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

Chapter 328 The Chance of Victory

"Hahaha! That was exhilarating!" Rong Jun laughed heartily. "This is the kind of battle I've been wanting!"

Arya struggled to her feet, her eyes still gleaming with fighting spirit: "It's not over yet!"

She forced herself to endure her exhaustion and raised her sword once more. But at that moment, Rong Jun had already charged forward.

In his berserk state, Rong Jun was twice as fast as before, and Aria didn't have time to dodge completely.

"Oops!"

Rong Jun's fist struck Aria in the abdomen, the immense impact sending her flying dozens of meters. She crashed heavily into the stone wall, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

The spectators in the viewing area were all holding their breath for her.

Princess Silver Moon is seriously injured!

"Can she continue fighting?"

"Rong Jun is too strong!"

But Arya displayed astonishing willpower. She struggled to her feet, her body swaying precariously, yet the fighting spirit in her eyes remained undiminished.

"I can still fight!"

She raised her longsword, already riddled with cracks, and began her final struggle.

"Silver Moon Sword Manual - Forbidden Technique - Blood Moon in the Sky!"

This is a forbidden sword technique of the Silver Blue Empire's royal family, possessing immense power, but at the cost of the user's life force. Aria burned her own life force to deliver the final, devastating blow.

A crimson sword light shot into the sky, more terrifying than any previous attack. This was no longer a display of skill, but a pure burst of power.

Rong Jun also felt threatened by this attack. He took a deep breath and mobilized all his strength.

"Since you're fighting so hard, I can't lose to you!"

"The forbidden technique of the Savage Race—the Fist of Destruction!"

Rong Jun was also burning with his own life force; this punch contained all his strength and will.

Two terrifying forces collided in mid-air, creating an unprecedented explosion. The entire arena began to collapse, and the energy fluctuations even affected the protective shield of the spectator area.

"Boom!"

The enormous explosion lasted a long time before subsiding. When everything returned to calm, the arena was unrecognizable, riddled with deep cracks.

Rong Jun and Ailiya both lay dead in the ruins, covered in blood. They were both exhausted and had no strength left to even stand up.

The spectator area fell into a deathly silence; everyone was shocked by the brutal battle.

"Is this what the battle of top-tier experts is like?"

"They risked their lives!"

Who won?

The system's voice announced: "After evaluation, Rong Jun has won by a narrow margin."

Although both of them had fallen, Rong Jun was in slightly better physical condition than Ailiya, and was therefore judged the winner.

A complex mix of emotions erupted in the spectator area, with cheers for Rong Jun's victory and admiration for Aria's bravery.

"That was amazing! This was definitely the most exciting battle of this challenge!"

"Both of them are true warriors!"

"This kind of battle has transcended the meaning of victory or defeat!"

On Earth's side, all four members were deeply shocked by the battle.

"Is this the opponent I'm facing?" Hong's voice trembled slightly. "Although Rong Jun won, his condition..."

“It’s really bad,” Rowan analyzed. “He burned his life force; even with a recovery system, it will take a long time for him to return to his optimal condition.”

“But even the heavily injured Rong Jun should not be underestimated,” Thor warned. “The savages have a strong ability to recover, and their fighting spirit is also very tenacious.”

"The key is to formulate the right tactics," Luo Feng said. "Brother Hong can't be fought head-on; we must use skill and wisdom."

Hong took a deep breath: "I understand. This battle has made me realize that to defeat Rong Jun, I must put in even greater effort."

On the battlefield, medical personnel rushed in to rescue the two athletes. Although it was a virtual universe, their injuries were real and required professional treatment.

The arena was a mess after the battle, with medical personnel urgently treating two seriously injured competitors. The spectators in the viewing area were still reeling from the fierce fight, their voices rising and falling in discussion. However, the four members of the Earth team remained silent for a long time.

This silence wasn't due to shock, but rather a complex realization. The life-or-death struggle between Rong Jun and Ailiya had made them acutely aware of one fact—if Rowan hadn't "deliberately lost," he might very well be the one lying in the ruins now.

Thor was the first to break the silence. He watched the two athletes being carried away on stretchers and slowly shook his head: "Rowan, I finally understand your choice back then."

Hong sighed deeply, "Indeed, if you had defeated Princess Silver Moon back then, you and Rong Jun would be both severely injured now. In that case, the loss to our Earth team would have been too great."

Looking at the ruins of the battlefield, Luo Feng said thoughtfully, "Rong Jun's strength is even more terrifying than we imagined. That level of combat just now surpassed the limits of a typical War God. If Brother Luo Wen really faces him..."

"The consequences would be unimaginable." Luo Wen picked up where Luo Feng left off, but his tone carried a complex emotion. "To be honest, seeing the battle just now, I was also a little scared. If I had gone all out to defeat Princess Silver Moon, I might very well have perished together with Rong Jun now."

The four returned to their residence and sat around in the living room, continuing their discussion of the battle. The impact of this battle far exceeded their expectations, not only giving them a renewed understanding of the strength of top-tier experts but also providing them with a completely new perspective on Rowan's initial decision.

"Looking back now, your analysis was truly accurate," Hong said earnestly, looking at Luo Wen. "You not only predicted Rong Jun's strength, but also the outcome of Princess Silver Moon's battle with him. Such strategic vision is truly admirable."

Thor nodded in agreement: "And you also considered the interests of our entire team. If you had given it your all back then, even if you had luckily defeated Rong Jun, you would have inevitably paid a huge price, affecting subsequent matches."

"But I must admit, I felt somewhat resentful when I made that decision," Rowan said frankly. "As a martial artist, choosing to retreat in the face of a powerful enemy is not a pleasant feeling."

Luo Feng nodded understandingly: "That's normal. Pursuing greater strength and challenging stronger opponents is a martial artist's instinct. But sometimes, reason must prevail over instinct." "The key is that your choice was correct," Hong concluded. "Although Rong Jun has won, his condition is also very poor. This gives me a better chance of winning and also gives our Earth team more opportunities."

Just as the four were discussing, the room's communication system rang. The screen displayed the medical department of Virtual Universe Company.

"Fellow members of the Earth team, this is the head of the medical department." A middle-aged doctor in a white coat appeared on the screen. "Princess Silvermoon, Arya, wishes to see Mr. Rowan; she has some things she would like to discuss with him."

The four exchanged surprised glances. What could Arya want to see Rowan about under these circumstances?
"How badly are her injuries?" Rowan asked with concern.

"Her injuries were serious, but she's out of danger," the doctor replied. "However, her mental state isn't very good; she may need some time to adjust."

“I understand, I’ll be right there.” Rowan stood up.

“We’ll go with you,” Hong suggested.

"No need, she just wants to see me alone." Rowan waved his hand. "Besides, you all need to rest; you have a match tomorrow."

Rowan left his residence alone and headed towards the medical center.

The medical center is located in a separate building within the headquarters of the virtual universe company, equipped with state-of-the-art treatment equipment and staffed with highly professional medical personnel. Although it is in a virtual universe, everything here is exactly the same as in the real world.

“Mr. Rowan, Princess Arya is in the VIP room on the third floor,” the nurse at the front desk directed him.

Luo Wen arrived on the third floor and gently knocked on the door of the ward.

"Please come in," came Arya's weak but still elegant voice from inside.

Pushing open the door, Rowan saw Arya reclining on the hospital bed. Her face was pale, and she was wrapped in thick bandages, but her deep blue eyes remained clear as water.

"You've arrived." Arya smiled faintly at Rowan. "Sit down, don't be so formal."

Rowan sat down on a chair beside the hospital bed, carefully observing Arya's condition. Although the doctor said she was out of danger, her complexion and breathing indicated that her injuries were indeed severe.

"How are you feeling?" Rowan asked with concern.

“I’m still alive, that’s enough.” Arya gave a wry smile. “But the price has been quite high. The doctor said I’ll need at least a month to fully recover.”

"This battle was indeed fierce," Luo Wen remarked. "You and Rong Jun both demonstrated the strength and will of true warriors."

"A strong person?" Arya shook her head. "If I were truly strong enough, I wouldn't have lost to Rong Jun."

"Victory or defeat is not the only criterion for judging strength," Rowan said earnestly. "Your performance just now has earned everyone's respect, including mine."

Arya looked at Rowan silently for a while before speaking, "Do you know why I wanted to see you?"

"I don't know," Rowan answered honestly.

“Because I want to confirm one thing.” Arya’s eyes suddenly sharpened. “You deliberately lost to me in that fight, didn’t you?”

Rowan's body stiffened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure: "Why do you say that?"

“Because I’ve recalled every detail of our battle,” Arya said slowly. “Your strength is clearly greater than it appeared, but at crucial moments, you always made some illogical mistakes.”

Rowan was silent for a moment, then said with a wry smile, "I don't know what you're talking about."

“You don’t need to deny it,” Arya waved her hand. “I’m not blaming you, I just want to confirm my judgment. And seeing Rong Jun’s fight with me today only strengthens my belief in that judgment.”

"Oh? Why?" Rowan asked curiously.

"Because if you had defeated me back then, you would be the one who is now severely injured, just like Rong Jun." Arya's tone was calm. "Given your personality, you would never back down when facing Rong Jun; you would definitely fight with all your might. But you've seen Rong Jun's strength; even an opponent like me could only perish together with him."

Rowan gazed intently at Arya, admiring the woman's wisdom. She was not only powerful but also meticulous, able to deduce so much information from the details of the battle.

“Even if your deduction is correct,” Rowan still didn’t admit it directly, “aren’t you angry? After all, what I did was tantamount to pushing you into a fire pit.”

"Angry?" Arya chuckled. "Why would I be angry?"

"Because if I had given it my all back then, you might not have been so badly injured," Rowan said, expressing his guilt.

Arya shook her head: "You're wrong. If you had gone all out, I might not have been so badly injured, but I would never have known my limits."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Although I lost this battle with Rong Jun, I felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction. I finally knew my true strength and understood how much room for improvement I still had."

“Moreover,” Arya’s eyes gleamed, “this all-out battle, this life-or-death struggle—this is the true path of a martial artist. Without your 'favor,' I might never have had this opportunity.”

Hearing this, Rowan felt much less guilty. He hadn't expected Arya to think this way.

"So, not only am I not angry, but I'm actually grateful to you," Arya said sincerely. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to fight Rong Jun, and thank you for letting me know my true self."

"You really think so?" Rowan asked, somewhat incredulous.

“Of course.” Arya nodded. “The path of a martial artist is inherently fraught with danger and challenges. If one is afraid to take even such risks, what is the point of pursuing greater strength?”

Rowan remained silent for a long time, then let out a long sigh: "You are far stronger than I imagined, not in terms of strength, but in terms of mindset."

“Everyone has their own choices,” Arya said. “You chose a safer path, making sacrifices for the overall benefit of the team. That’s also a kind of strength, a kind of wisdom.”

“But sometimes, I doubt whether my choices were right,” Luo Wen said frankly. “Seeing your fight with Rong Jun like that, I also feel an urge to challenge even stronger opponents.”

“That’s normal,” Arya nodded understandingly. “A martial artist’s instinct is to pursue greater power and challenge stronger opponents. But sometimes, suppressing this instinct also requires courage.”

“Oh, right,” Arya suddenly remembered something, “Hong is going to fight Rong Jun tomorrow. Do you have any plans?”

“It’s still being planned,” Luo Wen replied. “Although Rong Jun is seriously injured, he’s still in critical condition. We need to carefully analyze his current state and develop targeted tactics.”

“Rong Jun’s recovery ability is very strong, don’t underestimate him,” Aria warned. “Moreover, his adaptability in battle is also excellent; the same move is unlikely to work on him twice.”

“We’ll be careful.” Luo Wen nodded. “Brother Hong is very strong and experienced, and his fighting style is very different from Rong Jun’s. He might be able to find an opportunity to win.”

“I hope Hong can win,” Aria said sincerely. “It’s not because I lost to Rong Jun that I hope someone else can defeat him, but because I have a very good impression of you Earth martial artists.”

(End of this chapter)