Life is a splendid robe, crawling with lice.

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It seemed like Phoenix City had been preparing for this moment for a long time. The entire scene was clearly premeditated.

Suddenly, a group of people emerged from one of the corners of the arena, accusing Long Ming of murder.

“I can’t decide if Feng Shi is a fool or a genius—he always finds a way to stir up trouble,” said the fifth prince of the White Tiger Clan, with his stocky build and a head full of curiosity as he sidled up to Long Zi Wu’s seat. Noticing that Long Zi Wu was ignoring him, the prince tried again, “That Long Ming… He’s not one of your people, is he?”

Maybe this question struck a chord, poking at some hidden thoughts. Long Zi Wu’s expression didn’t change, but he smiled faintly and cryptically replied, “What do you think?”

“Is he really!?” The White Tiger prince nearly leaped from his seat.

“Did I say that?” Long Zi Wu gently pushed the conversation back with a calm yet evasive tone.

Some people’s kindness was merely a disguise for their detachment. They seemed approachable, but that was only on the surface.

Long Zi Wu neither confirmed nor denied anything, but to the White Tiger prince, this marked Long Ming as one of Long Zi Wu’s people.

The two chatted briefly as the arena grew more chaotic.

“Does Phoenix City think being descendants of the Divine Beasts means they can do whatever they want?” Sha Yu let out a furious laugh, more enraged than amused. As the acting warden, his authority was being blatantly challenged, and it was only his self-control that stopped him from throwing Phoenix City out altogether. To others, though, it looked like Sha Yu was protecting Long Ming.

Could Long Ming really be his illegitimate son?

That would explain Long Ming’s mysterious background.

“The ones who died weren’t from any of the other families here. They were from my Phoenix City! Isn’t it my right to demand justice for my family?” Feng Shi’s simple statement managed to offend quite a few people.

He wasn’t backing down. Standing up straight, Feng Shi exuded the pride of the Phoenix Clan. Even though he was several ranks lower than Sha Yu, he withstood the warden’s spiritual pressure through sheer force of will, his proud demeanor that of a Divine Beast. “I believe the prison officers should take this human into custody right now. Killing members of the Divine Beasts’ clans… surely that’s worth at least a few hundred years in confinement, isn’t it?”

Feng Shi had a way of seeming blunt and forthright, making it look like he was simply saying what was on his mind. But who’s to say that wasn’t part of the act, a guise to mislead his enemies?

Hiding his true intentions beneath his fiery temper was a clever ruse, but in reality, he was playing a deeper game.

Feng Shi turned his gaze to the one person standing alone in the resting area for the top four competitors—Long Ming.

As for the prison officers, the wolf warriors who were supposed to maintain order, they stood motionless.

Their cold, steely gazes paid no heed to Feng Shi’s words. They stood like iron-clad pine trees, utterly indifferent.

At the center of the uproar, Long Ming sat calmly in his seat, his eyes closed, seemingly waiting for the match to begin. He completely ignored Feng Shi.

To everyone else, Long Ming appeared cold and aloof, as though he had no worldly desires. Why would someone like him go out of his way to kill members of the Phoenix Clan? What could he possibly gain from it?

Especially with Long Ming sitting there in silence, not bothering to defend or explain himself. He seemed like someone enduring a great injustice but standing firm—almost as if he were silently saying, The innocent don’t need to prove themselves.

But to the young ladies of the various clans watching, it looked like he was too proud to bother explaining.

↑↑ That, of course, was just the product of their wild imaginations.

In reality, Long Ming didn’t care about Feng Shi’s accusations. Such petty schemes weren’t worth his time. The best way to deal with Feng Shi was to ignore him, let him do as he pleased, and wait for the right moment to take him down. The rest of the time, he could jump around like a clown for all Long Ming cared.

Long Ming was currently focused on the upcoming match, wondering which of his three opponents he would be paired against and how he could defeat them in a way that was both dazzling and powerful, without revealing too much.

“Heh, I’ll give your Phoenix City an explanation later,” Sha Yu said coldly, before pausing to add, “Perhaps next time I’ll have a word with the Phoenix King about how you need to learn some proper manners.”

The emphasis on the word manners was a sharp rebuke, indirectly accusing Feng Shi of having no proper upbringing.

It was a veiled insult, suggesting that as one of the leaders of the Divine Beasts, the Phoenix King’s children were poorly raised.

Just a country bumpkin, an illegitimate child with no place on the big stage.

Couldn’t even read the room—turning something that could’ve been smoothed over into a public spectacle.

Snap—

A long crack appeared in the railing in front of Feng Shi’s seat. The pressure of Sha Yu’s spiritual power had been enough to split the magic crystal.

Several family leaders looked at Sha Yu in shock, realizing he had been hiding his true strength all along!

Even Feng Shi, seeing this, took a step back and collapsed into his seat, as if he hadn’t expected his actions to backfire so spectacularly.

Though Feng Shi was cunning, he was still young. His attempt to disguise himself as a hot-headed, blunt personality hadn’t been fully convincing, and he had miscalculated. In trying to play his cards too smartly, he had underestimated the significance of the match and overestimated his own importance.

As the old saying goes, If you pretend to be a pig to eat the tiger, be careful not to become the pig for real.

Seeing Feng Shi’s failure, Long Ming didn’t gloat. Instead, he reminded himself to never make the same mistake.

Deception Rule No. 10: Measure your actions carefully—too much or too little, and you’ll fail. It’s all about balance.

However, Long Ming didn’t underestimate Feng Shi. This time, his impulsiveness had cost him, but next time, he would learn from it. People grew from their experiences, and no one stayed still, waiting for others to catch up. Long Ming knew this about himself too—he had confidence in his ability to outmaneuver anyone in terms of both patience and cunning.

Seething with rage, Sha Yu ordered the wolf warriors to remove the bodies, and soon the arena was cleared.

To prevent further disruptions, Sha Yu immediately announced the start of the matches.

One-on-one combat.

The names of the contestants flashed across the new Flowing Light Stone screen.

First match: Long Ming vs. King Lewis

The match was set to begin in half an hour. Long Ming glanced over at Lewis, who nodded and smiled politely, his face bearing the natural allure of the Blood Clan.

Truly, the Blood Clan was known for being the most charming and gentlemanly of all races. There was not a single flaw in Lewis’s etiquette.

Unlike the rest areas of the Dragon and Phoenix clans, where groups of clan members huddled around the contestants, Lewis sat quietly by himself, seemingly accumulating strength.

Long Ming returned the nod before resuming his poised, regal stance, while mentally reviewing what he knew about the Blood King.

King Lewis had once been an E-rank vampire, the lowest tier of the Blood Clan. A long time ago, he had been human.

He rose to prominence through his military achievements, wiping out Sa Na’s traitorous army in a single strike. As a result, Sa Na was sent to the Dimensional Prison, and Lewis took over his position, becoming the new king.

He had enjoyed a century of glory, but not long ago, he committed an unspeakable crime. Everyone knew this, but the specifics were shrouded in mystery. When the judgment came, he would likely be sent to the Dimensional Prison himself.

But if Lewis managed to secure the warden’s position before his trial, his time in prison wouldn’t be so difficult.

From Long Ming’s observations, Lewis had probably only used 50% of his strength in yesterday’s match. The weaknesses he displayed might not have been real—he could have shown them on purpose.

Lewis was composed and methodical. Most importantly, he was patient. If Long Ming wanted to gain a psychological edge, he couldn’t afford to rely on subtlety or low-key tactics—that was for those who had the strength to back it up.

Long Ming’s strategy? High-key, in-your-face grandeur. Any tactic that could crush his opponent was fair game.

Results were all that mattered—no one cared how difficult the process was.

And everything Long Ming did was for the sake of victory.

Both competitors sat as still as monks in their seats, neither moving before the match began.

Were they competing in endurance?

Gradually, the once-lively plaza fell silent as more and more people turned their attention to the two contestants.

One was a Blood King with a century of fame and unfathomable power. The other, a mysterious dark horse with a humble background. Who was stronger?

Long Ming moved.

Those paying close attention would notice him lifting his arm, revealing alabaster fingers from the sleeves of his robe.

Lewis’s gaze followed the movement, curious.

“My Grimm, look at his ears! He’s wearing suppressors!” someone cried out in astonishment.

What had been hidden beneath Long Ming’s hair was now fully visible, and it was indeed a shocking sight.

On Long Ming’s earlobes were earrings crafted from red crystal and secret silver, their design intricate and adorned with sparkling gemstones, adding a touch of allure to his otherwise cold face. These were rare treasures, not even available on the market, and here they were, simply serving as his accessories.

Moreover, on his wrist was a bracelet of similarly ancient design, engraved with fine details. Even from a distance, one could see the magical fluctuations emanating from it—it was another suppressor!

As more of Long Ming’s concealed items became visible, the crowd marveled at what they were seeing.

For both warriors and magicians, suppressors were used to restrain overwhelming power, often worn by those who had recently advanced and couldn’t yet fully control their spiritual energy. Some used them to deceive enemies, while others used them to regulate their own state of mind.

Suppressors weren’t something just anyone could wear. Only those with immense strength could handle them. No one doubted the authenticity of these items.

And considering how many suppressors Long Ming was wearing… How powerful must he be?

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Author’s note: Looks like this story is heading more and more into the epic power-up territory. We’ll set the romantic subplot aside for now. As for the main pairing? It’s that Lone Star of Heavenly Destruction, of course. Infinite pampering/adulation/serving from the top! And since this is a main-top story, there’s no need to worry about any reversals. Relax and enjoy!