I am the light, and I don’t need anyone else to shine.

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This was the top floor of a magic tower. The ceiling was made up of intricately painted enamel glass panels, fortified with defensive spells. Four pillars carved from magic crystals supported the vast space, and along the walls, the so-called eternal holy flames flickered brightly.

In the fluctuating light of the fire, an old man with long white hair and a flowing beard stood with his hands behind his back. Light and shadow played across his face, weaving a mysterious tapestry of colors. Through the open window, he seemed to be gazing into the distance. His pupils were so cloudy and dull they reflected no light.

He was blind.

A gust of wind lifted the hem of his robe, growing stronger by the second. This was the magical array of a teleportation scroll.

Teleportation scrolls were absurdly expensive in Grimm, and rumor had it that a single one could be worth as much as a small city on a lower plane.

Sensing something, the old man turned toward the newcomer behind him, his voice calm, “You’ve arrived.”

The person who had just appeared was the mysterious figure often seen beside Sha Yu. Still draped in his signature black cloak, the figure showed no surprise that the old man had foreseen his arrival.

“I assume you’ve felt it too,” the old man continued, speaking to himself. “The Lone Star of Heavenly Destruction has risen, one star destined to destroy Grimm. I thought there was no turning back from this disaster. But five years ago, a strange star suddenly appeared in the north. Its light was dim for years, but a month ago, something changed. This strange star has grown brighter and brighter, and now the Lone Star is flying toward it… Such phenomena haven’t been seen in millennia!”

What the old man did not say was that the scrolls of Grimm foretold that when the strange star appeared, the world would be thrown into chaos.

Whether that chaos would be good or bad was still unknown.

“And the fate of the strange star?” asked the mysterious figure, his voice as curt and powerful as ever, unshaken by any secrets.

“I could only calculate that it doesn’t belong to this era,” the old man replied. “But beyond that, I was blocked.”

“Can it change things?” the mysterious man asked again.

The old man shook his head in regret, his body hunching further under the weight of his predictions. Every time he peered into the secrets of heaven, he paid a heavy price, shortening his own life. “You could have stayed beyond the world’s affairs. Why get involved? People say you are without emotion or desire, that you are invincible because you want nothing and powerful because you feel nothing. But I don’t think that’s true. The chaos… it won’t affect you. Don’t forget who you are…”

The old man choked on blood, raising a hand to stop the mysterious man from approaching. “I’m fine. You should go. Grimm has its own fate.”

The mysterious figure paused, clearly unwilling to accept this outcome. But the old man had already begun to drag his frail body away.

The black cloak fluttered. The Lone Star of Heavenly Destruction was an inescapable death trap. The strange star was the only chance for change.

But who, exactly, was that strange star?

Long Ming, having hidden both his presence and aura, was the first to arrive at Nine-Prong Plaza, quietly taking cover in the shadows. He was there to observe the quarter-finals, watch his opponents’ weaknesses and flaws, and take notes.

Was he nervous? Of course!

These people were powerful, but did he have real strength?

Maybe, but his pseudo-Holy Domain power was his trump card. If he used it too early, he’d be exposing his hand. Keeping some cards hidden until the perfect moment was the key to a stunning victory and an immaculate debut.

He definitely wasn’t going to end up in some bloody, bruised brawl—that would ruin his thousand-year reputation as a devilish genius!

Cautious by nature, Long Ming naturally decided to observe closely and take thorough notes.

Yes, that was a fine plan!

Because of the scuffle between the Dragon and Phoenix clans, the match had been delayed. The wait was long. Long Ming spent his time watching the arriving families, studying their facial expressions, and cross-referencing them with the information he had from his past life’s memories.

Some of these judgments couldn’t just rely on memories alone. He needed to see for himself, like those clans who appeared honest but were full of schemes, or the seemingly innocent ones quietly stirring up conflict between two other families.

Anyone who had survived to this level wasn’t some simpleton.

As he continued to observe, a complex web of connections began forming in his mind—who was at odds with whom, which families were declining, which had promising young talent, and which family members had criminal records.

With proper planning, he might be able to leverage all of this information to his advantage.

After making a strong impression back in the valley, Long Ming stayed hidden under the effect of the invisibility potion, feeling utterly at ease in his translucent state.

As the competition ended and the lower- and mid-plane spectators waited expectantly for what seemed like the hundredth time, they stared at the exit. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. One by one, they deflated like defeated roosters when Long Ming didn’t show up. Where was he? They had been promised that Long Ming would make an appearance after 18 days!

One member of a higher-plane family who had just arrived, Lu Da Da, noticed the crowd’s dejected faces and asked, “What’s with these people? Why do they look like they’ve been poisoned?”

“I’d say they look constipated,” said Passerby One.

“What else? They’re upset they didn’t get to see their pretty boy, acting like he’s their savior or something. Just a useless heap of mud that won’t stick to the wall,” added Passerby Two.

“Ha! They think someone from the lower plane is worth something? Tomorrow, I’ll show them what it’s like to crush that pretty face!” Passerby Three chimed in.

“Not everyone gets to stage a comeback!” Passerby Two scoffed.

“Who exactly are you all talking about?” Lu Da Da asked, confused.

“Long Ming!” they answered in unison.

“Who’s Long Ming?” Lu Da Da was completely lost.

The trio gave him a look of pity, as if not knowing Long Ming was the most tragic, outdated thing in the world.

Suddenly, Lu Da Da felt a surge of responsibility.

And so began their explanation:

The quarter-finals had three open slots. The last spot? Already predetermined for Long Ming.

Why? Because rumor had it this guy had single-handedly held off an SS-level demon. But who believed that? If he was that strong, why would he still be on a lower plane?

You ask if he’s connected to the former Crown Prince of Divine Dragon Valley? Not even half a gold coin’s worth of a connection—two completely different people.

Why do they have the same name? Ever heard the phrase, “Any resemblance is purely coincidental”?

Know who’s leading the betting pools in the top three? Number one is Feng Yang Yan, number two is Long Jing. And number three? It’s that same Long Ming.

You say he’s a nobody—how could his odds be so high?

You see, most of the people betting on Long Ming are from the lower or mid-planes. To them, it’s like giving him moral support. Whether he wins or not doesn’t matter. After all, out of the four finalists, only Long Ming comes from the lower plane. The others are already well-known figures.

And the most unbearable part? Those fanboys and fangirls—especially the fangirls—who go crazy at the mere mention of Long Ming. It’s as if they’ll faint or scream at any moment.

Brother, let me tell you a sad story. This man’s face is the definition of seductive—he’s a heartbreaker. Girls stay up late painting his portrait, and this even includes some young ladies from the higher-plane families!

He’s a disgrace to us higher-plane men. What’s the big deal with a pretty face from a lower plane? They have no class. Disgusting!

How do we know what he looks like if we haven’t seen him ourselves? It’s all in the rumors, of course.

Rumor has it that he’s a Light Mage with a mysterious background, his strength unfathomable. Judging by human standards, he’s under 20 and likes to wear white.

Legend has it that he could be the heir of some secretive family, out here for training.

Legend has it that he thinks the world of himself and doesn’t put anyone else in his eyes.

Legend has it that he might be Lord Sha Yu’s illegitimate son.

All in all, though this guy hasn’t shown his face yet, the gossip surrounding him has never stopped. Maybe it’s all because of one word: mystery.

After listening to all this, Lu Da Da finally grasped the significance of the name Long Ming.

Suddenly, his gaze locked onto a white figure at the entrance of the plaza.

A cool, noble aura.

It seemed as though this person had overheard their conversation. But with the plaza being so noisy, how could he have heard?

Then, the white-robed figure turned around, glancing briefly in Lu Da Da’s direction.

What kind of person was this? Just the sheer presence and sharp gaze, untouchable and unyielding, made Lu Da Da feel as though his heart had been struck hard.

Lu Da Da stared blankly as the figure disappeared.

Who was that?

He’d always thought only busty, curvy women could make his heart race, but now he was seriously questioning his own preferences.

The next day, the championship match was set to begin.

People from all the major families took their seats, the atmosphere tense. It was the first day of the championship.

Unlike the tight schedule of previous rounds, there would only be two matches today.

Even the normally bustling betting zone had quieted down considerably.

The four remaining contestants were: Long Ming, Feng Yang Yan, Long Jing, and Lewis.

This critical moment had attracted the attention of families from across the planes. No one could be certain their family wasn’t connected to the Dimensional Prison. After all, who could guarantee they wouldn’t be harassed by criminals? Who could say for sure their family wouldn’t produce a criminal? Who could truly claim to stand outside it all? Naturally, some important figures had appeared in the audience.

The conversations were more subdued than usual.

On the battle platform, a group of over a dozen magicians had worked together to create a barrier capable of withstanding up to Level 9 destruction.

The matchups would be determined by drawing lots after.

For now, it was the calm before the storm.

Not long ago, a blood pact had been activated here, and while many were still gossiping about it, no one had managed to find the lucky individual involved.

But this blood pact had stirred the atmosphere to a fever pitch, carrying the excitement all the way to today’s final matches.

However, if you paid close attention, you’d notice that something was off today. Lord Sha Yu, who was normally like a kind old grandpa, had a face so grim it was frightening, as though something terrible had happened.

The mysterious black-robed figure who was always at Sha Yu’s side was nowhere to be seen.

In the Phoenix City section of the stands, preparations for the match were underway.

A man in a light blue magical robe was healing Feng Yang Yan’s fractured bones. This mage, simply named Lan, had a ball of light magic in his hand, mending the parts that had been crushed by that high-level expert.

Lan’s face was cold, ignoring everything Feng Yang Yan said to him.

Suppressing his anger, Feng Yang Yan grumbled internally. Ungrateful bastard!

If it hadn’t cost the clan so much to hire this guy, Feng Yang Yan wouldn’t have even bothered putting on a polite face. After all, he was still the number one among the younger generation of the clan. Why should he have to grovel to anyone?

But as arrogant and aloof as Lan was, Feng Yang Yan had no choice but to swallow his pride. Light Mages were incredibly rare, and he couldn’t afford to offend this one!

The most infuriating part was that almost all Light Mages had that same punchable attitude—proud and arrogant beyond belief. Was it just because they could heal?

The humiliation of being injured by that mysterious expert, combined with having to fight while still recovering and being treated with disdain by Lan, put Feng Yang Yan in a volatile state. A little more, and he might just snap.

Feng Yang Yan should’ve hidden his injuries to mislead his opponents, but now he had no choice but to heal openly. Yesterday, he had used every trick he had to win, revealing his injury during the battle. He barely made it to the top four. Since his injury was already known, he might as well recover as publicly as possible. Though only one night wasn’t enough, he figured his enemies might already be thinking of ways to counter his trump cards.

He wasn’t wrong—there was indeed someone who had been watching yesterday’s match closely and had already made preparations specifically to deal with him.

Hehe.

As he endured the pain of his fractured bones, Feng Yang Yan’s mind drifted to Feng Shi. Why isn’t he here yet?

He thought back to how, after returning injured the night before, Feng Shi hadn’t just told him to drop the matter and let it go. Feng Shi hadn’t only let the Divine Dragon Valley people go, but had also harshly scolded him, mocking him for being useless. The whole plan to surround the Long family had been Feng Shi’s idea, but now he was taking all the blame!

Feng Yang Yan, who was used to bowing and scraping before Feng Shi, never imagined that Feng Shi could be so heartless toward him. Is this guy’s heart made of stone? Why can’t I ever melt it?

What was Feng Yang Yan to Feng Shi anyway?

A dog to be summoned and dismissed at will?

“What are you thinking about?” A sudden voice came from above Feng Yang Yan.

Feng Yang Yan quickly smothered his anger and smiled, “Why did you just get here?”

Feng Shi’s expression was far from good, his face heavy with unresolved thoughts. When he saw Feng Yang Yan’s injured hand, his expression darkened further, and he spat out two cold words: “Useless trash!”

Feng Yang Yan’s smile froze on his face.

Feng Shi paid no more attention to him or the others who flocked over to flatter him upon his arrival. Instead, he glanced over at Long Zi Wu across the stands, who was smiling mockingly at him, as if laughing at his failure.

Don’t be fooled by Long Jing’s severe injuries—they’re just superficial. Flesh wounds, nothing more.

Long Zi Wu: Man, seeing Feng Shi’s frustration is so satisfying!

I have Long Ming to thank for this!

Speaking of which, if the Dragon Guards hadn’t told him yesterday, he never would’ve guessed that Long Ming had been the one to save them. Everyone still thought it was the five experts from the Long family who had knocked Feng Yang Yan down.

For once, Divine Dragon Valley’s reputation has risen a little.

What a happy misunderstanding, right? ╮(╯▽╰)╭

He’d be stupid to correct people and admit that the Long family had been getting stomped. That would be too embarrassing!

And Feng Yang Yan? He wouldn’t dare admit to his humiliating defeat.

Especially since Feng Shi must never know the truth.

Serves him right! Finally, a little comeuppance for that birdman!

Ah, it feels so good!

Feng Shi frowned as he looked at Long Zi Wu’s dazzling smile, practically begging the whole of Grimm to admire how white his teeth were. Irritated, Feng Shi closed his eyes and silently took his seat.

Just then, a commotion broke out near the plaza entrance.

The noise made Feng Shi open his eyes again. And whatever he saw made him suddenly leap to his feet.

Feng Yang Yan noticed his strange behavior and wondered what could have possibly made him react this way. Feng Shi was usually so controlled with his emotions—what could have shaken him so?

Involuntarily, Feng Yang Yan turned to look toward the entrance.