Marvel: The other side of the double-passing door is Devouring the Stars

Chapter 272 Entering the Third Round of the Challenge!

What's most striking are his hands, completely covered from wrist to fingertips with a layer of crystalline frost, reflecting a chilling light under the lamp. This is the origin of his nickname, "The Frost Hands."

"Four, three, two"

Valendo's gaze met Rowan's, and both could read deep wariness in each other's eyes. As a veteran powerhouse, Valendo naturally wouldn't underestimate any opponent, especially a young genius like Rowan who had already shown his talent in the Challenger Series.

"First, the competition begins!"

The moment the system's voice faded, the arena's environment abruptly changed. Countless rock platforms of varying sizes rose from the previously flat ground, ranging in height from one meter to over ten meters, forming a complex three-dimensional battlefield. The gaps between the platforms transformed into bottomless abysses. Although the system guaranteed that participants wouldn't actually fall, a single misstep meant immediate elimination.

The stage is set, and the duel between the two strong contenders is about to begin.

Valendo acted first. Instead of attacking rashly, he raised his right hand, palm facing the sky. "Frosty Realm, open." His voice was deep and powerful, as if it came from the depths of a distant glacier.

As his words fell, the temperature in the entire arena plummeted. A white chill emanated from Valendo's body, rapidly covering the surrounding rocky platform. Everywhere the chill touched was coated with a thick layer of frost, turning the once rough rock surface smooth and dangerous.

“Field control,” Hong, a spectator, pointed out astutely, “Valendor is altering the battlefield environment to create favorable conditions for himself.”

Rowan had anticipated this. He gently raised his right hand, tiny flames dancing at his fingertips. "Touch of Fire, Tenderness." Wisps of flame flowed from his fingertips, like living snakes, traversing the platform around him, melting away the frost and revealing the original surface of the rock.

“Interesting,” Valendo smirked. “Young man, your fire magic is indeed quite impressive. However…” He suddenly stepped forward, thrusting his hands forward, “Freeze a Thousand Miles!”

A blinding blue light shot out from his hands, transforming into countless tiny ice needles that hurtled towards Rowan like a blizzard. These ice needles were incredibly fast and posed tricky angles, effectively blocking almost all of Rowan's possible escape routes.

Rowan remained calm, his right hand lightly touching the black box at his waist, which opened with a click. A flash of silver light appeared, and a uniquely shaped blade-like weapon flew out, hovering in front of Rowan. This was the Starburst Sky-Splitting Blade, a high-level psychic weapon, which only a powerful individual with a considerable level of psychic strength could effectively wield.

The Starburst Sky-Splitter Blade is entirely silver-white, its blade covered with tiny, star-like specks of light, each shimmering with a different color. The blade itself has a peculiar semi-transparent quality, as if it were formed from some kind of condensed energy rather than solid metal.

Rowan unleashed his mental power, resonating his psychic energy with the Starlight Sky-Splitting Blade, causing the starlight spots on the blade to suddenly illuminate. "Starlight Barrier."

The Starburst Blade spun rapidly in front of Rowan, forming a silver light barrier. All the ice needles that were shot at it shattered into fragments upon impact with the light barrier and fell to the ground.

In this encounter, neither side gained the upper hand.

A hint of appreciation flashed in Valendo's eyes. "You've mastered telekinetic weapons quite well. However, this is just the beginning." He stomped his feet and leaped towards Rowan's platform like a blue lightning bolt.

Rowan advanced instead of retreating, his Starburst Blade, guided by his telekinetic power, shooting towards Valendo like a silver meteor. The blade collided with Valendo's "Frost Hand," unleashing a blinding light and a deafening roar.

"clang!"

With a loud clang of metal clashing, both men staggered back several steps. Rowan frowned slightly; he sensed a thin layer of frost covering the Starburst Blade. Although it quickly melted under the influence of his psychic power and the Law of Fire, it still demonstrated that Valendor's Ice Law had indeed reached a very high level.

Valendo steadied himself, cracked his knuckles, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face. "Interesting. Your weapon can actually withstand my Frost Hand. It seems the rumors are true; the Xia Universe Kingdom has indeed produced an extraordinary young man."

The atmosphere in the audience was completely ignited. Tens of thousands of spectators were focused on the two people in the arena, and whispers rose and fell.

"That's amazing! To be able to hold his own against Valendo in a head-on confrontation!"

"Rowan's Starburst Blade truly lives up to its reputation; even the Frost Hand couldn't freeze it."

"This might be the most exciting match of the round!"

Luo Feng clenched his fists, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Although he had confidence in his brother's strength, Valendo, as a veteran powerhouse who had lived for over three hundred years, certainly had more than just these trump cards.

In the arena, Valendo seemed to realize that conventional methods had limited effectiveness against Rowan, and decided to intensify his offensive. He took a deep breath, and the ice-elemental energy within his body rapidly condensed. "All Forms of Ice, Condense."

Moisture in the surrounding air rapidly condensed under the influence of Valendo's Law, forming dozens of ice crystal structures. Some of these structures resembled wild beasts, others birds, and still others were purely geometric shapes. They surrounded Valendo, emitting a faint blue glow.

"Go!" With Valendo's command, these ice crystal constructs simultaneously launched an attack on Rowan, each with a different attack method and trajectory, forming an impenetrable three-dimensional attack network.

Rowan's eyes narrowed; he knew that relying solely on the Starburst Sky-Splitting Blade for defense was no longer sufficient. He decided to directly demonstrate the power of the Law of Fire.

"The essence of fire, a prairie fire."

Rowan formed a hand seal, and an orange-red ring of fire spread out from beneath his feet, causing the temperature to rise sharply wherever it touched. The ice crystal structures at the forefront began to melt upon contact with the fire ring, turning into water vapor and dissipating into the air.

But more ice crystal constructs attacked from different angles, and Rowan couldn't deal with all the attacks simultaneously. Several ice crystal constructs broke through the fire ring's defenses and went straight for Rowan's vitals.

At the critical moment, under Rowan's precise control of his telekinetic power, the Starburst Blade transformed into several streaks of light, accurately intercepting each ice crystal construct that breached the defenses. Wherever the blade struck, the ice crystals shattered, turning into countless shimmering fragments.

This scene stunned all the viewers, including Valendo himself. Rowan demonstrated not only powerful control over the laws of fire, but also unparalleled mastery of psychic weapons. Under his control, the Starburst Blade seemed to have become an extension of his body, each strike perfectly timed.

"Incredible," Valendo said with genuine admiration, "your control over your telekinesis has reached a level of unparalleled mastery. No wonder you've made it to the third round of the challenge at such a young age."

Rowan did not respond, but remained highly vigilant. He knew that the real challenge had only just begun.

Valendo seemed to have stopped testing the waters and decided to reveal his true strength. "Since that's the case, let me show you the results of my three hundred years of cultivation." He slowly raised his hands, "Ice Intent, Ten Thousand Miles of Frozen Land." Unlike Rowan's release of the fire ring, Valendo released an invisible domain of ice-based laws. This domain had no obvious visual effects, but everyone could feel a chill that penetrated to the bone. The temperature of the entire arena instantly plummeted to tens of degrees below zero, and the moisture in the air condensed directly into ice crystals, suspended in the air, forming a miniature blizzard.

Even more terrifying was that this chill seemed to affect the soul directly, slowing down one's thinking. Rowan felt his mental energy circulation speed noticeably decrease, and the Starburst Blade's reaction also became somewhat sluggish.

"This is..." Rowan frowned, realizing the extent of the danger.

"The core essence of the Ice Realm," Valendo said slowly, each step leaving a frosty footprint on the ground, "is not only freezing matter, but also freezing the flow of energy, and even thought. No matter how strong your mental power is, it will be greatly affected in this environment."

Rowan tried increasing the output of the Fire Law to counteract the chill, but the effect was limited. The Ice Realm seemed to have some characteristic that could suppress the effect of other laws.

Luo Feng, sitting in the audience, stood up nervously. "Brother Wen is in trouble. That ice intent is terrifying; it even suppressed the fire law."

Thor also looked worried. "Rowan's telekinetic control is affected, and the power of the Starburst Blade has been greatly reduced. The situation is indeed dire."

Hong remained calm. "Don't forget, Rowan still has a trump card he hasn't used."

In the arena, Valento seized the opportunity presented by Rowan's being affected by the Ice Intent to launch a fierce attack. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and then thrust them forward with a mighty "Icebound Annihilation!"

Countless ice blades shot out from his palm, each containing astonishing penetrating power. These ice blades split in the air, forming dozens of attack angles, covering Rowan's position from all directions.

Rowan knew that under the influence of the Ice Intent, he could no longer control the Starburst Blade to intercept all attacks as flexibly as before. He had to change his strategy.

"The essence of fire, nirvana."

Rowan's voice suddenly became unusually calm, as if it had merged with the entire world. His body began to glow, radiating an orange-red light from within, like a rising sun. This was not ordinary flame, but a more fundamental energy of the laws of fire.

A miraculous scene unfolded. As the light spread, cracks began to appear in Valendo's icy aura. The ice crystals suspended in the air began to melt, and the chill was gradually dispelled.

"This is impossible!" Valendo stared in disbelief as his ice-based aura crumbled. "Your fire magic has actually reached this level?"

Rowan didn't answer, instead focusing all his attention on resisting the incoming ice blades. Under his control, the Starburst Blade perfectly combined with the energy of the Law of Fire, and the starlight spots on the blade turned orange-red, as if it had been infused with the essence of the sun.

"A single spark can start a prairie fire!"

The Starburst Blade transformed into an orange-red halo, spreading outwards from Rowan's center. All the ice blades that touched the halo instantly vaporized and dissipated into the air.

This attack not only blocked Valendo's assault but also completely dispelled the effects of the Ice Intent. The arena's temperature rapidly rose, and the bone-chilling cold vanished without a trace.

Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience. Rowan's performance exceeded everyone's expectations; he even managed to neutralize the signature move of the veteran powerhouse, Valendo.

"That's amazing!" Luo Feng shouted excitedly, "Brother Wen's Fire Law has improved so much!"

Thor also stood up excitedly, "Is this a clash between the realms of laws? It's breathtaking!"

Hong smiled, a rare occurrence for him. "Rowan's understanding of the Laws of Fire has surpassed that of many veteran powerhouses. His potential is limitless."

In the arena, Valendo's expression became unusually solemn. As a veteran powerhouse who had lived for over three hundred years, he knew all too well what defeat meant in a battle of Law Intent. But he did not back down because of this; instead, his eyes ignited with an even stronger fighting spirit.

“In the past three hundred years, few have been able to force me to use my full strength,” Valendo’s voice held a hint of excitement. “Young man, you deserve my serious attention.”

After speaking, he removed a blue bracelet from his right wrist. The bracelet appeared ordinary, but the moment it was removed, the air in the entire arena seemed to freeze. An ice-elemental energy, several times stronger than before, erupted from Valendo's body.

"That's..." A hint of wariness flashed in Rowan's eyes, "...a law suppressor?"

Valendo nodded. "That's right. This is the suppressor I usually use to control my power output. Using my full strength in a formal match would be unfair to other competitors, but you, Rowan, you deserve me to remove this restriction."

After the bracelet was removed, Valendo's aura underwent a dramatic change. His skin became even more translucent blue, and his eyes turned completely ice blue, with no distinction between pupils and whites. Even more astonishingly, parts of his body began to crystallize, especially his arms, which became completely transparent ice crystals, with a ghostly blue energy flowing within them.

"The essence of ice is revealed."

Valendo's voice had completely changed, as if it came from the depths of some ancient, long-frozen glacier. As his words fell, the entire arena began to distort, as if being pulled into another dimension.

The original rocky platform had vanished, replaced by an endless expanse of ice. The sky was an eerie blue-purple, and massive icebergs rose on the distant horizon. A biting wind howled, carrying tiny ice crystals that scraped against the skin like sharp blades.

"A Law-Based Illusionary Realm!" Rowan exclaimed from the audience, "Valendo has mastered the ability to construct Law-Based Illusions!"

"What is the Law Illusion?" Luo Feng asked nervously.

"The Law Illusion is an advanced ability that can only be mastered after cultivating the laws to a certain level," Hong explained. "A cultivator can construct a small space influenced by their own laws. Within this space, the power of the creator's laws will increase exponentially, while the opponent will be greatly suppressed."

"Does Brother Wen still have a chance of winning?" Thor asked worriedly.

Hong's expression turned serious. "The Illusionary Realm of Laws is indeed powerful, but it also has weaknesses. If Rowan can find and destroy the core node of the illusion, he can dispel its effects. But first, he needs to survive in this extreme environment."

(End of this chapter)