Chapter 46: Dragonbone Remains, Power of the Dragon
Night fell low.
Jiang Feng's eyes were fixed on his smart glasses, where streams of data flowed across the display. Among them, a company named "United Construction Corporation" stood out.
Its headquarters towered in the neon-lit heart of Manhattan, not far from the crime-ridden Hell's Kitchen.
"You're the one."
In a flash, Jiang Feng slipped into a secluded, dim alley.
With a thought, the Iron Man suit stored in his backpack materialized before him.
With a few faint clicks, metal components slid over his body like flowing water.
In the blink of an eye, Jiang Feng was fully suited up—clean and efficient.
Vroom!
Jets beneath his feet roared with a low rumble.
A crimson streak tore through the night sky as Jiang Feng launched like an arrow, heading straight for the towering skyscraper of the United Construction Corporation.
This towering modern structure stood solemn and imposing in central Manhattan, its glass curtain walls reflecting a cold, metallic glow under the moonlight.
But who would have guessed—
This seemingly legitimate civil engineering company was nothing more than an elaborate disguise. Its true identity was the infamous, long-hidden organization lurking in the shadows: The Hand.
Tracing back its origin—
The five founding giants of the Hand, known as the Five Fingers, were once disciples of the mysterious Eastern sect, Kunlun.
But human greed knows no bounds. The five developed sinister intentions. Their desires were insatiable.
They set their sights on a sect treasure: the Dragonbone.
The Dragonbone, formed from the shed remains of a dragon, was a sacred artifact infused with the power to defy fate. It could help one transcend life and death and extend life for hundreds of years.
But when their scheme was exposed, the five were cast out of Kunlun in disgrace, fleeing in disarray until they eventually found refuge in Japan.
Armed with the stolen Dragonbone's power and their martial arts skills, they gathered followers and established their own force—giving birth to the feared organization known as the Hand.
With the Dragonbone's power, the Five Fingers maintained control over the Hand for centuries, like ghosts haunting the river of history.
They guided this massive underground syndicate from the war-torn ancient times all the way to the tech-savvy modern era.
But immortality is not eternal.
Now, the Five Fingers could clearly feel the life essence within the Dragonbone flickering like a candle in the wind—about to burn out.
Once the Dragonbone's power was completely depleted, their centuries of extended life would vanish like an illusion. Their bodies would rapidly decay, returning to dust, and their souls would fall into the depths of hell.
Driven by survival instinct and fear of death like maggots on bones, they would stop at nothing to find a new Dragonbone to extend their lives.
Through the Hand's global network of spies and their relentless pursuit of ancient texts and hidden lore—
They finally uncovered a shocking secret:
Beneath the steel forest of New York City lay the slumbering remains of an ancient dragon.
A brand-new Dragonbone.
But it was buried deep underground, far from the light of day.
To reach it, the Hand relocated their centuries-old base from Japan to the United States in secret and meticulously established a front.
Thus was born the United Construction Corporation.
Seemingly a legitimate civil engineering firm.
The location of its headquarters was chosen with utmost precision—right above the Dragonbone.
In secret, countless ninjas of the Hand were working day and night, digging deep beneath the building.
A massive pit leading into the Earth's core was beginning to take shape.
All for the sake of touching that long-coveted Dragonbone and prolonging their dying lives.
At this moment—
Inside the United Construction Corporation's headquarters conference room, four ominous figures sat around a dark, elliptical table. The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.
They were the remaining members of the Five Fingers.
The calculating and equally Kunlun-born Lady Gao had already died and was buried.
Now, only the four remained—barely holding the crumbling organization together.
At the head sat Alexandra.
A blonde, blue-eyed woman with a frosty demeanor. She was now the de facto leader of the Hand.
Beside her was Botu.
With unruly black curls and a faint, ever-present smirk, he appeared charming but was deeply scheming.
Across from them sat Suwanda.
Towering like an iron fortress in camouflage combat gear, he exuded murderous intent. As the Hand's iron-blooded warlord, his hands were stained with blood, and his gaze was fierce.
Last was Murakami.
A stern-faced Japanese warrior who never smiled, a traditional katana always at his waist, exuding a sharp and deadly aura.
He was the most pure martial fanatic among the Five Fingers—and the most dangerous assassin.
The four sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts.
The air in the room was so suffocating it was hard to breathe.
Suddenly—
A cold female voice pierced the stillness. Alexandra spoke slowly.
"The power of the Dragonbone within us will only sustain us for ten more years at most. In this short time, we must obtain the new Dragonbone at any cost."
As her voice fell—
Botu frowned deeply, forming a sharp crease between his brows. He spoke in a low tone:
"Digging out the Dragonbone is just grunt work—not a problem. But what about that damned barrier around it?"
Everyone's heart sank.
Excavating the buried Dragonbone was not difficult for the Hand. In fact, the project was nearing completion.
The real obstacle—
Was the final protective barrier surrounding the Dragonbone.
A thin, cicada-wing-like green membrane—seemingly fragile, but utterly unbreakable.
It wrapped the Dragonbone tightly, radiating a vast and ancient vitality.
That was the final transformation of the true dragon's essence as it fell—an extension of its will, guarding its immortal remains from any profane intrusion or desecration.
To destroy it—
One would need terrifying power capable of toppling mountains—or possess the Dragon Power tied to the bloodline of dragons.
The Hand possessed neither.
Though the Five Fingers were once Kunlun disciples and stole the Dragonbone to prolong their lives—
Their cultivation had long deviated from the right path, relying more on ruthless and sinister means.
In terms of pure destructive power—
They were likely inferior even to modern explosives—let alone capable of contending with the legacy of a dragon.
As for Dragon Power—
That was a sacred Kunlun secret, known only to its most elite heirs.
They were long considered traitors, forever severed from that divine force.
The Dragonbone was so close, yet might as well be across an unbridgeable chasm.
Visible, but untouchable.
This stifling frustration filled the room, weighing heavily on each of the Hand's leaders.
"What if…"
Suwanda's rough voice rumbled like distant thunder in the conference room.
"We risk it again—make a deal with that Evil God? Time isn't on our side. Who knows when the next Iron Fist will be born?"
His words drew the attention of the other three.
The Iron Fist—a title passed down through generations in Kunlun—was only bestowed on the most extraordinarily gifted disciple of each era.
After a life-or-death battle with a dragon and surviving a brutal trial—
They would be bathed in dragon blood, infused with the overwhelming Dragon Power, and gain the terrifying ability to shatter ten thousand techniques with a single punch.
Hence, the name Iron Fist.
The original plan of the Five Fingers was to find the current Iron Fist—through coercion or bribery—
And use their unstoppable Dragon Fist to break through the Dragonbone's barrier.
After all, the Iron Fist was still human.
No matter how powerful, they would surely have loved ones—weaknesses that could be exploited.
The Hand was well-versed in such dirty tactics. As long as they kidnapped someone important to the Iron Fist, they could force him to help them.
But man proposes, God disposes.
The new Iron Fist had yet to appear. No one knew when they would emerge.
And the Five Fingers' lifespans were nearing their limits.
They could no longer afford to wait.
Thus—
Suwanda proposed that chilling alternative.