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

Chapter 447 Die! Die with me!
“That’s right,” Hong agreed. “We must always be wary of others and prepare for the worst.”

After ending the call, all four felt heavy-hearted. The hot pot in the private room had gone cold, but no one had the appetite to continue eating.

"I never expected to encounter something like this so soon after returning to Earth," Thor sighed.

“That’s the cruelty of the universe,” Rowan said. “Weak civilizations can be invaded by stronger ones at any time. That’s why we must constantly strive to become stronger.”

“Third Brother is right,” Luo Feng clenched his fist, “Only by being strong enough can we protect our homeland.”

“There’s no use talking about this now,” Hong stood up. “We should act immediately. Rowan, you go and contact Master Hong Shuizhu to discuss a defense plan. Thor, you go and contact the Thunder Martial Arts School to coordinate the forces from all sides.”

"And what about you?" Rowan asked.

“I’m going to the federal government,” Hong said, “to see what help we can offer. This crisis isn’t just about one power; it’s about the entire planet. We must unite all forces.”

“Okay,” Luo Wen nodded. “Luo Feng, you’re coming with me to the martial arts school.”

The four hurriedly paid their bill and left, not even finishing their hotpot. Seeing their hasty manner, the owner guessed what was going on, but didn't ask any further questions. He simply called out from behind them, "Heroes, the Earth is in your hands now!"

Walking down the street, Rowan noticed that the atmosphere of the entire city had changed. The once bustling and lively streets now seemed somewhat deserted. Many people were gathered in front of the large screens on the street, anxiously watching the news being played on a loop.

"Will the Earth really be alright?" a young mother asked her husband anxiously, holding her child.

“Yes, we will, we definitely will,” the husband comforted her. “We have so many powerful people, and with the support of the Virtual Universe Company, we will definitely be able to protect our home.”

"But those aliens have more advanced technology than us," the mother's voice trembled with tears. "What if they really attack?"

“No, no,” the husband hugged his wife and child tightly. “Believe in our heroes, believe in the power of the earth.”

Hearing this conversation, Rowan's heart sank even further. These were ordinary people; they lacked real power and could only place their hopes on the strong. And the strong, in turn, had a responsibility to protect these innocent people.

"Third Brother," Luo Feng said softly, "we must protect Earth, right?"

“Of course,” Rowan said firmly, “this is our home, and we will defend it no matter the cost.”

A month passed by in a hurry.

For the past month, the entire Earth has been in a state of high alert. Major base cities have reinforced their defenses, space defense systems have been fully upgraded, and all warriors at the War God level and above have been given orders to be on standby at any time.

Rowan, Hong, and Thor have been assisting the Earth Federation government in developing a defense plan. Drawing on their experience in space, they have offered many valuable suggestions for Earth's defense system.

Late that night, Luo Wen was reviewing the latest monitoring data at the command center in Huaxia Base City. Suddenly, a piercing alarm sounded, and all the lights in the command center turned red.

"What's going on?" The duty officer immediately rushed to the monitoring console.

"An unidentified object has breached the outer defense network and is rapidly passing through the atmosphere!" The technician's voice was urgent as he stared at the screen. "It's moving at an extremely high speed and is expected to land northwest of the Huaxia base city in thirty seconds!"

"What?!" Everyone was shocked.

According to previous calculations, the main fleet of the Kara civilization would still need two more months to reach the solar system. How could a spaceship suddenly land ahead of schedule?

"Immediately notify all War God-level warriors!" the commander ordered. "Master Rowan, please..."

“I already know,” Rowan interrupted him. “I’m on my way.”

After saying that, Rowan's figure transformed into a streak of light, rushing out of the command center window and speeding off in the northwest. Almost simultaneously, he sensed that Hong and Thor were also setting off from their respective locations, heading in the same direction.

“It’s an advance team,” Rowan judged in his mind. “The Kara civilization is more cunning than we thought; they’re sending a small force to probe Earth’s defenses first.”

A dazzling meteor streaked across the night sky, leaving a long, fiery tail. It wasn't a real meteor, but a spaceship hurtling through the atmosphere at high speed. Its surface, heated by friction with the air, was incredibly conspicuous in the darkness.

"Target locked," Rowan accelerated, flying almost in sync with the meteor. "It should be a small reconnaissance ship, about the size of a regular fighter jet."

boom!
The spaceship crashed heavily into a wilderness about 200 kilometers away from the Huaxia base city. The enormous impact created a crater 50 meters in diameter, sending dust and debris flying everywhere.

Rowan was the first to arrive at the scene. Under the moonlight, he could clearly see a metal spaceship lying at the bottom of the crater. The spaceship was spindle-shaped with a streamlined design. Although it had withstood the impact of a high-speed fall, its main structure remained intact, demonstrating the excellent craftsmanship of its manufacture.

"The technology is indeed superior to Earth's," Rowan carefully observed the spaceship's hull, "This material is at least twice as strong as Earth's current technology."

The spaceship was about twenty meters long and five meters wide, with strange symbols engraved on its surface. Rowan recognized it as a variant of the universal language, roughly translated as "Kara Seventh Reconnaissance Team".

"It really is a reconnaissance ship," Rowan thought with a sinking feeling.

Just then, the spaceship's hatch suddenly opened with a hissing sound of pressure release. A pale blue gas billowed out of the hatch, appearing eerie and mysterious in the moonlight.

Rowan immediately became alert, activating the Storm Law within his body, ready to respond to any unexpected situations.

However, after the hatch opened, there was no movement inside. No aliens emerged, and there was no attack. The entire spaceship lay silently at the bottom of the crater, like an empty box that had been opened.

"Is it a trap?" Rowan frowned in thought.

At this moment, Hong and Thor also arrived. The two landed on the edge of the crater from different directions, forming a triangular encirclement with Rowan.

"How is the situation?" Hong asked through telepathy.

"The spaceship hatch is open, but there's no movement inside," Rowan responded. "It's likely a trap."

"Shall we go in and take a look?" Thor seemed eager to try.

“Wait a little longer,” Rowan said cautiously, “Let me probe first.”

He released his mental energy and cautiously probed the interior of the spaceship. Through his mental perception, the internal structure of the spaceship gradually became clear. The cockpit, storage compartments, and power compartment were all normal, but there was no sign of life.

“Strange,” Rowan said, puzzled. “There’s definitely no one on the spaceship.”

"Could it be an unmanned reconnaissance ship?" Hong guessed.

“Possibly,” Rowan nodded. “I’ll go in and check. You guys stay outside and keep watch.” “Be careful,” Hong warned.

Rowan slowly descended to the bottom of the pit, approaching the spaceship step by step. He was extremely cautious with every step, constantly aware of his surroundings. The Storm Law circulated rapidly within his body, forming an invisible protective shield.

Upon reaching the spaceship's hatch, Rowan stopped and scanned the interior again with his mental energy. Only after confirming there was no danger did he step inside.

The spacecraft's interior was small, but meticulously arranged. Various instruments and equipment were neatly arranged, flashing multicolored indicator lights. The cockpit seat was empty, confirming that this was indeed an unmanned spacecraft.

“This is a reconnaissance ship, used to gather intelligence on Earth,” Rowan inspected the ship’s equipment. “Judging from these instruments, it should have already collected a large amount of data.”

He went to the control panel, attempting to access the spaceship's data. But the instant he reached out to touch the control panel, he suddenly felt a strong sense of danger creeping up from behind!

Without a second thought, Rowan lunged forward. Almost simultaneously, a sharp attack swept past the spot where he had just stood, leaving a deep gash on the spaceship's metal floor.

"Who goes there?!" Rowan quickly turned around and assumed a fighting stance.

From the shadows of the spaceship, a figure slowly emerged. It was a humanoid creature, about 1.8 meters tall, with pale blue skin, a head slightly larger than a human's, and purple eyes. He wore a black, tight-fitting combat suit and held a faintly glowing energy blade in his hand.

“Kara,” Rowan recognized the race.

“You’re quite capable,” the Kara man said in the universal language, a hint of surprise in his voice, “to have dodged my sneak attack.”

"You've been hiding inside the spaceship the whole time?" Rowan asked coldly, "Just to ambush the first person who came in?"

“Clever,” the Kara man said with a sinister smile. “This ship itself is bait. My mission is to assess the strength of Earth’s elite. It seems you’re among the stronger ones.”

"Are you so confident you can deal with me?" Rowan sneered.

"I am the captain of the Kara Seventh Reconnaissance Team, and my strength has reached the eighth rank of the Stellar level," the Kara man said confidently. "According to our intelligence, the strongest martial artist on Earth is only at the sixth rank of the Stellar level. Although you react quickly, your strength should not be as great as mine."

"Is that so?" Rowan's lips curled into a smile. "Then your information might be incorrect."

Before he could finish speaking, Rowan's figure vanished, reappearing behind the Kara man the next second. The raging storm laws condensed into an invisible blade, aiming straight for the opponent's vitals.

"What?!" The Kara man was shocked and hastily swung his knife to block.

clang!
The energy blade clashed with the storm blade, producing a piercing metallic clang. The powerful impact forced the Kara man back several steps, his arm even trembling slightly.

"You...your strength?" The Kara man stared at Rowan in shock. "Impossible! You clearly only possess the aura of a sixth-tier stellar level cultivator, so how can your attack power reach the level of a ninth-tier stellar level cultivator?"

"Because I'm not an ordinary stellar-level martial artist," Rowan said calmly. "I've fought in the universe and witnessed true powerhouses. Your little tricks are nothing to me."

The Kara man's face darkened. He realized he had bitten off more than he could chew; the Earthling's fighting prowess far exceeded the intelligence reports.

"Damn it, the intelligence department is a bunch of idiots!" Kara cursed inwardly, but maintained a calm demeanor. "However, even if you're strong, I'm not so easy to deal with."

He suddenly stepped back, creating distance between himself and Rowan, and then pressed a device on his wrist. Instantly, dozens of energy orbs appeared around his body, each radiating a dangerous aura.

"Try the Kara civilization's secret weapon—the Starburst Bomb!" The Kara laughed wildly, and all the energy orbs shot towards Rowan at the same time.

Boom boom boom!
The energy sphere exploded inside the cramped spaceship, generating a shockwave powerful enough to severely injure an ordinary stellar-level martial artist. However, Rowan was prepared; the protective shield formed by the Storm Law blocked all the explosions.

"That's it?" Rowan's voice came from the smoke and dust of the explosion, tinged with sarcasm.

When the smoke cleared, the Kara people were horrified to find Rowan standing there unharmed, not even a speck of dirt on his clothes.

"How is this possible?" the Kara muttered to himself. "That's an attack capable of severely injuring a ninth-tier stellar-level being."

"Your intelligence is too outdated," Rowan said slowly as he walked forward. "The martial artists on Earth are no longer as weak as you imagine."

“I…I surrender,” the Kara suddenly raised his hands. “According to the Universal Convention, prisoners have the right to claim.”

But before he could finish speaking, he suddenly shot a tiny flying needle at Rowan. This needle was extremely small, incredibly fast, and coated with a deadly poison; it was a signature move of the Kara people.

However, Rowan had already anticipated that his opponent might use trickery. He condensed the laws of storm into a barrier, easily blocking the flying needles.

"Despicable!" A flash of anger crossed Rowan's eyes.

"Hahaha, killing the enemy is a good method," the Kara laughed maniacally. "You think I'd really surrender? I'd rather die with you!"

As he spoke, he pressed another device on his combat suit. The entire spaceship began to shake violently, and all the instruments flashed red.

"Spaceship self-destruct sequence initiated!" the spaceship's intelligent system announced in a mechanical voice. "Countdown ten seconds... nine... eight."

"Luo Wen, come out quickly!" Hong, sensing danger from outside, shouted urgently.

"This madman," Rowan gritted his teeth, "tryes to drag me down with him?"

Without a moment's hesitation, he burst forth with full speed and charged toward the hatch. But just then, the Kara suddenly pounced and grabbed Rowan's leg tightly.

"Don't even think about escaping! Die! Die with me!" the Kara man roared madly.

"Get out of my way!" Rowan kicked out, sending the Kara flying. But this delay meant that the self-destruct countdown only had three seconds left.

“It’s too late,” Rowan quickly assessed the situation and immediately conjured the strongest storm shield around his body.

"Three two. one"

boom! ! !
A massive explosion reverberated through the night sky, sending flames soaring into the heavens and forming a fireball over 100 meters in diameter. The shockwave spread outwards, lifting layers of ground over a radius of several kilometers.

"Rowan!" Hong and Thor shouted at the same time, rushing towards the center of the explosion.

(End of this chapter)