Reality is often like this: You carefully consider 100 possibilities, but it’s the 101st that comes true.

——————

“You’re blocking the way.” The statement sounded like a simple fact, delivered with an expressionless face, devoid of any emotions.

And it was true—there, in the not-so-wide corridor, lay an enormous snake. Its presence was impossible to ignore.

The giant snake thrashed in fury, its thick body—wide enough that two people couldn’t wrap their arms around it—quaked so violently that the corridor groaned under the pressure, almost as if it would snap.

For someone to say such a thing meant that this human in front of the snake wasn’t just unfazed by its attempts at intimidation but actually found it bothersome. To the giant snake, this was the ultimate insult.

On the other side of the screen, the younger generations of various families in the audience were discussing the scene animatedly.

“What did he say?”

“Who knows, but judging by the way the Green Bronze Python looks, he must’ve pissed it off!”

“He’s done for. That snake’s going to flatten him into mush!”

“Lord Long Ming hasn’t revealed his strength yet. Who knows who’ll win?”

“Only you fanatics care about his looks! He’s dead meat. Doesn’t he know you shouldn’t provoke these criminals? He’s digging his own grave!”

“I’m not so sure. Look at him, so calm. He’s definitely got something up his sleeve.”

“He’s just putting on a show!”

Sha Yu noticed the commotion and asked the mysterious figure next to him, “What do you think? Will he fight head-on?”

The mysterious person’s red lips curved slightly. “Replace the guardian of the ninth level.”

“Who should take over?”

“Leave it empty.”

“You mean…” Sha Yu glanced over and saw that Feng Yang Yan from Phoenix City had already reached the seventh level, trailing behind, “You’re ruthless. These two are top contenders for Warden, and now you’re cutting one out with just a word.”

“…” The mysterious figure didn’t seem interested in continuing the conversation.

“But that’s what I like about you—someone with no desires.” Sha Yu gave a hand signal, and a nearby wolf warrior approached.

After passing through the earlier levels, Long Ming had already learned quite a bit about the Nine-tiered Gate. Just as he had predicted from the start, any method was allowed as long as one could clear the levels.

Naturally, he preferred not to use his powers unless absolutely necessary. Revealing his strength too early was never a wise choice.

A trickster, after all, never sticks to one method.

In a world with countless species, every creature had its own characteristics. What he had learned over time was to understand each species’ traits and exploit them one by one. The massive snake before him—despite its immense size and terrifying aura, filling the air with a foul stench—was no different.

It seemed frightening, and truthfully, it was.

But it had a major quirk—it was a vegetarian!

That’s right, it ate plants. And it had a particular fondness for fruit.

Being locked up in a Dimensional Prison like this, the worst thing for a creature like this wasn’t the confinement but the inability to eat its favorite fruits. No prison would go out of its way to provide gourmet food for criminals.

Detail 1: Its yellow-green pupils → Hungry for hundreds of years.

Detail 2: Its stiff movements → It’s been in hibernation for centuries.

Detail 3: Not transforming into human form → All bluff, no real substance.

Long Ming took out a bright red fruit from his storage bracelet, a snakefruit, which just so happened to be the Green Bronze Python’s favorite snack.

The giant snake, which had been ready to unleash its fury and crush this cocky human, suddenly froze mid-motion. Its body remained stiff in the air, its tongue flicking out uncontrollably, drool dripping from its mouth.

The delicious scent in the air was no illusion. The snake flicks its tongue again, savoring the smell, trying to keep it in its mouth, as if afraid to exhale too much of the precious aroma. This was a scent it hadn’t encountered in hundreds of years!

All thoughts of intimidation and whatever competition this human was part of flew out of the giant snake’s mind as its face turned blissful.

“Want it?”

The snake nodded vigorously. Want it? Of course! I haven’t eaten anything in hundreds of years!

Long Ming raised an eyebrow, the slight motion making his already handsome face even more breathtaking.

The giant snake immediately understood.

The once intimidating snake now resembled a meek housewife, retreating to the farthest corner of the corridor, leaving the path clear, while its eyes remained glued to Long Ming’s hand—the one holding the fruit. Drool continued to drip from its mouth.

As Long Ming opened the final door, he casually tossed two more snakefruits toward the snake.

The snake’s massive face lit up with a smile so blissful it almost looked terrifying.

On the other side of the screen, the audience gasped.

“Is that even possible!?”

Seeing the snake’s tearful gratitude, some were certain that if it could, it would’ve given Long Ming a perfect score, if not more.

Long Ming’s white robes remained as pristine and elegant as when he first entered, while the others displayed on the Flowing Light Stones looked disheveled and beaten. Their clothes had been torn by spiderwebs, they were lost in the environments, or seduced by Queen Medusa, looking like complete fools. The difference was massive.

It seemed these fools thought they had to defeat the guardians to pass the level. Clearly, their IQs left much to be desired.

The final level, the ninth level of the Nine-tiered Gate, was… empty.

Long Ming was puzzled.

What’s going on? Is this another one of those shape-shifting creatures lurking in the shadows? By all accounts, the final door should be the hardest.

At Nine-Prong Plaza, a wolf warrior suddenly ran up to Sha Yu’s seat.

“What’s with the rush! I’ve told you all to stay calm no matter the situation. As prison wardens of the Dimensional Prison…” Sha Yu scolded.

“Lord Sha Yu, something terrible has happened!” The wolf warrior had clearly run here in a panic.

“Speak slowly, don’t disgrace us!” Sha Yu continued his reprimand.

The wolf warrior, though still anxious, steadied himself before whispering something into Sha Yu’s ear.

“What!?” Sha Yu shot up from his seat. “Why didn’t you say so earlier!?”

He turned to look at the Flowing Light Stone showing the ninth level, and sure enough, a black shadow appeared.

Damn it!

Reality is like this: You can prepare 100 different safety measures, but it’s the 101st situation that strikes.

Sha Yu shouted, waving his hand, “Stop all progress immediately! Contestants must stay where they are!”

His voice spread out like a shockwave, reaching far and wide. This was the ability of a top-tier expert, one capable of transmitting their voice across vast distances. Clearly, this deputy warden had been hiding his true strength all along.

Long Ming heard the command just as he noticed the air around him distorting. The clouds floating above had suddenly turned black, and within moments, a dark figure was charging towards him from the distant mountains.

What the hell is that!?

Though startled, Long Ming maintained his usual cold, regal demeanor.

The black shadow grew larger and larger, hurtling straight at him.

Before he could process what was happening, the shadow had teleported to within a hundred meters of him. The figure exuded an aura so terrifying and chaotic, it was almost twisted.

The approaching figure was dressed in a black robe, with flaming red hair flowing wildly in the air like a demon from hell. A silver mask covered their face, but the aura radiating from them, along with the blood-red eyes visible beneath the mask, made it clear that this person had lost their sanity—perhaps completely overtaken by madness!

The suffocating darkness radiating from this person far surpassed even that of the Holy Domain.

Grimm Space and the Holy Domain, not to mention the even more powerful Divine Domain, were rarely mentioned. But that was only because the original body wasn’t qualified to know. Rare, but not nonexistent.

And now, standing before him, was such a being!

Closer. Closer still.

150 meters.

80 meters.

20 meters.

Suddenly, Long Ming’s entire body erupted in blinding light. Light-elemental energy formed a transparent barrier around him. His black hair fluttered in the wind, his white robe making him look like a celestial being. His face—so pure and immaculate—seemed to shine with a divine brilliance. He was like a beacon of radiance, someone so dazzling that no one could look away.

In this moment, his expressionless black eyes were as calm as a still ocean, completely unfazed by the terrifying power closing in on him.

The Nine-tiered Gate trembled, the very ground beneath shaking in fear.

The figure lunged straight at Long Ming, completely ignoring the light barrier. The light grew dimmer and dimmer, nearly swallowed by the encroaching darkness.

It was as if watching a god being dragged into hell by a vile, unworthy soul. The tension in the air became unbearable, and Long Ming could feel himself on the verge of being devoured by the oppressive dark aura.

Trusting his instincts, he dodged, but the figure seemed to have predicted this. Or maybe it was because they had lost all reason, running purely on instinct.

Suddenly, a freezing cold chest pressed tightly against him, pulling him into a fierce embrace.

“Got you!”