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

Chapter 360 The Academy's Practical Training Day
"Silver Blue Sword Technique - Sky-Piercing Slash!"

Lin Jianfeng shouted and charged toward Luo Wen like a meteor. His long sword transformed into a silver-blue light, its power several times stronger than his previous attacks.

The audience gasped in surprise. This move, "Sky-Piercing Slash," was one of Lin Jianfeng's signature techniques. It was extremely powerful and could not be blocked by ordinary defenses.

Silver Moon clenched her fists nervously, worried that Rowan would get hurt.

But Rowan maintained his calm expression. At that moment, he recalled the words of the Sword Saint from yesterday: "True strength lies not in those who possess the greatest power, but in those who understand the essence of power."

Although Lin Jianfeng's move was powerful, in Luo Wen's eyes, it exposed an even greater flaw. In pursuing power, he sacrificed flexibility and subsequent variations.

Instead of taking the attack head-on, Luo Wen skillfully dodged to the side. At the same time, his mental energy transformed into countless tiny threads, wrapping around Lin Jianfeng's sword the instant he charged forward.

"What?" Lin Jianfeng felt his sword suddenly become heavy, and his originally sharp attacks instantly lost their accuracy.

Luo Wen seized the opportunity, his mental energy transforming into an invisible hand that directly grabbed Lin Jianfeng's wrist.

“You’ve lost,” Rowan said calmly.

Lin Jianfeng tried to break free, but found his wrist firmly controlled by an invisible force, rendering him completely immobile. Even more terrifying, he could feel the other party's mental energy slowly seeping into his consciousness; if the other party wished, they could easily inflict mental trauma upon him.

"I...I haven't lost yet!" Lin Jianfeng shouted unwillingly, trying to attack with his other hand.

But with a gentle wave of his hand, Luo Wen sent a mental shock directly to Lin Jianfeng's brain. This wasn't a malicious attack; it merely rendered him temporarily incapacitated.

Lin Jianfeng felt dizzy and swayed, eventually collapsing to the ground.

"The outcome is decided!" the administrator immediately announced. "Rowan has won!"

The audience erupted in uproar; no one had expected the sparring match to end this way. Lin Jianfeng, a rising star among the younger generation of Jianxin Star, had been defeated by an alien martial artist, and defeated so thoroughly at that.

Yinyue breathed a sigh of relief, her tense mood finally relaxing. Yinshuang and her mother also showed relieved smiles.

Luo Wen walked up to Lin Jianfeng and reached out to help him up. "You flatter me. Your swordsmanship is indeed excellent, but you're a bit too hasty."

But Lin Jianfeng glared at him fiercely and refused his help. "I don't need your pity!"

He struggled to his feet, his face pale, his eyes filled with resentment and anger. "You're lucky this time, but this isn't over!"

After saying that, he left the training ground without looking back, and those who had come with him followed him in a dejected manner.

"Rowan, are you alright?" Yinyue rushed to Rowan's side and asked with concern.

"I'm fine," Rowan said with a smile. "This sparring session has given me a deeper understanding of what I learned yesterday."

"Your tactics just now were very clever," Silver Glow said admiringly. "You didn't fight him head-on, but instead used his weaknesses to win."

"This is what the Sword Saint taught me yesterday," Luo Wen explained. "He said that true combat is not a contest of strength, but a battle of wits. Lin Jianfeng's swordsmanship is indeed excellent, but he focuses too much on the power of his attacks and neglects the application of tactics."

Silver Frost walked over and patted Rowan on the shoulder. "Well done, young man. But be careful, Lin Jianfeng holds grudges; he won't let it go easily."

“I will be careful.” Rowan nodded in understanding.

Just as everyone was preparing to leave the training ground, a commotion suddenly arose from the entrance. A middle-aged man led several people quickly over, looking quite angry.

“It’s someone from the Lin family.” Yin Yue frowned. “That middle-aged man is Lin Jianfeng’s father, the patriarch of the Lin family.”

Chief Lin walked up to Luo Wen and looked at him coldly. "You're the alien who defeated my son?"

“Yes, is there a problem?” Rowan answered calmly.

"My son says you used underhanded tactics in your sparring, launching a mental attack on him," Chief Lin said unfriendly. "This is not permitted under the sparring rules of our Silver Blue Empire."

"Wait a minute!" Silver Moon stepped forward angrily. "The sparring was conducted fairly; everyone saw it. Rowan didn't use any unfair methods!"

"And it was your son who challenged him," Silver Frost added. "He lost, so why make excuses?"

Clan Chief Lin's expression grew even more grim. "Yin Shuang, your family is protecting outsiders; aren't you afraid of being questioned by other families?"

“We haven’t protected anyone,” Silverfrost said defiantly. “If you disagree with the outcome of the sparring match, you can seek arbitration from the Kendo Elders’ Council.”

“Very well,” Chief Lin sneered. “Since you’re so confident, then I will request a formal swordsmanship arbitration. If it is determined that this alien used unfair means, he must issue a public apology and leave Swordheart Star!”

"What if we're sure he didn't cheat?" Silvermoon countered.

“Then my son will formally apologize to him, and the Lin family will also make amends to the Yinyue family,” the Lin patriarch said through gritted teeth.

“Alright, I agree.” Rowan stepped forward amidst the surprised gazes of the crowd. “I accept the kendo arbitration.”

"Rowan, you..." Silver Moon tried to stop him, but Rowan waved his hand.

"It's alright. Since they suspect me of cheating, let the authorities decide. I believe the truth will speak for itself."

Chief Lin was somewhat surprised that Luo Wen agreed so readily. But since the words had already been spoken, he couldn't go back on his word.

"Then it's decided. Tomorrow morning, at the Kendo Elders' Arbitration Court."

After saying that, Chief Lin left with his men.

The audience gradually dispersed, leaving only Yin Yue's family and Luo Wen in the training ground.

"Rowan, why did you agree to arbitration?" Silver Moon asked worriedly. "Although the Sword Dao Elders' Council is fair, they don't understand the training methods of alien warriors enough. What if..." "Don't worry," Rowan said confidently. "My sparring process was completely in accordance with the rules, and I believe that truth becomes clearer through debate. Besides, this is also an opportunity for more people to understand the cultivation of spiritual power."

Silverfrost nodded in approval. "Young man, you have a good attitude. However, tomorrow's arbitration is indeed very important; I will invite some highly respected elders to witness it."

That evening, Rowan continued studying the cultivation insights given to him by the Sword Saint in his room. He knew that although there wouldn't be any problems with tomorrow's arbitration, it was also an opportunity to demonstrate his mental strength cultivation, and he needed to be fully prepared.

Yin Yue paced anxiously back and forth in the courtyard. Although she knew rationally that Luo Wen was fine, she was still very worried emotionally. If the arbitration result was unfavorable, Luo Wen would have to leave Jianxin Star, which was something she didn't want to see.

"Silver Moon, don't worry." Silver Glow walked to his sister's side. "We've all seen Rowan's strength, and his character is trustworthy. Tomorrow's arbitration will definitely go smoothly."

“I know, but I still can’t help worrying,” Silver Moon sighed. “The Lin family wields considerable power on Swordheart Star; they might try to put pressure on the arbitration panel.”

“Then you should trust Rowan even more,” Silverlight comforted him. “Besides, if Grandmaster knew about this, he wouldn’t stand idly by.”

The following morning, the arbitration court of the Sword Elders' Council was packed. This arbitration not only concerned the fairness of a sparring match, but also the Silver Blue Empire's attitude towards alien warriors, thus attracting much attention.

The chairman of the arbitration tribunal was a highly respected elder who enjoyed immense prestige in the swordsmanship world of the Silver Blue Empire. Besides him, four other elders formed the arbitration panel.

"We will now begin the arbitration of yesterday's exchange," the chairperson announced. "First, the applicant will state its reasons."

Chief Lin stood up and began to launch into a long and detailed explanation of his views. He claimed that Rowan had used mental attacks during the sparring match, which violated the Silver Blue Empire's sparring rules, therefore the result of the sparring match was invalid.

"Our Silver Blue Empire's swordsmanship competition emphasizes fair and square duels," Chief Lin declared righteously. "This alien used mental power to directly attack my son's brain; this is no longer a friendly spar, but malicious harm!"

His words caused some whispers among the audience, after all, many people do not know much about mental cultivation.

When it was Luo Wen's turn to speak, he calmly stood up. "Elders, I would like to clarify a few facts. First, yesterday's sparring was initiated by Lin Jianfeng, and the administrator has already explained the rules—each person can use their own cultivation method. Second, the mental techniques I used were all defensive and controlling, and did not cause him any harm. Third, the final mental shock only temporarily incapacitated him, preventing him from acting rashly in his anger after the defeat."

"Nonsense!" Lin Jianfeng suddenly stood up and shouted, "You clearly launched a mental attack on me, and I still have a headache!"

"If I really wanted to hurt you, you wouldn't be standing here right now," Rowan replied calmly. "If a mental power practitioner wanted to maliciously harm someone, there are a hundred more effective methods than this."

At this point, an elder on the arbitration panel spoke up: "We need more evidence to determine the fairness of this exchange. Is there any authoritative figure who can vouch for the characteristics of mental cultivation?"

Just then, the doors of the arbitration tribunal suddenly opened, and a familiar figure slowly walked in. It was the Sword Saint!

The entire arbitration panel fell silent instantly, and everyone stood up to pay their respects to this highly respected master.

"Master, what brings you here?" the chairman of the arbitration panel asked in surprise.

“I heard about what happened yesterday.” The Sword Saint slowly walked to the center of the arbitration panel. “I would like to testify for this young man.”

His words were like a bombshell, shocking everyone. The Sword Saint, who never concerned himself with worldly affairs, had actually stepped forward to testify, demonstrating the gravity of the matter.

"I had an in-depth conversation with this young man the day before yesterday, and we even sparred," the Sword Saint said calmly. "I can attest that his method of cultivating spiritual power is entirely proper, and his character is trustworthy."

Chief Lin's face turned pale instantly; he hadn't expected the Sword Saint to personally come out to testify.

“Furthermore,” the Sword Saint continued, “I believe this sparring session is a valuable learning opportunity for our Silver Blue Empire. Different cultivation methods can inspire each other; working in isolation will only lead to stagnation.”

The members of the arbitration panel exchanged glances, then the chairman stood up. "Based on the testimony of the Sword Saint Master and our investigation, the arbitration panel finds yesterday's sparring to be entirely fair, and Rowan did not violate any rules."

"According to the previous agreement, Lin Jianfeng must formally apologize to Luo Wen, and the Lin family must also apologize to the Yin Yue family."

The Lin clan chief's face was extremely grim, but he dared not voice any objections in front of the Sword Saint.

"On behalf of the Lin family, I apologize to the Yin Yue family," he said through gritted teeth, then looked at Lin Jianfeng, "and apologize to Luo Wen!"

Although Lin Jianfeng was unwilling, under his father's coercion, he still bowed his head and apologized to Luo Wen.

After the arbitration concluded, the Sword Saint approached Rowan. "Young man, you handled it very well. Maintaining composure and confidence is paramount when facing doubts and challenges."

"Thank you for your support, senior." Luo Wen bowed respectfully.

"This incident has given me some inspiration," the Sword Saint said thoughtfully. "Perhaps our Silver Blue Empire does indeed need to learn more about other cultivation methods. If you'd like, I'd like you to give a lecture on mental cultivation at the Sword Academy."

“I am honored to have this opportunity,” Rowan agreed immediately.

The news sent shockwaves throughout the entire Swordheart Star. For an alien warrior to gain the Sword Saint's approval and be invited to lecture at the Sword Academy was unprecedented in the history of the Silver Blue Empire.

That afternoon, Yin Yue took Luo Wen for a walk by the lake, and both of them were satisfied with the results of the day.

“Thank you,” Silver Moon suddenly said.

"Thank me for what?" Rowan asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Thank you for not harming Lin Jianfeng in your anger," Yin Yue said earnestly. "With your strength, if you really wanted revenge, he wouldn't have been able to fight back at all. But you chose to be forgiving, and that touches me deeply."

"We are martial artists, not assassins," Rowan said calmly. "Moreover, true strength lies in compassion, something the Sword Saint taught me yesterday."

The following morning, the shores of Silver Moon Lake remained as tranquil as ever. Luo Wen finished his morning exercise in the courtyard, reflecting on the insights he had gained from yesterday's arbitration incident. Through his sparring with Lin Jianfeng and the subsequent arbitration, he had gained a deeper understanding of the Sword Saint's teaching that "wisdom triumphs over brute force."

"Rowan, are you ready?" Yinyue's voice came from outside the door. Today she was wearing a light blue dress, looking exceptionally gentle and charming.

"Where to?" Rowan asked curiously.

“Let’s go to where I used to study—Silver Moon Sword Academy.” A nostalgic glint shone in Silver Moon’s eyes. “Yesterday, my Sword Saint master mentioned that you would be lecturing at the academy, so I wanted to show you around first. Besides, today happens to be the academy’s practical training day, so you’ll see a lot of interesting things.”

(End of this chapter)