Chapter 106 A fateful Encounter
"Let's go in," Long Tian declared.
With those words, he pushed open the massive door and stepped inside, accompanied by Xia Xiao and the others.
Once inside, they found themselves awestruck by the grandeur of the room, adorned with classic decorations. The castle boasted an oriental design, evident from the intricate furnishings within.
They eagerly explored this opulent space, discovering ancient paintings, a mysterious sword, and artifacts dating back thousands of years, all of which they collected.
In a moment of revelation, Xia Xiao opened a door, his eyes widening in astonishment at its contents. "Hey, come here," he called out.
Everyone, excluding Long Tian, hurried over, equally taken aback by what they saw.
Before them lay an immense treasure trove of gold and diamonds, forming a mountainous spectacle.
"Hahaha, what incredible luck! Let's take everything!" exclaimed Long Feng, his excitement palpable.
Without hesitation, they entered the room, greedily grabbing handfuls of gold and gems, stashing them away in their storage rings.
Meanwhile, Long Tian found himself in front of another door. Despite his powerful strength, he struggled to open it, resorting to all his power in vain attempts.
"There must be a way to open it," he muttered to himself.
Surveying the area, he noticed a small hole in the door. Recalling an item he had found after defeating the bald man, he pulled out a small golden iron piece.
"This should do the trick," he thought. Inserting the golden iron piece into the hole, he heard a satisfying click, and the door swung open. From the outside, the room appeared pitch black, but Long Tian boldly entered.
As he stepped inside, the door closed behind him and disappeared.
In the darkness, Long Tian surveyed his surroundings. The room was enveloped in an inky blackness, obscuring all details from his sight.
However, within moments, the floor lit up with a subdued purple hue, revealing a cloaked figure standing not far from him.
Long Tian unsheathed his Uchigatana, poised for battle. Surprisingly, the figure in front of him smiled.
"No need for a sword, my friend. I harbor no ill intentions," he said, his voice soft and reassuring.
Long Tian narrowed his eyes, his suspicion still lingering. The last time he trusted a stranger, that person stabbed him from behind. Who is non other than Long Guanyu.
Meanwhile, the enigmatic figure continued to smile. "Your distrust is understandable. However, your presence here indicates that you've defeated my subordinate," he remarked.
"You mean the bald man?" Long Tian inquired.
"Yes, he was quite formidable. His immortality was the result of a curse," the figure replied.
"What do you mean? I could kill him. Is that what you call immortality?" Long Tian challenged.
"You lack the full context. Even if you were to kill him, he would resurrect; his duty is to safeguard this castle. This cycle has persisted for thousands of years. You are only the second person to succeed in vanquishing him," the figure explained.
"Who was the first?" Long Tian asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Someone named Zhao Tian. He was intriguing—a possessor of a peculiar power known as a system, which granted him immense strength," the figure revealed.
Long Tian's eyes widened in surprise. "Did you say a system?" he asked, incredulous.
The figure nodded, confirming Long Tian's surprise. "Indeed, it is a unique power—one that even I lack understanding of. I am certain that Zhao Tian ascended to the upper world with its aid."
Long Tian furrowed his brow, profoundly shocked by this revelation. A system, Zhao Tian... the man clearly was a protagonist, and now he had transcended to the upper world.
It meant that it was true— not only one or two protagonists had emerged in this world. It seemed that long before his transmigration, a protagonist had already existed here.
"What happened after Zhao Tian discovered this place?" he inquired.
"This castle would revert to its original state—a ruin—awaiting the arrival of the right individual, just as you have. And, of course, after your departure, the cycle will repeat. However, the ruin will relocate to a place far beyond human reach," the figure elaborated.
Long Tian nodded, comprehending the figure's words. "Very well. I suppose that suffices. I have made it here, so what do I gain?" he asked.
The figure smiled, materializing before Long Tian in an instant.
Long Tian was taken aback, but before he could react, the figure touched his forehead, causing something to emerge from his back.
Long Tian glanced backward, his eyes widening in shock. Behind him, his sea of consciousness materialized, displaying Shen Long, Zeus, galaxies with billions of stars, dark pillars, and two black dragons soaring in the sky.
Yet what astounded him more was the absence of sensation within his body, as if his cultivation base had dissipated, leaving him an ordinary human. Even the tattoos on his arms had vanished.
Meanwhile, the figure appeared impressed. "Remarkable. You possess incredibly potent abilities—an exceptional talent and a dual martial spirit. Truly rare," he praised.
Long Tian remained silent, his expression earnest. The figure before him was immensely powerful, likely not much weaker than Shen Yulan.
"Understand this: if I intended you harm, I could snuff out your life in the blink of an eye. But rest assured, I am not malevolent. In fact, I intend to bestow upon you a gift," the figure assured, a smile gracing his feature.
In the next moment, energy surged before them, coalescing into a perfect sphere.
"Place your hand upon it," he instructed.
This time, Long Tian harbored no doubts. He laid his hand upon the energy sphere, which promptly absorbed into him.
A tremendous surge of energy flooded his being, causing excruciating pain.
Simultaneously, his sea of consciousness returned within him.
Seconds turned into minutes, and lightning crackled within him. This time, the hue was not white but yellow. Flames roared to life within him, shifting from their regular color to a deep crimson, their intensity amplified.
Not only did the tattoos on his arms reappear, but this time, they bore even more intricate engravings. Darkness seemed to imbue them with a profound aura.
Faced with these transformations, Long Tian accepted them, embracing the changes. Even within his dantian, galaxies expanded rapidly, and this time, a vast void emerged, reminiscent of the astronomical concept of "Void Bootes."
Seconds ticked by, minutes elapsed. Long Tian experienced what could only be described as eternity.
The surge of energy subsided, leaving him standing tall, infused with tremendous power. He sensed a remarkable increase in his strength. Although it did not elevate his cultivation base, he was confident that he had grown significantly stronger. At this point, facing a three-star soul beast would be an easy task.
Meanwhile, the mysterious figure continued to smile. "I have just elevated your power to a higher level. Every aspect of your strength has undergone a drastic enhancement," he informed.
Long Tian smiled back. "I cannot express my gratitude enough," he said sincerely.
"Consider this a gift, given your possession of heavenly dragon blood. I owe a significant debt to their race," the figure stated.
"Heavenly dragon blood?" Long Tian raised an eyebrow. If the figure mentioned dragon blood, he could understand, but he mentioned the heavenly dragon.
Perhaps it was related to the dragon woman he had encountered in the realm of dragons. She had bestowed upon him the Charm of the Heavenly Dragon, likely the reason for this gift.
"Well, thank you once again. Now, can I leave?" he asked.
"Of course," the figure said, then raised his hand, and the door behind him opened. "May luck be with you," he said before fading away into a mirage.
Long Tian smiled and then turned around, walking out of the place.
Just as he was in the grand room, Xia Xiao and the other four immediately approached him.
"Brother, where have you been? It's been more than 5 hours," Long Feng said.
"What? 5 hours?" Long Tian was surprised; he didn't realize he had spent such a long time inside the mysterious room.
"Yes, we've been waiting for you. But don't worry, we left a lot of treasures like gold and gems, as well as dozens of high-level spiritual stones. We divided them evenly; each person got 70 spiritual stones," Long Feng said.
"Well, thank you then," Long Tian said.
"Alright, we've spent enough time searching for this castle, and we finally found it. Do you want to join us again, Long Tian?" Xia Xiao asked.
"I think not. I have other business to do in this forest," Long Tian said.
Xia Xiao nodded. "Alright, then we'll go ahead," he said.
Long Tian nodded. "Be careful; don't get yourselves killed," he said.
"We will," Xia Xiao nodded.
With that, the five of them left the castle, leaving Long Tian alone.
Meanwhile, Long Tian began to store many treasures and resources piled not far from him, which were his share.
"This treasure isn't bad; it's worth hundreds of millions of Yuan at least," he murmured, smiling satisfactorily.
Today he gained many good things, especially the improvements in all aspects of his strength, making him many times stronger than before.
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Long Tian walked out of the castle. But he didn't leave immediately; instead, he turned back to look at it.
Not long after, the castle crumbled into ruins, just like before. And the next moment, it vanished from his sight.
"Now, I can focus on hunting you down, Long Guan," he said coldly, a killing intent filling the air.
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