Miu Jiang froze mid-step, his face draining of color.
"W-What... what is that...?" he stammered, stumbling back. "That’s... a Nine-Tailed Fox Bloodline?!"
His eyes gleamed with a mix of fear and fascination.
"Amazing... incredible. I want to see the power of a Legendary-Lineage Bloodline for myself!"
Cloudia stood tall and graceful, her golden fur glowing with an ethereal shimmer.
The wound on her neck was already gone—healed in moments as if it never existed.
"You’ll see it, all right," Cloudia replied coldly. "But I doubt you’ll survive it."
Miu Jiang chuckled darkly, regaining his composure as he stepped forward.
"Heh... let’s find out."
He raised his sword, channeling his Spiritual Qi into the blade. A Green Aura spiraled around it, growing stronger with each second.
Pinnacle-Stage Sword Aura.
Then, he extended his left hand. It lit up with another layer of energy—his Proficient-Stage Aura, forming a second weapon of force.
Cloudia narrowed her eyes, watching him carefully.
’This won’t be easy. I’d better go all out from the beginning.’
SWOOSH!
Cloudia dashed forward, her golden form blurring through the mist.
SWISH!
Miu Jiang slashed straight at her—
But his blade passed through her.
No blood. No resistance. No damage.
"Huh?" he blinked. "I hit her—why didn’t it work?"
Before he could react, a sudden blur flashed behind him.
Cloudia’s paw was already coming down.
Miu Jiang twisted around instinctively, raising his sword and aura-filled hand to block.
WHOOSH!
Nothing.
Again.
"What the hell?! It felt real! But—again?!"
He barely had time to think before—
BOOM!
A massive force slammed into his chest. He was flung like a ragdoll through the trees, crashing through trunk after trunk.
"AHHHHH!"
Each collision cracked wood and shattered bark. He hit the ground hard, coughing blood from his mouth, nose, and ears.
He groaned, struggling to sit up.
’What... what is this?’
Afterimages that felt too real? Clones? No... illusions? Or—mind manipulation?
’The Nine-Tailed Fox... they’re known for all of that.’
But this pain—it wasn’t in his head. It pulsed through every muscle, every nerve.
’This is real... isn’t it?’
He lifted his head—and froze.
Ten Cloudias stood before him, unmoving, identical.
Their golden fur shimmered like sacred flames beneath the forest light.
Each of them radiated quiet menace.
"Which one is the real one...?" he whispered, panic tightening his throat.
His eyes darted from figure to figure, searching for a difference—anything.
Nothing.
His confusion quickly twisted into rage.
"Fine! I’ll kill all of you!"
He charged forward with a roar, slashing through the first Cloudia—but she vanished like smoke.
Another appeared behind her.
He turned and attacked again. And again.
Each strike landed on empty air.
And then—
WHAM!
A blow struck his back, sending him stumbling forward. He whirled around, only to find another Cloudia staring back at him with an unreadable gaze.
Snarling, he unleashed his family’s secret sword art, slashing in wide arcs.
But they just kept multiplying.
Where one fell, two more appeared.
Then—
Crack!
Another hit struck his side, ribs nearly snapping. He cried out, barely blocking the next paw strike with his sword.
Blood dripped from his mouth.
He couldn’t tell which Cloudia was real.
He couldn’t even tell where the next hit would come from.
It was like being trapped in a nightmare—with no end in sight.
"Huff... huff... DAMN YOU!" Miu Jiang roared, his voice hoarse with rage.
Veins bulged across his forehead as blood streaked down his face, mixing with sweat and dirt.
His eyes blazed with fury.
"You’re just playing with me, aren’t you, you bitch?!"
His wild voice echoed through the trees, sharp and furious.
"You think you’re clever?! Just wait—I’ll make you pay!"
He spat blood to the side, eyes burning with rage.
"When I catch you, I’ll show you what true hell feels like—before handing you over to Brother Niu Ling."
"Wait—"
The thought struck him like a bolt of lightning.
"She only has two tails... out of nine. That means her bloodline must have awakened recently."
His eyes widened, the pieces finally clicking together.
"If that’s the case... then the only power she can control right now must be illusion."
He staggered back, breath catching in his throat.
"This... all of this... it’s an illusion. It has to be!"
He clenched his fists.
"Tch. Looks like I’ll have to use that item, after all."
Breathing hard, he reached into his spatial ring and pulled out a glowing talisman.
It shimmered with green and yellow light, pulsing with power.
"This is a Grade-4 Illusion Dissipating Talisman!" he shouted. "Let’s see how long your tricks last!"
...
Outside, Cloudia had already rushed off to join the little tiger in battle.
"Now, little one!" she called out.
ROAR!
The white tiger let out a thunderous growl, lightning surging in her mouth.
BOOM!
Two enemies were blasted back, their bodies crackling with electric arcs as they smashed into rocks, blood spilling from their lips.
Cloudia followed up with a fierce paw strike—
THUD!
THUD!
Two more enemies were sent flying, crashing into the trees with broken bones.
But then—
Cloudia’s ears twitched.
She heard Miu Jiang’s voice... and her heart dropped.
’That talisman... Where did he get something like that? And a Grade-4?!
If he activates it, my Dreamweaver Mist skill will be completely broken.’
She gritted her teeth.
’No—he can’t be allowed to use it. I have to kill him before he activates it.’
She turned sharply, golden fur blazing, and launched herself toward Miu Jiang like a streak of light.
But—
BANG!
The talisman activated with a sudden explosion of wind and light.
A shockwave blasted through the forest.
Cloudia was thrown back mid-air, crashing hard against the ground as the mist around her shattered like broken glass.
The illusions vanished instantly.
Her golden form skidded across the dirt, dazed.
’Damn it... he shattered the illusion.’
She gritted her teeth.
’I planned to kill him slowly—breaking his twisted mind piece by piece within the illusion using that skill of mine.’
Her eyes narrowed, heart racing.
’I’ve lost my edge. And this skill has a long cooldown...’
’What do I do now?’
A harsh voice echoed through the trees.
"Where are you, little fox?" Miu Jiang growled, his voice thick with rage.