Time flew, and five months passed in the blink of an eye.
In a secluded cultivation chamber at the Ten Rings headquarters in Southeast Asia, Wenwu finished cultivating and rose to his feet.
After five months of steady accumulation, an abundance of resources, and daily nourishment and tempering with Chi, the martial Chi within him had long since grown several times stronger, and his physical foundation had become increasingly solid and stable.
The energy flowing through his meridians was sustained and condensed. Each circulation subtly tempered his flesh, sinews, and bones, steadily improving his physique, endurance, reflexes, and physical resistance at every moment.
Meanwhile, in the Middle Eastern desert thousands of miles away, Razor Fist had lived up to his trust and successfully completed construction of the underground base.
Upon receiving word from the front that construction was complete, Wenwu lingered no longer. He boarded a dedicated Ten Rings armed helicopter, crossed the ocean, and headed for the Middle East.
The Marvel Universe at this moment was far more chaotic and dangerous than reality.
Mutants awakened everywhere, lurking and causing trouble; vampire dark clans roamed the night, harvesting lives; Hydra had rooted itself deep within the governments and militaries of various nations, secretly stirring up the global situation. On top of that were underground overlords controlling their own territories, superpowered factions, established gangs, and the Ten Rings, which dominated East and West.
Countless superpowered forces crisscrossed unchecked, tearing the conventional order of nations apart.
The Middle East and Western Asia in particular formed a central region of chaos. Regimes changed frequently, warlords fought over divided territories, major powers intervened in struggles for influence, and underground armed groups emerged endlessly. War raged year after year. Laws, rules, and sovereignty were meaningless here. The only truth was absolute military might.
An unnamed small city on Salia's border was now one of the core strongholds firmly under the Ten Rings' secret control.
The entire city looked dilapidated and chaotic. Armed men carrying guns and displaced civilians were everywhere on the streets, while smoke and dust shrouded the skies year-round, presenting a desolate, apocalyptic scene.
But those familiar with the situation knew that every armed group, territory, smuggling route, and energy supply channel here fell under Ten Rings jurisdiction. Every faction leader in the city was a pawn personally installed and propped up by the Ten Rings, utterly obedient and not daring the slightest defiance.
The armed helicopter swept low over the city's crumbling buildings, whipping up howling winds as it flew steadily toward the depths of the barren mountains dozens of kilometers outside the city.
The mountains stretched on and on, waves of heat rolling over them. The blazing sun scorched the earth, and the hot, dry air shimmered. As far as the eye could see, there was no sign of habitation, only silence and desolation.
Deep within these neglected mountains stood a brand-new Ten Rings military base.
The helicopter slowly landed, its cabin door opened, and Wenwu stepped out.
Looking up, he saw that the base was not as grand as he had imagined. Its exterior was plain and understated, its walls painted in the natural colors of the Gobi.
There were no flashy decorations, only thick masonry fortifications, rows of defensive gun emplacements, and elite armed soldiers patrolling back and forth. Every corner exuded military discipline and severity.
To be honest, the place could hardly be called concealed.
But Wenwu did not care in the slightest; it simply did not matter to him.
His Ten Rings already controlled this place.
Ordinary factions, mercenaries, warlords, or even the regular armies of small nations-anyone who dared set foot here and cross him would meet only death!
In the face of overwhelming absolute strength, all concealment and camouflage were superfluous.
"My lord!"
Razor Fist had long since assembled the base's core personnel in ranks to await him. Upon Wenwu's arrival, everyone bowed in greeting, their manner respectful and solemn.
"How is the base operating? Are defense, energy, and storage all in place?"
Wenwu spoke calmly. Though his voice was soft, it carried unmistakable authority.
"My lord! The entire base was built to the highest military engineering standards. The solar energy system runs steadily around the clock. Full-area signal jamming, anti-satellite detection measures, weapons storage, supply warehouses, defensive fortifications, and the combat command center are all complete. The base can be occupied and brought into full operation at any time!"
Razor Fist delivered his report point by point in a firm, ringing voice. After five months of round-the-clock construction, without cutting a single corner, he had met every requirement perfectly.
This was only the base on the surface. Finally, Razor Fist led him inside the mountain behind it.
The space inside the mountain had been converted from a natural limestone cave and was as large as four basketball courts!
After looking around, Wenwu nodded slightly, his expression satisfied. "Pass down my orders. Relocate Dr. Burstein's dedicated laboratory at the Southeast Asian headquarters here, along with all precision research instruments, experimental materials, and research personnel!"
"From now on, this place will be designated a biological research base of the highest classification, under Dr. Burstein's full authority. No one may enter without permission or interfere with the experiments!"
"Yes!"
The orders were immediately relayed down through the ranks, and personnel in Southeast Asia sprang into action.
Countless specialized transport devices started up, and batches of priceless precision instruments, rare experimental materials, biochemical agents, and research equipment began their orderly transfer.
Just as Wenwu continued touring the base.
Afghanistan, on the barren, sweltering Gobi.
Tony Stark, the world's foremost genius, billionaire magnate, and head of Stark Industries, had just completed a military demonstration of his latest trump card: the Jericho Missile.
Flames shot into the sky, leaving not a blade of grass alive within a thousand meters. Its extreme range and terrifying area-blast power left every American military officer present speechless with shock.
With an exorbitant weapons contract securely in the bag, an exuberant Tony climbed into a military Humvee convoy and set off for the airport under armed escort.
Completely relaxed, he leaned against the window, chatting and joking, entirely unaware that a deadly trap was already lying silently in wait amid the vast Gobi.
The convoy traveled along a deserted mountain road, surrounded by dunes and howling windblown sand. The view was open, yet danger lurked unseen.
Suddenly!
Boom-!!
An earth-shattering explosion erupted!
The ambushers along the roadside opened fire in an instant. Rockets and heavy machine-gun rounds poured down wildly, and the Humvee convoy that had been traveling smoothly was instantly swallowed by gunfire!
Successive explosions overturned the vehicles, twisting and warping their steel bodies. The escorting American soldiers had no time to react and were all killed within moments, their blood staining the scorching yellow sands of the Gobi.
Chaos erupted, and shrapnel flew!
Tony tumbled out of the vehicle in a sorry state, his body armor utterly unable to withstand the terrifying shock wave.
He scrambled behind a boulder and was just about to pull out his phone to call for support when a missile bearing the Stark Industries logo slammed down beside him!
This was a weapon he had developed himself and personally brought onto the battlefield!
The next second, a violent explosion engulfed him!
Countless sharp, searing metal fragments drove viciously into Tony's chest, piercing his flesh and lodging close to his heart!
Agony instantly swept through his entire body. His vision went black and his consciousness faded. Gravely wounded, Tony lost consciousness and collapsed in a pool of blood.
From the shadows, a group of masked armed men slowly emerged, guns in hand.
After clearing the battlefield, they found Tony gravely wounded but still alive. Rather than finishing him off, they dragged him away and disappeared into the depths of the mountains.