As the vehicle rolled along, they drew closer to the location of the sixth Dragon Ball. The scenery shifted along the way, from dense forests to barren deserts, and then to the fiery red land before them—Fire Mountain.
"Ah, it's the sunset!" Young Goku suddenly cried, pointing at the fiery red landscape ahead. His eyes sparkled with curiosity and anticipation, as if he had spotted something fascinating.
"Wow, it really is beautiful!" Bulma was captivated by the sight and couldn't help exclaiming in admiration. The flames reflected in her eyes, making them seem especially bright.
But as soon as Bulma finished speaking, she realized something was off. "Wait, it's daytime. How can there be a sunset?" she muttered in confusion, turning her gaze back to the fiery landscape.
"Come on, that's not a sunset. It's Fire Mountain!" Oolong explained helplessly from behind the wheel, his voice tinged with fear.
"Oolong, why are you stopping? Don't you want the antidote?" Zhou Zilong asked deliberately, watching Oolong's back. He knew what Oolong was afraid of.
"No, Master Zilong, let's take a detour. A terrifying demon lives on Fire Mountain—his name is Ox-King. He's not only incredibly powerful, he also robs people like us who happen to pass by!" Oolong's voice trembled as he stared fearfully at the sea of flames ahead.
Hearing Oolong say that, Zhou Zilong realized the sixth Dragon Ball was here. And according to the original story, Young Goku was about to gain a fiancée through "love at first kick."
But Bulma looped her arm through Zhou Zilong's and said, "Stop trying to scare us. Zilong's martial arts are so powerful, there's no way he'll have a problem!"
Young Goku immediately chimed in, "That's right! Zilong's martial arts are so powerful, there's no way he'll have a problem. Besides, after hearing you talk about him, I really want to fight Ox-King!"
Their words were full of trust and admiration for Zhou Zilong.
"Then let's go!" Zhou Zilong said at last, signaling Oolong to keep driving. Oolong was scared, but he continued forward at Zhou Zilong's command.
"Master Yamcha, we should leave. Ox-King isn't someone we can afford to provoke," Puar urged quietly after hearing their conversation.
Yamcha, however, remained unmoved, a cold smile tugging at his lips. "No. We'll follow them. That kid may be strong, but he can't possibly beat Ox-King. Once they've fought each other to a standstill, we can make a fortune!"
Just as Yamcha was about to set off, he encountered Son Goku's future wife, Chi-Chi, just as he had in the original story. And, just like in the anime, he knocked Chi-Chi unconscious.
Meanwhile, Oolong drove the vehicle with difficulty along the rugged mountain road.
As the wheels turned, the group finally reached the heart of Fire Mountain. All around them lay crumbling walls and ruins. The village that had once stood there was now reduced to rubble and scattered white skeletons, as if bearing witness to its tragic past.
The vehicle stopped, and the moment the door opened, a wave of heat surged toward them like a ferocious beast.
Oolong frowned and quickly scrambled back inside the vehicle, switching on the air conditioner in an attempt to escape the suffocating heat.
Zhou Zilong took a blue outfit from his backpack. It looked a little like tinfoil, but the material was much tougher.
He handed it to Bulma and said, "This is a specially made fireproof suit. Put it on, and you'll be able to move around freely on Fire Mountain!"
Bulma took the suit and quickly put it on. Looking worriedly at Zhou Zilong, she asked, "What about you? This suit only fits one person."
Zhou Zilong smiled and shook his head, his eyes full of confidence. "Don't worry, Bulma. This temperature is nothing to me!"
The two began searching separately for the Dragon Ball.
"Goku, could you fly inside and take a look?" After searching around without finding it, Bulma asked Young Goku to help look inside the castle surrounded by raging flames.
Young Goku nodded. "Don't worry, Bulma. I'll go right now!"
With that, he leaped onto the Flying Nimbus and flew toward the castle.
But the flames were more powerful than Young Goku had expected. After circling the castle once, he had no choice but to give up. The Flying Nimbus wavered dangerously in the flames, so Young Goku abandoned his attempt to explore further.
"I can't do it, Bulma. The flames are too strong. I can't get inside!" Young Goku said as he flew back, shaking his head.
Bulma reassured him. "It's all right. We'll think of another way."
At that moment, Oolong rolled down the car window and grumbled unhappily, "You two idiots, keep your voices down! It'll be over if Ox-King hears you!"
As soon as Oolong finished speaking, a huge figure wearing a horned helmet slowly emerged from the flames.
Zhou Zilong immediately shielded Bulma behind him and shouted to Young Goku, "Goku, dodge to the right!"
At the same time Zhou Zilong shouted, Ox-King swung the axe in his hands and hurled it toward them.
Zhou Zilong reacted instantly, scooping Bulma up and jumping to the left. The axe flew past them and crashed into a ruined house with a tremendous bang.
After dodging the attack, Zhou Zilong quickly checked Ox-King's stats:
Ox-King
[Race] Earthling
[Height] 4.6 meters
[Weight] 330 kilograms
[Potential Level] Ordinary Potential (3 (minimum), 10 (maximum))
[Potential Value] 10 (maximum combat power can reach 100)
[Potential Development Progress] 80
[Combat Power] 80
"Damn it, how dare you sneak up on us! Take this!" Young Goku roared. He leaped down from the Flying Nimbus and charged at Ox-King.
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