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

Chapter 444 The Tempering of Real Combat!
"What's your name?" Rowan walked up to the boy and ran alongside him.

"Reporting, Instructor, my name is Lin Feng," the boy replied, panting heavily.

"Why are you pushing yourself so hard?" Rowan asked. "With your physique, you can take it slow."

"Because...because I want to become stronger," Lin Feng's eyes were exceptionally firm. "I come from a small city that is frequently attacked by monsters. I've witnessed many people die because they weren't strong enough. I want to become stronger, strong enough to protect my family and my hometown."

Luo Wen's heart stirred. The boy's eyes reminded him of himself many years ago. Back then, he was just like that, desperately cultivating to protect those he cared about.

“A very good reason,” Luo Wen patted Lin Feng on the shoulder. “Remember this initial aspiration; it will become your greatest motivation to become stronger.”

"Yes!" Lin Feng's eyes gleamed with excitement.

An hour later, the first student to complete one hundred laps appeared. He was a tall and strong young man, his face covered in sweat, but his breathing was still relatively steady.

"Reporting, Instructor, Liu Qiang has completed the task!" the boy reported loudly.

“Very good,” Thor glanced at the timer, “Forty-five minutes, not bad. Go take a break.”

As more trainees completed their training, some simply couldn't keep going and collapsed after running more than eighty laps. Medical staff immediately checked on them and, after confirming that they were simply exhausted, took them to the rest area.

Lin Feng was the last to finish training. It took him a full two and a half hours, but he finished. As he staggered across the finish line, he collapsed to the ground.

"Well done," Rowan said, walking over and helping Lin Feng up. "You were the last to finish, but also the most respectable."

"Thank you, Instructor Xie," Lin Feng said weakly.

"Go and rest," Rowan said with a smile. "There's even tougher training this afternoon."

After resting for half an hour, the boys regained some of their strength. Thor began the next phase of training.

“Next is practical training,” Thor said. “I will randomly select students for one-on-one sparring. Don’t worry, I will control my power and won’t actually hurt you. But you must give it your all, otherwise it will be disrespectful to me.”

"Yes!" the boys answered in unison.

The first one selected was Liu Qiang, who had just finished the long-distance run first. The young man walked forward confidently and assumed a fighting stance.

“Come on, let me see your strength,” Thor said, standing still without even adopting a defensive stance.

Liu Qiang took a deep breath and suddenly unleashed his power. He was incredibly fast, his fist whistling through the air as it hurtled towards Thor. The force of this punch was at least 15000 kilograms, which was outstanding among his peers.

But to Thor, the attack was as slow as slow motion. He simply shifted his body slightly and easily dodged Liu Qiang's attack. Then he extended a finger and tapped Liu Qiang's shoulder.

boom!
Liu Qiang felt as if a mountain had struck his shoulder, and he was thrown backward uncontrollably, finally crashing onto a soft mat ten meters away.

"Your strength is good, but your speed is too slow, and your attack path is too direct," Thor commented. "In a real battle, your attack method will be easily predictable by the enemy."

Liu Qiang got up, his body aching, but his eyes gleaming with excitement. This was his first time fighting a true powerhouse, and although he lost, he learned a great deal.

"Thank you for your guidance, instructor!" Liu Qiang bowed respectfully.

Next, Thor selected a dozen or so students for practical combat. He easily defeated each of them, but they also received invaluable guidance. The young men gradually understood the gap between themselves and true powerhouses.

When it was Lin Feng's turn, the thin boy was visibly nervous. His strength was relatively weak among the trainees, and the pressure of facing a powerhouse like Thor was unimaginable.

"Don't be nervous, just do your best," Thor said, unusually gentle.

Lin Feng took a deep breath and suddenly charged forward. His attacks lacked finesse, but each strike was delivered with full force. Thor easily dodged, observing Lin Feng's fighting style at the same time.

“Stop,” Thor suddenly said. “Your foundation is weak, and your strength is insufficient, but you have one advantage.”

"What are the advantages?" Lin Feng asked expectantly.

“You’re not afraid to die,” Thor said earnestly. “Every attack you just made was with your full strength, without holding back. That kind of spirit is crucial on the battlefield. Many people are strong, but they hesitate and retreat at critical moments, and end up losing their lives.”

"Thank you, instructor!" Lin Feng said excitedly.

In the afternoon, Rowan began teaching about the concept of understanding the laws. This was higher-level knowledge, somewhat too profound for these students who were still only at the warrior level.

"The laws are the fundamental principles governing the universe," Rowan said, standing on the podium, a large screen behind him displaying complex patterns. "Mastering the laws is equivalent to mastering the power of heaven and earth."

The boys listened intently. Although they couldn't fully understand much of the content yet, Rowan's explanations were clear and easy to understand, giving them at least a basic grasp of the concepts.

"Instructor," a boy raised his hand to ask, "when did you begin to comprehend the laws?"

"My first encounter with the laws of nature was after I became a War God-level martial artist," Rowan replied, "but I truly began systematic learning after joining the Virtual Universe Company."

"Isn't it too early for us to learn about the laws now?" another boy asked.

“No,” Rowan shook his head. “On the contrary, the sooner you come into contact with it, the better. Although your current strength is not enough to truly utilize the power of laws, establishing an understanding in advance will greatly help your future cultivation.”

"Instructor, could you demonstrate the power of the laws to us?" a trainee boldly requested.

“Of course,” Rowan said with a smile.

He walked to the center of the training field and extended his right hand. The next second, a small storm condensed in his palm. Although this storm was only the size of a basketball, the energy it contained shocked everyone.

“This is a basic application of the laws of storms,” Rowan explained. “It looks simple, but to do it requires a deep understanding of the nature of wind.”

The boys stared intently at the swirling storm, their eyes filled with longing.

"Instructor, when can we reach your level?" a boy asked excitedly.

"It depends on how hard you work," Rowan said, calming down. "Some geniuses might achieve it in ten years, while others might never do it in their entire lives. But one thing is certain: without effort, it will never be possible."

"We will definitely work hard!" the boys shouted in unison. For the next few days, Rowan and Thor continued teaching at the martial arts gym. They taught not only combat techniques, but more importantly, combat awareness and an understanding of power.

Rowan discovered that these trainees were indeed quite talented. Besides a general improvement in their physical abilities, their learning and comprehension skills were also exceptional. Many advanced techniques, typically taught only in space, were mastered by these teenagers after just a few demonstrations.

“These children will undoubtedly become the backbone of humanity in the future,” Rowan said to Thor. “Given time, some of them will surely become powerful figures who will make a name for themselves in the universe.”

“Yes,” Thor nodded, “the future of Earth is bright.”

Among these students, several exceptionally talented individuals caught Luo Wen's attention. Besides Liu Qiang and Lin Feng, who were mentioned earlier, there was also a girl named Su Wan, whose swordsmanship talent was extremely high and whose comprehension was astonishing.

"Su Wan, your swordsmanship is very expressive," Luo Wen said to her privately after a training session. "Are you interested in specializing in swordsmanship?"

"Of course!" Su Wan said excitedly, "Actually, I've always dreamed of becoming a swordsman, as powerful as you, Instructor."

“That’s good,” Rowan said, taking out an ancient book from his storage space. “This is a basic textbook I used when I was practicing swordsmanship in my early years. I’m giving it to you now.”

"This is too expensive," Su Wan said, somewhat hesitant to accept it.

“Here you go,” Rowan placed the book in her hands. “Talent needs nurturing, but even more so, it needs good guidance. I hope you can carry this talent to its fullest potential.”

"Thank you, Instructor! I will definitely live up to your expectations!" Su Wan's eyes glistened with tears of gratitude.

The week of instruction passed quickly. On the last day, Rowan organized a simulated combat exercise. He divided the three hundred trainees into two groups for team-based combat training.

“In space, you often need to fight as a team,” Rowan said. “Individual strength is important, but teamwork is even more crucial. Today’s exercise isn’t about how many enemies you kill, but how you coordinate and maximize your team’s combat effectiveness.”

The exercise began. The boys were divided into red and blue teams and engaged in fierce combat on the simulated battlefield. Rowan and Thor watched from the sidelines, occasionally commenting on the performance of each team.

To Luo Wen's delight, these teenagers had developed a clear sense of teamwork after a week of training. They knew how to cover for each other, how to assign tasks based on their teammates' strengths, and how to sacrifice themselves to protect the team in critical moments.

“These kids are growing up so fast,” Thor remarked. “A week ago they were just a bunch of ragtag soldiers, and now they’re starting to take shape.”

“Yes,” Rowan smiled, “but this is just the beginning. True growth requires time and the tempering of real combat.”

After the exercise, Rowan summoned all the trainees.

"This week's training is now over," Rowan said. "You all performed very well, but this is only the first step in a long journey. The path of cultivation is long and arduous; I hope you can persevere."

"Instructor, will you come back to teach us?" Lin Feng asked loudly.

“Yes,” Rowan nodded. “Although I’ll be returning to space to continue my missions in a while, I’ll check on your progress every time I come back to Earth.”

"Then we will definitely work hard and not let our instructors down!" the boys shouted in unison.

During dinner, Rowan brought up an idea.

“Let’s go sightseeing tomorrow,” Rowan said, putting down his chopsticks. “We’ve been away from Earth for so long, there are so many places we haven’t had a chance to see.”

"Tourism?" Thor's eyes lit up. "Where to? The beach or the mountains?"

“I want to go to the Kunlun Mountains,” Rowan said, revealing his goal. “There’s a mountain there called Shennong Peak, which is said to be one of the most difficult mountains on Earth to climb.”

"Shennong Peak?" Upon hearing this name, Hong immediately understood Luo Wen's intention. "You said you wanted to travel, but you actually want to go there for spiritual practice, right?"

"Haha, you saw right through me," Rowan laughed. "But I do want to relax a bit. Cultivating in that pristine natural environment might bring different insights."

"Great idea!" Thor clapped his hands in agreement. "I want to see it too. We haven't had a chance to properly experience the treacherous places on Earth before."

"Luo Feng, you should come too," Luo Wen said to his younger brother. "This is a good opportunity to temper your will."

"Me?" Luo Feng was somewhat surprised. "My strength is still very weak. Can I keep up with you?"

“It’s alright, we’ll take care of you,” Hong said gently. “Besides, this is mainly for relaxation, not for risking your life.”

“Okay, I’ll go too!” Luo Feng said excitedly.

The next morning, the four set off lightly equipped. Instead of using a flying vehicle, they chose the most primitive method—hiking to the Kunlun Mountains. The straight-line distance from the Huaxia base city to the Kunlun Mountains is over two thousand kilometers, which would take them several days even on foot.

"Why not just fly there?" Luo Feng asked, puzzled.

“Because the meaning of travel lies not in the destination, but in the scenery along the way,” Rowan explained, “and hiking itself is a form of self-cultivation. You must learn to maintain inner peace while walking and to remain steadfast in your will even when exhausted.”

"I see," Luo Feng nodded thoughtfully.

They traveled westward along the ancient national highway. This road was an important thoroughfare before the Great Nirvana, but now it is mostly abandoned. Wild grass grows on both sides of the road, and occasionally, the ruins of collapsed buildings can be seen, silently telling the story of its former prosperity.

"It feels a bit desolate," Thor remarked, looking around at the surrounding landscape.

“This is the consequence of the Great Nirvana,” Hong said. “Humanity’s living space has been drastically reduced, and many places have been occupied by monsters.”

“However, the situation is improving,” Rowan added. “As humanity’s overall strength increases, we are gradually reclaiming lost territory.”

After walking about 100 kilometers, they entered a mountain forest. This was the edge of the wilderness, where they might encounter monsters.

“Be careful,” Hong warned. “Although the monsters here aren’t a threat to us, we still need to be vigilant.”

Sure enough, they hadn't walked far when they encountered their first group of monsters. It was a herd of armored rhinoceroses, each possessing the strength of a novice warrior. Upon spotting the four, the rhinoceroses immediately charged forward, bellowing.

"I'll go!" Luo Feng volunteered, drawing his sword from his back and charging forward.

Although Luo Feng's strength was nothing compared to his three older brothers, it was more than enough to deal with low-level warrior-level monsters. He moved nimbly through the herd of rhinoceroses, his battle blade hitting vital points with precision, and he took down seven or eight in no time.

(End of this chapter)