"Holy sh*t! What the hell! No way! Damn it all!"
For a moment, the entire examination ground was dead silent.
Every examiner present stood frozen — completely stunned.
But the man at the center of it all, Zhao Xuan, didn't even notice.
No, that wasn't right.
He knew — he just didn't care.
Because right now, his fighting spirit was burning hotter than ever.
He had been suppressing that fire for more than ten days.
Ten long days without a worthy opponent.
Ten long days where no one dared accept his challenges.
Ten long days of pent-up aggression.
And now — finally — a proper opponent stood before him.
"There's no way I'm letting this chance slip by."
Tap-tap!
Using Shave, Zhao Xuan's figure blurred forward in a flash, crossing several meters in the blink of an eye.
He closed the distance instantly, charging straight for Lu Sheng.
Lu Sheng, however, was no rookie.
As a Tier-3 Practitioner, his combat instincts were razor sharp.
Even as he crashed into the ground moments ago, he'd already anticipated Zhao Xuan's follow-up attack.
By the time Zhao Xuan reached him, Lu Sheng was already back on his feet — his expression cold and solemn,
The casual arrogance from earlier is completely gone.
He no longer saw Zhao Xuan as a mere high school examinee.
He now viewed him as a true opponent, equal in strength.
"Haaah!"
Lu Sheng roared, sweeping his leg out in a devastating Tempest Kick.
The air cracked with a piercing whoosh, the sound sharp enough to make the crowd flinch.
"That speed…!"
"Is this kid really a high school student!?"
Lu Sheng's pupils shrank in disbelief.
He quickly activated both Armament Haki and Iron Body.
In an instant, his abdomen hardened like steel, a faint black sheen flickering across the skin.
Crack!
Zhao Xuan's Tempest Kick slammed into his abdomen.
Lu Sheng managed to take the blow —
but the reinforced blue bricks beneath his feet shattered instantly, pulverized into dust.
Lu Sheng didn't even notice.
All his attention was locked on Zhao Xuan.
The moment Zhao Xuan's leg struck him, Lu Sheng retaliated —
like a dragon leaping from the sea, his arm shot forward.
His five fingers shaped into a spear.
Grab!
He seized Zhao Xuan's leg mid-swing, and with his other hand —
Boom!
— launched a powerful punch charged with Armament Haki.
The motion was seamless — fast, practiced, lethal.
Zhao Xuan barely had time to react.
Lu Sheng's strike was too swift, too precise.
Zhao Xuan didn't even have a chance to activate Iron Body before the punch connected.
BANG!
The impact sent him flying backward, skidding across the ground for several meters before coming to a stop.
But in his partial dragon form, Zhao Xuan's physique exceeded a thousand.
Even without Iron Body, the blow barely left a mark.
Only the area where the punch had landed showed a faint red bruise.
"What the—this kid's a monster!?"
Lu Sheng couldn't help but curse aloud, completely dumbfounded.
But Zhao Xuan was already on the move again.
Tap-tap!
He vanished from his spot with Shave, charging right back at Lu Sheng.
His fingers extended —
"Finger Gun!"
He thrust forward, lightning-fast.
With the fivefold power boost from the Azure Dragon Fruit, Zhao Xuan's speed reached inhuman levels —
fast enough to surpass some ordinary Tier-3 Practitioners.
But still, compared to Lu Sheng, he was a fraction slower.
This time, Lu Sheng was prepared.
As Zhao Xuan lunged, Lu Sheng's feet tapped rapidly against the air — Moon Step.
He evaded the strike with ease, countering midair with a powerful sweeping kick aimed at Zhao Xuan's back.
Zhao Xuan, however, was ready for that too.
Iron Body!
His muscles tightened like forged steel, absorbing the blow effortlessly.
Then he twisted, grabbing backward, attempting to mimic Lu Sheng's earlier move —
grabbing his opponent mid-strike for a counterattack.
But Lu Sheng had already used Moon Step again, repositioning above him.
From midair, Lu Sheng launched another brutal kick toward Zhao Xuan.
The sound of impacts filled the arena —
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Zhao Xuan stood firm, Iron Body shimmering faintly across his skin.
He tanked every blow without flinching.
And just like that—
The battle fell into a stalemate.
Lu Sheng couldn't break through Zhao Xuan's monstrous defense.
And Zhao Xuan, though powerful, couldn't yet fully pin down the nimble Tier-3 examiner.