The Journey to Korin Tower

Sun Mo had already pierced through layers of white clouds, yet he still hadn't reached the tower's top.

Moreover, looking up, he still couldn't see the end.

Sun Mo couldn't help but say, "No wonder it's called Korin Tower—I've climbed this high, and there's still no sign of the top..."

But far from being discouraged, the light in his eyes only grew brighter.

Today's Korin Tower was still a mountain to him, but in the future, Korin Tower would be nothing more than a place name.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and mustered his strength again to climb upward.

A day passed.

The sun set, and the moon rose.

Sun Mo finally saw the tower's top.

"Finally here!"

Seeing the finish line, Sun Mo's speed suddenly increased.

In just a few breaths, Sun Mo reached the tower's top.

The night breeze blew, and Sun Mo felt a hint of coolness, with a faint fragrance lingering in the air.

Walking up the stairs, a white cat was leaning against a jar, its back to him.

"Hello!"

Sun Mo greeted politely.

Korin turned his head and saw Sun Mo.

"Oh, you're already up here—that was fast!"

Korin checked the time and said, "I noticed you the moment you started climbing the tower.

Your speed was pretty quick, but it's a lot slower than I expected! You almost made me fall asleep waiting..."

Sun Mo scratched his head awkwardly.

"Ah, have you been waiting for me long?

Sorry, I couldn't see the top and didn't know how much further it was, so I was conserving my strength..."

Korin nodded.

"I see!"

Sun Mo looked around and said, "Korin, I've come to request the Ultra Divine Water!"

"Ultra Divine Water?"

"Yes!"

Korin picked his ear with his pinky and said leisurely, "That stuff? I do have it here.

But if you want to drink it, you'll have to snatch it from my hands!

Of course, you can only use your own strength—tools, tricks, and the like won't work on me!"

Sun Mo nodded.

"I understand the rules. Someone spoke to me, so can we start?"

Korin casually scooped up the jar containing the "Ultra Divine Water."

"Alright, let's begin!"

Sun Mo assumed a starting stance and shouted, "Here I come!"

With that, Sun Mo's gaze suddenly sharpened, and his entire demeanor shifted like a hunting leopard.

Without any warning, his body shot toward Korin.

The explosive power far surpassing what he'd shown climbing the tower was now fully unleashed, his speed so fast it left an afterimage trailing behind him.

Sun Mo's right hand formed a claw, aiming straight for the jar in Korin's arms.

As Sun Mo expected, the moment he was about to touch the Ultra Divine Water, the jar was pulled away.

Sun Mo was startled—he hadn't even seen how Korin disappeared.

Suddenly, Korin's voice came from behind his ear.

"Not good enough—too straightforward. It won't be that easy to snatch it..."

Sun Mo spun around and charged at Korin again.

But Korin's figure once again evaded his pursuit with ease.

Sun Mo still ran a few steps in the direction of his charge to slow his momentum.

Korin's movements were completely different from his own.

That fluidity and ease stood in stark contrast to Sun Mo's clumsy performance.

Sun Mo's heart tightened as his grab missed. He spun on his heel, feinting a follow-up.

As Korin dodged, his left leg swept out like a whip, trying to cut off Korin's possible escape route, while his right hand shot out again.

But Korin simply tossed the jar lightly upward, ducked low under the sweep of his leg, and when Sun Mo turned, the jar settled back securely into the hermit's arms.

The whole sequence was still fluid and seamless, with not even a noticeable slosh of water inside the jar.

Sun Mo's gaze turned grave.

This time, he'd seen Korin's fluid movements clearly...

But he was still far from snatching the bottle.

Korin chuckled. "Not bad strength, and your movement speed is passable, but your reaction speed's lacking—a bit clunky..."

Sun Mo mulled over Korin's words in his mind.

Reaction speed isn't fast enough, but movement speed is okay!

Indeed, reaction speed and movement speed were two different things.

Reaction speed was the instant response to a sudden situation...

Movement speed was fast because he'd roughly planned his actions beforehand, and his body's strength could support the required speed.

The stronger the body, the faster the movement.

Training with Master Roshi, doing weighted exercises—that was all about honing movement speed.

As for reaction speed, for now it relied purely on talent.

If his body could dodge on its own, that would be stepping onto the threshold of Ultra Instinct.

He still had a long way to go to reach that step, but he needed to start training now.

Sun Mo didn't reply. He took a deep breath, suppressing the frustration from their first exchange.

He began to adjust his strategy, no longer charging in recklessly.

"Again!"

The next moment, Sun Mo slowed his pace, no longer seeking a single decisive strike to grab the bottle.

His eyes locked onto Korin, constantly observing his movements as he chased him.

Sun Mo's actions were a mix of feints and real attempts, trying to pressure Korin's space while also probing his patterns.

Korin still didn't dodge with large movements, always slipping away from Sun Mo's pursuit with minimal shifts at the last possible instant.

After a short chase, sweat beaded on Sun Mo's forehead.

Seeing Sun Mo stop trying to take the bottle, Korin grinned. "What, giving up already?"

Sun Mo wiped his sweat and said, "I only had breakfast today—I'm hungry..."

Korin: "..."

"Are you trying to say that if you were full, you could easily snatch the bottle?" Korin asked.

Sun Mo shook his head. "No way. I can see the gap between us..."

Korin paused for a moment.

"You're strong, but you've got a deep sense of self-awareness!

Alright, I'll treat you to a meal!"

With that, Korin casually pinched a Senzu Bean from the jar and tossed it to Sun Mo.

"This is called a Senzu Bean. Eat it, and your stamina will fully recover..."

"Whoosh!"

Just as Sun Mo reached out to catch it, he saw Korin toss the bean down off the tower.

Sun Mo froze. Korin's aim was so precise, yet he'd missed—clearly on purpose.

Seeing Sun Mo's stunned look, Korin continued, "Oh, you didn't catch it?

Wasting food is bad, you know!"

Before Korin finished, Sun Mo leaped, diving after the Senzu Bean.

But the bean had already fallen for a few seconds.

Even with Sun Mo accelerating down Korin Tower, he still couldn't catch up...

The bean would likely hit the ground.

However, Sun Mo was not anxious, nor did he covet the other Senzu Beans in the jar. Instead, he chose to keep climbing.

He deeply understood that climbing the tower was also a form of training.

Korin was only doing this to make him climb an extra round.

Besides, now that he had the Senzu Bean, he could eat his fill.

And since he had roughly figured out the height of Korin Tower, climbing up would only be easier and less strenuous.

After Sun Mo went down, Korin looked into the water tank. On the water's surface, an image of Sun Mo appeared.

Once Sun Mo landed, he ate the Senzu Bean. His spirits immediately lifted, and his stamina fully recovered.

Then, with almost no rest, he shot toward the top of Korin Tower like a rocket.

Seeing such speed, Korin couldn't help but be startled.

"This kid, he's improving fast!"