Systemless Villain

Chapter 263 Warmth in Victory

"I will show you the power of a martial spirit that has reached the awakening level!" Hou Dian declared, his voice dripping with confidence. His grin was wicked, revealing sharp fangs that added to his menacing look. Standing at a towering 5 meters, his presence was undeniably terrifying.

The mysterious woman perched atop the grand staircase watched intently, her eyes alight with curiosity. "Ah, this just got a lot more intriguing," she remarked, her smile widening.

Trapped in this secluded place for what felt like an eternity, her memories of the world beyond had started to fade. Yet, she harbored no regrets for her isolation. She saw this as a necessary penance for her past sins.

Meanwhile, Alexia's concern deepened as she witnessed Hou Dian's transformation into a towering giant. Judging by any measure, a Flowing Qi realm cultivator would be no match for a Nascent Soul peak, especially one who was an imperial elite, undoubtedly honed by rigorous training.

Yet, a flicker of hope persisted within her, a belief in the possibility of a miracle. All she could do was pray. However, she couldn't shake off the bitterness towards the curse that had befallen her. It had robbed her of her ability to cultivate and harness her martial spirit, rendering her powerless. In this dire situation, she felt utterly useless and unable to aid Long Tian.

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Meanwhile, Long Tian scrutinized Hou Dian's transformed state with deep concentration. He hadn't been mistaken; every martial spirit could indeed ascend to an awakening level, where the user's power would exponentially increase. Yet, the risk was that the martial spirit itself could potentially seize control of its wielder's body.

This was his inaugural encounter with such a phenomenon.

"Come at me, boy, or shall I come to you?" Hou Dian taunted, his voice dripping with disdain.

Taking a calming breath, Long Tian closed his eyes momentarily.

In the blink of an eye, a soft gust of wind grazed his face—the precursor to the middle-aged man's sudden appearance before him.

"You really didn't think I'd let you transform that easily, did you?" Hou Dian smirked, mimicking an attacking stance.

His fist hurtled towards Long Tian's face, its velocity generating a whirlwind, its power emanating a palpable aura. Yet, when it should have connected, Hou Dian felt nothing, his blow had missed its mark entirely.

A look of realization crossed his face; Long Tian had morphed into an electric current, evading his attack effortlessly.

"You truly believed that the same trick would catch me off guard?" A chilling whisper of a voice echoed behind him, causing him to clench his teeth as he whirled around.

A sudden surge of energy radiated from Long Tian. The aura was overwhelmingly potent, rendering him almost otherworldly.

Long Tian body was sheathed in crackling black lightning, crowned by an ethereal crown hovering above his head, and brandishing a formidable, oversized sword - Blade of Olympus.

While Long Tian appeared god-like in his majesty, Hou Dian, in stark contrast, exuded a more demonic aura.

"What's with this new look? Awakening? I highly doubt it. So, what's the game here?" he inquired, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

A smirk stretched across Long Tian's face as he declared, "A form where you'll meet your end at my hands!"

Without hesitating for Hou Dian's response, Long Tian shot forward, a streak of black lightning, materializing before his opponent in an instant. His Blade of Olympus swept down, cutting a deep gash into Hou Dian's leg, from which blood began to flow.

"You insolent brat!" Hou Dian bellowed in rage, summoning a sword into his hand seemingly out of thin air—a direct manifestation of his martial spirit, Ashura the Warbringer. This spirit granted him the ability to conjure six distinct weapons, corresponding to the six arms of Ashura.

With his stance solidified, Hou Dian lunged, his sword aimed at Long Tian.

CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!

Each collision of their blades resonated with a metallic clang, punctuated by the potent auras emanating from both combatants.

Engaged in a classic sword duel, they clashed for what felt like an eternity, the echoing clang of their swords the only sound to be heard. Both demonstrated masterful swordsmanship.

Long Tian's relentless onslaught was met with Hou Dian's equally skilled defense, each of Long Tian's strikes expertly parried. Yet, Long Tian's strikes carried a more devastating impact, empowered by his mastery over lightning. Particularly his black lightning, which proved to be significantly much more powerful than the yellow one.

In this moment, Long Tian stomped the ground with his right foot, sending powerful vibrations rippling through the surface. Though the crystal remained uncracked, Hou Dian stumbled, thrown off balance by the tremors.

Seizing this split-second advantage, Long Tian shot forward like a rocket, both hands firmly gripping the Blade of Olympus. With his sights set on the man's left arm, Long Tian swung his sword with precision. Yet, his eyes widened in disbelief as Hou Dian deftly dodged, a smug smirk curling on his lips.

"You fool," Hou Dian sneered, swiftly descending to strike Long Tian from above.

BANG!

The force sent Long Tian's small frame crashing into the ground, pinned under Hou Dian's imposing hand.

"Relying solely on speed won't be enough to finish me off, brat!" Hou Dian taunted with a smirk.

Gritting his teeth against the crushing pressure of Hou Dian's hand, Long Tian found himself immobilized.

To Long Tian's horror, he felt the middle-aged man lift him and suddenly sink his teeth into his right leg.

CRUNCH!

The sickening sound of bones and flesh shattering echoed, the sight horrifying as a portion of Long Tian's leg was severed before his eyes!

Alexia watched in shock, her eyes widening in disbelief as she covered her mouth.

The mysterious woman, in contrast, seemed increasingly enthralled, rising to her feet in anticipation.

Hou Dian's grin stretched wider, reminiscent of a demon relishing its prey, blood trickling from his sharp teeth. "He he he, not bad at all," he chuckled.

Ignoring Long Tian's horrified expression, Hou Dian showed no signs of relenting. He tossed the young man from side to side before hurling him skyward.

With Long Tian suspended in the air, Hou Dian clenched his fist, summoning a spear into his grasp. Leaping high above Long Tian, he prepared his throw.

"Take this!" he roared with a sneer, launching the spear. It flew with deadly precision, striking Long Tian squarely and sending him plummeting to the ground with a resounding crash.

Hou Dian landed gracefully, scanning the bloodied and broken form of Long Tian—his right leg severed, his chest pierced by the spear. With injuries so severe, Long Tian's chances of survival seemed slim.

"What a waste. With your immense talent and boundless potential, you chose the wrong opponent," Hou Dian remarked with a sneer.

Long Tian lay motionless, eyes wide in shock, their once vibrant hue now just a blank white void.

Hou Dian's smirk grew even wider, his confidence unwavering as he considered himself the inevitable victor. The intensity of his aura subsided, and he reverted to his human form.

Just as he advanced towards the fallen Long Tian...

"Stop!" Alexia suddenly materialized before him, her voice ringing out as she raised her hands in a defensive gesture.

A crimson aura enveloped her, seemingly her hidden power.

But Hou Dian's demeanor remained unchanged. "Step aside. You still have a role to play here, so don't obstruct me," he retorted.

"Please, have you no mercy? He's already suffered enough. Please, don't kill him," Alexia implored, tears staining her cheeks, a testament to her concern for Long Tian, who had bravely come to her rescue.

"Don't expect mercy from me. That boy might be formidable, but he's walked into the jaws of a lion," Hou Dian remarked with a dismissive wave.

Alexia clenched her fists, wrestling with her inner turmoil. From a young age, she had been highly talented and was expected to be the family's future leader. But everything changed when she awakened her martial spirit.

Despite its rarity, an S-level Mythical Phoenix, it became her bane, seemingly cursed, obstructing her cultivation no matter her efforts.

Consequently, she was shunned by her family, relegated to the shadows. Yet, seeing Long Tian's willingness to sacrifice for her ignited a newfound resolve within her.

She'd choose death over engaging in dual cultivation with Hou Dian.

"Then you'll have to step over my dead body!" she proclaimed, her eyes ablaze, her aura pulsating with power.

Observing this, Hou Dian narrowed his eyes. He was adept at reading people's expressions, and from Alexia's face, he sensed a mixture of determination and desperation.

Such an expression indicated a person prepared to die.

Instead of being provoked, he simply grinned, gently extending his hand. A fine red energy materialized around Alexia, coalescing into a sphere that entrapped her.

Startled, Alexia struggled against the sphere, finding it dense and seemingly impervious.

With a smirk, Hou Dian struck the energy sphere, propelling it away from him.

Returning his focus to the incapacitated Long Tian, he taunted, "Your journey ends here, young master Long Tian."

Without hesitation, he moved toward the young man. His hand aimed directly for Long Tian's neck, but suddenly, he froze, his instincts sounding the alarm of imminent danger.

His body quivered, but before he could retreat, Long Tian's hand shot out, gripping his arm tightly. Both of Long Tian's eyes now blazed with a fiery red hue.

"I'm not dead yet, you bastard!" Long Tian exclaimed with a grin.

Hou Dian's heart pounded in his chest, but it was too late to retreat. Long Tian's aura surged, radiating overwhelming strength.

Panic surged within Hou Dian, yet Long Tian's vice-like grip left him paralyzed.

"You orchestrated all of this!" Hou Dian screamed hysterically.

With a smirk, Long Tian rose to his feet. Miraculously, the gaping hole in his chest healed instantly, and even his severed leg had fully regenerated.

Hou Dian's eyes widened in shock, rooted to the spot, struggling to comprehend what he was witnessing.

But his reflexes were sharp. He swiftly drew a dagger and lunged at Long Tian's neck.

'Got him!' he thought triumphantly, only for his eyes to widen in shock as the dagger merely glanced off Long Tian's skin.

"I-impossible-"

BANG!

A punch, crackling with black lightning, struck Hou Dian's face, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"After such grievous injuries, I can regenerate. Did you really think a mere dagger could harm me? How foolish!" Long Tian sneered.

A barrage of punches followed, each more forceful than the last.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Long Tian relentlessly hammered Hou Dian while the middle-

aged man remained in his diminished state. Bruises and burn marks marred Hou Dian's body.

Even his teeth were knocked out by Long Tian's devastating blows.

Hou Dian whimpered and cried out in pain, a fate he had never anticipated.

With a firm grip, Long Tian hurled him onto the crystal ground repeatedly, each impact echoing with bone-crunching sounds.

Ignoring Hou Dian's pleas, Long Tian hurled him to the ground once more and yanked his left arm with brute force.

"W-what are you doing?! Stop!" Hou Dian shrieked hysterically, his eyes widening in dread.

But it was too late. Long Tian's pull ripped off his left arm.

Hou Dian's eyes widened further, blood splattering across his face.

In that moment, Long Tian seized his neck.

"Now, who's the victor?" Long Tian grinned.

"Urkh!" A strangled gasp escaped Hou Dian's throat, his voice caught in a vice-like grip of terror and pain, rendering him speechless.

"As I said before, I'll resurrect you and make you my servant," Long Tian continued, his smirk growing wider.

With a gentle push, Hou Dian staggered back a few steps.

Seizing the moment, Long Tian drew the Blade of Olympus with lightning speed and slashed Hou Dian's neck.

SLASH!

In a single, decisive motion, Hou Dian's eyes widened in stunned disbelief.

In the next moment, his head toppled to the ground, followed by his body.

The final thud signaled the end of Hou Dian, the cultivator of the peak Nascent Soul realm.

With a gaze as cold as the chill of ice, Long Tian commanded, "Arise."

In an instant, a shadowy figure emerged from Hou Dian's lifeless body. The once mighty cultivator now stood transformed, his form engulfed in darkness, red eyes piercing through the gloom as he faced Long Tian.

Almost immediately, the shadow-like Hou Dian, now a dark soul, melded into the shadows, disappearing from view.

A sigh of relief escaped Long Tian's lips. His potent aura gradually receded, the crackling electricity that once danced across his body faded away. He had reverted to his human form.

A wave of intense pain and exhaustion washed over him, his breath becoming labored. His limbs felt heavy, and maintaining his balance became a challenge.

"That immortal form is an immense drain. Pretending to be weak earlier was a wise move; Hou Dian was so strong," he whispered to himself, his voice tinged with fatigue.

Using his immortal form came with its price. While it bestowed upon him near invincibility and augmented his strength manifold, the toll it took on his body was significant, especially given his current physical limitations.

Long Tian's breathing grew ragged, his vision dimming. Eventually, his legs gave out, and he tumbled forward.

But instead of the cold, unforgiving crystal floor he expected, he felt himself enveloped by a soft, yielding warmth, especially against his cheek.

Blinking open his eyes, he found himself cradled between two plush, inviting curves. The familiar softness and warmth left no doubt—it was Alexia.

A satisfied smile curled his lips as he whispered, his voice husky with exhaustion, "Can I find solace in your embrace, Mrs. Alexia? I'm completely drained."

Alexia responded with a tender smile, her fingers delicately threading through Long Tian's hair, treating him with a gentleness one reserves for a beloved child. "I'll hold you for as long as you need," she whispered soothingly.

Surrendering to the cocoon of warmth and comfort that enveloped him, Long Tian felt his worries and weariness melt away. With a serenity he hadn't felt in a long time, he closed his eyes, succumbing to a deep and restful slumber in the comforting embrace of Alexia.