TAG Chapter 21

Qiao Jingting wandered inside the Void Space for a long time and confirmed their hypothesis. The things appearing in this void space were based on the movement of cities. He encountered the monster Chilian Snake, which was found outside the Jiaomu Jiao city.

He had forgotten how many points this snake was worth, but after a bit of observation, he found that it was no less challenging than the Hercules Beetle. With a length of over 8 meters and incredibly agile movements, once it wrapped around you, it was difficult to escape. The only advantage it had over the Hercules Beetle was that it couldn’t fly.

He engaged in battle with the Chilian Snake, but the more he fought, the more frustrated he became. While he could memorize the attack patterns of monsters in the newbie village through battles, the monsters here were far more complex and powerful. They were so lifelike that they no longer seemed like machines but actual living creatures. His previous methods were clearly ineffective.

Realizing this, he changed his strategy. Instead of trying to memorize the Chilian Snake’s attack patterns, he began attacking and defending in earnest. He familiarized himself with the snake’s attack patterns through repeated battles, trying to dodge each attack. If one attempt failed, he tried again a hundred times, searching for its weak points to deliver precise strikes.

Qiao Jingting woke up, and it was already midnight.

Bai Er had recovered his energy and eagerly asked as soon as he saw Qiao Jingting awake, “Did you encounter any monsters?”

“Chilian Snake, worth 60 points,” Qiao Jingting glanced at Bai Er and said excitedly. “And it’s a single-target type monster. But these monsters are much more complicated than those in the newbie village. I can’t remember their patterns, but I’ve fought hundreds of times and have become quite skilled.”

“If you can’t remember, you should add some points to Intelligence,” Bai Er played with his small dagger in his hand.

Qiao Jingting dismissed it. “Let’s talk about it after I refine my godly essence. I can’t afford to waste any points right now.”

The Chilian Snake wasn’t far from the city, and most people were asleep at this hour. To save travel scrolls, they ran over.

As they formed a team, Qiao Jingting assigned roles. “I’ll focus on offense, and you cover me.”

The fact that the Chilian Snake was a single-target type monster was a pleasant surprise, especially since they were only two people.

Qiao Jingting selected one that caught his eye and attacked. Using his experience from hundreds of battles, he managed to dodge the snake’s attacks a few times, striking when opportunities presented themselves. The Chilian Snake swung its tail fiercely, trying to coil around him and restrict his movements.

Qiao Jingting kicked it under its jaw and rotated his body 120 degrees in the air. He swung his mace towards its neck, but the cunning snake managed to evade it.

Following closely behind, Bai Er turned into a fleeting white shadow in the dim light.

This was the first time Qiao Jingting had witnessed Bai Er’s post-godly essence strength. He moved at an astonishing speed, almost approaching the speed Zou Yidao had shown while dealing with Han Bin. Qiao Jingting could only capture Bai Er’s afterimages.

Seeing Bai Er maneuvering around the snake, his small dagger might not seem particularly lethal, but it easily left a long gash on the Chilian Snake’s body.

With both of them attacking from different directions, the Chilian Snake became surrounded and gradually showed signs of weakness.

Seizing an opportunity, Bai Er stepped on the snake’s body and, defying gravity, ran up to it. With a swift strike, he blinded the snake’s eye.

The Chilian Snake’s body undulated like a wave, quickly bending and coiling into a small vortex. Bai Er emerged from the center of that vortex, moving at such speed that even Qiao Jingting struggled to track him. He could only catch glimpses of Bai Er’s silhouette.

Seeing Bai Er maneuvering around the snake, his small dagger might not seem particularly lethal, but it easily left a long gash on the Chilian Snake’s body.

With both of them attacking from different directions, the Chilian Snake became surrounded and gradually showed signs of weakness.

Seizing an opportunity, Bai Er stepped on the snake’s body and, defying gravity, ran up to it. With a swift strike, he blinded the snake’s eye.

The Chilian Snake’s body undulated like a wave, quickly bending and coiling into a small vortex. Bai Er emerged from the center of that vortex, moving at such speed that even Qiao Jingting struggled to track him. He could only catch glimpses of Bai Er’s silhouette.

Qiao Jingting watched as the small text appeared before him, indicating that both he and Bai Er received 30 points each. However, it took them over twenty minutes to defeat this snake, so their efficiency still had room for improvement.

After summarizing their experience, they moved on to the next Chilian Snake and continued to kill without resting.

When the sun rose, they had killed a total of 19 Chilian Snakes. Each of them gained 630 points, but they had each used up a healing scroll due to injuries.

Qiao Jingting checked his points, subtracted the 1800 he spent on Bai Er’s travel scrolls, food, and other miscellaneous expenses, added tonight’s earnings, and found he had 5004 points.

Qiao Jingting felt somewhat reassured. At this rate, he wouldn’t be far from refining his godly essence.

Bai Er couldn’t move around in the sun, and it wasn’t safe outside the city during the day, so they returned to the city.

However, at the city gate, a group of people blocked their path. The leader was one of the two individuals punished by Zhao Mo Nong yesterday, along with two companions.

Qiao Jingting looked at them coldly. Two Level 6s, one Level 7, and one Level 8. He quietly bought a travel scroll, but he knew these people wouldn’t give them a chance to use it.

One of them sneered menacingly, “Once you pass through this city gate, you’ll be safe. Unfortunately, you won’t make it out alive.”

Qiao Jingting smirked coldly, “You run when you see a Level 9, and you only dare to show off when facing Level 6 opponents, and you even need backup. What a bunch of cowards.”

“Go to hell! I can take you down alone. I’ll make you pay for our brother down there!” The man’s body instantly swelled up, muscles bulging like buns. His height shot up to over three meters as he transformed into a muscle-bound giant. As he charged towards the two, the ground trembled with each step.

“Leave this one to me.” Bai Er held his small dagger in both hands, fixating on another player who had transformed into a werewolf. He dashed forward, his body becoming a blur.

The other two Level 6 players stood to the side, clearly waiting to finish off the victor.

The muscle-bound giant lunged at Qiao Jingting. Despite his bulky appearance, he moved with surprising agility. He came at Qiao Jingting like a small mountain, swinging his massive fist with force.

Qiao Jingting sidestepped the powerful fist, twisting his waist as he deflected it with his long mace. A loud clang echoed as the six-sided mace struck the giant’s forearm. However, instead of the anticipated sound of bones breaking, the giant’s large hand caught hold of the mace and hurled both weapon and Qiao Jingting away.

Qiao Jingting rolled on the ground three times before leaping to his feet, his gaze growing even more intense. He had initially thought that this person, just one level above him, wouldn’t be much of a threat. After all, he had once killed a Level 9 Zheng Wei who was three levels above him. However, he now realized that his difference with Zheng Wei had still been within the realm of humanity. Those who had refined their godly essence were fundamentally different from regular humans.

On the other side, Bai Er’s battle against the werewolf was not as overwhelmingly disadvantageous as Qiao Jingting’s. Bai Er’s attack power was not weak, but the werewolf’s speed was too fast, coupled with being a natural-born assassin, making the outcome of the battle uncertain.

The muscle-bound giant charged over aggressively, aiming a kick at Qiao Jingting’s face. Qiao Jingting jumped away, dodging and retreating simultaneously. Practice in the Void Space and experience from killing countless monsters had unconsciously integrated him with his weapon. He had become fully adapted to the battlefield, transforming into a skilled warrior.

The giant’s body was covered with thick muscles, making it hard to hit his bones. Qiao Jingting’s mace had to hit the right spots to deal damage, such as the knees, the skull, the carotid artery, the Achilles tendon, the diaphragm, the Adam’s apple, the eyes.

Qiao Jingting gritted his teeth and smiled bitterly. Upon reflection, he realized there were quite a few methods at his disposal.

He had been forced back by the muscle-bound man to a spot beneath a tree. He propelled himself up onto a tree branch, standing above.

The muscle-bound man’s fist struck the tree branch, snapping the thick branch that was as wide as an adult’s arm. Qiao Jingting leapt up, performing a mid-air backflip. In his hands appeared a shotgun, and he aimed it at the back of the muscle-bound man’s neck, firing a shot.

Shotguns had immense firepower, and at such close range, it was highly likely that the shot would break through the protective shield.

The shotgun collided with the muscle-bound man’s energy shield. With a crisp crack, the shield shattered, and the impact sent the muscle-bound man stumbling, his head hitting the tree.

Qiao Jingting landed on his feet and quickly crouched down. Taking advantage of the muscle-bound man’s momentary dizziness, he struck his Achilles tendon with the mace.

The muscle-bound man yelled in pain, swung around, and his long arm swept towards Qiao Jingting. Qiao Jingting’s crouched position made it difficult to evade, and he was hit by the iron-like arm. The tremendous force sent him flying.

Qiao Jingting was hit so hard that he saw stars and felt his mind go blank. He watched as the muscle-bound man used a healing scroll, and while limping, approached with a fierce expression. Raising his massive foot, he aimed to stomp down viciously.

Gathering all the strength he could muster, Qiao Jingting rolled away just as the muscle-bound man’s foot descended. He then swiftly got up, spat out a mouthful of blood, grabbed his mace, and charged forward.

His opportunities were limited. He couldn’t allow the muscle-bound man time to heal his Achilles tendon.

The muscle-bound man, frustrated and desperate, drew a large cleaver and swung it horizontally towards Qiao Jingting. Qiao Jingting’s heart leaped with joy; the muscle-bound man clearly wasn’t skilled with the blade. His fists were more natural, but unfortunately, the less experienced one was with a weapon, the more they relied on it. Holding a blade decreased his overall flexibility.

Qiao Jingting’s gambling nature was ignited. He wouldn’t let this rare chance slip away. Charging towards the muscle-bound man, he parried with his mace. For a moment, the sound of metal clashing was incessant. The muscle-bound man quickly realized that his blade wasn’t as effective as Qiao Jingting’s mace. Weaponry required skill. However, retracting the weapon now put him in a passive position, forcing him to resort to even more brutal slashing.

Qiao Jingting seized the muscle-bound man’s vulnerability when he raised his arm to swing the blade. He struck the man’s wrist with the mace, causing him to cry out in pain. The cleaver slipped from his hand, and in a daring move, Qiao Jingting rushed into the man’s embrace, fiercely driving the metal head of the six-sided mace into the man’s diaphragm.

“Ah!” The man’s cry was choked by his own vomit. The next second, he vomited with a retching sound.

Seizing the advantage, Qiao Jingting pursued. Passing through the man’s armpit with the mace, he struck the man’s “dazhui” acupoint on his neck, dangerously close to the vertebral artery. An average person would have passed out instantly from such an attack. The muscle-bound man was similarly disoriented due to the dual impact. His massive body, reminiscent of a small mountain, collapsed.

Qiao Jingting stood on the muscle-bound man’s back, swinging the mace towards his skull.

Just as he struck, a gunshot rang out. The impact force sent Qiao Jingting flying several meters, his back slamming into a tree as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

An unknown Level 6 player had appeared from the side, picking up Qiao Jingting’s shotgun and firing at him.

Experiencing the feeling of being hit by a shotgun was unforgettable. Luckily, Qiao Jingting’s protective shield was nearly intact, and it was at a certain distance. However, this single shot had reduced the shield’s lifespan by 47 points, almost breaking it.

The player wanted to follow up with another shot, but unfortunately, the gun was out of bullets. Qiao Jingting didn’t have the time to deal with him. As he saw the muscle-bound man seemingly regaining consciousness, he endured the pain in his internal organs and crawled to his feet, rushing over to assist Bai Er.

He consumed a healing scroll and headed towards Bai Er.

Bai Er and the werewolf were in a close fight. Both of them bore signs of battle, with Bai Er’s swift speed and agility matching his reputation. However, as an assassin, his training had focused on taking lives swiftly and subtly, often using soft techniques to defeat strong opponents. Once fully exposed, he wouldn’t be in his optimal state. Furthermore, the sun had already risen, and despite the mild morning sunlight, his eyes were struggling to remain open. His night vision capability was exchanged for this genetic defect.

Qiao Jingting appeared behind the werewolf, swinging his mace. The werewolf was already struggling against Bai Er; the addition of Qiao Jingting tilted the scales even more.

Both being mutants, this werewolf was far inferior to Zou Yidao. Despite the cool half-human, half-beast appearance, Zou Yidao was still cooler.

Qiao Jingting intercepted the werewolf’s frontal attack, while Bai Er utilized his strengths, moving into the werewolf’s blind spot, preparing for a decisive blow.

Just then, something enormous charged out from the city gate. Both of them turned to look and were astonished to see an ostrich.

This ostrich was nearly as tall as the muscle-bound man, with thick and powerful legs, charging towards them as if ready to kick.

Qiao Jingting forcefully pushed Bai Er aside and narrowly evaded the kick. An adult ostrich could easily kill a lion with one kick, let alone this unusually large ostrich.

The ostrich blocked the werewolf’s path and let out a warning cry towards Qiao Jingting and Bai Er.

Qiao Jingting looked up and noticed that a person had appeared on the city wall, none other than Zhao Monong whom he had seen yesterday. The city gate was wide open, and many players from the False Masks had rushed out. Apparently, the fleeing Level 6 player had gone to summon reinforcements.

Zhao Monong rested his chin in his hand, looking down at the two from a high vantage point. The ostrich remained in place on the ground.

Qiao Jingting stood up, his gaze ice-cold as he observed a group of masked individuals encircling them.

Zhao Monong leapt down from the city wall. Despite the eight-meter drop, he landed lightly on the ground and approached.

“Mr. Zhao, let me kill them,” one of the masked individuals called out.

“Kill them, kill them!”

Zhao Monong approached, touching the thick feathers of the ostrich with a seemingly smiling but not really smiling expression as he looked at Qiao Jingting. “You killed my False Masks members at the city gate. Is there anything you want to say before you die?”

Qiao Jingting replied coldly, “He attacked us first. Are you willing to gamble and accept the loss?”

“Nonsense! You drew Peak’s people here. You deserve to die.”

“Deserve to die! Kill them!”

Zhao Monong let out a low chuckle. “I’m not unreasonable. I govern this city, and anyone who enters must abide by my rules. You killed one of us, so you need to provide an explanation. How about we do it like yesterday? Between the two of you, let one survive by their own hands.”

Qiao Jingting widened his eyes, staring fiercely at Zhao Monong.

Half of Zhao Monong’s face was covered by a mask that added an eerie quality to his half-smiling expression. He tilted his head slightly and whispered, “If I have to take action, none of you will survive.”

Qiao Jingting tightened his grip on his mace, determination in his gaze. “Bai Er, we’ll fight our way out.” He had already decided to invest all his points into his physical strength and speed.

Bai Er glanced at him and calmly uttered a single word, “Foolish.”

“You…”

“Go ahead, kill me.” Bai Er looked at Qiao Jingting with calmness. “After all, I owe you, so this is a chance to settle the debt.”

Qiao Jingting erupted, “You’re also a damn coward.”

“He’s right, you’re just foolish.”

A lazy, magnetic voice filled with mockery drifted from behind the crowd.

Hearing this voice, Qiao Jingting froze.

A tall and slender man made his way through the crowd. He had sword-like brows and starry eyes, a faint smile at the corners of his mouth. He possessed an extraordinarily handsome appearance, with a slightly raised chin that exuded an air of disdain for everyone around him.

Qiao Jingting squinted at him.

Qiao, Rui, both…

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