"Allow me to introduce myself," the woman said with a sultry smile. "My name is Huo Lian."
Her voice was soft, flirtatious, and dangerously sweet. Every smile and subtle movement from her seemed to ignite a fire in any man's heart.
"I thought the last one was called Purple Scorpion," Wang Yan commented sarcastically, his face darkening.
The last time they were ambushed by the Burning Fire Clan, the leader was a man with an eerily feminine appearance. And now, another seductive figure appeared.
"Zi Xie failed his mission," Huo Lian said gently, though her words were laced with cruelty. "He's received his punishment. You won't be seeing him again."
In the Burning Fire Clan, failure meant only one thing—death.
Smith stepped forward, his expression calm but cold. "Then I guess your fate won't be much better than his."
The Burning Fire Clan was still too much of a mystery. Their goals were unclear, and Smith couldn't make sense of their actions.
"I admire your bravery," Huo Lian replied, completely unfazed. She winked at Smith with a playful smirk. "Let's see if you'll still talk tough after this is over."
---
[Ding! Mission Triggered: Break Out of the Siege]
[Reward: 500 Energy Points, One Random Prize Draw]
---
"Wang Yan," Smith said in a firm tone, "you lead the others out of here. I'll handle these two."
Wang Yan's face tensed, but he nodded. "Got it. Be careful."
Huo Lian raised an eyebrow, smiling as she sized Smith up. "Oh? You want to take on both of us alone? Bold. I like it."
"Hold on," Dong Mie interrupted her. He scratched his bald head, eyes gleaming with fighting intent. His uneven black teeth were bared in a sinister grin. "Let me test the strength of this so-called fifty mid-grade spirit stones bounty."
"Phantom Clone!"
With a low growl, Dong Mie split into three identical figures, each as menacing as the original. The clones flanked him in a tight formation.
"A clone technique?" Smith muttered, intrigued.
"Careful, Smith!" Wang Yan called. "His clones carry 80% of his own power. They're not just illusions—they're real threats."
Dong Mie was already a primary Level Four psychic. Each of his clones operated at a high Level Three combat strength. Facing three of them at once was no joke.
"And now… the Thirteen Deadly Needles!"
Dong Mie flicked his wrist. Thirteen steel needles floated up and hovered in the air around him.
This was the true terror of the object-control psychic. It wasn't the size of the weapon that mattered, but how many he could control.
"Attack!" Dong Mie shouted.
The three clones launched forward like shadows, and the thirteen deadly needles followed suit, zipping through the air at breakneck speed from all angles.
Smith didn't panic. With calm precision, he drew his standard short sword. In the next moment, the Sharingan spun to life in his eyes, and he surged into motion.
Clang! Clang!
The first two needles were deflected with practiced ease. A clone lunged at him with a heavy punch, but Smith sidestepped and delivered a counter with perfect timing.
Clang, clang, clang!
Steel clashed against steel. Blows came from all directions. Yet Smith danced through the chaos, his Sharingan reading every movement. His blade deflected every needle. His body dodged every strike. Though surrounded and outnumbered, not a single hit landed.
From the outside, it looked like Smith was on the brink of being overwhelmed. But in reality, he was weaving through each attack with precise control.
"This... This doesn't make sense," Dong Mie stammered.
His abilities—both the phantom clone system and the object control—were rare and powerful. Few had ever been able to counter them.
But Smith, who was only a beginner at Level Three, was handling it all with ease.
"Looks like your tricks aren't so special," Huo Lian remarked from the side, amused.
"Shut up!" Dong Mie growled, frustrated.
He poured more spiritual energy into his weapons. The thirteen needles began spinning rapidly, forming a deadly whirlwind in the air.
With a chilling screech, the needles shot forward again—this time with twice the force.
Smith deflected one, but his wrist throbbed from the impact. "The power's gone up."
The next wave came even faster.
Clang!
Smith blocked three more, but his short sword cracked under the pressure. Another blow knocked the weapon clean from his hands.
"Perfect!" Dong Mie grinned savagely. "Now you're finished!"
The steel needles and three clones surged forward in unison.
"Wood Release: Wooden Barrier!"
Smith quickly formed hand seals, slamming his palms to the ground. Massive, curved wooden walls erupted around him, shielding him just in time.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The steel needles pounded into the barrier, leaving deep marks. Then, the three clones arrived and smashed their fists into it.
Boom!
The wooden wall shattered.
But what emerged behind it wasn't just Smith—it was four Smiths.
Each of the three additional Smiths rushed at a separate clone, morphing into thick, tree-like forms and wrapping around their targets, trapping them.
The clones struggled violently but couldn't break free. The wood sucked away their spiritual energy, weakening them rapidly.
Dong Mie's eyes widened in disbelief. "You can clone yourself too?!"
He had always believed his clone ability was unique. Now, Smith was using the same system—and even more effectively.
Then came the killing blow.
"Wood Release: Grafting Technique!"
More trees burst from the ground. From their branches, hundreds of razor-sharp thorns shot outward.
Shu-shu-shu!
Dong Mie dodged, barely escaping. But several of his subordinates weren't so lucky.
One was impaled in the chest. As the thorn pierced him, it expanded rapidly, sprouting inside his body. He fell to the ground, screaming in agony before going still.
"Enough!"
A blast of purple flame surged forward, burning the wooden spikes to ash.
From within the smoke, Huo Lian appeared gracefully, brushing soot from her dress.
"Boss Dong, you don't look so good," she said teasingly.
Dong Mie scowled. "You don't get it—I'm being countered here."
Huo Lian laughed lightly, turning her seductive gaze on Smith.
"Looking closely… you're quite the handsome one. Just my type."
She licked her crimson lips with a slender finger and added, "Why don't you surrender? If you entertain me, I might even make your death… pleasurable."
Smith frowned. "Are all the Burning Fire Clan this deranged? Is there not a single sane one among you?"
He raised his hand. His Sharingan morphed into the Mangekyō Sharingan, and at the same time, his aura surged.
Sage Mode: Activated.
Smith's power skyrocketed.
Whenever he faced the Burning Fire Clan, he never held back. Especially not against Huo Lian, who was even stronger than Dong Mie. She was an intermediate Level Four psychic—dangerous, calculating, and ruthless.
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