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

Chapter 523 The Edge of the Demon-Suppressing Abyss!

The evil spirit said it came from "the dream of a great being." This indicates that although the ancient star beast is still asleep, its consciousness has already begun to influence this world. It created evil spirits as its avatars and followers, which wreak havoc on this land.

"We must speed things up," Rowan thought to himself. "We need to learn sealing techniques to reinforce the seal on the Demon-Suppressing Abyss. Otherwise, such tragedies will continue to occur."

He quickened his pace and headed towards Tianqi City.

When Rowan returned to Tianqi City, it was already late at night.

The headquarters of the Mysterious Bureau was still brightly lit, clearly everyone was waiting for his news. As he walked through the gate, the guards immediately ran to report, and a moment later, Chen Yuan quickly came out to greet him.

"Luo Wen!" Chen Yuan exclaimed with relief upon seeing him return safely. "An evil spirit..."

“They have been wiped out,” Rowan said.

Chen Yuan was stunned for a moment, then let out a long sigh of relief: "That's great...that's great..."

His eyes were slightly red, and his voice trembled. Zhou Qing was his junior brother; the two had grown up together since childhood and were as close as brothers. Zhou Qing's death was a huge blow to him.

“I’ve brought Zhou Qing’s body back,” Luo Wen said. “The other fallen soldiers and monks are at Jingxin Temple. We need to send someone to collect their remains.”

“I’ll make the arrangements,” Chen Yuan nodded. “Luo Wen, we owe you a lot this time. If it weren’t for you, who knows how many more people would have died.”

“That’s what I should do.”

Rowan didn't say anything more and turned to leave.

He needed a good rest. Although the evil spirit posed no great threat to him, the continuous fighting and running around had still taken a toll on his energy.

Back at his residence in Qingfeng Lane, Luo Wen sat under the old locust tree in the courtyard, reflecting on the day's battle.

The words the evil spirit spoke before it died kept echoing in his mind.

"I come from the abyss, from the darkness, from the dream of that great being..."

"Deep within the Dragon Vein Mountains, a great being slumbers..."

"The day it awakens, all living beings in this world will submit to its feet..."

Rowan frowned.

It seems the influence of the ancient star beast is far more profound than he imagined. Those evil spirits are not merely mutated creatures created under its energy, but also share some kind of spiritual connection with it. They know of the ancient star beast's existence and even regard it as their "master."

"We must learn the art of sealing as soon as possible," Rowan thought to himself, "to reinforce the seal of the Demon-Suppressing Abyss and delay the awakening of the ancient star beasts."

He had already accumulated over 4,800 merit points, and after completing a few more tasks, he would reach the threshold of 5,000 points. But now he didn't want to wait any longer; Zhou Qing's death made him realize that time was more pressing than he had imagined.

The next morning, Luo Wen arrived at the headquarters of the Mysterious Bureau and found Chen Yuan.

“Deacon Chen, I wish to learn the art of sealing,” he said bluntly.

Chen Yuan was somewhat surprised: "Your achievements are still a little lacking, aren't they?"

“Two hundred points short,” Rowan said, “but I don’t want to wait any longer. Yesterday’s events made me realize that the threat of evil spirits is more serious than we imagined. If we don’t master the sealing technique soon, many more people may die.”

Chen Yuan remained silent for a moment.

He knew Rowan was right. The evil spirit from yesterday was one of the most powerful to appear in recent years. If Rowan hadn't arrived in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

“Alright,” Chen Yuan finally nodded. “According to the rules, you’re still two hundred merit points short. But given your contribution yesterday, I can make a special exception and allow you to learn the sealing technique ahead of schedule.”

"Thank you, Deacon Chen."

Chen Yuan led Luo Wen to the backyard of the headquarters of the Mysterious Bureau.

The backyard is a quiet garden with an ancient building in the center. Above the door of the building hangs a plaque with the three characters "Secret Scripture Pavilion".

"The Secret Scripture Pavilion is where the Bureau of Mysteries stores its secret manuals," Chen Yuan explained. "The manuals on sealing techniques are located there. However, simply reading the manuals isn't enough; you'll also need a master to guide you."

"Master?"

"Sealing techniques are extremely complex, involving multiple aspects such as formations, talismans, and spiritual energy control," Chen Yuan said. "Without guidance, it's very difficult to learn by just figuring it out on your own."

He pushed open the door of the Secret Scripture Pavilion and led Rowan inside.

The interior of the Secret Library was even larger than it appeared from the outside, with rows of bookshelves stretching from the floor to the ceiling, filled with all sorts of books and scrolls. A faint scent of ink and paper filled the air, creating a sense of tranquility and peace.

At the far end of the bookshelf, there was a desk. Behind the desk sat an elderly man with white hair, engrossed in reading.

The old man looked to be at least eighty years old, with a gaunt face and skin covered in wrinkles. But his eyes were very bright, revealing a wisdom and depth.

"Uncle-Master Xuanqing," Chen Yuan bowed respectfully, "this disciple has brought Luo Wen."

The old man looked up, glanced at Luo Wen, and then lowered his head again to continue reading.

"So you want to learn sealing techniques?" His voice was hoarse, with a hint of nonchalance.

“Yes, senior.” Rowan clasped his hands in greeting.

Why do you want to learn?

"To combat evil spirits and protect the people."

The old man gave a soft snort: "Everyone can give high-sounding reasons. What I'm asking is, what is your real purpose?"

Rowan paused for a moment, then said, "I know that deep within the Dragon Vein Mountains lies a slumbering being. That being is the source of all evil, and if it awakens, this world is doomed. I want to learn sealing techniques to strengthen the seal that suppresses it and delay its awakening."

The old man finally raised his head and looked at Rowan intently.

"You know about the Demon-Suppressing Abyss?"

"Yes."

"Have you been there?"

"Yes."

A hint of surprise flashed in the old man's eyes. He put down the book in his hand, stood up, walked over to Rowan, and carefully examined him.

“Your aura is strange,” he said. “It doesn’t seem to belong to someone from this land. What is your origin?”

Rowan did not answer.

The old man stared at him for a while, then suddenly laughed.

“Fine, I won’t press you if you don’t want to tell me,” he said. “Everyone has their secrets. As long as your purpose is good, I don’t care about your background.”

He turned and walked back to his desk, took out a yellowed ancient book from the drawer, and handed it to Rowan.

"This is the 'Sealing Essentials,' an introductory text to our Mysterious Bureau's sealing techniques," he said. "Take it back and read it first, and come ask me if you have any questions."

Luo Wen took the ancient book and opened it to take a look. It was filled with dense writing and illustrations, and the content was very complex.

"Thank you, senior."

"Don't thank me yet," the old man waved his hand, "Sealing techniques aren't easy to learn. Many people study them their whole lives and only learn the basics. How far you can learn depends on your own destiny." Luo Wen nodded and left the Secret Scripture Pavilion with the ancient book.

Upon returning to his lodgings, he immediately began studying "The Essentials of Sealing".

As the old man had said, this ancient book was indeed very complex. It explained in detail the basic principles of sealing techniques, the materials required, the methods for drawing formations, and the specific steps for various sealing techniques.

Rowan spent an entire day reading before he could even get a general overview of the book.

"The core of sealing techniques lies in using special formations and talismans to trap evil energy within a specific space, preventing it from dissipating," Rowan summarized. "The formations are responsible for constructing the framework of the space, while the talismans provide the sealing power; neither can be dispensed with."

He closed his eyes, recalling the various formations and talismans described in the book.

These things are extremely profound for martial artists on Earth, but they are not difficult for Luo Wen to understand. He has learned all sorts of techniques and skills at the Virtual Universe Company. Although he has not specifically studied sealing techniques, he still has some related knowledge.

"The sealing techniques of Blue Star are similar to sealing methods in the universe, but they also have unique aspects," Rowan analyzed. "They don't utilize cosmic energy, but rather the 'spiritual energy' unique to this land. This spiritual energy and demonic energy share the same origin, so it can be used to suppress evil spirits."

He began to try to draw a simple sealing formation according to the method described in the book.

He found paper and pen and started drawing while reading, quickly creating a basic array pattern. But when he tried to inject energy into the array, he found that it didn't react at all.

“Where did things go wrong?” Rowan frowned.

He checked the array pattern but found no errors. The problem must lie in the way the energy was injected.

“The book says that ‘spiritual power’ is needed to activate the array,” Rowan thought, “but I don’t have spiritual power in my body, only genetic energy. The nature of genetic energy is different from that of spiritual power, so I can’t activate the array.”

This is a tricky question.

After thinking for a while, Luo Wen decided to consult Elder Xuanqing.

The next morning, he went to the Secret Scripture Pavilion again.

The old man Xuanqing was still sitting behind his desk reading when he saw Luo Wen come in, and he raised his eyelids slightly.

"You've encountered problems so quickly?"

“Yes, senior,” Rowan voiced his doubts, “I’ve discovered that my energy and spiritual power are of different natures, making it impossible to activate the array. Is there any solution?”

The old man Xuanqing put down his book and pondered for a moment.

“Your energy is indeed different from our spiritual power,” he said, “but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn sealing techniques. The key is that you must learn to transform your energy into a form similar to spiritual power.”

"How to convert it?"

“This…” Elder Xuanqing hesitated for a moment, “To be honest, I’m not quite sure either. After all, I’ve never encountered a situation like yours before.”

Rowan was somewhat disappointed.

“However,” Elder Xuanqing changed the subject, “I can give you some advice. You can try to sense the spiritual energy of this land and let your energy resonate with it. Once you resonate, your energy can be converted into spiritual energy.”

"Sensing spiritual energy?"

“That’s right,” Elder Xuanqing nodded, “Spiritual energy is everywhere on this land, it’s just that ordinary people can’t sense it. If you find a place with abundant spiritual energy, calm your mind and try to comprehend it, you should be able to gain something.”

Luo Wen nodded thoughtfully.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior."

After leaving the Secret Scripture Pavilion, Rowan began searching for places rich in spiritual energy.

He scanned the entire Tianqi City with his spiritual power and found that although the spiritual energy inside the city was denser than outside, it was still relatively thin. The densest spiritual energy was actually found in some mountains and waters outside the city.

"It seems the city isn't a good place for cultivation," Rowan thought. "I need to find a better environment."

He thought of the Demon-Suppressing Abyss.

Although the Demon-Suppressing Abyss is filled with evil energy, it also contains a large amount of spiritual energy. This is because Yuan Zhenzi's seal was constructed using spiritual power, and after eight hundred years of operation, it has become integrated with the surrounding environment.

“The Demon-Suppressing Abyss is the best choice,” Rowan decided. “I’ll cultivate there; on one hand, I can sense spiritual energy, and on the other hand, I can keep an eye on the state of the seal.”

He returned to his residence, packed some necessities, and then went to the headquarters of the Mysterious Bureau to request a long leave.

Although Chen Yuan was somewhat surprised, he still approved Luo Wen's request. After all, Luo Wen had just made a great contribution, and it was only right that he rest for a while.

Lin Feng and Zhao Xue were both reluctant to see Luo Wen leave for a while.

"Brother Luo, how long are you going to be gone?" Lin Feng asked.

"It's uncertain, it could take several months, or even longer," Rowan said. "During this time, you all need to train hard and not slack off."

"We will!" Lin Feng patted his chest and assured him.

Zhao Xue didn't speak, but there was a hint of worry in her eyes.

"Mr. Luo, what...are you going to do?"

“Cultivation,” Rowan said, “is about learning something new.”

He didn't explain in detail, and Zhao Xue didn't press him for details.

“Mr. Luo, you must come back safely,” she said.

"Don't worry, I will."

After bidding farewell to the two, Luo Wen left Tianqi City and headed towards the Dragon Vein Mountains.

A few days later, he returned to the Valley of the Underworld.

The environment here hadn't changed much from when he last came; it was still shrouded in black mist and filled with a sinister atmosphere. But Rowan now had a different perspective; he could sense that beneath that malevolent aura, there was also a pure spiritual energy hidden within.

"Just as Senior Xuanqing said," Luo Wen thought to himself, "Spiritual energy and evil energy share the same origin, only their nature differs. Evil energy is spiritual energy corrupted by ancient star beasts, while pure spiritual energy is the original energy of this land."

He arrived at the edge of the Demon-Suppressing Abyss and sat down cross-legged.

The stone statue of Yuan Zhenzi still sat serenely in the center of the abyss, emitting a faint light. The seal was still in operation, but its energy was indeed gradually weakening.

Luo Wen closed his eyes and began to sense the spiritual energy around him.

At first, he couldn't sense anything. The surrounding evil energy was so dense that it completely obscured the presence of spiritual energy.

But he didn't give up; he continued to calm down and perceive things little by little.

Time passes day by day.

Luo Wen sat cross-legged on the edge of the Demon-Suppressing Abyss, neither eating nor drinking, concentrating entirely on sensing the spiritual energy.

On the seventh day, he finally made a breakthrough.

Beneath that thick layer of malevolent energy, he sensed a faint, pure energy. That energy was incredibly gentle, like the spring sunshine or the morning dew, bringing comfort and peace.

“This is spiritual energy…” Rowan was overjoyed.

(End of this chapter)