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

Chapter 436 Brings Even Greater Disaster to the Villagers

The planetary consciousness spoke again, tinged with obvious tension: "They've breached the nebula's outer defenses and are rapidly approaching. At this speed, they'll reach the cave entrance in ten minutes at most."

"Ten minutes?" Thor looked at the ongoing test of light. "That's simply not enough time to complete the trial."

“And once they get into the cave, we’ll be trapped,” Hong calmly analyzed the situation. “There’s only one entrance and exit; we’re stuck at the bottom with absolutely no way out.”

The three exchanged glances, all realizing the gravity of the situation. The dark servants outside would not give them time to complete the trial, but if they gave up now, the Heart of Light and Darkness would fall into enemy hands, and the entire universe would be plunged into eternal darkness.

“We must find a way to buy time,” Rowan broke the silence first, “even just a few more minutes could change the outcome.”

“But how can we stall them?” Silvermoon said, troubled. “Based on our previous experience, the three of us can only handle a dozen or so ordinary servants at most. If it’s an elite force, we’re no match for them.”

"Moreover, the terrain here is also disadvantageous to us," Thor added. "The caves are narrow, preventing us from fully utilizing our mobility advantages."

As the three discussed their strategy, Hong suddenly fell silent, his gaze becoming deep and resolute. He stared quietly at the pillar of light surrounding Rowan and Thor, seemingly contemplating something important.

“Wait, I have an idea,” Hong said slowly, his voice unusually calm, “Maybe we don’t need all three of us to stay.”

"What do you mean?" Rowan keenly sensed the deeper meaning in Hong's words.

“What I mean is,” Hong took a deep breath, “that the most important person for completing the trial is Rowan. He has the legacy of the Storm King and the deepest understanding of the Heart of Light and Darkness. As a specialist from the Virtual Universe Company, Silver Moon must also personally witness the acquisition process of the Heart of Light and Darkness.”

"Hong, what do you want to say?" A sense of foreboding welled up in Yin Yue's heart.

“What I wanted to say was,” Hong turned around, a gentle smile on his face, “that I go outside to stop those dark servants and buy you time to complete your trial.”

"What?!" Rowan and Silver Moon exclaimed almost simultaneously, "Are you crazy?"

“I’m not crazy, I’m perfectly clear-headed,” Hong shook his head. “Thinking about it carefully, this is the most reasonable arrangement. My metal-based laws have an advantage in defense, and in the narrow terrain of a cave, they can exert their maximum blocking effect.”

"But..." Thor wanted to object, but was interrupted by Hong waving his hand.

“No buts,” Hong’s tone turned serious. “We all know what the outcome will be for one person to fight so many dark minions. But it’s the only choice, and the right choice.”

The tremors outside the cave intensified, clearly indicating that the enemy was very close. Time was ticking away, and they had to make a decision immediately.

“Hong, I disagree,” Rowan said firmly. “We’re brothers. We’ll die together, we’ll live together. It’s always been like this, and it can’t be changed now.”

“Yes, we can think of other ways together,” Silvermoon added. “Perhaps there are other solutions.”

Looking at the concerned expressions on his two close friends' faces, Hong felt a surge of warmth in his heart. This kind of friendship was indeed precious, but precisely because it was precious, he couldn't let his friends lose the opportunity to gain the Heart of Light and Darkness because of him.

"Luo Wen, do you remember what Senior Qingyunzi told us?" Hong's voice softened. "A true strongman doesn't conquer his opponent with force, but rather wins their respect and admiration. And true courage lies in making sacrifices for a greater good at crucial moments."

Luo Wen fell silent. He did remember Qing Yunzi's words and understood Hong's thoughts. But understanding was one thing, and accepting was another.

“And Thor,” Hong turned to Thor, “do you remember the vow we made together when we were kids? To become heroes who protect the Earth and the universe. Now is the time to fulfill that vow.”

Thor's eyes began to redden. They had grown up together, trained together, and faced all sorts of challenges together. Hong had always been the most composed and rational of them, always making the right judgments in crucial moments.

“And think about it,” Hong continued, “if the three of us are trapped here, and the Heart of Light and Darkness falls into the hands of the Dark Servants, then the entire universe is doomed. But if I can buy you time so that you can obtain the Heart of Light and Darkness, then my sacrifice will be worthwhile.”

“But…” Yin Yue’s voice choked with emotion, “we’ve only just learned the importance of teamwork from Senior Qing Yunzi, and now we have to separate?”

“Teamwork doesn’t mean being together all the time,” Hong explained gently, “but rather that in crucial moments, everyone can play their best role. Right now, my biggest role is to hold off the enemy and buy you time.”

The planetary consciousness issued another warning: "They have reached the planet's surface and are searching for the cave entrance. Five minutes at most."

Time was running out, and there was no time to hesitate. Hong looked at his two brothers, his eyes filled with determination and reluctance.

“Listen, I’m not going to my death,” Hong tried to make his tone sound lighter. “I’m going to complete an important mission. Besides, who says I’m definitely going to die? Maybe I can find a chance to escape.”

Although all three knew the possibility was extremely slim, Hong's optimism eased the tension somewhat.

“If…if you really…” Rowan’s voice trembled slightly, “we will definitely avenge you.”

“Don’t seek revenge, seek salvation,” Hong corrected. “Use the Heart of Light and Darkness to save the Lord of Darkness, to save the entire universe. This is more meaningful than revenge.”

Hong Yinyue wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Don't make it sound like a life-or-death separation," Hong joked. "Maybe we'll see each other again soon. And even if I'm gone, you guys have to take good care of Luo Feng for me. He's still on Earth waiting for our good news."

Mentioning Luo Feng made all three of them feel even heavier. Of the four brothers, Luo Feng was unable to participate in this operation due to special circumstances, and now Hong had to face danger alone again. This separation was heartbreaking.

“Promise me,” Hong said finally, “no matter what happens, you must complete the trial and obtain the Heart of Light and Darkness. Don’t give up because of me.”

“We promise you,” Rowan nodded, tears welling in his eyes, “but you must also promise us that you will live.”

“Okay, I agree,” Hong gave one last bright smile. “Now, I should get to work.”

After saying that, Hong turned and walked towards the cave entrance. His steps were firm and composed, without a trace of hesitation or fear. "Hong!" Thor couldn't help but call out.

Hong turned around and waved: "Take care of yourselves, brothers. Remember, we'll always be the best partners."

Then, he resolutely walked towards the cave's exit, towards the dark army of servants waiting for him, towards a battle destined to be a one-sided affair.

After he left, a brief silence fell over the cave. Rowan and Silvermoon were both surrounded by pillars of light, but their minds were no longer on the trial.

“We must complete the trial quickly,” Silvermoon said, fighting back tears. “We can’t let Hong’s sacrifice be in vain.”

“Yes,” Rowan took a deep breath, “for the sake of the Flood, for the sake of the entire universe, we must succeed.”

Rowan felt himself completely enveloped in golden light, a warm and gentle energy flowing through his body. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he found himself no longer in the crystal hall.

Before him lay a desolate mountainous landscape, its rugged terrain stretching into the distance. The sky was overcast, obscuring the sun, yet providing ample natural light. Rowan looked around and found himself standing before the ruins of a village.

The village has clearly been abandoned for a long time; most of the dilapidated houses have collapsed, and the streets are overgrown with weeds. But judging from the remaining architectural styles, it must have once been a prosperous place.

"Where is this?" Rowan muttered to himself.

Just then, he noticed a group of figures moving in the distance. Upon closer inspection, he saw that they were a group of ragged villagers carrying something with simple tools.

"Do you need any help?" Rowan asked, stepping forward to ask.

An elderly villager looked up, his face filled with weariness and despair: "Young man, you've come from outside, haven't you? I advise you to leave this place quickly; it's a cursed place."

"Cursed? What does that mean?" Rowan asked curiously.

An old villager pointed to the back of the village, where a huge mountain peak stood. This mountain was extremely steep, almost vertical, completely blocking the village's access to the outside world.

“Do you see that mountain? It blocks our only way out,” the old villager said bitterly. “Decades ago, this was a prosperous village. We had fertile land and plenty of water. But then a huge earthquake happened, and that damned mountain rose from the ground, completely cutting us off from the outside world.”

Rowan carefully observed the mountain, and indeed, as the old villager had said, it was like a giant wall, completely blocking the village's exit. The mountain stretched for tens of kilometers on both sides, making it virtually impossible to go around.

"Why not climb over this mountain?" Rowan asked.

"Climb over?" another villager said with a wry smile. "This mountain is too steep, and there's a strange force field on it. Anyone who tries to climb it is pushed back down by an invisible force. We've tried countless times, many people have died, and in the end, we had to give up."

"So you've been stuck here all this time?" Rowan asked incredulously.

“Yes, for so many years, we’ve barely survived on the little land the village has left,” the old villager’s voice was filled with despair. “Food is dwindling, and water is drying up. If this continues, it won’t be long before we all starve to death here.”

Rowan looked at the suffering villagers and felt a surge of sympathy. He walked to the foot of the mountain and carefully examined the seemingly insurmountable obstacle.

The mountain was dark gray, with a smooth, mirror-like surface, offering no footholds for climbing. Even more strangely, Rowan could sense a peculiar energy emanating from the mountain, forming an invisible barrier.

"Is this my trial?" Rowan wondered to himself. "To move this mountain and create a road for these villagers to reach the outside world?"

He reached out and touched the mountain, feeling its hard, cold texture. The mountain's material was very unusual; it didn't seem to be ordinary rock, but rather some kind of substance containing powerful energy.

“Young man, don’t waste your energy,” the old villager advised. “Over the years, we’ve tried everything—hammering, burning, washing, even trying to blast it open—but nothing has worked. This mountain is simply unshakeable.”

Rowan did not respond, but instead closed his eyes and began to sense the energy structure of the mountain. As a powerful being who had mastered the laws of storms, he could sense the energy fluctuations deep within the matter.

In my perception, this mountain is like a giant energy node, its roots deeply embedded in the earth, connected to the energy network of the entire land. This is not an ordinary mountain, but one of the energy hubs of this space.

“A direct brute-force attack won’t be enough to move it,” Rowan opened his eyes, making a preliminary judgment. “We need to find a more ingenious method.”

He began walking around the foot of the mountain, carefully observing every detail. Although the mountain appeared intact, its energy distribution was uneven. Energy was more concentrated in certain areas, forming structures resembling support points.

"If we can find these key nodes, maybe we can..." Rowan's thoughts gradually became clear.

But the question is, even if he finds the key point, can he really move this massive mountain with his current strength? This mountain is at least several thousand meters high and tens of kilometers wide, and its mass is unimaginable.

Luo Wen recalled the teachings of his senior, Qingyunzi: "A true strongman does not conquer everything with brute force, but knows how to use others' strength against them and win through skill."

“Yes, we can’t confront it head-on; we need to find a clever approach,” Rowan said, re-examining the problem before him.

He sat at the foot of the mountain, deep in thought. What was the essence of this trial? Was it merely a test of strength? No, if it were just a test of strength, then a task requiring immense power to complete would suffice; why design such a complex scenario?
“The villagers are trapped here, cut off from the outside world, living in despair,” Rowan murmured to himself. “And my mission is to pave a path for them, to free them.”

Suddenly, Rowan realized something. This trial was not only testing his ability to move a mountain, but also his attitude and choices when facing difficulties.

If his only goal was to complete the task, he could choose the simplest and most brutal method, such as forcibly destroying a part of the mountain with all his might. However, doing so might trigger a landslide, bringing even greater disaster to the villagers.

"The true purpose of the trial was to ensure the safety of the villagers while moving the mountains, and to create a truly usable and flat road for them," Rowan finally understood the deeper meaning of the trial.

(End of this chapter)