BOOM!!!!!!
Caught completely off guard, the burly man had no time to dodge.
In his panic, he barely managed to activate Iron Body and Armament Haki in defense.
The next instant—
The lightning-infused Tempest Kick slammed squarely into his chest.
"GAAAHHHH!!!"
A massive shockwave exploded outward.
The impact hurled him through the air like a ragdoll.
He flew in a long arc before crashing violently into a flowerbed dozens of meters away.
CRASH!!!
The stone barrier shattered instantly, the soil and bricks exploding in all directions.
The impact left behind a deep crater, the burly man half-buried in the debris.
Meanwhile, Zhao Xuan—having raced all the way from Tongcheng No.1 High—appeared in front of the trembling Di Ruqing.
"You okay?"
Without wasting a moment, Zhao Xuan pulled out two packets of energy fluid.
One he tore open and gulped down to replenish the stamina he'd burned during his full-speed sprint.
The other he opened and gently brought to Di Ruqing's lips.
The girl, pale and weak, slowly regained a hint of color as the restorative liquid began to work.
But just as things seemed to calm—
"YOU DAMN BRAT!!!"
A furious roar thundered from behind Zhao Xuan.
Then—
Whoosh!
A violent gust followed.
The enraged fourth-tier cultist launched a full-force punch straight toward Zhao Xuan's back.
At his current strength and speed, especially in partial dragonization, Zhao Xuan could have easily evaded that blow.
But—
He didn't.
Because if he dodged…
That punch would almost certainly land on Di Ruqing.
And in her weakened state—
even at her best—
she could never withstand the full power of a fourth-tier ability user.
So Zhao Xuan made his decision.
He didn't move.
Instead, his eyes flashed with a challenge.
"Perfect timing… Let's test how strong my Master-level Iron Body and Expert-level Armament Haki really are."
In the next moment—
BOOM!!
His muscles tensed like forged steel, his entire back locking up as his Iron Body activated.
The Armament Haki followed, coating his back in a shadowy, obsidian sheen.
If his shirt were torn away right now, one would see his muscles blackened and gleaming like armor.
Half a second later—
THUD!!!
The burly man's fist smashed into Zhao Xuan's back with the force of a speeding train.
The impact shook the earth.
Zhao Xuan's body jerked violently, his knees buckling as the shockwave rippled through the ground.
THOOM!
Both knees struck the dirt, cracking it apart, leaving behind two deep pits beneath him.
"A mere third-tier brat… and you dare play hero!?"
The burly man sneered, his face twisting in disdain.
"You really don't know how to spell the word death, do you?"
He raised his foot, intending to crush Zhao Xuan beneath it—
But then—
Something changed.
A terrifying aura burst forth from Zhao Xuan's body.
The air itself seemed to warp.
The cultist froze for a split second—
then his eyes widened in shock.
Before his eyes—
Zhao Xuan's body began to grow.
Two jagged horns sprouted from the top of his head.
His clothes tore apart at the seams.
Beneath them, scales of deep azure-green shimmered into existence.
In mere seconds, the human youth was gone—
and in his place stood a three-meter-tall half-dragon.
Muscular. Terrifying. Radiating pure, crushing pressure.
Sparks of lightning danced faintly across his scales.
The cultist's pupils shrank.
"An… animal-type Devil Fruit transformation?"
He froze for only a moment—
then roared and lunged, swinging a powerful kick.
But the moment his leg moved—
Something unbelievable happened.
The dragon-man moved.
Zhao Xuan turned with blinding speed—
and in less than the blink of an eye, his massive clawed hand caught the incoming leg midair.
CRACK!
The impact stopped cold.
The cultist's eyes bulged.
"H-how… how is that possible!?"
He struggled frantically, trying to pull his leg free.
But Zhao Xuan's grip didn't budge.
Not even an inch.
"Is that all the strength a fourth-tier has?" Zhao Xuan growled, his deep voice rumbling like thunder.
And before the cultist could react—
BOOM!!!
Zhao Xuan swung him.
Once.
Twice.
Again. And again.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Each slam shook the earth.
Each impact cracked the ground wider, sending debris flying like shrapnel.
It looked exactly like the Hulk smashing Loki—
except this time, the one being smashed screamed in agony.
In mere seconds, Zhao Xuan had pounded him into a crater several meters deep.
Then—
With a final roar,
"ROOOOOAAAARRRRRRR!!!!!!"
Zhao Xuan raised the man high above his head—
and slammed him down one last time.
KABOOOOOM!!!
The ground trembled violently.
Dust and lightning burst outward in a storm of destruction.
When the smoke cleared—
The mighty fourth-tier cultist lay broken and motionless at the bottom of a massive crater,
his limbs twisted, his aura shattered.
And above him—
Zhao Xuan stood tall, draped in scales and thunder,
his golden eyes blazing like those of a dragon god.
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