"Ding! You've completed a regular battle. Your understanding of Soru, Tekkai, Rankyaku, and Armament Haki has deepened. Proficiency in Soru, Tekkai, Rankyaku, and Armament Haki +4!"
Ecstasy!
Zhao Xuan's face was filled with unrestrained joy.
You had to understand—
His fight with Li Jiangchang just now hadn't lasted long at all.
From the moment Li Jiangchang challenged him to the moment Zhao Xuan sent him flying twice, the whole thing hadn't even taken ten minutes.
And to be honest, Zhao Xuan barely broke a sweat in that fight.
Yet the result?
All four skills had gained a total of sixteen proficiency points.
That was quite a lot.
Under normal circumstances, ten minutes of training would barely give him two points of proficiency.
"If just a casual fight with Li Jiangchang can give me this much, then what if I fought someone evenly matched with me? Wouldn't I gain even more proficiency?"
At that thought, Zhao Xuan's eyes lit up.
"If I remember correctly, Li Zhiwei from Class 2 is also a Devil Fruit user, right? And he's had his power for a while—he should be stronger than Li Jiangchang. If I could fight him…"
Zhao Xuan's heart began to stir.
When he returned to class, the news that he'd defeated Li Jiangchang had already spread.
And when everyone heard he had awakened Armament Haki, the looks they gave him were all different—
Envy, jealousy, admiration—all swirling together in their minds.
Just like that, Zhao Xuan once again became the center of attention, the star surrounded by countless eyes.
During the break, classmates kept coming over to ask him all sorts of questions.
Li Jiangchang watched all of this in silence, unwillingness burning in his chest.
He clenched his teeth, swallowed his frustration, and turned it into motivation—throwing himself back into training.
Time quietly slipped by.
The next day, after lunch, Zhao Xuan couldn't hold back any longer.
He went straight to Class 3–2 and found Li Zhiwei—the Paramecia-type Slow-Slow Fruit user.
Both Zhao Xuan and Li Zhiwei were well-known figures in the school.
So naturally, the moment the two of them stood together, they became the center of attention.
"What!?"
Li Zhiwei stared at him. "You want to duel me?"
"Yes."
Zhao Xuan nodded. "You know that the college entrance exam includes a combat evaluation. I figured I should get more battle experience before the exam. That way, I can score a few extra points when the time comes."
"Hmm… makes sense. You're right," Li Zhiwei nodded thoughtfully.
"So you agree?" Zhao Xuan's face brightened.
Li Zhiwei didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked, "Zhao Xuan, is it true what people say—that you actually defeated that Logia Snow-Snow Fruit user from your class, Li Jiangchang?"
"Yes," Zhao Xuan nodded.
"So that means…"
Li Zhiwei's eyes gleamed as his tone turned cold. "If I defeat you, that would make Li Jiangchang my defeated opponent as well."
At those words—
Zhao Xuan narrowed his eyes.
He studied Li Zhiwei carefully, a flash of insight in his gaze.
From the other boy's stance, he could faintly sense an undercurrent of threat.
Clearly, this so-called "school slacker" wasn't as simple as he looked.
"Of course," Zhao Xuan said suddenly with a grin. "But that's if you have what it takes to beat me."
"No time like the present," Li Zhiwei said with a calm smile. "Let's go—to the dueling field."
"Fine. Let's go!"
"Zhao Xuan from Class 13 is going to duel Li Zhiwei from Class 2!"
In an instant, the news spread through the school like wildfire.
Even some of the teachers caught wind of it and came to watch the fight.
In the dueling arena, Zhao Xuan and Li Zhiwei stood facing each other.
Then—
With the signal from a supervising teacher, the duel officially began.
Li Zhiwei made the first move.
Tap, tap!
Using Soru, he dashed forward, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
At the same time, his fingers jabbed forward in rapid succession—Shigan Barrage!
He sealed off all of Zhao Xuan's escape routes, forcing him to take the attack head-on.
Tekkai!
Zhao Xuan braced himself with Tekkai, enduring Li Zhiwei's piercing blows before countering with a sweeping Rankyaku.
However—
Li Zhiwei seemed to have anticipated that move.
With a quick sidestep, he easily evaded Zhao Xuan's counter, then lunged forward again, his fingers turning into spears as he thrust twice more.
Thud, thud!
Zhao Xuan couldn't dodge in time and took both hits directly.
But thanks to his tremendous physical endurance, the attacks barely left a mark.
Just as he was about to counterattack again, Li Zhiwei moved like a slippery eel, twisting away and kicking out in one fluid motion.
Zhao Xuan couldn't react fast enough and had to activate Tekkai once more to block the blow.
Meanwhile, in the stands—
Several teachers who had come to watch were discussing in low voices.
"This kid Li Zhiwei's no joke. His combat experience is impressive—Zhao Xuan's clearly lacking in that department."
"Well, his family's loaded. His father's the richest man in Tongcheng. Rumor has it he spent a fortune hiring a full sparring team just for Li Zhiwei. Of course his battle experience would be top-notch."
"Still, Zhao Xuan's not bad either. With a physique over a hundred points and mastery-level Tekkai, Li Zhiwei's attacks can't even scratch him."
"At this rate, he'll just get worn down."
"Not necessarily! Zhao Xuan's a Zoan-type user, and not an ordinary one. His fruit boosted his physique by eighty points at awakening—his recovery rate must be insane. He might actually outlast Li Zhiwei instead!"
"…"
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