"Ji ji! (Deal!)"
The Golden Rat had barely finished squeaking when, right before Zhao Xuan's stunned eyes, it reached into the spatial rift it had opened.
Then—
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
As if they were worthless stones, it casually pulled out five divine medicinal stone bamboo shoots and tossed them at Zhao Xuan's feet.
Zhao Xuan froze.
Completely froze.
He had already guessed, from the rat's previous reactions, that it definitely possessed more than just the two stone shoots it had given him before.
But this…
This was a divine medicine!
Each one was worth five hundred billion in Life energy resources!
Zhao Xuan had assumed that even if the rat had more, it wouldn't be many.
But he had never expected—
The rat to throw them out so casually.
From the effortless way it tossed them onto the ground, Zhao Xuan could tell clearly:
This Golden Rat had far more than five of these.
"Damn… I didn't pick up a rat. I picked up a rich lady rat…"
Just as he was still stunned—
"Ji ji ji ji!"
The rat squeaked impatiently again.
Zhao Xuan snapped back to his senses and hurriedly collected the five stone shoots.
Then he stared at the Golden Rat with burning eyes.
If someone didn't know better, they'd think Zhao Xuan was staring at a freshly bathed goddess.
The Golden Rat squeaked again, urging him.
What are you staring at?
I've given you the chew sticks you wanted!
Move already!
Zhao Xuan coughed lightly.
"Lord Rat, deal's a deal. Should we start now… or later?"
Money talks.
"Ji ji! (Now! Now!)"
"Alright then… let's begin."
Zhao Xuan took a deep breath. His expression turned serious.
He had to be.
He had already taken the rat's reward.
He had to hold for one hundred seconds.
This wasn't just about integrity.
More importantly, it was about the Golden Rat.
Zhao Xuan had personally experienced how powerful the rat's abilities were.
It was crucial to his future growth.
And now, aside from its absurd nose, it apparently also had absurd wealth.
From its anxious expression, it was obvious:
There was something in this courtyard treasury that it desperately needed.
If Zhao Xuan failed to hold the enemy for the promised time—
The rat might very well part ways with him.
That was unacceptable.
"Strike first, or suffer later."
That thought flashed through Zhao Xuan's mind.
Without hesitation, he took out one divine medicinal stone bamboo.
One bite.
Two bites.
Three bites.
He swallowed it whole.
Instantly—
Boundless Life energy surged out from his abdomen.
At the same time—
Boom!
Zhao Xuan slammed straight into the courtyard.
At the center stood a Golden Armored Guard.
But clearly—
This was no ordinary one.
The pressure radiating from it was terrifying.
"Damn, damn, damn, damn…"
Zhao Xuan cursed internally.
"This is an Eighth-Rank peak Golden Guard!"
"This is what you call 'slightly stronger than me'!?"
The Golden Rat gave an awkward smile.
"I'll deal with you later."
Zhao Xuan shot it a glare and charged forward while the stone bamboo's effects were still at their peak.
"ROAR!"
The Azure Dragon Fruit activated.
He entered Dragon-Man form instantly.
Tenfold amplification.
His constitution soared past 50,000.
But that wasn't all.
One-Second Secret Technique!
Boom!
His aura exploded again.
All of this happened in an instant.
In that same instant, Zhao Xuan had already crossed dozens of meters and arrived before the Golden Guard.
Boom!
A punch wrapped in thunder and Armament Haki smashed forward with devastating force.
The Golden Guard was an Eighth-Rank peak powerhouse.
But—
It was only a puppet.
It had no human instincts.
Its reactions were like pre-programmed routines, rigid and unchanging.
If it were a human, it would have reacted the moment Zhao Xuan burst in.
But it wasn't.
So—
Zhao Xuan's fist landed squarely on its chest.
BOOM!!!!!
Ten hours ago, Zhao Xuan and now were two entirely different people.
In full burst state, his power had multiplied several times over.
Even against an Eighth-Rank peak Golden Guard—
Taking that punch head-on with its body was a terrible mistake.
Boom!!!
The Golden Guard was blasted backward instantly and smashed heavily into the building behind it.
The entire structure shook violently.
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