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

Chapter 273 An extraordinary genius!

Within the icy illusion, Rowan felt unprecedented pressure. The icy wind seemed to penetrate his skin, reaching his very bones. His Fire Law became incredibly difficult to circulate, like trying to ignite a fire in water. The Starburst Blade's reaction also slowed, and the starlight on its blade dimmed.

Valendor's figure flickered across the icy plains, seemingly blending seamlessly into the illusion. "Here, I am the ruler," his voice echoed from all directions, "your fire magic here is but a flickering match, easily extinguished."

As he spoke, dozens of enormous ice pillars suddenly rose from the ice field, each several meters thick and tens of meters high. These ice pillars formed a closed circular area around Rowan, trapping him inside.

"A thousand strikes into the ice prison."

The ice pillar began to tremble, and countless ice spikes shot out from within, raining down on Rowan like a storm. This attack was far more dense and powerful than before, leaving almost no room for evasion.

Rowan knew that conventional defensive measures were insufficient to cope with the illusion of laws. He had to find the core node of the illusion to turn the tide. But first, he needed to protect himself.

"The essence of fire is eternal."

Rowan's body glowed with an orange-red light once more, but unlike before, this light was more restrained, concentrating on his body surface to form a thin energy shield. All the ice spikes that shot towards him instantly turned into vapor upon contact with the shield.

However, this defense consumed a large amount of Rowan's energy. Under the suppression of the Law Illusion, his fire law energy could not be effectively replenished, and this defense could not last.

Luo Wen closed his eyes, trying to sense the energy flow within the illusion. In the perception of a cultivator of laws, any illusion constructed by laws will have a trajectory of energy flow, and these trajectories will inevitably converge at a certain core node.

"There!" Rowan suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on a particularly tall iceberg in the distance. The iceberg looked ordinary, but in Rowan's perception of the laws, all the ice-type law energy was flowing around it.

Having located his target, Rowan began to take action. He controlled the Starburst Blade to spin rapidly in front of him, forming a shield-like defense, while simultaneously moving towards the iceberg.

Valendo seemed to sense Rowan's intentions, and the storm on the ice field suddenly intensified, reducing visibility to a minimum. At the same time, more icicles rose from the ground, attempting to block Rowan's advance.

“It’s no use,” Valendo’s voice echoed throughout the illusion, “You can never reach that place within my Lawful Illusions.”

Rowan ignored Valendo's words and focused on dealing with the obstacle in front of him. Under his control, the Starburst Blade was like a sharp cutting machine, slicing through the ice pillars time and time again, clearing a path for him.

The problem is, this consumption is simply too great. With each step forward, Rowan needs to expend a significant amount of energy to resist the chill of the illusion and to cut through new obstacles. At this rate, he might run out of energy before reaching his goal.

Rowan realized he needed to change tactics. A head-on confrontation was clearly not a wise choice; he needed to leverage his strengths.

"The starlight changes a thousand times."

Rowan formed hand seals, and the Starburst Blade suddenly disintegrated into dozens of tiny points of light, scattering in the air. Each of these points of light contained a trace of Rowan's mental power and the energy of the Law of Fire.

"go."

At Rowan's command, all the points of light flew in different directions simultaneously, piercing through the ice pillars and forming a complex energy network on the ice field. Wherever these points of light touched, they left a small scorch mark on the ice surface.

Valendo didn't understand Rowan's intentions at first and continued to create new icicles and spikes to attack Rowan. But soon, he realized something was wrong.

The scattered points of light on the ice plain began to connect, forming a massive array of laws. The energy of the Law of Fire flowed rapidly along these lines, and cracks began to appear across the entire ice plain.

"You—" Valendo then realized Rowan's true intention. Rowan wasn't going to force his way to the iceberg, but rather to attack the core node of the illusion from afar by constructing a law array.

“Too late,” Rowan’s voice was calm but powerful. “A single spark can start a prairie fire.”

As his words fell, all the points of light simultaneously erupted with a dazzling orange-red glow. The energy of the Law of Fire rapidly spread along the array, like countless fire serpents slithering across the icy plains. Wherever these fire serpents went, the hard ice surface began to melt, revealing the pitch-black void beneath.

More importantly, all the fire serpents are converging in the same direction—the iceberg that represents the core of the illusion.

Valendo sensed the danger and immediately focused all his efforts on stabilizing the illusion. The temperature on the icy plain plummeted to its limit in an attempt to freeze the fire serpents. But it was too late; the energy of the Law of Fire had already formed an unstoppable torrent, directly impacting the core of the illusion.

"boom!"

A deafening explosion rang out, and the distant iceberg collapsed under the impact of the fire serpent. As the iceberg crumbled, the entire illusionary realm of laws began to disintegrate. The icy plain vanished, the biting wind ceased, and the original arena scene reappeared.

Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience. Rowan, with his absolute wisdom and profound understanding of the laws, successfully broke through Valendo's illusion of laws.

"Incredible!" Luo Feng exclaimed excitedly, "Brother Wen actually managed to turn the tide and win in the Law Illusion!"

Thor was also shocked. "I've never seen anyone break through a law-based illusion like this before. Rowan's understanding of the laws is simply unbelievable!"

at the same time.

The Black Dragon Mountain Empire's exclusive viewing area is located on the north side of the highest level of the Virtual Universe Company's arena, offering a superb view overlooking the entire arena. Inside the lavishly decorated box, the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's second prince, Beirut Hedson, is quietly watching the recently concluded duel between Rowan and Valendo alone.

Beirut possessed the signature dark green hair of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's royal family, and his handsome face was sharply defined, with a pair of piercing golden vertical pupils beneath a high-bridged nose. He wore a meticulously tailored black robe, with gold thread embroidered on the collar and cuffs, symbolizing royal nobility. On the ring finger of his right hand was a gold ring inlaid with an emerald, a symbol of his royal status.

During the match, he remained silent, his eyes fixed on the center of the arena. When Rowan broke through Valendo's illusion of laws and ultimately won, a hint of undisguised shock flashed in Beirut's eyes.

“Incredible,” he murmured to himself, his long, slender fingers tapping lightly on the armrest of his chair. “A young man barely thirty years old, actually managed to turn the tide in the Law Illusion. This Rowan from the Xia Universe Kingdom is far stronger than the records suggest.” Beirut stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows of the spectator area, looking down at the cheering crowd below. Each round of the Virtual Universe Company's challenge eliminated a large number of participants; those who reached the third round were already the elite of the elite, and those who performed so exceptionally well in the third round were extremely rare.

The communicator behind him suddenly lit up, and a holographic projection appeared in the center of the room. It was a middle-aged man in a black uniform, with the emblem of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's Royal Intelligence Bureau embroidered on his chest.

"Your Highness, the latest intelligence regarding Rowan has been compiled." The man bowed respectfully.

Beirut nodded slightly. "Go ahead and speak."

"Luo Wen, a rising genius of the Xia Universe Kingdom, is thirty-two years old this year. He suddenly rose to prominence five years ago, achieving a top-ten ranking in the Universe-level Martial Arts Tournament, and subsequently joined the Virtual Universe Company as a core member. According to reliable intelligence, his mastery of the Law of Fire has reached the late stage of the beginner level, approaching the minor completion stage. However, he is most renowned for his control over the psychic weapon, the Starburst Sky-Splitting Blade, which is said to have reached the Heavenly level."

"Psychic power at the Heavenly level?" Beirut frowned slightly. "A thirty-two-year-old at the Heavenly level? Is this information accurate?"

"Very accurate, Your Highness. Our intelligence agents witnessed his abilities firsthand during a secret mission. More notably, he seems to have mastered a special method of using telekinesis, perfectly combining it with the Law of Fire to create a unique style of attack."

Beirut nodded thoughtfully. "I just witnessed that myself. Not only could he maintain a clear mind within the illusion of laws, but he could also construct a law array using the Starburst Sky-Splitting Blade to directly attack the core of the illusion. This kind of combat wisdom and understanding of laws is beyond the reach of ordinary people."

"Your Highness is wise," the intelligence officer flattered. "There's another point worth noting: Luo Wen has a younger brother named Luo Feng, who also participated in this challenge and performed equally well. The two brothers are close and often act together."

“Luo Feng.” Beirut recalled another match he had watched before, “Is he the young man who defeated Mechanic No. 8 and then defeated Lin Mo of the Qianwu Universe Kingdom in the third round?”

"It is indeed this person, Your Highness. Although Luo Feng is younger, his potential is equally astonishing. He has only just begun to master telekinesis and the Law of Metal, and his progress is phenomenal."

Beirut paused for a moment, a sharp glint in his eyes. "The Xia Universe Kingdom has seen the rise of many geniuses in recent years, posing a potential threat to the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's influence in this region of the universe." He paused, then continued, "Continue to closely monitor the Rowan brothers, especially Rowan. To reach such a level of understanding of the laws at such a young age, his future achievements are unpredictable."

"Yes, Your Highness." The intelligence officer bowed respectfully, and the holographic projection disappeared.

Beirut turned back to his seat, pulled up the replay of Rowan's match, and began to analyze every detail meticulously. As the second prince of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, he not only possessed a distinguished status but was also a rare martial arts genius. Although he ostensibly came to watch the match, he was actually scouting for potential talent—or threats—for the empire.

Rowan has undoubtedly entered his list of key targets.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Virtual Universe Corporation's arena, in a completely different spectator room, the seventh prince of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, Imo Hederson, had just finished watching Rowan's match.

Unlike the Second Prince Beirut, Imo chose a more ordinary spectator seat, surrounded by audiences from various star systems. He wore a simple gray robe and a hood, concealing his signature green hair, making him look like an ordinary warrior. Only the simple emerald ring on his right ring finger subtly revealed his identity.

Imo enjoys experiencing the perspective and atmosphere of ordinary spectators firsthand, as it allows him to gain a more authentic understanding of how people from various cosmic nations perceive the strong. And today, the entire audience is buzzing with excitement because of Rowan's stunning performance.

"Incredible! That Rowan actually managed to counterattack successfully within the Illusionary Realm of Laws!"

"Valendor is a veteran powerhouse who has lived for over three hundred years, yet he was defeated by a young man!"

"Xia Yuzhou Kingdom has truly produced an extraordinary genius this time!"

The surrounding murmurs of admiration plunged Imo into deep thought. As a prince, his upbringing had instilled in him keen observation and analytical skills. In the match just now, Rowan had displayed not only formidable strength but also admirable combat wisdom and a profound understanding of the laws of nature.

“Interesting, very interesting,” Imo murmured to himself, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

Unlike Beirut, Imo did not see the rise of geniuses from other cosmic nations as a threat to the Black Dragon Mountain Empire. On the contrary, he admired true strength, regardless of their origins. In his view, the universe was so vast that healthy competition among major powers was essential for overall progress.

Imo pressed a hidden button on the armrest of his seat, activating his personal privacy protection field. An invisible energy barrier isolated him from the surrounding noise, ensuring that his subsequent communications would not be overheard by outsiders.

"Connect to the Tranquil Star Sol Manor," Imo commanded softly.

A moment later, a holographic projection appeared before him. It was an elderly man dressed in a black scholar's robe, with white hair, a kind face, but sharp eyes.

“Teacher,” Imo nodded slightly, “you saw that match too, right?”

The old man nodded. "I saw it. Rowan's performance was indeed unexpected. Especially his handling of the Law Illusion, which demonstrated extremely high comprehension and creativity."

"I'd like to know your opinion of him."

The old man pondered for a moment, "This young man's understanding of the Law of Fire is nearing completion; one more step and he'll reach the fundamental level. What's even more astonishing is his use of psychic power—not only is it skillful, but it's also incredibly creative. His method of constructing a law array using the Starburst Blade is one of the most ingenious uses of psychic power I've ever seen."

Yimo seemed thoughtful. "So, his potential..."

"His potential is limitless," the old man said confidently. "If he can maintain this rate of progress, he could very well become a top-tier powerhouse at the cosmic level in the future. Of course, that's assuming he survives." The old man added meaningfully.

Imo understood what his teacher meant. Geniuses often attract jealousy and resentment, especially when they display talent far beyond their peers. The universe is never short of assassinations of geniuses, and such incidents often occur during the crucial period when a genius is about to transform into a true powerhouse.

“I understand,” Imo nodded. “After this competition, I’d like to meet this Rowan in person.”

The old man frowned slightly. "Your Highness, your identity is special. Too much contact with geniuses from other cosmic nations might attract unnecessary attention."

(End of this chapter)