"A filthy shoe that's been stepped on by who knows how many people—and you still wanted to be my woman? Dream on. Disgusting."
Listening to the system notification echoing in his ears and looking down at the Western woman's corpse on the ground, Zhao Xuan's face filled with unconcealed disgust.
To be honest—
Truly speaking—
When that woman had said she was willing to become his woman, Zhao Xuan had been tempted for a brief instant.
There was no other reason.
Her looks and figure were simply flawless—easily the most perfect beauty Zhao Xuan had ever seen.
Especially after she activated her Devil Fruit and entered her succubus form—
it had genuinely stirred his heart.
But—
That feeling lasted less than one-tenth of a second.
In the very next instant, it was completely drowned out by the murderous intent surging in Zhao Xuan's mind.
Zhao Xuan was not the kind of brainless creature who thought only with his lower half.
He was a normal man, yes—
But he was also rational.
And when he heard the second half of her sentence—
when she spoke as if she were boasting, bragging about how "good" she was in bed—
The last trace of hesitation vanished entirely.
Zhao Xuan's attention quickly shifted from the woman's corpse to the alley entrance.
But—
The ancient city guards were gone.
"Did they run away because they were scared by my strength?"
Zhao Xuan scanned the alley entrance again.
Nothing.
His brows immediately furrowed.
"I killed four of them, and instead of hunting me down, they ran?"
"That makes no sense."
No.
It didn't make sense at all.
Something was definitely wrong.
"No, no, no…"
Zhao Xuan's eyes flickered rapidly.
"I know far too little about this Life City ruin. I need information—fast. I can't keep going blind like this."
A trace of regret surfaced in his heart.
"I should've kept that bitch alive a little longer, squeezed the information out of her first, then killed her."
"But what's done is done. Regretting it now is pointless."
"The priority is finding someone else."
Shaking his head, Zhao Xuan cast aside the stray thoughts.
With a few light steps, he vanished from the spot.
After moving through the city for a short while—
Suddenly—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Intense battle sounds erupted in the distance.
But they came fast—
And ended just as quickly.
Less than a minute.
When Zhao Xuan arrived, he saw three black men rapidly looting the corpses of a group of ancient city guards.
Soon—
One of them pulled a finger-sized transparent crystal from a guard's body.
The moment it appeared—
All three of them burst into ecstatic smiles.
"What is that?"
Zhao Xuan's eyes narrowed instantly.
Those three were all seventh-rank geniuses.
Something that could make such people look this excited—
Was without question a treasure.
"Damn it… this is the price of not knowing the ruin."
"I didn't even think about looting corpses earlier."
Who would've thought that sixth-rank guards could carry something that made top geniuses so excited?
Just then—
"Who's there?!"
One of the men suddenly turned toward Zhao Xuan's direction.
The other two followed immediately.
"Another one with Grandmaster-level Observation Haki…"
Zhao Xuan frowned.
He stopped hiding and stepped out from the alley.
"It's you!!!"
The leader's eyes flashed when he recognized Zhao Xuan.
He immediately swept Zhao Xuan's surroundings with his Observation Haki.
After confirming Zhao Xuan was alone—
Greed flooded his face.
"Kill him!"
"Move!"
Before Zhao Xuan could even approach—
The three charged him simultaneously.
Faces flushed.
Eyes blazing.
Greed overflowing.
They were clearly after the bounty on Zhao Xuan's head.
The leader was slightly stronger than the other two.
He reached Zhao Xuan first and lunged forward, clawing straight for Zhao Xuan's throat.
"Why bother?" Zhao Xuan sighed lightly.
"Why rush to die?"
"Couldn't we just talk?"
Slaughter is not my wish—
But you are the ones courting death.
Just as the man thought victory was assured—
Suddenly—
"ROAR!!!!"
A terrifying dragon-like roar echoed through the street.
An ancient, primordial pressure slammed down.
Zhao Xuan's Conqueror's Haki, fused with Azure Dragon might, erupted.
Even back when it was only at the Master level, it could already affect eighth-rank experts.
Now—
It had advanced to Grandmaster level.
Second stage.
The man, completely unguarded, was engulfed instantly.
His mind froze for nearly half a second.
Half a second.
Not long—
But for high-level combat?
Fatal.
Zhao Xuan moved.
BOOM!!!
A lightning-wrapped, Haki-coated fist smashed forward, bypassing the man's golden-glowing hand and striking straight for his face.
Knife-like wind tore across his skin.
The pain snapped him awake—
Only for him to see Zhao Xuan's golden-purple fist filling his vision.
"T-This is bad…!"
Too late.
THUD!!!!
The punch landed.
His nose collapsed instantly.
Teeth were blown clean from his mouth.
His face caved in.
BOOM!!!
He was sent flying past his companions, crashing onto the street dozens of meters away.
The ground shook.
Before his screams could fully escape—
Zhao Xuan was already there.
BOOM!!!
Another punch crushed his skull.
A third—
POP.
His head exploded.
Blood and brain matter splattered everywhere.
Three punches.
A seventh-rank genius—dead.
The entire exchange lasted—
Three seconds.
At most.
Only then did the remaining two react.
"B-Boss!!!"
"H-How is this possible?!"
Their faces turned deathly pale.
Zhao Xuan was already charging again.
BOOM!!!
He struck the one on the left.
Conqueror's Haki erupted again.
His body froze—just for an instant.
Enough.
The punch slammed into his shoulder.
He was launched like a train-hit doll into a house wall.
He barely stood—
Coughing blood—
Another punch arrived.
Again—Conqueror's Haki.
Another freeze.
Another hit.
A third punch finally embedded him into the wall.
Zhao Xuan stopped.
He needed information.
Then—
He turned.
The last man was fleeing.
"Run?" Zhao Xuan sneered.
"In Dragon-Man form, my speed is also eighth-rank."
In an instant, he caught up.
BOOM!!!
One punch shattered his spine.
He crashed forward, sliding across the ground.
He tried to escape again.
"Magma Fruit?"
Zhao Xuan smashed through the lava.
Caught him.
Crushed his leg.
Bones snapped.
Screams echoed.
Zhao Xuan lifted him by the throat.
"I ask. You answer."
"Good answers—quick death."
"Bad answers—slow torture."
"Understood?"
"T-Understood…"
"Good."
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Read Chapters ahead: [email protected] / KaiOynx