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Translator's note: I don't think Fang Moli had done anything wrong. If he kept attacking Joker, that won't help anyone. And when the Specter finished all the others, it would definitely come back and get Fang Moli with Joker. They'd lose the battle no matter what Fang Moli did.
Fang Moli didn't say a word. His face went pale as he lifted the Xuanyuan Sword and charged straight at Joker.
"Out of everyone here, you picked me?" Joker chuckled, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "I'm flattered."
Before Fang Moli could get close, Joker's body transformed into lightning. In a blink, he was gone, zipping away like a flash of electricity, leaving a wide gap between them.
"Hahaha… I won't fight you unless you use your ultimate move!" Joker shouted. "So, you've got two options, Fang Moli. Chase me and watch the Class-S Specter wipe out your headquarters, or use your ultimate move on that specter. What's it gonna be?"
Fang Moli's expression darkened as his eyes shifted between Joker and the Class-S Specter.
If he went after Joker, it would be pointless—the guy would just turn into lightning again, impossible to catch. Meanwhile, the Class-S Specter would be free to wreak havoc on the headquarters. All of their top fighters were locked in battle, leaving nobody else strong enough to stand against it.
The Class-S Specter was a true monster. If left unchecked, it could completely destroy the entire base in no time.
But if he took down the specter, Joker would get what he wanted.
With no one left to stand in his way, Joker could unleash chaos easily.
Fang Moli had serious doubts about whether anyone else at the headquarters could even slow Joker down, and he didn't have much time to weigh his options.
The Class-S Specter lunged at the remaining captains. Fang Moli's eyes flared red. If the captains died, their chances of pulling off a comeback would disappear.
In a split second, he made his choice.
Gripping the Xuanyuan Sword, Fang Moli bolted toward the Class-S Specter.
Joker's eyes sparkled, a smug smile creeping across his face as he watched Fang Moli's decision play out.
From a distance, Fang Xiu shook his head.
"What a foolish choice," he muttered under his breath.
At first glance, the Class-S Specter seemed like the greater danger, but the real threat was Joker. If they ignored the specter, sure, people would die, but ignoring Joker would be catastrophic.
Joker wasn't just aiming to destroy the base; he was after something much darker. He wanted to turn everyone in the world into Specters.
And if that happened, it wouldn't just be the base at risk—the entire country, maybe even the whole world, would be in danger.
Fang Moli wasn't seeing the bigger picture. He was letting the enemy call the shots. If he thought it through, he'd realize the Pokers' real target wasn't the headquarters—it was him.
As long as he held the Xuanyuan Sword, the Pokers couldn't operate freely. The smarter play would've been to retreat, find a place to recover, and strike back later when the timing was right.
As long as Fang Moli lived, the Pokers would never feel safe. His presence, lurking in the shadows, would be far more effective than any direct attack. The base could be rebuilt. But if he died, everything would crumble.
Fang Moli needed to survive to rebuild the headquarters.
But now, he had fallen right into Joker's trap. By trying to save others, he was handing Joker exactly what he wanted.
Fang Xiu didn't need to die again to see what was coming next. They had already lost the battle for the headquarters.
On the battlefield, a burst of light erupted from Fang Moli's sword, illuminating the world in a blinding flash.
A massive gash sliced through the sky as the Class-S Specter was cleaved in two, its body disintegrating into nothing.
The power of Fang Moli's strike was unimaginable—one blow from the Xuanyuan Sword killed the Class-S Specter in an instant. This was the true might of an ancient divine weapon.
At that moment, Fang Xiu finally understood why Joker feared the sword so much. Its power wasn't something that could be matched by human strength.
From the start, Joker only sent his clones to battle Fang Moli. And even after those were wiped out, Joker never risked getting close, always keeping his distance. His fear of the Xuanyuan Sword was clear.
But with the Class-S Specter defeated, the strength seemed to drain out of Fang Moli. He dropped to one knee, using the sword to keep himself from collapsing.
"Hahaha!" Joker's wild laughter filled the battlefield.
"The Xuanyuan Sword is as powerful as the legends say. But what a shame—no matter how great a weapon is, it's wasted in the hands of someone like you. It's nothing more than a rusty old relic."
Joker's footsteps echoed as he walked toward Fang Moli, each step heavy with confidence. His gaze was filled with mockery as he towered over the exhausted warrior.
"Now that you've wasted your last attack, what will you do? How do you plan to stop me?"
Fang Moli's icy eyes flickered with determination. Leaning on the sword, he slowly forced himself up, his voice shaky but defiant.
"Even without the Xuanyuan Sword, I can still kill you!"
Joker burst into laughter, the sound echoing across the field as if he'd heard the most ridiculous joke. But his laughter abruptly stopped, and his eyes narrowed, brimming with lethal intent as they locked onto Fang Moli.
"Do you seriously think you're that powerful? Without that sword, you're a piece of trash."
Fang Moli didn't flinch. "Enough talk. Let's end this with strength."
Joker shook his head, clearly amused. "Still so stubborn. Fine. Let me show you what real power looks like—the power of a FifthTier!"
BOOM!
A terrifying energy exploded from Joker, surging outward like a massive tidal wave, crashing against everything in its path. The sheer force of it was overwhelming.
Fang Moli's face twisted in shock as he drove the Xuanyuan Sword into the ground, gripping it with both hands. But even then, the sheer power pushed him back several meters, his sword carving a deep trench into the earth as he fought to remain standing.
A dark, sinister red glow began to envelop Joker, the unmistakable energy of a Specter. As it spread, the air grew thick and oppressive, making it hard to breathe.
The captains, still locked in battle nearby, felt the crushing weight of Joker's power.
Fear took over their faces. Meanwhile, the Pokers were riding high on the surge of power.
"Joker is unstoppable!" someone shouted from the Poker ranks.
Joker, eyes gleaming with arrogance, laughed wildly, taking in the chaos around him.
"Below the fifth tier are all weaklings!" he shouted, his voice brimming with pride.
Fang Moli could only stare in disbelief.
"This can't be possible… How could anyone reach the fifth tier in this world, at this time?"
Joker smirked, slipping into a villainous monologue as if relishing the moment.
"Don't you dare compare me to weaklings like you. You cling to a powerful weapon like a crutch. But the strong don't just adapt to the world—they change it! You're nothing but a small-minded fool, Fang Moli. With or without that sword, we are leagues apart."
Fang Moli's pupils contracted. For the first time, true despair gripped his heart. He used to think that reaching the fifth tier was impossible, but now, Joker had shattered that belief.
Just as Joker prepared to bask further in his triumph, the sound of heavy footsteps began to echo in the distance.