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

Chapter 274 Coming for Victory!

Yimo smiled. "Don't worry, teacher. I will do this under the guise of a martial arts exchange, not as a prince. Besides, exchanging ideas with true powerhouses always brings new insights, doesn't it?"

The old man sighed, but a hint of approval flashed in his eyes. "Your Highness is as independent as ever. However, please be careful. You know the internal situation of the empire better than I do."

“I will be careful.” Imo nodded solemnly, then ended the communication.

He leaned back in his seat, canceling the privacy setting, and the surrounding noise returned to his ears. The audience was still enthusiastically discussing the match, but Imo's thoughts had already drifted away.

As the seventh prince of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, Yimo's status was relatively low, and he was not considered a strong contender for the throne. This, in turn, gave him more freedom to pursue what truly interested him. The true powerhouses and their paths to success were always Yimo's primary focus.

Rowan's performance and potential in today's match undoubtedly piqued his interest.

“Rowan.” Imo murmured the name softly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. “I hope you can continue to surprise me.”

Back in the rest area, Rowan had just finished a fierce battle with Valendo and was recovering his strength. Luo Feng, Hong, and Thor sat around him, the atmosphere relaxed and cheerful.

"Brother Wen, you're amazing!" Luo Feng exclaimed excitedly, his eyes filled with admiration. "I've never seen that law array constructed before; it's simply divine!"

Rowan smiled slightly and shook his head modestly, "Just lucky. Valendo is extremely powerful. If he hadn't underestimated my control over the Law of Fire, the outcome would have been unpredictable."

Hong remained silent as always, but the recovery potion he handed to Luo Wen and his approving look clearly indicated his opinion.

Thor laughed loudly, "Haha, it seems we've all advanced this round! That's fantastic!" He patted Rowan's shoulder hard, almost making the latter stumble.

Rowan steadied himself, a helpless smile flashing in his eyes. Thor had always been like this, with a forthright and cheerful personality and astonishing strength.

“Oh, right,” Rowan suddenly remembered something, “Thor, when does your match start?”

Thor's expression immediately turned serious. "Two hours left." He glanced at the time. "I should start preparing."

Although Thor usually seems carefree, he is exceptionally serious when preparing for the match. As the most muscular of the four, Thor is nearly two meters tall with a matching strong physique. He has a buzz cut and always wears a hearty smile, giving him a rugged and bold impression. But at this moment, his expression becomes focused and solemn.

"Who is your opponent?" Luo Feng asked.

“Modin, the Windwalker of the Azure Universe Kingdom,” Thor answered, taking out his weapon—a massive thunderous battle blade—from his personal spatial equipment. “He is said to be a master of wind magic, extremely fast, and adept at ranged attacks.”

The battle sword was entirely dark silver, its blade covered with lightning-like patterns. A fist-sized blue crystal was embedded in the hilt—a special type of lightning source stone capable of amplifying the power of lightning-based laws. The sword was nearly two meters long and weighed several hundred kilograms; an ordinary person couldn't even lift it, but in the hands of the Thunder God, it wielded as lightly as a feather.

Rowan observed Thor's expression and knew the tension in his heart. "Modin's wind-based laws are indeed powerful, but if your Ninefold Thunder Domain can be fully unleashed, his speed advantage will be greatly diminished."

Thor nodded. "I know. The key is how to withstand his ranged attacks until the time to deploy the domain."

Hong, unusually, spoke up: "Wind fans the flames of a fire, but it can also make thunder more intense. What you need to do is not resist the wind, but utilize it."

Thor's eyes lit up. "That's it! I can use his winds to accelerate the conduction of my lightning!"

Luo Feng asked curiously, "Thor, have you made any new breakthroughs in your Ninefold Thunder Domain recently?"

Thor smiled mysteriously. "I've made a small breakthrough. I could only consistently reach the sixth level before, but now I can reach the seventh level for short periods. If all goes well, I plan to try and break through to the eighth level in this competition."

"The eighth level!" Luo Feng's eyes widened in surprise. "How powerful would that be?"

Luo Wen explained, "With each level of the Ninefold Thunder Domain, its power increases exponentially. According to ancient records, the power of the eighth level of the Thunder Domain is enough to instantly evaporate a small lake."

Luo Feng swallowed hard. "That strong?"

Thor scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed. "Theoretically, that's true, but how much power it can actually unleash depends on my mastery of the Laws of Thunder. After all, without sufficient laws to support it, even the most powerful domain is just an empty shell."

After saying that, he stood up, gripped his Thunder Blade tightly, and said, "I'm going to the training room for final adjustments. You guys come watch my match later!"

"It definitely will!" Luo Feng patted his chest and assured him.

Thor nodded and strode towards the training room. Although he maintained a relaxed demeanor on the surface, everyone could feel the heavy and powerful aura emanating from him.

In the training room, Thor stood in the center, closed his eyes, and began his final pre-match adjustments.

Thor's Blade was planted in the ground, his hands resting on the hilt, his body completely relaxed. As his breathing gradually became deep and even, a strange change began to occur—his skin began to flicker with faint blue electricity, as if countless tiny lightning bolts were running through it.

"Breathing of Thunder, first form," Thor murmured to himself.

As he finished speaking, the lightning-based energy within his body began to flow along a specific path, forming a complete cycle. This was a special breathing technique he had painstakingly developed over many years, capable of maximizing the potential of the lightning-based energy within his body.

"Breathing of Thunder, Second Form."

Thor's breathing suddenly changed, becoming more rapid and forceful. The electricity crackling on his body also became brighter and denser, emitting a faint crackling sound.

"Breathing of Thunder, Third Form."

This time, Thor's breathing became almost imperceptible, but the lightning energy within him reached a new peak. Lightning completely covered his entire body, forming a thin layer of lightning armor.

"Breath of Thunder, Final Form—Wrath of the Thunder God."

Thor suddenly opened his eyes, which flashed with dazzling blue lightning. He gripped Thor's Blade with both hands and pulled hard. "Boom!"

With a deafening roar, the moment the Thunder Blade was drawn, a thick bolt of lightning shot straight into the sky from the tip of the blade, piercing through the energy barrier of the training room and creating a charred hole in the ceiling.

Thor looked at his masterpiece and couldn't help but smile wryly: "Damn it, I'll have to compensate Virtual Universe Company again."

Just then, the training room door opened, and a staff member dressed in the uniform of Virtual Universe Company walked in. Seeing the hole in the ceiling, he seemed unsurprised, simply making a routine note.

"Thor, your match is about to begin. Please get ready," the staff member announced politely.

Thor nodded. "I'll be right there."

After the staff left, Thor took a deep breath and sheathed his Thunder Blade. The warm-up was just to get him into shape; his true power would be unleashed in battle.

"Ninefold Thunder Domain," Thor murmured to himself, "This time, I must break through to the eighth level."

Meanwhile, the various strong competitors in the audience were also closely watching the upcoming match.

In the private viewing room of the Second Prince Beirut, he is reviewing Thor's information.

"Thor, what was his real name?" Beirut asked.

The intelligence officer beside him replied, "As far as we know, he hasn't used his real name for a long time, only referring to himself as 'Thor.' He, Luo Wen, Luo Feng, and Hong form a close-knit group, known within the Virtual Universe Company as the 'Four Musketeers.'"

"How strong is he?"

"He is proficient in lightning-based laws and has reached the mid-stage of the beginner level. His greatest strength lies in creating a unique 'Ninefold Lightning Domain,' which allows him to unleash attack power far exceeding his own cultivation level for a short period. However, this ability has a limited duration and consumes a great deal of his energy."

Beirut nodded thoughtfully. "Ninefold Thunder Domain... It sounds a lot like some ancient techniques from our Black Dragon Mountain Empire. Interesting, very interesting."

The match was about to begin. Thor stood on the teleportation platform, took a deep breath, and calmed his nerves. He knew that the upcoming battle would be a severe test, but also an excellent opportunity to showcase his strength and break through his own limits.

"Wind versus lightning, speed versus power," Thor gripped his thunderous battle blade, his eyes gleaming with fighting spirit. "Come on, let's see who's stronger!"

As the system countdown began, Thor's body was gradually enveloped in teleportation light. In his final moments before disappearing completely, he glanced back at the audience, seemingly searching for his companions.

Luo Wen, Luo Feng, and Hong were already seated in their designated spots, intently awaiting the start of the match. Luo Wen nodded to Thor, his eyes full of encouragement; Luo Feng waved excitedly; Hong remained silent, but his unwavering gaze conveyed his support.

Thor grinned and turned to face the impending challenge. No matter how powerful the opponent, no matter how difficult the difficulties, with his brothers supporting him, he had no reason not to give it his all.

"In the third round, Thunder God of the Xia Universe Kingdom will face Windwalker Mordin of the Cangqiong Universe Kingdom. Rules: Any means except lethal attacks are permitted. Victory condition: The opponent surrenders or is completely incapacitated. Countdown: 10, 9, 8."

In the audience, Luo Wen whispered to Luo Feng and Hong, "Thor's opponent this time is no simple matter. Modin's wind-elemental laws are nearing completion, making him incredibly fast and with a wide attack range."

Luo Feng asked worriedly, "Does Thor have a chance of winning?"

Rowan smiled slightly, "What, you don't have confidence in your brother?"

Luo Feng quickly shook his head, "No, I just..."

"Don't worry," Rowan patted Luo Feng on the shoulder, "You know Thor's strength. Besides, he's already prepared for a breakthrough. If he can really raise his Ninefold Thunder Domain to the eighth level during the competition, then even if Modin is strong, he'll have a hard time resisting him."

Hong interjected, unusually, "The key is whether he can withstand Modin's rapid attacks until the time is right to expand the territory."

Rowan nodded. "That's exactly what I was worried about. However, Thor's willpower has always been strong, and I believe he can get through the most difficult time."

As the countdown ended and the teleportation light faded, Thor found himself standing in a brand new arena. It was a massive circular arena, surrounded by towering stands, with a transparent energy dome above simulating a blue sky and white clouds. But unlike ordinary arenas, the ground here wasn't flat; it consisted of dozens of floating platforms of varying sizes, suspended at different heights, ranging from a few meters to over ten meters apart. Below the platforms was a bottomless blue mist. Although the system guaranteed that participants wouldn't actually fall, falling meant immediate elimination.

The entire venue was clearly designed for speed-type athletes, which was quite disadvantageous for power-type athletes like Thor.

Thor stood on the largest platform in the center, gripping his Thunder Blade tightly, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, searching for his opponent.

On the opposite teleportation platform, a rotating pillar of wind slowly appeared. After the wind dissipated, a tall and slender man appeared in front of everyone.

Windrunner Mordin, a top genius of the Azure Universe Kingdom, is about forty years old, but looks only in his twenties. He has long, silver-white hair, loosely tied back with an emerald ribbon. He wears a light, pale green combat suit; the material appears to be ordinary fabric, yet it shimmers subtly in the light, clearly some kind of high-grade wind-elemental material. Most striking are his eyes, a rare emerald green that seems to see through everything.

Mordin was not carrying any obvious weapons, but he wore a pair of peculiar gloves on his hands. The gloves were completely transparent, almost blending into the air, with only the edges shimmering with a faint green light.

“The Thunder God of Xia Universe Kingdom,” Mordin’s voice was clear and calm, like a gentle spring breeze, “I have long admired your name. It is said that your Ninefold Thunder Domain is incredibly powerful; I eagerly anticipate witnessing it.”

Thor grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. "Likewise. Windranger's name is known throughout the universe. But let me make this clear, don't expect me to go easy on you."

Mordin smiled slightly, "Of course, this is a challenge from Virtual Universe Company, and we're all here to win."

Their conversation, amplified by the arena's loudspeaker system, reverberated throughout the hall, causing a stir among the audience. This kind of respectful yet fierce exchange between top-tier fighters always manages to excite the crowd.

"The match has officially begun!" The system announcement echoed through the arena.

(End of this chapter)