situation any less frustrating. Hmm, a certain notebook quietly gained a new entry.
Hong Fei swallowed the blood in his mouth and activated the purple skill card "Equal Match" in his slot. Energy surged out of his body like water through a sluice gate, pausing only when thirty percent remained. The card erupted in a violent purple light, and a faint purple mark—visible only to him—appeared above Thor's head.
Thor leapt from the rooftop, and Hong Fei drew the Sword of Sif. Though it couldn't match Mjolnir in material quality, it was the most powerful weapon he currently possessed. He hadn't opted for his dual blades because the stark blade wasn't durable enough; Mjolnir would likely shatter it. Even a bend or chip would've been an unnecessary loss.
Analyzing the situation, Hong Fei realized he had no advantage in weaponry against Thor, the fourth-generation god. But there was no need to panic—Thor had unknowingly been pulled down to Hong Fei's level.
Mjolnir came swinging straight at him. Hong Fei parried with the Sword of Sif, sparks flying as the blades clashed. He held his ground, channeling Dragon Power into the sword. The blade began to shimmer faintly, as if dusted with golden starlight.
But as Hong Fei had suspected earlier, the Sword of Sif didn't transform into something extraordinary every time.
Thor's hammer moved with blinding speed, each swing accompanied by violent thunder. Hong Fei's Dragon Power surged, and his body moved with agile grace, almost weightless in the air.
Sword shadows erupted before him like blooming spring flowers. The clang of metal echoed continuously as the two clashed, their altitude steadily rising. Lightning crackled in the air, and strands of Dragon Power swirled around Hong Fei like protective serpents.
Blind Chitauri soldiers rushed toward them, only to be scorched by lightning or pierced by the Dragon Power before they could get close. An invisible force seemed to surround the two combatants, annihilating all long-range attacks before they could reach.
Thor grew more and more shocked as the fight continued. Based on their earlier encounter, he'd assumed Hong Fei wouldn't be able to keep up. But the reality was undeniable.
He couldn't see Hong Fei's eyes—only the angular, ink-colored crystals on his faceplate, which gave off an unnervingly cold impression.
Taking advantage of his distraction, Hong Fei once again blocked Mjolnir horizontally in front of him. In the next instant, he flicked his wrist sharply, spinning the sword along the hammer's square head. The intense friction sparked dazzling stars, lighting up the battlefield.
The blade flashed past the hammer's bulk, its spine skimming swiftly along the side of Mjolnir as it thrust toward Thor's brow. A sudden surge of danger jolted Thor from his thoughts. His eyes locked onto the advancing sword tip. With a sharp motion, he yanked his arm back, slamming the hammer horizontally into position.
Clang!
The sword's tip struck the hammer, sparks erupting in a burst of starlight. Thor leapt back, his crimson cloak billowing in the turbulent air.
"The Chitauri invasion grows stronger by the minute," he shouted, his voice urgent. "I can't afford to waste time fighting you, Hong. I'm sorry!"
No sooner had he spoken than the clear sky darkened. Heavy clouds churned into existence, whipped into frenzy by a howling gale.
Boom!
A deafening crack split the air as searing thunderbolts rained down, twisting like monstrous serpents before converging on Mjolnir. The scene resembled an inverted tree of lightning, its roots clawing at the heavens.
Thor raised the hammer high. Mjolnir, forged from the core of a star and branches of the World Tree, pulsed with immense power. Thunder roared around it, a force both majestic and unstoppable. With a sudden motion, he swung the hammer down, his body hurtling toward Hong Fei in tandem.
Opposite him, Hong Fei's Eyes of Death snapped open.
In the monochrome vision where time slowed, the blazing thunder tree erupting from Thor became clearer, its brilliance almost blinding. Hong Fei flung open the gates to the Dragon Power dimension within him. A torrent of raw, primal energy surged through his body, flooding into the Sword of Sif.
The blade shifted from silver to gold, its edge gleaming with an invincible chill. Dragon Power churned within the sword like molten gold, restrained yet seething with intensity.
Hong Fei shot forward, the air exploding in his wake. His arm and the sword formed a perfect line, a fearless vanguard slicing through everything in its path. Dragon Power seeped from his pores, passing effortlessly through the nano-armor encasing him to form a halo of pale golden mist.
As the sword in his hand began to tremble and hum, the mist shuddered. It coalesced rapidly, taking shape in an instant—a massive dragon's head. Towering golden-jade horns, vertical pupils burning with controlled fury, tightly sealed jaws, and slender whiskers trailing like threads of starlight. A mane of pure gold rippled in the wind, each strand shimmering with scattered light. Behind it, the dragon's form faded into a gradient of ethereal Dragon Power.
Hong Fei stood at the center of the dragon's head, dwarfed by its immense presence. His pupils now mirrored the dragon's—vertical slits of gold. The sword's tip became the dragon's foremost point.
Even Thor, mid-charge, couldn't hide his shock at the sight.
But there was no turning back. Both had committed fully to their strikes. On one side, the crackling purple tree of thunder. On the other, the wrathful golden dragon.
When the sword, brimming with Dragon Power, met Mjolnir wreathed in lightning, gold and purple collided in a blinding explosion of light.
Roar!!!
The dragon's cry shook the heavens, echoing between the towering buildings as the two forces clashed.
The thunder's force showed no sign of weakening. The deafening shockwaves pulsed through the air, hammering against eardrums until they threatened to rupture. Above the battlefield, the sky itself trembled.
When dragon met lightning, both phantom forms shattered simultaneously. A million luminous fragments scattered like celestial confetti, forced apart by the collision's aftermath.
A perfect divide formed where the energies met.
Golden and violet motes drifted to opposite sides of the sky, each flickering out in descending order of size. Their fading glow painted the atmosphere—one half gilded with sunlight, the other steeped in storm's purple. The colors bled outward from the central divide, fading from vivid clarity to misty dissipation.
It was as if someone had used two colors to paint a symmetrical giant picture across the heavens.
Dragon and Thunder. Sky Divided in Two Colors.