The moment Wang Xian suggested Qin Zheng help him not only steal the treasure from the heavens but also take down a fellow leaderboard celebrity, the entire clearing fell silent.
Not just silent—stunned.
Not only was this guy asking for help against You Ying, the infamous assassin with the hidden class [God of Slaughter], but he'd only just met Qin Zheng. And already he was talking like they were blood brothers.
It was one thing to be bold.
It was another thing to be shameless.
And Wang Xian… was on another level entirely.
"You just met him, you lunatic," someone whispered under their breath.
Others exchanged glances. Even Qin Zheng's own Zhenlongwei looked slightly baffled, as if unsure whether to laugh or draw swords.
But before anyone could speak, a pair of voices broke the tension.
"The Supreme Heaven."
"Amitabha."
Heads turned toward the sound.
From the shadows emerged three figures:
A Taoist priest in long robes, a bald monk glowing faintly with golden light, and a young man—average-looking, quiet, barely twenty.
Wang Xian's eyes locked on the young man.
So, he did show up.
The others paid him little attention, focusing instead on the monk and the priest—both classes that had only recently become accessible, both notoriously powerful. Their sudden arrival added yet another layer to an already delicate situation.
The Taoist and monk offered polite bows.
"All benefactors, the poor Taoist greets you."
"The humble monk does the same."
The gathered warriors nodded back cautiously.
Taoists and monks were powerful classes, not quite as rare as hidden professions, but still uncommon and capable of feats few could match. The problem? No one yet knew how to become one. So anyone who had managed the transformation—like these two—demanded attention.
But Wang Xian? He ignored the priest and monk completely.
His eyes remained on the young man behind them—the one who, in his past life, had become known as Shen Du, the first wielder of the hidden class Lord of the Stars.
Seems like he just arrived late, Wang Xian thought. Not that it matters.
The star hadn't landed yet. The treasure was still up for grabs.
"You sure like to talk," said You Ying, his voice slicing through the heavy air again.
"And you sure like to state the obvious," Wang Xian replied without missing a beat. "Honestly, do you get paid by the syllable?"
You Ying's eyes narrowed. "Did we have a grudge before this moment?"
"Obviously!" Wang Xian pointed at him. "You just said I was a threat and wanted me dead. Are you forgetting already? Should I start worrying about your memory loss?"
That earned a few quiet chuckles from the sidelines.
But in truth, their grudge ran deeper than this one encounter.
In his past life, Wang Xian had once been targeted by Killing Pavilion, the shadowy guild founded by You Ying himself. Their rule was strict—never kill someone on their last death. But they had still hunted Wang Xian and succeeded in taking one of his lives.
That was enough.
And now? Wang Xian planned to settle that score.
He smiled coldly. One for one. That's fair, isn't it?
"You talk too much," You Ying growled. A dagger materialized in his hand. In a blink, he vanished.
"How boring." Wang Xian tilted his head.
The assassin had gone invisible.
The monk stepped forward.
"Amitabha. Donor, please calm your anger."
You Ying's voice slithered through the darkness. "Move aside, monk. I don't want to hurt innocents."
"The poor monk cannot let you kill in front of me," came the calm reply.
"I'll kill you too, then."
The monk didn't move. "Donor, your hands are stained, but your heart is not lost. Lay down the blade, and you may yet become Buddha."
"Oh for heaven's sake!" Wang Xian shouted. "Monk, he's not going to find enlightenment! Get out of the way before he sends you to reincarnate!"
He appreciated the help, sure—but not the preaching.
More importantly, Wang Xian was frowning.
Even with his [Sky Eye] skill active, he couldn't see You Ying at all.
That was a first.
Interesting, he thought. So even Sky Eye doesn't work on him? That's a problem.
But not a big one.
He had other plans.
The monk suddenly flashed to Wang Xian's side.
"Donor, do not fear. I will protect you."
Wang Xian blinked. "Monk, you can't protect me. Let's be honest—you don't need to."
He wasn't worried. You Ying wasn't going to kill him. Couldn't kill him.
More than that, he knew exactly why this monk had stepped in.
[Monk] wasn't the end goal—it was a stepping stone.
This guy was trying to become a Buddha—one of the highest-level hidden classes in the entire system. And the first stage of that class quest?
Save a hundred lives from death.
And now, here the monk was—playing hero.
Wang Xian smirked to himself.
He could respect the ambition. But in the end, it wasn't the monk who needed saving.
Because when it came to You Ying…
He wasn't the hunted.
He was the executioner.