Chapter 191: The Warrens' Shock

Louis walked into this classroom and sat down in a front seat without disturbing anyone.

He silently watched the two people on the podium.

Supernatural Studies Lecture.

He had merely been scanning for anomalous places, but when he passed by here, he saw the course listed was a Supernatural Studies Lecture.

Supernatural, lecture, prestigious university.

He truly hadn’t expected these three utterly unrelated words could be linked together.

Out of curiosity and considering this world’s strangeness, Louis decided to come in and take a look.

But…

“Ed Warren and Elaine Warren?”

Seeing the two names written on the blackboard, along with their identical appearance to those in newspapers and on television, Louis slightly narrowed his eyes.

He hadn’t expected to encounter them here.

The Warrens.

In his previous life, he had heard of their fame; though many so-called real supernatural events were publicity stunts, their reputation was immense, even spawning numerous films.

But in this real world, the events they experienced were all genuine.

The Conjuring series…

Covering works like The Conjuring, The Nun, Annabelle, and The Curse of the Crying Woman.

Louis had long coveted them—the Annabelle Malphas (suspected Great Demon), the Nun Demon Valak (one of the Seventy-Two Demon Lords), and the witch Basilea who sacrificed to devils…

The key was the two demons in the series.

These two demons were of extremely high rank, yet not untouchable; leveraging the plot was a golden opportunity, especially Valak, one of the Seventy-Two Demon Lords, who, having been opposed by the Church, had only a partial avatar remaining in the mortal realm—far easier to handle than his true form.

If Louis swallowed these two demons, he dared not imagine how far his cultivation base would advance—would it reach the Pure Yin realm of Yin Spirit perfection? Or even directly trigger Yin’s transformation into Yang, breaking through to Yang Spirit?

Hum!

The Divine Lord visualization map in his mind trembled slightly.

Louis’s eyes instantly cleared.

He had thought too much, and too greedily.

He saw only the gains, not the hidden dangers.

This was a real world now—unexpected changes or plot shifts could occur, and don’t forget what the Abalam incident revealed: demon vanguards had already arrived first.

These two demons might well be connected to them.

Many things are not isolated; one thread pulls the whole fabric. One must think clearly before acting.

Walk with the caution of treading thin ice, yet act with bold and vigorous determination.

After regaining his composure, Louis turned his gaze to the Warrens above, explaining their own theories.

The theory the Warrens presented on stage boiled down to three words: “Appearance, Disturbance, Possession.”

“Correct. Typically, a malevolent spirit or its superior—a demon—requires these three steps to possess a human.”

“Voices, footsteps, sensing another presence—these are signs of the demon’s Appearance.”

“Then comes the second stage: Disturbance. At this stage, the demon begins interfering with reality, but does not directly possess; instead, it harasses, using all manner of methods to torment you.”

“Intimidation, threats, sudden appearances—anything to weaken your mind and sap your spirit.”

“Then, at your most vulnerable moment, it initiates the third stage: Possession.”

After Ed Warren finished, he glanced at a female student who had raised her hand and smiled. “Any questions, student?”

“Demons should be incredibly powerful, right? Why go through all this?”

Ed chuckled. “Because this is only a fraction of the demon’s power—not its true form. Moreover, most demons enjoy torturing humans for amusement, so they use this method to possess.”

Another hand went up. “Who are you? Are these things real? This contradicts science.”

Ed seemed to have anticipated this. He spread his hands. “We have many titles—ghost experts, ghost hunters, supernatural scholars—but we most identify as exorcists officially recognized by the Church.”

“As for whether they’re real, you might find out later. Of course, I hope you never do.”

He didn’t explain whether it aligned with science; he simply deflected the question with a blessing.

Below, Louis pondered the Warrens.

Their three-step process wasn’t worth much—it was merely how demons, unable to manifest fully, torment victims mentally before possessing them.

Like folk methods in Huaxia for detecting ghosts: since ghosts are weak, they can only use illusions and fright to harm and possess.

It’s merely a pattern, not a rule or doctrine.

For powerful malevolent spirits or demons manifesting in true form, no such pattern exists—they do whatever they please.

Still, to have distilled this pattern and spread it among ordinary people, making them vigilant—this suggests the Warrens possess considerable ability and genuine intent.

Moreover, their background is solid—they’re exorcists recognized by the Church.

Remember, the Church denies the existence of mystical forces and refuses to acknowledge anyone outside its ranks as capable of performing the Lord’s miracles.

Even if privately tolerant of mediums and witches, publicly it adamantly denies them.

For the Warrens to gain the Church’s recognition, their behind-the-scenes influence must be substantial.

They’re not like in the movies, solving cases with mere detective work—they must have their own methods.

The lecture was nearing its end.

“Are there other supernatural forces in this world? Witches or mediums?” someone asked with ill intent.

After all, they were Church-recognized exorcists, and the Church never acknowledged witches or similar beings.

Yet Ed merely glanced at the student, unfazed by the trap, and said plainly, “They exist.”

“But they are rare individuals with innate gifts; you’ll rarely encounter them in daily life.”

As he spoke, he looked at his wife, Luo Lin, who smiled gently.

The Q&A continued.

“Can you resolve demons? Can you name a few methods?”

“For ordinary people, faith in the Lord and placing Church items in your home is the simplest and most effective exorcism method. But if you lack faith, or have provoked a powerful demon, even a cross or Bible won’t drive it away.”

“I recommend seeking refuge at a nearby church, or calling us—we’re professionals in this field.”

Scratch-scratch-scratch—

Ed wrote down their contact details and address.

Connecticut—New England Paranormal Research Association.

Below, Louis raised an eyebrow. No wonder they held a lecture at MIT—their association was right in this state.

The lecture was essentially over, but the students, deep down, didn’t believe any of it, and now, seeing the Warrens’ explanation, they wanted to challenge them further.

“Can you check if there are any ghosts in our school? Haha!” a student goaded.

A group of students began to cheer and clamor.

Students are naive—the most easily swayed group.

Ed frowned, about to find an excuse to decline, when Luo Lin tugged his hand.

After all, they were students; they didn’t want to be harsh, and since they’d been invited here specifically to inspect MIT for ghosts, why not examine this building now?

“Alright, let my wife take a look.”

Luo Lin closed her eyes slightly, then reopened them—her pupils faintly glowed white.

She had merely opened her perception a little.

She was a medium, and a highly gifted one—her perception was extraordinary, capable of prophecy, probing the past, and sensing supernatural information.

In her eyes, the world gained layers of depth.

Under these conditions, the presence and traces of ghosts became unmistakable.

But…

!!!

Terror! Shock!

Right beneath the podium, a horrifying entity stared at her—a belly writhing with countless wailing demons, a flame burning fiercely on its forehead, wrists stained with blood and the cries of dead souls.

Its gaze held curiosity.

But to her, it was the demon’s snarl.

Crash!

A chair overturned.

Ed rushed to support Luo Lin, his face filled with concern and alertness—her state was abnormal. She gripped his hand tightly, her eyes locked on a single person beneath the podium.

“What’s wrong?”

Luo Lin didn’t move, only shook her head nervously.

Amid the students’ boos, the couple quickly left the classroom.

Below,

Louis rubbed his chin, eyes filled with astonishment.

She saw me? It must be.

I was using the Concealment Technique—even Abalam’s true form hadn’t detected me before, yet Luo Lin saw through me at a glance. Her spirit perception must be exceptionally strong.

I wonder how it compares to Minnie, who’s still studying with Ilis.

Louis stood up, ignoring the naive students, and chased after them—he wanted to speak with the Warrens.

See what kind of abilities these Church-recognized exorcist couple possessed.

As he rose, he spotted Hai Li and Mary, gave a slight nod, and walked out.

The two quickly understood Louis’s meaning and followed after him.

Walking along the white stone path on campus, Luo Lin was telling Ed about what they had just discovered.

Ed’s face was filled with shock.

“Ed, what do you think that was? A demon? A malevolent spirit? Or some kind of aberrant monster?”

As a couple who complemented each other, his wife Luo Lin was an exceptionally powerful medium, and her husband Ed was an expert in the occult—so now Luo Lin asked Ed.

“No, if I’m not mistaken, he might be a powerful wizard. Of course, the possibility of a demon exists, but if it were a demon, we wouldn’t have escaped so easily just now, and a true demon’s physical form could never manifest.”

As for malevolent spirits and aberrant monsters, Ed did not consider them.

Because their probabilities were too low.

One lacked sufficient power; the other was far too rare.

“Regardless, let’s first return to the car to get our things, then go back and investigate.”

(End of Chapter)