Villain: I transmigrated with Mind Control Powers

Aric stood at the edge of the Silvermoon Forest, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at the barren and desolate expanse of the Hanzhou Lands before him. Dust swirled around his feet, carried by the dry wind that howled across the landscape. These lands, once teeming with life and power, were now a forgotten wasteland—a perfect hiding place for ancient relics that had been lost to time.

It was here that Aric's next conquest awaited: the Celestial Dragon's Heart, an artifact of unimaginable power. The very thought of it made Aric's blood sing with anticipation.

He could still feel the echoes of Li Chengfeng's memories swirling in his mind, granting him a newfound understanding of the upper world. The ancient dragons had once ruled the Hanzhou Lands with an iron claw, their dominion over the monster race unchallenged—until humans and demons, filled with greed, hunted them to extinction.

But in their arrogance, they had failed to wipe out the last remnants of the dragon race. Now, Aric was here to claim what they had left behind.

"Extinction?" Aric muttered with disdain, his voice barely audible over the wind. "Power like that never truly disappears. It only hides, waiting for someone worthy to find it."

His Void Dragon, a creature Aric had been raising since his early days as a villain, had confirmed what he had suspected all along—the dragons weren't gone. They were merely lying dormant, and their treasures remained hidden, waiting for someone with the strength and cunning to claim them. And now, through Li Chengfeng's memories, Aric knew where the Celestial Dragon's Heart lay.

The barren landscape of the Hanzhou Lands stretched endlessly before him, jagged rocks littered the ground, and the distant echoes of forgotten beasts resonated through the air. But Aric's focus was unshakable. His divine sense spread across the wasteland, searching for the faint pulse of ancient energy that would lead him to the relic.

It didn't take long. A faint but unmistakable pulse of dragon energy tugged at his senses. He followed the trail, his footsteps light and sure as he made his way through the ruins of what had once been a grand dragon city. The once-magnificent structures were reduced to rubble, and the towering statues of dragons had crumbled, their broken forms now silent witnesses to the passage of time.

"Dragons," Aric sneered under his breath as he approached the entrance to the dragon cavern. "Hiding in shadows like cowards."

The cavern entrance was hidden, a jagged maw of stone concealed by a waterfall of inky black water. The energy emanating from within was overwhelming—the Celestial Dragon's Heart was inside, waiting to be claimed.

Without hesitation, Aric stepped inside. The air within the cavern was thick with ancient power, the very walls humming with the lingering presence of the dragons that had once called this place home. The deeper Aric ventured into the cavern, the stronger the pull of the Celestial Dragon's Heart became.

Golden dragon scales lined the walls, their surfaces shimmering faintly in the dim light. It was as if the cavern itself was alive, watching Aric's every move, testing his resolve. But Aric was unfazed. He had come too far to be deterred by the remnants of a long-dead race.

His Celestial Veil Technique allowed him to bypass the myriad traps that had been set by the dragons to protect their treasure. Fire-spitting statues, rolling boulders, hidden arrays meant to incinerate intruders—all of these were mere inconveniences to him. Aric moved through them with ease, his movements swift and precise.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of navigating the cavern's many dangers, Aric reached the heart of the chamber. The vast space opened before him, and at its center, resting upon an altar made of dragon bones, lay the Celestial Dragon's Heart.

The relic was a crystalline organ, pulsing with golden light, its power ancient and immense. Aric could feel the weight of its energy pressing down on him, far beyond anything a typical cultivator could handle.

"Such power," Aric whispered, his eyes gleaming with hunger. "No wonder the dragons were hunted. With this... I'll surpass anything Li Yuan could have dreamed of."

His heart pounded with anticipation as he approached the altar, his fingers twitching with eagerness. He reached out, and the moment his hand made contact with the heart, a surge of power coursed through his body. The system chimed in his mind.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for acquiring the Celestial Dragon's Heart. Absorbing this relic will enhance the host's bloodline and cultivation, granting you the strength of the Celestial Dragons.]

Aric closed his eyes, a dark grin spreading across his face as the heart began to fuse with his body. Streams of golden light flowed into him, filling his veins with the power of the ancient dragons. His bloodline, already strengthened by countless stolen opportunities, surged with newfound potential.

"Li Yuan was right to covet this," Aric murmured, his voice a low growl. "But now it's mine."

His muscles pulsed with power as his cultivation climbed steadily. With each heartbeat, the essence of the dragons became his own. His aura grew darker, more oppressive, and the very air around him seemed to crackle with energy.

With this, his cultivation realm jumped from Divine Transformation (4th Stage) to Divine Transformation (7th Stage). The surge of power was intoxicating, and Aric relished every moment of it.

"That was... effective," Aric mused, flexing his hands and feeling the raw strength coursing through his body. "My power has grown again."

The power of the Celestial Dragon's Heart coursed through Aric's veins, its ancient essence flowing in rhythm with his heartbeat. His senses sharpened, and his body felt lighter, stronger, as if he could take on the world with nothing but a glance.

But Aric knew there was more to be done before he could ascend to the upper world. The memories of Li Chengfeng had revealed the path to the upper realm—a hidden portal, buried deep within the lower world. But before he could claim that prize, there were still loose ends to tie up in the lower realm.

"Li Yuan, Long Tianyun, and the others..." Aric muttered, his eyes narrowing as he thought of the so-called Sons of Luck who had been a thorn in his side. He had taken much from them already, but leaving them alive, even for a moment, was a risk he could not afford.

As he stood at the edge of the dragon cavern, surrounded by the faint glow of relics and the silent whispers of the long-dead dragons, Aric smirked. His gaze was cold, calculating. This was only the beginning.

"I can feel your lingering threat, Li Yuan," Aric whispered to himself. "You and your kind were never meant to rise. I will make sure of it."

He flexed his hand, feeling the immense power from the Celestial Dragon's Heart ripple beneath his skin. The strength of the ancient dragons now belonged to him, and the upper world awaited. But before he could make his ascent, there were still matters to attend to in the lower world.

His mind flickered to the other treasures that Li Chengfeng had hidden. The Sky-Piercing Spear of the Nine Heavens, capable of slaying even celestial beings; the Boundless Soul Mirror, an artifact that could devour the very souls of its enemies; and the Dao-Spirit Codex, filled with forbidden cultivation techniques that would make any sect tremble in fear.

"I will claim them all," Aric murmured, his eyes gleaming with ambition. "And with the Celestial Dragon's Heart, no one will be able to stop me."

The upper world was filled with the most powerful cultivators, and Aric knew he needed to be prepared. The path to ascension was not one he would take lightly. But before that, his unfinished business in the lower realm called to him. He could not leave until Li Yuan, Long Tianyun, and the others were dealt with.

"I will not leave anything to chance," Aric said coldly, his voice filled with resolve. "Li Yuan, Long Tianyun... none of you will stand in my way."

With that, Aric turned away from the dragon cavern, his mind already plotting his next move. The upper world awaited him, but for now, the lower realm would tremble under the weight of his newfound power. The game had only just begun, and Aric was determined to emerge victorious.

As he soared through the skies in his flying boat, the desolate lands of Hanzhou shrinking in the distance, Aric felt a sense of anticipation building within him. He had gained much today—the power of the ancient dragons, the knowledge of Li Chengfeng, and a deeper understanding of the upper world. But more than anything, he had solidified his resolve to conquer everything that lay before him.

"The Celestial Dragon's Heart is mine," Aric whispered to himself, his eyes gleaming with dark ambition. "And soon, so too will be the upper world."

Now, Aric was getting ready for his pursuit of the upper world.