Systemless Villain

Chapter 183 A Newfound Power

Long Tian took a moment to scrutinize the jade. As far as his memory served, if a protagonist possessed such an item, there would be a spirit within, akin to Shen Yulan's. Perhaps Lin Fan was no different.

He clasped it, infusing it with aura, and his hand emitted a crimson glow akin to thin smoke.

Five seconds, ten seconds, thirty seconds passed, and nothing occurred. Long Tian opened his hand, revealing the unchanged jade.

"Nothing happened? Sigh, it seems I need to store it again. But surely, this jade isn't an ordinary item," he murmured.

With that, he carefully placed the jade back into his spatial ring. Next, he lifted the Ashura statue, positioning it in front of him, meticulously examining every detail.

From the head to the upper and lower parts, hands, and feet, he scrutinized each section in search of anything peculiar about the statue.

And in this crucial moment, as his hand touched one of the three heads of Ashura, he sensed a softness, like pressing a button.

Without hesitation, he pressed it, yielding a "Click!" sound reminiscent of a mechanism. In the subsequent moment, the six hands of Ashura descended.

Long Tian raised an eyebrow. However, a realization dawned upon him, prompting swift movements to direct the hands to the right. True to his expectation, it seemed to rotate, and the body of Ashura ascended like a screw mechanism.

After a while, the body of Ashura detached from its mount, unveiling a rolled-up piece of paper.

"Gotcha!" Long Tian grinned. Naturally, how could an item coveted by the protagonist be anything ordinary?

He unfolded the paper, revealing a hand-sized sheet adorned with ancient Chinese characters.

Though not particularly adept, Long Tian could decipher the characters to some extent. It was, at the very least, a language used during the Xia Dynasty, around 7000 years ago.

Inhaling deeply, Long Tian commenced reciting the ancient words from the letter, "In the depths of time, the soul's tremor seeks the threads of destiny. In the cycle of a thousand years, mysterious forces slumber, awaiting the moment of awakening."

His words carried a gravity that resonated through the ages.

For a few seconds, nothing transpired. Yet, in this moment, the paper unexpectedly began to burn slowly on its own, engulfed in a purple-hued flame. Long Tian was taken aback; he hadn't even made a move.

In that instant, the flame devoured the paper, leaving behind only a small fragment inscribed with the word "Demon."

Long Tian raised an eyebrow. The paper was evidently far from ordinary.

And suddenly, the small piece detached from his hand and fluttered to his forehead. Swiftly seizing the paper again, he was astounded to find the Demon inscription had vanished, leaving behind only a plain sheet.

"What the hell? Did a demon just enter my body? Well, you might meet another demon," he smirked.

Based on his recent encounter, it was clearly an abnormal occurrence. And given that it was a protagonist's treasure, he was certain the paper held something significant.

But now, he felt nothing.

Nevertheless, he opted to sit cross-legged in his car and closed his eyes. Now, he entered a state of unconsciousness, delving into his inner realm.

Meanwhile, in his inner realm, the scenario remained unaltered—a vast ocean beneath a night sky adorned with billions of shimmering stars, alongside towering black pillars supporting the heavens, revolving golden discs, and two black dragons gracefully soaring through the celestial expanse.

The surroundings remained unchanged. However, a few minutes later, a small purple flame suddenly materialized, autonomously burning and intensifying.

The two black dragons sensed an anomaly, prompting them to approach the flame. Instinctively, they circled around the purple fire, accelerating its combustion. The dragons' movements became more rapid.

After a brief moment, the flame abruptly erupted, emitting a resounding "Boom!" that resonated throughout the vast ocean, generating sizable waves.

It appeared that the purple fire had vanished, and the two dragons soared away, their tails ablaze with an expansive purple flame.

They traversed the extensive ocean, and upon reaching a specific location, they abruptly plunged into the ocean's depths, disappearing entirely.

However, in the subsequent moment, an underwater explosion ensued. Due to its submerged location, the detonation's sound was scarcely perceptible.

Yet, the entire oceanic expanse radiated a delicate and exquisite purple energy.

"ROARRRRR!"

The twin dragons surfaced from the sea, returning to the sky with their tails now aglow in purple flame in proportion to their size.

Meanwhile, back in reality, Long Tian's eyes widened in shock upon reopening them, revealing his body engulfed in a purple flame.

Swiftly, he exited the car, patting his body to extinguish the flames. His endeavors proved fruitful, as the fire subsided under his touch.

Passersby cast peculiar glances at Long Tian, a man seemingly ablaze.

Long Tian continued to wave his clothes. Fortunately, the flames were short-lived, leaving his attire unscathed.

Once cleared of the ethereal blaze, a triumphant grin adorned his face as he extended his finger, summoning a purple-hued flame at its tip.

"So, this is what Lin Fan was meant to receive? Glad I seized it in the nick of time," he remarked with a smirk.

Although he didn't know what kind of fire it was, if it belonged to the protagonist, it was undoubtedly not an ordinary flame.

Without further ado, he hopped into his car. The engine roared to life, and he swiftly departed from the market area.

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More than 20 minutes had passed, and Long Tian had arrived in the villa area. The gate swung open, and he smoothly drove inside.

Having parked, he made his way directly to his villa. He swung open the door, unveiling a stillness within, devoid of any traces of Li Yue'er.

"Hasn't she returned yet? It's getting late," Long Tian mumbled.

After pausing for a few moments, he exited the villa and made his way to the backyard. His intention was to put his newfound power to the test.

Once there, he rolled up his black shirt, his gaze intense as he assumed a focused stance.

He raised both hands slightly. In the next moment, a purple flame engulfed his hands.

Fixated on the purple flame, he couldn't initially discern it from any ordinary fire.

But suddenly, realization struck him. "Could this fire be utilized in alchemy?" he murmured.

Based on his perception, the fire seemed to possess a higher temperature than his dragon breath, but that was all. Yet, it might hold a function he wasn't yet aware of.

Swiftly, he extinguished the purple flame and retrieved a smartphone from his pocket. His finger tapped the screen, initiating a call to Liu Hai, the father of Liu Qian.

A beep signified the ongoing phone call. Shortly thereafter, the call was connected.

"Long Tian, is that you?" inquired a middle-aged man's voice, none other than Liu Hai.

"Yes, Mr. Liu, it's me. I have a question about alchemy, particularly related to fire," Long Tian requested.

"Are you interested in alchemy? Haha, since you're dating my daughter, I'd be delighted to teach you if you're willing," Liu Hai responded, his tone filled with joy.

Hearing this, Long Tian raised one of his eyebrows. He didn't recall ever proposing to Liu Qian to be his girlfriend.

"What do you mean, Mr. Liu? Did you misspeak earlier?" he asked.

"No, I didn't misspeak. Qian'er told me that you two are dating. What do you mean I misspoke?" Liu Hai asked, his eyebrows arched in confusion.

Long Tian was also growing more puzzled. But the next moment, he seemed to grasp the situation. A smirk began to form on his face.

"Oh, yes, of course, Qian'er is my girlfriend, Mr. Liu. I initially planned to tell you this news once we met, but I didn't expect Qian'er to tell you first," he said.

"Ohh, hahaha, I guess my daughter also said that because of the situation. There's a talented young man who wanted to propose to her, maybe that's why she told me immediately," Liu Hai responded.

Long Tian raised one of his eyebrows. His smirk didn't disappear. So, what he thought was true.

"Well, Mr. Liu, I'm very eager to meet that talented young man," he said with a grin.

"Come on, let's not talk about that. And don't worry, I won't let my daughter be with another man. You, Long Tian, are the right man for her," Liu Hai responded.

"And about alchemy you want to discuss. It's better if you visit my house tomorrow; I'll answer what you want to know," he added.

"That sounds like a good idea. Alright then, I don't want to disturb your time, Mr. Liu, so, good night," Long Tian said.

"Yes, good night," Liu Hai responded.

With that, the call concluded.

Long Tian casually returned his smartphone to his pocket and then strolled back into his villa.

During the walk, he contemplated the nature of the purple flame. If it was indeed a legendary fire, as he had read in novels, then he was ready to learning the path of alchemy.