All abilities +30 proficiency.
The Azure Dragon Fruit mastery broke through from Skilled to Expert.
Instantly, Zhao Xuan felt the power within him surge explosively.
A low hum seemed to echo in his mind—an instinctive whisper telling him something new had awakened within his fruit's ability.
A new power—Lightning Summon.
In his Dragon-Human Form, every strike of his body could now carry lightning.
He could wrap lightning—an intangible element—around his fists, his legs, or even his weapons, turning every attack into a hybrid elemental strike rather than mere physical force.
Yes—
It was real.
Upon reaching the Expert tier, Zhao Xuan had gained the ability to fully transform into a Dragon-Human—half man, half dragon.
In this state, his physical attributes were amplified several times over, his strength and speed rising to terrifying levels.
Zhao Xuan smirked.
"So if I grab a spiked club, coat it with Armament Haki and lightning… would that count as my own version of Thunder Bagua?"
Before he could entertain that thought further—
Riiiing!
His phone suddenly buzzed, its urgent tone slicing through the quiet.
He took it out.
Lian Jie was calling.
The moment Zhao Xuan answered, the Guildmaster's ragged breathing and panicked voice came through the line:
"Zhao Xuan! Run! Get out of there—it's a trap! The relic, it's all part of the Demon Cult's setup! Their real goal was to lure me and Admiral Di out of Tongcheng—they're targeting you students! The Demon Cult bastards always go after the young!"
His voice was strained, full of urgency.
"They've planned this for a long time—there's already a fourth-tier cultist at Fengming High! No time to explain—go, now! Gather your classmates and get them out of there!"
"I can't talk any longer—Di and I are heading back as fast as we can—"
"Wait, Guildmaster, actually—"
Zhao Xuan barely got a few words out before the line went dead, the connection cut off.
He stared at the phone for a moment, then down at the cultist corpses littering the ground, and sighed helplessly.
"Forget it. I'll explain when he gets back. If I call again now, he probably won't even pick up."
He shook his head—
Then his expression sharpened.
"Wait… did he just say there's a fourth-tier Demon Cultist at Fengming High?"
A spark ignited in his eyes.
A pulse of battle intent flared through his veins.
"I've never actually fought a true fourth-tier opponent before…"
Over the past few days, Zhao Xuan had slain countless Desert Golems.
They were technically fourth-tier beings, yes—
But they were specialized to an extreme degree.
Great defense. Immense strength.
But their speed was painfully slow.
After the first few fights, Zhao Xuan had stopped feeling even the slightest sense of danger from them.
"But against a real fourth-tier ability user…"
A grin tugged at his lips.
"That's different."
"I wonder just how strong I am now—in my Dragon-Human form."
Excitement burned hotter in his chest.
"Twenty minutes…" he muttered.
"It'll take Lian Jie and Admiral Di at least twenty minutes to get back."
"And in twenty minutes… a fourth-tier ability user could slaughter an entire school several times over."
His fists clenched.
"No. I can't sit and wait."
The decision was instant.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Zhao Xuan kicked off the ground, vanishing in a blur of motion.
Within seconds, he had disappeared from Tongcheng No. 1 High School entirely.
"At my current speed, it'll take about seven minutes to reach Fengming High."
"Di Ruqing might be a prodigy—and a Magma-Magma Fruit user—but the gap between third-tier and fourth-tier isn't something you can just cross with talent."
"I just hope she can hold out until I get there…"
Meanwhile, at Fengming High School—
A battlefield was raging.
Flames devoured buildings.
Smoke rose like thunderclouds.
Explosions echoed across the campus.
Through the firelight—
Step. Step. Step. Step.
Heavy, deliberate footsteps rang out.
A towering man, nearly two meters tall, emerged from the smoke, his black cloak tattered, his face twisted with heat and rage.
His left arm was charred and mangled—burned beyond recognition.
He stared at the girl before him, a cruel smile curling across his face.
"The Magma Fruit…" he said slowly, voice dripping with dark admiration.
"No wonder they call it one of the most destructive Devil Fruits. For a mere third-tier ability user to injure me—truly impressive."
Then his smile turned feral.
"But it doesn't matter… soon, that power will be mine."
He licked his lips, laughing lowly—
"Kekekekekeke!"
This was the true horror of the Demon Cult.
The reason every nation and organization in the world hunted them down.
Because in their hands existed a forbidden art—
A ritual that allowed them to steal another person's Devil Fruit ability.
Ten years ago, during the cult's height, countless natural-type prodigies had fallen to this vile technique.
That was why the Demon Cult had become the most reviled organization on Earth.
Back then, during their reign of terror—
Even among commoners, many young geniuses refused to awaken their natural-type fruits on their eighteenth birthday, out of pure fear that the cult would come for them.
Such was the dread the Demon Cult once commanded.
--------------------------------------------------
Patreon Advance Chapters: [email protected] / KaiOynx