Knowing that Young Goku was all right, Zhou Zilong got up and walked toward Yamcha, wanting to end the fight quickly.
Seeing Zhou Zilong approach, Yamcha looked at him with disdain. "What? You know your strongest fighter's out of the picture, so now you're scared and coming to pay me off to save your skin? You big-mouthed coward!"
Zhou Zilong shook his head and replied calmly, "You couldn't even beat a hungry child, so why are you still picking a fight? I haven't made a move because I only need one to take you down!"
His words sent Yamcha into a rage, and he glared at Zhou Zilong furiously.
Zhou Zilong didn't have any particular feelings about Yamcha, the tragic character from Dragon Ball. If he had to name one, it would be a mixture of pity and regret.
In his eyes, Yamcha was a tragic figure who had started at his peak, only to fall from grace soon afterward.
Yamcha was a warrior who first appeared in the original Dragon Ball anime as a desert bandit. He was quite strong in the world of Dragon Ball, but he lacked the protagonist's dazzling aura and could only linger on the fringes.
Whenever he thought he was about to reach the top, fate would knock him right back down. (He never managed to break into the top eight at the World Martial Arts Tournament.)
His fight against the Saibaman was the most notorious example. Though he had the advantage in strength, his carelessness allowed his opponent to blow him up. That moment became his signature scene.
His love life was even more of a source of regret. Under the original author's plans, he had already landed a beautiful, wealthy girlfriend and should have been on top of the world. But after a series of twists and turns, they were made to break up. By comparison, Krillin—the best route to Goku becoming stronger, as his best friend—was much luckier. He couldn't match the Saiyans and the like in strength, but at least he was the strongest Earthling and married a beautiful wife. He was a bona fide winner in life.
"Damn it, you're looking at me with pity? Don't underestimate me! I, Yamcha, am incredibly strong!" Yamcha roared furiously, his eyes blazing with anger.
He launched another fierce attack, but Zhou Zilong continued to handle it with ease.
"You and I are on completely different levels. This ends now!" Zhou Zilong said calmly.
Zhou Zilong clenched his fist and swung it hard. A powerful wave of air swept across the entire desert.
The blast struck Yamcha, sending him flying backward. He smashed into a massive boulder behind him before finally coming to a stop.
"Urgh!" Yamcha spat out a mouthful of blood. He struggled to his feet, his eyes filled with shock and reluctance. He had never imagined he would suffer such a crushing defeat. Zhou Zilong, meanwhile, stood where he was, watching him calmly.
"Master Yamcha, are you all right?" Puar rushed to Yamcha's side and asked with concern.
"I'm fine. He was right. I'm no match for him at all. He wasn't just bragging." Yamcha wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, then took a deep breath to steady himself.
"During that last move, I could clearly tell he held back. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten away with just spitting up a little blood." Yamcha carefully thought back over what had happened and realized just how enormous the gap between him and Zhou Zilong was. He knew he would have to train even harder if he wanted to catch up to this powerful opponent.
"I've learned my lesson. I'll get even with you for this defeat someday!" Yamcha took a deep breath before speaking. He knew his current strength was nowhere near enough, but he believed that if he trained hard, he would defeat Zhou Zilong one day.
"You're welcome to try anytime, but I'll say something that might hurt: you'll never get even with me in this lifetime," Zhou Zilong replied calmly.
He wasn't looking down on Yamcha; he was simply stating a fact. He knew he possessed extraordinary strength, and it was nearly impossible for Yamcha to catch up.
"Hmph, don't underestimate me!" Yamcha snapped back unhappily, then left with Puar. He knew that what he needed to do now was train hard and improve his strength.
"Good thing he didn't attack me back then, or I'd definitely be dead," Oolong said nervously as he watched.
At that moment, Young Goku climbed out of the rubble and excitedly ran up to Zhou Zilong. With an eager look on his face, he asked, "Zilong, how did you do that just now? Can you teach me?"
Zhou Zilong smiled slightly. "It's actually not difficult, but you need to learn how to control your ki first. Come on, let's go somewhere else, and I'll teach you step by step!"
Zhou Zilong then took Young Goku to a training hall created with Capsule Technology. It was spacious and bright, with all the necessary equipment—a perfect place to train.
Zhou Zilong sat cross-legged on the ground and began demonstrating how to draw ki out of the body.
He held his hands apart in a circular shape, then slowly inhaled as he moved them gradually. Before long, a faint glow appeared in his palms, and a small orange ball of light formed between them.
Young Goku stared in astonishment. He had never seen anything so amazing. Eager to try it himself, he copied Zhou Zilong and attempted to draw ki out of his body. At first, though, he struggled. He kept feeling the ki darting wildly around inside him, impossible to focus.
Seeing this, Zhou Zilong patiently instructed him, "Goku, don't rush. You need to stay calm to control your ki. Don't get flustered. First, quiet your mind and feel the ki flowing through your body!"
Young Goku nodded and closed his eyes to try again. He did his best to calm down and sense the flow of ki within him. Gradually, he felt a warm current moving through his body, like a little stream flowing inside him. Following its course, he slowly moved his hands.
At last, after more than an hour and countless attempts, Young Goku successfully drew the ki from within himself. A small orange ball of light, just like Zhou Zilong's, formed in his hands.
He excitedly opened his eyes, looked at the ball of light in his hands, and couldn't help cheering.
Zhou Zilong smiled with satisfaction, patted Young Goku on the shoulder, and said, "Congratulations, Goku. You've successfully learned how to draw ki out of your body. But this is only the beginning. If you want to become truly strong, you'll have to keep training and learning!"
Young Goku nodded, his eyes shining with determination. He knew he still had a long way to go, but he believed that if he trained hard, he would become a master like Zhou Zilong one day.
After training with Young Goku for a while longer, Zhou Zilong said to him, "Goku, you still need to build a stronger foundation. Once this Dragon Ball quest is over, you can go find my master, Master Roshi, and ask him to take you as his student. He can teach you more martial arts!"
Young Goku obediently replied, "Okay! I understand!"
Before you continue