Since he couldn't determine the truth on his own, Rowan chose the simplest approach: ask the symbiote directly.
He stared at the creature before him and said, "I know your kind can speak human language. Stop wasting my time and tell me how you ended up in the Atlantic Ocean, and how you managed to take control of Teng Snake's body."
The parasite could clearly feel Rowan's terrifying aura. It knew there was no escape.
Under the overwhelming pressure, it finally submitted.
A layer of gray-yellow goo covering Teng Snake's head began to writhe. Slowly, it gathered into a translucent, distorted face hovering in the air. Strange light shimmered across its surface, and a pair of crimson eyes glowed with eerie intelligence.
The face looked directly at Rowan and spoke in a low, rasping voice, "You… who are you? Why are you interfering in my affairs?"
Rowan remained cold. "Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that you shouldn't have caused trouble on Earth. Now talk. Where did you come from, and why did you choose Teng Snake as a host?"
The symbiote hesitated for a moment, weighing its chances. But one look at Rowan was enough to extinguish any thought of resistance.
It began explaining.
According to the creature, Venom and his host once infiltrated a research facility and killed Riot. However, the spacecraft was already airborne. When it exploded in the sky, fragments of both Venom and Riot merged midair before plunging into the ocean.
The creature before Rowan was the result of that fusion: a new, more powerful hybrid symbiote.
At first, it could only inhabit fish, surviving by devouring other marine life. But once it reached the Atlantic, it sensed the overwhelming presence of Teng Snake and immediately latched onto the enormous beast. Their compatibility turned out surprisingly high. Teng Snake fell completely under its control, quickly becoming the undisputed ruler of the surrounding waters.
Normally, the symbiote survived by consuming sea creatures or accepting offerings from the Talokan warriors. It rarely attacked humans.
What triggered the recent event was a passing research vessel that happened to be carrying an ultrasonic instrument. When the device was activated at sea level, the sound waves caused the symbiote immense pain, provoking it into attacking the ship.
After hearing the explanation, Rowan finally understood the full sequence of events.
He summoned Namor with a thought.
Namor arrived quickly. The moment he saw Teng Snake bound in restraints, he dropped to his knees in fear.
"Master!"
"This symbiote. Has it ever attacked your people or caused trouble in this territory?"
"No. We have always provided it with food. It has been protecting these waters."
Rowan nodded, satisfied. He then asked the symbiote for its name.
It didn't have one.
So Rowan gave it a name: Blast.
"From now on, you will guard this stretch of ocean. Take this communicator. If anything dangerous happens if Knull arrives on Earth or awakens you will contact me immediately. I will handle him myself."
The moment Rowan said the name Knull, Blast recoiled in shock.
"You… you know about Knull?"
Being a fusion of Venom and Riot, Blast carried inherited memories and understood the origin of the symbiotes. It knew Knull's power. It knew he was a secret the humans of Earth should never know.
Yet Rowan spoke of Knull casually, confidently.
Blast suddenly realized the truth: this man was strong enough to stand against Knull.
Rowan didn't give it time to overthink. "Stop looking so surprised. If you sense Knull approaching Earth, you call me. I'll deal with him."
His voice was calm, yet every word made Blast more certain that Rowan's strength was unfathomable.
Rowan tossed several Wood-Crystal cores to him. "Give these to Teng Snake. They'll help him evolve faster. And from now on, do not attack any passing vessels. Once Teng Snake reaches planetary level, you should both be able to withstand ultrasonic disturbances."
The remaining Wood-Crystals were more than enough to bring Teng Snake to planetary rank. Leaving those instructions behind, Rowan departed.
…
Devouring World
Jiangnan Base, Moonlight Community
Inside a secluded underground chamber, Rowan's clone sat enveloped in dim shadow. His eyes were closed as he immersed himself entirely in the comprehension of the laws of time.
The chamber was utterly silent. Even time itself felt muted.
"As expected, the laws of time in the Devouring World are far more complete. Comprehending them here takes half the effort."
Rowan murmured softly, though his brow remained tense, alternating between clarity and confusion.
In his mind, countless strands of time shimmered faintly. Each thread carried endless mysteries. He reached out to grasp them, but the moment he touched one, it slipped away like mist.
"What is time?" he whispered. "Is it an endless river, or countless moments strung together?"
Though the Shadow Clan was known as a race beloved by the laws of time, that didn't mean grasping them was easy. Even Luo Feng, with the body of a Mosha Clan warrior, had needed an immense amount of time to comprehend the laws of space.
"Time can take the mighty and reduce them to dust. It can raise the weak into giants. It is merciless, yet fair. Every life leaves a trace upon it."
Rowan held the Time Stone in his palm, bathing the chamber in green luminescence. He had brought the Stone into the Devouring World, using it to deepen his understanding.
As the gem pulsed with light, a flash of realization crossed his face.
His clone opened his eyes at last, a sharp gleam within them. He had taken another step toward the essence of time.
But he would not remain trapped in meditation.
Rowan retrieved a manual: The Nine Shadow Blades.
This blade art had been created by a King-level undying warrior who wielded mastery over both time and wind. It was perfectly suited for Rowan's Shadow-Clan clone.
Rowan inhaled deeply and began reading.
The first strike, "Shadow Manifest," demanded sudden eruption of power, merging shadow into the blade so the strike appeared from nowhere.
Rowan grabbed a black blade. It blended instantly into his aura.
He swung. A streak of black light tore through the air, leaving behind a subtle ripple of shadow.
The second strike, "Shadow Mirage," required using shadow to confuse the enemy's senses while striking from unpredictable angles.
Rowan's form flickered across the chamber. Dozens of afterimages danced around him. Blade-lights crossed one another like weaving threads.
"This strike requires mastery over time itself," he murmured. Without control of the laws of time, he could only grasp the basics. The true power of the Nine Shadow Blades remained far out of reach.
The art had five tiers: Entry, Tempered, Refined, Perfected, Peak. Each tier multiplied the power exponentially. At its peak, a single blade could halt the time and space around him.
Day after day, Rowan's clone practiced relentlessly.
When he finally achieved some degree of control, he left the base, seeking monsters to test himself on.
The sun was setting. Warm light draped the land in gold. Rowan's shadow stretched across the ground as he stepped outside.
He sensed three King-level monsters nearby. Each stood more than ten meters tall, radiating raw strength.
He suppressed his strength to planetary level, stripped himself of additional abilities, and stepped into battle with only his blade and technique.
The first monster roared, unleashing a shockwave of air. Rowan vanished and struck with Shadow Manifest. Sparks scattered as blade met claw.
"Not bad," Rowan smiled.
Shadow Mirage followed, and illusions danced around the beast, confusing it as Rowan struck from all angles.
The other two monsters charged in. Rowan responded with the third strike, "Shadow Devour," enveloping them in a vortex of darkness.
He split one monster cleanly in half with the fourth strike, "Shadow Rend."
The remaining monsters lunged in desperation, but Rowan unleashed the fifth strike, "Shadow Bind," restraining them both. He began carving them apart with focused precision, every stroke of the blade pure artistry.
Finally, he unleashed the sixth strike, "Shadow Storm." A tornado of black steel shredded the monsters into nothing.
As silence returned to the plains, Rowan sheathed his blade.
"This art truly lives up to its reputation."
By accelerating time with the Time Stone, he had spent the equivalent of thirty years in cultivation, finally achieving the second tier of the Nine Shadow Blades.
"Unfortunately," he said quietly, "because time here is accelerated, it is impossible to comprehend the laws of time in this state. The distortion makes the laws chaotic. That is the flaw of the Time Stone. It speeds up cultivation, but not comprehension."
He exhaled.
"It has been nearly half a month… I wonder how the synthetic Wood-Crystals are progressing."