Systemless Villain

43  Unveiling Star Power

Arriving at the main mansion, Long Tian caught sight of nine individuals seated around the dining table. However, his attention was captivated by an elderly man with cropped white hair and a robust physique.

Nevertheless, Xia Guanzong noticed Long Tian and immediately turned his gaze to him.

"Oh, that's my grandson," he exclaimed joyfully, rising from his seat and approaching Long Tian.

"How are you? Your mother told me you were unconscious. Are you fully recovered now?" he inquired, offering a reassuring pat on Long Tian's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Grandpa, I'm doing fine. In fact, I feel even stronger than before," Long Tian responded with a grin.

"Oh, you nearly gave me a heart attack. Thankfully, you're alright," Xia Guanzong chuckled.

"Now, let's all take a seat and enjoy lunch together. Being unconscious for two weeks must have left you famished, right?" he added, leading Long Tian to a chair at the dining table.

Long Tian settled among the other nine individuals. His mother, Ling Han, Grand Elder Long Guang, and the rest comprised his uncles and aunts from the Xia family. However, his father was conspicuously absent, his whereabouts shrouded in mystery.

"Long time no see, Long Tian. Your hair has grown longer, I see, but it looks good with your face," Xia Yunhai, a woman in her thirties, complimented.

"Thanks, Aunt Yun. Well, I haven't been taking care of my hair for two weeks, guess they grew wild without restraint," Long Tian replied.

"But I must say, you do look even more handsome with it. I'm sure you'll catch the eye of a beautiful girlfriend soon," Xia Yunhai playfully teased.

Long Tian merely chuckled, "A girlfriend, dating—I haven't really dwelled on those matters, Aunt Yun. I feel they might slow down my progress."

"Don't you want to have a girlfriend?" Xia Yunhai prodded further.

"Well, I just haven't actively considered it," Long Tian clarified.

"Alright, I won't press any further. Now, let's savor our lunch," Xia Yunhai suggested.

Long Tian nodded and then began to eat. There was a wide array of dishes on the table, all lavish foods usually served to nobles.

He enjoyed his time gathered with his family. The Long and Xia families were allied and had a very close relationship.

They often held inter-family marriages, strengthening the bond between the two families.

Anyway, the Xia family was one of the twelve ancient families in mainland China and was no weaker than the Long family.

*************

"Time flew by swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, night had descended. With the assurance of Long Tian's complete recovery, Xia Yunfei and Long Zhan breathed sighs of relief, allowing them to refocus on their respective work.

And now, in the backyard of the Long family residence, Long Tian stood gazing across the expanse of verdant fields.

His gaze fixated upon the breathtaking canopy of stars. Nestled amidst forests and mountains, the Long family abode enjoyed pristine air, untouched by pollution, rendering the night sky a crystal-clear spectacle.

Long Tian lifted his hand slightly, as if reaching for the stars themselves. He could sense a closeness between himself and the stars, despite the millions of light-years that separated them.

It felt as if his dantian resonated with the stars in the sky, granting him a distinct feeling of intimacy.

Long Tian closed his eyes, savoring the sensation even more.

A few moments later, his hand began to radiate a brilliant white light.

He cast the light forward.

Boom!

The light exploded upon impact with the ground some distance away, forming a mushroom-like burst.

Long Tian's face beaded with sweat, an expression of disbelief mingled with his perspiration. Yet, in the following moment, a wide grin spread across his features. "Damn, isn't this a bit too powerful?" he exclaimed.

It was his first time harnessing star power, demanding intense concentration to forge a connection with the stars before unleashing such destructive might.

And yet, in one attempt, he had achieved it. This was partly due to his innate high talent, combined with his experience in the Abyss of Demons. His talent was now truly defying the heavens.

"What is that, young master?"Suddenly, a voice resounded from behind.

Long Tian turned to find Ling Han approaching.

"Oh, Uncle Ling, just trying out new abilities. Did you see it?" he asked casually, a light smile adorning his face.

"Well, I heard the explosion and rushed over. I wasn't sure of its origin until I saw it was you, young master," Ling Han responded.

"Yeah, I was just testing my strength. Anyway, I still haven't received word about my school. Is it safe?" Long Tian inquired.

"Actually, I'm not privy to the specifics. These past two weeks, I've been in the training room with you, but Long Shan informed me earlier that everything has been taken care of. Don't worry about the school. However, he also mentioned a woman from the Ning family who's been trying to get you expelled. I don't know her name, unfortunately. I understand she's just doing her duty as a teacher, but she's aware of your identity, young master. She's quite audacious," Ling Han explained.

"That woman... Ning Yuan. I should've killed her," Long Tian said coldly, his eyes filled with a murderous intent.

"But, young master, she belongs to the Ning family, one of the ancient clans. It's best not to act rashly," Ling Han advised.

Ling Han's words brought Long Tian to his senses; he immediately covered his right eye.

For some reason, in those few moments, he felt a strange sensation within himself—cruel and merciless. He had never experienced this before.

His thoughts instantly turned to the Abyss of Demons. In the original plot, Qin Chen's personality changed somewhat after leaving the abyss. Perhaps he was experiencing the same now.

"Alright, Uncle Ling, thank you for looking out for me. I really appreciate that," Long Tian said, smiling.

"No problem, young master," Ling Han replied.

"Well, I want to return to the villa in Tianzhou. Are you coming along?" Long Tian asked.

"Sure," Ling Han agreed.

"You'll be driving then," Long Tian instructed.

Subsequently, the two of them bid farewell to some members of the Long family before departing.

Most everyone in the family knew that Long Tian had regained consciousness, and they were all overjoyed. Within this family, there were no internal issues, no familial competition, not even rivalry among the young masters.

The Long family also had many talented young individuals around Long Tian's age, but they all recognized their talents were far below Long Tian's.

Now, Long Tian and Ling Han were inside the car, heading towards the villa in Tianzhou.

Tomorrow was Wednesday, and he somewhat missed the classroom atmosphere.

Furthermore, the awakening of the martial spirit was very close, perhaps even occurring by tomorrow.