"Ding! You have completed a crushing victory. You've gained new insights into Iron Block, Shave, Finger Gun, Armament Haki, and your Azure Dragon Fruit ability. Proficiency in all of the above +5!"
"Only five points? What a rip-off."
Zhao Xuan muttered to himself, then silently released his Dragon-Man form.
Instantly—
A wave of weakness and fatigue swept through his entire body.
It was that familiar emptiness that came from suddenly losing immense power.
After glancing once at the burly man's corpse, Zhao Xuan turned around, leapt out of the crater, and quickly made his way back to Fengming High School.
Within the campus—
At that very moment, with the help of the energy serum, Di Ruqing had already shaken off her weakness and managed to stand up.
Her face was filled with anxiety as she stared at the massive hole in the courtyard wall—the one the burly man had smashed through.
When she saw Zhao Xuan walking back unscathed, her eyes instantly lit up with joy.
Taking a deep breath, she hurried toward him. Casting a wary glance at the dust-filled crater, she said nervously, "I—I've recovered a little strength. Let me help you! My father's on his way back. We just have to hold out for ten more minutes—he should be here by then!"
"No need."
Zhao Xuan glanced at the crater and said calmly, "He's already dead."
Her mind went blank.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Then Di Ruqing's eyes widened in disbelief. "You—you—you—what did you say? Dead? You killed him? You actually killed that Tier-4 cultist from the Demon Sect!?"
"Yes." Zhao Xuan nodded slightly. "If you don't believe me, you can go check. I made sure he was dead before I came back."
"N-no need… I believe you. I believe you…"
Staring at Zhao Xuan's steady, determined face, Di Ruqing couldn't help recalling how he had stood before her earlier—taking that cultist's blow head-on. Her lips trembled as she murmured softly.
And then—
The tension holding her upright suddenly snapped.
Her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed.
"Hey, careful!"
Zhao Xuan quickly reached out and caught her. "Are you okay? Should I help you back to the classroom to sit down?"
"O-okay…"
Di Ruqing nodded weakly—
But her gaze drifted downward, catching sight of something.
Her body froze.
Her face flushed crimson in an instant.
Before Zhao Xuan could react, Di Ruqing tore herself from his arms and bolted away, vanishing from sight.
Only two faint words lingered in the air:
"P-pervert…"
"?????"
Zhao Xuan was stunned.
What the hell?
What just happened?
Why's she calling me that all of a sudden?
All I did was save her life!
Sure, I might've teased her earlier about being flat-chested, but come on—was that really worth this?
As he was grumbling inwardly, a breeze blew past, brushing against his skin.
It felt… a little too cold.
Then, like a lightning bolt, realization struck him.
He looked down—
"Holy—!!!"
Only then did Zhao Xuan realize that his clothes and pants had been completely torn apart during his Dragon-Man transformation.
Fortunately—
His underwear had miraculously survived.
Though stretched quite a bit from his enlarged frame.
(PS: Don't ask why his clothes and pants got shredded but his underwear didn't—because the Great River Crab God forbids such things.)
"No wonder!"
Without another word, Zhao Xuan hurriedly opened the relic gate and slipped inside.
In the ruins' base, he quickly changed into a fresh set of clothes. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief and step back into the real world.
No sooner had he emerged than—
He saw Di Ruqing returning again.
She was clutching a set of the boys' school uniform and trousers from Fengming High.
Obviously, she must've dashed to the school's logistics office to get them for him.
Keeping her head lowered, she walked straight up to Zhao Xuan and offered him the folded clothes without looking up once.
"No need. I already changed," Zhao Xuan said.
"Huh?"
She blinked, then slowly—very slowly—lifted her head.
Her eyes flicked down, confirming that Zhao Xuan was indeed dressed.
Only then did she exhale in relief and fully raise her gaze.
Their eyes met.
And as if remembering something—her cheeks flushed red again.
After a few seconds, a soft voice slipped out:
"Th-thank you…"
"What?" Zhao Xuan blinked. He hadn't quite caught that.
"Thank you!"
"Oh, oh! Don't mention it! Just lending a hand, that's all. Besides, that Demon Sect scum deserved to die anyway!" Zhao Xuan said, waving dismissively.
"Still… thank you," Di Ruqing said again, bowing deeply.
"We're classmates. No need to be so formal," Zhao Xuan replied with another casual wave.
The two fell silent.
Moments later, Zhao Xuan suddenly slapped his thigh. "Ah—right! Since the Demon Sect cultist here is dealt with, I'll head back to No. 1 High. The college entrance exam results should be out by now—I'd better go check mine! See you next time, Di!"
As she watched his figure fade into the distance, Di Ruqing's bright eyes shimmered softly.
Further and further he went—
Until finally, he disappeared completely.
Her eyes gradually calmed.
She clenched her small fists and placed them gently over her chest, gazing in the direction he'd gone.
"Zhao Xuan…" she whispered.
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