Inside the low-tier Desert Statue Ruins—
"Haah! Heave-ho! Heave-ho! Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"
Zhao Xuan was busily stacking one blue brick after another with quick, practiced movements.
Before long, a simple rectangular hut stood before him.
"Well… it's a bit small, and yeah, kinda ugly too—but at least it's barely livable!"
He consoled himself as he admired the little home he had spent almost an hour building. Then he began moving in a pile of sand-covered furniture he had gathered from around the ruins, placing it all into the crude little house.
"Now when I go exploring out in the wild, I'll finally have a place to rest!"
Flopping down on the dusty bed, Zhao Xuan muttered to himself, "And this place is really safe too. I don't even have to worry about wild creatures attacking while I sleep. Once I close the entrance, nothing's getting in."
Physically, Zhao Xuan still felt full of energy.
But—
His spiritual energy was already near exhaustion.
Binding the Heart of the Ruins had drained a huge portion of his Spiritual strength.
After popping two Spirit-Nurturing Fruits into his mouth, Zhao Xuan quickly drifted into a drowsy sleep.
However—
His rest was anything but peaceful.
Half-asleep, Zhao Xuan began to hear loud rumbling and crashing noises.
When he opened his eyes, he saw that the cozy little home he had worked so hard to build had been smashed open by a Desert Statue.
"Grass!" (a certain plant…)
Zhao Xuan was instantly furious.
Damn it!
He hadn't even gone looking for trouble yet—and these things had come to him first?
And they had the nerve to destroy his house!
"You're looking for death!"
As the Tier-3 Desert Statue raised its massive stone arm and brought it crashing down again, Zhao Xuan roared and charged straight toward it!
At the same time—
Azure Dragon Fruit ability!
Armament Haki!
Tempest Kick!
All three abilities erupted simultaneously.
"Hyah!"
With a thunderous sonic boom, Zhao Xuan's Tempest Kick collided with the statue's massive arm.
BOOM!!!!!!
Under the terrifying impact, the Desert Statue's arm exploded into fragments, turning into a storm of dust.
"ROARRR!!!"
The creature howled in agony.
But by then—
Zhao Xuan had already closed the distance.
Another Tempest Kick swept out toward its chest.
BOOM!!!!!!
Instant kill!
Ding! You've experienced a one-sided battle. Your Tempest Kick, Armament Haki, and Azure Dragon Fruit ability proficiency have slightly increased! Proficiency +2!
"Only two points?"
Zhao Xuan frowned. "Looks like my power's already enough to completely crush these Tier-3 Desert Statues."
"Well, better than nothing."
He shook his head, casting his gaze over the endless expanse of desert around him.
"Guess I should clear out the rest of the Desert Statues in this ruin. Can't even sleep peacefully with these things wandering around."
Zhao Xuan wasn't one to procrastinate.
On the contrary—he was a man of action.
Once he made up his mind, he acted immediately.
Using Shave and Moon Step, he soared into the air.
From his vantage point, he scanned the desert for signs of Desert Statues.
Each time he found one, he dove down to destroy it—efficiently and ruthlessly.
Along the way, he also harvested plenty of Cactus Spirit Herbs growing near their resting places.
Time slipped by quietly.
In the blink of an eye, the night was gone.
By dawn, Zhao Xuan had slain at least fifty Desert Statues.
Even so, he still hadn't completely wiped them out.
The reason was simple—
This Desert Ruin was massive.
Far, far too massive.
No matter how far he looked, he still couldn't see the end of the desert.
"Whew…"
Looking over the endless dunes, Zhao Xuan shook his head. "Forget it. That's enough for today. My stamina's nearly gone."
He turned to head back the way he came—
When suddenly, by pure chance, his gaze caught on something at a distant sand dune.
And then—
Zhao Xuan froze.
"What the—!"
His eyes widened, disbelief giving way to excitement, then pure exhilaration.
"Holy crap! A walking three-million-credit EXP piñata!"
Yes—
He wasn't seeing things.
Atop the faraway dune stood a massive Desert Statue.
Its size and build were almost identical to the Tier-4 Desert Statue he had fought in the assessment space.
There was no doubt about it.
That colossal figure in the distance was a Tier-4 Desert Statue!
"I knew it! I knew it! If a Tier-4 land-king appeared in the assessment space, there's no way this ruin wouldn't have one too!"
Zhao Xuan's eyes blazed with fiery anticipation as he muttered to himself, excitement surging through his veins.
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