"Are you the real leader of the Burning Fire Clan?"
Smith narrowed his eyes and stared intently at You Li, his body tensing with growing alertness. He didn't dare let his guard down for even a second.
The more he tried to sense You Li's presence, the more unsettled he felt. No aura. No fluctuation. Nothing at all.
It was as if he stood before a pure, living flame—so hot, so radiant, that it blurred all clarity and made it impossible to see his true form.
But one thing was certain—You Li was incredibly powerful.
Whether it was raw, explosive strength or a mastery of higher realms, the oppressive energy surrounding him felt like a towering mountain pressing down from above, impossible to climb, even harder to resist.
"Yes, this is our first meeting," You Li said, his voice calm and magnetic. Though he appeared as a humanoid silhouette made entirely of flickering fire, his tone was soft, elegant. "I've heard many things about you. It's an honor to finally meet you."
Strangely, there was a warmth in his voice that almost made hostility feel misplaced.
Almost.
Because no matter how composed he sounded, Smith couldn't forget that this was the leader of the Burning Fire Clan—a murderous group that had been hunting him relentlessly.
"I should be flattered, I guess. The great leader of the Burning Fire Clan came all this way just to arrest me himself." Smith's voice was laced with dry sarcasm. "I take it you're not here on vacation."
In truth, he had expected this for a while now.
After all the failed attempts to capture him, it was only a matter of time before someone important showed up.
But to think the leader himself would come?
That was a surprise—even for Smith.
And You Li wasn't just some influential middleman—he was the big boss.
"We underestimated you," You Li said with a chuckle. "None of us expected you to escape our capture efforts so many times. But… I'm not here just for you today."
He raised one arm slowly.
And suddenly—
A white wisp of light drifted from Wang Yan's suspended body nearby.
His soul!
"You—!"
"Wood Release: Grafting Technique!" Smith roared, reacting on instinct.
His hands formed seals in a flash, and a barrage of wooden thorns erupted from the surrounding forest, speeding toward You Li like a living net of spears.
Puff!
The thorns struck—but passed straight through, as if they had plunged into actual fire.
They didn't even touch him.
Smith's heart sank as he watched helplessly—You Li had already taken Wang Yan's soul.
"Aren't you curious why we've been hunting you down?" You Li asked, as though they were sharing afternoon tea.
"Why?"
Smith kept his tone steady, but his mind was racing through possible counters. He had already activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, its black-and-red spirals spinning with raw intensity.
Regular attacks were clearly useless.
Only one thing might work: Amaterasu.
He had tested it before—fighting fire with fire.
"The philosophy of our Burning Fire Clan is simple," You Li began. "We wield the fire of sin to burn away all the corruption in the world. From that cleansing fire, we aim to return the world to nothingness—and then give birth to a new one. One without the rot of the current age."
He spread his flaming arms, and the fire danced with each movement.
"To achieve this, we must first erase what remains of the Holy Empire. That means destroying the old Holy Law, erasing its outdated systems... and consuming the souls that power it."
Smith's eyes narrowed.
"You're talking about us. About the S-level psychics of the Empire."
"Exactly," You Li replied with a smile in his voice. "Your souls… they're special. They're the fuel for the fire of sin—the essential firewood for our world-cleansing flame."
"So that's why you're after us S-levels," Smith muttered, finally understanding.
It wasn't personal.
They weren't targeting him because of something he'd done.
They were targeting his soul—because of what it was.
"You and the other double S-class psychic in Huaihai City are the most powerful souls we've discovered," You Li continued, unable to contain his excitement. "Your spiritual energy is extraordinary—perfect for igniting the final purification."
Smith's eyes widened.
Him… and Yan Yue?
No wonder the Burning Fire Clan had risked so much. They wanted both their souls.
"But your plan is destined to fail!" Smith shouted, as blood-red tears streamed from his eyes.
"Amaterasu!"
A black inferno burst from his gaze, latching onto You Li's form and igniting his entire body in cursed flame.
This time—it hit.
The two fires clashed.
One, the black flames of Amaterasu, eternal and unquenchable.
The other, the sin fire of You Li, hotter and purer than any fire Smith had ever faced before.
The purple flames of the Burning Fire Clan were nothing in comparison. You Li's fire nearly snuffed out Amaterasu in its first few seconds.
But Amaterasu resisted.
Bit by bit, it burned harder—stronger—feeding on the very fire it was meant to destroy.
"Impressive," You Li said, gazing calmly at the cursed flame spreading across his body. "It actually suppresses my sin fire. You've tamed a powerful flame indeed."
But he made no attempt to extinguish it.
He didn't struggle.
He simply watched it consume him.
"No wonder my subordinates failed. You had this hidden all along. I suppose… I won't be able to bring you back today. But I'll be seeing you again—soon."
With that, You Li let the black flames engulf him entirely—and vanished.
Smith didn't relax.
Not even a little.
This was no death—it was just a clone.
But now, at last, the pieces fit together.
The true nature of the Burning Fire Clan.
Their pursuit of souls.
The threat they posed to him—and more importantly—to Yan Yue.
As the only two double S-level psychics, their souls had become top priority targets. That meant Yan Yue was just as endangered as he was.
Smith clenched his fists.
He was in Dark City. Far from Huaihai City.
Too far to warn her. Too far to help her.
And worse—he couldn't go back.
Jinghai City still had a reward out for his arrest.
If he returned, he wouldn't just be walking into a trap—he'd bring danger to Yan Yue, Huaihai City, and everyone connected to him.
But one day—he would return.
He swore it.
Because You Li hadn't just declared war on the Holy Empire.
He had declared war on everyone Smith cared about.
"I won't let your plan succeed..." Smith muttered under his breath, stepping forward to gently lower Wang Yan's lifeless body.
Wang Yan had been another S-level psychic, and now—his soul had been taken.
The whole operation from the Burning Fire Clan and Night Demon was never truly aimed at the Guangxi Society.
It was all just a front—a cover.
Their real targets had always been Smith and Wang Yan.
Now, one soul had been taken.
But Smith would not allow both to fall into enemy hands.
Even if Wang Yan's soul was gone, his body still mattered.
Even in death, he deserved peace.
He deserved to return to the land that gave him life—not to be lost in some foreign battlefield.
Smith closed his eyes.
His mind was heavy, his heart even more so.
But his resolve…
It burned.
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