Inside the Desert Spatial Ruins.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Atop a massive sand dune, Zhao Xuan smashed down with a single punch, pulverizing the last fourth-tier Desert Stone Golem into rubble.
He climbed to the peak of the dune.
Under the eager gaze of the Big Golden Rat, Zhao Xuan plucked the cactus flower growing there.
The truth of the matter was this.
Zhao Xuan had originally entered the area to find the Big Golden Rat and make use of its incredibly sharp, hound-like sense of smell. By tracking the lingering aura left behind by the Black Shark Pirates' leaders on the island, he planned to follow their trail.
After all, weren't the Black Shark Pirates currently fighting the White Emperor Pirates over a ruin?
That meant—
Wherever the Black Shark Pirates were, the White Emperor Pirates would definitely be there too.
And what did that mean?
It meant that as long as Zhao Xuan could find the Black Shark Pirates, he would inevitably find the White Emperor Pirates.
And once he did—
He could follow the clues all the way back to the White Emperor Pirates' lair and stage a perfect raid on their home base.
But!
Zhao Xuan suddenly realized something.
He was running out of cactus flowers.
There was only one left.
Given the Big Golden Rat's miserly, hair-splitting personality, once they found the White Emperor Pirates, if Zhao Xuan wanted it to use the White Emperor Pirates' aura to locate their headquarters, it would definitely demand a second cactus flower as payment.
So!
Before setting out, Zhao Xuan had no choice but to spend some time harvesting a batch of cactus flowers first.
That was why, at this very moment, he was fighting Desert Stone Golems inside the desert ruins.
Same old rules!
After plucking the cactus flower, Zhao Xuan tossed a single petal to the Big Golden Rat.
"Chirp!"
The Big Golden Rat caught the petal happily and shot off toward the depths of the desert in a flash.
One flower! Another! Another! And another!
To save as much time as possible!
Zhao Xuan maintained his Dragonman form throughout the entire process.
Only in this state could he unleash his maximum speed.
Although the stamina drain in Dragonman form was enormous—
That wasn't a problem at all!
As he sprinted deeper into the desert, Zhao Xuan kept stuffing spiritual herbs and pills into his mouth, gulping them down in huge bites.
In the blink of an eye!
Three to four hours passed.
In one go, Zhao Xuan harvested more than twenty cactus flowers.
An incredible haul!
But at the same time—
Over those three to four hours, the amount of spiritual medicine he consumed was equally staggering.
Afterward!
Zhao Xuan did a rough calculation.
In those few hours alone, he had eaten at least one hundred million worth of spiritual herbs and pills.
One hundred million!
Just to rush through the desert.
If word of this got out, it would shock everyone to their core.
It would make jaws drop everywhere.
Even the richest people wouldn't dare to squander resources like this.
But!
That one hundred million worth of spiritual medicine hadn't gone to waste.
Zhao Xuan's mental strength and physical constitution both improved noticeably.
Sure, the gains weren't as great as if he had taken the time to consume them slowly—
But.
He didn't feel even a hint of regret.
First, because to him, time was money.
Second, because those spiritual herbs and pills—worth over a hundred million—had cost him nothing to obtain.
The ones who had suffered for them were the Black Shark Pirates.
After all.
Everything he consumed came straight from the Black Shark Pirates' treasury.
"Chirp chirp? (Why did you stop?)"
Seeing Zhao Xuan halt, the Big Golden Rat turned back and chirped in confusion.
"That's enough for today. We'll continue next time," Zhao Xuan said. "I still have something else to take care of."
"Chirp… (Alright…)"
The Big Golden Rat's high spirits immediately drooped.
"So, congratulations—you're about to get a mission!"
The moment Zhao Xuan said that—
The Big Golden Rat's mood shot right back up.
It snapped its head up, eyes shining as it looked at Zhao Xuan.
"Chirp? (Really?)"
"Absolutely," Zhao Xuan nodded. "Come on, no time to waste. Let's head out now."
"Chirp! (Okay!)"
It took another hour before Zhao Xuan finally returned to the entrance of the desert ruins.
"Phew…"
As he stepped out of the Desert Spatial Ruins, a deep sense of confusion rose in Zhao Xuan's heart.
"Just how big is this desert ruin I stumbled upon? In Dragonman form, going all out, my speed should be around two hundred meters per second. I ran at full speed for an entire hour without stopping, and I still couldn't see the edge of it… Tsk."
Shaking his head in amazement, Zhao Xuan strode out of the ruins.
The Big Golden Rat followed closely behind, scampering out as well.
"Same old deal!"
Zhao Xuan waved the cactus flower in his hand. "Help me find the people who used to live on this island."
"Chirp chirp chirp! (Leave it to me!)"
The Big Golden Rat thumped its chest proudly.
Then—
It began sniffing with all its might.
Before long, it turned its gaze back to Zhao Xuan and chirped excitedly.
"Chirp chirp! (Found them!)"
"Excellent!"
A satisfied smile appeared on Zhao Xuan's face.
After that—
Man and rat returned to the single-masted sailboat docked beneath the northern sea cliffs of Black Shark Island.
Sails raised. Voyage begun.
Just like before.
Zhao Xuan once again started throwing punches at the sail.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Shockwaves from his fists surged forward.
The sailboat shot away from the silent Black Shark Island, racing toward the open sea.
Zhao Xuan wasn't punching at random.
Every punch incorporated the Iron Body-derived ability he had only recently developed.
He was using this opportunity to deepen his control and proficiency with it.
As Zhao Xuan trained, the Big Golden Rat plopped down at the bow of the ship.
Using its spatial ability, it took out a cactus flower and inhaled deeply, its face filled with bliss.
Honestly—
It looked exactly like an addict indulging in its favorite vice.
Just like that.
Time slipped by quietly.
After forty to fifty minutes—
"Chirp!"
The Big Golden Rat, which had been greedily inhaling the cactus flower at the bow, suddenly sprang up like a carp leaping from water.
"What is it?" Zhao Xuan's eyes sharpened. "Did you find them?"
"Chirp! (No!)"
The Big Golden Rat shook its head vigorously.
"Then what's going on?" Zhao Xuan asked, puzzled.
"Chirp chirp chirp!"
The Big Golden Rat pointed wildly toward the southeast, chirping excitedly and flailing its limbs.
"What!?"
Zhao Xuan's eyes lit up. "You're saying you smelled a ruin in that direction?"
"Chirp! (Yes!)"
The Big Golden Rat nodded eagerly, its face filled with anticipation.
Its short tail swayed back and forth.
It looked just like—
A puppy that had fetched a ball for its owner and was waiting for praise.
How could Zhao Xuan not understand?
Grinning, he said, "No problem! As long as you open the ruin entrance for me like before, I'll give you an extra flower!"
"Chirp! (Deal!)"
The Big Golden Rat's tail wagged even harder.
Next—
Zhao Xuan adjusted the ship's course, heading southeast under the Big Golden Rat's guidance.
In just a few minutes, a lush, green island appeared before him.
"There's a ruin on that island too?"
Zhao Xuan narrowed his eyes, a trace of confusion rising in his heart.
"This island lies right along the route between Black Shark Island and the ruin island those two pirate crews are fighting over. It's only a minute or two off course. If there really were a ruin here, the Black Shark Pirates should have discovered it long ago."
"Could it be like that ruin on the deserted island before—one with an entrance hidden in a folded space?"
"Whatever. No point overthinking it. Anyone who skips a ruin is an idiot."
Soon!
The small boat docked near the island.
Zhao Xuan jumped ashore with ease.
Then—
Led by the Big Golden Rat—
They made their way to the northern beach.
"Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp! (The ruin is right here!)"
The Big Golden Rat pointed at the golden sand ahead and chirped.
Hearing this!
Zhao Xuan's Observation Haki surged out, sweeping across the beach.
He found nothing.
"As expected—it's a hidden entrance," Zhao Xuan said calmly, retracting his Observation Haki.
Thinking of the ruin on the deserted island not long ago, his eyes flashed.
"There really seem to be a lot of these hidden ruins in the Endless Sea. I've run into two in a single day."
Shaking his head, Zhao Xuan cast aside his wandering thoughts.
Then he said to the Big Golden Rat, "Go on—Pika Rat. Open the ruin entrance for me."
"Chirp chirp? (Pika Rat?)"
The Big Golden Rat tilted its head, chirping in confusion.
"Uh… Pika Rat. That's the name I gave you. How is it? Like it?" Zhao Xuan coughed.
"Chirp chirp!"
The Big Golden Rat shook its head decisively.
"Then I'll change it—how about Pikachu?" Zhao Xuan suggested.
The Big Golden Rat still shook its head.
"Not good? I think Pikachu sounds pretty nice," Zhao Xuan said.
"Chirp! (No!)"
"Chirp chirp! (It doesn't sound good!)"
"Chirp chirp chirp! (Change it again!)"
The Big Golden Rat chirped three times in a row.
"You really don't like Pikachu?" Zhao Xuan pressed.
"Chirp chirp! (I don't like it!)"
The Big Golden Rat shook its head without hesitation.
"Really don't like it?" Zhao Xuan asked as he casually pulled out a cactus flower from the ruin space and shook it twice under the rat's bright gaze.
"Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp! (Actually, I think it sounds pretty good!)" the Big Golden Rat suddenly changed its tune.
"So you're that kind of rat," Zhao Xuan thought to himself, speechless.
"Then from today onward, your name is Pikachu. Any objections?" Zhao Xuan asked, waving the cactus flower.
"Chirp! (None!)"
The Big Golden Rat shook its head firmly.
"Excellent!"
Zhao Xuan burst into a bright smile.
"Then—go on, Pikachu. Use… ahem, your spatial ability and open the ruin entrance for me. Once it's open, you'll get what you want!"
"Chirp!"
The Big Golden Rat lunged forward.
Then—
It stopped about six meters in front of Zhao Xuan.
Raising its claws—
Under the influence of its spatial ability, the crack of the ruin entrance hidden within folded space instantly appeared before Zhao Xuan's eyes.
"Good."
Zhao Xuan nodded in satisfaction and tossed the cactus flower to it.
"Chirp!"
The Big Golden Rat caught the flower happily and inhaled deeply.
And at that moment!
Zhao Xuan stepped directly into this unknown ruin.
On the beach—
After taking a deep breath of the cactus flower, the Big Golden Rat suddenly lifted its head.
It looked down at the flower in its paws, confusion appearing on its face.
It felt like it had just been cheated somehow.
Opening the ruin got one flower.
Admitting that the name Pikachu sounded good—shouldn't that also earn a flower?
As it thought about it, anger surged across the Big Golden Rat's face.
It was as if it were saying—
Damn it! That damn human! Even tricking such a cute big rat like me!
In its anger, the Big Golden Rat puffed out its cheeks and angrily threw the cactus flower onto the ground.
Its expression clearly said that if Zhao Xuan didn't give it a reasonable explanation, it absolutely wouldn't let this go.
But!
The very next second—
It hurriedly bent down, picked the cactus flower back up with a heartbroken expression, and clutched it tightly.
All of this—
Zhao Xuan knew nothing about.
Because at this very moment—
He was inside the ruin's trial space, undergoing the ruin assessment.
This was a fairly ordinary mid-tier, mid-grade ruin.
There were seven stages in total.
The bosses of each stage were all fourth- or fifth-tier Land King-class creatures.
The boss guarding the seventh stage was a sixth-tier Land King-class creature—and a tiger-type one at that.
Among Land King-class creatures, tiger-types were ranked at the very top in terms of combat power.
For ordinary sixth-tier ability users, the final boss of this ruin would not be easy to deal with.
But!
To Zhao Xuan—
This tiger-type Land King-class creature was nothing more than a paper tiger.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
With just five punches, Zhao Xuan smashed the sixth-tier tiger into the ground, dead.
The next instant!
The ruin's baptism descended upon him.
As mentioned before—
Because this was the Endless Sea's original land,
The baptism that followed the completion of a ruin assessment would affect the outside world as well.
In an instant!
Above a hundred-mile radius, a massive vortex of spiritual energy formed in the sky.
And the island where the Black Shark Pirates and White Emperor Pirates were currently locked in confrontation—
Lay right within the coverage of that gigantic spiritual energy vortex.
"That—that is!!!"
"A spiritual energy vortex! It's the vortex that appears after someone clears a ruin!"
"A new ruin has been discovered!"
"And it's within the Black Shark Pirates' territorial waters!"
"…"
In an instant!
The originally tense, oppressive island erupted in waves of shocked cries.
Whether Black Shark Pirates or White Emperor Pirates—
Their gazes all grew deep and sharp.
"Big Brother, what do we do?"
At the Black Shark Pirates' camp, the second-in-command frowned as he looked at the massive vortex in the sky behind them.
The Black Shark Pirates' leader didn't answer immediately.
He fell into silence.
After a long while, he finally said, "Second Brother, take a few men and go take a look. See which blind fool dared sneak into Black Shark territory to steal a ruin that belongs to us."
"If the other party has a strong background or solid strength, don't provoke them for now. This isn't the time to stir up more trouble."
"But Big Brother…"
The second-in-command hesitated. "At a moment like this, if I leave suddenly, you'll be alone—"
Before he could finish, the Black Shark leader sneered.
"Hmph. Don't worry. Those White Emperor Pirates won't dare kill me. I have a good daughter. Even though I, Zhen Youbing, am only seventh-tier, my son-in-law is an eighth-tier king!"
"Right, right!"
Hearing this, the second-in-command finally relaxed.
"Then Big Brother, I'll go and come back quickly!"
"Mm. Go."
Zhen Youbing nodded.
Not long after—
A pirate ship belonging to the Black Shark Pirates sped away from the island.
On the other side—
At the White Emperor Pirates' camp.
"Boss! The Black Shark Pirates' second-in-command just left with four or five elites. Looks like they're going to investigate the newly appeared ruin," a pirate reported.
"Hmph. Having an eighth-tier king as a son-in-law really makes him fearless, doesn't it? Leaving himself alone like that."
The White Emperor Pirates' leader snorted, then suddenly let out a vicious grin.
"I can't touch you directly, but your subordinates aren't protected by that privilege. What—does that eighth-tier king son-in-law think he can come after me just because I killed a few of your men?"
With a cruel smile, he shouted, "Second! Third!"
"Boss!"
The White Emperor Pirates' second- and third-in-commands stepped forward at once.
"Go. Follow them. Kill the Black Shark Pirates' second-in-command for me," the leader ordered coldly.
"Yes!"
"Understood, Boss!"
And so—
Not long after—
A White Emperor Pirates' ship also departed from the island, racing straight toward the center of the spiritual energy vortex.
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