Sparkle was extremely curious about the identity of the handsome man before her. She had never heard of such a figure existing in the universe.
Although it had been a surprise attack, that bolt of lightning earlier—if not for her spiritual attire automatically protecting her—would have left her with no chance to react at all. Moreover, judging by his demeanor, it seemed he hadn't even expended much effort.
"Hehe, little brother's affection is quite intense~ Sparkle almost couldn't handle it~" Sparkle giggled. As her mental energy radiated outward, a wave of pink, seductive power enveloped Yun Fan like a sonic wave.
To deal with this troublesome opponent, Sparkle had already pushed her mental energy to its maximum output. Unfortunately, in Yun Fan's eyes, these tricks couldn't even stir a ripple—even though the effects of her powers had faintly influenced the people around him.
From Yun Fan's perspective, the Sparkle before him now seemed more like a bratty little girl dressed in skimpy clothes, trying (and failing) to mimic a mature older sister's seductive glances.
'Since you want to play, I'll play along properly.' With that thought, Yun Fan slowly lowered his head. In a place where no one could see, he couldn't help but reveal a mischievous grin. Anyone familiar with him would know at once—this guy was about to pull some shady trick.
"Come to Sparkle's side, little brother~" Seeing him fall for her trap, Sparkle felt a surge of joy, but she didn't let her guard down. Instead, she focused her mind even more, ready to attack at any moment. Against an opponent of this caliber, she couldn't be entirely sure her techniques would work.
"Yun Fan!"
Seeing Yun Fan step toward Sparkle, the group—who had only just snapped out of their daze—was shocked. Among them, March 7th anxiously reached out to grab his hand, but no matter how quickly she moved, the girl was just a step too slow.
Stelle, on the other hand, went all out—she swung her baseball bat straight at Yun Fan's back, seemingly intending to forcibly drag him out of the illusion through sheer physical means.
Sensing Stelle's movement behind him, Yun Fan's lips twitched slightly. He mentally noted this down, resolving to pinch her cheeks hard when he got the chance later.
'Whoosh—!'
After all the effort she'd put into controlling Yun Fan, how could Sparkle let Stelle have her way? With a gentle press of her delicate hand in the air, several ice spikes shot forth, aiming straight for Stelle's limbs.
Even someone as reckless as the Trailblazer had no choice but to retreat temporarily. By the time Stelle landed steadily, Yun Fan had already arrived at Sparkle's side.
After scanning him with her mental energy and confirming that he was fully under her control with no intention of attacking, Sparkle finally relaxed enough to examine him properly.
Tsk. During their earlier confrontation, she hadn't noticed—this man was actually quite handsome. And for some reason, she felt an inexplicable, mysterious attraction emanating from him. Driven by this pull, Sparkle subconsciously reached out, wanting to touch Yun Fan's face—so exquisite it seemed otherworldly.
But just then—
'Ssshh—!'
An ice arrow grazed past the girl's hair, severing a few strands that drifted slowly in the air. Sparkle's expression darkened as she turned her head toward the source of the arrow.
"You ugly Masked Fool! Let Yun Fan go!" March 7th nocked another arrow and fired several more in succession. But this time, with her guard up, Sparkle merely willed her Huntian Ling to wrap around the arrows and crush them to pieces.
"Ugly…" Sparkle felt a surge of irritation. As a Masked Fool who had roamed the universe for years, she had encountered all sorts of people—many of whom harbored ill intentions toward her.
But those people had long since vanished from this world. True, the concept of "joy" encompassed many forms, and some Masked Fools pursued the most primal of human pleasures—but Sparkle was absolutely not one of them. To this day, she remained a pure-hearted maiden.
"Hehe, little pinky~ You've got such pretty teeth. Such a sharp-tongued brat, saying such things about Sparkle~" Sparkle's face bloomed with a radiant smile, but her voice gradually turned colder. "How about… Sparkle helps you pull them all out later?"
'Snap—!'
With a flick of her middle finger and thumb, a crisp snap echoed through the air—and in an instant, the palace of ice and snow shattered.
The mist of ice dispersed, obscuring everyone's vision until visibility was reduced to only a tiny space directly in front of them.
"Stay alert. Prepare for battle," Dan Heng said coldly, gripping his Cloud-Piercer tightly as he remained vigilant against any potential ambush.
Time passed second by second. After a full half-minute with no sign of an attack, the group grew puzzled.
Dan Heng frowned slightly, then exchanged a glance with Topaz beside him. Understanding his meaning, she gently patted the little warp trotter on her shoulder.
"Oink oink—!"
Following its master's command, Numby transformed into a golden tornado, rampaging through the icy mist. Within moments, the mist was completely dispersed by the whirlwind.
"Eh? Where'd they go?!"
——————————————
"Hmm hmm hmm~"
Meanwhile, Sparkle hummed a tune as she glided through the air like Liezi from the Zhuangzi's "Free and Easy Wandering." Behind her, the Huntian Ling tightly bound a certain man—none other than Yun Fan, who was pretending to be under her illusionary control.
At this moment, Yun Fan was slightly baffled. This wasn't part of his plan. Why had Sparkle just… run away without fighting? He had originally intended to wait until the Trailblazers defeated her, then intercept her escape and give this bratty girl a good spanking over his knee. How had things turned out like this?
Sparkle had just… kidnapped him and run off!
So, in other words, he'd been taken hostage? As Yun Fan pondered this, Sparkle's murmuring voice reached his ears.
"Hehe, what a bunch of silly little fools. Did they really think Sparkle would fight them to the death? How adorable~"
What a joke. Aside from this guy she'd "controlled"—whose strength remained unclear—there were still three opponents present who were on par with her. Sparkle wasn't a masochist. She wasn't about to throw herself into a battle with a one-in-ten chance of survival.