An overt show of arrogance is easy to dodge; a covert insult is hard to defend.

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As Long Ming approached, the surrounding onlookers, mostly members of various prestigious families, wisely excused themselves.

It wasn’t hard to figure out that the championship match was about to start, and Long Ming’s direct path toward Feng Shi was far too obvious.

These two had already drawn significant attention, especially Long Ming with his mysterious aura that always seemed to make waves. As soon as he entered, he drew everyone’s gaze. Instead of heading to the contestants’ area to prepare, he marched straight towards Feng Shi!

Everyone pricked up their ears, eager to hear what they would say.

The noisy chatter gradually quieted down. Mages and warriors alike had sharp senses, and as the area fell silent, it became even easier to eavesdrop.

This is exactly the effect I want! Long Ming thought with a cold smirk.

His frosty gaze landed on Feng Shi as if he were nothing more than a decorative vase. No, it was more like he didn’t even see him at all.

Just as Long Ming approached, Feng Shi activated the Bewitching Eye, a technique he had secretly learned from the Hehuan Sect. It was aimed solely at Long Ming.

The Bewitching Eye was a secret technique of the Hehuan Sect. It could only affect someone whose mental defenses had been weakened. Even in a crowded place, no one would notice the trick being played.

Once someone fell under the spell, they would become utterly infatuated with the caster, doing unimaginable things. Feng Shi had only practiced for a few days, so he wasn’t particularly proficient, but all he needed was a brief moment.

His heart was filled with resentment—Long Ming’s disregard for him had hurt his pride. There was no real love or emotion behind it, just a shallow fixation.

If he couldn’t reclaim his dignity, it might affect his future progress. In extreme cases, he could even suffer from deviation of the mind. He certainly didn’t want this person to become his inner demon.

As Feng Shi eagerly awaited the sight of Long Ming becoming infatuated with him, he was stunned to find that Long Ming remained completely unaffected. His gaze was still as clear and distant as ever, like the purest crystal on a snowfield—sharp and piercing, stabbing straight into Feng Shi’s heart.

No, this can’t be happening! How could he resist the spell?!

What Feng Shi didn’t know was that Long Ming’s body housed two souls, one of them being the ancient Dragon Emperor from ten thousand years ago. For others, a soul attack might have been devastating, but for Long Ming, it barely had an effect.

To Long Ming, this half-baked technique was laughable, a mere shadow of what the true masters of the Hehuan Sect could do.

His gaze grew colder by the second, and the disdain in his eyes as he looked at Feng Shi shifted into disgust.

It was as if Feng Shi had been struck by a lightning bolt. Only one thought echoed in his mind: He knows! He found out!

Feng Shi couldn’t understand how Long Ming had resisted the Bewitching Eye, let alone how he had noticed it. But the look in Long Ming’s eyes, as if he were staring at a repulsive insect, made something inside Feng Shi snap.

What had started as a small grudge—just a desire to make Long Ming look foolish—was now quickly turning into a deep-seated heart demon that he couldn’t shake.

The last bit of color drained from Feng Shi’s face, leaving him pale as snow. He unconsciously took a few steps back.

Normally proud and arrogant, Feng Shi, who had always looked down on his peers, would always stand tall, even when he was in the wrong. But now, his aura has completely weakened.

His sudden change in demeanor didn’t go unnoticed by the crowd.

“What just happened? Long Ming just walked up to him. Why does Feng Shi look so terrified?”

Youngsters from the lower planes, who had already started to idolize Long Ming, became even more excited. They wanted to shout it from the rooftops: Even Phoenix City’s top genius, Feng Shi, is afraid of Long Ming! This proves how powerful Long Ming really is!

But the truth often hides beneath the surface.

Only a few could see through the facade to the core of what was really going on.

Long Ming, meanwhile, swallowed back the words he had originally intended to say to Feng Shi. I just wanted to discuss the terms for our next match—why did you have to stir up trouble?

It would be rude not to return the favor. Since Feng Shi had so brazenly tried to ensnare him, how could Long Ming not pay him back in kind?

Without saying a word, Long Ming simply stared at Feng Shi. Pointless chatter wasn’t his style.

As for the Bewitching Eye, Long Ming was quite familiar with it. After all, the Hehuan Sect had been at its peak ten thousand years ago. He remembered vividly that a certain female demon from the sect had once tried to ensnare him to absorb his life essence. If not for You Ji’s timely rescue, he might’ve ended up as nothing more than a soulless husk.

Ever since that incident, Long Ming had made it his mission to master the Bewitching Eye technique, both to protect himself and to aid his friends.

Thinking of You Ji, Long Ming’s retaliation became even more ruthless.

With a surge of spiritual energy far more potent than Feng Shi’s, Long Ming unleashed his own Bewitching Eye upon the defenseless Feng Shi.

Feng Shi’s panic-stricken, pale face suddenly went blank, and he stared at Long Ming with a dazed, infatuated expression, as if he were mesmerized.

His gaze fixated on Long Ming, the white-robed man standing in front of him, and nothing else.

Without realizing it, Feng Shi reached for his outer robe. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he started to remove it.