Night had fallen.
Inside the quiet little cabin, the crackling firewood filled the room with a gentle orange glow, spreading warmth throughout.
Gululu—!
Leo, Yahiko, and Konan sat cross-legged in a circle. In the middle, a stone pot bubbled gently, filled with mushrooms, coriander, chunks of meat, and tomatoes.
A rich aroma wafted through the air, making one's mouth water.
Yet neither Yahiko nor Konan could feel truly happy—because they knew Leo would be leaving soon.
The thought weighed heavily on them.
Both of them were orphans, and Leo was the only person who had treated them with genuine care—
He had even taught them ninjutsu.
"Teacher Leo… when are you leaving?" Yahiko finally asked.
Normally, he didn't call him "teacher." It felt awkward, and Leo himself had never demanded it—in fact, he preferred not to be addressed that way.
So Yahiko rarely used such a formal title.
"At the latest, tomorrow morning," Leo replied calmly. "Which means… Tonight will be our last night together. Honestly, I don't have much left to teach you. You're no longer ordinary people—you've gained the strength to protect yourselves."
"Oh…"
The two lowered their heads, shoulders drooping, their moods sinking.
Konan clenched the hem of her clothes tightly, wanting to say something—but no words came. Her eyes shimmered with moisture, emotions swirling in her chest.
"Come on, eat up," Leo said lightly. "I bought the meat especially for tonight. You'll need to keep your bodies strong if you want to become excellent and powerful ninjas."
He personally served them each a bowl of mushroom and meat stew.
Yahiko and Konan forced smiles through their tears and obediently finished their bowls, savoring every bite.
After dinner, none of them said much. One by one, they went to rest.
But when Leo stepped outside, he found Yahiko and Konan already standing there, gazing at the night sky.
He sighed. "Why aren't you sleeping? Even if I'm not around, you can't slack off in your training."
"Teacher Leo… you're leaving tomorrow. We can't sleep." Yahiko's tone was heavy.
"Teacher Leo, when will you come back? How long will you be gone?" Konan finally gathered her courage to ask.
Her eyes showed a trace of sorrow—what she really wanted to ask was will you come back at all? Will we ever see you again?
"If nothing uneEXPected happens, I'll be back." Leo replied without hesitation.
After all, the Second Ninja World War would last for years, and the main battleground would be in the Land of Rain.
Once his missions were done, he might very well return here to rest.
"Really?" Konan's face softened with a faint smile. Though she was still sad, at least now she had something to look forward to.
Seeing their faces, Leo chuckled. "Since you can't sleep, how about we talk a little? Tell me—what are your dreams for the future? Or you can ask me questions if you like."
"Sounds good!" Yahiko immediately agreed.
The three sat together on the doorstep of the small wooden house.
The firelight spilled warmly from the open door, while outside the night was wrapped in heavy clouds.
"So, Yahiko," Leo asked casually, "what's your dream?"
Yahiko stood up proudly, chest lifted.
"I want to change the world! I want to create a place without war—where people can live peacefully, happily, and in harmony.
A world bright and full of hope, like the dawn in the East!"
Leo nodded with a faint smile. "That's a great dream. But you'll need power if you want to achieve it."
Just as he'd suspected—Yahiko's answer didn't surprise him.
"Of course! Before that, I'll train hard and become a strong ninja!
Teacher Leo, don't slack off either—one day I might even surpass you!" Yahiko said confidently, grinning from ear to ear.
"Yahiko, stop boasting! How could you ever surpass Teacher Leo?" Konan couldn't help but scold him.
"Hey, Konan, he's my goal to strive for! I'm not saying I will surpass him, but if I did, that'd be pretty embarrassing for him, right?" Yahiko said with a mischievous grin.
"Pfft—hahaha!"
Leo couldn't help but laugh, his usually cold face softening with warmth.
"I'll be waiting for that day, Yahiko. But as your teacher, I'll also keep moving forward. I won't stand still."
"Then it's a promise!" Yahiko said excitedly.
"Mm."
Leo nodded, then turned to Konan. "And you, Konan? What's your wish?"
Konan hadn't eEXPected him to ask. She immediately lowered her head, flustered.
"Come on, Konan, say it," Yahiko urged playfully.
After a pause, Konan gathered her courage, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I don't have a grand dream like Yahiko's… I just want you, Teacher Leo, to stay safe.
That's my biggest wish."
Yahiko fell silent, his smile fading. He sat back down quietly and sighed.
"Then what about you, Teacher?" Konan asked softly. "What's your wish?"
Yahiko also looked up curiously.
Leo gazed up at the night sky. "Me? I've got too many wishes.
Even if I talked all night, I couldn't finish listing them all.
So—let's all get some rest instead."
"Teacher, you're so mean! You said we could ask!" Yahiko protested.
"Yeah, so what?" Leo smirked, looking utterly unbothered.
Yahiko groaned in defeat, realizing he'd been tricked. All that passion for nothing!
Konan covered her mouth and giggled softly. If only this moment could last forever, she thought.
Eventually, the teacher and his two students returned to their rooms for the night.
Leo, however, didn't sleep.
He knew that rescuing Tsunade would be another fierce battle. He needed to get stronger—fast.
He opened his personal status panel.
[Host: Leo]
Abilities: Conqueror's Haki Lv3, Observation Haki Lv3 → Lv4, Armament Haki Lv4, Tornado Secret Technique Lv3, Shave Lv3, Moon Step Lv3
(Next level requires 10,000 EEXP)
Devil Fruit: Flame-Flame Fruit Lv4 (Next level requires 50,000 EEXP)
Weapon: Great Blade Enma
Current EEXP: 12,200 / 50,000
Killing the Sand ninja squad had earned him some eEXPerience—and even a Silver Treasure Chest.
But he'd been too busy teaching Yahiko and Konan ninjutsu to open it.
Since he'd be leaving tomorrow, tonight was the perfect time to strengthen himself.
He first spent 10,000 EEXP to upgrade Observation Haki from Level 3 to Level 4.
He didn't choose to enhance Conqueror's Haki—after weighing the pros and cons, Observation would be far more practical on a battlefield filled with danger and uncertainty.
In the midst of war, awareness was everything—
and Observation Haki allowed him to sense threats before they struck.
As the upgrade completed, a tremor ran through Leo's body.
A strange, transcendent sensation filled his mind.
The world fell silent—yet he could hear everything.
It was as if he'd gained the perspective of a god, perceiving the countless subtle sounds of life and the natural forces flowing through the world.
He sank into that feeling, quietly attuning himself to the evolution of his power—
until even the faintest whisper of the rain outside echoed vividly in his soul.
Chapter 77 – Seeking Change
Ding-dong!
"You have experienced a thrilling battle. Your understanding and mastery of all your abilities have deepened. All skill proficiencies +200!"
With the crisp chime of the system prompt, the Provincial Examination officially came to an end.
Yes.
That's right.
That figure standing tall and unmoving at the center of the ruined arena—
That man, one meter eighty in height, with sword-shaped brows, bright eyes, a jade-like face, handsome and composed, exuding both elegance and confidence—
It was none other than Zhao Xuan!
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
In an instant, every gaze in the arena gathered upon him.
In those gazes were reverence, admiration, astonishment—and awe.
For a long while, silence reigned.
Then—
Clap clap clap!
Thunderous applause erupted, echoing through the entire stadium.
Though there were fewer than two hundred people qualified to witness the Provincial Examination in person,
At this very moment—
Their applause sounded as if thousands, tens of thousands were cheering in unison.
Amidst that storm of applause, Zhao Xuan slowly closed his eyes.
As he basked in the glory rightfully belonging to the victor,
He once again tried to use his spiritual power to stir that mysterious, domineering energy within his mind.
Though his control remained limited—just like last time, even with all his strength, he could barely move it—
Still, this time… it responded a little more than before.
"Battle! I need a battle! More battle! Only through battle can I awaken it!"
Zhao Xuan clenched his fists silently.
He had already realized what that power lurking deep within his consciousness was—
Conqueror's Haki!
Yes.
In his view, that mysterious aura could only be the Conqueror's Haki.
He didn't know how others awakened theirs,
But he already had a feeling about how he would.
Through relentless, exhilarating battles—
Through defeating one "genius" after another—
By forging an unshakable belief in his own invincibility, he would awaken it!
"The National Examination… I can't wait!"
The desire burning in Zhao Xuan's heart grew ever stronger.
When the rankings were finally announced, no one in Hang City—or rather, the entire Nanjiang Province—was particularly surprised that Zhao Xuan had taken first place.
If anything, the news only confirmed what everyone already assumed two days ago after the Demon Cult incident.
A Tier-4 cultivator defeating a fifth-rank opponent—such a feat wasn't something that could be dismissed as luck.
In the Provincial and National Exams, all contestants were geniuses, each close in strength. Battles were fierce, often forcing participants to use their trump cards.
Because of this, the arenas were sealed off—no filming, no broadcasts—to protect the fighters from having their techniques leaked.
Instead, the Governor's Office would later release photos of the aftermath to give the public a sense of how intense the battles had been.
So when images of the arena—shattered and ruined from Zhao Xuan's duel with Fatty Fu—were released,
The entire province was stunned.
"Hissss—!"
"Holy crap! The whole arena was blown apart!"
"These were all fourth-grade blue bricks! And they're reduced to dust!"
"Are you sure that was just a fight between two Tier-4s!?"
Within hours, all of Nanjiang was in an uproar.
Zhao Xuan, however, knew nothing of this.
At that moment, he was already training hard for the upcoming National Examination.
Nanjiang Province might rank among the strongest of the thirty-four provinces of Kyushu,
But it wasn't the strongest.
That honor went to the Kyushu Imperial Capital, followed by Magic City and Peng City.
If the Provincial Exam had already forced him to face so many formidable opponents—
Then what awaited him at the National level?
Even with his confidence, Zhao Xuan knew the truth of the saying: "The world is vast; there is always someone stronger."
He wasn't arrogant enough to think that his current strength guaranteed victory over every prodigy across the nation.
But he had a premonition—
If he could crush all rivals and seize first place in the National Examination,
He would surely awaken his Conqueror's Haki!
But if arrogance caused him to stumble and lose that invincible belief…
He might never awaken it.
That was something Zhao Xuan could never allow.
So—
Every second counted. He had to train harder.
Hang City, Ability Users' Guild — Cultivation Chamber
Ding-dong!
"You have diligently trained in a dense spiritual environment. Your understanding of [Tempest Kick], [Armament Haki], and [Azure Dragon Fruit] has deepened. Proficiency +30 for each!"
[Heaven Rewards Diligence System]
Name: Zhao Xuan
Age: 18
Spiritual Power: 186.58 / 186.58
Constitution: 1001.45 / 1001.45
Abilities:
Shave (Master: 1886 / 8000)
Iron Body (Master: 2145 / 8000)
Paper Art (Master: 965 / 8000)
Moon Step (Master: 1672 / 8000)
Tempest Kick (Master: 3154 / 8000)
Finger Gun (Master: 935 / 8000)
Swordsmanship (Master: 435 / 8000)
Armament Haki (Expert: 2972 / 4000)
Azure Dragon Fruit (Expert: 2698 / 4000)
Looking over his status panel, Zhao Xuan frowned deeply.
"No, no, no!"
He abruptly released his powers, returning to normal.
"Even in this high-density spiritual environment, the results are too slow! After four hours of nonstop training, my proficiency barely increased!"
"At this rate, I'll never raise my Armament Haki and Azure Dragon Fruit to Master level before the Nationals!"
He couldn't sit still any longer.
According to Elder Jiang Youde, this year's National Examination would be the most intense in history.
There were already at least thirteen candidates—himself included—who had reached the fourth rank.
"That settles it. I can't just keep training in isolation!"
He strode out of the chamber, paid the one-million examination fee, and registered for the Tier-4 Ability User Test.
Minutes later, a message arrived:
His examiner was ready. Report to Arena 019.
When Zhao Xuan arrived, the area was already crowded with onlookers—mostly third and fourth ranks.
"Wow, he's so young!"
"Can't be more than eighteen!"
"High schoolers these days are already fourth rank?!"
"Times really have changed…"
"Yeah, but he's no Zhao Xuan."
At the referee's whistle—
Zhao Xuan vanished.
Boom!
His Tempest Kick smashed into the examiner's gut before the man even realized what had happened.
A muffled grunt.
Then the examiner flew backward, crashing clean off the stage.
Silence.
Utter silence.
"Referee," Zhao Xuan asked calmly, "does that mean I passed?"
The referee swallowed hard, glanced at the shattered bricks, and stammered, "P-Passed!"
"Good."
Zhao Xuan leapt off the stage and left without another word.
Only after he was gone did the crowd explode.
"Holy—what just happened!?"
"Did he really beat the examiner with one move!?"
"Wait, wasn't that Zhao Xuan!? The guy who killed a fifth-rank while still at fourth!?"
"Yeah! That monster!"
While the spectators buzzed, Zhao Xuan was already in the Guild's mission hall.
Unlike Tong City's old-fashioned setup, Hang City's hall was sleek and modern—
Everything handled by automated terminals.
He approached one and began scrolling through Tier-4 missions—
Then suddenly stopped.
"Wait a second… Even without my Devil Fruit powers, my physical strength alone rivals most fourth ranks. In partial dragon form, I could fight any of them evenly. And in full Dragon-Human form, even ordinary fifth ranks wouldn't stand a chance."
"Then why bother taking Tier-4 missions? The rewards are too low, and the proficiency gain will be pitiful."
"Money's not the issue—power is. Once I'm strong enough, money will come on its own."
With that thought, Zhao Xuan turned away and marched back to the front desk.
The fee for the Fifth-Rank Examination was three million.
He paid, and soon received another notification.
"Candidate Zhao Xuan—report to Arena 009. Examiner: Master Mei."
"Hey, isn't that Zhao Xuan again?"
"Wait, is he testing for fifth rank this time!?"
"And Master Mei's the examiner!"
Within minutes, the crowd swelled again.
When the two stepped onto the arena, excitement rippled through the audience.
The referee's whistle blew—
And the duel began.
Zhao Xuan's opponent, Mei Hualu, was a veteran fifth-rank—
A woman in her thirties with abundant combat experience, unlike the youthful Zhao Shi he had once slain.
"This will be a true battle," Zhao Xuan thought, eyes alight with anticipation.
Every cell in his body seemed to roar in excitement.
A wave of killing intent erupted from him like a storm.
Mei Hualu's eyes narrowed. "Damn, looks like today's three-million fee won't come easy."
Then—
ROAR!
A thunderous dragon's cry shook the air.
Zhao Xuan's body transformed—scales, claws, and wings unfurled.
Dragon-Human Form.
Facing a genuine fifth-rank master, he held nothing back.
The crowd stumbled backward, pale under the oppressive aura.
Zhao Xuan didn't care who was watching.
He knew his power was evolving so quickly that any data gathered on him would soon be outdated.
Anyone daring to set a trap based on his "current" strength…
Would only be walking toward death.
Thump-thump-thump!
Zhao Xuan charged, unleashing a Thunder Eight Trigrams – Tempest Kick!
Lightning and wind fused into a single devastating strike.
"What terrifying power! What speed!"
Mei Hualu barely had time to react before the kick hit home.
The shockwave blasted her backward across the arena.
"Impossible!"
"He sent Master Mei flying with one move!?"
But she was no novice.
Flipping midair, she stamped her feet against the sky—Moon Step!—
Nullifying the momentum and landing lightly.
As she steadied herself, horns sprouted from her head, fine fur covering her face.
Her fruit power—Antelope Zoan-Type—had activated.
"An animal-type fruit, huh?" Zhao Xuan's eyes gleamed. "Agility and speed… perfect."
Then she counterattacked, her own Tempest Kick cloaked in black Armament Haki.
Boom!
Their attacks collided, shockwaves tearing through the arena.
Even fifth-grade blue bricks cracked under the pressure.
In seconds, they exchanged four, five consecutive blows—
Each one splitting the air with deafening force.
Mei Hualu found herself gasping.
"How is this possible!? A mere Tier-4 matching me blow for blow!"
Zhao Xuan, on the other hand, was ecstatic.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! More! Come on—again!"
The audience could barely stand against the gale from their clash.
Two masters—one dragon, one antelope—colliding like titans.
But for Mei Hualu, things only grew worse.
Her greatest advantage—speed—meant nothing against this monster.
Every second drained her stamina while Zhao Xuan only seemed to grow stronger.
After nearly ten minutes, she'd had enough.
"To hell with this! Three million isn't worth dying for!"
With a sly smile, she suddenly leapt backward—
And jumped clean off the arena.
Zhao Xuan blinked. "?????"
The referee stared, speechless.
"Master Mei… you…?"
"No need to continue," Mei Hualu said, brushing off her hands. "He's passed. I guarantee he can endure half an hour of my attacks."
—Though whether I can endure his for half an hour is another question… she thought grimly.
"Anyway, it's about to rain. I need to get home and bring in the laundry."
And with that, she left.
Zhao Xuan stood there, dumbfounded.
Bring in the laundry!? Seriously!?
"Hey! Don't go! I wasn't done yet!"
He sighed, suppressing the surging battle-lust in his chest.
"Well… at least I gained plenty of proficiency. And I've confirmed I really can fight fifth-rank masters head-on."
After confirming his exam results, Zhao Xuan returned to the mission hall—
Just in time to see Mei Hualu walking out.
"Master Mei, didn't you go home to collect the laundry?" Zhao Xuan asked dryly.
She coughed awkwardly. "Ah… just picking up a mission on the way! But yes, the sky's darkening—I really should go now. Goodbye!"
Then she bolted.
Zhao Xuan could only shake his head helplessly and return to the task terminal.
Unlike small towns like Tong City, Hang City offered a wide range of fifth-rank missions.
He didn't get cocky.
Instead of choosing mid- or high-tier bounties, he picked a low-tier fifth-rank mission—
And set out immediately.
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