Just as Zhou Zilong was about to set off for Korin Tower, Xiao Ling spoke to him in his mind again. "Zilong, I forgot to tell you earlier: when you obtained the Legendary Super Saiyan Bloodline, I also arranged an identity for you in the Dragon Ball World!"
Zhou Zilong froze, then asked, "Oh? What identity?"
A moment later, a memory flowed into Zhou Zilong's mind.
Zhou Zilong had been set as a Saiyan born in Era of Ai 727. His Saiyan name was Broly. With a battle power of 1,000 at birth, he had been considered a potential genius warrior and sent on various missions from a young age.
But as time went on, King Vegeta grew afraid that Broly would threaten his position once he came of age, so he chose to exile him to a remote place.
He was originally supposed to be exiled to an uninhabited planet, but through a twist of fate, Zhou Zilong's spacecraft malfunctioned and ended up on Earth. There, an elderly couple with some fighting skills took him in. Unlike the irritable temperament Saiyans were born with, Broly had always been a gentle Saiyan, and he had lived harmoniously with the couple for several years.
When Zhou Zilong was thirteen, the elderly couple died in an accident. He then lived alone until he was seventeen, when he left home to see the world. That was when he met Bulma...
Looks like the next time I meet Vegeta, I'll have to teach him a lesson to collect the debt his father owes! After hearing the merged memories, Zhou Zilong couldn't help but marvel at how things had turned out.
Since Zhou Zilong couldn't fly with the Flight Technique yet, he piloted a jet. After three days and nights, he finally reached the sacred grounds beneath Korin Tower. The tower stood atop a range of mountains, soaring into the clouds like a massive pillar stretching to the heavens. Standing at its foot, Zhou Zilong gazed up at it, his heart full of anticipation.
Just then, a tall, dark-skinned man approached. He held a spear and eyed Zhou Zilong warily. The man was named Bora, and he was the guardian of Korin Tower. He asked cautiously, "What are you doing at Korin's Sacred Land?"
Zhou Zilong took a deep breath to steady himself, then replied, "I heard that climbing Korin Tower could make me stronger, so I came to give it a try!"
Bora nodded. "Good luck. Plenty of people have tried to climb Korin Tower, but only one has ever succeeded." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Zhou Zilong with a solitary figure fading into the distance.
Zhou Zilong said nothing more. He knew what he had come for. Reaching out, he gently touched the pillar that led up to Korin Tower and began his climb.
He moved quickly and steadily, as if every step landed on solid ground. Watching Zhou Zilong's figure rapidly disappear above him, Bora muttered, "That young man's climbing pretty fast. I hope he has enough stamina to make it all the way!"
At that moment, a white cat with slit-shaped eyes, three whiskers on each side of its mouth, and three on each side above its eyes leaned on a wooden staff and watched Zhou Zilong climb at high speed. The cat was Master Korin, also known as Korin. He muttered, "His strength is already far beyond everyone else on this planet. I wonder what he's come up here for."
After three grueling hours of climbing, Zhou Zilong finally reached the place where Master Korin lived.
Master Korin studied Zhou Zilong, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"Young man, your strength far surpasses everyone else on this planet. May I ask what brings you here?" Master Korin asked.
Zhou Zilong bowed respectfully and replied, "Hello, Master Korin. Although I may have no rivals on this planet right now, I'm still insignificant in the universe. I came here hoping you'd let me drink the Super Divine Water so I can grow stronger and face whatever dangers may lie ahead."
Master Korin gave a slight nod, his brow furrowing. "I don't know how you learned the secret of the Super Divine Water, but you must understand: although it can unlock a person's potential, it's extremely poisonous. The slightest mistake could cost you your life. Are you sure you want to do this?"
Determination shone in Zhou Zilong's eyes. He knew his decision was right. "Yes, Master Korin. I'm ready. I believe I can withstand the Super Divine Water's poison!"
Seeing this, Master Korin said no more and led Zhou Zilong to the place where the original protagonist, Goku, had gone to drink the Super Divine Water.
Before Zhou Zilong went in, Master Korin warned him once more. "The Super Divine Water can indeed unlock your potential if you drink it, but remember: once you do, you'll have to endure the pain and torment it brings. If you can't hold on, you'll die here!"
Zhou Zilong nodded to show that he understood.
Just as Zhou Zilong went inside to search for the Super Divine Water, a voice that communicated with Master Korin suddenly rang out. "Korin, if things really are as this young man says, and the future holds many unknown dangers, then our planet will surely face all kinds of trouble. Once he comes out, bring him to see me!"
Master Korin replied, "All right, I understand!"
Meanwhile, Zhou Zilong was racing through the space where the Super Divine Water was kept. After running for a while, he found a dead end, changed direction, and continued moving.
After traveling for some time, Zhou Zilong finally reached a dimly lit place.
It was deserted. A red, round wooden table stood off to one side, with a teapot and teacup bearing the character for "god" placed on it. Suddenly, a mysterious voice spoke up. "I'm willing to give you the Super Divine Water!"
Zhou Zilong was delighted, but immediately grew wary. He cautiously asked, "Does the Super Divine Water have any side effects besides unlocking latent power? For instance, could its poison lie dormant for a while and cause some kind of illness?"
With Xiao Ling's system, Zhou Zilong wasn't worried that the poison would harm him. He asked because he wanted to know whether Goku in the original story had developed the hidden root of his Heart Virus from drinking the Super Divine Water.
There had always been different theories about the cause of Goku's heart condition. Some said it came from overusing the Kaioken; others believed the Super Divine Water had planted the seed of the illness, while some thought it was congenital. Zhou Zilong also believed the Super Divine Water's poison was the most likely cause.
The voice seemed somewhat surprised by Zhou Zilong's caution, but then answered, "No. Once you withstand the Super Divine Water's poison, its latent toxicity transforms into a supplement that unlocks your hidden power. So drinking it won't leave any hidden illness behind!"
Hearing this answer, Zhou Zilong's doubts faded. He decided that the next time he saw Goku, he'd find out how Goku had ended up with the Heart Virus.
Zhou Zilong walked over to the table, poured the Super Divine Water into the cup, and drank it in one gulp.
The moment the liquid went down his throat, an indescribable heat spread through him, as if flames were burning inside his body. He let out a pained groan, collapsed to the ground, and began rolling around.
It felt as if his body were being torn apart. The pain was unbearable, but he knew this was the price of raising his battle power. He clenched his teeth, endured the agony, and struggled to stay conscious. He could feel his body constantly changing—his muscles swelling, his bones growing stronger—as if a tremendous power were awakening within him.
After an unknown length of time, Zhou Zilong's pain finally began to fade. He opened his eyes and saw that he was lying on the ground. He struggled to his feet and felt that his battle power had increased tremendously.
He carefully sensed the changes in his body. "My battle power went from 500,000 to a million in one shot. Not bad—but I really don't want to go through that again!"
Before you continue