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

Chapter 514 Disastrous Consequences!

“Father…I want Father…” she cried out.

“Don’t be afraid, your father is waiting for you outside,” a soldier comforted you. “We’ll take you to see him right away.”

The other people who had been taken away were also rescued. Except for one elderly man who had lost consciousness due to excessive blood loss and needed emergency treatment, the injuries of the others were not too serious.

The team led the rescued people out of the cave.

Outside the cave, the middle-aged man was still waiting. When he saw his daughter being rescued, tears welled up in his eyes, and he rushed forward to hug her tightly.

"Xiaoyun! My daughter! I'm so glad you're alright, so glad you're alright..."

Xiaoyun hugged her father tightly and cried her heart out.

Watching this scene, Luo Wen felt a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.

These ordinary people on Earth are utterly defenseless against evil spirits. If it weren't for the existence of the Mysterious Bureau, they would be at the mercy of these evil spirits, slaughtering them at their own expense. However, the Mysterious Bureau is severely understaffed and simply cannot protect everyone.

"If the ancient star beasts awaken, what will happen to the humans on this planet...?" Rowan dared not continue thinking.

He must locate the ancient star beast as soon as possible and report it to the Virtual Universe Company. Only in this way can the problem be solved at its root.

The team, carrying the wounded and the rescued, returned to Qingshi Village.

The villagers wept with joy upon seeing their loved ones rescued. The middle-aged man knelt before Luo Wen and Zhou Qing, repeatedly kowtowing in gratitude.

"Our benefactors! You are our greatest benefactors!"

"Get up quickly," Zhou Qing helped him up, "This is what our Mysterious Bureau should do."

After resting in Qingshi Village, the team headed to two other attacked villages to clear out the remaining evil spirits and treat the wounded.

After a busy day, everything was finally finished by evening.

Zhou Qing decided to spend the night in Liujiazhuang and return to Yunxi Town the next day.

That evening, the warriors of the Mysterious Bureau sat around the campfire, eating simple rations and chatting about their experiences that day.

"Today was really dangerous," Ah Hu said, stretching his injured shoulder. "If it weren't for Young Master Luo's intervention, at least several of us would have died."

“Yes,” another warrior nodded, “Young Master Luo is too strong. Those seven Dark Night Wolves couldn’t even last ten breaths against him.”

“I’ve never seen anyone this strong,” another warrior said. “Just who is Young Master Luo? How does he possess such high cultivation?”

All eyes turned to Rowan, who was sitting to the side.

Rowan smiled slightly: "I am merely a wandering swordsman, with no special background."

“Young Master Luo is too modest,” Zhou Qing said, walking over and sitting down next to Luo Wen. “With your abilities, you could easily rank in the top ten even within our Mysterious Bureau.”

"You flatter me, Lord Zhou."

Zhou Qing handed Luo Wen a piece of dry rations and a pot of water: "Young Master Luo, we are so grateful for your help these past two days. Otherwise, we don't know how many people we would have lost. On behalf of the Mysterious Bureau, I express my gratitude to you."

“Lord Zhou, you’re too kind,” Luo Wen said, accepting the rations. “I’m glad I could be of help.”

The two were silent for a while.

Luo Wen remembered his question and asked, "Lord Zhou, I have something I'd like to ask you."

"Young Master Luo, please speak."

“Where did these evil spirits come from?” Rowan asked. “I mean, where did they first appear? Is there a…source?”

Zhou Qing was stunned for a moment, a complicated look flashing in his eyes.

“The source…” he murmured, “Why would Young Master Luo ask this question?”

“I’m investigating something,” Rowan said. “If we can find the source of the evil, maybe we can solve the problem at its root.”

Zhou Qing remained silent for a long time.

The soldiers around him also stopped talking and looked at Zhou Qing with different expressions.

“Young Master Luo,” Zhou Qing finally spoke, “this matter… is a top secret of the Mysterious Bureau. Logically, I shouldn’t tell outsiders.”

“I understand,” Rowan nodded. “If Lord Zhou finds it inconvenient, then just pretend I didn’t ask.”

“No,” Zhou Qing shook his head, “After spending these past two days with him, I can tell that Young Master Luo is an upright and kind person. You saved me twice without asking for anything in return; we, the Mysterious Bureau, cannot forget this kindness. And…”

He paused, looking into Rowan's eyes: "Furthermore, I have a feeling that Young Master Luo's visit here is probably not just for 'traveling the world.' You're investigating evil spirits, aren't you?"

Luo Wen did not deny it: "Lord Zhou's intuition is very accurate."

“I knew it,” Zhou Qing said with a wry smile. “Young Master Luo is so strong, and so interested in evil spirits; he couldn’t possibly be an ordinary swordsman. However, I won’t pry into your background or purpose. I only know that you are helping us, and that’s enough.”

He took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind.

“Alright, I'll tell you. The source of evil... does indeed exist.”

Rowan's eyes lit up slightly.

“Eight hundred years ago, evil spirits first appeared on this land,” Zhou Qing said slowly. “At that time, the number of evil spirits was extremely large, and they were incredibly ferocious, almost wiping out humanity. Martial artists from all over united and waged a fierce battle against the evil spirits.”

"That great battle lasted a full ten years, resulting in countless deaths and injuries. Ultimately, the warriors discovered the source of the evil—a breach located deep within the Dragon Vein Mountains."

"A gap?" Rowan's heart skipped a beat.

“Yes, a gap,” Zhou Qing nodded. “According to records, it was a huge, bottomless rift that constantly spewed out demonic energy and evil spirits. Martial artists tried to seal the rift, but they could never succeed. The demonic energy was too strong; any seal would be broken.”

"And then?" Rowan pressed.

"Later..." Zhou Qing's tone turned heavy, "The then leader of the martial arts alliance, who later became the first head of the Mysterious Bureau—a peerless master named 'Yuan Zhenzi'—made a startling decision."

"He sacrificed his own life and all his cultivation to unleash a forbidden technique, using his own body to suppress the breach."

Upon hearing this, Luo Wen felt a complex mix of emotions.

"He... used his own body to suppress the breach?"

“Yes,” Zhou Qing nodded, “Yuan Zhenzi transformed his physical body into a seal, forever suppressing it upon that crack. Since then, the demonic energy gushing from the breach has greatly decreased, and the number of evil spirits has also plummeted. The remaining warriors seized the opportunity to encircle and annihilate the remaining evil spirits, ultimately quelling the catastrophe.”

"To commemorate Yuan Zhenzi's sacrifice, the surviving warriors established the Bureau of Mysteries, dedicated to monitoring and eliminating evil spirits. The place where Yuan Zhenzi suppressed the breach is known as 'Demon-Suppressing Abyss,' a sacred site of the Bureau of Mysteries and its top secret."

Rowan was silent for a moment, then asked, "Where is the Demon-Suppressing Abyss?"

Zhou Qing hesitated for a moment, but finally said, "Deepest in the Dragon Vein Mountains, there's a place called 'Nether Valley'." "Nether Valley..." Luo Wen silently memorized the name.

“Young Master Luo,” Zhou Qing said solemnly, “the Demon-Suppressing Abyss is the highest secret of the Mysterious Bureau, and only a handful of people know about it. I’m telling you this because I trust you. But I must warn you, it’s extremely dangerous. Even with Yuan Zhenzi’s seal still intact, the demonic energy around the Demon-Suppressing Abyss is incredibly dense, making it impossible for ordinary people to approach. Even among the Mysterious Bureau, very few have been able to enter the Demon-Suppressing Abyss.”

“I understand,” Rowan nodded. “Thank you for informing me, Lord Zhou.”

"Are you planning to go to the Demon-Suppressing Abyss?" Zhou Qing asked.

“I need to see it for myself,” Rowan said. “If that really is the source of the evil, perhaps I can find a way to completely solve the problem.”

Zhou Qing gave Luo Wen a deep look.

“Young Master Luo, I don’t know your background, nor why you are so obsessed with evil spirits,” he said, “but I can sense that you genuinely want to help the people of this land. Therefore, I will not stop you. Just… please be careful.”

“I will,” Rowan said. “Thank you for your trust, Lord Zhou.”

The soldiers around him had been listening quietly, and now they began to speak up as well.

"Young Master Luo, are you really going to the Demon-Suppressing Abyss?" Ah Hu asked worriedly. "It's too dangerous there. It's said that even experts at the True Qi Realm have never returned."

“Yes, Young Master Luo,” another warrior said, “while your strength is formidable, the Demon-Suppressing Abyss is no ordinary place. The evil spirits there… are said to include those of higher rank.”

“Thank you all for your concern,” Rowan said with a smile, “but I must go and see. Don’t worry, I won’t take any unnecessary risks.”

Seeing that Luo Wen had made up his mind, the others did not try to persuade him any further.

Zhou Qing took out a token from his pocket and handed it to Luo Wen.

“This is the token of the Mysterious Bureau,” he said. “With this, you can get help from the Mysterious Bureau's branches in various locations. I don't know how much it will help, but it's better than nothing.”

Rowan took the token and felt its weight.

“Thank you very much, Lord Zhou,” he said, carefully putting away the token. “I will remember this favor.”

"Don't talk about feelings," Zhou Qing waved his hand, "You've saved us so many times, what's a little something like this? We just hope you can return safely."

"must."

The campfire crackled as everyone sat around it, continuing their conversation.

Looking at these honest and kind people, Luo Wen secretly made up his mind.

"The Demon-Suppressing Abyss... Yuan Zhenzi... the gap..." He pondered this information silently. "If I'm not mistaken, that gap is very likely the place where the ancient star beast slumbers. Yuan Zhenzi used his own body to suppress the gap, effectively sealing off the channel through which the ancient star beast released its energy."

"But this kind of seal is ultimately not a long-term solution. As time goes by, the seal gradually weakens, and the energy released by the ancient star beasts gradually increases. This is why there are more and more evil spirits."

"If the seal completely fails, the ancient star beasts will awaken..."

Rowan dared not think any further.

He must go to the Demon-Suppressing Abyss as soon as possible to confirm the situation with his own eyes and then report to the Virtual Universe Company.

This is his task, and also his responsibility.

The team returned to Yunxi Town early the next morning.

Luo Wen bid farewell to Zhou Qing and the others, preparing to head to the Dragon Vein Mountains alone.

"Young Master Luo, take care," Zhou Qing said, clasping his hands in farewell. "I look forward to seeing you again."

"Take care, Lord Zhou," Luo Wen returned the greeting, "and take care, everyone."

Ah Hu and the other warriors also bid farewell to Luo Wen, some with tears in their eyes. Although they had only spent two days together, Luo Wen's character and strength had left a deep impression on them.

"Young Master Luo, you must come back safely!" Ah Hu shouted.

"I will."

Rowan turned and walked north.

His figure gradually disappeared into the morning mist, leaving only the members of the Mysterious Bureau standing there, watching him go.

"Lord Zhou," Ah Hu asked, "do you think Young Master Luo can succeed?"

Zhou Qing was silent for a moment, then said, "I don't know. But I believe that if someone can do it, that person is him."

He turned around and looked in the direction of the Dragon Vein Mountains.

There, towering peaks shrouded in mist stand majestically, as if concealing endless secrets.

And in the deepest recesses of those secrets, something that has slumbered for countless years is slowly awakening…

Rowan swiftly traversed the wilderness and forests, heading towards the Dragon Vein Mountains.

He no longer deliberately suppressed his speed. Running at full speed, he covered most of the distance that would take an ordinary person several days to complete in just half a day.

As the Dragon Vein Mountains drew closer, the familiar energy fluctuations grew stronger.

Luo Wen could sense that the fluctuation was the same energy he had perceived at Luoyan Mountain, only the intensity was completely different. The energy fluctuation at Luoyan Mountain was like a thin stream of water, while the energy fluctuation here was like a surging river, majestic and profound.

"It really is here," Rowan thought to himself. "The true form of the ancient star beast is in the Demon-Suppressing Abyss deep within the Dragon Vein Mountains."

He continued forward, getting closer and closer to the core area of ​​the Dragon Vein Mountains.

The surrounding environment was also changing. The vegetation was becoming sparser, the air was growing colder, and occasionally unsettling fluctuations could be felt. These fluctuations carried an ancient and mysterious aura, inspiring fear.

"The demonic aura is growing stronger," Rowan thought to himself. "It seems we're not far from the Demon-Suppressing Abyss."

He slowed his pace and moved forward more cautiously.

According to Zhou Qing's description, the Demon-Suppressing Abyss is located in the Netherworld Valley, the deepest part of the Dragon Vein Mountains. It is the place with the densest demonic energy in the entire Eastern Continent, and even experts from the Mysterious Bureau find it difficult to enter.

Although Rowan's strength far surpassed that of any martial artist on Earth, he dared not be careless. If there truly were ancient star beasts slumbering there, any rash action could lead to disastrous consequences.

"Let's find out the situation first," he thought to himself, "and confirm the state and location of the ancient star beast before making any plans."

He continued deeper into the Dragon Vein Mountains.

Along the way, he encountered several evil spirits, but he easily dealt with them all. These evil spirits were not very strong; the strongest was only at the lower seventh level, posing no threat to him whatsoever.

But he noticed that these evil spirits all carried a peculiar aura, slightly different from the evil spirits he had encountered before. This aura was more intense, more...ancient.

(End of this chapter)