The news that Zhao Xuan hadn't chosen a Logia-type Devil Fruit, but instead picked what was widely considered the weakest—an Animal-type—spread through Tongcheng First High School like wildfire.
In an instant—
The entire school was in an uproar.
"That guy's lost his mind!"
"He's an idiot! How could he waste such a golden opportunity?"
"Is that Zhao Xuan guy brain-damaged or something?"
"No way that's true! Who in their right mind would not choose a Logia-type?"
"..."
Zhao Xuan heard all of it, of course. But he didn't care.
He didn't even bother explaining.
Time was precious.
He barely had enough of it to train—why waste it arguing with others?
Fang Qin was right.
There were only a dozen or so days left until the College Entrance Exam.
Every extra bit of effort now could mean one more point on the test.
And sometimes—
A single point could determine the entire course of one's future.
After all, the quality of education and resources in elite universities and ordinary ones were worlds apart.
Tongcheng — Fengming High School
Class 3-2.
"Ru Qing, did you hear?"
A slightly chubby girl leaned toward her friend and said, "That Zhao Xuan from No.1 High—the one whose Spiritual Power was supposedly as high as 37—didn't choose a Logia fruit! He said he relied on some kind of 'sixth sense' and picked an Animal-type instead."
Di Ruqing froze for a moment, then sneered with a mix of pity and disdain.
"Hmph, ridiculous. I thought he'd be my rival in the upcoming exams. What a disappointment."
It wasn't just Fengming High.
Within a single day, the story had spread across more than half of Tongcheng.
Soon enough—
The entire city was buzzing about Zhao Xuan.
Yet all this noise couldn't disturb Zhao Xuan himself.
Over the next few days, his life was monotonous but intense.
Aside from six hours of sleep each night, he spent every waking moment training.
Thanks to his drastically improved physique and the assistance of the Heavenly Rewards Diligence System, Zhao Xuan's strength skyrocketed within mere days.
[Heavenly Rewards Diligence System]
Name: Zhao Xuan
Age: 18
Spiritual Power: 40.86 / 40.86
Physique: 103.85 / 103.85
Abilities:
Shave (Proficiency: 55 / 200)
Iron Body (Proficiency: 126 / 200)
Finger Pistol (Proficiency: 111 / 200)
Moon Step (Proficiency: 57 / 200)
Tempest Kick (Proficiency: 99 / 200)
Finger Pistol (Proficiency: 49 / 200)
Swordsmanship (Proficiency: 25 / 200)
Armament Haki (Beginner: 518 / 1000)
Azure Dragon Fruit (Beginner: 298 / 1000)
Except for his Azure Dragon Fruit and Armament Haki,
all of his other techniques—
had reached the Proficient level.
"These last few days of effort really paid off!"
Looking at his upgraded status panel, Zhao Xuan couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
"But… it's still not enough. Not nearly enough! I have to keep pushing!"
His eyes grew resolute once more.
Just as he was about to resume his focused training—
Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the distance.
"Li Jiangchang's back!"
"Holy crap! Li Jiangchang's insane!"
"He must've stepped in a mountain of dog shit today—his luck is off the charts!"
"Logia-type! Li Jiangchang actually rolled a Logia-type fruit!"
"No way! For real!?"
"Of course it's real—the homeroom teacher confirmed it himself!"
"So what Logia ability did he get?"
"Seems like it's the Snow-Snow Fruit!"
"So lucky!"
"Lucky +10086!"
"Where is he now? Haven't seen him around."
"The teacher said the principal called him in."
"Damn, he's blessed! If I remember right, his Spirit stat was only 21, right? That's like a one-in-ten-thousand chance to draw a Logia fruit!"
"Too bad it's the Snow-Snow Fruit. It would've been perfect if it were the Ice-Ice Fruit."
"Too bad my ass! The Snow-Snow Fruit is already incredible!"
"I wonder how Zhao Xuan feels right now?"
"He must be kicking himself with regret!"
"..."
"The Snow-Snow Fruit, huh?"
Zhao Xuan's eyes flickered slightly.
"A one-in-ten-thousand chance, and he managed to hit it… I guess his luck's pretty good. But compared to the Azure Dragon Fruit—"
He shook his head.
"—it's still far inferior."
Casting aside all distractions, Zhao Xuan steadied his mind once again and dove back into cultivation.
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