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

Chapter 521 This is an order!

Lin Feng scratched his head sheepishly, "I'll be more careful next time."

"Overall, the mission was completed well," Rowan said. "You've all improved."

"Thank you so much, Brother Luo!" the two said in unison.

Rowan nodded, looking at the black bear's corpse, and said, "Take out its demon core; it's proof of completing the mission."

"A demon core?" Lin Feng asked, puzzled.

“Even evil spirits possess a demon core within them, the source of their power,” Rowan explained. “Demon cores can be used to refine elixirs and magical artifacts, and are highly valuable. The rewards for missions from the Mysterious Bureau are calculated based on the level of the demon core.”

"I see!" Lin Feng suddenly realized, and immediately drew his knife, beginning to search for the demon core on the black bear's corpse.

After struggling for a while, he finally dug out a fist-sized black crystal from the black bear's chest.

"This is the demon core?" He held up the crystal, examining it curiously. "It looks quite beautiful."

“Let’s go,” Rowan said. “Mission accomplished, let’s go back and report.”

The three left the valley and returned the way they came.

On the way back to the city, Lin Feng excitedly recounted the battle he had just fought, gesturing wildly and talking animatedly.

"Did you see that? My roll was absolutely awesome! When that black bear pounced, I thought I was doomed, but then my body moved on its own, and I rolled away!"

"Those are the basic skills Mr. Luo taught you," Zhao Xue said calmly. "What's there to be proud of?"

"That's something I trained myself!" Lin Feng retorted, "When your first sword strike hit the black bear's armpit, I was the one who drew its attention!"

"I admit, you did a good job," Zhao Xue said, offering him a rare compliment.

"Hahaha!" Lin Feng laughed triumphantly, "Zhao Xue actually praised me! This is unprecedented!"

Zhao Xue rolled her eyes at him and said nothing more.

Rowan walked behind the two, a slight smile on his lips.

These two young men are growing faster than he expected. Although he was there to oversee the battle, they mainly relied on their own strength to win today's fight.

"If this continues, it won't be long before they're able to stand on their own," Rowan thought to himself.

Back at the headquarters of the Bureau of Mysteries, the three reported the completion of their mission to the steward of the mission hall.

The steward inspected the demon core and recorded 300 merit points each in Lin Feng's and Zhao Xue's merit books, and 100 merit points in Luo Wen's merit book.

“The reward for a mid-level evil spirit is five hundred points,” the steward explained. “According to the rules, the team leader gets one hundred points, and each team member gets three hundred points.”

"Why did the team leader get the smallest share?" Lin Feng asked, puzzled.

"Because the captain's responsibility is to command and protect the team members, not to fight personally," the manager said. "The team members are the ones who actually put in the work, so they should naturally take the lion's share."

"I see..." Lin Feng said thoughtfully.

Rowan didn't care about the amount of merit points he had. His goal was to learn the sealing technique, which required 5,000 merit points. He had already accumulated over 4,000 points, and completing a few more tasks would be enough.

"That concludes today's mission," Rowan said. "Go back and get some rest; training continues tomorrow."

"Yes!"

Lin Feng and Zhao Xue each went their separate ways.

Luo Wen also returned to his residence in Qingfeng Lane.

He sat in the courtyard, reflecting on the day's battle.

Lin Feng and Zhao Xue performed admirably, but there's still significant room for improvement. Their cultivation is only at the second level of the Qi Circulation Realm, which is their limit against mid-level evil spirits. If they encounter a stronger enemy, they might not be a match.

"The training from now on needs to be more intense," Rowan thought to himself. "They need more real combat experience."

He closed his eyes and began to sense the situation in the distant Demon-Suppressing Abyss.

The seal remained secure, and the aura of the ancient star beast showed no significant change. The energy he had previously injected was still working, buying precious time for the planet.

“There’s still time,” Rowan opened his eyes, his gaze hardening. “Everything can still be salvaged.”

Time flies.

One person in the afternoon.

The three completed a Class A mission, eliminating a mid-level seventh-tier evil spirit.

It was a giant centipede, over ten meters long, covered in a hard exoskeleton, and capable of spewing highly venomous liquid from its mouth. The battle lasted for nearly an hour. Lin Feng and Zhao Xue worked seamlessly together and finally found its weakness—the soft armor on its abdomen—and killed it in one fell swoop.

"I'm so tired..." Lin Feng slumped to the ground, panting heavily. "This centipede was so troublesome, it almost killed me."

Zhao Xue was also leaning against a tree, her face pale, clearly exhausted.

Rowan walked over and handed each of them a pill to restore their strength.

"Eat it, and you'll recover quickly."

The two took the pills and swallowed them in one gulp. A moment later, their complexions returned to their rosy hue, and their strength was mostly restored.

"Brother Luo, what kind of medicine is this?" Lin Feng asked curiously, "Is it so effective?"

"It's a special kind of elixir," Rowan didn't elaborate, "I'll teach you how to refine it sometime."

"Really?" Lin Feng exclaimed with delight. "That's wonderful! With this medicine, I won't have to worry about running out of energy during missions anymore!"

Zhao Xue didn't speak, but a hint of expectation flashed in her eyes.

“Go back,” Rowan said. “Today’s mission is complete; you should all get some rest.”

"Yes!"

The three returned to Tianqi City.

On the way, Lin Feng, as usual, rambled on about today's battle, but this time his tone was more mature and composed.

“Brother Luo, I’ve noticed my swordsmanship has improved again,” he said. “Before, I couldn’t even cut through that centipede’s carapace. But today I found the feeling; the power penetrated it instantly.”

“That’s because you’ve mastered ‘penetrating force’,” Rowan explained. “Concentrating your power on the blade to penetrate the enemy’s defenses. It’s an advanced technique in swordsmanship, and the fact that you’ve grasped it shows you have considerable talent.”

"Penetrating strength..." Lin Feng mused, "So that's how it is."

Zhao Xue added, "Mr. Luo, I've also made a discovery. During today's battle, I felt my sword and body become one; each strike felt like an extension of my body. What does that feel like?"

“That’s called ‘man and sword as one,’” Rowan said. “It’s the highest level of swordsmanship. If you can feel this state, it means you’ve already entered the basics of swordsmanship.”

"The basics?" Zhao Xue was somewhat surprised. "This is what you call the basics?"

"The path of swordsmanship is long," Rowan said. "The unity of man and sword is only the first step. There are higher realms such as 'sword intent' and 'the way of the sword.' You still have a long way to go."

Zhao Xue nodded, a determined glint in her eyes. "I will continue to work hard."

The three returned to Tianqi City, reported back to the Bureau of Mysteries, and then went home to rest.

Luo Wen returned to his residence in Qingfeng Lane, sat under the old locust tree in the courtyard, and looked at the starry sky.

“Time flies,” he said softly. “It’s been three months since I came to Earth.”

The next morning, Rowan was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

He opened his eyes; it was still dark, and the light coming through the window was dim and gray. The knocking was very urgent, carrying a sense of anxiety and unease.

Rowan got up and opened the door, only to find a messenger from the Mysterious Bureau standing outside. The messenger was covered in sweat and panting heavily, clearly having run all the way there.

"Mr. Luo... Mr. Luo!" the messenger gasped, "Headquarters has an urgent mission, and Deacon Chen requests your immediate presence!"

"What mission?" Rowan asked.

"I don't know the specifics," the messenger shook his head, "I only know that something terrible happened, many people died. Deacon Chen said he absolutely needs your personal assistance!"

Rowan's brows furrowed slightly.

The fact that Chen Yuan was so anxious meant it couldn't be an ordinary evil event. Moreover, the words "many people died" made his heart sink.

"I understand. You go back first, I'll be there soon."

The messenger nodded, turned, and ran back.

Rowan quickly dressed, grabbed his longsword, left his residence, and headed towards the headquarters of the Mysterious Bureau.

It was just dawn, and the streets were nearly deserted, with only a few early-rising vendors setting up their stalls. Rowan hurried along, arriving at the headquarters of the Mysterious Bureau in less than fifteen minutes.

The atmosphere at the headquarters entrance was clearly off.

Normally there are only a few guards here, but today the place is packed with people. Dozens of soldiers dressed in black are talking in hushed tones, their faces grim. Several others are covered in blood, their wounds being bandaged by medics; they look like they've just been withdrawn from the battlefield.

“Mr. Luo!” a familiar voice rang out.

Luo Wen turned around and saw Lin Feng and Zhao Xue. The two had just arrived, their faces showing anxiety.

"You received the news too?" Rowan asked.

“Yes,” Lin Feng said, “we heard something serious had happened, so we rushed over. What exactly happened?”

“You’ll find out when you go in.”

The three entered the headquarters and went to the council chamber.

Dozens of people had already gathered in the council hall, all core members of the Mysterious Bureau. Chen Yuan stood in the center of the hall, his face ashen, listening to a report from a soldier covered in blood.

"...When we arrived, the abbot had already transformed into a malevolent spirit. Its power was immense; Lord Zhou led a dozen men, and they were all wiped out in less than a quarter of an hour. We fought our way out, and only three of us escaped..."

As the soldier spoke, his eyes reddened and his voice began to tremble.

"Lord Zhou...Lord Zhou was smashed into a pulp by that monster with a single palm strike while covering our retreat..."

Upon hearing this, Luo Wen was shocked.

Lord Zhou? Is it Zhou Qing?

He strode forward and asked, "The Lord Zhou you mentioned, is he Zhou Qing from the Yunxi Town branch?"

The soldier looked up at Luo Wen and nodded: "Yes, it's Lord Zhou. He was ordered to come to provide support, but..."

Rowan's fists clenched involuntarily.

Zhou Qing was the first member of the Mysterious Bureau he met on Earth, and also the person who helped him the most. Without Zhou Qing's introduction and trust, he wouldn't have been able to join the Mysterious Bureau so smoothly.

Now, Zhou Qing is dead.

"What exactly happened?" Rowan asked in a deep voice. "How did that abbot turn into an evil spirit?"

Chen Yuan approached, his expression grave, and said, "Luo Wen, this is what happened. Fifty miles east of the city, there is a Buddhist temple called 'Jingxin Temple.' The abbot, Master Huiming, is a highly accomplished monk who has practiced for over seventy years and is quite renowned in the area."

"Three days ago, Master Huiming summoned his disciples and said that his time was up and he was about to pass away. The disciples prepared for his funeral according to custom, and then stood by, waiting for him to depart peacefully."

"But at the very moment Master Huiming passed away, an unexpected event occurred. A dense evil aura suddenly surged from the ground and invaded his body. Master Huiming's corpse began to convulse violently, and then... then he transformed into an evil spirit."

Chen Yuan's voice turned heavy: "That evil spirit was extremely powerful, at least of a high-level one. It began its rampage as soon as it appeared, causing heavy casualties among the monks in the temple. After receiving the news, we immediately sent people to provide support, but..."

He paused, a hint of sorrow in his voice: "The first batch of reinforcements was completely wiped out. The second batch, led by Zhou Qing, consisted of fifteen people, but only three returned."

"A dozen or so people..." Lin Feng gasped, "Just how powerful must those evil spirits be?"

“According to the survivors’ descriptions, that evil spirit was at least at the upper seventh level,” Chen Yuan said. “Moreover, it retained Master Huiming’s martial arts memories, and its attack methods were extremely strange and impossible to defend against.”

Upper Seventh Level...

Luo Wen secretly calculated in his mind. A seventh-level upper-tier evil spirit was equivalent to a Qi Refining Realm expert among Blue Star warriors. This level of existence was already top-tier combat power on Blue Star. There were very few people in the Mysterious Bureau who could deal with it.

"So you summoned me here to have me deal with that evil spirit?" Rowan asked.

Chen Yuan nodded, a pleading look in his eyes: "Luo Wen, I know this request is unreasonable. But right now, none of the experts from the Mysterious Bureau who can deal with high-level evil spirits are in Tianqi City, and they won't be back anytime soon. If we don't deal with that evil spirit quickly, it will continue its slaughter and harm more innocent people."

He looked intently at Rowan: "I've seen your combat record; your strength far surpasses that of ordinary people. I believe you are capable of dealing with that evil spirit."

Rowan remained silent for a moment.

He hadn't wanted to reveal too much of his strength to avoid unnecessary trouble. But now the situation was urgent, and Zhou Qing had died because of this, so he had no reason to stand idly by.

“Okay, I’ll go.” Rowan nodded.

Chen Yuan breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you, Luo Wen. Please don't hesitate to ask if you need any support."

“No need,” Rowan shook his head. “Too many people will only get in the way. I can go alone.”

"Alone?" Chen Yuan asked with some concern. "That evil spirit is very strong. Are you really sure you'll be alright alone?"

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Luo Wen turned to leave, and Lin Feng and Zhao Xue quickly followed.

"Brother Luo, let's go too!" Lin Feng said.

“No,” Rowan shook his head. “That evil spirit is too powerful. You wouldn’t be of any help; you’d only distract me.”

"But……"

“Listen to me,” Rowan’s tone turned stern, “This is an order.”

Lin Feng and Zhao Xue exchanged a glance, both seeing resentment and worry in each other's eyes. But they knew Luo Wen was right; with their current strength, going there would only be suicide.

(End of this chapter)