Volume 1, Chapter 5: Breaking the All-Time Record, Settlement of Rewards, and the Commencement of Class Advancement

"Do I owe you anything?"
"Must I save you?"
"Must I carry you through the trial?"
Gu Xinian looked at them with a cold sneer.

"Don't you want to take responsibility?"
"Besides, the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility!"
"You're so powerful, so capable—what's the harm in carrying us through the trial?"
"If we were as strong as you, as capable as you, we would do the same!"

The three people standing closest to Gu Xinian spoke up immediately. They were dressed in crisp, expensive suits, the kind of powerful, cunning socialites who had thrived in Qinghe City before the world changed. Just as they had before the cataclysm, they sought to seize the moral high ground and leverage it to maximize their own interests.

In the early days after the world changed, who fared the best? It wasn't the gifted ones or the geniuses with specialized skills; it was these scoundrels and bastards—people without conscience, morality, or bottom lines, who would stop at nothing to achieve their ends. Gu Xinian remembered clearly that in his past life, these same men had used the same moral kidnapping tactics on Xiao Ran and Li Xuan. If not for Xiao Ran’s terrifyingly superior intellect, she and Li Xuan would likely have met their deaths at the hands of these three.

But he was not Xiao Ran, and he was certainly not Li Xuan. He had no morality, and he refused to be kidnapped!

Before they could even finish their sentences, Gu Xinian was already walking toward them. He stepped over one green circle after another, dispatched the normal-difficulty phantom guards one by one, and stood right before them.

Seeing this, the three men felt a surge of secret delight. *This kind of college student is the easiest to manipulate.* Still, they maintained their condescending, worldly tone. "That’s more like it, young man. That’s how someone with ability should behave."

However, before their words had even faded, the phantom guard sword in Gu Xinian's hand swung toward their necks.

"You..."

They were filled with shock and rage, clearly never expecting that Gu Xinian wasn't there to save, help, or carry them through the trial, but to kill them. How could this be? In the past, even adults with rich social experience would either blush and compromise in helpless frustration or bow their heads and follow the "moral" path these men prescribed just to prove they were virtuous and just. Yet this guy hadn't been swayed by their moral blackmail—he had gone completely insane and was dealing lethal blows!

Was he not afraid of becoming a public enemy? Did he have no sense of morality, law, or conscience?

Before they could process this or calm their emotions, Gu Xinian’s blade was upon them. They tried to dodge, flee, and beg for help, but they were all only Level 0. Coupled with their lives of luxury and indulgence, their physical fitness was far inferior to Gu Xinian’s. How could they possibly evade an attack from someone who had added points to strength and possessed the combat experience and techniques of a past life?

And Gu Xinian’s blade was so fast!

Just as they turned in terror and opened their mouths to scream for help, the sound of steel slicing through flesh rang out.

*Thwack! Thwack!*

Their heads flew high into the air. Blood splattered everywhere. Just like that, they were dead.

"Ah! Murder!"

The people nearby watched the scene—the three headless corpses on the ground and the three blood-stained heads rolling away, eyes wide in disbelief. Everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Some of the more timid ones let out screams of horror. Those standing near Gu Xinian scrambled backward, desperate to get away from this terrifying demon.

This was the beginning of the Gods' Game; people still held onto concepts of morality, law, and conscience, and order had not yet fully collapsed. In their minds, even if you were powerful beyond measure, you couldn't just kill people—it was wrong. And to do it over a simple disagreement? You were just a college student! It was madness!

Gu Xinian ignored their reactions. His gaze swept over the crowd, and he revealed a brilliant smile.

"Now, is there anyone else who needs me to save them?"

The smile looked harmless, but in the eyes of the crowd, it was more evil and terrifying than a devil. Seeing that smile and remembering what had just happened, they couldn't help but shiver, not daring to let out a single breath. Some looked at Gu Xinian with awe, while others didn't even dare to meet his eyes. Clearly, his actions had shattered their worldview and their spirit. To them, Gu Xinian had become something even more terrifying than the monsters—a threat second only to the Zodiac, Wei Yang.

Gu Xinian was very satisfied with their reaction. He knew that if he hadn't killed those three, more people would have joined in, trying to use every underhanded method to coerce him into helping them. That was the way of the world now. If you didn't want to die, you had to survive by any means necessary, even if it meant moral blackmail or doing things far more depraved and bottomless.

But their survival was no concern of his. In this rebirth, Gu Xinian had only one principle: those who follow me live; those who stand in my way die. Who you choose to blackmail or how you choose to survive is none of my business—but don't block my path, and don't interfere with what I need to do. Otherwise, you will die.

Lin Qingxue looked at Gu Xinian, her face deathly pale. Her body trembled, and her heart was in her throat, terrified that he might go mad and kill her too. Fortunately, in the next moment, Gu Xinian didn't even glance at her. He didn't look at anyone else, either; he turned and continued toward the northwest.

He didn't kill Lin Qingxue not out of lingering affection, nor because he couldn't let her go. This woman was still useful alive. Besides, he had more important things to do.

In his line of sight, a fifteen-year-old boy was struggling to survive to the northwest. The boy had been dodging the attacks of a Level 2 normal-difficulty phantom guard for some time. His physical fitness was good—he had been an athlete—and his strength and defense were higher than most his age. But that was the extent of it. He didn't know that seizing the guard's sword might turn the tide, nor did he have the combat skills or experience to do so. All he could do was keep dodging, delaying, and waiting for a chance at survival.

But his stamina had reached its limit. Yet, even with death staring him in the face, while most others were busy trying to morally blackmail Gu Xinian, he hadn't participated. He faced everything alone, bearing it all himself.

Memories flooded Gu Xinian’s mind. Pang Haoyu—in the past life, he was saved by the justice-driven Li Xuan and became his most reliable teammate. He helped Li Xuan establish the Qinghe Heroes' Association and was one of the finest survivors in the city. He had saved Gu Xinian’s life during the third trial. In the seventh trial, to let others live, he sacrificed himself to block countless powerful monsters from the Dark Kingdom, ultimately being torn to pieces. When Gu Xinian heard the news in his past life, he felt so helpless, so self-reproachful, and so guilty for not being strong enough to do anything.

In this life, Gu Xinian would be one of the people who changed his fate!

Just as Pang Haoyu tripped and fell, having no strength left to dodge, Gu Xinian arrived. His speed was like lightning; his attack was as fierce as thunder. In the blink of an eye, his sword severed the phantom guard's wrist and pierced its heart, killing it instantly. After leveling up and adding points to his attributes, even a Level 2 normal-difficulty phantom guard posed no threat. Looking back at his past life, where he struggled to survive against a single Level 1 guard, the difference between the two lives was like a firefly to the moon.

"Th-thank you!"

Recovering from his immense shock, Pang Haoyu said tremblingly. He had never imagined that someone would save him, let alone Gu Xinian. He had seen what Gu Xinian had just done. How could such a powerful and ruthless man willingly save anyone? It was a miracle he wasn't killing everyone in sight!

The others nearby were equally dumbfounded. They hadn't expected the bloodthirsty madman to save someone.

But the next moment, something even more shocking happened. Gu Xinian smiled at Pang Haoyu.

"You're welcome!"

"Are you willing to come with me?"

As he spoke, he extended his right hand—just as someone had done for him in the past, saving his life and inviting him to join them.

The crowd erupted in an uproar.
"What the hell? A lunatic like Gu Xinian is inviting someone to join him?"
"Is he plotting something?"

Of course, some others chimed in, "I think there might be more to Gu killing those three. He might not be the person you think he is!"

That was human nature—worshipping strength. When you are strong enough, whatever you say or do becomes the truth. As the saying goes, *When I enter the pass, there will be great scholars to interpret the scriptures for me!*

Lin Qingxue watched this with burning anger. *Gu Xinian, you’d rather save a strange boy and invite him to join you than save me or bring me along? Do you have any room for me left in your heart?* Having known and loved Gu Xinian for years, she knew his social circle inside and out. She was certain he didn't know Pang Haoyu at all!

But no matter how much she gritted her teeth, she was helpless. The current Gu Xinian was too much of a stranger to her. The Gu Xinian she remembered, the one she knew, would never dare to upset her, let alone kill. But this Gu Xinian didn't seem to care about her at all, and he was a madman who killed without a second thought. Who could afford to provoke such a man?

Pang Haoyu was flattered, feeling as if he were dreaming. Although some saw Gu Xinian as a bloodthirsty demon, Pang Haoyu felt no hatred—only gratitude. He knew exactly what kind of people those three were. If not for them, his father wouldn't have had a mental breakdown, and his mother wouldn't have been forced into prostitution. He had once dreamed of revenge, but as a fifteen-year-old boy, what could he do against men with such power in Qinghe City?

When the crowd was trying to morally blackmail Gu Xinian—especially when those three bastards jumped out to coerce him—Pang Haoyu had wanted to speak up, to fight those villains. But past trauma and failure had robbed him of his courage. He hadn't dared to step forward.

Who could have guessed that Gu Xinian wasn't an ordinary person, but a fierce force of nature who killed at the slightest provocation? Those three villains were dead, and his vengeance had been served! Most importantly, Gu Xinian had just saved his life. How could he possibly refuse the invitation?

But... a moment later, after pinching himself to ensure this wasn't a dream, he looked at Gu Xinian timidly. "L-little brother, I'm afraid I'll drag you down."

Gu Xinian laughed. "You won't drag me down, and I don't fear being dragged down!"

Pang Haoyu felt both excited and moved. He was moved by the words, and excited because with Gu Xinian's strength, everyone here would be fighting to be on his team, yet he had chosen him. He took a deep breath, nodded firmly, said "Thank you" again with sincerity, and took Gu Xinian's hand to be pulled up.

Following that, Gu Xinian handed him one of the swords looted from the guards and instructed, "When you're sure you're safe, use this sword to attack the heart of the phantom guards to kill them."

Pang Haoyu nodded. He felt Gu Xinian was being a bit too good to him, but he wasn't someone who easily doubted kindness, even if it came out of nowhere.

Just then, an excited voice rang out from afar. "Holy shit, what is this thing? A safe zone, a recovery point! Hahaha! I'm standing inside, let’s see the monsters attack me now!"

It was a middle-aged man standing inside a deep blue protective shield, laughing triumphantly. Just like in the past life, people would gradually discover the safe zones and recovery points. Gu Xinian merely gave the man a cold glance before ignoring him, continuing to hunt down the nearest phantom guards to earn experience.

Safe zones and recovery points could block attacks, but they weren't invincible. When eight normal guards, seven hard, six nightmare, or five hell-difficulty guards attacked at once, the structures would be destroyed. Furthermore, hell-difficulty guards respawned every 60 minutes. He had to earn as much experience as possible in these limited 24 hours to prepare for the next trial. As trials continued, people would realize the importance of being ahead in levels.

...

High above, in the Kingdom of the Human Star Gods!

Countless goat-headed monsters were busy, acting like humble, respectful servants. They served only one person—or rather, a god! Wei Yang, who sat on a delicate, small throne in the void. Wei Yang watched the massive projections surrounding him with interest, the figure of Gu Xinian and a few others surfacing in his mind.

*There are still some interesting human ants on this planet!*

The giant projection was divided into twelve sections. Each section displayed the task countdown, as well as real-time data on the number of survivors and the number of phantom deaths. Yes, he was the administrator of twelve regions. After watching Gu Xinian's performance, he had descended to other regions to watch the humans there before returning.

As he expected, when the trial descended, people were dying like flies. The number of survivors was plummeting every second, while the number of phantoms remained steady. Humans were fragile, pathetic, and pitiful creatures. That was exactly why their masters had ordered them to descend and use trials to hone and screen humanity.

However, just then, he noticed something strange. The number of survivors in the Qinghe University campus was not only dropping more slowly, but the number of phantom deaths was increasing!

This shocked him. As a god, he shouldn't have such emotions, but this situation was completely unexpected. After his shock, he burst into a crazy, mocking laugh, and a human figure involuntarily appeared in his mind. *Could all of this be because of him? How interesting!*

...

Time flowed like water.

When the night ended and dawn arrived, everyone looked at the information panels appearing before them, letting out a sigh of relief and collapsing to the ground, exhausted. It felt as if they had just survived a brutal, life-or-death battle—because they had.

But the next moment, they couldn't help but look at one person: Gu Xinian. They would never forget how they had been begging for their lives while this guy slaughtered the phantoms like he was mowing grass! If not for the events that had occurred, and the awe they felt toward him, many would have been clamoring to cling to his coattails.

Gu Xinian stood there, staring blankly at his panel.

[Trial Countdown: Ended!]
[Trial Ended!]
[Blue Star Survivors: 4.018 Billion!]
[Wei Yang Camp, Qinghe University Campus Survivors: 30,000!]
[Reward Settlement Pending!]

Just like in his past life, the first trial had wiped out half of the Blue Star's population. But this was only the beginning of the darkness. However, in his past life, only 5,000 had survived the campus trial; now, there were 30,000! All of this was because he had killed so many guards, allowing more people to group up and turn the tide!

Of course, he knew that not many of the 30,000 would thank him, but he didn't care. He never wanted to be a savior, and he didn't need their gratitude. He killed for the experience! In his past life, after the first trial, he was only Level 2 with a pathetic 10 attribute points.

And now? He had reached Level 8 and gained 40 assignable attribute points! The highest level among the other participants was only Level 5, and many were still Level 0, having spent the entire time cowering in the safe zones.

He looked at Xiao Ran nearby. *Truly worthy of being the "God’s Choice" of Truth in the past life, one of the five closest to godhood.* Even with his rebirth, while Li Xuan had only reached Level 4, Xiao Ran had used her intelligence to reach Level 5, becoming the highest-level participant besides himself. If he could use her in future trials, he could change so much more!

His gaze shifted to the distance—the direction of Nangong Yun. His plan had been to clear his area, save Nangong Yun’s sister, and recruit him. As a God’s Choice in his past life, Nangong Yun’s value was immense. But Li Xuan had beaten him to it. *Typical.* Li Xuan was a soldier; in his past life, he had always tried to save everyone he could.

*Recruiting Nangong Yun and Xiao Ran will have to wait.*

Finally, he looked at Lin Qingxue. She hadn't died; she had been saved by a martial artist named Han Tong. In his past life, Gu Xinian had rushed to save her, only to be treated poorly because she thought Han Tong was far superior to him.

A new panel popped up.

[Hell-Difficulty Novice Trial Reward Settlement Begun!]
[Trial Completion: 100%!]
[Phantom Guards Killed: 310]
[Rating: SSS]
[Settlement Started!]
[Broke the highest kill record for this trial: Obtained achievement 'Phantom Guard Terminator'!]
[Broke the highest rating record: Obtained 'Phantom Armor'!]
[Completed Hell-Difficulty Novice Trial with 100% completion and record-breaking stats: Obtained 'Phantom Guard Token', 'Polluted Spear', 'Riemann’s Ring', 'Blessed Food' x50, 'Phantom Matter' x100, 'Curse of Pollution', 'Medium of the Gods'! 30 assignable attribute points!]

[Name: Gu Xinian]
[Level: 8 (50/90 EXP)]
[Camp: Zodiac Wei Yang]
[Intelligence: 10, Strength: 25, Defense: 6, Agility: 35]
[Assignable Attribute Points: 30]

[Items: Mask of Mystery, Phantom Guard Token, Blessed Food (50), Phantom Matter (100), Curse of Pollution, Medium of the Gods.]
[Equipment: Phantom Armor (Level 8, B), Polluted Spear (Level 8, S), Riemann’s Ring (Level 8, SS).]
[Achievement: Phantom Guard Terminator (Level 5, A).]

Gu Xinian’s breathing quickened. In his past life, he had only received a Level 2 E-quality weapon that added 0.1 strength. Now, he had an A-quality achievement and high-quality gear!

The most important items were Riemann’s Ring and the Polluted Spear. Spatial items were the rarest in the Gods' trials. Most people wouldn't have a chance to get them until the late stages. Riemann’s Ring could grow infinitely in capacity as it leveled up, and it would even unlock a powerful active skill at Level 60! The Polluted Spear was a crucial component in crafting the "Gungnir," the spear of Odin—an Angel King-grade weapon that could anchor targets in fate and never miss.

*Two lives, and I have never fought such a rich battle.*

"Titan, wait for me! I will come back and kill you!"

He looked at Pang Haoyu beside him. *In the past life, he only reached Level 2. Now, he’s at Level 4.*

Wei Yang’s voice, like ghosts chewing on bones, echoed again. "Oh my, I didn't expect so many survivors. Congratulations on living another day. You’ve all received the 'Medium of the Gods.' Use it to open your Class Transfer tasks!"

A new panel appeared.

[Class Transfer Task Started! Choose a deity to believe in, offer a sacrifice, and receive a gift! ... Task Countdown: 24 hours!]

Everyone was excited. Only Gu Xinian looked at the panel, his heart calm—until he saw a line of text appear below the countdown, and his heart leaped.

[--Meets prerequisites. Hidden option available. Enable?]

*Yes!* After obtaining the Mask of Mystery and gaining the gaze of the Hongmeng Heavenly Palace, he met the requirements!

"Enable!"

A new panel, flashing with blinding red light, popped up!