Yes—
He advanced!
Zhao Xuan has advanced!
From the Third Tier, he had crossed the great divide and stepped into the Fourth Tier—
A Lesser Grandmaster!
Yet even he didn't quite know how it happened.
Maybe it was when Zhao Shi's spear-finger first lunged toward his throat.
Maybe it was when Zhao Shi pinned him to the ground and shattered his limbs, one by one.
Or maybe—it was when Di Ruqing, again and again, threw herself at Zhao Shi's attacks, risking her life for him.
In that endless rage and unwillingness to die—
Something within Zhao Xuan's body transformed.
Why did people call the gap between the Third and Fourth Tiers a chasm?
Because—
Upon stepping into the Fourth Tier, one's entire body attributes would double.
Yes.
Double.
Do you know what that means?
It means that right now—
With the tenfold amplification from his Dragon Form—
Zhao Xuan's physical strength had nearly reached ten thousand!
Five thousand and ten thousand.
The difference was far beyond imagination.
After all—
There's a saying: Quantitative change leads to qualitative change!
"Rest well. From here on, leave everything to me."
After kicking Zhao Shi flying, Zhao Xuan crouched down immediately and pressed an energy pack to Di Ruqing's lips.
Whoosh!
A sharp gust swept up behind him.
Without a word—
He activated Tekkai!
BOOM!
Zhao Shi's blackened fist slammed into Zhao Xuan's back.
Yet—
Facing a Tier-5 powerhouse's full-strength blow, Zhao Xuan only staggered slightly.
"What—what?! Impossible!!!"
Zhao Shi's horrified scream echoed across the battlefield.
"Nothing's impossible."
Zhao Xuan straightened.
His gaze turned to ice.
He swung his leg.
Lightning arced across the air—
Crimson-violet thunder intertwined with Armament Haki, crackling along Zhao Xuan's leg.
With the might of a thunder god, he kicked toward Zhao Shi!
Under the blessing of nearly ten thousand physique—
Zhao Xuan's movements had become almost superhumanly fast.
Though Zhao Shi was a Tier-5 expert—
At this very moment—
He realized with disbelief that he couldn't dodge a strike from a newly advanced Tier-4 Lesser Grandmaster!
It was absurd.
In the next instant—
Zhao Xuan's Thunderous Eight-Trigrams Kick landed square on his chest.
BOOOOM!
A deafening crash split the air.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Each step Zhao Shi took backward cracked the ground.
With every impact, the earth beneath his feet splintered further.
Within moments—
The ground was covered in a spiderweb of fissures.
"This… impossible! Impossible!!"
Feeling the searing pain in his chest, Zhao Shi screamed, voice trembling.
"A mere Tier-4 Lesser Grandmaster—how could you possibly match me!? Impossible!"
Then, as if realizing something, his expression twisted.
"A secret art! You must be using a forbidden art that temporarily boosts your power! That must be it!!"
But before his thoughts could settle—
Tap. Tap.
Footsteps echoed closer.
In the blink of an eye—
Zhao Xuan appeared before him again.
Thunderous Eight-Trigrams Kick — Lan Leg!
Another lightning-charged kick swept across!
BOOOOOOM!
Zhao Shi hastily used Tekkai and Armament to defend—
But the impact still sent him stumbling backward.
"Come on! Come on! Come on!" Zhao Shi roared, eyes bloodshot. "Let's see how long that secret art of yours lasts! Thirty seconds? A minute? Two? When it ends, you'll be nothing but a lamb waiting for slaughter!"
Zhao Xuan said nothing.
He charged again—
Shave!
A blur of motion!
Another kick—
Another thunderclap.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Zhao Shi staggered backward again and again under the relentless onslaught.
One minute.
Two minutes.
After yet another devastating kick—
Zhao Shi finally couldn't hold on.
He was sent flying, smashing into the ground dozens of meters away, leaving a crater in his wake.
"This… can't be!!"
Coughing blood, Zhao Shi forced himself to rise, staring at Zhao Xuan—
Still brimming with energy, still unstoppable.
Panic crept into his eyes.
"Why?! How can you still be fighting at full strength?! What is this power?!"
BOOM!
Another Thunderous Eight-Trigrams Kick came crashing down.
"AAAHHHH!"
Zhao Shi screamed as he was blasted away once more.
His body shook.
Blood gushed from his mouth.
"No… no… this isn't a secret art… this can't be…"
He tried to crawl up, trembling, despair in his eyes—
But Zhao Xuan was already upon him.
BOOM!
Another kick.
Bones cracked.
Blood sprayed.
Zhao Shi's body convulsed violently.
"Stop! Stop! I can't— I have to escape! I'll die here!"
Driven by fear, he turned to flee—
But Zhao Xuan's cold voice followed like a shadow:
"Trying to run?"
Rage flared in Zhao Xuan's eyes.
"Even if the heavens themselves come to save you today—
You. Will. Die."
Tap. Tap!
In the blink of an eye, Zhao Xuan was upon him again.
Lightning and Armament roared down in a single merciless kick—
CRACK!
Bone shattered.
Zhao Shi's arm went limp, his body slamming into the ground with an explosive boom.
The earth sank several meters deep from the impact.
"Damn it… damn it…!"
Zhao Shi coughed blood, his face ashen.
Rage, disbelief, and terror consumed him all at once.
Then—
A crazed thought flickered across his mind.
Could this power… be his Devil Fruit ability!?
Greed surged like wildfire.
"I must have it… I must obtain this power! Even if it costs my life!"
But before he could act—
BOOM!
Zhao Xuan's foot stomped down on his abdomen.
"Every pain you gave me," Zhao Xuan rasped, voice hoarse, "I'll return to you—
A hundredfold!"
He lifted his foot again—
And brought it crashing down on Zhao Shi's shattered arm.
"AAAAHHHH!!"
Another scream tore the night apart.
One kick.
Two kicks.
Three.
Bones splintered beneath his heel.
Until—
A terrible black aura burst from Zhao Shi's body!
He grabbed Zhao Xuan's leg and hurled him away.
BOOOOM!
Zhao Xuan slammed into the ground dozens of meters off.
When he rose, he saw Zhao Shi again—
Cloaked in shadow, his face sunken and wrinkled.
He had burned his life force.
"The Limit Secret Art, huh?" Zhao Xuan muttered coldly.
That technique could multiply one's power—but only by devouring their own lifespan.
He'd heard of it before.
And he knew its price.
"Cornered dogs bite hardest, is that it?"
Zhao Xuan sneered.
Though Zhao Shi's aura surged, his speed still wasn't enough.
Zhao Xuan could've dodged easily—
But he didn't.
He met him head-on.
BOOM!
First met foot.
Thunder exploded.
Winds howled.
Both men staggered back—
Zhao Xuan three steps, Zhao Shi two.
"Hahahahaha!" Zhao Xuan threw back his head and laughed. "So this is your Limit Secret Art? Pathetic! If this is all you've got—then today is the day you die!"
He launched forward again.
Fist against kick.
Strike after strike after strike!
Dozens of collisions in mere seconds.
Blood dripped from cracked skin.
Bones creaked.
And still—they fought on.
As time slipped away, Zhao Shi's body began to weaken.
His strength faded.
While Zhao Xuan—
Still burned like an immortal flame.
"No… no… I'll die… I'll really die here…"
A whisper of despair escaped Zhao Shi's lips.
Then—
"You're still distracted?"
Zhao Xuan's hoarse voice rang beside his ear.
A cold dread shot through Zhao Shi's heart.
Before he could react—
Thunderous Eight-Trigrams Kick!
CRACK!
His chest caved in.
Blood gushed from his mouth as he flew backward, crashing into the ground.
Tap. Tap.
Zhao Xuan landed beside him.
Another stomp—
Right onto his chest.
Zhao Shi's final strength drained away as the Limit Secret Art expired.
"Is that all?" Zhao Xuan murmured coldly.
He raised his foot—
And brought it down again.
This time, Zhao Shi's arm shattered like glass.
"AAAAAAHHHH!"
His scream tore through the air.
Zhao Xuan tilted his head slightly.
"What's wrong? Weren't you arrogant just now?"
CRUNCH!
Another stomp.
Another bone crushed.
Left arm.
Right arm.
Left leg.
Right leg.
One by one, Zhao Xuan broke them all.
By the time he crushed the last limb, Zhao Shi had long lost consciousness.
"Humph. Consider yourself lucky."
Zhao Xuan didn't stop.
He grabbed Zhao Shi's head—
And twisted.
CRACK!
The sound of a neck breaking echoed into the night.
Zhao Shi—was dead.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
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