Zhao Xuan, for all his monstrous power, still couldn't land a clean hit on the agile and battle-hardened Lu Sheng.
And Lu Sheng, for all his experience, couldn't break through Zhao Xuan's insane defense.
The fight was deadlocked.
But—
As time went on, something changed.
After barely dodging one of Zhao Xuan's counterattacks, Lu Sheng suddenly realized a horrifying truth.
That monster of a student… was learning.
Not just learning—evolving mid-battle.
At the start, Zhao Xuan hadn't been able to touch him at all. Lu Sheng had been effortlessly dodging every strike.
But now—
After only a short exchange—
Dodging Zhao Xuan's counters was becoming harder and harder.
"A… monster. A real monster!"
The spectators—both resting examiners and those done with their tests—were gathered together, eyes locked on the battlefield.
"This kid's insane!"
"That Zhao Xuan… he's almost on par with that freak from Nanjing No. 1 High!"
"Not almost. He's already there!"
"Unbelievable!"
The examiners couldn't hide their shock.
"Did you notice? His learning curve is terrifying. He's adapting to Lu Sheng's fighting style in real time."
"Yeah… if this continues, Lu Sheng's done for. The only question is—can Zhao Xuan maintain that burst of power?"
Whoosh!
A violent gust tore through the air as Lu Sheng barely avoided another counter.
This time, he didn't rush back in like before. Instead, he retreated several steps, widening the distance between them.
"No… no, this can't go on!"
He grit his teeth, muttering under his breath.
"If I keep fighting like this, he'll catch me eventually! I'll be damned if I let that happen!"
As he spoke, a mysterious aura began to surge from within him.
Lu Sheng finally activated his Devil Fruit ability.
In the blink of an eye—
His muscles thickened, his frame grew bulkier, and coarse black-brown fur began spreading rapidly across his skin.
Sharp claws extended from both his hands, gleaming under the arena lights.
The spectators gasped.
"An Animal-Type user?"
Indeed—Lu Sheng, too, was an Animal-Type Devil Fruit user.
And he wasn't holding back anymore.
Tap!
He charged, the ground cracking beneath his feet.
Even now, his speed hadn't increased much—clearly, his fruit wasn't built for agility.
But Zhao Xuan didn't back down.
"Perfect timing!" he shouted, grinning wide.
"Come on!"
The two collided head-on.
Fists met fists.
Force met force.
They weren't dodging anymore—no more Shave, no more Moon Step—
just pure, raw, brutal close combat.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The sound of fists smashing against flesh and bone echoed like thunder.
The arena itself trembled.
Every punch that landed sent shockwaves across the ground, and the spectators could feel the vibrations in their chests.
Blue bricks shattered beneath their feet, cracking one after another—
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
"They've gone insane!"
"Zhao Xuan actually forced Lu Sheng to use his Devil Fruit!"
"Is this still an exam or a national martial arts tournament!?"
"This is wild—so damn wild! I haven't seen Lu Sheng use his fruit in half a year! And now, a high school senior forced him to do it!"
"Guess it's true—there are no weak Devil Fruits, only weak users!"
In the center of the arena, the fists stopped.
Lu Sheng's movements changed—he stopped punching altogether.
Instead, he lunged forward—headfirst.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
He rammed into Zhao Xuan like a beast, head crashing again and again with bone-rattling force.
Zhao Xuan was forced back step by step under the onslaught.
One word could describe Lu Sheng now—ferocious.
"It's the Honey Badger Fruit! So it's true!"
"That's insane!"
"No wonder! I remember—Lu Sheng knocked me out cold with a headbutt once!"
Yes—Lu Sheng's Devil Fruit was the Animal-Type: Honey Badger Fruit.
The honey badger—also known as the "Flat-Head Brother"—was infamous for its fearlessness and sheer tenacity.
No matter the opponent—lion, tiger, or serpent—it would charge in without hesitation.
That same unbreakable spirit now radiated from Lu Sheng.
Almost everyone hated fighting against Honey Badger users, and for good reason—
The more intense the battle became, the stronger the Honey Badger grew.
Its power thrived on pain, chaos, and fury.
That was why so many fighters who were stronger on paper had fallen to Honey Badger users—
beaten not by strength, but by madness.