Chapter 80

Xiu Qi's sword pointed at Alpha's forehead, like a venomous snake about to strike, and Alpha even felt a slight pain as if his skin had been pierced. Is this what they call killing intent?

Looking at Xiu Qi's sword, Alpha asked in surprise:

"Aren't we not trading anymore?"

"Yes, we're not trading, but I must get the key back."

"So you're going to kill me and loot me?"

"Since we can't trade, we have to use other methods."

As he spoke, Xiu Qi gently shook the Golden Snake Sword, as if adjusting the angle of his strike. Alpha rolled his eyes:

"Are you sure I'll definitely drop it? You don't seem like someone who believes in luck?"

"Yes, you will definitely drop it, and I don't believe in luck."

"I see, I thought it was just my bad luck."

It turns out that dropping the key when time runs out is a certain event, meaning the "Key to the Seven Sages' Treasure" is something that drops upon death. Alpha grumbled in dissatisfaction and quietly tried to step away from Xiu Qi's sword tip.

After taking two steps, he realized that the snake's tongue of the Golden Snake Sword was still pointing at his forehead from a few meters away, not moving an inch. He had no choice but to give up.

Xiu Qi didn't continue the conversation, just shook his head:

"Give me the key, or I'll take it myself."

"Doesn't this seem unreasonable for the Eighteen Hells?"

"Indeed, but it's irrelevant to getting the key back."

Xiu Qi's gentle and pleasant voice now sounded like a death knell. Alpha sighed:

"So there's no room for negotiation?"

Since Xiu Qi admitted it was unreasonable, Alpha had to prepare for battle cautiously. As for when Xiu Qi would strike with his first sword... Xiu Qi was quite considerate in this regard, giving a calm Alpha a hint before the strike—Alpha hated this guy's calmness:

"Golden Light Snake Shadow, this is the first strike!!!"

In fact, Alpha only realized how unnecessary Xiu Qi's hint was after the first strike...

Even though Alpha knew Xiu Qi would strike after speaking, the first strike still gave him the illusion that the sword had struck before the words were finished.

—Xiu Qi's strike was too fast!!! Fast enough to almost confuse Alpha's senses!!!

A simple thrust, with no other characteristics except speed, but for a thrust, speed means powerful lethality, unavoidable lethality.

Xiu Qi's first strike of Golden Light Snake Shadow aimed at Alpha's forehead, a critical point with a 400% damage multiplier, a position capable of causing astonishing damage.

However, Alpha chose not to dodge this strike!!!

Not entirely, in fact, Alpha merely activated the Crane Dance on White Sand, lightly leaping a short distance to let the sword hit his chest or abdomen, avoiding the critical points of the forehead and throat.

At such a short distance, Alpha believed Xiu Qi couldn't change the angle of his strike after it was launched.

A killing move, if the first strike misses, there's no room for maneuver, and the second strike follows immediately.

Sure enough, Alpha's chest became the destination of Xiu Qi's strike. The bright sword tip pierced through the faint light membrane on Alpha's body and stopped at his chest. The cold sensation on his chest skin told Alpha that the sword had already penetrated his crimson robe.

Alpha's purpose of taking the hit was achieved, using a non-critical part of his body to withstand Xiu Qi's first strike to obtain the exact damage value of Xiu Qi's sword technique!!!

It must be said that Alpha's move had a bit of trickery, betting that Xiu Qi's first strike wouldn't instantly kill him. Sure enough:

-540!!! (300 points of internal energy absorption!!!)

"Is this also a martial art?"

Xiu Qi quickly retracted his sword but didn't cause the 150% damage from the retraction. His voice changed, no longer as calm as before.

"It is a martial art."

Alpha nodded and checked his status:

Health 587/587, Internal Energy 635/935. This strike from Xiu Qi had cost him exactly 300 points of internal energy!!!

Alpha knew that the reason he didn't receive the retraction damage was because of his Internal Energy Shield, which protected him from the strike. The internal energy membrane prevented Xiu Qi's sword from piercing his body, so there was no damage from the retraction.

Xiu Qi frowned, the first time Alpha had seen a negative emotion on his face.

—It seemed Xiu Qi might not know about internal energy, at least not about the Internal Energy Shield. From Xiu Qi's expression, he didn't know why his strike hadn't caused any damage to Alpha.

In fact, the 300 points of internal energy had to be accounted for by Alpha himself:

With his level 8 Internal Energy Shield, 1 point of internal energy negates 1.8 points of damage, meaning the normal damage of this strike was 540 points!!!

So the damage of the next strike would be 1080 points, and the third strike would be 1620 points!!!

But even from the base sword damage, Xiu Qi's level was already quite extraordinary. At level 57, he had the damage output of a normal attack from Lancelot, who is a 60-level holy warrior entering the Heroic Realm.

The difference between ordinary players and heroic players isn't just in levels; there's a fundamental difference!!!

Players in the Heroic Realm, whether in destructive power or defensive capabilities, are incomparable to ordinary players. Xiu Qi's sword damage could be compared to the best of heroic players, demonstrating the power of the hidden profession of Swordsmen.

Of course, this is just the strike damage. The retraction damage is even more terrifying. According to the skill description, the retraction damage for the three strikes would be 810, 1620, and 2430 points!!!

2430, this is probably the highest damage seen in "Dragons and Dungeons" so far, at least the highest damage most people have seen!!!

Xiu Qi's sword damage was indeed terrifying, but his words were even more so:

"The Golden Snake Sword Technique has a passive effect. After attacking the same target twice in a row, it gains a 10-second 'Absolute Penetration' effect, immune to all shields.

—So you need to be careful of the third strike!"

Clearly, Xiu Qi wasn't afraid of Alpha knowing the secret of the Golden Snake Sword Technique, or perhaps he was telling Alpha that even if he survived the second strike, the third strike was impossible to survive.

'Absolute Penetration'!!!

If the third strike could deal 1620 points of damage, even with the Internal Energy Shield, Alpha's 500+ health points wouldn't be enough.

Alpha didn't hope that the 'Absolute Penetration' effect couldn't penetrate the Internal Energy Shield, because since Swordsmen are a hidden profession of martial artists, they clearly have characteristics that counter similar professions. Alpha even believed that 'Absolute Penetration' was designed to counter the Internal Energy Shield!!!

Whether he could survive the second strike was still uncertain, and now Alpha had to figure out how to avoid the third strike.

Just as Alpha seemed shocked by the 'Absolute Penetration' effect, Xiu Qi launched his second strike. This time, a faint golden light emanated from Xiu Qi, perhaps the special effect of the second strike's damage multiplier of Golden Light Snake Shadow.

—Golden Light Snake Shadow, it has to have golden light, right?

Alpha stared straight at the charging Xiu Qi and suddenly turned his body slightly.

Xiu Qi remained unmoved, his heart as solid as a rock, his sword as his heart. The blood-red sword light left a trail as it pierced toward Alpha, the Golden Snake Sword, carrying nearly 1080 points of destructive power, silently pierced through the mage's chest.

This strike didn't need to focus on the position, and in fact, Xiu Qi didn't care about the position.

Because he knew that as long as he hit, Alpha would die. Piercing through and retracting the sword to kill, this was clearly a killing procedure Xiu Qi was already accustomed to, as long as he pierced through the enemy!!!

Now, the sword tip had already pierced Alpha's body, and all he needed to do was gently pull it out. If nothing went wrong...

In fact, whenever there's a phrase like "if nothing goes wrong," it means something will go wrong...

The emptiness felt from the sword handle already told Xiu Qi that the Golden Snake Sword, with its trail, had only hit a trail.

At this moment, Alpha's real figure appeared to Xiu Qi's left side.

Alpha turned and pointed at Xiu Qi's neck. Xiu Qi frowned, his body twisting strangely, lunging diagonally forward to avoid Alpha's finger, his movement so swift that it even surpassed Alpha's Crane Dance on White Sand.

Clearly, this was also a movement technique. If Alpha's guess was correct, it might be another skill from the Golden Snake Secret Manual:

Golden Snake Movement Technique!!!

As the most bizarre and top-tier martial art in Jin's novels, Alpha felt the designers wouldn't ruin the atmosphere by only creating the Golden Snake Sword Technique and not the other parts of the Golden Snake Secret Manual.

Avoiding Alpha's Pointing Hand, Xiu Qi took a step back, took a deep breath, and suddenly thrust his sword forward.

This strike, like the previous two, was simple and direct, with no fancy moves or techniques, just a swift and fierce thrust, making it impossible to avoid. This third strike was clearly even more terrifying than the first two!!!

Golden Light Snake Shadow, the third strike, with a 400% damage multiplier!!!

Unlike the previous golden light, Xiu Qi's entire body now glowed with a blood-red light, his white robe dyed red by the blood light.

The tip of the Golden Snake Sword was red as if it were about to drip blood, the entire sword seemed to come alive, like a blood-red golden snake, aiming for Alpha's throat. The blood-red sword light even dispersed the golden light on Alpha's body representing the Internal Energy Shield!!!

'Absolute Penetration'!!!

At this moment, Alpha had no way to avoid it. He couldn't disappear at such high speed like before. This strike would either hit him, or... still hit him!!!

With absolute speed and damage advantage, Xiu Qi couldn't think of any other way out for Alpha except death.

—The blood-red tip of the Golden Snake Sword suddenly pierced Alpha's chest!!!