Far above the city, in the floating palace of the Eastern Heaven Sect, Xue Lian leaned against a balcony railing, gazing down at the mortal world below.
Her long silver hair cascaded over her delicate shoulders, her golden eyes half-lidded in thought. The night wind carried the scent of blood from the streets, and she inhaled deeply, savoring it.
"Interesting..."
She had been observing him.
The boy who refused to activate the system.
The boy who had somehow found a way to cultivate without it.
And more importantly—the boy who had begun stealing qi directly from the living.
She traced a finger along the rim of her wine cup, her lips curving into a smile.
"A mortal without a system should be nothing."
Yet he was not nothing.
In just a few nights, he had slaughtered system users and refined their energy for himself.
A creature like that…
"...is worth playing with."
Setting the Stage
Xue Lian tapped her fingers against the railing, considering her options. She had two choices:
Kill him immediately. It would be effortless. A single flick of her fingers, and his bones would shatter.
Watch him struggle. See how far he could rise. See if he could become something… useful.
Xue Lian was a woman of entertainment. A slow kill was always sweeter than an instant one.
"Let's see what you do, little rat."
She waved her hand, and a shimmering illusion array formed before her.
Somewhere in the city, a new presence would appear.
A trap. A temptation.
Something that Jin Xiao couldn't ignore.
The Bait: A Helpless Victim?
In the heart of the city, a new auction house had suddenly opened its doors.
The Moonlight Pavilion.
And the first item being auctioned?
A cultivation method.
A forbidden one.
The whispers spread like wildfire.
"It's said to allow cultivation without a system!"
"Impossible! No such thing exists—"
"Then why is the Eastern Heaven Sect allowing it to be sold?"
It was the perfect bait.
If Jin Xiao had a weakness, it was his desire for power.
And now, power was being dangled before him.
Would he come?
Of course, he would.
Jin Xiao Smells the Trap
Jin Xiao sat on the rooftop of a ruined building, sharpening a dagger with slow, deliberate movements. The cold steel reflected the pale moonlight, its edge glinting dangerously.
Below him, the slums buzzed with rumors.
"A forbidden technique that lets you cultivate without a system?"
He didn't react. Didn't show any excitement.
But his mind was already working.
"Convenient timing."
The world didn't offer gifts. Not to people like him.
Everything came with a cost.
"A trap."
That much was obvious.
But the real question was…
"Who set it?"
Jin Xiao didn't believe some ordinary auction house had the power to sell something like this. No, this was a deliberate move.
Someone wanted him to come.
"Let's see who's playing this game."
He stood up, sliding the dagger into his belt.
A trap wasn't a problem.
As long as he was the one who sprang it first.
The Auction Begins
The Moonlight Pavilion was grand. Too grand for this city. Its walls were polished jade, its floors paved with golden tiles.
Jin Xiao walked in unnoticed, blending with the crowd.
Hundreds of cultivators had gathered—low-rank, mid-rank, all greedy, all desperate.
At the center of the stage, an elderly man with a long white beard stood before a jade pedestal.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to tonight's auction."
Jin Xiao's eyes locked onto the main prize.
A scroll lay atop the pedestal, glowing with faint silver light.
The so-called forbidden technique.
"This technique allows one to cultivate without a system! A secret passed down from the ancient times before the great sects ruled! The starting bid—100,000 spirit stones!"
The crowd exploded.
"100,000?!"
"It must be real! Otherwise, the sects would never allow it!"
Jin Xiao didn't move. Didn't bid.
He simply watched.
He wasn't here to play their game.
He was here to find out who was watching him.
The Spider's Web Tightens
From the VIP balcony, Xue Lian leaned against her seat, sipping her wine.
She didn't need to look for him.
She knew he was here.
And sure enough—
There.
A shadow in the crowd. Unmoving. Calculating.
Xue Lian's lips curled into a smirk.
"You see the trap, don't you?"
"But will you take the bait anyway?"
She lifted a finger, sending a silent command.
The auction elder on stage suddenly cleared his throat.
"However—due to the unique nature of this scroll, the Moonlight Pavilion has decided to change the rules."
The room fell silent.
"Rather than a traditional auction… we will give it to whoever can prove they are worthy."
A massive golden formation flared to life beneath the stage.
And from its center—a single woman stepped forward.
She was tall. Pale. Dressed in black silk. Her eyes were like frozen lakes, emotionless, predatory.
"My name is Bai Ling."
"Defeat me, and the scroll is yours."
Jin Xiao's expression remained blank.
But inside?
"So this is your move."
He studied Bai Ling, his gaze sharp.
She wasn't an ordinary cultivator. The way she moved, the way she stood so still, so confident…
She was a killer.
A trained one.
"Tch. The moment I step into that formation, I'm in their domain."
But did he have a choice?
Yes.
He could walk away.
He could ignore this entire farce.
But then—he felt it.
From above.
A gaze.
Cold. Playful. Hungry.
"You're watching, aren't you?"
Jin Xiao didn't know who she was yet. But she had set this up.
And that meant…
She wanted to see how he fought.
Jin Xiao chuckled under his breath.
"Fine."
He stepped forward, his expression still unreadable.
The crowd whispered.
"Who is he?"
"A nobody…"
"Why would he challenge Bai Ling?"
Xue Lian leaned forward in her seat, golden eyes glinting.
"Now then, little rat… entertain me."