Bleeding Edge Armor was actually Mark 50 from Avengers 3. It combined new nanotechnology with Bleeding Edge technology and was stored in the energy reactor in Tony's chest, ready to be worn at any time.
Once activated, it could cover part or all of his body. It could also transform into any defensive or offensive weapon Tony could imagine.
It even had a self-repair function. Any damaged component could repair itself, making it one hell of a suit.
In Avengers 3, Tony relied on the Bleeding Edge armor to battle Thanos's subordinates, Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian, truly proving that "a mortal could stand shoulder to shoulder with gods"!
But as powerful as the Bleeding Edge armor was, it wasn't without flaws.
Its weakness was its heavy reliance on nanomaterials. Once the nanomaterials that made up the armor ran out and couldn't be replenished, Tony was done for.
Why had Iron Man been beaten so badly by Thanos in Avengers 3?
Because the battle took place on Thanos's homeworld, Titan. Once Tony ran out of the nanomaterials he'd brought with him, he couldn't replenish them, leaving his armor incomplete. In the end, Thanos stabbed right through him.
For Tony, fixing this flaw in the Bleeding Edge armor would be a tough problem to solve.
But for Hao Shuai, it was ridiculously easy.
How about a huge stockpile of vibranium?
Iron Man suit technology + Fourth Generation Arc Reactor + advanced artificial intelligence + nanotechnology + vibranium = new Bleeding Edge Armor.
With a badass suit like that, Tony would be ready to take off right on the spot.
And besides the armor, Tony himself needed a boost too.
Given Tony's temperament, there was no way he'd patiently sit and meditate to cultivate.
But in Marvel, there were other ways to