"Right, Brother Zhao."
After carefully tucking away the Heart of the Ruin, Lian Jie suddenly called out.
"I'm listening, President Lian."
Zhao Xuan turned his head toward him.
"Since you've successfully passed the ruin's trial and obtained the Heart of the Ruin, it's time I fulfilled my end of the promise," Lian Jie said with a smile. "As for the ten million resource points I promised you—what kind of resources you want, that's for you to decide. So, before you came out, I already had the Guild deposit ten million resource points into your account. You can now use them freely to exchange for any cultivation resources you want."
"I understand. Thank you very much, President Lian!"
Zhao Xuan's face lit up, and he quickly bowed in gratitude.
"Oh, and I've also upgraded your access level in the Tongcheng Ability Users' Guild. You now have Level 4 permissions, which means you can exchange for some resources that are normally only available to Tier-4 ability users."
Seeing Zhao Xuan's delighted expression, Lian Jie added, "But, just a reminder—Tier-4 resources are very expensive. Each one costs at least several million points, and since the energy contained in them far exceeds what a Tier-3 can safely absorb, much of it might be wasted."
"…"
Zhao Xuan's face darkened instantly.
"Hahaha!"
Lian Jie couldn't help but throw his head back and laugh heartily.
Zhao Xuan's expression only grew darker.
Just then—
Rustle, rustle!
The young girl who had been standing quietly in the distance suddenly walked briskly toward Zhao Xuan.
She stopped only when she was standing right in front of him.
"This time, I admit defeat. But during the Provincial Exam, I'll definitely win it back!"
After dropping that sharp line, she turned on her heel and walked away without another word.
Zhao Xuan: "?????"
His face was full of confusion.
Who was that?
What just happened?
"What's wrong, Brother Zhao? You mean you don't know her?"
Lian Jie's voice came with a hint of surprise.
Zhao Xuan shook his head honestly. "No idea, President Lian. Who is she?"
"That was Di Ruqing, daughter of Tongcheng's Military Governor, Di Wenbin," Lian Jie explained. "I thought you two might know each other—after all, you're both freshly graduated high school seniors, and both prodigies."
"I've heard of her," Zhao Xuan admitted, "but this is the first time we've met."
"Ah, that explains it."
Lian Jie nodded. "That girl's no slouch. She reached Tier-2 in her second year of high school, and now she's eaten a Magma-Type Logia Fruit. She's definitely going to be one of your strongest rivals for a spot in the National Exam. When you face her during the Provincial Exam, don't go soft just because she's a pretty girl."
"I won't," Zhao Xuan said seriously. "Women only slow my sword. Besides, she's flat as a board."
The words had barely left his mouth—
BOOM!!
A wave of scorching air rushed toward him.
Zhao Xuan instinctively sidestepped, narrowly dodging the sudden blast.
He turned to look—
and saw molten rock burning on the ground not far behind him.
When he looked forward again, his eyes met the furious glare of a certain flat-chested young lady.
"Ahem…"
Awkward.
Utterly, painfully awkward.
"Heh… hehehe…"
Scratching his head, Zhao Xuan forced an embarrassed grin.
"Hmph!"
Di Ruqing glared at him for a long moment before snorting coldly.
Then she closed her hand, dispersing the magma sphere that had formed in her palm, and turned away in a huff.
Only when she disappeared into the distance did Zhao Xuan finally exhale in relief.
When he looked up, he found Lian Jie staring at him with an expression that was half amusement, half mischief.
"Ahem… ahem."
Zhao Xuan coughed twice, trying to hide his embarrassment. "President Lian, since the matter here is settled, I'll take my leave now."
"Hold on a moment, Brother Zhao," Lian Jie said suddenly. "You're forgetting something."
"Huh?"
Zhao Xuan blinked in confusion.
"Didn't you say you wanted to experience firsthand the power of a Tier-4 ability user?"
"Oh! Right, right!"
Zhao Xuan's eyes lit up. "President Lian, when would be convenient for you?"
"Anytime. Even now."
"In that case, let's begin, President."
Zhao Xuan's expression turned solemn.
"You attack first," Lian Jie said calmly.
As soon as the words left his mouth—
Tap, tap!
Zhao Xuan shot forward using Soru, instantly closing the distance between them.
At the same time—
The Azure Dragon Fruit's power flared to life.
Armament Haki enveloped his body.
His leg swept out in a razor-sharp Tempest Kick.
With a single strike—
He aimed a powerful blow straight at Lian Jie.
But Lian Jie didn't even bother to dodge.
Facing Zhao Xuan's full-force attack, he merely activated a simple Iron Body technique.
BOOM!
Zhao Xuan's kick struck him dead-on.
Lian Jie didn't move an inch—
while Zhao Xuan was sent flying backward, skidding seven or eight steps before he managed to stop.
"So this… is the power of a Tier-4 ability user?"
Staring at Lian Jie's completely unshaken figure, Zhao Xuan couldn't help but suck in a cold breath.
But instead of feeling discouraged—
His fighting spirit only burned brighter.
"As expected… compared to a true powerhouse, I'm still far too weak. I must work harder—much harder!"
Unknowingly, Zhao Xuan clenched his fists tight.
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