As always, after dinner, Di Ruqing naturally followed Zhao Xuan back to his room.
To anyone unaware, it looked as though her room was his.
The two didn't go straight to sleep. Instead, they began their nightly "exercise."
Cough cough.
No, not that kind of exercise.
This was mental training—meditation.
Time flowed quietly.
In the blink of an eye, midnight arrived.
The moonlight poured down like silver silk, covering all of Hang City in a tranquil, misty glow.
For a moment—everything was still.
But that peace was only an illusion.
Beneath the calm, dark currents stirred.
Suddenly—
"ROAAAAAR!!!!"
A thunderous roar shattered the silence.
Then another.
And another.
Dozens—hundreds—of beastly cries echoed through the night.
If someone had been watching from above the northern Lingyin Mountains, they would have seen it clearly:
A massive horde of beasts—of every shape and kind—charging out from the depths of the mountain range.
Tens of thousands of them.
Most were low-tier monsters, Second or Third-Tier.
Among them, a few dozen were Fourth-, Fifth-, even Sixth-Tier Land Kings.
But at the center of them all—
loomed a colossal black gorilla, its eyes glowing blood-red.
Not a single beast dared to come within fifty meters of it.
Clearly—this was a High-Tier Land King.
And whether low-tier or high-tier—
every one of these monsters wore a collar glowing with eerie green light.
There was no mistaking it.
This wasn't a natural beast tide.
This was an orchestrated assault.
"WEEEOOO!! WEEEOOO!!"
The citywide sirens screamed across Hang City.
On a tall tower near the eastern sports arena, a plump middle-aged man opened his eyes.
Had Zhao Xuan been there, he would've immediately recognized the man—
he looked exactly like Fu Jieyan, or rather—his older brother.
"The north's got a Seventh-Tier Land King," the man muttered, his tone calm.
"I'll handle that. You stay here and protect Nanjiang's prodigies."
With a few quiet steps—he vanished into the night.
Moments later, an elderly figure materialized in his place.
Suddenly—
"How dare you!!!"
The elder's roar cracked the air.
He threw a punch—
"BOOOOOM!!!"
Lightning erupted from his fist, a thunderbolt thick as a tree trunk splitting the sky,
crashing toward the western rooftops—
and blasting a hidden figure out of the shadows.
A man cloaked in a black robe adorned with demonic sigils.
He looked to be in his forties or fifties, his face twisted with a mocking grin.
"We meet again… old man."
The elder's eyes widened—bloodshot.
"You… Number 09!"
Lightning flashed once more as another thunderbolt roared forth—
and far below—chaos erupted.
Zhao Xuan burst from his room,
charging straight toward a Third-Tier Demon Cultist who'd broken through the defenses.
His foot swung like a whip.
"BOOOOM!"
The cultist flew backward, body crumpling like paper under Zhao Xuan's raw power.
"Zhao Xuan! Behind you!"
Di Ruqing's urgent voice cut through the noise.
Too late.
A shadow fell behind him.
"Hah!"
A heavy blow smashed into his back.
"THUD!"
Caught completely off guard, Zhao Xuan was launched several meters away,
crashing into the dirt.
He pushed himself up—
only to see a figure already in front of him,
a finger pointed like a spear at his throat.
Shigan! Finger Gun!
A death strike.
Every nerve in Zhao Xuan's body screamed—
Danger!
Without thinking—
"ROAAAAAR!!!"
He activated Dragon-Human Transformation.
His strength, speed, and endurance multiplied tenfold.
The cultist's strike landed—
but because Zhao Xuan's size expanded threefold,
the blow that was meant for his throat struck his left shoulder instead.
The finger pierced clean through.
Even with 5,000 points of physique,
the strike of a Fifth-Tier opponent was no joke.
"Zhao Shi! You bastard!!!"
Di Ruqing's voice erupted like fire.
She appeared behind the attacker in a blur—
fist blazing with molten heat—
and struck.
"BOOOOM!!!"
Lava exploded outward—
But the man, Zhao Shi, didn't even flinch.
He turned, one arm covered in black Armament Haki,
and counterpunched.
"KRAAANG!!!"
The two attacks collided.
Lava scattered.
"CRACK!"
A sharp popping sound—Di Ruqing's arm dislocated.
She was blasted backward, crashing hard into the ground dozens of meters away.
"What!? No way—he's using Master-Level Armament Haki!?"
"How did Zhao Shi get that strong!?"
The spectators—soldiers, students, and ability users—were stunned.
Before anyone could react, Zhao Shi stomped down.
"BOOM!!!"
Zhao Xuan was pinned beneath his heel.
Even in Dragon form,
he couldn't move.
Zhao Shi's finger glowed black again—
and stabbed downward.
It grazed Zhao Xuan's throat—
leaving a thin, bloody mark.
Meanwhile, high above the city—
The elder and the lightning man continued their clash.
"Jiejiejiejie…" The demon-cloaked man laughed coldly.
"Your son's Thunder Fruit… truly marvelous!"
The old man froze mid-strike, his red eyes trembling.
His voice cracked. "You… you used my son's Devil Fruit?"
"Used?" the man sneered. "No—took it."
The elder's face twisted with rage. "I'll avenge Xu'er! Even if it kills me!"
The sky turned white with lightning as their battle reignited.
But then—
FWOOOSH!
A pillar of fire shot up from the streets below, engulfing the elder in an instant.
"Guildmaster!" voices screamed from below.
But moments later, he burst free from the flames, singed but unbroken.
Another demonic figure stepped out of the shadows.
A second elder.
And behind him—yet another presence.
Three in total.
Three Seventh-Tier Elders of the Demon Cult.
Down below, the streets of Hang City were chaos.
"Kill them all!"
"Don't let a single one escape!"
The city guards and Ability Guild elites fought desperately against the Demon Cultists.
They had numbers—
but the enemy had power.
Each cultist wielded a Devil Fruit.
Only a quarter of the guards did.
And the Demon Cult's stolen fruits made them even stronger.
Still—when Zhao Xuan's group of twenty entered the fight,
the balance shifted.
For the first time,
the guards began to push back.
Elsewhere, Zhao Shi turned toward Zhao Xuan again, smirking.
He jabbed his finger once more—
this time into Zhao Xuan's abdomen,
leaving another red mark.
"Interesting," Zhao Shi murmured. "Your body's different. Don't tell me… a rare Ancient Zoan-type?"
He grabbed Zhao Xuan by the throat, lifting him effortlessly.
"I've heard tales of the Ancient Zoans' power,
but to think a mere Third-Tier brat could take a full blow from me…
Fascinating."
Just then—
"Tatatatata!"
A rush of heat from behind.
Di Ruqing again—her arm dislocated,
her face twisted with fury.
"Let him go!!!"
Zhao Shi snarled, swinging a blackened fist.
"BOOM!!!"
It smashed into her abdomen, sending her flying through the hotel wall.
The entire building shook.
Dust rained down.
"Damn it!" Fu Jieyan and the others shouted,
trying to break free from their fights—too far, too late.
Zhao Shi looked down at Zhao Xuan again.
"You're lucky," he sneered.
"I was going to kill you outright.
But now I've changed my mind."
"I'll take your fruit ability first."
He threw Zhao Xuan to the ground.
"ROAAAAR!!!"
Zhao Xuan's rage exploded.
Lightning burst around him as he kicked—
"KRAAAAANG!!"
The Tempest Kick struck Zhao Shi dead-on—
but the man didn't even flinch.
A Fifth-Tier's body was too strong.
"Pathetic insect."
Zhao Shi stomped—
"CRACK!"
Zhao Xuan's left leg broke.
Another stomp—
his right leg.
Then both arms.
Within moments—
all four limbs shattered.
Zhao Shi turned away, confident.
"Time to clean up the rest."
He marched toward Fu Jieyan and the others,
a human storm of death.
Guards and ability users fell like wheat before a scythe.
Blood soaked the earth.
Then—
"Step. Step. Step."
A slender figure emerged from the wrecked hotel.
Di Ruqing.
Her body burned with molten light, magma dripping from her fists.
"Interesting," Zhao Shi murmured. "A breakthrough? You've reached Fourth-Tier?"
Her eyes went crimson when she saw Zhao Xuan's broken body.
"You…"
"I'll kill you!"
Her voice was feral, trembling with fury.
She charged.
A magma spear formed in her hand.
"SWOOSH!!"
The spear tore through the air.
Zhao Shi snorted. "Arrogant fool!"
His blackened fist met her strike.
"BOOM!!!"
The spear shattered.
Molten lava gushed outward, flooding the ground.
"Tricks!" Zhao Shi barked, swinging wildly.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Each punch blasted magma apart—
but when the smoke cleared—
Di Ruqing was already there.
Her Magma Fist slammed into his abdomen.
"SIZZLEEEEEE!!!"
The stench of burning flesh filled the air.
"AAAAAAAHHH!!!" Zhao Shi screamed in agony.
His counterkick came like thunder—
and sent her flying again.
But the damage was done.
His stomach was scorched black.
His rage ignited.
"You… dared to wound me!?"
He vanished—
and reappeared in front of her in an instant.
"BOOM!!"
One punch.
She flew backward again.
He grabbed her by the hair, lifting her effortlessly.
"You've made me angry, woman.
Very angry.
But I won't kill you yet.
You'll watch—
as I strip your lover of his power—
and crush him piece by piece."
He slammed his fist into her gut again.
She hit the wall—hard—
and collapsed.
Yet somehow—she rose again.
Bleeding. Broken. Trembling.
And still—she charged.
Again and again.
Even as she was thrown aside each time—
she kept coming.
Until finally—
She fell face-first onto the ground, unable to move.
Zhao Shi exhaled slowly. "Foolish girl."
He turned away—
A faint gust of wind brushed his back.
He froze.
Turning—
Behind him stood Zhao Xuan.
His body crackled with lightning,
his eyes glowing bronze with rage.
"What…? Both arms and legs broken—and you're standing already?"
Zhao Shi frowned, annoyed.
He reached out, his hand closing toward Zhao Xuan's neck.
"Don't think regeneration will save you. I can break them again. And again."
His hand shot forward—
But Zhao Xuan's left hand caught it.
"What!?"
With his right hand, Zhao Xuan raised his fist high—
and brought it crashing down.
"CRRRRACKKKKK!!!!"
The sound of bone shattering echoed like thunder.
Zhao Shi's right arm broke—completely.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"
He screamed in pain—
and before he could recover—
Zhao Xuan's kick slammed into his abdomen.
"BOOOOOOM!!!!"
The impact sent Zhao Shi flying into the hotel ruins—
and the entire structure collapsed in a cloud of smoke.
Moments later, a bloodied Zhao Shi crawled free,
his left arm hanging uselessly.
"You… broke through! You're… Fourth-Tier now!?"
He spat blood, his grin twisted.
"But so what!?
I'm a Fifth-Tier Master!"
His killing intent surged—
and he charged straight toward Zhao Xuan.
The battle wasn't over.
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