Jin Xiao felt the shift in the air. Suspicion. Fear. A silent hunt had begun.
"They're watching for anomalies. Anyone without a system will be marked."
The cultivator's smile was gentle, but his eyes were cold. He extended his hand, and the golden sigil in the sky shone brighter.
> "Do not be afraid, my children. Those who have yet to activate their system, step forward."
The crowd froze.
People looked at each other—scanning, judging. Fear and greed mixed in their eyes.
"They want a sacrifice."
Jin Xiao didn't move.
"They won't find me just by looking. But… they have other ways."
Suddenly—golden runes bloomed above the crowd. A soft wave of energy pulsed through the air, invisible to the eye but lethal to the unprepared.
Jin Xiao's mind raced.
"A detection spell. It's searching for system synchronization."
He didn't have a system.
The spell would expose him.
He had seconds to act.
The Art of Survival
A man beside him stiffened. He was a middle-aged teacher, standing with wide, panicked eyes. Jin Xiao immediately understood—he hadn't activated his system either.
The cultivator's gaze locked onto him.
> "Ah… you."
The teacher shook his head violently. "No! No! I just—I was about to activate it! I swear! I just wanted to—"
A golden hand descended.
It wrapped around the man's throat and lifted him into the air. The teacher choked, his legs kicking wildly.
> "It is not wise to hesitate when given a gift." The cultivator's voice was soft, almost disappointed.
> "Do you reject our generosity?"
"I—I—"
CRACK!
The golden hand tightened. The man's throat collapsed inward. His body twitched, then went limp.
The cultivator flicked his wrist. The corpse crumbled into dust.
The crowd shrank back in horror.
The cultivator's smile returned.
> "Let this be a lesson. Only the foolish reject ascension."
Jin Xiao's pulse remained steady.
"They won't check again. They don't think a second fool exists. But I can't risk standing out."
Silently, subtly, he moved his fingers.
Using the smallest possible movement, he triggered an old psychological trick—one designed to induce subconscious reactions.
The man in front of him—completely unaware—suddenly gasped and stepped forward.
Everyone turned.
> "H-he didn't activate his system!" someone whispered.
Jin Xiao remained still. His face emotionless.
"One sacrifice is never enough for a fearful crowd."
The cultivator turned toward the man. Another golden hand descended.
Jin Xiao walked away.
---
The Eye of the Predator
Jin Xiao blended into the sea of people. His movements were precise—not too slow to look nervous, not too fast to look eager.
But then…
A faint whisper.
A presence.
Someone was watching him.
"Did they notice?"
His instincts screamed at him, but he didn't react. Instead, he let his body move naturally, as if he felt nothing.
Then, a voice.
Soft. Playful.
> "You're interesting."
A woman's voice.
A single glance confirmed it.
She stood among the cultivators. Long silver hair. Black robes embroidered with blood-red lotuses. Her golden eyes burned with amusement.
A true cultivator. And she was looking at him.
Jin Xiao lowered his gaze, pretending not to notice.
"I can't leave yet. Not without a plan. If I run, I die."
The woman's lips curled into a smirk.
> "I wonder… how long can you keep pretending?