"What!?"
"An animal-type Devil Fruit?"
"How's that possible?"
"I thought anyone with 37 spiritual points had a one-hundred-percent chance of getting a Logia-type fruit!"
Confused voices erupted all around the hall, one after another.
And among them—
Li Jiangchang, who had been forcing a stiff smile this whole time, suddenly revealed an expression of barely contained delight.
"Quiet!"
Instructor Fang Qin frowned sharply, her cold gaze sweeping across the noisy students like a blade.
"The college entrance exams are just around the corner—barely ten days away—and instead of training, you're wasting time gossiping?"
"Do you even realize how many examinees there are nationwide? Over five million! Every single extra point you earn could put you ahead of hundreds—no, thousands—of others!"
Under her stern scolding, the hall quickly fell silent again.
The students nodded hurriedly and returned to their practice routines.
Fang Qin turned back toward Zhao Xuan.
"Zhao Xuan, there's no need to feel discouraged. Animal-type fruits aren't necessarily bad. Judging by your body's massive boost, your fruit must be a rare Zoan variant—one of the stronger types, right?"
"Yes, Teacher Fang." Zhao Xuan nodded politely.
"Actually," Fang Qin continued, "some Zoan fruits are quite powerful. For example, last year's South River Province exam champion, Su Lie, was a Zoan user. Yet during the National Pre-University Combat Tournament, he still outperformed many Logia users and even took second place overall!"
She waved her hand.
"Alright, that's enough talk. Back to training!"
"Yes, Teacher!"
Zhao Xuan nodded and stepped aside, finding an empty area to begin his Iron Body practice.
Time passed quickly.
After about twenty minutes, the class bell rang.
Just as Zhao Xuan was catching his breath, the familiar system chime echoed in his mind:
"Ding! You have diligently practiced Iron Body for a short time and gained slight improvement. Iron Body proficiency +6!"
Zhao Xuan blinked.
"What's going on? Why the sudden six-point boost?" he asked inwardly.
"This is the result of the host's drastic increase in physical attributes," the system explained calmly.
"It's not an error. As your strength stabilizes, your proficiency growth rate will gradually normalize. Please do not worry."
"Wait, so that's a thing?"
Zhao Xuan's eyes lit up.
He immediately grew eager to test whether his other techniques—Shave, Finger Gun, Moon Step—had received similar boosts.
But before he could begin, the students who had been holding in their curiosity for half the class suddenly swarmed around him.
"Zhao Xuan, did you really pick a Zoan fruit?"
"Are you insane? Why would you give up a Logia fruit!?"
"Yeah! Logia fruits are legendary, man!"
"Don't tell me you never looked at the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia?"
Their voices were filled with mixed emotions—
some in disbelief, some in pity, some in mocking amusement.
Although they were classmates and Zhao Xuan had never wronged any of them—
there was one thing he understood all too well:
The human mind was fickle.
There existed a thing called resentment toward the fortunate—
a complicated feeling of jealousy, suspicion, contempt, and hostility that people often directed at those who suddenly rose above them.
Zhao Xuan didn't mind.
He simply kept a calm face and answered their questions patiently.
Then—
"Stop pretending!"
The sharp, bitter voice cut through the crowd.
It was Li Jiangchang, his face twisted in disdain.
"You're seriously putting on airs now? You could've picked a Logia fruit, but no—you just had to act mysterious and pick some trash Zoan fruit instead!"
Zhao Xuan merely glanced at him, unbothered.
Li Jiangchang took a few deliberate steps forward, plastering on a false look of pity.
"Ah, Zhao Xuan… what can I even say about you?" he sighed, tone dripping with sarcasm. "I honestly thought you'd become a Logia user. With 37 points of spiritual power, that was a sure thing! But in the end, you turned out no better than me—with only 21 points. What a shame."
His words oozed with mockery disguised as concern.
Zhao Xuan couldn't even be bothered to respond.
He gave Li a single cold glance, then turned and started walking away.
But Li Jiangchang wasn't about to let him leave so easily.
He had been holding in this frustration for two days straight—
and he'd thought he'd never get the chance to vent it.
Until Zhao Xuan himself handed it to him by "giving up" his Logia fruit.
"Wait, Zhao Xuan," he called out smugly.
Zhao Xuan stopped and looked at him with faint annoyance.
"What is it now, Li Jiangchang?"
"I want to make a challenge," Li said, his voice loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
"A duel between us."
Before Zhao Xuan could reply, he quickly added,
"In a few days, I'll turn eighteen and get my own Devil Fruit as well. The teacher said the best way to develop your ability is through real combat. What do you say?"
Zhao Xuan stared at him for a moment—
then smiled faintly.
"Fine," he said simply. "No problem."
Li Jiangchang's grin widened with satisfaction.
He stepped aside, letting Zhao Xuan pass.
Inside, he was already savoring the thought—
of finally wiping that calm expression off Zhao Xuan's face.
--------------------------------------------------
Patreon Advance Chapters: [email protected] / KaiOynx