Huaihai City — Principal's Office
Inside the office, a heavy silence loomed as three people sat: Wang Daochuan, Jiang Lei, and Xi Yan.
Jiang Lei's face was stormy, barely concealing his anger. His fists were clenched as he stared at Xi Yan.
"Xi Yan, I'll ask you one thing," he growled. "Where is my son?"
Xi Yan looked at him calmly. "I sent him to Dark City. As for where he is now exactly, I don't know."
Bang!
Jiang Lei slammed his fist on the desk, making everything on it jump. He stood abruptly, his voice rising with fury.
"Why didn't you bring him back? Just because he's not your son?!"
Xi Yan didn't back down. He stood as well and snapped, "And how exactly was I supposed to do that? Jinghai College has people watching us like hawks! Lin Hai has already deployed men to guard every route in and out of Huaihai. Tell me—how was I supposed to bring him back?"
CRACK!
Jiang Lei smashed the table in half with another furious blow. Splinters flew across the room.
"Damn that old fox Lin Hai! He's more protective than I am. If he lays a finger on my son, I swear I won't let it go!"
"There are seven fifth-level psychics at Jinghai College," Xi Yan sneered. "What exactly are you going to do? Throw a tantrum at them?"
The tension between them reached its peak when Wang Daochuan finally intervened.
"Enough!" he said firmly. "Both of you, sit down. I'll speak to Lin Hai myself. Don't stir up trouble for now."
Wang Daochuan leaned forward, his voice low and authoritative. "Smith went to Dark City. Jinghai can't follow him there, so there's no point in acting on impulse right now."
Jiang Lei didn't answer. He let out a sharp snort and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
---
Five Days Later — Somewhere in the Wilderness
A young man walked carefully through a dense, quiet forest. His clothes were dusty, and he chewed on a strip of dried meat as he walked.
"Just through that Black Pine Forest ahead… I should be close," Smith muttered, eyes scanning a hand-drawn map.
For the past few days, he had made a conscious effort to conceal his movements, constantly altering his route to throw off anyone who might be following him. The detours cost him time, but safety was more important.
Just as he prepared to enter the forest, he stopped.
A dark-purple flame suddenly erupted in the distance, radiating an intense heat that shimmered in the air.
Smith's eyes narrowed. "This aura… it feels familiar."
He recognized the energy signature. Purple flame. Unmistakable.
Soon, shouts and battle cries echoed through the woods. Smith crept closer, hiding behind some brush.
In a clearing, two groups clashed.
One group wore green robes and looked like student psychics. The other wore red cloaks marked with a familiar, burning flame insignia.
Smith's eyes widened.
"The Burning Fire Clan?!"
Impossible. He thought their leadership had been destroyed during the Sin City incident.
"How are they still around?" Smith whispered to himself, frowning.
The students in green were clearly outmatched. Smith crouched lower to observe.
---
A tall man with long, purple hair and a smug expression stood across from the green-robed group. He folded his arms, a confident sneer on his lips.
"Wang Yan, Vice President of the Guangxi Society," he drawled mockingly. "Satisfied with today's lesson?"
"You should've joined us when you had the chance. You could've saved your people a lot of pain."
Wang Yan, a young man in his twenties, stared back coldly. His gaze didn't waver.
"So this is what the Burning Fire Clan stands for—slaughter and treachery?"
"Purple Scorpion, don't think this fight's over."
Suddenly, Wang Yan raised his hand.
"Chaos Fire Lotus!"
Flames swirled around him, condensing into a massive fire lotus. He launched it forward with explosive force.
Purple Scorpion laughed and dodged, but his allies weren't so lucky. The fire lotus exploded, engulfing several red-robed attackers. Their screams were short-lived as they were turned into charred corpses.
Smith's eyes widened in surprise.
"That firepower… Wang Yan's only a third-level intermediate psychic, but his strength is unbelievable!"
Purple Scorpion's expression twisted with excitement.
"A psychic of your caliber... You must be S-rank," he hissed. "Perfect. Everyone else, fall back. I'll handle him myself!"
The red-robed assailants retreated obediently.
Wang Yan turned to a chubby student beside him and grabbed his shoulder.
"Wang Bao! Get out of here while I hold them off!"
"No! I won't leave you behind!" the younger boy cried out.
"You must!" Wang Yan barked. "You're the future of Guangxi Society. Without you, we have no tomorrow. Do you understand?!"
Wang Bao's eyes filled with tears. He bit his lip and nodded reluctantly.
Only a handful of Guangxi Society members remained. If they kept fighting, they'd be annihilated.
Wang Yan turned to face Purple Scorpion, resolute.
"Hah! If you surrender your soul, maybe I'll let the others live," Purple Scorpion said with a crooked grin.
"Save your lies. Even if I did, you'd kill them anyway," Wang Yan snapped.
Purple Scorpion chuckled darkly. "How boring."
He pulled out a black chain, its surface wrapped in flickering purple flame.
---
Smith narrowed his eyes from his hiding spot.
"So… he's after Wang Yan's soul? Why?"
Something was off.
Back in Sin City, the Burning Fire Clan had targeted him and Yan Yue for assassination. Now their focus had shifted entirely. Why Wang Yan?
"Could that group have just been a small division of the larger clan?"
Smith clenched his fists. Too many questions and not enough answers.
Suddenly, a message blinked across his vision.
> [Mission Triggered: Save Guangxi Society Members]
Reward: 500 Energy Points
Skill Unlocked: Wood Release – Advent of the Tree World!
Smith's eyes lit up.
Advent of the Tree World?!
He had been debating whether or not to intervene. But with a reward like that? There was no hesitation now.
---
BOOM!
An explosion rang out across the forest.
Wang Yan was smashed into the ground by Purple Scorpion's attack, forming a crater beneath him.
"Pft!" Blood spilled from Wang Yan's mouth as he knelt in the pit, barely able to stand.
"You've done well for a third-level psychic," Purple Scorpion said with a smirk, twirling his burning chain. "But it's over."
"You think I'll just give up?" Wang Yan gritted his teeth. "You'll never take me back!"
"In that case—die!"
Purple Scorpion lunged. The flaming chain shot toward Wang Yan's forehead like a viper.
Wang Yan's limbs trembled. He knew he had reached his limit. Purple Scorpion's flames suppressed his own fire ability—he couldn't resist anymore.
"I guess.… this is it…"
But then—
A voice echoed through the clearing, light and sarcastic.
"Man, you guys from the Burning Fire Clan sure get around."
Purple Scorpion stopped mid-strike and turned sharply toward the voice.
From the shadows emerged a young man clad in dark gear, with sharp eyes and a calm demeanor.
Smith.
"You?" Purple Scorpion's eyes narrowed.
"I didn't expect to meet your kind again so soon," Smith said casually, cracking his knuckles.
"Who are you?" Purple Scorpion asked warily.
"No one important. Just someone who's not a fan of bullies."
Wang Yan's eyes widened from the pit. "You're… helping us?"
Smith gave a small nod. "Let's say I owe your group a favor."
Purple Scorpion growled. "You're going to regret getting involved."
Smith smiled. "You can try."
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