Full health is the kill threshold, no matter if you're a god or a demon!

Liu Nian squinted and examined it carefully.

The leader was a red-scaled snake-man, who was none other than the level 99 Riftscale.

But Liu Nian felt that something was wrong with the figure of this red-scaled snake-man. It was different from ordinary snake-men—it was more slender, with softer lines, and the scales on its chest were slightly raised, forming two soft arcs.

female?

Liu Nian was stunned.

He remembered that the snake-woman had called him "brother" before, so how did she turn into a woman?

Are snake people and prairie hyenas somewhat similar, capable of automatically adjusting their gender? Or... was it just a mistake from the very beginning?

Just as he was wondering, Lie Lin spoke.

"Kal'tsit".

Her voice was hoarse and low, with a strong breathy quality, making it difficult to tell whether she was male or female.

"You've got some nerve—daring to make fun of me?"

Liu Nian didn't speak, he just looked at her quietly.

Standing beside Lie Lin was a snake-woman with dark red scales—it was the same snake-woman Lie Lin had seen before, Lie Lin's sister, Lin Yan. Her eyes were fixed on Liu Nian, almost spitting fire.

"Sister! It's her!"

Liu Nian raised an eyebrow.

elder sister?

He called me "brother" last time...

It seems that the sex of snake people is indeed different from that of ordinary races.

Lin Yan continued in a shrill voice, "Do you know how long I've waited for this day?! Forty-five days! I've dreamt of killing you every single day! Today I'm going to watch you be torn to shreds with my own eyes!"

Liu Nian looked at her and suddenly smiled.

"How dare you come here again? Haven't you learned your lesson? I'll give you a free ride home later."

Scale Flame's face instantly flushed red, turning from dark red to deep purple, her scales standing on end. She opened her mouth, revealing two rows of venomous fangs, about to unleash her fury—

Lie Lin raised his hand and gently placed it on her shoulder.

With just this one movement, Lin Yan was like a chicken with its neck being choked, swallowing all its voices.

Lie Lin looked at Liu Nian, his golden vertical pupils flashing with a complex light—a mixture of scrutiny, curiosity, vigilance, and even a hint of…excitement?

"Kal'tsit..." she began slowly, drawing out her words, "or should I call you by another name?"

Liu Nian raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

Lie Lin sneered.

"Stop pretending." She moved forward. "You have something on you that can perfectly change your appearance—either equipment or a rare artifact. You may have taken on Kal'tsit's form, but you are not her!"

Liu Nian was stunned.

Riftscale continued, "I've investigated Kal'tsit, that elf—she's mediocre. She couldn't possibly have killed my men, much less dared to stand me up. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been expelled from the guild by that coward Thranduil!"

She paused, then swam forward a little more.

"As far as I know, the real culprit who killed my sister is a guy named Liu Nian. The kill log shows that his race is a Divine Dragon descendant, and he is a player who has just been promoted. Coincidentally, the person who discovered the regional BOSS a while ago and seemingly defeated that BOSS in a one-on-one fight was also a Divine Dragon descendant."

She stared at Liu Nian, her golden pupils narrowing to slits, and said, word by word:

"Therefore, I have reason to suspect that this dragon descendant was behind it all. And you are that dragon descendant, aren't you?"

Liu Nian looked at her.

Then he laughed.

"Interesting," he said. "You've identified me based on just these few points?"

Lie Lin shook his head.

"Of course not." A slight smile appeared on her lips. "But in the past month or so, I've made a friend. A friend who knows a lot about you Dragonborn."

She paused, then uttered a name:

"Mat."

Liu Nian's eyes instantly turned cold.

Matt.

It turned out to be the case.

It's that damn guy!

Seeing the change in Liu Nian's expression, Lie Lin's smile deepened. The scarlet forked tongue flickered at his lips, as if savoring the fear of his prey.

"It seems you know him, that makes things easier." Her voice carried a hint of pleasure. "Mart told me that Liu Nian, the first human player to become a Dragonborn, possesses unfathomable strength, capable of almost single-handedly winning the Ascension War. He also has countless experts under his command, each one a freakish existence. He described it in glowing terms, and I didn't believe him at first—but based on your strength in taking on the regional boss alone, I've chosen to believe him."

The snake people standing nearby had very interesting expressions on their faces when they heard what Lie Lin said.

Some people stared wide-eyed, some gasped, and some instinctively took a half step back.

I thought today was just about dealing with some arrogant newbie elf, but who knew this guy would be so terrifying?!

A one-man challenge against a regional boss?!

What does that even mean? They couldn't even imagine it.

Liu Nian remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he sighed, a sigh filled with helplessness, frustration, and a hint of murderous intent.

"That traitor Matt," he shook his head, "is really haunting me."

Lie Lin raised an eyebrow, a glint of excitement flashing in his golden pupils.

"So, you admit it?"

Liu Nian nodded.

"Yes, I am Liu Nian."

The atmosphere changed abruptly the moment the words were spoken.

The numerous snake-men gripped their weapons tightly, their scales bristling and rustling softly. But no one moved—they dared not move without Riftscale's order. Moreover, facing a monster capable of single-handedly taking on a regional boss, no one wanted to be the first to die.

Rift Scale's eyes lit up.

"So even though I knew you deliberately let those trolls reveal your whereabouts to me, I still came." Her voice trembled slightly, filled with barely suppressed fighting spirit. "Because I was really curious about what you used to be able to kill the area boss all by yourself. You know, even if I teamed up with all the top five on the power ranking, we might not be able to beat you."

She slowly raised her hand.

The two small black snakes that were wrapped around her arm swam to her palm, coiled into two balls, raised their heads, and flicked their tongues, like two living gems.

"I want to know—" Her eyes gleamed with fanaticism, her golden pupils like two burning flames, "Just how strong are you?"

Liu Nian looked at her without saying a word.

"I'm Riftscale, fifth on the power rankings." Her voice carried pride. "My goal for this year's Void Arena is to break into the top three. I consider myself strong enough, but I know I can't solo a regional boss... What special techniques do you possess?"

She stared at Liu Nian.

Liu Nian sighed inwardly.

There are no tricks or techniques involved; it's all about numbers.

"So I want to try and see if you're worth it..."

Lie Lin paused, not finishing his sentence.

Liu Nian asked curiously, "What's it worth to you?"

Lie Lin laughed.

The smile was beautiful, but the next second, it vanished, replaced by a fleeting afterimage.

Her figure disappeared from the spot.