Villain: I transmigrated with Mind Control Powers

"Behind the waterfall, perhaps," Aric mused, eyes narrowing as he approached the edge. The sheer force of the water crashing down would be enough to knock any ordinary person unconscious, but Aric wasn't an ordinary person.

He reached into his storage ring and retrieved aProtection Talismanthat would easily negate the pressure from the waterfall. With a simple activation, a faint shimmering barrier formed around him, protecting him from the intense force.

"Let's see if my intuition is correct," he murmured, stepping forward.

With his talisman shielding him, Aric confidently stepped into the waterfall. The water cascaded around him, the pressure so intense that it would have battered a normal cultivator into submission.

But Aric's barrier held firm, allowing him to cross through the waterfall unscathed. However, to his mild disappointment, when he emerged on the other side, there was nothing but solid rock.

"Nothing?" Aric raised an eyebrow, more intrigued than frustrated. He knew ancient cultivators didn't make things so simple. If it wasn't behind the waterfall, then perhaps the portal was hidden below.

Turning his attention back to theplunge pool, he took a deep breath before diving into the water. The water was surprisingly clear, but the further down he went, the darker and more foreboding it became. He could feel the pressure increasing the deeper he swam, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

As he plunged into the cold depths, the world above disappeared, replaced by the murky, swirling currents below. The plunge pool was deeper than expected, the water dark and foreboding.

Using hisdivine sense, Aric scanned the depths for any sign of the portal. The currents tugged at him, trying to pull him in different directions, but his focus remained steady. He searched the rocky bottom of the pool, feeling for any hidden energy.

After a few tense moments, Aric found what he was looking for—a narrowentranceat the base of the pool, hidden behind an outcropping of rock. The faint traces of ancient energy confirmed that this was the hidden portal he had been seeking.

"Found it," Aric whispered under his breath, a satisfied smirk curling at the edge of his lips.

The energy formed a barrier preventing the water from entering the narrow tunnel.

Carefully, he entered the hidden passage. The memories of Li Chengfeng had shown him the waterfall but hadn't revealed the exact location of the portal, which explained why it had taken some time to find.

The passage twisted and turned as he moved forward, but soon it widened into a larger cave.

"This is it," Aric said to himself, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "The portal to the upper world."

He had expected something grand—a glowing portal or an ancient gateway that would instantly transport him to the upper world. Yet, as his eyes adjusted to the dim light, all he saw was a simple stone box resting in the middle of the cave.

A look of mild irritation crossed his face. "A box? After all that effort, this is what I find?" he muttered to himself.

He took a deep breath, pushing aside his frustration.Li Chengfeng'smemories had led him here for a reason, and Aric wasn't one to dismiss a lead without thoroughly investigating. He moved forward, cautiously lifting the lid of the stone box. Inside, there was no glowing treasure or shimmering relic. Instead, a scroll and a thick, dusty book lay side by side.

For a moment, Aric simply stared at the contents. He had been hoping for something more immediate, more impressive. But then, his natural curiosity took over, and he picked up the scroll, unfurling it slowly.

"If you have entered this place, then you are either my incarnation or someone else entirely. Regardless, I have left behind this formation for your use. It is a key, a portal to the upper world. Learn the formation from the book I have placed here, and you will have access to the realms beyond. Use it wisely, for the path to the heavens is treacherous."

Aric's eyes scanned the rest of the scroll, detailing basic instructions to activate the formation. But this wasn't just a simple portal—it was a complex transportation array designed to send cultivators from the lower world to the upper realms.

He unfurled the scroll further and noticed that the full details of the formation had been recorded in the accompanying book.

"How convenient," Aric muttered, picking up the book and flipping through its pages. The runic symbols and intricate arrays were expertly drawn, and Aric understood the essence of it immediately.

"Looks like this requires more than just a wave of my hand," Aric muttered to himself, flipping through the pages. "But a portal to the upper world is well worth the effort."

But as he delved deeper into the book, his smirk slowly faded. The formation required four key items to function—each essential for creating the portal and stabilizing the connection to the upper world.

[Celestial Jade Stone]

[Dragon Essence Pearl]

[Phoenix Flame Lantern]

[Voidstone Ingot]

Aric let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "Of course, it couldn't be that simple."

Each of these items was rare and powerful, scattered across different regions. The book provided some vague hints about their locations, but it would take time to track them all down. He couldn't help but admire Li Chengfeng's foresight—this wasn't just a portal anyone could stumble upon and use.

"But all of this effort to leave a method for your rebirth… And now it's mine," Aric said softly, his fingers tracing the edge of the book.

Aric's grin widened as he stood up, tucking the book and scroll into his storage ring. "Well, I've got the method. Now all I need are the items."

Before leaving the cave, Aric paused to reflect on the larger implications of the formation. The scroll mentioned that the portal, once activated, could transport up to thirty people at a time to the upper world.

That meant he could bring his women, loyal followers, and allies with him. But the catch was that the portal didn't have a fixed destination—it would transport them to a random location in the upper world.

"That complicates things," Aric mused, his expression darkening slightly. "I'll need to be prepared. No telling where I'll end up, and I can't risk my people being thrown into dangerous territories without a plan."

Still, it was a portal to the upper world—a realm of limitless possibilities, where the strongest cultivators reigned. Aric's ambition flared at the thought. He wasn't content with being a king of the lower world. No, the upper world held even greater power, treasures, and, most importantly, rivals that he could crush beneath his feet.

Aric summoned the system with a single thought. "System, show me if those items are available in the store."

The familiar chime of the system echoed in his mind, and a list of items appeared before him.

[Celestial Jade Stone: 50,000 Villain Points]

[Dragon Essence Pearl: 100,000 Villain Points]

[Phoenix Flame Lantern: 75,000 Villain Points]

[Voidstone Ingot: 60,000 Villain Points]

Aric's eyes gleamed as he scanned the list. To his surprise, all four items were available, albeit at a steep price.

"The system really knows how to keep things interesting," Aric smirked, mentally calculating the cost. "285,000 Villain Points… a small price for the key to the upper world."

The items allowed the portal to be activated up to 20 times. But if he needs to use it further, then he needs a new set of items. But for Aric, who has a system, these things do not really matter.

Aric's fingers twitched as he mentally approved the purchase. The cost was high, but the payoff would be monumental. The prospect of traveling to the upper world with a small army under his command was exhilarating.

"Buy them," Aric said, without hesitation.

A moment later, the items materialized before him in a burst of light, neatly arranged in front of the box where the scroll and book had been.

Each treasure shimmered with its own unique energy—the Celestial Jade Stone sparkled with a soft, ethereal glow, while the Dragon Essence Pearl pulsed like a living heart.

The Phoenix Flame Lantern flickered with golden flames, and the Voidstone Ingot looked as though it absorbed all light around it

"I have all the pieces right here. No need to waste time. I should travel to the upper world and understand it further before taking the mainforce there.", Aric thought.

Aric wanted to go to the upper world. He wanted to understand the power dynamics there. If he want to rule the upper world, he needed to first rule the Lei family there.

"Let's activate it", Aric said.

Aric wasted no time. He set the items in their designated places, as described in the scroll and the book. TheCelestial Jade Stonewas placed at the formation's center, while theDragon Essence Pearlat one of the surrounding slots.

ThePhoenix Flame Lanternflickered to life as he lit it with a small spark of Qi, its flames casting long shadows against the cave walls. Finally, theVoidstone Ingotsettled into place, its dense form grounding the entire formation with an almost imperceptible thrum.

As the formation began to light up, the symbols inscribed into the ground started to glow, one by one, connecting the items with streams of energy.

Aric stepped back, his heart pounding as he watched the formation slowly come to life. The once-dim cave was now bathed in an ethereal glow, the formation's power rippling through the air like waves on a still pond.

The portal shimmered into existence before him, a swirling vortex of energy that promised the unknown.

Aric took a deep breath, staring at the portal with a mix of awe and ambition. "Finally," he whispered, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "The upper world."