Long Chen. The mere mention of his name stirred unease throughout the Long clan. As the son of the fourth Heavenly Saint, Long Zhantian, he was regarded as a wild and murderous figure.

News of Long Chen’s arrival in the Heavenly Desolation had spread widely within the Long clan’s ranks. Among their disciples, feelings toward him varied—some harbored hatred, some held scorn, while others felt curiosity or indifference. Everyone wondered what kind of person he truly was.

As Long Chen made his appearance, all the surrounding disciples were stunned. He was handsome, with sharp eyebrows, fair complexion, and bright eyes, which exuded a maturity beyond his age. In his black robes, he appeared both grand and mysterious, standing out like a crane amongst chickens.

“Is he really Long Chen, the son of the devil king? He doesn’t seem that outstanding.”

“Is that even him? He looks kind of weak, no? Maybe it’s not him.”

“He’s so handsome! I want to pull him to my side and protect him!” shouted some female disciples. They actually felt the strong urge to protect someone “weak” like him.

In any case, Long Chen’s arrival caused a large wave, and everyone’s gaze concentrated on him. However, once they confirmed it was him, many jeers and curses flew his way. Some people even made provoking gestures to him.

Long Chen had long since gotten used to this kind of sight, so he just ignored their childish display. If he paid them any attention, he would appear just as childish.

On the other hand, Gui Jiu’s expression was extremely ugly. He couldn’t accept people insulting his idol.

In his heart, an expert like Long Chen should be worshiped wherever he went. The strong should open a path for him, while the weak prostrated themselves toward him. It shouldn’t be like this.

One expert shouted, “You filthy mercenaries, scram back to wherever you came from. You are not welcome here. Don’t dirty this sacred martial stage!”

The ones accompanying Long Chen to fill these seats were the mercenaries from Mercenary City. Long Chen had directly booked half the seats for them. Initially, he hadn’t planned on attending after securing the seats for the mercenaries. However, they didn’t dare come without him, so he had no choice but to show up.

The first shout against the mercenaries led to a wave of others following suit. They cursed the mercenaries, calling them dirty pigs and even insulting their ancestors.

The mercenaries, accustomed to low status, felt a surge of fear and panic in this environment. Without Long Chen’s presence, they wouldn’t have had the courage to come at all.

The mercenaries sat down anxiously, careful not to step out of line, yet they still faced a barrage of endless insults. They felt extremely uncomfortable.

Suddenly, Long Chen raised his hand. Black spots appeared in his eyes, merging into a tiny whirlpool. Hundreds of whirlpools then appeared throughout the seats, surrounding the people who were cursing the most ferociously.

“What?!”

Startled cries rang out as those whirlpools effortlessly devoured them. Their struggles were in vain.

Space quivered. Hundreds of people screamed as they found themselves sucked into black spheres, unable to escape. When Long Chen clenched his fist, the black spheres instantly shrank, releasing a rain of blood.

Everyone on the martial stage fell silent. The Long clan’s disciples and the mercenaries alike were stunned, their previous anger and tension replaced by sheer shock.

“In front of death, no one is higher or lower than anyone. Your so-called nobility means nothing,” said Long Chen with a touch of scorn.

His voice wasn’t loud, but within the silence, it penetrated every person’s heart. The bloody scent still hung in the air, a stark reminder that what had happened was not a dream but reality.

Those who thought that Long Chen was weak and innocent were struck dumb. This person killed people without batting an eye. Now, they believed that he was Long Chen. Just like his father, he was a ruthless man of few words.

Turning to the mercenaries, Long Chen said, “Understand that no one is born noble, nor is anyone destined to live a life of servitude. Your future is yours to decide. No one, not even a god, can stop you from moving forward. Your lives belong to you, and you must fight for your own futures

“Every step you take in life matters. Even if they seem like the same footsteps, they are unique. The hardships we face are not for nothing. Every bit of effort is repaid, even when it seems meaningless.

“Behind every expert lies a foundation built through their blood and sweat. It’s this gradual buildup that allows them to soar one day.

“You might see people suddenly rise and think they’re outstanding, amazing, enviable. But when they make one misstep, they won’t even have a cushion to fall back to. They’ll directly fall and break their bones, with no chance of coming back up again.

“Most people don’t understand these things because they are always looking forward, but never backward or below. They don’t see the painful lessons the weak people received. When those who fell quietly die without a word, they are quickly forgotten. But those who strut around, looking flashy and confident, remain in your sight—like these people before you.”

The experts on the martial stage shuddered. Just what was Long Chen talking about? He couldn’t be thinking of killing them all, right?

“Long Chen, you show no respect for the Long clan’s laws! How dare you randomly kill the disciples of the Long clan here?!”

Just then, four Heaven Saints appeared in front of Long Chen, sending four chains toward him. At this moment, the martial stage quivered, countless lightning runes flowing into the chains from the stage.

“Are you only making your move now because you weren’t ready before?” Long Chen sneered. He then waved his hand, and a streak of black lightning shot out. It was Evilmoon.

Long Chen didn’t even look back as he casually sheathed Evilmoon. It was only after this that people witnessed the four chains and four Heavenly Saints being severed.

The chains and their bodies exploded. The entire sequence of events happened so swiftly that onlookers couldn’t grasp what was happening until it was all over.

Evilmoon was no longer bound by its former limitations. Its power was steadily awakening. Despite the chains’ apparent special abilities, they were effortlessly sliced apart.

At that moment, blood mist and lightning runes floated through the air, marking the aftermath of a devastating attack that had slain four Heaven Saints. All the disciples of the Long clan felt terror wash over them.

“Brat, you are courting death!”

Just then, a cold shout pierced through the air. A wild pressure crashed down, so strong that everyone felt like they were being suffocated, on the verge of being crushed to bits.