Foreigners seem to have a fixed stereotype that all Dragon Country people know kung fu and can do flips.
From Bruce Lee to Jet Li to Jackie Chan, generations of martial arts stars have made a name for Dragon Country worldwide, reshaping the way foreigners perceive them.
But the idea that Dragon Country people know martial arts has become impossible to hide.
It's the same in South Korea.
From the earliest pioneers like "Old Han," to Wuli TaoTao, to Wang+2, who backflips at the slightest provocation, and even rising stars like Xu Xiaoba, who became the "leader of the migrant workers in Korea"—this wave of Dragon Country talents in Korea has made the idol industry fully recognize one thing.
Flipping is a signature skill of Dragon Country people, and martial arts is their traditional craft.
Many foreigners who come to Dragon Country to seek fortune even visit the Shaolin Temple to learn martial arts.
What they don't realize is that many of those flashy martial arts styles are just for show. If you're looking for real combat skills, you need to see Master Chen's "Mad Dog Fist"—the only martial arts school with a verified kill record since the founding of the nation, and not just once. Now that's heritage!
Song Xixi, as the first Dragon Country female idol to debut in South Korea, literally flipped her way to fame. Her group even had a choreography routine featuring a dedicated backflip move just for her.
Upon hearing that Song Xixi was about to showcase her talent, all the other girl group members fell silent, looking at her with envy.
Unfazed, Song Xixi confidently performed a front handspring followed by another, executing the moves gracefully despite wearing a short skirt.
"Safety shorts are a wonderful invention—so secure," Su Ye remarked with a chuckle.
Su Ye nodded approvingly and, amid the envious and jealous gazes of the other female idols, pulled Song Xixi back down to sit beside him.
"You've been here for years, right? How's it been? Tough?"
His expression and tone suddenly reminded Song Xixi of the officials she had met during performance visits. Then she remembered—Su Ye was a leader, carrying the prestigious "Uncle Ji" title.
"Thank you for your concern, Uncle Ji. It was tough at times, but I got through it. It's all for strengthening cultural exchange between Dragon Country and Korea. Even though I haven't done enough, I'm willing to be that bridge."
Her ideological awareness was much higher than Su Ye's. Despite living in the U.S. for years, he had never once thought about becoming a "cultural bridge."
In Su Ye's mind, he wasn't a bridge—he was a razor, a blade meant to slice away the world's festering tumors.
Unfortunately, no matter how much Song Xixi wanted to be that bridge, time was running out for her.
Su Ye had come to Korea, which, following the usual pattern, probably meant things here wouldn't end well. Whether it would turn into another wasteland—that depended on Ultron's abilities.
Su Ye hadn't come to Korea just to chat with Thigh Era and all these mass-produced girl groups.
He had come to meet Ultron—or rather, to see if Ultron had the guts to act.
A mere "unknown" Ten-Tails had already turned the neighboring country into a wasteland. As the first artificial intelligence created by humans—the first machine lifeform to truly attain wisdom and consciousness—Ultron's impact had to be greater than that of the Ten-Tails.
Maybe instead of causing trouble in Sokovia, Ultron should just wreak havoc here instead?
Of course, this was just Su Ye's own thought. What would actually happen depended on Ultron.
But as for Song Xixi, who earnestly wanted to be a cultural bridge—Su Ye decided to lend her a hand.
"Xixi,"
Su Ye suddenly spoke, and the way he addressed her made Song Xixi's body tremble slightly—it felt like being "chosen" by the emperor.
"Uncle Ji, I'm listening!"
"Ahem!" Su Ye coughed lightly. "Actually, this 'Uncle Ji' title is for those foreigners. You're one of us. If you don't mind, just call me Brother Ye."
It didn't matter who was older — the title 'Brother' wasn't just about age; it was about status.
Song Xixi was overwhelmed. "Can I? Can I really call you Brother Ye? I'm honored!"
Su Ye chuckled. "No need for theatrics—we don't do that here. Let me ask you a simple question: do you want to be an idol, or do you want to be a hero?"
"Me?"
Song Xixi was stunned. Su Ye's question caught her completely off guard.
Be an idol or be a hero?
Did she even need to think about this?
Everything an idol could gain—fame, wealth—a hero could have too. But the respect and admiration a hero received? That was something an idol could never truly achieve.
"I want to be a hero!"
Song Xixi blurted it out without hesitation, but the moment she said it, she wilted.
"But what does it matter what I want? I'm just a regular person. Becoming an idol was already the limit of what I could achieve."
Su Ye shook his head. "That's not your concern. Let me ask you this: if I gave you superpowers right now, would you stay here or go back to Dragon Country?"
This time, Song Xixi seriously thought about it before answering, "I'd probably go to America. After all, that's the only place where superheroes can really make a difference."
Su Ye clapped his hands together with a sharp pa.
"That's exactly it! That's the mindset!"
"Becoming a superhero means going to America to be a hero. That's the only place that's constantly in chaos, where heroes are actually needed, and where they can truly shine."
Returning to Dragon Country was never really an option to begin with.
What would a superhero do in Dragon Country? Retire their weapons, settle down, and live a peaceful, reclusive life?
Heroes needed a stage to showcase their abilities, just as idols needed a stage to show off their singing, dancing, and long legs.
And only America could provide the best stage for a hero.
With this realization, Song Xixi had already passed half of her superhero "interview."
Su Ye reached into his pocket and pulled out a small red crystal, opening his palm to show it to Song Xixi.
"I see that you have extraordinary potential—you're a rare martial arts prodigy! Coincidentally, I happen to have a superpower development pill right here. If you take it, you'll gain immense power and become a superhero. The duty of protecting world peace will then rest on your shoulders!"
As he spoke, Su Ye raised an eyebrow at Song Xixi.
To a foreigner, these lines might not mean much, but to Song Xixi—a girl born in the 1985 generation—there was no way she wouldn't recognize them.
Stephen Chow represented an entire era. The phrase "owing Stephen Chow a movie ticket" wasn't just a saying.
Of course, people later made up for it—some even felt tricked into buying one more ticket. But that's another story.
And sure enough, after hearing it, Song Xixi's face lit up with an amused but excited expression. "Brother Ye, you're not trying to trick me with Buddha's Palm, are you?"
"Can't say for sure—wanna take a gamble?"
Su Ye said with a smirk.
Song Xixi bit her lip. "I believe in you, Brother Ye!"
Without hesitation, she grabbed the red crystal from Su Ye's palm and prepared to swallow it.
"No need to swallow it!"
Su Ye reached out, stopping her just in time.
At that very moment, the red crystal in Song Xixi's hand suddenly vanished, absorbing directly into her palm.
"Huh? It's gone?"
"Wait, this thing can be absorbed through the skin?"
"Good thing I didn't actually eat it!"
Song Xixi stared at her palm in confusion, trying to figure out how the crystal had just merged into her skin.
Yet there was no sign of any change—no cuts, no wounds—just like water seeping into soil.
"Is this… the seed of superpowers? I wonder what kind of ability I'll get?"
Song Xixi stared at her palm in anticipation. Meanwhile, the other girl group members around her were practically boiling over with jealousy.
Especially the members of Thigh Era—their resentment could almost be felt in the air.
'We were clearly here first!'
'Su Uncle Ji was obviously interested in us first!'
'We're totally interested in becoming superheroes too!'
Unfortunately, resentment alone couldn't change reality. All they could do was watch enviously.
A few minutes passed under the intense gazes of everyone around her. Song Xixi was starting to sweat from the pressure—but nothing happened.
"What's going on? Did it fail?"
One of the girl group members muttered under her breath.
Just then, someone suddenly sneezed.
"Achoo!"
"What the heck? Who turned up the air conditioning? Why is it so cold?"
"It's freezing! Achoo!"
"No, it's not the AC—it's V-mama!"
V-mama was Song Xixi's nickname among her group members since she always took care of them like a mother.
As the others spoke, a delicate snowflake appeared in Song Xixi's hand. It quickly grew to a diameter of several inches, floating above her palm and slowly rotating.
"This is… a superpower!"
"A power to control ice and snow? That's so cool!"
"That's amazing—achoo!"
The crowd gasped in awe, wanting to get closer to see the beautiful ice crystal. However, the sheer cold radiating from it made them hesitate, forcing them to take cautious steps backward.
Standing in the center, Song Xixi stared at the frost in her palm, her face filled with excitement.
Su Ye smiled. The red crystal he had given Song Xixi was crafted using the Reality Stone, similar to the one he had given Malekith. It was designed to bestow superpowers upon the user.
However, Malekith's crystal was immensely powerful but had limited energy. Once depleted, it was gone for good.
The one given to Song Xixi, on the other hand, was like a seed. It started with limited abilities and energy but could grow alongside its host.
In other words, Song Xixi had the potential for a far brighter future than Malekith ever did.
However, since it was merely a seed, Su Ye couldn't entirely control what kind of ability would manifest—it depended on the user's unique physique and potential.
The fact that Song Xixi awakened ice-based powers was entirely due to her own nature and compatibility.
Seeing the ice crystal in Song Xixi's hand, Su Ye suddenly remembered a South Korean female superhero from a Marvel comic—Luna Snow (Seol Hee). She had also been a singer before gaining ice-manipulation abilities.
In later years, Marvel had introduced superheroes from various countries, including many from Asia, as part of their global market expansion.
For example, there was Cyclone, an architect from Shanghai who could manipulate air currents.
Su Ye had read a few issues of Cyclone, and its style was quite different from traditional Western comics. It leaned more toward a Korean webtoon aesthetic, similar to series like Secret Teaching or Stepmother's Friends.
The common aesthetic across these comics? A perfectly sculpted face, a pair of impossibly long legs, and of course— "melons" ripened to perfection!
As for Aero (Lei Ling), her proportions were top-tier. Whether her figure was more "teardrop" or "melon-shaped," Su Ye hadn't analyzed too closely—but whatever it was, it was definitely explosive.
Besides Aero, Marvel had incorporated figures from Chinese mythology—Xuanyuan, Fuxi, and Nuwa—into their comics, forming a "Three Sacred Artifacts" team. It almost felt like they had copied The King of Fighters' Three Sacred Treasures setup.
All of this was likely part of Marvel's global strategy.
But now, Song Xixi had unknowingly hijacked Marvel's South Korean superhero plans. With her here, that Luna Snow character was basically obsolete.
Across from him, after realizing she had gained cryokinesis, Song Xixi suddenly looked at Su Ye with a dazed expression.
"Brother Ye, I… am really a superhero now? Is it really this simple?"
Su Ye nodded. Creating a superhero might be difficult for others, but for him, it was this simple—just plant a seed and wait for it to bloom.
"But… but what do I do now?"
Song Xixi felt like someone who had never driven before but was suddenly thrown into the seat of a speeding race car—completely overwhelmed.
Su Ye pondered for a moment and realized it was indeed an issue. Plus, through his tracking of Ultron, he knew that the enemy was arriving soon.
"Alright then, let me teach you a thing or two!"
As Su Ye spoke, he closed his eyes, linking his consciousness directly to Song Xixi's.
Among the abilities Su Ye possessed, ice manipulation wasn't one of them, but that didn't stop him from imagining how it should work.
From what he remembered, many powerful warriors wielded ice-based abilities—Haku from Naruto, Tōshirō Hitsugaya from Bleach, and Aokiji from One Piece, to name a few.
After considering Song Xixi's image, Su Ye quickly found a perfect match.
The wielder of the Ice Teigu, Demon Manifestation: Essence of the Demon — Esdeath!