Fierce Battle with Cyclops

Cyclops raced along on his motorcycle when he suddenly noticed a patch of shadow overhead. Looking up, he saw Guan Heng riding a Giant Dragonfly, following him at an unhurried pace.

Scott couldn't help exclaiming, "Good grief, how many more surprises do you have in store for me?" Even as he spoke, he kept his hands moving, revving the motorcycle faster.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them reached an open clearing several kilometers from the school.

Scott got off and parked his motorcycle in the distance. Meanwhile, Guan Heng descended from the air and waved to put Huang Santai away.

"Hey, what happened to that Great Dragonfly you were riding just now?" Cyclops asked curiously.

Guan Heng smiled. "My mount was summoned from the Otherworld Space. I can summon it and put it away whenever I want. It's an ancient Huaxia Secret Art that nobody else can learn."

Cyclops looked astonished and envious. "That's really amazing. Huaxia magic—impressive."

"I'm looking forward to our match more and more." Cyclops rubbed his hands together, eager to begin. "So, let's get started." He assumed a fighting stance, ready for anything.

"Hold on." Guan Heng smiled and waved a hand. "No need to rush. Look—the spectators still have a ways to go." As he spoke, he pointed behind Scott.

Scott turned around. In the distance, cars roared closer, kicking up clouds of dust, and someone waved from afar. In moments, the cars stopped outside the clearing, and their passengers jumped out.

"Quick, find a good spot where we can see clearly! Remember not to get too close, or Scott's long-range attacks might hit us by mistake!"

"Look, they're over there. Looks like they're about to start fighting! Did anyone bring snacks and drinks? Ororo, go get the sunshade from the car!"

The X-Men excitedly got snacks and drinks ready and set out chairs.

The Professor smiled. "It feels like ages since things have been this lively. Seeing everyone so happy makes me happy, too."

"Why does it feel like they're here to watch a ball game?" Guan Heng and Cyclops exchanged wry smiles and helplessly shrugged.

"Then let's get started." Guan Heng slipped on his knuckle dusters and grinned. "I know your eyes can fire red lasers. As for me, apart from my Qi Control techniques, which can raise all sorts of limits, I'm mainly a close-combat fighter. Come on."

They exchanged smiles. Two champions faced off, and the fight was about to begin.

"They're starting," the Professor said gravely. "Everyone, keep your distance and get ready to watch."

The terrain here was flat and open, with nothing to hinder their movements. Everyone's gaze focused on the two men in the clearing, eager to see what an incredible fight they would put up.

Scott's red laser blasts were incredibly powerful, and packed a lot of energy. Guan Heng silently reminded himself to be extremely careful; getting hit even once would be no joke. But the equipment he wore had all been imbued with divine power by the Dwarf Master Blacksmith of Asgard. I'd like to see how its attack and defense hold up now.

Guan Heng's invisible Qi Control had been astonishing when he'd demonstrated it at the school. Cyclops was on guard, preparing for any eventuality. He may have long-range attacks of his own. I need to be careful.

"Scott, when you're ready, you can make the first move," Guan Heng said. "I want the advantage, so I can see the trajectory of your laser and dodge it."

Cyclops smiled faintly. "All right. Don't say I didn't warn you." His Ruby Quartz Glasses flashed in an instant, a clear sign he was about to attack.

Bzzzt—whoosh! A sharp, straight red laser shot toward Guan Heng.

Guan Heng narrowed his eyes. He instantly judged that the beam was neither thick nor thin, and its power was moderate. It was a probing attack.

I can block this. Having made his decision, Guan Heng swung his left fist and lightly tapped the beam with his knuckle duster. The red light was immediately deflected, ricocheting toward the ground nearby. A wisp of faint green smoke slowly rose.

"Hmm." Professor X's keen eyes took in the scene. "The knuckle duster on Guan Heng's hand seems to be made of the same alloy as Logan's unbreakable skeleton."

"Is it made of Adamantium?" Jean asked in surprise. "That material is rare even in the United States. How does he have some?"

The Professor nodded. "Guan Heng certainly has a lot of treasures on him. What surprises me even more is the strength of his mental barrier. I'm incredibly curious—how can someone so young, who isn't even a Mutant, have such tremendous mental power?"

"Exactly," Grey said. "My telepathy feels like it's blocked by a mountain whose peak I can't even see. I can't penetrate it at all." She bit down on her pearly white lip. Why does this young man's figure seem so familiar? It's as though I've been used to watching him fight for a very long time.

Ororo, however, felt a little unconvinced. Even if his mental power is strong, that doesn't mean he's stronger than me. I'll find a chance to pit my weather control against Guan Heng's, too.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! In an instant, Cyclops's laser split into more than a dozen crisscrossing red lines that shot toward Guan Heng from every direction. Guan Heng stood as firm as a rock, merely swinging his left fist to knock them aside one by one.

Scott finally understood that his probing attacks had no effect on Guan Heng. He suddenly let out a shout, braced both hands against his Ruby Quartz Glasses, and gathered a red glow before firing a thick beam at Guan Heng.

"Now this is getting interesting!" Guan Heng's face lit up with excitement. Rather than retreating from the thick beam, fired from more than ten meters away, he surged forward. His whole body tensed as he swung both arms forward. "Ha! Qi Fist!"

Two invisible fists, each two meters across, slammed fiercely into Scott's thick beam. The two energies collided violently. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Cyclops felt the pressure mount. Just as he was about to pour in more power, the force of Guan Heng's punches made the laser beam crackle. Crack! The beam shattered, but the remaining force of the punches surged toward Scott.

"Ah!" Scott leaped back, and the force of the punch struck the ground right in front of him.

With a thunderous boom, dust billowed from the ground, revealing a cracked crater several meters across. Guan Heng had held back; if he'd pushed the invisible punch forward just a little farther, it would have struck Cyclops in the chest. He would have been badly injured, if not killed.

"What's wrong, Scott?" Guan Heng shouted, goading him. "Is that all your laser beam can do? Come on, try again!"

"Since you put it that way, how about this?" Stung by Guan Heng's taunt, Scott's anger surged. He threw back his head and let out a roar. A vast crimson glow filled his eyes behind the Ruby Quartz Glasses. The lenses squealed and crackled, as if they were about to shatter.

"Oh no!" Professor X gripped the armrest of his wheelchair, nearly rising to his feet. "Scott may be reaching his limit."