"If nothing goes wrong, I'm guaranteed to get a Logia-type Devil Fruit… this is practically a god-tier start!"
Zhao Xuan was ecstatic — yet beneath that joy, a sliver of confusion stirred.
Why was his spiritual power so absurdly high?
After thinking for quite some time, he could only arrive at one conclusion.
"It must be because I crossed over to this world."
Just as Zhao Xuan was lost in thought, his homeroom teacher, Mr. Zhong Jianguo, finally snapped out of his daze.
His reaction was nothing short of dramatic.
First, he pinched himself hard — so hard that Zhao Xuan saw him wince from the pain.
Then, the man rubbed his eyes furiously, as if trying to dispel an illusion.
Only after confirming — again and again — that he wasn't dreaming or hallucinating did Mr. Zhong freeze once more.
A few seconds passed before he finally regained his senses.
"Zhao… Zhao Xuan," he stammered, "perhaps we should… test again? The machine might be malfunctioning."
"Alright, Teacher," Zhao Xuan replied calmly, placing the helmet back on his head.
Zhong Jianguo quickly pressed the activation button.
A few seconds later —
The screen once again displayed the number '37'.
"Th-this… this… this—!"
Zhong Jianguo's face flushed crimson, his voice trembling in disbelief.
"Zhao Xuan, wait here a moment! I need to make a call!"
He fumbled out his phone, dialed a number in haste, and spoke excitedly into the receiver:
"Hello, Principal? It's Zhong Jianguo! Fantastic news — we've got a genius, a real prodigy! One of our students just tested above thirty-five in spiritual power!"
Moments later —
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
A rush of hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor.
Before long, Zhao Xuan saw the principal, vice principal, and several senior staff members of Tongcheng No.1 High School stride into the room, their faces brimming with excitement.
Mr. Zhong rushed forward to greet them, and after a brief exchange, the entire group turned their eager gazes toward Zhao Xuan.
Principal Jin Xueyang stepped forward, his face glowing with enthusiasm.
"So this is Zhao Xuan, yes? Remarkable, truly remarkable!"
"Good afternoon, Principal," Zhao Xuan greeted politely, neither arrogant nor humble.
"Zhao Xuan," the principal continued, his eyes bright, "I've heard your situation from your teacher — but hearing isn't believing. Would you mind taking the test one more time, just for confirmation?"
"No problem," Zhao Xuan replied, reaching for the helmet again.
But before he could put it on, the principal stopped him.
"Hold on, Zhao Xuan. Let's use this new-generation testing helmet instead. The old one our school uses has been around for decades — it's practically ancient."
He handed Zhao Xuan a sleek, brand-new helmet.
"Alright," Zhao Xuan nodded, accepting it.
Moments later, the test began.
A few seconds passed — and when it was over, the digital display once again showed 37.
Every face in the room flushed with excitement.
"Excellent! Excellent, Zhao Xuan!" Principal Jin Xueyang exclaimed. "Your teacher tells me you'll be turning eighteen in just two days?"
"Yes, sir," Zhao Xuan nodded.
"Good, very good. Rest well these next two days — don't overwork yourself. Here, take these ten Spirit-Nurturing Fruits. Eat one or two if you feel fatigued."
He handed Zhao Xuan a finely crafted wooden box.
Each Spirit-Nurturing Fruit was capable of gently strengthening one's spiritual power — worth a staggering 100,000 yuan per fruit.
The principal had just given him ten.
A million's worth — without hesitation.
That alone spoke volumes about how extraordinary Zhao Xuan's potential was.
So extraordinary, in fact, that even the principal of the province's top school couldn't resist befriending him early.
The classroom was silent.
Every student sat cross-legged at their desks, eyes closed, immersed in meditation — all striving to raise their spiritual power before the upcoming college entrance examination.
Suddenly—
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
Footsteps echoed in the corridor.
A few students instinctively opened their eyes, glancing toward the door — and froze.
Zhao Xuan had returned, surrounded by Principal Jin Xueyang and nearly every senior school official.
But that wasn't what stunned them.
What stunned them was the attitude of those officials — warm smiles, respectful nods, even hints of flattery.
Before long, the commotion drew everyone's attention.
"What's going on?"
"Didn't Zhao Xuan and Li Jiangchang just go to test their spiritual power?"
"Why are the principal and the others here?"
At first, confusion rippled through the room.
Then — a bold thought took root in everyone's minds.
"Could it be… one of them scored above the standard?"
Everyone knew the benchmarks:
20 to 25 — Qualified.
26 and above — Exceptional.
And that realization sent a wave of restless anticipation through the class.
Dozens of eyes turned expectantly toward the doorway.
Moments later, Principal Jin and the other officials finally departed.
Only then did Mr. Zhong re-enter, beaming from ear to ear, with Zhao Xuan and Li Jiangchang following behind him.
"Alright, everyone, back to your seats!"
Once the two boys were seated, Mr. Zhong clapped his hands and announced, voice brimming with excitement:
"Students, I have wonderful news to share!"
"Tell us, Teacher!"
"What happened?"
"What's the good news?"
The class buzzed with curiosity—