Sam arrived at Tony Stark's massive tower in New York.
When the elevator doors opened, Sam was greeted by a very warm, peaceful feeling.
Tony and Pepper were doing amazing.
Ever since they started, their cultivation had been improving day and night.
Pepper looked incredibly healthy.
Her skin had a beautiful, natural glow.
As she walked over to greet Sam, he noticed that her stomach was finally showing a small, round sign of pregnancy.
The baby was growing perfectly, surrounded by warm, safe energy.
Tony was also looking better than ever.
He has been incredibly busy these days.
He was still running his giant tech company, but he also had a new, very important job: farming.
Tony had built a high-tech, perfectly controlled greenhouse just to grow the magical seeds Sam had given him.
He was treating the magical plants with more care than his Iron Man suits.
"Sam! My favorite magic man!"
Tony smiled broadly, walking out of his lab to shake Sam's hand. He was genuinely very happy to see his friend.
"It is good to see you both,"
Sam smiled, looking at the happy couple.
They all sat down together in the living room.
Sam opened a small container and took out two freshly made Heavenly Pills.
He handed them to Tony and Pepper.
"Take these,"
Sam told them gently.
"Your bodies are getting stronger, and the baby needs pure energy to grow. These will help you step forward on the path safely."
Pepper smiled warmly and thanked him, resting a hand on her stomach.
Tony popped the pill into his mouth and let out a relaxed sigh as the warm energy spread through his chest.
Then, Tony leaned forward, his face turning a little more serious.
"So,"
Tony started, looking at Sam.
"Let's talk about Fury's secret superhero club. The Avengers program."
Sam took a sip of water and nodded.
He knew S.H.I.E.L.D. was trying to gather strong people to protect the Earth.
"I was going to say no to Fury,"
Tony explained simply.
"But I changed my mind. I decided to join the team. Mostly because you are the leader."
Sam stopped drinking. He blinked in surprise and put his glass down.
"Me?"
Sam asked, genuinely confused.
"Since when did I become the leader of the Avengers?"
Tony smirked and pointed a finger at his phone sitting on the table.
"Exactly five minutes ago,"
Tony laughed.
"Natasha just contacted me. She told me she is officially in, and she made it very clear that you are the one running the show. If you lead, I'll follow. Simple as that."
Sam just shook his head and let out a soft sigh.
Natasha was a master spy. She was always planning things behind the scenes, making sure the people she cared about were in the best position possible.
She and Tony were completely used to making big decisions and just doing whatever they wanted.
But as Sam sat there, he realized he didn't mind it at all.
He was a Cultivator with a Golden Core.
He had cosmic fire, weather goddesses, and master spies by his side.
Whether S.H.I.E.L.D. called him a leader or a lone wolf, it would not change anything.
The title didn't matter.
When the real monsters finally came from the sky, Sam was going to protect his family and his world his own way.
Tony swallowed the rest of his drink and stood up.
His eyes were shining with excitement.
"Since you are the new boss,"
Tony said with a smirk.
"I think it's time for a performance review. Let's spar."
Sam raised an eyebrow.
"You want to fight me? Tony, I am at the Middle Level of the Golden Core Stage. Two and a half whole realms above you."
"I know,"
Tony grinned.
"But I have a new toy. Come down to the lab."
They walked down to Tony's massive, reinforced testing room.
Standing in the center of the room was a brand new Iron Man suit. It didn't look bulky like a flying tank. It was sleek, tight, and incredibly sharp.
"I studied the cultivation breathing and energy flows you taught me,"
Tony explained proudly, walking over to the suit.
"Normal Iron Man suits shoot missiles and repulsor beams. They are weapons of mass destruction. But using Qi is different. It is about flow and close control."
Tony stepped into the machine, and the armor seamlessly wrapped around his body.
"So, I built this suit purely for martial arts,"
Tony's voice echoed from inside the helmet.
Thick, heavy gauntlets formed over the suit's hands, glowing with Tony's own Qi mixed with arc reactor energy.
With a sharp hum, two bright laser swords extended from the wrists.
Sam looked at the glowing blades and the Qi-enhanced metal.
He was genuinely curious. He had never seen human technology mix with ancient magic so perfectly.
"Alright,"
Sam smiled, stepping into the center of the room.
He didn't take a fighting stance; he just stood perfectly relaxed.
"Show me what the world's best engineer can do."
The fight started instantly.
Tony was brilliant. He didn't just fight like a machine; he fought like a martial artist guided by a supercomputer.
He moved with incredible speed, using his thrusters to dodge Sam's casual strikes.
Tony swung his laser sword in a tight arc.
Sam blocked it easily with his bare arm coated in a thin layer of pink Qi.
But Tony was smart. He knew he couldn't beat Sam with normal attacks.
As the sword hit Sam's arm, Tony used his other gauntlet to release a sudden, highly concentrated burst of Qi and electricity directly into Sam's defense.
*Crack!*
The sharp force pushed Sam back half a step.
A small, thin cut appeared on Sam's forearm, and a tiny drop of blood fell to the floor.
Sam looked down at his arm. He was actually surprised.
Tony Stark was a normal human who had only recently started cultivating.
But his genius mind allowed him to build a suit that could actually hurt a Golden Core cultivator, even if it was just a tiny scratch.
"Not bad, right?"
Tony laughed proudly from inside the helmet.
But before Tony could even celebrate, Sam's Golden Core spun inside his chest.
Pure, warm Yang energy flooded into Sam's arm. In less than a second, the small cut closed up completely.
Smooth skin replaced it, healing almost instantly without leaving a single scar.
Tony stopped moving and dropped his arms.
The faceplate of his helmet opened, revealing a very annoyed look.
"Oh, come on!"
Tony complained loudly, pointing a metal finger at Sam's arm.
"That is just cheating!"
Sam let out a loud laugh, looking at his perfectly healed skin.
"You are using a billion-dollar supercomputer and laser swords to fight a man wearing a t-shirt,"
Sam smiled, dropping his Qi shield.
"But yes, Tony. You are not wrong. Instant healing is definitely a cheat."
Tony just shook his head, but he couldn't hide his own smile.
He was proud of his new suit. It worked exactly the way he wanted it to.
And as he looked at Sam, he knew that having a "cheater" like him leading the Avengers was exactly what the world needed.
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