Staring at the massive Desert Statue before him—a colossus towering like a giant—Zhao Xuan couldn't help blurting out, "What the hell is this?!"
He had already expected that, after facing nine Tier Three Desert Statues in the fourth trial, the guardian boss of the fifth trial would most likely be a Tier-4 Desert Statue.
But even so—
When he actually saw it with his own eyes, Zhao Xuan still couldn't stop himself from cursing internally.
"This is insane! Who the hell designed this?"
"A so-called low-tier ruin, and the final trial boss is a Tier-4 creature?"
"There's a whole class gap between Tier Three and Tier-4, for crying out loud!"
As he ranted inwardly, Zhao Xuan couldn't help recalling his earlier bout that morning with Lian Jie.
A sense of helplessness washed through his body.
At that moment—
The gigantic desert statue that had been standing motionless in the center of the trial arena suddenly stirred.
"Boom… boom… boom…!"
It began to move—
each thunderous step shaking the entire ground beneath Zhao Xuan's feet.
Its every motion radiated pure, raw power.
An overwhelming, crushing might.
It was like facing an unshakable mountain.
"Huh!?"
Zhao Xuan's eyes, which moments ago had been filled with despair, suddenly flickered with light.
"Wait, wait, wait!"
As the giant stone figure thundered toward him, Zhao Xuan's expression slowly split into a brilliant grin.
"It's definitely Tier-4… and yes, it's faster than the Tier Three ones—
but even so, its speed still isn't that fast!"
He muttered under his breath, and a wild spark began to flare in his chest.
"Is it really true that a Tier Three can't fight a Tier-4?"
"That a Tier Three must always be crushed?"
"No! No! No!"
Zhao Xuan shook his head violently.
Quietly—
his fists clenched tight.
His fighting spirit surged like wildfire.
"So what if you're Tier-4? So what if you're a giant stone freak?"
"Let's see if I can't smash you to rubble today!"
A manic grin spread across his face.
"Step!"
He stomped down hard, his body flashing as he vanished from sight.
"Boom!"
A massive stone arm came crashing down where he'd been standing.
The ground trembled violently, dust exploding into the air.
But Zhao Xuan was already gone—
using Moon Step to soar into the air and dive toward the gigantic statue.
The Azure Dragon Fruit's power ignited within him—
his body partially transforming into a draconic form.
Fivefold Strength Boost!
Fivefold Physique Boost!
Then—
Armament Haki surged over his legs.
"Arankick!"
His foot swept down, slicing through the air with a sonic crack—
slamming hard into the statue's left leg.
"Boom!"
The impact echoed through the entire arena.
The recoil sent Zhao Xuan flying backward, tumbling across the ground before regaining his footing after seven or eight staggering steps.
The giant statue, however, didn't even flinch.
Not a tremor, not a wobble.
But Zhao Xuan didn't care.
His gaze locked onto the statue's left leg—
and when he saw the faint dent his kick had left there, his face split into a radiant grin.
"It worked!"
The dent was small and shallow—
but it was there.
And that was enough to make Zhao Xuan's blood boil with excitement.
That mark meant—
His attacks could damage a Tier-4 Desert Statue.
It meant—
he actually had a chance to win.
The moment he realized that, Zhao Xuan's entire being seemed to ignite.
He tore a small pouch of Concentrated Energy Solution from his chest, ripped it open, and gulped it down in one breath.
"Gulp, gulp, gulp!"
Then—
with wild eyes and a crazed grin—
he charged again.
Again!
And again!
And again!
And again!
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The entire trial space quaked with the sounds of their collisions.
No one knew how long the battle raged.
But under Zhao Xuan's relentless, furious assault, a fist-sized crack finally appeared on the giant statue's left leg.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Zhao Xuan threw his head back and roared with laughter, his voice echoing like thunder.
And then—
he charged again.
In that instant, Zhao Xuan was like a rabid beast—
a wild hyena gone mad—
hurling himself over and over, without pause, against the towering Tier-4 Desert Statue.
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