Wood Style And Sharingan

Smith steadied himself mid-air and landed with practiced ease.

Activating the Muji Healing Technique, he swiftly healed the wounds on his body. In mere seconds, he was back in peak condition.

He looked up, eyes narrowing as they locked onto the figure standing atop the head of the massive, rampaging pangolin.

The leader of the Burning Fire Clan—Huoliu!

As the name rang out, Smith, Ming Yun, and the others immediately turned their gazes toward the new arrival, their bodies tense with alertness.

"So, you're the infamous leader of the Burning Fire Clan?" Ming Yun asked coldly, taking a measured step back while keeping a wary eye on Huoliu.

Their mission had been to investigate the movements of the Burning Fire Clan. They had never expected to run straight into the clan leader himself.

"I've always wanted to meet you in person," Huoliu said with a faint smile. His elegant, almost androgynous features carried a gentle expression, but none of them were fooled. A man who could command the Burning Fire Clan was far from harmless.

"Well, we're glad you came to us. Saves us the trouble of chasing you down," Ming Yun replied flatly, showing no emotion.

Everyone subtly adjusted their positions, surrounding Huoliu from all angles, cutting off all routes of escape.

But Huoliu paid them no mind. His eyes wandered until they fell on Yan Yue and the masked Smith.

"I'm very interested in you two," he said smoothly. "Opportunities like this don't come often."

Smith frowned slightly. His Mangekyō Sharingan had been activated the moment he laid eyes on Huoliu. The presence of the Burning Fire Clan's leader was more than enough reason to go all out.

> [Ding! Mission triggered: Eliminate the threat and kill the leader of the Burning Fire Clan!]

[Task Reward: 1000 Energy Points, 2 Lottery Chances!]

"What a coincidence," Ming Yun responded coolly. "We're interested in you too. Why not come back with us? We can have a nice long chat."

Huoliu chuckled. "Captain Ming Yun, you're quite formidable—an elite among elites. But if you think you can take me down with this group, you're sorely mistaken."

A cold glint flashed in Ming Yun's eyes. The atmosphere grew heavy.

Suddenly, Yellow Wolf and Black Snake launched a pincer attack from behind. Their puppets and Black Snake's giant summon—a massive serpent—lashed out at Huoliu in perfect coordination.

But Huoliu still didn't move. Instead, the violent pangolin beneath his feet lashed its tail violently, swatting away the third-level intermediate puppets and the snake like toys.

Boom!

The battle erupted.

Ming Yun and Bai Xiong charged forward. The rest of their squad, originally two full executive teams, joined the fray from all directions.

They attacked in unison, surrounding Huoliu entirely.

"Isn't it unfair to bully a lone man with so many people?" Huoliu's expression didn't change. He raised both hands, and purple flames suddenly burst from his palms.

In an instant, the flames turned into a massive fire tornado, spinning wildly and surging toward the attackers like a roaring dragon.

Although Huoliu's official realm was only third-level advanced, lower than the violent pangolin, his mastery of fire was monstrous. Even when two of the team members used water-based abilities of equal rank, they couldn't fully block the tornado's onslaught.

Suddenly, a shriek echoed through the forest.

"Chiu!"

Several second-level Flamehawks, their feathers glowing scarlet, flew out from the woods.

Huoliu leapt from the pangolin's head and landed atop one of the Flamehawks. He wasn't retreating—he was preparing to strike.

He raised one hand, a small purple flame blooming in his palm, and gently touched the Flamehawk's head.

Its clear, bird-like eyes immediately turned into a hellish purple, and it let out a low screech.

"Chiu!"

A stream of purple flames shot toward Smith and Yan Yue below!

As expected, their targets were still the same—Smith and Yan Yue!

"Sacred Water Shield!"

Yan Yue reacted quickly, raising her hands. Water surged from the ground, forming a large protective barrier against the incoming flames.

"Ssshh!"

But the purple fire was far more intense than ordinary flames. The water shield hissed and boiled away under the heat, turning into clouds of vapor.

Boom!

Smith didn't hesitate. He charged forward while Yan Yue held Huoliu at bay.

But Huoliu was watching him closely.

"Chiu!"

The other Flamehawks followed their lead and dove toward Smith with killing intent.

The last time Smith had faced the Burning Fire Clan, he had been in rough shape.

But that was then.

He wasn't the same man anymore.

"Sharingan!"

Smith focused his Mangekyō Sharingan on the leading Flamehawk, trapping it in a powerful illusion with a single glance.

Then, activating Sage Mode, he exploded forward and took down the other two birds with brutal efficiency, punching them out of the sky.

They were merely second-level primary creatures—no match for him.

The last Flamehawk, still under the illusion, obediently hovered in the air. Smith jumped onto its back and rode it toward Huoliu.

"Oh? Flying toward me instead of running away? You're quite brave!" Huoliu commented.

With a gentle pat, he ignited the Flamehawk he was riding in purple flames, transforming it into a terrifying fire-wreathed monster.

Boom!

Their Flamehawks collided mid-air.

Smith's bird was instantly engulfed in purple fire, screeching in agony before turning into a burning fireball.

But Smith had already leapt off, dagger in hand, and dove toward Huoliu.

Clang!

The blade halted mid-air—just inches from Huoliu's chest—as if it had struck an invisible wall.

It wouldn't move forward no matter how much force Smith applied.

"Spatial ability?" he muttered in frustration.

Then, before he could react, the dagger was yanked from his grasp by an invisible force. It flipped in the air and shot straight back at him.

Smith's Mangekyō Sharingan flared again, catching the blade's trajectory.

He twisted his body mid-air, barely dodging the fatal strike.

"Blood Moon, behind you!" Hong Feng shouted from below.

Smith didn't waste time. He retreated immediately, catching a wind current created by Hong Feng to distance himself from Huoliu.

"Hmph, trying to run?"

Huoliu sneered and waved his hand. "Sea of Flames—Engulf the Sky!"

The purple flames erupted into a massive tidal wave of fire, crashing toward Smith like a storm.

The pressure of the flames was overwhelming.

Even Ming Yun and the others gasped from behind their masks. The fire's intensity was far beyond what any normal third-level psychic could produce.

This was unnatural. Dangerous.

Watching the purple sea of fire rushing toward him, Smith's expression turned grim.

He shut his right eye tightly, focusing all his spiritual energy into it.

Two streams of blood trickled down his face.

Then, his eye snapped open.

Black flames exploded out, surging forward like a curse made flesh, consuming everything in its path.

"Amaterasu!"

The two opposing forces—purple hellfire and black cursed flame—clashed violently.

The earth trembled. The air twisted.

Even Huoliu's confident expression finally shifted.

The black flames devoured the purple fire with eerie silence, leaving only burning remnants in their wake.

Everyone stopped fighting to watch the devastating exchange of power.

Huoliu frowned for the first time.

Smith stood firm, blood dripping from his eye, cloak billowing in the aftermath of Amaterasu's release.

And for a moment—the battlefield fell silent.

Øóffer going on for diamond tier

pàtreøn (Gk31)