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

Chapter 505 One of the top-tier cultivation techniques!

"Lightning?" A hint of surprise flashed in the creature's eyes.

But that's about it.

It merely tilted its head slightly, dodging Rowan's attack. The crimson blade flashed past its ear, piercing the rock behind it and exploding with a deafening roar, creating a huge crater.

“Interesting,” the creature nodded. “That move was quite powerful; if it had hit, it could have caused me some damage. Unfortunately, you were too slow.”

It struck again, this time even faster than before.

Rowan didn't even have time to see its movements before he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Looking down, he saw five deep claw marks on the breastplate of the Dark Abyss Armor, which had almost been torn apart.

"Cough!" Rowan coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Although the Dark Abyss Armor blocked most of the damage, the impact still injured his internal organs.

"A mid-grade B-rank battle armor?" The creature examined Rowan's Dark Abyss Armor. "No wonder it withstood my attack. But, if it can withstand the first blow, can it withstand the second?"

It struck again, its claws flashing like lightning as it reached for Rowan.

Rowan tried his best to dodge, but the creature was too fast; he couldn't avoid it at all. Its claws slashed at the Dark Abyss Armor again and again, leaving claw marks upon claw marks.

"Ding ding ding ding!"

The ear-piercing clang of metal clashing rang out continuously. Rowan was being forced back step by step, completely unable to fight back.

"Damn it..." Rowan gritted his teeth, a surge of resentment rising in his heart.

The gap between the Domain Lord level and the Stellar level was greater than he had imagined. His prized Blood Luo Eight Styles were utterly inadequate in front of this creature. His speed, strength, and reaction time were all completely crushed.

"You've done your best," the creature stopped its attack, looking down at Rowan. "As a seventh-tier stellar-level human warrior, you've done remarkably well to have lasted this long against me. But the game should end."

It raised its claws, ready to deliver the final blow to Rowan.

"Any last words?"

Rowan stared at the claw, countless thoughts flashing through his mind.

The smiling faces of her parents, Luo Shuang's voice, the teachings of the Blood King...

"No, I can't die here!" Rowan roared inwardly. "I have so much to do, so many people waiting for me to return. I can't die like this!"

An unprecedented power surged from his body.

That was the potential hidden deep within his body, the essence passed down to him by the Blood King, and the final power he unleashed at the critical moment of life and death.

"Blood Luo Eight Forms, Sixth Form..."

Luo Wen spoke slowly, his voice hoarse but firm.

"Blood Frenzy!"

A crimson light erupted from his body. This light, like flames, burned and leaped around him. His eyes turned blood red, and his aura surged dramatically, breaking through the seventh-tier limit of the Stellar level and charging towards the eighth-tier!
“This is…” The creature was stunned.

It sensed the changes in Rowan and a hint of surprise flashed in its eyes for the first time.

"Unleashing potential? Unleashing hidden power in a life-or-death situation?" it murmured. "Interesting... You're the first person in all these years to have done that in front of me."

Rowan didn't answer. He was incapable of speaking, or even thinking. His consciousness was consumed by a violent force, and his only thought was—fight! Kill!

"Roar!"

Rowan let out a roar and shot forward. This time, he was several times faster than before, almost matching the speed of the creature.

"Oh?" The creature's eyes lit up. "The speed has increased that much?"

The Centipede Shadow Blade slashed out, crackling with crimson light and lightning, hurtling towards the creature. This strike was more powerful than any of the previous attacks.

This time, the creature didn't dodge; instead, it stretched out its claws and met the attack head-on.

"boom!"

The blades and claws clashed, unleashing a devastating shockwave. The surrounding ground was torn apart, rocks were shattered, and the air was filled with the aftershocks of energy.

"Excellent!" the creature exclaimed. "This attack already possesses the power of a ninth-tier stellar-level attack!"

But its claws still firmly blocked Rowan's attack. Although Rowan's power had increased significantly, the gap between the Domain Lord level and the Stellar level was still insurmountable.

“Unfortunately, it’s still not enough,” the creature shook its head.

Its other claw lashed out, aiming straight for Rowan's waist.

In his berserk state, Rowan's reactions became much slower. He didn't have time to dodge, and the claws dug hard into his waist.

"Boom!"

The Dark Abyss Armor finally gave way, and the armor plates at the waist shattered. Five deep claw marks appeared on Rowan's waist, and blood gushed out.

"Ah!" Rowan roared in pain.

But he did not fall. He swung his sword backhand and slashed at the creature's arm.

"laugh!"

The strike finally worked. The Centipede Shadow Blade cleaved through the scales on the creature's arm, leaving a shallow wound on its skin.

"You hurt me?!" The creature looked down at the wound on its arm, an expression of disbelief on its face.

For three hundred years, it has hunted down thousands of martial artists, and no one has ever been able to harm it. But now, a human martial artist at the seventh level of the Stellar Realm has actually left a wound on it!
"Interesting...this is truly fascinating!" Far from being angry, the creature burst into laughter. "You are the most interesting prey I've encountered in the last three hundred years! I've decided, I will kill you slowly and enjoy the process!"

Its aura began to rise, clearly indicating that it was preparing to get serious.

Rowan felt the oppressive aura, and a sense of despair welled up in his heart.

He had used all his strength and unleashed his hidden potential, but he still couldn't defeat this enemy. A Domain Lord-level being was an insurmountable chasm for him at his current level.

"Could it be... that I'm really going to die here?" The thought flashed through Rowan's mind.

Just then, a thunderous sound suddenly echoed from the sky:
"stop!"

The creature paused, then looked up at the sky. Rowan also instinctively looked up.

A golden light was rapidly approaching from the sky. The light moved with incredible speed, arriving above the battlefield in the blink of an eye.

As the light faded, a figure clad in golden armor appeared in the air.

It was a middle-aged man with a dignified face and an aura as deep and unfathomable as the sea. He exuded a terrifying pressure, far stronger than that of the humanoid creature.

"Domain Lord level... Tier 3? No, Tier 4!" The humanoid creature's expression changed drastically. "People from the Virtual Universe Company?!"

“Balkan,” the golden-armored man said coldly, looking at the creature, “I have searched for you for three hundred years, and you have finally shown yourself.”

“Who…who are you? How do you know my name?” the creature called Balkan asked in terror.

“I am Thunder, the enforcement chief of the Dark Star branch of the Virtual Universe Company,” the golden-armored man said. “Over the past three hundred years, more than five thousand martial artists have gone missing on Dark Star. We have been investigating the cause, but we have never been able to find the culprit. Unexpectedly, the culprit is hiding underground in the Shadow Wasteland.”

"How did you find this place?" Balkan asked. "My domain can block all communication signals!"

“Indeed, ordinary communication signals will be blocked by your domain,” Thunder said. “But you forgot, advanced battle suits are equipped with emergency beacons. When the wearer's vital signs fluctuate drastically, the beacon automatically activates, sending a distress signal to the nearest base. This signal acts directly through space, and your domain cannot block it.”

Rowan's heart skipped a beat. He remembered; the Dark Abyss Armor was a Grade B battle armor and did indeed have an emergency beacon function. Master Karl had mentioned it when he delivered the equipment, but he hadn't paid much attention at the time. Unexpectedly, this function saved his life in a critical moment.

“Damn it…” Balkan gritted his teeth.

It knew it had met a formidable opponent today. A fourth-tier Domain Lord was far stronger than it. If it fought head-on, it would surely die.

“I surrender,” Balkan suddenly said. “I am willing to submit and accept the judgment of Virtual Universe Corporation.”

"Surrender?" Thunder sneered. "You've killed over five thousand martial artists, and now you're talking about surrendering? Too late."

He raised his hand, and a golden bolt of lightning shot out from his palm, heading straight for Balkan.

“No—” Balkan shouted.

It tried to dodge, but the lightning attack was too fast, too fast for it to react. Golden lightning struck its body, raging within it.

"Ah!!!" Balkan let out a shrill scream.

Its body began to disintegrate, scales fell off, and blood and flesh splattered everywhere. In just a few seconds, this terrifying being that had dominated the Shadow Wasteland for three hundred years was reduced to a pile of charred remains.

Luo Wen was deeply shocked by what he saw.

Is the strength of a fourth-tier Domain Lord so much greater than that of a first-tier Domain Lord? Balkan was practically invincible in front of him, but he couldn't even withstand a single move from Thunder.

"Are you alright?" Lightning landed in front of Rowan, examining his injuries.

"Thank you for saving me, senior," Luo Wen said, forcing himself to stand up straight and clasping his hands in a fist salute. "My name is Luo Wen, and I am a member of Virtual Universe Company."

“I know you,” Thunder nodded, “a student of the Blood King. It’s quite impressive that you’ve managed to withstand a Domain Lord-level enemy for so long and even injure it.”

"You flatter me, senior," Luo Wen said with a wry smile. "If you hadn't arrived in time, I would be dead here today."

“This is my duty,” Thunder said. “As the chief law enforcement officer, it is my responsibility to protect the martial artists who come to Dark Star for training. For the past three hundred years, I have been investigating the reasons for the disappearances of martial artists, but I have never been able to find the culprit. I never expected that the culprit was hiding underground in the Shadow Wasteland, using a domain to shield himself from all detection.”

He glanced at the wreckage of Balkan, a flash of anger in his eyes: "More than five thousand lives, swallowed up by it. If it had been discovered sooner, so many people wouldn't have died."

“Senior, there’s no need to blame yourself,” Rowan said. “This Balkan is too cunning. It specifically targets lone martial artists and even cleans up the scene. Even you, senior, would have had a hard time detecting its presence.”

Thunder sighed and said nothing more.

“Your injury is quite serious,” he said, looking at the wound on Rowan’s waist. “I’ll take you back to base so the medical staff can treat you.”

"Thank you, senior."

Thunder, supporting Rowan, took to the air and flew towards the base.

Rowan glanced back at the Shadow Wasteland, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.

This experience made him acutely aware of his shortcomings. Although he was already a seventh-tier stellar-level martial artist, virtually unmatched on Earth, in the universe, he was still just a minor figure. Domain Lord-level beings remained unattainable for him.

"I must train even harder," Rowan thought to himself. "Only by becoming stronger can I survive in this dangerous universe."

He closed his eyes and began to recall the battle that had just taken place.

At the critical moment of life and death, he unleashed the sixth move of the Blood Luo Eight Styles—Blood Frenzy. This move was taught to him by the Blood Luo King, but he had been unable to comprehend it before. Unexpectedly, at this critical moment of life and death, he accidentally used it.

"Blood Frenzy..." Rowan silently comprehended the profound meaning of this move.

The essence of this technique lies in unleashing potential and burning life force to significantly boost strength in a short period. Although it has significant side effects, it is a life-saving weapon in times of crisis.

"If I can fully master this technique, my combat power will increase by at least 50%," Rowan thought. "I'll make this my goal for the rest of my training."

After flying for about half an hour, they returned to base.

Rowan was taken to a medical center for treatment. Although his injuries were serious, with the help of high-tech medical equipment, his condition quickly stabilized.

Thunder then went to write a report to inform the Virtual Universe Corporation headquarters of the incident. Balkan's appearance exposed security vulnerabilities on Dark Star. The company must strengthen its monitoring of the training base to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

Three days later, Rowan's injuries healed and he left the medical center.

The Thunder came to visit him and told him some good news.

"The company is very satisfied with your performance this time," Thunder said. "You not only discovered Balkan's existence, but also held out against it for so long, buying us time for a rescue. As a reward, the company has decided to gift you a Domain Lord-level cultivation technique and a bonus of one million cosmic crystals."

"A cultivation technique at the Domain Lord level?" Luo Wen's eyes lit up.

The cultivation technique he is currently practicing was taught by the Blood King, but it is only an introductory-level technique, which can only help him cultivate to the ninth level of the Stellar level. If he wants to break through to the Domain Lord level, he must learn a more advanced technique.

“That’s right,” Thunder nodded. “This cultivation technique is called ‘Starry Sky Technique,’ one of the top-tier techniques treasured by the Virtual Universe Company. Only members who have made significant contributions to the company are eligible to receive it. You’ve helped us find the murderer who has been hiding for three hundred years; you absolutely deserve this reward.”

"Thank you for the company, thank you for your help, senior," Luo Wen said, clasping his hands in thanks.

"No need to thank me, you deserve it," Thunder patted Rowan on the shoulder. "Cultivate diligently and strive to break through to the Domain Lord level as soon as possible. With your talent, it shouldn't be long."

“I will try my best,” Rowan said.

After seeing Lei Ting off, Luo Wen returned to his room and began studying the Starry Sky Technique, a gift from the company.

(End of this chapter)