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

Liu Nian narrowed his eyes and slowly clenched his fist.

He was wondering whether he should make a move now.

Just then, a sharp sound of wind breaking came from afar.

A dark red figure shot out from the passage at the edge of the desert, as fast as a bullet, and landed beside Dracono.

It was Princess Nofila!

The marks of battle were still visible on her tight leather armor—several cracks from the carapace and dark green beetle fluid on her shoulders, clearly indicating that she had just been through a tough fight.

"Brother!" Nofila nodded slightly, her voice cold and carrying the lingering echo of battle. "Seth escaped; I couldn't stop him. But he was also badly injured, with both legs broken. He won't be able to cause any trouble for the time being."

"It's alright." Dracono waved his hand dismissively. "Just a beetle lord, nothing to worry about."

He glanced at the Shams soul compressed into a ball of light in his hand, a satisfied smile playing on his lips, a smile that carried a sense of composure and certainty.

"With this, we can control the Golden City. Then, what will we have to fear from those pharaohs?"

Then he turned his head and looked at Liu Nian, his dark golden eyes carrying a strange light.

"Dragon General, you've worked hard."

Liu Nian remained calm and composed: "It's nothing, it was agreed upon beforehand. It's a mutually beneficial cooperation, each getting what they need. I just hope His Highness hasn't forgotten what he promised me!"

"What is it?" Dracono raised an eyebrow.

"Teleportation array." Liu Nian's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. "I'll help you conquer the city, on the condition that we use the teleportation array to go to the Western Continent. Valard promised that himself."

Dracono was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

"Valad promised it?" He glanced at Valad, who was directing the vampires to clean up the battlefield in the distance, then turned back, his tone nonchalant. "That's what he promised, not what I promised."

Liu Nian's eyes turned cold, and the temperature plummeted.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is—" Dracono said slowly, "If you want to use the teleportation array, this little bit of help isn't enough."

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

Dracono paused, his tone becoming matter-of-fact, as if bestowing some immense favor: "How about this, you help us conquer the Bone Fortress of Kataf on the Plains of Bones. After we take it, I will grant you a drop of vampire blood and a royal decree, making you a loyal friend of our vampire race. Then, you can use any teleportation array you desire. How about it?"

Liu Nian stared at him for three seconds.

"What if I refuse?"

Dracono's smile remained unchanged, but his dark golden pupils contracted slightly.

"You won't refuse," he said, his voice still gentle, but every word carrying an undeniable air of authority, "because you're a smart man!"

As he spoke, Nofila stepped forward from behind him.

Although she didn't speak, her two blood-red rapiers had already slid from her waist, the tips leaving two thin marks on the sand, like two venomous snakes poised to pounce.

Liu Nian's gaze swept back and forth between the two men, his eyes unhurried, as if he were watching two poorly performing actors.

Then he let out a short laugh.

"Do you know why I helped you attack the city?" he asked.

Dracono raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.

"Because Shams wouldn't let me use his teleportation array, even when I offered to help him kill a prince, he still wouldn't agree!" Liu Nian said, enunciating each word clearly. "So... as you can see, I turned around and came to you, and then helped you conquer this city. Now, all I want is to use the teleportation array, and you're saying that conquering a city 'isn't enough'? Heh."

He chuckled, a laugh that carried an indescribable meaning.

"Now, are you sure you want to make the same choice as Shams?"

Dracono's smile finally froze, as if someone had pressed the pause button and his face was frozen in place.

"Are you threatening me?" His voice deepened, and a cold glint flashed in his dark gold eyes.

"So what if I threaten you?" Liu Nian met his gaze without backing down, even taking a half-step forward. "I can only tell you—Shams might be your cautionary tale!"

The air fell silent for a moment.

Then Dracono laughed, a genuine, utterly enraged sneer, completely different from the gentle, fake smile he'd given moments before.

"Young man, you've got quite the nerve!"

"My fist is bigger," Liu Nian said. "Want to try?"

"Arrogant!" Nofila, who was standing to the side, finally couldn't hold back anymore. She shouted and raised her sword to stab!

Dracono's expression changed, and he inwardly realized something was wrong.

He didn't actually want to take direct action; he just wanted to intimidate them with his power and authority as a vampire prince, hoping to make them back down.

If the other party reacts too strongly, he is not unwilling to back down—after all, invading the Southern Continent is the bigger deal, and the Golden Royal City is not yet fully under his control. At this time, it would be unwise to completely offend a powerful adventurer, as there are too many variables involved.

As for Liu Nian, he was simply excited by the prospect. After all, an adventurer of such strength would be a great asset if he could be recruited; just having him around would be enough to intimidate many opponents.

But his sister Nofila didn't know any of this. All she saw was an arrogant adventurer showing off in front of the great prince, and she thought he deserved to be taught a lesson!

She had not witnessed the battle Liu Nian had fought before.

She had no idea that this person had just pinned Shams' two clones to the sand and pounded them, forcing them to self-destruct!

Even Dracono's ability to so easily capture Shams's soul was largely due to Liu Nian's efforts!

Nofila brandished two blood-red rapiers, drawing two crimson arcs in the air, blocking all of Liu Nian's escape routes from the left and right.

The sword light was as fast as two blood-red lightning bolts, accompanied by a piercing sound of wind being cut, aiming straight for Liu Nian's throat and heart.

The blood on the sword tip can condense into a fine, blood-red electric net, sizzling as it goes.

Liu Nian did not dodge.

He raised his right fist, and the Starbreaker met it head-on.

Ding—! Ding—!

Two crisp metallic clanging sounds rang out almost simultaneously.

The rapier struck the fist, sending up a string of dazzling sparks.

Liu Nian's body remained motionless, while Nofila used the momentum to flip backward, landing lightly ten meters away. She twirled the blood-red rapier in her hand, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground.

"Your reaction wasn't slow." Nofila's voice was cold, tinged with surprise.

"The damage isn't too high." Liu Nian shook his hand.

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