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

Chapter 430 Unable to resist the urge to challenge

“That’s certainly good news,” Qingyunzi nodded from the side, “but the whereabouts of the Heart of Light and Darkness remains a mystery. Even our master couldn’t find a definite clue back then.”

“At least now we have a direction,” Rowan said, closing his book. “It’s better than acting blindly.”

After spending several hours in the library, the three of them rested at Qingyunzi's suggestion. The environment in this secret realm was indeed very suitable for recovery; not only was the air fresh, but it was also full of various beneficial energies.

"Why don't you stay here for a few days?" Qingyunzi said warmly. "The storm belt outside has been quite active lately, so it's not safe to go out right now."

"Then we'll have to trouble you, senior," the three said in unison.

The next morning, the three awoke to the sounds of birdsong and the fragrance of flowers. After a night of deep rest, their mental state was better than ever before. The abundant life energy in the secret realm not only completely eliminated their fatigue, but also made their understanding of the laws much clearer.

"How are you feeling?" Qingyunzi appeared before them with a smile, still holding the pot of Enlightenment Tea that never seemed to run out.

"It's better than ever before," Rowan said, stretching his body and feeling the surging power within him. "The environment here is truly magical, more effective than any cultivation holy land."

"Of course, every blade of grass and every tree here contains the master's understanding of the laws," Qingyunzi said proudly. "Rest in this environment is equivalent to constantly receiving guidance from top-tier experts."

The three exchanged glances, their shock deepening. How profound must one's cultivation be to make the environment itself contain insights into the laws of nature?

"Senior Qingyunzi," Thor inquired respectfully, "we would like to ask you some questions about martial arts cultivation. Would that be convenient?"

"Oh? What kind of bottleneck have you encountered?" Qingyunzi asked with interest.

"It's not a bottleneck, but rather that I feel my fighting style relies too heavily on the power of laws," Hong frankly stated. "In battles against those dark servants, I discovered that if the enemy could suppress my use of laws, my combat power would drop significantly."

“Indeed, this is a common problem among martial artists today,” Rowan expressed the same concern, “They rely too much on external power and neglect the body’s own potential.”

"An interesting observation," Qingyunzi nodded approvingly. "Your awareness of this issue shows you have good insight. Indeed, many martial artists, after reaching a high level, forget the most basic things."

"Could you perhaps offer some guidance on basic cultivation methods, senior?" Silver Moon joined the discussion. "I feel my close-combat skills are severely lacking."

Qingyunzi pondered for a moment, then suddenly revealed a mysterious smile: "Since you've asked, I'll arrange an interesting training for you. However, this training might be a bit special, so be prepared."

"What kind of training?" All three of them were very curious.

"Follow me," Qingyunzi didn't answer directly, but led them towards the Spirit Beast Garden.

On a wide-open meadow in the Spirit Beast Garden, Qingyunzi stopped. He let out a peculiar cry into the distance, a deep and resonant sound that seemed to contain a special rhythm.

Soon, the ground began to tremble slightly, and heavy footsteps echoed in the distance. A gigantic figure slowly approached, revealing its true form to the three.

It was a massive rhinoceros, nearly three meters tall and over five meters long when standing. Its skin was bronze-colored, covered with mysterious, shimmering patterns. Most striking was its enormous horn, over a meter long, with an incredibly sharp tip.

“This is Hanhan, my old friend,” Qingyunzi patted the rhinoceros’s head, and the rhinoceros gently rubbed against his hand. “Don’t let its憨厚 (simple and honest) appearance fool you, it’s actually a very powerful fellow.”

Indeed, this rhinoceros looked very gentle, with even a hint of naivety in its eyes. Its affectionate behavior towards Qingyunzi made it hard to imagine that it could be such a formidable opponent.

"Does Senior mean we should fight it?" Rowan asked uncertainly.

“That’s right, but there are special rules,” Qingyunzi said seriously. “You can only use physical strength; you are not allowed to use any power of laws. Furthermore, you can only attack with your fists and feet; you cannot use weapons.”

"Only fists and feet?" Thor frowned. "That would drastically reduce our offensive power."

“That’s precisely the purpose of the training,” Qingyunzi explained. “You’ve become too accustomed to relying on external forces; you need to rediscover your sense of power within your own bodies.”

"What are the goals of the training?" Hong asked, inquiring about the specific requirements.

"It's very simple. If you can attack Hanhan with your fists and feet without using any laws of power, you'll have succeeded," Qingyunzi said with a smile. "Don't underestimate this requirement; Hanhan is no ordinary spirit beast."

It seemed simple enough; after all, no matter how powerful a rhinoceros is, it's still just an animal. But the three of them quickly realized that things were definitely not as simple as they appeared.

"Silly boy, show them what you've got," Qingyunzi patted the rhinoceros's head.

The dog let out a low growl, and then suddenly moved.

In an instant, this seemingly clumsy rhinoceros displayed astonishing speed. Its figure almost transformed into a bolt of lightning, moving at high speed across the grassland, leaving a series of afterimages.

"What?" All three of them were stunned.

The creature's movement speed far exceeded their expectations, even surpassing some World Lord-level martial artists who specialized in speed. Even more astonishingly, its enormous body made no sound while moving at high speed, as if gliding silently.

"How...how is this possible?" Thor stared incredulously at the rhinoceros galloping across the grassland. "How can such a huge body move at such speed?"

“Moreover, there is absolutely no sound when moving,” Hong added. “This level of control surpasses that of many martial artists.”

“The clumsy race is called the Void Rhinoceros, a very rare spirit beast,” Qingyunzi explained. “They are born with a grasp of the mysteries of spatial laws, allowing them to move silently through space. Although they appear bulky, they are actually among the most agile creatures in the universe.”

Void Rhino? The three of them were hearing this name for the first time, but judging from the abilities that Hanhan had shown, it was indeed worthy of its name.

"Now you understand how difficult the training is, right?" Qingyunzi laughed. "Hanhan's speed and agility are top-notch. To attack it without using the power of laws, you need to rely entirely on your body's instincts and skills."

Indeed, against such a fast and agile opponent, traditional martial arts techniques might still have a chance of winning, but relying solely on hand-to-hand combat would be exponentially more difficult.

"Who wants to try first?" Qingyunzi asked.

“I’ll go first,” Rowan volunteered. Hanhan stopped its display of movement and stood obediently in the center of the grass, awaiting Rowan’s challenge. But the gleam in its eyes told everyone that it was ready for battle.

"Remember, you can only use your fists and feet, not any laws or powers," Qingyunzi emphasized the rule again. "Hanhan will control its strength and won't really hurt you, but its counterattacks are still very threatening."

Rowan took a deep breath, casting aside all thoughts of applying the laws, and focused entirely on his physical condition. He carefully felt the strength of his muscles, the support of his bones, and the flow of blood, trying to rediscover his most primal fighting instincts.

"Begin," Qingyunzi commanded.

Rowan immediately charged towards Hanhan. Although he wasn't slow, he was still significantly slower than Hanhan. Just as he approached Hanhan, the seemingly docile rhinoceros suddenly moved.

The goofy creature moved without warning, seemingly vanishing from its spot in an instant and then reappearing beside Rowan. If Rowan hadn't reacted quickly enough and narrowly avoided it, he would have been hit by the goofy creature's horns.

"So fast," Rowan steadied himself and reassessed his opponent.

The silly creature's attack didn't end there; it moved silently again, charging at Rowan from another angle. This time, Rowan was prepared and tried to dodge with a sidestep, but the silly creature unexpectedly changed direction during its movement and continued its pursuit.

"Its mobility is too great," Rowan analyzed as he dodged, "and it can change direction at will while moving at high speed."

After several attacks were easily dodged by Hanhan, Rowan began to adjust his strategy. He stopped blindly pursuing Hanhan and instead tried to predict his movement path.

But this Void Rhinoceros is far more intelligent than ordinary animals. It seems to be able to sense Rowan's intentions and always changes its movement pattern at crucial moments, making Rowan's predictions fail.

“No, we’ll never be able to hit it if we keep going like this,” Rowan stopped attacking and began to rethink.

"How is it?" Qingyunzi asked from the side, "Have you discovered any problems?"

"Its speed and agility far exceeded my expectations," Rowan answered honestly, "and it seemed able to anticipate my movements."

"That's because you're still using a martial artist's mindset," Qingyunzi reminded him. "Try to let go of those complex techniques and use your most primal instincts to feel."

The most primal instinct? Luo Wen pondered Qing Yunzi's words carefully. Indeed, he still habitually used various techniques and routines in battle, all of which were learned later in life.

“I’ll try again,” Rowan decided, changing his approach.

This time, he completely emptied his mind, no longer thinking about tactics or techniques, but relying entirely on his body's intuition. He closed his eyes and focused on feeling the presence of the simpleton.

A strange thing happened. Although he didn't use any laws or powers, Rowan seemed to be able to sense Hanhan's location and movement. This perception didn't come from mental power, but from a more primal instinct.

Opening his eyes, Rowan charged at Hanhan again. This time, his movements were more natural, without any unnecessary actions, completely following his body's instincts.

The clumsy creature continued to move quickly in an attempt to dodge, but this time it found Rowan's attacks more unpredictable. Rowan no longer focused on complex attack routes, but instead pursued it in the most direct way.

Finally, during a chase, Rowan's fist grazed the side of the simpleton. Although it didn't hit him head-on, it still made contact with his target.

"Not bad, you've improved," Qingyunzi praised. "You're starting to get the hang of it."

Indeed, although it was only a slight contact, it was already a major breakthrough. Rowan realized that letting go of those acquired skills and returning to his most primal instincts would actually allow him to unleash even greater combat power.

“Let me try too,” Thor eagerly stepped forward.

Hanhan returned to the center of the meadow, awaiting a new challenger. It seemed somewhat surprised by Rowan's performance, its eyes gleaming with even greater seriousness.

Thor's style differs from Rowan's; he's more direct and explosive. However, these advantages weren't utilized against the simpleton. The simpleton's mobility rendered Thor's explosive attacks completely ineffective.

"This guy's too slippery," Thor said, starting to get frustrated after several unsuccessful attacks. "It feels like fighting a shadow."

"Don't be impatient," Qingyunzi cautioned. "Impatientness will cloud your judgment. Hanhan is adept at exploiting his opponent's emotional fluctuations."

Indeed, as Thor grew more impatient, the goofy creature's counterattacks became even sharper. It seemed to be able to sense Thor's emotional shifts, always launching its attacks when Thor was at his most anxious.

"Calm down, calm down," Thor tried to control his emotions. "Don't let it control you."

After a period of adjustment, Thor began to get into the swing of things. He learned from Rowan's experience, trying to let go of techniques and act on instinct. Although his progress wasn't as obvious as Rowan's, he was gradually becoming able to threaten Lame.

“I’ll give it a try too,” Hong said, unable to resist the challenge after seeing his two brothers’ success.

Hong's approach was more cautious; he didn't rush to attack but instead observed Hanhan's movement patterns. Through careful observation, he discovered that although Hanhan's movements seemed random, they actually followed certain patterns.

“Interesting,” Hong observed and analyzed. “Its movement isn’t completely random; it’s rhythmic.”

Indeed, while the Void Rhinoceros can move silently, its biological instincts dictate that its behavior cannot be entirely random. With careful observation, some patterns can always be found.

Based on this discovery, Hong devised a more targeted tactic. He no longer blindly pursued, but instead gradually compressed Hanhan's movement space by controlling his own position.

This strategy was very effective. Hanhan found his room to move was getting smaller and smaller, and was forced to confront him head-on. In a close-quarters encounter, Hong Chenggong bumped Hanhan's side with his shoulder.

"Good," Qingyunzi applauded approvingly, "The three of you have all found different ways to break through."

Indeed, all three of them managed to attack the simpleton, but their methods were completely different. Rowan relied on instinct, Thor relied on emotional control, and Hong relied on rational analysis.

"Do you understand the purpose of this training now?" Qingyunzi asked.

"It's about helping us rediscover the power within our own bodies," Rowan concluded, "not relying on external laws or forces, but rather tapping into the body's potential."

(End of this chapter)