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

Chapter 281 Never Afraid of Challenges!

Without exchanging many words, the two acted almost simultaneously.

Hong's figure moved like a streak of light, almost instantly traversing half the training room, his twin spears thrusting towards Thor at an unbelievable angle. His movements were elegant and precise, each step seemingly calculated, without the slightest unnecessary movement.

Thor reacted with lightning speed, sweeping out his Thunder Blade. The lightning on the blade intensified suddenly, colliding with the light blade and sparking dazzling blue-white sparks. His fighting style was completely different from Hong's, expansive and powerful, each strike containing the force of a thunderbolt.

"Clang clang clang!"

The sounds of repeated collisions echoed in the training room as the two men's weapons clashed in the air, creating a beautiful yet dangerous interplay of light and electricity.

After a brief warm-up, the two distanced themselves, neither using their full strength, merely testing each other's limits.

"Good form," Thor grinned, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Looks like yesterday's training didn't affect your performance."

Hong nodded slightly, a rare hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes. "Officially begin?"

“Of course!” Thor replied excitedly, “Shall we try that complementary energy effect we discovered yesterday?”

Hong nodded in agreement, and the two then began to adjust their energy levels.

Thor closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and gradually relaxed all the muscles in his body. His Thunder Blade was planted in the ground, and his hands were raised to chest level, forming a complex hand seal. "Thunder Network, activate."

As he finished speaking, a network of countless tiny electric currents began to form around him. These currents did not simply radiate outwards, but flowed according to a specific pattern, forming miniature energy vortices at the nodes of the network. The entire network appeared blue, but at certain nodes, the color would darken or lighten, creating a peculiar energy gradient.

At the same time, Hong began to release his light-based energy. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, then slowly separated them, saying, "Light Lattice, complete."

Countless tiny points of light began to appear around him. These points of light were not randomly distributed, but arranged according to a precise geometric structure, forming a lattice structure similar to the atomic arrangement inside a crystal. Each point of light formed some kind of energy connection with the surrounding points of light, and the entire lattice appeared as a pure gold color, but at the connection points of the points of light, a flash of light of a different color would sometimes appear.

The two energy fields met at the center of the training room, but instead of repelling or clashing, they seemed to find a point of resonance and began to gradually merge. The nodes of the Thunder Network and the light spots of the Light Lattice began to connect accordingly, forming a more complex and harmonious energy structure.

“Interesting,” Thor opened his eyes, observing the phenomenon with surprise. “They really can merge naturally, and even more smoothly than yesterday.”

Hong nodded, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. "The essence of energy is interconnected. Let's try guiding it."

The two began to try to more actively guide the fusion and flow of the two energies. Thor controlled the current in the lightning network to flow in a specific direction, while Hong adjusted the structure of the light lattice to make the light points flicker in a specific rhythm.

Gradually, a completely new form of energy began to form in the center of the training room—an energy vortex composed of light and electricity. At the center of the vortex was a pure white energy core, outward of which were energy bands interwoven with blue and gold, constantly rotating and emitting powerful yet harmonious energy fluctuations.

The values ​​on the energy monitoring device rose rapidly but remained within a stable range, indicating that the two had good control over this new form of energy.

“This is amazing,” Thor exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement. “The feeling of this fused energy is completely different from simple lightning energy. It’s more flexible, more precise.”

Hong nodded slightly. "The speed of light, the power of electricity."

This concise assessment accurately summarizes the characteristics of this fused energy. The speed and penetrability of light are combined with the explosive and destructive power of electricity to form a new energy form that possesses the advantages of both.

“Let’s try it out in practice,” Thor suggested, his eyes gleaming with a thirst for battle, “and see what role this energy can play in combat.”

Hong agreed to the proposal, and the two temporarily disengaged their energy fusion, returned to their respective positions, and prepared to conduct a simulated battle to try to apply this newly discovered energy form in actual combat.

Thor struck first, raising his Thunder Blade, the lightning on its blade intensifying dramatically. "Thunderous Might!"

A thick bolt of lightning shot out from the tip of the blade, aiming straight for Hong's chest. This was Thor's standard attack, but unlike usual, this lightning contained faintly visible tiny particles of light, the result of his attempt to incorporate some light-based properties into the lightning.

Instead of direct defense, Hong chose a more proactive approach. His twin light-blade spears traced a peculiar trajectory in the air—"Rhythm of Light: Electromagnetic Acceleration."

Countless tiny light arrows shot out from the spear tip, but these light arrows were different from usual. They were surrounded by a weak electric current, creating an electromagnetic propulsion effect that greatly increased the speed and penetrating power of the light arrows.

The two attacks met in mid-air but did not cancel each other out. Instead, they merged together in a strange way, forming an energy vortex that then spread outwards and was eventually absorbed by the energy absorption device in the training room.

“Interesting effect,” Thor commented. “It seems our attacks are energy-compatible.”

Hong nodded slightly, then proposed a further idea: "Try attacking a single target simultaneously."

Thor immediately understood what Hong meant: they needed to test the effect of two energies acting on a target simultaneously.

In the center of the training room stood a training dummy made of special materials, capable of withstanding considerable energy attacks while simultaneously recording the type and intensity of the energy received. Thor and Hong decided to use this dummy as a target to test their fused energy attack.

“I’ll count to three, then we’ll attack simultaneously,” Thor suggested. “One, two, three!”

The instant the word "three" was uttered, Thor unleashed a bolt of lightning, while Hong shot out a beam of light. The two energies struck the training dummy almost simultaneously, but a strange thing happened—the two energies did not simply superimpose, but instead merged into a new energy form the moment they touched the dummy, forming a small energy explosion. A noticeable dent appeared on the surface of the dummy, with burn and electric shock marks on the edges.

The energy monitoring device showed values ​​far exceeding expectations, indicating that the power of this fusion attack far exceeded the simple addition of the two energies.

“Incredible!” Thor exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “The power of this fusion attack is even stronger than I imagined!” Hong’s expression also showed a rare flicker of emotion, clearly surprised and pleased with the result. “An energy catalytic effect,” he briefly commented, “mutual reinforcement.”

The two continued their tests, experimenting with different energy ratios and release methods, recording the effects of each. They discovered that the optimal attack effect was achieved when light and lightning energy were fused in a specific ratio. Furthermore, the timing of the energy release was crucial; releasing it almost simultaneously produced the strongest fusion effect.

After more than an hour of experimentation, the two gained a deeper understanding of this new form of energy. Next, they decided to try some more complex applications.

“I was thinking,” Thor said, wiping the sweat from his Thunder Blade, ““if we could apply this fused energy to defense, would it have any special effects?”

Hong considered it for a moment, then nodded. "It's worth a try."

They designed a new experiment: Thor was responsible for creating a defensive barrier based on the Thunder Network, while Hong tried to incorporate a lattice of light into it to enhance the barrier's stability and responsiveness.

Thor stood in the center of the training room, arms outstretched, chanting, "Thunder Network - Shield of Protection."

A hemispherical blue energy barrier formed around him, woven from countless tiny electric currents. Whenever energy came into contact with the barrier, these currents would quickly converge at the point of contact, creating an energy backlash that either deflected or absorbed the attacking energy.

Hong stood beside Thor, his hands forming a hand seal, chanting, "Light Lattice - Reinforcement."

Countless tiny points of light began to merge into the structure of the lightning network, forming additional reinforcement points at the nodes of the current. The color of the entire barrier changed from pure blue to a unique blend of blue and gold.

To test the reinforced barrier, the two requested the training room's system to launch a series of energy balls as targets. The intensity of these energy balls gradually increased, from the most basic level one energy ball to a level five energy ball powerful enough to damage a cosmic-level martial artist.

"Are you ready?" Thor asked, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead, clearly indicating that maintaining this energy barrier required considerable concentration.

Hong nodded, his eyes focused. "Let's begin."

The training room system began launching energy spheres. The initial level one and level two energy spheres were easily deflected by the barrier, leaving no trace. The level three energy sphere struck the barrier, causing an energy fluctuation, but the barrier quickly returned to stability.

The real test comes from the level four and five energy spheres. These high-energy attacks are enough to severely damage ordinary energy barriers.

When the first level-four energy ball struck the barrier, the entire barrier shook violently. However, with the reinforcement of the light lattice, the current quickly reorganized, dispersing the impact of the energy ball across the entire barrier surface and ultimately successfully deflecting it.

"Incredible!" Thor exclaimed, his voice strained. "My previous lightning barrier could only hold off level three energy spheres at most, but now it can withstand level four!"

But the real challenge was the Level 5 energy sphere. Both of them tensed as the system launched this enormous red energy sphere. The sphere crashed into the barrier at incredible speed, instantly erupting in blinding light and a deafening roar.

The barrier trembled violently, developing several cracks, but these were quickly filled by the repairing effect of the light lattice. The current in the lightning network became more active, creating a unique oscillation effect that partially deflected the impact of the energy sphere.

The energy ball was eventually deflected, but its power was greatly reduced, and it quickly dissipated into the air.

Although the barrier successfully blocked the attack, it consumed a lot of energy and became much dimmer. Thor and Hong stopped consuming energy and let out a long breath, clearly indicating that this defense had taken a toll on their energy.

"It was difficult, but it's definitely feasible," Thor commented, his face beaming with the joy of success. "Our defenses have increased by at least two levels!"

Hong nodded, a rare hint of satisfaction showing on his face. "The restorative properties of light and the rebound properties of electricity complement each other clearly."

After resting for a while and regaining some strength, the two decided to conduct one last experiment—to try to create a completely new fusion skill that perfectly combines the properties of light and electricity.

“I have an idea,” Thor said excitedly. “My Descent of Thor ability primarily manipulates the power of thunder in the world, while your Judgment of Light embodies the essence of the Law of Light. If we could combine the two…”

A flicker of surprise crossed Hong's eyes, clearly taken aback by this audacious idea, but he quickly nodded. "It's worth a try, but precise control is required; otherwise, the energy will become chaotic, with serious consequences."

Both understood that this was a risky endeavor. Fusing two powerful energies of the laws together, if not properly controlled, could not only lead to energy chaos but also potentially harm themselves. However, as top-tier martial artists, they were never afraid of challenges.

For safety reasons, they notified the training room's management system, requesting that the energy absorption device be set to the highest level and that an emergency barrier be activated to prevent energy runaway.

Once everything was ready, the two stood back to back in the center of the training room and began to mobilize their respective Law energy.

Thor closed his eyes and formed a complex hand seal. "Ninefold Thunder Domain, Sixth Layer, Activate."

A deafening thunderclap boomed above the training room, and a blue energy field formed around Thor, crackling with electricity. This was the highest level of lightning domain that Thor could reliably control; the next level was the seventh, which he had used in his battle against Windrunner Mordin.

At the same time, Hong began to gather his own light-based energy, "The essence of light unfolds."

Countless tiny points of light formed around him, gradually coalescing into a golden energy field. These points of light did not simply float in the air, but flowed according to a specific pattern, forming a complex and harmonious energy fluctuation.

“Begin the fusion attempt,” Thor suggested, his voice strained from the concentrated energy. “I will try to extend the boundaries of the Thunder Domain towards your Light Realm, and you will do the same.”

Hong nodded, and the two began to carefully guide their energy fields to extend towards each other.

Initially, the two energy fields caused some chaos at the point of contact, and the energy fluctuations became unstable, triggering a slight alarm from the energy monitoring device in the training room. However, both were martial artists with exceptional self-control, and they quickly adjusted the method and intensity of their energy output.

(End of this chapter)