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

Chapter 429 The Heart of Light and Darkness
The moment they stepped into the safe haven, the three were deeply shocked by the sight before them.

This place doesn't feel like outer space at all; it's more like stepping into a paradise. Above, there's a pale blue artificial sky with fluffy white clouds, and even warm sunlight streaming down. Underfoot is soft soil, and the air is filled with the fresh scent of flowers and plants.

"Is this really inside the Claws of Death storm belt?" Thor looked around incredulously. "The environment here is more comfortable than many habitable planets."

“It’s truly unbelievable,” Hong took a deep breath. “The air quality here is extremely high, and it’s brimming with life energy.”

Rowan was even more astonished by the construction technology of this space. To be able to create such a completely independent ecological space in such a harsh environment requires an extremely profound understanding of the laws of space.

“Young man, don’t stand there in a daze,” the aged voice rang out again, tinged with a relaxed smile. “Come in and have a seat. I’ve prepared some tea for you.”

Following the sound, the three walked along a stone path. Various strange plants grew on both sides of the path; Rowan had seen some of them in the Storm King's inherited memories and knew how precious they were.

“That’s a thousand-year-old blood lotus,” Rowan pointed to a lotus flower emitting a faint red glow by the roadside. “It’s said that a single petal can completely heal the injuries of a World Lord-level expert.”

"And that too, the Nine-Turn Resurrection Grass," Hong also discovered a peculiar little purple herb, "a legendary divine medicine that can bring the dying back to life."

"My God, isn't that the Starfruit Tree over there?" Thor pointed to a large, shimmering tree in the distance. "Every single fruit it bears contains the essence of a star's energy."

The three of them discovered countless precious medicinal herbs along their journey. Any one of them, if taken outside, would be enough to cause a frenzy of competition among major powers. But strangely, they had no intention of picking them, as if a voice inside them was telling them that these things should not be touched casually.

"Haha, young man, you have excellent taste and character," the voice said admiringly. "These are all little trinkets I've collected over the years, but for me now, their value lies more in appreciation and reminiscence."

After walking through a sea of ​​flowers, the three arrived at an ancient pavilion. Inside sat an ordinary-looking old man with white hair and beard, dressed in a simple gray robe, leisurely brewing tea. But as the three approached, they all felt an unfathomable pressure, as if they were facing not a person, but the vast universe itself.

“Senior,” Luo Wen bowed respectfully, “thank you for saving my life.”

"I wouldn't call it a life-saving grace," the old man waved his hand, gesturing for the three to sit down. "It's fate that you've come here. My name is Qingyunzi, and I've been guarding this place for almost ten thousand years."

"Ten thousand years?" All three were stunned. Even for an immortal-level expert, ten thousand years was a very long time, let alone spending it alone in such a secluded place.

“Yes, ten thousand years,” a hint of nostalgia flashed in Qingyunzi’s eyes, “Time flies so fast, it feels like just yesterday that my master placed me here.”

"Master?" Silver Moon asked curiously, "Who is your master, senior?"

“An existence beyond your imagination,” Qingyunzi said with a smile, “When he passed through this place years ago, he found the environment of the Death Claw Storm Belt interesting, so he casually created this small space to store some of the trinkets he had collected.”

Created casually? The three exchanged glances, all seeing the shock in each other's eyes. To be able to casually create such a perfect independent space within the Death Claw Storm Belt was a power beyond their comprehension.

"That senior is now..." Hong asked cautiously.

"Our master has gone to a higher dimension," Qingyunzi said calmly. "Before he left, he left me here, saying that someone destined would come to inherit these things. But so many years have passed, and you are the first visitors."

"Then what should we do?" Rowan seemed a little lost.

"Don't be nervous," Qingyunzi laughed heartily. "I'm not saying you're the destined ones. Fate is something you can't rush. Sit down, have some tea, and chat with this old man."

Qingyunzi poured tea for the three of them. The tea had a delicate fragrance that was invigorating just by smelling it. After taking a sip, they felt all their fatigue vanish and their understanding of the laws became clearer.

"This tea..." Rowan exclaimed in surprise, sensing the changes within his body.

"Enlightenment Tea is made with the mists of the heavens and the dew of the stars," Qingyunzi casually explained. "It's very helpful for cultivation, but I can't finish it all by myself. It's perfect for sharing with guests."

The three sipped their tea in silence, their shock beyond words. This level of enlightenment tea would be priceless outside, but to this senior, it was just ordinary tea.

"Tell me, how did you end up in a place like this?" Qingyunzi looked at the three of them kindly. "With your strength, you wouldn't risk yourselves in the Death Claw Storm Belt so easily."

Rowan briefly recounted their origins and experiences, including the threat from the Lord of Darkness, the pursuit by the Duke of Night, and how they were eventually brought here by the storm.

"The Lord of Darkness?" Qingyunzi's expression turned serious. "I recognize that name. My master mentioned this guy back then. He said he was a very troublesome being. I didn't expect him to still be active now."

"Does the senior know anything about the Lord of Darkness?" Silvermoon asked eagerly.

"I wouldn't say I know much about him, I've only heard some things from my master," Qingyunzi recalled. "It's said that the Lord of Darkness was once a balancer between light and darkness, but he was later corrupted by darkness and became a pure destroyer. It took many powerful beings joining forces to seal him away."

"Is there any way to completely solve this problem?" Rowan asked the most crucial question.

“This…” Qingyunzi pondered for a moment, “Our master left behind some things, which may contain relevant information. But those things aren’t something you can just look at casually; you need sufficient fate and strength.”

Hearing this, the three were somewhat disappointed. But Qingyunzi quickly changed the subject: "However, the fact that you were even here says something. Perhaps there will be opportunities in the future."

To change the subject, Qingyunzi began asking about the changes in the outside world. Ten thousand years of isolation had made him extremely curious about what was happening outside.

"What are the strongest forces in the universe right now?" Qingyunzi asked.

"Virtual Universe Corporation, Giant Axe Arena, Universe First Bank, Universe Galaxy Bank, and Universe Mercenary Alliance," Silver Moon explained in detail, "These five giants basically control the main power of the human race."

"Human race?" Qingyunzi was somewhat surprised. "Humans have developed so well now? I remember ten thousand years ago, humans were just a medium-sized race."

“Yes, especially in the last few thousand years, many powerful individuals have emerged from the human race,” Hong added, “and their status in the universe has been rising.”

“Interesting,” Qingyunzi nodded approvingly. “Humans are indeed a race with great potential. I remember that Master was very optimistic about humanity’s future.”

The conversation continued, with Qingyunzi showing great interest in every change happening in the outside world. The three of them also learned many ancient secrets from him. "How much of those ancient traditions have been preserved?" Qingyunzi inquired.

“Most of it has been lost,” Rowan said with some regret. “The Storm King’s legacy that I obtained is said to be relatively complete.”

"Severus, the Storm King?" Qingyunzi's eyes lit up. "You obtained his legacy too? Interesting. That kid was here before."

"What?!" The three were shocked simultaneously. "The Storm King was here?"

“Of course, that was about five thousand years ago,” Qingyunzi recalled. “At the time, he was researching how to break through to a higher level, and his master gave him some pointers. It seems he did indeed make a breakthrough later, and even his legacy has been passed down.”

This news thrilled Rowan. The Storm King had once received guidance here, so there might be other things here that could be useful to him.

But Qingyunzi seemed to see through his thoughts and said with a smile, "Don't rush, when the time is right, you will reap the rewards. Your task now is to stop the Lord of Darkness from rising again; that's more important than anything else."

“The senior is right,” Rowan said calmly, “we really shouldn’t be greedy.”

“I admire your character,” Qingyunzi nodded with satisfaction. “Although you saw so many precious things, you did not succumb to greed. This is rare in this day and age.”

Indeed, from the moment they entered this secret realm, the three of them never had any desire to possess it. Whether it was precious medicinal herbs or wondrous artifacts, they only admired them and never touched them.

“These things all have owners; we are just guests,” Hong explained. “How can guests take the owner’s things without permission?”

“Besides, the kindness shown to us by our predecessors is already immense,” Thor added. “We are already very grateful for the safe place to rest and such good tea.”

"Haha, good, good," Qingyunzi praised repeatedly, "It seems that Master's judgment was correct; humans are indeed a promising race."

To entertain these rare guests, Qingyunzi began to lead the three on a tour of this magical secret realm.

"This is the medicinal herb garden," Qingyunzi pointed to a vibrant area. "Our master collected tens of thousands of precious medicinal herbs from various star regions and planted them all here."

Indeed, this medicinal garden contains a wide variety of plants, many of which are legendary miraculous medicines. But under Qingyunzi's meticulous care, they all grow very lushly.

"That's the Spirit Beast Garden," Qingyunzi pointed in another direction, "The master has adopted some small, intelligent animals; they're all very cute."

In the Spirit Beast Garden, the three saw many strange creatures. There were Time Butterflies that could manipulate time, Void Cats that mastered the laws of space, and Prophet Birds that were said to be able to foresee the future.

“They are all highly intelligent,” Qingyunzi explained, “some are even smarter than ordinary martial artists. However, they are all very gentle and will not attack guests.”

A small Void Cat walked up to Rowan and rubbed its fluffy head against his hand. This affectionate gesture warmed Rowan's heart.

“They rarely do this,” Qingyunzi said, somewhat surprised. “It seems they like you quite a bit.”

"That's the Artifacts Pavilion," Qingyunzi continued, "where the master keeps all sorts of magical treasures and artifacts he's collected."

From a distance, the artifact pavilion shimmered with various lights, clearly indicating that it contained countless precious treasures. However, the three of them consciously kept their distance, showing no intention of approaching.

"That's the library over there," Qingyunzi pointed to an ancient building. "All the martial arts techniques, secret manuals, and historical records collected by the master are there."

A hint of longing flashed in Rowan's eyes as he looked at the "library," but he quickly suppressed it.

"Want to see?" Qingyunzi keenly sensed Luo Wen's thoughts.

“If I may,” Rowan said honestly, “I’m very interested in ancient history.”

"Then let's go take a look," Qingyunzi said with a smile. "Anyway, you all need to rest for a few days, so reading a book is good for you."

Led by Qingyunzi, the three arrived at the library. The collection here was astonishing, containing everything from martial arts techniques to cosmic history, from studies of laws to records of civilizations.

"Feel free to look around," Qingyunzi said generously. "However, some books have special protection; if you can't open them, it means your time hasn't come yet."

The three began to immerse themselves in the sea of ​​books. Although they couldn't understand many of the profound classics, the historical records broadened their horizons. They realized that the history of the universe was far more fascinating and complex than they had imagined.

"The cosmic wars recorded here were more intense than any conflict we've seen since," Hong said, flipping through a history book. "The powerful figures of that time were truly admirable."

"Moreover, the level of civilization at that time was quite high," Thor said, looking at another book, "and some technologies were even more advanced than they are now."

Rowan then focused on finding records about the Lord of Darkness. In a book called "The Record of Ancient Demons," he found some valuable information.

"The Lord of Darkness was originally named Light and Darkness, and was once a guardian who maintained the balance of the universe," Rowan read from the book, "but in an accident, he was corrupted by ancient evil forces and fell into becoming a destroyer."

This information is basically consistent with what Qingyunzi said before, but there is more detailed content in the book.

"The book says that to completely purify the evil of the Lord of Darkness, one needs to find the Heart of Light and Darkness," Rowan continued reading, "the last bit of light he left behind before his fall."

"The Heart of Light and Darkness?" Silvermoon asked upon hearing the term. "What is that?"

“According to records, the Heart of Light and Darkness is a special artifact, containing a perfect balance of light and darkness,” Rowan explained. “If we can find it, it might be possible to purify the Lord of Darkness, rather than simply sealing or destroying him.”

This discovery excited all three of them. If a method of purification truly existed, it meant they wouldn't need to fight to the death, but could potentially solve the problem at its root.

(End of this chapter)