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

Chapter 437 The Trial is About to End
This multiplies the difficulty. It's not simply about destroying or removing obstacles, but about reshaping the terrain to create a safe passage without harming anyone.

Rowan stood up, walked back to the village, and began to talk with the villagers in detail to understand their specific needs.

"If there were a road leading to the outside world, where would you most like it to lead?" Rowan asked.

“Of course, it’s the plains to the east,” a middle-aged villager replied. “There’s fertile land and plenty of water there, and the nearest town is only three days’ journey away. If we can get there, we can start our lives anew.”

"How wide does that road need to be?" Rowan continued to ask.

"It needs to be able to accommodate at least two horse-drawn carriages side by side," the old villager calculated, "so that we can transport goods and develop trade."

“Understood,” Rowan nodded. “I will create such a path for you.”

"You?" The villagers all looked at him with suspicion. "Young man, you're a good person, but this is impossible. Even the legendary gods couldn't move this mountain."

“There’s no harm in trying,” Rowan said with a smile. “Besides, I’m not going to move the whole mountain, just carve a path through it.”

This statement brought a sudden realization to Rowan. Yes, who said it was necessary to move the entire mountain? As long as a passable road could be created, the task would be accomplished. This would greatly reduce the workload and make the process much more feasible.

Rowan returned to the foot of the mountain, this time with a much clearer goal. He wanted to carve a tunnel, or rather a passage, through the mountain so that the villagers could cross it and reach the plains on the other side.

The question is, how can this project be completed without triggering a landslide?
Rowan began to apply his understanding of the laws. The laws of storms are not merely about destruction and attack; they also encompass a profound understanding of the flow and balance of power.

He stretched out his hands, releasing subtle power of law, and began to probe the mountain's internal structure. Just as a doctor uses X-rays to examine the human body, Rowan used the power of law to scan the entire mountain's interior.

This process was extremely slow, requiring immense patience and focus. The mountain was so massive that every inch needed to be carefully examined. But Rowan knew this was a necessary step; only by fully understanding the mountain's structure could a reasonable excavation plan be devised.

An hour later, Rowan finally completed the initial scan. In his perception, the internal structure of the mountain gradually became clearer.

This mountain is not solid; it contains many naturally formed cavities and fissures. These cavities are interconnected, forming a complex network. If these natural structures could be utilized, the workload would be greatly reduced.

“Found it,” Rowan’s eyes lit up.

In the lower middle part of the mountain, there is a relatively large natural fissure that runs almost through the entire mountain, only blocked by rocks at a few key points. If these blocking points can be cleared and the surrounding structure reinforced, a natural passage can be formed.

But this is still a daunting task. The rocks at those blocking points are exceptionally hard, and removing them could affect the stability of the overall structure.

Rowan began to devise a detailed plan. First, he needed to reinforce the rock walls around the passage to ensure that it wouldn't collapse during the excavation. Then, he would carefully remove the rocks blocking the way. Finally, he would level the ground of the passage to make it a walkable path.

“This requires extremely precise control,” Rowan muttered to himself, “There can be no room for error.”

He began his work. First came the reinforcement project. Rowan used the laws of storms to compress the surrounding rocks, increasing their density and strength. This process was akin to performing internal surgery on the mountain, requiring extremely delicate manipulation.

Little by little, inch by inch, Rowan patiently handled every detail. Sweat gradually beaded on his forehead; this meticulous control required far more energy than unleashing a full-force attack.

The villagers watched the young man from a distance, wondering what he was doing. He simply stood at the foot of the mountain, his hands resting on the slope, motionless. Some villagers thought he might have gone mad, while others chose to believe and silently prayed for him.

Time ticked by. Rowan was completely absorbed in his work, oblivious to his surroundings. In his mind, the entire mountain was like a giant jigsaw puzzle, and he needed to carefully move each piece to ensure the overall structure wouldn't collapse.

After an unknown amount of time, Rowan finally completed the first phase of reinforcement work. The rock walls surrounding the passage had been strengthened and could withstand the pressure from subsequent construction.

“Next comes the most crucial part,” Rowan took a deep breath and began removing the rocks at the obstruction points.

This process is even more dangerous. Removing rocks alters the local balance of forces, and if not handled properly, it could trigger a chain reaction, causing the entire mountain to collapse.

Rowan chose the safest method: instead of directly destroying the rocks, he altered their state. He used the power of laws to gradually soften the hard rocks, making them malleable like soil.

This was a slow and arduous process. After softening each small piece of rock, Rowan had to carefully observe the changes in the surrounding structure to ensure that no adverse reactions were triggered.

It took Rowan a full three hours to clear the first obstacle. When the rock was completely removed and the passage extended fifty meters forward, Rowan felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment.

“Yes, this method works,” Rowan encouraged himself. “Keep going, and you’ll definitely succeed.”

But then, an unexpected incident occurred. While breaking through the second blockage point, Rowan made a slight error in his operation. A rock that should have been softened retained its original hardness, while the surrounding rocks had already softened.

This uneven structure led to stress concentration, causing the hard rock to suddenly crack and triggering a series of chain reactions.

"Not good!" Rowan immediately sensed the danger.

Cracks spread outwards like a spider web, and if not stopped in time, could lead to a large-scale collapse. Rowan unhesitatingly released all his power of law, forcibly stabilizing the surrounding structure.

But doing so consumed a lot of his energy. Rowan felt dizzy and swayed, almost collapsing.

“We can’t give up,” Rowan gritted his teeth. “Hong is buying us time outside; we can’t afford to fail here.”

He forced himself to stay upright and continued working. This time he was much more careful, checking each step repeatedly to ensure that a similar mistake would not occur again.

The second barrier was finally broken, but Rowan paid a heavy price. He had used up most of his energy and his body had reached its limit.

“There are still three checkpoints,” Rowan said, looking ahead. “We must hold on.”

Just as he was about to continue, he heard shouts from the villagers outside.

"Young man, are you alright?" the old villager asked with concern. "You've been standing there all day, don't you need to rest?"

A whole day? Rowan realized how quickly time had passed. But he couldn't rest; Hong was still working hard outside, and he had to complete the trial as soon as possible.

"I'm fine, thank you for your concern," Rowan forced a smile. "Give me a little more time, and I'll be done soon."

The villagers exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what the young man was doing, but they sensed that something was amiss. Rowan continued working. With each breakthrough—the third, the fourth—he drew closer to success, but also grew increasingly exhausted.

By the time he broke through the fifth and final obstacle, Rowan had almost exhausted all his strength. But he knew he couldn't stop yet; he had to finish the final task.

Although the passageway had been cleared, the ground was uneven, full of gravel and sharp protrusions. It was impossible to walk on such a path and had to be leveled.

Rowan dragged his weary body and began the final work. He used the last bit of power of the laws to soften the rocks on the ground, fill in the potholes, and cut away the protrusions, making the entire passage flat and wide.

This process is more energy-intensive than previous work because it involves a large area and requires ensuring that every part meets the standards.

Rowan's vision began to blur, and his body swayed precariously. But he gritted his teeth and completed the task inch by inch.

"I can't fall, I can't fall," Rowan kept repeating this phrase in his mind.

He remembered Hong's sacrifice, Silvermoon and Thor's expectations, and the crisis facing the entire universe. These thoughts became the driving force that kept him going.

Finally, when the last piece of ground was leveled, Rowan could no longer hold on and fell backward. But at that moment, he felt an unprecedented sense of ease and satisfaction.

"It's done." These were Rowan's last thoughts before he lost consciousness.

When Rowan awoke again, he found himself lying in a simple house in the village. Sunlight streamed in through the broken window, bringing a sense of warmth.

"You're awake?" the old villager's voice rang in my ears. "You slept for a whole day and night."

Rowan struggled to sit up, feeling sore all over: "Mountain Passage"

“You’ve created a miracle, young man,” the old villager said, tears welling in his eyes, “the passage, it really appeared. Wide and flat, just as we dreamed.”

Other villagers also gathered around, their faces beaming with excitement and gratitude.

“We’ve already sent people to scout ahead,” a young villager said excitedly. “The passage does indeed lead to the plains to the east; we can finally leave this place!”

“This is all thanks to you,” the old villager said, shaking Rowan’s hand. “You gave us new life, new hope. How can we ever repay you?”

Rowan shook his head: "No need for repayment. I'm happy to have helped you."

“At least let us prepare some food and water for you,” the old villager insisted. “You’ve done so much for us; this is the only thing we can do.”

Rowan accepted the villagers' kindness. After a simple meal, he headed toward the newly opened passage.

Standing at the entrance to the passage, Rowan felt an indescribable sense of accomplishment. The passage was about five meters wide and three meters high, with a smooth, level surface and sturdy, reliable rock walls on both sides. Sunlight streamed in from the other end of the passage, bringing a ray of hope.

“This is not merely a physical road,” Rowan murmured, “but a road to hope and freedom.”

Just then, the surrounding scenery began to blur. Rowan knew that the trial was about to end.

"Thank you, young warrior," the voice of the planetary consciousness echoed in my ears, "You not only moved the mountain, but more importantly, you understood the true meaning of the trial."

"What does it really mean?" Rowan asked.

“Power is not for destruction, but for creation,” the planetary consciousness explained. “True strength lies not in destroying everything, but in creating hope and paving the way. You used wisdom and patience to create miracles in seemingly impossible circumstances—this is the spirit represented by the Heart of Light and Darkness.”

Rowan suddenly realized. This trial was never meant to test his destructive power, but rather his creativity and his care for others.

"You have passed the trial," the planetary consciousness said approvingly, "You possess qualities befitting the Heart of Light and Darkness."

As the light faded, Rowan found himself back in the crystal hall. Though his body was exhausted, his spirit was exceptionally high, as if he had undergone a spiritual cleansing.

the other side.

Silver Moon felt her body enveloped by another golden pillar of light, and warm energy surged into every cell of her body like a tide. She did not resist, allowing this power to lead her into the trial space.

As the light faded, Silver Moon found herself standing on a beach. Fine white sand lay beneath her feet, and before her stretched an endless expanse of azure sea. A sea breeze caressed her face, bringing with it the salty scent and the sound of waves crashing against the rocks.

"So beautiful," Silver Moon couldn't help but exclaim.

But she quickly noticed the noise behind her. Turning around, she saw a bustling port city beyond the beach. However, a sense of oppression and anxiety permeated the city's prosperity.

As Silvermoon approached the city, she was quickly struck by the sight before her. The harbor was filled with all sorts of ships, but most were dilapidated fishing boats. The docks were piled high with goods, merchants paced anxiously back and forth, and workers busily loaded and unloaded supplies.

"Make way, make way!" A porter pushing a heavy truck nearly bumped into Yin Yue.

"Excuse me," Silver Moon quickly stepped aside, "Where is this place?"

“Where are we? This is North Shore Port,” the worker stopped, wiping sweat from his brow with his sleeve. “You’re not a local, are you?”

“Yes, I’m an outsider,” Silvermoon nodded. “It looks quite busy here.”

"Busy?" The worker gave a wry smile. "Busy, yes, but even more so, anxious. Do you see that island over there?"

Following the direction the worker was pointing, Yin Yue could see the hazy outline of an island on the horizon. Although it was far away, it was still clear that it was a fairly large island.

“That’s the Island of Hope,” the worker continued. “The island has what we need most—abundant minerals, fertile land, and plenty of fresh water. It used to be part of us, but rising sea levels separated the mainland from the island.”

(End of this chapter)