Systemless Villain

Chapter 205  Imperial Ordeal: Long Tian's Dominion

"Next is you!" declared the middle-aged man, a malevolent grin distorting his features.

Lin Fan's expression shifted to sheer panic. Before he could even contemplate fleeing, the middle-aged man seized his neck, effortlessly lifting him from the ground.

Grinning malevolently, the assailant commenced absorbing Lin Fan's life energy. Numbness enveloped Lin Fan's body, rendering him powerless to resist.

However, a gleaming object descended onto the road, diverting the attention of the middle-aged man.

As the dust settled, another middle-aged man, clad in similar attire, emerged into view.

"Ju Gu, your madness ends here!" he thundered.

Ju Gu's expression soured. "Hurry up before he reaches me!" he urged.

His grip on Lin Fan's neck tightened, draining more life energy into his own body.

On the receiving end, Lin Fan felt his body succumbing to numbness, the strength to liberate himself evaporating completely.

Nevertheless, he clung to the spirit of survival. His teeth gritted, his expression one of unyielding determination.

A golden light emanated from both of his eyes, and in the next moment, a brilliant beam surged forth, compelling Ju Gu to release his grip and retreat a few paces.

The spectacle was awe-inspiring, the intensity of the light reminiscent of the sun hovering impossibly close to the earth.

The other middle-aged man also paused, shielding his eyes from the radiant golden light. Pedestrians mirrored the action, protecting their eyes from the dazzling brilliance.

Conversely, Ju Gu screamed in agony, kneeling on the ground and clutching his eyes as if they were aflame from exposure to the golden light.

A few seconds later, the golden radiance dissipated, and the scene reverted to normalcy.

Everyone's vision gradually returned to normal. Observing Ju Gu sprawled on the ground, the other middle-aged man swiftly closed the distance, appearing behind him.

"Your madness ends here!" he declared.

Without hesitation, he expertly severed Ju Gu's neck with the sword in his hand—a precise slash that sent Ju Gu's head tumbling to the ground.

An eerie silence descended, replacing the earlier panic among the onlookers.

Meanwhile, lying on the ground, Lin Fan heaved a sigh of relief, grateful that his life had been spared.

The middle-aged man efficiently confiscated Ju Gu's spatial ring, retrieving the pilfered items. After transferring everything into his own spatial ring, he singled out a peculiar stone shaped like a two-horned devil's head.

Clutching it, he approached Lin Fan.

And Lin Fan, seeing this, became alert and tried to stand.

The middle-aged man gestured to stay calm, "Hey hey, relax buddy, I didn't come to hurt you," he assured.

Relieved, Lin Fan managed a smile. "I can relax then," he responded.

The middle-aged man smiled and tossed the stone with the engraved devil's head to Lin Fan.

"As a token of gratitude, you can keep that. I'm not sure what technique you used, but it finally helped me eliminate that bastard," he explained.

Lin Fan, inspecting the stone, expressed confusion. "What is this?" he inquired.

"It's a token to enter the sacred pool of the Heavenly Demon sect. Since the items stolen by Ju Gu were vital documents, this is the least I can offer you," the middle-aged man replied.

Intrigued, Lin Fan raised an eyebrow and examined the stone again, this time utilizing his golden eyes ability.

Astonishment flashed across his face. The stone emitted a resplendent golden aura, surpassing the luster of any precious item he had ever encountered.

His astonishment transformed into a delighted smile. It was indeed a treasure!

Glancing back at the middle-aged man, Lin Fan expressed his gratitude. "Thanks, truly," he acknowledged.

The middle-aged man nodded. "It's a valuable item, but it's a small price for what you've done. Well, I'm occupied, so I'll be on my way," he announced.

Without further words, he soared into the sky, swiftly disappearing from view.

Lin Fan remained on the ground, staring at the stone with a contented smile. A token to enter the sacred pool...

The sacred pool... Just from its name, it seemed impressive and likely held significant benefits.

"Hehehe, it looks like I need to pay a visit to the Heavenly Demon sect today," he mused with a sly grin.

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After more than two hours had passed, the sun intensified its heat as it ascended higher in the sky. The clock indicated 10:30 in the morning, and numerous students still occupied field number 1.

At this juncture, Long Tian strolled toward field number five, the site of the final test. His previous success in the third and fourth tests, evaluating endurance across various elements and sensory reflexes, fueled his curiosity about the fifth test.

From a distance, the test location appeared to be indoors again, but this time, it seemed more spacious than before.

As the staff members noticed Long Tian, they approached him, announcing, "You must be Long Tian; come on in, the fifth test is awaiting your presence."

"Alright," Long Tian nodded.

The door swung open, granting him entry. The initial sight mirrored the room on field number two – an expansive, empty space with only three individuals inside.

Approaching Long Tian, a man in his thirties wore an expression devoid of friendliness. "You must be the young master of the Long family. I hope your talent aligns with your family's esteemed reputation," he remarked, a playful smile etched his face.

Long Tian, lost in thought, absentmindedly rubbed his chin. "Your face seems familiar... Where have I seen you before?" he pondered.

"Oh, you recognize me? It's unlikely, as this is our first encounter," the man replied.

Long Tian took a moment before recalling, "Ahh, I finally remember. You must be a member of the Feng family. Feng Yuhao's father, I presume? Or his brother?" he inquired.

"Yuhao is my younger brother. And you must have learned a lot from him," the man responded, a smirk gracing his face.

Long Tian's grin widened. "Indeed, your brother is so talented that he once generously provided me with hundreds of high-level spiritual stones. I appreciate his generosity," he said, maintaining a playful tone.

Surprise flickered across the man's face. "Wait, don't tell me you're the reason he demanded so many spiritual stones. Did you threaten him?" he asked, his tone escalating.

Long Tian grinned, but before he could respond, another staff member, a robust man, intervened. "Come on, Feng Ji, are you going to pick a fight with a student? Remember, you're an imperial staff; don't let personal matters cloud your judgment!" he reprimanded, his tone resolute.

Feng Ji's expression retained traces of anger, yet he held back, conscious of his current position.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling, he elucidated, "The sixth test revolves around martial spirits. Irrespective of whether your martial spirit is B, A, or even S grade, if you can contend with or surpass the martial spirits of the three of us, then you pass," he stated firmly, crossing his arms.

Long Tian smirked upon hearing this. "Alright, let's do this," he declared.

The robust man nodded, "Let's move to the center of this room," he said.

With that, Long Tian and three other staff members, including Feng Ji, proceeded to the center of the room.

Feng Ji's gaze remained unwaveringly fixed on Long Tian. Though obligated to maintain fairness as an imperial staff, this time, especially for Long Tian, he wouldn't allow him to pass. All of this was for his brother, Feng Yuhao.

Now, the four of them stood at the center of the room. The robust man directed his gaze at Long Tian. "Are you ready?" he inquired.

"I'm ready," Long Tian responded with a nod.

Upon receiving this confirmation, the three of them nodded. Then, their gazes sharpened, and an aura began emanating from their bodies.

Long Tian could already sense the pressure from the their auras.

The next second, their auras surged upward, accompanied by the manifestation of their three martial spirits.

A fiery horse enveloped in flames from the middle-aged man, an armored crocodile from the robust man, and a giant horned wolf with horns from Feng Ji.

Maintaining a serious expression, Long Tian resisted the pressure from the three martial spirits. The hard floor under his feet cracked under the intense pressure, seemingly reluctant to allow him to exert any strength.

He could discern that all three were of grade A, especially the horned wolf, which appeared to be above average.

"Now, unleash your martial spirit!" the robust man shouted.

Long Tian took action, and a crimson aura began emerging from his body. However, it appeared to be forcefully pushed back into his body by the pressure from the three martial spirits. Gritting his teeth, he made a determined effort to summon Shen Long.

On the flip side, the expressions of the other two looked dignified as they observed Long Tian's struggle. Their reactions were not as extreme as those of students from other schools; in fact, Long Tian's situation seemed rather normal.

Feng Ji, on the other hand, undoubtedly wished for Long Tian to fail. By using his martial spirit in more strength, he wasn't violating the imperial staff's code of ethics.

As Long Tian continued, he became shrouded in dark energy, seemingly absorbing the pressure from the three martial spirits.

A grin formed on his face, and the next moment, the manifestation of a colossal dragon appeared behind him – the almighty Shen Long.

The pressure from the three martial spirits was immediately countered by Shen Long, making them feel overwhelmed.

The clash between an S-class aura and three A-classes – the scene in this room already provided the answer to who was superior.

While Long Tian grinned, Feng Ji wore an unpleasant expression, not expecting Long Tian's martial spirit to be so powerful.

Not long after, the three were forced to halt their actions, and their martial spirits disappeared instantly.

A broad smile appeared on Long Tian's face as he also dispelled his martial spirit. His gaze remained fixed on the three gasping imperial staff members.

"How was that? Did I pass?" he asked, his smile persisting.

The robust man regained his composure. "Without a doubt, you are indeed worthy of being the young master of the Long family. Yes, you passed. We will record you on the list of those who passed," he affirmed.

Hearing this, Long Tian nodded with satisfaction. Then, his gaze shifted to Feng Ji.

"I think there's no need for conflict between us. I remember Feng Yuhao also has a sibling around my age; I hope he passes as well," he said, his smile persisting.

Feng Ji's expression didn't look too good. "If you lay a finger on him, it might not be a wise decision. You should remember that the Feng family is also one of the ancient families," he cautioned.

"Come on, do I look like a villain? Of course, I hope to be friends with him," Long Tian responded, yet his tone playful.

At this moment, the robust man intervened, "You better leave, young master Long; your turn is finished," he advised.

Long Tian offered a smirk to Feng Ji before finally walking out of the room.

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With the sun blazing even hotter, Long Tian now stood outside field number five.

He didn't head home immediately as he needed to validate it at the school.

"Go to the school office, then to the Heavenly Demon sect... This is going to be a long day," he mused.

With those words, he headed towards the school office.