Krillin watched the senior students heading off into the distance and had no choice but to grit his teeth and follow.
By now, he had lost every last trace of wishful thinking. Led by Master Roshi, the group traveled past mountains, cliffs, and rivers, until they finally delivered the last bottle of milk they had to a monk living in a temple.
And that naturally led him to explain the reason behind the World Martial Arts Tournament.
Seeing his students eager to give it a try, Master Roshi first nodded in satisfaction, then gave them a verbal dressing-down.
He wanted to keep them from getting arrogant and looking down on others.
By the time everyone returned the way they had come, they were all utterly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to lie down and rest. But Master Roshi told them that their early-morning training was over and their morning exercises were beginning!
"See all this uncultivated land covering the mountainside? You'll use your own hands to plow it into fertile soil!"
After casually demonstrating a couple of times, Master Roshi gave the order, and everyone had no choice but to get up and keep training.
As Son Gohan focused on the flow of ki inside his body, he noticed that whenever he bent down and exerted himself, some of his ki would unconsciously leak out. In the end, it gathered in his hand and formed a thin Ki Blade.
This made the work instantly much easier for him. Before long, he had already left the others far behind!
By the end of the morning, more than half the farmland had been plowed. Son Gohan alone had done more than half of the work!
Seeing this, Master Roshi had no choice but to change his plans.
"Everyone, go back for lunch!"
At his call, they lined up once more. Son Gohan was at the front and Krillin at the back, and they set off along the way they had come, marching with strange steps and chanting an even stranger slogan.
By the time they returned to the seaside, the sun was already high overhead. Xiao Wu and Ranqi had prepared lunch for everyone.
With Son Gohan keeping her in check, even Blonde Launch hadn't managed to flip the table, so the meal passed in relative harmony.
Just as everyone finished eating and was about to head off and train on their own, Master Roshi spoke up in time to stop them.
"Training is about balancing tension with relaxation. Remember, you mustn't rush after quick results!"
"Now, all of you, follow me!"
With that, he led the group to the foot of a towering tree once again.
After taking off his Turtle Shell, he turned to face his students.
"Next, I'll teach you the ultimate principles of the Turtle School. I hope you'll take them as your creed and forge your own True Interpretation of Martial Arts!"
Yamcha and the others tensed up at his words, thinking he was about to share some profound martial arts mantra.
"Exercise well, study well, play well, eat well, and rest well. Live each day happily—these are all part of training, too!"
"I'm falling over!"
Yamcha and Krillin, who had been crouching low and listening solemnly, stumbled at his words and nearly fell over. Only Son Goku stood to the side, scratching his head in confusion, as if he had a question.
Son Gohan, on the other hand, carefully mulled over the meaning behind those words.
It's been so long since I heard that. I heard it before, but I never managed to grasp the wisdom in it.
"It sounds easy, but worldly concerns weigh people down, and the world is full of distractions. How many people can truly manage it?!"
"There is no end to martial arts. Your training has only just begun. Keep at it, young people!"
Gently stroking his long beard, Master Roshi was the first to take out a net hammock and tie it to the tree.
"Now, all of you rest properly until one-thirty!"
Seeing Master Roshi take the lead, the others followed suit.
When Master Roshi saw that Son Gohan seemed to have realized something, he furrowed his brow and thought for a moment before speaking.
"Gohan, don't burden yourself with so much. Everything in the world has its own way of working. The most important thing is to follow your heart!"
This kid's got talent, sure, but I don't know where he got such a heavy mind at such a young age. I'll have to keep working on him!
After muttering to himself, he closed his eyes and promptly drifted off to sleep.
After Son Goku and the others exchanged glances, they followed suit. Before long, four or five large hammocks hung beneath the tree. A breeze stirred the leaves with a soft rustle, making for a truly soothing scene.
After hearing Master Roshi's words, Son Gohan stopped thinking and lay down where he was, gazing up at the sky through the dappled shade.
One day, I'll go up there and see the scenery from the pinnacle of martial arts!
After giving himself that reminder, Son Gohan relaxed the nerves and muscles he had kept tense all morning and settled into a state of rest.
As he relaxed, the others soon fell into a deep sleep.
In the hazy depths of their consciousness, their spirits were like soil refreshed by a stream, as the seeds of their vitality gradually broke through the earth and began to sprout...
But for now, the change was still very subtle. It wasn't yet noticeable in their bodies, and even after waking, all they could tell was that they felt more refreshed and comfortable.
That afternoon, after everyone got up, Master Roshi didn't rush to send them back to training. Instead, he pulled out a Mandarin Textbook.
"A martial artist isn't just a muscle-bound fool!"
"As we train our bodies, we mustn't forget to arm our minds!"
Everyone nodded enthusiastically and obediently took their seats. Then, as Master Roshi taught, they studied their lessons carefully for another half hour before stopping.
Later that afternoon, Master Roshi took them to the other end of the peninsula and brought Son Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha to a construction site.
"From now on, you'll train here."
After having the three of them demonstrate their skills, Master Roshi settled their wages with the foreman. Then he turned to Son Gohan, who was still standing off to the side.
"Gohan, come with me!"
After arranging things for the three of them, Master Roshi took Son Gohan aside to the beach.
"If I'm not mistaken, Gohan, you figured out how to release your ki on your own, didn't you?"
"Yes, Master. During training today, as I moved, the ki in my body gradually spread throughout me. Then, before I knew it, it just came out!"
As he spoke, Son Gohan raised one hand and turned his palm upward. A spark of light gathered in its center, gradually swelling into a small ball of ki.
He casually tossed it toward the sea. With a deafening boom, a column of water a meter wide exploded upward, and a "downpour" pattered down from the sky!
"Hmm, with strength like that, I'm sure you'll surpass me soon!"
"For the next few days, keep an eye on them during their basic training from dawn until noon. After your lunch break, come find me here by the sea!"
"It's about time the Turtle School found an heir to carry on its teachings!"
Son Gohan's talent was truly astonishing. Even by Master Roshi's standards, he was more than worthy of becoming the heir to a school.
"Keep working hard. I believe that one day you'll surpass the founder of our school, Master Mutaito!"
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