With Lin Feng's consent, Thor descended into the training grounds, his face alight with excitement.
To be honest, Thor had a bit of a hidden agenda when he invited Lin Feng to spar.
That kick Lin Feng had delivered previously had left him utterly unable to resist.
While he didn't harbor any resentment, Thor had been nursing a lingering thought about it.
This time, Thor intended to even the score.
Men and their darned competitive spirit…
Thor's appearance elicited a thunderous applause and cheers from the audience.
A lively and joyous atmosphere filled the air above the training grounds.
As Odin's eldest son, a powerful warrior, and the future king of Asgard, there was no one who didn't recognize Thor!
Thor was a regular at the training grounds, often sparring with various Asgardian warriors.
He wielded his hammer with impressive flair, far more captivating than a monkey show, and the crowd loved it.
Thor strutted around the arena once, basking in the adulation of his people.
He stopped, raised both hands with a proud expression, and pushed them down.
As he did so, the training grounds gradually fell silent.
Everyone knew the flamboyant Crown Prince had something to say.
Seeing this, Thor nodded with satisfaction, stealing a smug glance at Lin Feng, who responded with an eye-roll.
Thor paid it no mind. He took a deep breath and his booming voice, clear and resonant, carried across the entire venue.
"Fellow Asgardians! Allow me to introduce my friend!"
As he spoke, Thor pulled Lin Feng over, completely disregarding the look of helplessness on Lin Feng's face.
"Lord Lin Feng, a formidable warrior from Midgard!"
Boom!
The Asgardian people erupted in another wave of enthusiastic cheers, giving Thor immense face.
Even though, in their perception, Midgardians were all mortals, as weak as chickens, they couldn't understand why Thor would have a mortal friend.
However, this did not stop them from fawning over Thor; it was, after all, a form of entertainment.
Thor, looking majestic, nodded with satisfaction. He signaled for quiet once more and continued his introduction of Lin Feng.
"Lord Lin Feng's strength is immense! He has even earned the recognition of my father, Odin!"
"Today! Lord Lin Feng graces Asgard with his presence as a guest. As a subject of this realm, it is only natural that I spar with such a powerful friend!"
"I ask my people to bear witness to this friendly spar!"
Upon hearing this, a collective gasp rippled through the crowd.
What had the Crown Prince just said?
When they first heard he was from Midgard, they had assumed he was just an ordinary mortal.
But this "mortal" possessed strength that even Odin recognized?!
Once they processed this, their cheers intensified.
They had no reason to believe Thor was lying, and their anticipation for this battle soared.
It seemed this match was bound to be spectacular!
"Come on, Lin Feng! Let's have a fight!"
After his declaration, Thor declared excitedly, brandishing his hammer.
"There are no limits! The match ends when one side concedes or loses consciousness!"
Lin Feng nodded awkwardly. Thor's enthusiasm was somewhat overwhelming, and he already regretted agreeing to the spar.
That speech had been incredibly awkward, with so many eyes on him, Lin Feng felt like a performing monkey.
But he had already promised Thor, and Lin Feng wasn't the type to go back on his word.
Following Thor's announced rules, the two men positioned themselves at opposite ends of the training grounds.
An Asgardian warrior in armor stepped forward to act as the referee.
He surveyed the area, observing the readiness of both Lin Feng and Thor.
Seeing that both were prepared, he loudly asked both parties, confirming, "Are you both ready?"
Thor, swinging his hammer, responded with palpable excitement, "Bring it on! I am ready!"
Lin Feng also nodded, indicating he had no issues.
Dong~
The bell chimed, and the Asgardian warrior quickly withdrew. The spar officially began.
Amidst the cheers, Thor seized the initiative, immediately wielding Mjolnir and summoning the power of lightning.
Instantly, Thor's eyes blazed with electricity, and sparks of lightning crackled around his hammer.
Lin Feng stood his ground, remaining motionless, calmly observing Thor's display.
"Roar!"
Thor let out a furious roar and charged towards Lin Feng, hammer in hand.
His speed was even more astonishing than in the first Avengers movie, and his strength was considerably greater.
These were the fruits of his dedicated training!
As he neared Lin Feng, Thor leaped into the air, his Uru metal hammer, crackling with lightning, aimed directly at Lin Feng's face.
Well, there he goes, pulling out all the stops right from the start.
Is he not planning to hold anything back?
Facing Thor's onslaught, Lin Feng yawned with boredom.
The incredibly swift assault, in his eyes, was as slow as a snail race.
"I must have lost my mind to agree to this spar..." Lin Feng shook his head, a self-deprecating chuckle escaping him.
Lin Feng could end a fight of this caliber with a single punch.
But Thor was, after all, the Crown Prince of Asgard, the next king. Lin Feng decided to show him some respect.
After all, Thor would eventually visit Earth, and they'd be seeing each other around.
Mjolnir whistled through the air and struck… an afterimage of Lin Feng.
Just before it could connect, Lin Feng had already vanished from his spot, moving so fast that only a blur remained.
Mjolnir slammed heavily onto the ground.
Even the specially reinforced paving stones of the training grounds couldn't withstand Thor's strike. The ground was gouged out, and lightning arced across a wide section of the floor, leaving a chaotic pattern.
"Such speed!" Thor's pupils contracted. He hadn't even registered Lin Feng's movement.
Missing his mark, Thor quickly scanned the area for Lin Feng.
Lin Feng was now standing precisely where Thor had been moments before.
Seeing his composed demeanor, hands casually tucked into his pockets, it was clear he wasn't taking this fight seriously.
"Lin!"
Thor roared again and charged at Lin Feng once more.
Hammer raised, hammer swung.
One blow after another, his long-practiced combo rained down on Lin Feng like a storm.
After several sets of combos, Thor grew more animated with each swing, his hammer moving with incredible speed, his efforts immense.
However, when he reviewed his performance, not a single blow had landed on Lin Feng.
The Crown Prince, usually victorious in the training grounds, now faced an unprecedentedly embarrassing record.
"Boo..."
Thor had been battling the air for so long that the audience couldn't bear it any longer and began to boo collectively.
The Crown Prince was slacking off; he couldn't even hit a Midgardian mortal!
His cumbersome attacks, compared to the swift Lin Feng, made him look like a clumsy fool.
Even Thor couldn't help but blush.
"Lin..."
"Are you just going to dodge?!"
After a prolonged exchange, Lin Feng hadn't attacked once, only evading.
Thor attempted to provoke Lin Feng into attacking. It was too embarrassing to be the only one performing swings, like a monkey.
At least put your hands out and throw a few punches to show some effort.
Hearing this, Lin Feng pursed his lips and finally withdrew his hands from his pockets.
"Alright, alright. Let's end this fight quickly!"