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

Chapter 520 Controlling the Pace!

"By the way, Brother Luo," Lin Feng added, "are you going to the martial arts tournament next month?"

"A martial arts tournament?"

“Yes, every year around this time, Tianqi City hosts a large-scale martial arts tournament,” Lin Feng explained. “Martial artists from all over come to participate, and the winners receive generous rewards. I heard that this year’s prize is a ‘century-old Ganoderma lucidum,’ which is very helpful for cultivation.”

"A century-old Ganoderma lucidum..." Luo Wen thought for a moment, "Do you want to participate?"

"I'd like to, but with my skill level, I'd be eliminated in the first round anyway," Lin Feng said with a wry smile. "But it'll be good to go and watch the excitement, to see the martial arts skills of various masters."

“Let’s go take a look,” Rowan said.

"That's great!" Lin Feng exclaimed with delight. "Brother Luo, you'll have to explain things to us later. Zhao Xue and I are both complete beginners, and there's a lot we don't understand."

"it is good."

Zhao Xue looked up at Luo Wen and said softly, "Thank you, Mr. Luo."

Rowan smiled slightly: "You're welcome."

The days passed like this.

Rowan's merits in the Mysterious Bureau have steadily increased, approaching four thousand points. Soon, he will gain the right to learn sealing techniques.

Meanwhile, Lin Feng and Zhao Xue's strength was also rapidly improving. Under Luo Wen's guidance, their cultivation levels had both risen to the second level of the Qi Circulation Realm, and their combat abilities were several times stronger than before.

That day, the three of them ate noodles at a small shop in the north of the city.

"Brother Luo, did you know?" Lin Feng said while eating noodles, "There's been a rumor in the city lately that a very powerful evil spirit has appeared in the desolate mountains to the north and has already killed several hunters."

"What level of evil spirit?" Rowan asked.

"I heard it's a mid-level one," Lin Feng said in a low voice, "The Mysterious Bureau has sent people to investigate, but there haven't been any results yet."

“A mid-level evil spirit…” Rowan frowned.

A mid-level evil spirit is equivalent to a martial artist at the True Qi Realm, which is considered quite powerful on Earth. If it really appears in the desolate mountains north of the city, it would indeed be a problem.

"Brother Luo, are you planning to go take a look?" Lin Feng asked.

Rowan thought for a moment and nodded.

"It's good to go and take a look; it'll give you a chance for real-world practice."

Lin Feng and Zhao Xue exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of excitement and nervousness in each other's eyes.

A mid-level evil spirit... This will be the strongest enemy they have encountered since joining the company.

"Brother Luo, we will definitely not let you down!" Lin Feng said confidently, clenching his fist.

Zhao Xue didn't speak, but her hand was already on the hilt of her sword, her eyes flashing with fighting spirit.

Rowan looked at the two of them and smiled slightly.

"Then let's get ready. We'll set off first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yes!"

The two responded in unison, their eyes filled with anticipation.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lin Feng and Zhao Xue arrived at Luo Wen's residence.

Both men had changed into brand-new, close-fitting outfits, checked their weapons, and were in high spirits. Clearly, they had both had a good night's rest and were well-prepared for today's mission.

"Brother Luo, we're ready!" Lin Feng said excitedly, his eyes gleaming with eager anticipation.

Although Zhao Xue did not speak, her grip on the sword hilt betrayed her nervousness and anticipation.

Rowan glanced at the two of them and nodded.

"Let's go."

The three left Qingfeng Lane and headed north of the city.

Tianqi City is very large; it takes almost an hour to walk from the East District to the North Gate. Along the way, Lin Feng kept talking about the rumors surrounding that mid-level evil spirit.

"I heard that evil spirit is a huge black bear, its fur as hard as iron, impervious to swords and spears," Lin Feng said. "It has already killed three hunters, eating them down to their bones. The villagers nearby are too scared to go out."

"Where did you get your information from?" Rowan asked.

"There's a teahouse in the north of the city; that's where the best news comes from," Lin Feng chuckled. "I often go there to drink tea and listen to gossip."

Zhao Xue glanced at him: "You seem to have some free time."

"Hey, that's called intelligence gathering!" Lin Feng scoffed. "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

Luo Wen remained silent, lost in thought.

A mid-level evil spirit is equivalent to a martial artist at the True Qi Realm, which is indeed a huge challenge for Lin Feng and Zhao Xue, who are only at the second level of the Qi Circulation Realm. But this is also a good opportunity for them to train—only by experiencing real life-or-death battles can they grow rapidly.

Of course, he wouldn't let the two of them actually get into danger. He was ready to intervene at any time if things went wrong.

After exiting the north gate, the three walked north along the official road.

After walking for about an hour, a range of hills appeared ahead. Those were the barren mountains north of the city. Because the land was infertile, few people lived there, and only some hunters would occasionally go in to hunt.

"This is it," Lin Feng said, pointing to the hills ahead. "Evil spirits lurk in this area."

Rowan released his mental energy and scanned the surrounding environment.

The desolate mountains are vast, stretching for dozens of miles, with complex terrain including valleys, dense forests, and streams. If evil spirits are hiding there, finding them will certainly require considerable effort.

“I sensed its presence,” Rowan said. “It’s to the northeast, about five miles away.”

"Five li?" Lin Feng's eyes widened. "Brother Luo, you can sense it from that far away?"

"Enough talk, keep up."

The three quickened their pace and headed northeast.

Along the way, Rowan frequently explained techniques for tracking evil spirits to the two of them.

“Look here,” he pointed to a mark on the ground, “these are claw marks left by an evil spirit. Judging from the depth and spacing of the claw marks, this evil spirit was enormous, at least three meters tall and weighing over a thousand kilograms.”

Lin Feng squatted down to examine the claw print closely, clicking his tongue in amazement: "This claw print is bigger than my head!"

“Look at this tree,” Rowan pointed to a large, broken tree nearby, “it was broken by an evil spirit. Judging from how fresh the break is, it was here no more than half a day ago.”

Zhao Xue listened attentively and silently memorized the information.

“The most important thing in tracking evil spirits is observation and analysis,” Rowan continued. “Although evil spirits are ferocious, their behavior still follows certain patterns. As long as you grasp these patterns, you can predict their actions and gain the upper hand.”

"Brother Luo, you know so much!" Lin Feng said admiringly.

Rowan did not answer and continued walking forward.

After walking for about half an hour, the three arrived at the entrance of a valley.

The valley was flanked by steep cliffs, with a winding path running through the middle. The valley was overgrown with vegetation, blocking out the sun and casting a dim light. A foul, fishy odor permeated the air, clearly indicating the lair of evil spirits.

“It’s inside,” Rowan said. “Are you ready?”

Lin Feng took a deep breath and drew his long sword from his waist: "Ready!"

Zhao Xue also drew her longsword, her eyes sharpening: "Ready."

“Okay,” Rowan nodded. “Remember what I taught you before: stay calm and cooperate with each other. Don’t panic if you encounter danger; I’ll be watching.”

"Yes!" The three of them carefully entered the valley.

The atmosphere in the valley was extremely oppressive, with rotting plants and animal skeletons everywhere. Scattered on the ground were some torn clothes and weapons, clearly left behind by hunters who had died earlier.

"How awful..." Lin Feng said softly, his face pale.

Zhao Xue's expression remained unchanged, but she gripped her sword even tighter.

Luo Wen walked behind the two, observing the surroundings discreetly.

He had already sensed the exact location of the evil spirit—in a cave deep in the valley. The evil spirit was resting and seemed unaware of their arrival.

“There’s a cave ahead,” Rowan whispered. “The evil spirit is inside.”

Lin Feng and Zhao Xue exchanged a glance, both seeing the tension in each other's eyes.

"What do we do?" Lin Feng asked. "Should we rush in?"

“No,” Rowan shook his head, “the evil spirit has the advantage of the terrain inside the cave; rushing in recklessly is too dangerous. The best way is to lure it out and fight it in open ground.”

"How do we attract it?"

Luo Wen thought for a moment, then picked up a stone from the ground and handed it to Lin Feng.

“Go around to the side of the cave and throw stones at it. It will be enraged and will definitely rush out to chase you. Lure it here, and Zhao Xue and I will ambush it.”

"I'll lead the way?" Lin Feng swallowed hard. "This...this is too exciting!"

"What, scared?" Zhao Xue said calmly.

"Who's afraid!" Lin Feng immediately puffed out his chest. "Do you think I, Lin Feng, am the kind of person who's afraid of trouble? It's just attracting some evil spirits, no big deal!"

He took the stone, took a deep breath, and began to feel his way toward the cave.

Luo Wen and Zhao Xue hid in the bushes on both sides of the valley, preparing to ambush.

About the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, a loud bang came from the cave, followed by Lin Feng shouting, "It's out! Run!"

Then, a huge black figure rushed out of the cave and ran wildly toward Lin Feng.

It was a gigantic black bear, several times larger than an ordinary bear, with a shoulder height exceeding three meters, and its entire body covered in jet-black fur. Its eyes were blood-red, and sharp fangs protruded from its mouth as it roared angrily.

"It's huge!" Lin Feng shouted as he ran, "It's even bigger than I imagined!"

He ran as fast as he could towards the center of the valley, with the evil black bear in hot pursuit.

"Zhao Xue, get ready!" Luo Wen shouted in a low voice.

Zhao Xue nodded and gripped the longsword in her hand tightly.

Lin Feng rushed into the ambush area, then rolled away, escaping the black bear's attack range.

The black bear missed its target and was about to continue its pursuit when it suddenly sensed a sharp killing intent coming from both sides.

"kill!"

Zhao Xue rushed out from the left, her longsword transforming into a cold light, piercing straight for the black bear's eyes.

Lin Feng also charged out from the right, his long sword swirling with a powerful gust of wind as he slashed at the black bear's hind leg.

The black bear reacted quickly, swinging its front paw to block Zhao Xue's sword. At the same time, it turned and swept its paw, forcing Lin Feng back.

"So hard!" Zhao Xue felt her hand go numb and almost dropped the sword.

The black bear's fur was indeed as hard as iron; her full-force sword strike only left a white mark on it.

"Don't fight it head-on, find its weakness!" Rowan shouted from the side.

Lin Feng and Zhao Xue immediately adjusted their tactics, abandoning direct attacks and instead began to circle around the black bear.

They harassed the black bear from both sides, launching attacks intermittently, but never lingering in combat. The black bear was disoriented and roared angrily, but couldn't catch either of them.

“Its armpits!” Rowan shouted again, “the hair is thinnest there!”

Lin Feng and Zhao Xue understood each other and began to consciously attack the black bear's armpits.

"I'll draw its attention!" Lin Feng shouted, charging head-on at the black bear.

The black bear was indeed attracted and raised its front paw to swat at Lin Feng.

In that instant, its armpits were exposed.

Zhao Xue seized the opportunity, her movements as swift as lightning, and thrust her sword towards the black bear's armpit.

"puff!"

The longsword pierced through, and blood gushed out.

"Roar—" The black bear roared in pain, wildly waving its front paws, trying to grab Zhao Xue.

Zhao Xue was prepared; she drew her sword and immediately retreated, dodging the black bear's attack.

"Well done!" Lin Feng exclaimed happily, "Keep going!"

The injured black bear became more agitated, but its movements also became noticeably slower.

Lin Feng and Zhao Xue continued their attack, relentlessly targeting the wound under its armpit. With each strike, the wound widened, causing it to bleed even more.

The black bear was gradually losing its strength.

Its movements grew slower and slower, and its roars grew weaker and weaker. Blood stained the ground, and a look of confusion began to appear in its eyes.

"The final blow!" Zhao Xue shouted, using all her strength to thrust her sword into the black bear's throat.

This sword strike was both accurate and ruthless, hitting the black bear squarely in its vital spot.

The black bear's body stiffened abruptly, then slowly collapsed, crashing to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

"We...we won?" Lin Feng asked in disbelief. "We really killed a mid-level evil spirit?"

Zhao Xue stood there, stunned, her chest heaving violently, clearly still recovering from the battle.

Rowan emerged from the bushes and examined the black bear's carcass.

“Dead already,” he nodded. “Well done.”

"That's great!" Lin Feng plopped down on the ground, panting heavily. "I was terrified! When that black bear chased me, I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest!"

Zhao Xue didn't speak, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, clearly indicating that she was also very happy.

"Your teamwork was better than I expected," Luo Wen commented. "Lin Feng was responsible for drawing attention, and Zhao Xue was responsible for attacking weaknesses. The division of labor was clear, and the execution was excellent. But there are still many areas for improvement."

"Please enlighten us, Brother Luo!" The two immediately sat up straight.

“First of all, your attack wasn’t powerful enough,” Rowan said. “Zhao Xue’s first sword strike pierced the black bear’s armpit; if the force had been greater, it could have pierced its heart and killed it instantly.”

Zhao Xue nodded and silently made a note of it.

“Secondly, your teamwork isn’t smooth enough,” Rowan continued. “Several times you attacked simultaneously, resulting in interference and giving the black bear a chance to catch its breath. You need to practice more to improve your coordination.”

"clear!"

"Finally, your mental fortitude needs improvement," Rowan said, looking at Lin Feng. "Lin Feng, you panicked when you were luring the black bear and almost got caught. If you could have been a little calmer, you would have been able to control the pace much better."

(End of this chapter)