Systemless Villain - Chapter 254: A Member of the Holy Knight - Entering the Portal!

At the portal’s site, the lingering smoke slowly dissipated, leaving behind smoldering embers on the ground, where a colossal stone lay, forming a deep crater.

Not a single soul beast remained, not even scattered bones or limbs, indicating their demise, with only the undisturbed blue portal standing unaffected.

The cultivators who had fled earlier were now returning to the meteor crash site. Such immense power was evidently not a mere coincidence, fueling their intense curiosity.

The portal’s location was quite distant from the residents’ abodes, nestled within a golf course bordering the forest, yet still within Tianzhou city’s confines.

More and more people streamed in from different locations to witness the aftermath of the fallen meteor, gathering around the colossal stone, the meteor itself.

Surprise and awe painted their faces as they realized all the soul beasts had perished.

“Sheesh, who could summon a meteor of this magnitude? I never fathomed such power existed.”

“Well, the world is vast, and there are countless enigmatic abilities. Perhaps this individual’s prowess lies in gravity manipulation.”

“Hmm, that’s plausible. Manipulating gravity is an exceedingly rare skill. I’m certain this person hails from a top sect or academy.”

Discussions surrounding the meteor intensified, with excitement and curiosity palpable among the crowd.

Long Tian, too, was intrigued; his hand grazed the meteorite’s surface. To his surprise, it wasn’t overly hot, and the stone remained intact despite its impact, exuding a sturdy solidity.

Undoubtedly, he pondered the identity of the meteor’s summoner, especially recalling his encounter with Zhang Jun, who could also summon a meteor, whom he dispatched inside the portal a few days prior.

As he contemplated, more people arrived, engaging in fervent discussions about the meteor. With all the soul beasts near this portal now deceased, they felt more at ease.

However, amidst the chatter and throng, a casually dressed young man with short black hair and a notably attractive demeanor strolled nonchalantly towards the meteor crash site, his lips curling into a confident grin.

He raised his index finger slightly, emitting a faint purple energy.

Meanwhile, the onlookers surrounding the meteor suddenly sensed something peculiar. The massive stone began to tremble as if it were about to be lifted!

“What the hell? Is the stone trembling all of a sudden? Could it be about to explode?” someone exclaimed in panic, hastily retreating a few steps.

A few individuals with keen discernment approached cautiously to investigate.

One of them explained, “There are no signs this object will explode. But something unexpected might happen, so be cautious.”

Upon hearing this, many who had boldly touched or even clambered onto the meteor stone now retreated. Yet, a few daring souls persisted in their approach.

The meteor stone continued to quake with intensifying vibrations, emitting purple energy akin to wisps of smoke.

In the next moment, the massive stone slowly ascended into the air!

Instantly, everyone was taken aback by this sudden turn of events. The stone floated steadily upward, prompting everyone to step back, their gazes fixed in astonishment.

“Damn, it’s really levitating! Could it possibly plummet again?!” someone cried out.

These words sparked panic among many, prompting some to flee in haste.

Long Tian, too, maintained a safe distance, unperturbed but cautious about what would unfold next. The large stone ascended gradually, its leisurely pace posing no immediate threat. At least not to himself.

While everyone retreated, the casually dressed young man approached with a confident grin. His face bore a familiar look, dressed in casual attire yet adorned with the emblem of the Xuantian Academy. It was none other than Zhou Yan, a top talent of the academy.

His hand made contact with the meteorite’s surface, causing the vibrations to intensify.

Several cultivators who noticed this immediately converged on Zhou Yan. Among them, a muscular man clad in black issued a warning, “Hey kid, you’d better step back. None of us knows what might happen next,” his tone sincere yet firm.

“I don’t think so,” Zhou Yan retorted, his grin tinged with mockery.

The muscular man appeared offended by the response, his forehead creasing with displeasure.

“Do you even realize who you’re addressing, you brat—” his words trailed off as the ground suddenly trembled, throwing off his balance.

In the next moment, his eyes widened in disbelief as Zhou Yan raised his hand, lifting the meteorite effortlessly!

Everyone else mirrored the same expression of astonishment, rendering them speechless.

“S-So, you’re the one who summoned the meteor?!” the muscular man exclaimed in shock, his voice tinged with fear. Despite the apparent age gap, the young man before him possessed the ability to summon a meteor, instilling fear that he might provoke him.

Zhou Yan responded nonchalantly, “That’s me. What about it? Didn’t I do a better job than all of you here?” his tone laced with pride, accompanied by a smirk.

The muscular man fell silent, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, unable to muster a response.

Meanwhile, the other cultivators, some taken aback, some opting for silence, particularly upon realizing the young man’s capability to summon a meteor, indicated he was far from ordinary.

Long Tian, on the other hand, also seemed very interested in Zhou Yan. Previously, he had faced Zhang Jun, who could summon a meteor, and that person was very strong. Now there was someone with the same power, and he couldn’t help but feel intrigued, especially by Zhou Yan’s seemingly more arrogant demeanor.

Becoming the center of attention for everyone, Zhou Yan maintained his grin, controlling the meteor to float higher into the air.

While he seemed to be controlling the meteor, more heated discussions about him continued.

“A person as powerful as him who can summon a meteor turns out to be a young man. Hard to believe!”

“Well, it seems he’s not an ordinary young man since he has the emblem of the Xuantian Academy on his clothes. Maybe he’s a highly talented elite disciple.”

“That’s very possible.”

Various speculations about Zhou Yan’s identity heated up, overshadowing Long Tian’s earlier actions of dispatching soul beasts.

However, amidst the crowd stood a young man of similar age to Zhou Yan, donning the same attire, sporting a proud grin.

“He he, it seems you all have been living under a rock, unaware of young master Zhou’s identity,” he declared, pride dripping from his words.

Many immediately turned to the source of the voice, their expressions displaying displeasure. Long Tian, who happened to be close enough, could also hear the man’s words.

Frowning, one among them inquired, “And who might he be?”

The question stirred further curiosity, directing everyone’s attention to the young man.

With an even wider grin, he proudly proclaimed, “The one who summoned the meteor is none other than young master Zhou Yan, scion of the Holy Knight family and the future saint son of the Xuantian Academy!”

Hearing this, the atmosphere fell silent instantly. Quietly, everyone’s expression displayed surprise and astonishment.

Zhou Yan, from the Holy Knight family and the future saint son of the Xuantian Academy, truly left everyone dumbfounded.

The mention of the Holy Knight family alone elicited genuine surprise, as they were one of the six families not part of the ancient lineage, dedicated to serving the empire. They ranked only below the emperor in terms of power.

Each Holy Knight family member was strictly governed by rules regarding their strength, trained from a young age to become the strongest defenders of the empire. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say they were indoctrinated from childhood to serve the empire.

“Damn, a member of the Holy Knight family… No wonder he’s so powerful. What do you think his martial spirit is?”

“It must be related to gravity.”

“Although the Holy Knight family is powerful, they’re fewer in number. Their status is still lower than the ancient lineages.”

Discussions about Zhou Yan’s identity surged, with those previously irked by his demeanor now shifting to respect and admiration. Nevertheless, some maintained their negative perceptions of him.

Long Tian fell into neither category. While he harbored no particular disdain for Zhou Yan, his status as a scion of the Holy Knight family and future saint son of the Xuantian Academy piqued his interest.

An involuntary smirk graced his lips. “The future saint son of the Xuantian Academy, huh? Seems like I’ll need to make a bigger splash in the future,” he murmured to himself.

With graduation looming and his sights set on the Xuantian Academy, Long Tian harbored aspirations of securing a prominent position within the institution.

——–

While many hot discussions and admiration for Zhou Yan were ongoing, Zhou Yan himself responded with a proud grin. Being admired and praised never bored him.

Yet, he felt it was time to act, his energy revitalized to attend to the massive meteorite still hovering above.

From his open hand position, he immediately grasped the air, causing the meteorite to seem to obey and rapidly shrink in size.

This concept resembled a planet compressed by strong gravitational force, turning its initially massive size into a smaller one, yet with stronger mass and gravitational force.

The meteorite continued to shrink until it eventually became the size of a marble, floating above Zhou Yan’s palm, emitting a denser purple energy than before.

He wasted no time and immediately placed the stone back into his modified spatial ring.

Before long, he found himself engulfed by a throng of admirers, showered with praises and words of respect.

Zhou Yan simply smiled, graciously welcoming their admiration.

Standing aloof from the crowd, arms crossed, Long Tian maintained an indifferent demeanor.

“Now that he’s gained the fame he wanted, I better enter the portal,” he murmured.

With that, he walked away immediately.

———–

Now, as the colossal meteorite vanished, the surroundings grew clearer, and attention dispersed among various focal points: some fixed on the portal, others encircled Zhou Yan, some desired to depart, while some remained intent on battling the soul beasts.

In this instance, six individuals garbed akin to Zhou Yan advanced, aligning themselves beside him, his comrades.

Among them, Fen Yuwen, a twenty-something youth with a sturdy physique, discerned an approaching figure near the portal.

“It seems someone is about to enter the portal, don’t you want to join?” he inquired, redirecting his gaze to Zhou Yan.

Acknowledging this, Zhou Yan turned his gaze towards the portal, confirming an approaching figure.

With raised voice, he called out, “Hey you, what’s your intent? Seeking passage through the portal?”

His vocal projection reached the individual, who upon turning revealed the familiar visage of Long Tian. Yet, his countenance remained aloof, offering no response as he continued towards the portal.

Now positioned directly before the portal, its vast dimensions became apparent, likely exceeding 30 meters in height and width.

Without hesitation, he stepped within, his form dissipating into its depths.

Veins bulged on Zhou Yan’s forehead, displeasure evident on his face, knowing that Long Tian had ignored him.

Meanwhile, everyone had different expressions and reactions upon seeing someone enter the portal.

“Ohh, isn’t that young master Long from the Long family? I didn’t expect him to enter the portal. He’s quite brave.”

“Well, he’s very strong, so it’s no surprise he has the courage to enter. I’m sure he can survive.”

“For real.”

Amidst the discussions, Zhou Yan appeared calmer than before, and more interested in Long Tian. It was no wonder the man didn’t bother to respond; it turned out his identity wasn’t ordinary.

In this moment, something suddenly moved quickly like a shadow, passing through everyone, making everyone wonder what it was.

Including Zhou Yan and his friends, where they could see someone moving so quickly towards the portal.

Though the figure’s rapid motion obscured their identity, upon closer inspection, it revealed a familiar face—none other than Lin Xian’er.

“Wait for me, Tian’er!”

It didn’t take long for her to arrive and stop right in front of the portal. Previously, when the portal opened, she didn’t enter with her senior due to doubts, but her doubts vanished now because Long Tian had also entered.

Her feet stepped forward without hesitation, entering the portal. Her form disappeared into it.

Seeing this scene, Zhou Yan narrowed his eyes. He immediately informed his friends, “I’m going to enter as well. Who’s coming with me?” he asked.

Among his six friends, only two raised their hands, Fen Yuwen and Leng Jiao, the one who revealed Zhou Yan’s identity to the public.

Zhou Yan nodded, not caring about his other friends who didn’t join.

“Then let’s go in. Besides being curious about what’s inside the portal, I’m also quite curious about that young master from the Long family,” he said with a smirk.

Fen Yuwen and Leng Jiao could sense the competitive aura from Zhou Yan. That wasn’t a good sign; he would definitely do something to Long Tian.

Ultimately, they trailed behind Zhou Yan into the portal, their figures fading into its embrace.

Now, with nothing more interesting happening, everyone’s focus was on the portal, and no one else intended to enter it.

Yu, Jian, and Yang, who initially intended to enter, abandoned their plans because they knew their limitations. Facing the soul beasts outside the portal alone was already very difficult, let alone inside.

The atmosphere near the portal now seemed quieter, especially as the sun had set and night had fallen…