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

Chapter 283 A Very Challenging Opponent
The countdown to the match began, and both contestants entered a state of preparation. Tiny streams of water began to appear around Allen, forming complex trajectories in the air; while Wu Lie stood motionless, as if he had merged with the earth, only his eyes constantly shifting in light, alternating between earthy yellow and woody green.

"Three, two, one, the match begins!"

As soon as the system voice faded, Allen immediately sprang into action. His movements were as natural and graceful as flowing water; as his hands swept through the air, the moisture in the surrounding air quickly condensed, forming dozens of tiny streams of water.

"The Law of Water Systems: A Thousand Streams Converge!"

These streams of water quickly converged into a gigantic water dragon, roaring as it charged towards Wu Lie. The water dragon was incredibly fast and powerful, enough to instantly send ordinary martial artists flying.

However, facing this fierce attack, Wu Lie remained unmoved. Just as the water dragon was about to strike him, he finally reacted—his right foot slammed heavily into the ground.

"Earth Element Laws - Earth Barrier."

Wu Lie's voice was deep and powerful, like the roar of an ancient beast. As his words fell, the ground suddenly rose up, forming an earthen wall several meters thick, completely blocking the water dragon. The water dragon crashed into the earthen wall, creating a large splash, but the earthen wall remained unmoved.

“The control was very precise,” Rowan commented. “He didn’t simply raise the ground; he rearranged the underground rocks and minerals to create a special structure that could absorb impact to the maximum extent.”

Undeterred, Allen quickly adjusted his strategy, forming hand seals once more, and chanted, "Water Element Law: Water Release: Piercing Stone."

The water on the ground suddenly became extremely active, beginning to seep into the cracks in the earthen walls. Under the influence of the laws of water, these water flows possessed extremely strong penetrating power, capable of penetrating almost any material.

Soon, countless tiny cracks appeared on the earthen wall, and water seeped out from them. A glint of victory flashed in Allen's eyes; he believed he had found the weakness of the Black Hunter.

However, a cold smile appeared on Wu Lie's lips. He slowly raised his right hand, palm facing the earthen wall, "Wood Element Law - Life Sprouting."

To everyone's astonishment, countless tiny plant roots suddenly sprouted from the cracks, absorbing all the seeping water. These roots grew at an astonishing rate, quickly covering the entire surface of the earthen wall and forming a composite barrier composed of plants and soil.

"What a brilliant combination of wood and earth!" Rowan exclaimed. "He utilized the life-giving properties of the wood element to elevate the defensive capabilities of the earth element to a whole new level. The plant roots not only absorbed the energy of the water flow but also reinforced the structure of the earthen walls."

Allen clearly hadn't expected this outcome, but as an experienced martial artist, he quickly adjusted his tactics. He took a few steps back, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and then suddenly spread them outwards, shouting, "Water Element Law - Water Domain, activate!"

The arena environment suddenly changed; the humidity in the air rose sharply, and a thin film of water began to appear on the ground. This was an advanced application of the Water Law—the Law Domain—capable of altering the entire battlefield environment in a way that favored the user.

“Within the Water Realm, the power of my Water Laws will increase by 30%, while your Earth and Wood Laws will be suppressed,” Allen said confidently. “Within this realm, I am the master.”

Wu Lie finally moved from his spot. He walked slowly forward, each step giving the feeling of a mountain moving, heavy and unstoppable.

“Water can indeed subdue earth, and it can also nourish wood,” Wu Lie’s voice was deep and calm, “but you’ve overlooked one point—when earth and wood combine, a completely new power is created.”

After saying that, he raised both hands simultaneously, left palm down and right palm up, saying, "The Law of Civil Engineering: Coexistence of All Things."

The arena floor suddenly began to shake, and countless vines burst forth from the ground. These vines were different from ordinary plants; they were a peculiar mix of earthy yellow and woody green, exuding a powerful vitality and destructive force.

Even more surprisingly, these vines were not suppressed by the water domain; on the contrary, they seemed to be nourished and grew even more vigorously. They spread rapidly, soon covering most of the arena and greatly reducing Allen's space to move around.

"This..." Allen clearly hadn't expected his water domain to backfire, and his expression turned serious.

“The symbiosis of earth and wood is an extremely rare fusion of laws,” Rowan explained, his eyes gleaming with expertise. “It’s not simply the superposition of two laws, but rather the formation of a completely new energy form at the intersection of the two laws. This form possesses both the solidity of earth and the vitality of wood, while water is precisely the essential element for nourishing life.”

"So Allen's Water Domain actually became an asset to the Black Hunter?" Luo Feng asked in surprise.

Rowan nodded. "Exactly. Wu Lie's understanding of the two laws has reached an extremely high level, enabling him to fuse them so harmoniously."

In the arena, Allen realized the unfavorable situation and decided to change his strategy. He abandoned the Water Domain and instead concentrated all his power, preparing for a fatal blow.

"Water System Law - Thousand Blades of Ice Seal!"

The water around Allen suddenly condensed into countless ice blades, forming a huge sphere in the air, which then rained down on Wu Lie like a storm. These ice blades were not only incredibly sharp, but also possessed extremely strong penetrating power, making them a high-level attack method based on the water element.

Faced with such a fierce attack, Wu Lie did not choose to defend, but instead met the challenge head-on. His eyes lit up simultaneously, his left eye being earthy yellow and his right eye being woody green, and his entire being exuded an indescribable aura of power.

"The Laws of Civil Engineering: Guardians of the Earth!"

Wu Lie's body suddenly underwent an astonishing transformation—his skin turned into a rock-like texture, thick wooden patterns grew on his arms, and his entire being seemed to have transformed into a demigod's body made of earth and wood.

He strode forward, letting the ice blades strike his body. To everyone's astonishment, the ice blades either bounced off or shattered upon contact with Wu Lie's body, causing almost no effective damage.

"This..." Thor was speechless with astonishment, "His defenses are terrifying!"

“This is the ultimate manifestation of the materialization of laws,” Rowan explained, a hint of amazement in his voice. “He not only outwardly manifested the energy of the laws, but also perfectly integrated it with himself, achieving a state of oneness with the laws. This state is extremely rare even among cosmic-level powerhouses.”

Uh-Hurry approached Allen step by step, each step leaving a deep footprint in the ground. Allen retreated continuously, unleashing various water-based attacks, but these attacks were like raindrops hitting stones in front of Uh-Hurry, unable to stop his advance at all.

Finally, Wu Lie stood before Allen. He didn't attack, but simply stood there quietly, looking down at his opponent. "Your mastery of water magic is quite high," Wu Lie said, a hint of approval in his voice, "but before absolute power, even the most perfect technique is futile."

Allen knew he had no chance of winning, and with a wry smile, he raised his hand, "I concede."

"The victor is Wu Lie!" The system's voice rang out in the arena.

Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the stands. Although the match didn't last long, Wu Lie's mastery of the dual laws had left a deep impression on everyone.

"This is astonishing," Luo Feng murmured to himself, his eyes filled with shock. "Is this the power of a dual-law controller?"

“It’s not just about the two laws,” Rowan corrected, “but more importantly, it’s about his understanding and fusion of the two laws. Some people also master multiple laws, but they can’t fuse them perfectly like Wu Lie, unleashing power that transcends a single law.”

“We might face him in later matches,” Thor said seriously. “If we really face an opponent like him, do we have a chance?”

Luo Wen pondered for a moment, "One-on-one combat is indeed difficult, but we also have our own advantages. In the past few days of training, we have already grasped the basic techniques of law fusion. Although there's still a gap between us and Wu Lie's dual law fusion, the direction is correct. If we can further optimize and refine it before the upcoming matches, we should be able to put up a fight."

Hong rarely spoke, but he said, "The key is to find his weakness."

“That’s right,” Rowan agreed. “Even the strongest martial artist has weaknesses. While Wu Lie’s fusion of two laws is powerful, it also has its limitations. Judging from today’s match, his fighting style leans towards defense and counter-attack, and his movement speed isn’t very fast. If we can break his defensive rhythm, we might be able to find a breakthrough.”

The four continued watching the rest of the match, but everyone's attention was more or less affected by Wu Lie's performance. They were filled with anticipation, yet also a touch of worry, for their own upcoming match.

After the last match of the day, the four returned to the rest area. Luo Wen checked the match schedule. "It's our turn to play tomorrow. Luo Feng is in the second match, Hong and I are in the afternoon, and Lei Shen is in the last match."

"Who is my opponent?" Luo Feng asked nervously.

“Mort Davidson,” Rowan replied, “from the Bauhinia Empire, skilled in fire magic. This will be a challenge for you, as fire can melt metal and thus has a certain restraining effect on your metal magic.”

Luo Feng nodded, his expression turning serious. "I will give it my all. These past few days of training have given me a deeper understanding of the Law of Gold, and I hope it will come in handy."

"I believe in you," Thor patted Luo Feng on the shoulder, his tone full of encouragement. "Don't forget, you have Brother Wen's teachings on using telekinetic weapons—that's invaluable experience that many people would kill for!"

Luo Feng smiled. "You're right. I'll put all the results of our training these past few days to use."

Luo Wen checked the time. "Let's call it a day. Tomorrow's matches are all very important. Everyone should go back and get some rest to stay in top form."

The four players returned to their respective rest rooms to make final preparations for tomorrow's match.

On the second day of the competition, the atmosphere in the Virtual Universe Company's arena was even more intense. Supporters from various cosmic nations had already secured prime spots in the stands, eagerly awaiting today's exciting matches. As the competition progressed, the remaining contestants were all top performers in their respective fields, making every match highly anticipated.

Luo Feng stood in the contestants' preparation area, a spacious semi-enclosed space. The walls were covered with energy stabilization devices to ensure that the contestants would not affect each other due to energy fluctuations during the preparation phase. Several comfortable chairs were placed in the center of the room. Luo Feng sat alone on one of them, closing his eyes to rest and adjust his state.

He wore a close-fitting black combat suit, with a gold belt around his waist inlaid with several small blue crystals—a special energy stabilizer that helped the user better control their energy flow. The black-patterned sword rested quietly on his lap, the patterns on its scabbard shimmering faintly in the lamplight.

Luo Feng's expression was calm and focused, but everyone could feel the determination and resolve emanating from him. His opponent this time, Molt Davidson, was a fire-elemental genius from the Bauhinia Empire, known as the "Flame Magician," renowned for his precise control and versatile techniques in fire-elemental magic. For Luo Feng, who majored in metal-elemental magic, this was undoubtedly an extremely challenging opponent.

The door to the preparation room was gently pushed open, and Rowan walked in. Today he was wearing a dark blue robe and looked calm and wise.

"How are you feeling?" Luo Wen walked up to Luo Feng and asked softly.

Luo Feng opened his eyes, a confident smile playing on his lips. "Very good, I've already figured out a strategy."

Rowan nodded. "Mort's control over fire magic is extremely precise. He doesn't excel at wide-area attacks, but rather at precisely striking his opponent's weaknesses. You need to stay vigilant at all times, especially when using the metal magic."

“I understand,” Luo Feng nodded earnestly. “Fire can melt metal; that’s a natural law. But I’ve been pondering a question these past few days: what is the essence of the law of metal? Is it merely about controlling metals?”

A flicker of surprise crossed Rowan's eyes, followed by an approving smile. "It seems you've grasped a deeper level of understanding the laws. Indeed, no law is merely limited to its surface-level manifestations of power; it possesses a deeper essence. What is the essence of the Law of Metal? That's something you need to experience in actual combat."

“I will,” Luo Feng said firmly. “This competition is not only about victory, but also about gaining a deeper understanding of the Law of Gold.”

"You have a great attitude," Luo Wen patted Luo Feng on the shoulder. "Remember, no matter the outcome, the most important thing is to gain something and grow from the competition."

Just then, the communication system in the preparation room lit up, and a system voice came through: "Contestant Luo Feng, please get ready. Your match will begin in five minutes."

Luo Feng took a deep breath, stood up, and sheathed the black-patterned sword back at his waist. "Time's up."

Rowan nodded. "Thor, Hong, and I will be in the stands cheering you on. Believe in yourself; you're well-prepared."

(End of this chapter)