Villain: I transmigrated with Mind Control Powers

Aric inwardly chuckled at the elder's commt. He knew full well that many cultivators in the upper world believed in rebirth and reincarnation, especially those powerful ough to leave remnants of their soul behind to retain memories in their next life. For him, this suggestion wasn't far-fetched at all, and it only served to fuel the elder's curiosity further.

"Give me your hand," Elder Ming suddly commanded, his voice filled with authority.

Without hesitation, Aric extded his hand, keeping his expression neutral. Elder Ming clasped his wrist firmly, sding a pulse of spiritual ergy through Aric's body to inspect his cultivation level and check for any irregularities. His probing was careful, meticulous, as though he were trying to peel back layers of Aric's being to find hidd secrets.

Aric kept his emotions in check, masking his true cultivation realm perfectly. He had sured that the system would shield his true strgth and hide any anomalies that might raise suspicion. After a few momts of tse silce, Elder Ming pulled his hand back, his expression contemplative.

"No abnormalities," Elder Ming muttered to himself. "Your cultivation level is appropriate for this trial, but your comprehsion..."

Just as Elder Ming was about to speak, the other elder—Elder Song—who had be observing from the sidelines, stepped forward. Her sharp eyes scrutinized Aric closely.

"We gave you one of the hardest techniques to comprehd this year," Elder Song said, her tone firm. "Many participants have already failed, and yet you not only understood it but performed the technique flawlessly." She turned to Elder Ming, her voice low but audible to Aric. "He's either a prodigy or hiding something, Ming. But I see no reason to stop him."

The two elders exchanged a few hushed words, clearly deliberating over Aric's performance. After what felt like an eternity, Elder Song nodded toward Aric, her expression softing just slightly.

Elder Ming straighted up and addressed Aric. "You've shown incredible promise today, Adolf Ning. Giv your extraordinary display of comprehsion, we've decided to offer you a choice."

Aric listed, feigning politess while his mind calculated every possibility.

"You may skip the next s and head straight to the final trial," Elder Ming continued. "Or, if you prefer, you can continue participating in the subsequt s with the rest of the candidates. The choice is yours."

Aric didn't hesitate. He wanted to shock everyone with his overwhelming talt.

"I would prefer to continue, Elders," Aric said, his voice firm and respectful. "It would feel unfair to the other participants if I were to skip the next s. I want to earn my place alongside them."

Elder Ming raised an eyebrow at Aric's answer, clearly impressed. Elder Song, too, seemed satisfied with his decision. "A commdable choice," she said. "You'll continue with the next trial, th."

Aric bowed slightly. "Thank you, Elders. I will do my best."

Aric bowed slightly once more as the elders dismissed the participants, signaling the d of the first .

As the crowd thinned, the once-bustling gs were now reduced to a few hundred cultivators. From several thousand, only the most talted and fortunate had survived the first trial. It was a harsh reminder of the cruelty of the cultivation world.

He watched the eliminated cultivators leaving, some with brok spirits and others with grim determination to try again next time.

"If I didn't have the system, I'd be walking among them," Aric thought, his gaze cold as he mtally acknowledged the truth. "But with the system on my side, I'm not just surviving—I'm dominating."

The next trial, however, would test more than just comprehsion.

As the murmurs of the remaining participants grew louder, another elder stepped forward. His presce was commanding, and the crowd quickly fell silt.

"This next will test your survival instincts, combat abilities, and, above all, your willingness to do whatever it takes to come out on top. This is called 'The Fittest Survives.'"

Aric raised an eyebrow at the name. It sounded vague, but in the cultivation world, those words could only mean one thing: violce.

The elder continued, his voice echoing across the gs, "Your task is simple. You must obtain the core of a Wildhorn Griffin. Only those with a core will move on."

Without giving any more explanation, the elder waved his hand, and a shimmering portal appeared in the air, crackling with ergy. "This portal will lead you to a pocket dimsion. Inside, you will find the Wildhorn Griffins. You may form alliances, but remember, only the fittest will survive. Enter."

The participants, including Aric, were immediately gulfed in the blinding light of the portal as they stepped through.

As Aric observed the people tering the portal, he noted their expressions—some filled with excitemt, others with a sse of dread. The portal had transported them to what seemed like a vast forest, the air thick with the sounds of unknown beasts lurking in the distance. This wasn't just a simple trial; the thrill of hunting powerful creatures, like the Wildhorn Griffins, had everyone on edge.

Aric could hear snippets of conversation a him as various participants discussed their plans.

"This is it, I've be waiting for this momt. I'll kill more Griffins than anyone else here," said a young man with wild eyes, his fists clched in determination.

Another participant, a woman, grinned confidtly. "Let's see who comes out on top. I'll bet no one here can match me wh it comes to hunting these beasts."

Laughter erupted from a nearby group. "We'll see about that. May the best hunter win," one of them called out.

While the participants scattered into the forest, two figures—a young boy and girl—approached Aric. Their expressions were serious, but there was a hint of desperation in their eyes, a sign that they knew how dangerous the trial truly was.

The boy, dressed in dark robes and carrying a long sword, introduced himself. "My name's Jiro, and this is Sera. We've se you a, and we were wondering if you'd be willing to form a team with us. We could hunt together, gather three Wildhorn Griffin cores, and th leave together."

Sera, the girl, nodded eagerly. "It's better if we work together. These Griffins are no joke, and we could cover each other's backs."

Aric looked at them for a momt, considering their offer. He had already used his system to check their stats. Jiro was at the 5th stage of the Half-Immortal Realm, and Sera was at the 3rd stage. While not as strong as him, they wer't weaklings either.

[Jiro: Half-Immortal Realm, 5th Stage]

[Sera: Half-Immortal Realm, 3rd Stage]

Aric's mind raced. He found the idea of teaming up amusing. It wasn't his style to rely on others for strgth, but forming an alliance with these two could offer more befits than risks. Besides, his plan wasn't to hunt the Griffins himself. No, he intded to let others do the hard work and th swoop in to claim the rewards—just as he had done before.

"Sure," Aric said smoothly, flashing them a charming smile. "Let's work together and hunt the Griffins. Three cores for the three of us sounds fair."

Jiro and Sera exchanged relieved glances. "Thank you," Jiro said. "Let's head east. I've heard the eastern side has fewer people, which means we'll have a better chance of finding the Griffins before anyone else."

Aric nodded in agreemt, but inside, he was already scheming. Once they've helped me hunt the Griffins, I'll take their share as well. Why waste my ergy wh I can let others do the work?

As Aric and his team vtured deeper into the eastern side of the forest, they began to hear the distinct sounds of battle not far off—clashes of metal, the growls of a fierce beast, and the screams of cultivators fighting for their lives. Aric's eyes gleamed with interest. He motioned for Jiro and Sera to follow him as they approached the sce.

Wh they arrived, Aric saw a group of cultivators locked in a brutal battle with a Wildhorn Griffin. The beast was fearsome, its powerful wings beating furiously as it swooped down on its prey. Its sharp talons and beak tore into the flesh of those who dared challge it. T

he g was littered with wounded cultivators, and those still fighting were barely holding their own. The griffin, while clearly injured, was still formidable. Its beady eyes glinted with fury as it let out a screech that echoed through the forest.

The strgth of the griffin was unmistakable—this creature was at the peak stage of the Half Immortal Realm, perhaps ev stronger than most of the participants in the trial. It was no wonder that the group of cultivators was being overwhelmed.

Aric watched for a momt, calculating the situation. The griffin, while powerful, had be weaked by its earlier fight. It was the perfect opportunity to strike, and Aric knew exactly how to play this out.

He turned to Jiro and Sera, his voice calm and authoritative. "This is our chance. The griffin is injured, and the others are almost finished. We'll strike now and claim the core for ourselves."

Jiro nodded, gripping his sword tightly. "Understood. We'll take it from the front, and you can hit it from above."

Sera, her bow at the ready, looked determined. "Let's d this quickly."