Eternal Youth

Shenron's overwhelming presence blanketed the entire wilderness, its enormous dragon head hanging down like a mountain as it awaited the summoner's response.

"A wish..."

Bulma gazed up at the miraculous creature, her heart pounding fiercely.

Before setting out, her wish had been crystal clear—find the seven Dragon Balls, summon Shenron, and wish for a perfect Prince Charming.

But now...

She instinctively turned her head to look at Sun Wuxiu beside her.

The fierce wind tousled the young man's black hair, yet it could not shake the mountain-like steadiness in his bearing. Before this divine might that could make ordinary people kneel in worship, Sun Wuxiu still stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze calm and utterly free of fear or greed.

Along this journey...

From his heroically saving her at the cliffside as though Kami himself had descended;

To the effortless strength he displayed against bandits and monsters.

Bulma's cheeks flushed faintly.

"A perfect Prince Charming... haven't I already found one?"

She murmured to herself.

Did she still need to make a wish to Shenron? If she wished for a boyfriend and Shenron conjured up some handsome stranger, wouldn't that mean pushing Wu Xiu away?

Absolutely not!

"I won't make a wish!"

Bulma suddenly shouted, breaking the silence.

"Huh?" Goku and Oolong beside her were both stunned.

Bulma took a deep breath. A relieved and radiant smile appeared on her face as she looked at Sun Wuxiu with firm, burning eyes.

"Wu Xiu! I'll give this wish to you!"

"My wish... well, I'll work hard to obtain it myself!"

After saying that, she even winked at Sun Wuxiu. Her little scheme was practically written all over her face.

Sun Wuxiu was briefly startled, then understood the girl's feelings.

Looking into Bulma's expectant blue eyes, he could not help but feel moved as well.

The Bulma from the original story had been exceptionally intelligent, yet her path in love had been full of hardships. Since he had come into this life, he naturally could not let her suffer those grievances again.

"Since that's the case, then I won't stand on ceremony."

Sun Wuxiu smiled, stepped forward, and faced Shenron directly.

What wish did he need?

Immortality? The Dog Talisman had already granted him an undying life.

Ruling the world? He had no interest in something so boring.

The greatest power? That was something he needed to cultivate step by step. Power obtained through Shenron would be far too hollow.

(And it probably couldn't grant true ultimate strength anyway.)

His gaze swept over Bulma once more.

This girl would become one of his most important bonds in this world. And the youth of mortals was so fleeting.

"Shenron!"

Sun Wuxiu drew in his breath, his voice ringing out powerfully.

"My wish is—"

"Please allow this girl named Bulma, once her body has matured into its perfect state at eighteen, to remain forever youthful and never grow old in appearance!"

The moment his words fell, the entire place went silent.

Bulma's eyes widened as she covered her mouth in disbelief.

She had imagined that Sun Wuxiu might wish for money, power, or perhaps even delicious food—taking Goku as an example.

But she never could have imagined that this wish would be for her.

And it was the ultimate wish every woman dreamed of—eternal youth!

"Wu... Wu Xiu..." Bulma's eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up in them.

In the sky, Shenron fell silent for a moment, seemingly assessing the difficulty of the wish.

"This wish is very simple."

Shenron's majestic voice rang out again, and red light flashed in its eyes.

"Your wish has been granted."

"Then, farewell."

"Rumble—!!"

As the wish was fulfilled, Shenron's body transformed into a streak of golden light that shot into the sky. It then exploded high above, reverting into seven stones in their original forms.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"

The seven Dragon Balls shot off toward every corner of the world.

"Oh no! Grandpa's Dragon Ball!"

Son Goku cried out and was about to leap up to catch it, but the Dragon Balls were moving far too fast.

"Don't panic."

Sun Wuxiu had prepared for this long ago.

[Rooster Talisman: Telekinesis]!

In that instant, he made a grasping motion through the air with one hand.

A Dragon Ball about to fly westward was forcibly held in midair by an invisible force, then flew back into Sun Wuxiu's hand with a whoosh.

It was the Four-Star Dragon Ball.

"Here." Sun Wuxiu tossed the Dragon Ball to Goku. "It's better to keep your grandfather's belonging. That way, you won't have to search the whole world for it later."

"Wow! Thanks, big brother!" Goku happily tucked the Dragon Ball into his clothes.

By then, the dark clouds in the sky had dispersed, leaving a bright moon and sparse stars.

Bulma finally recovered from her overwhelming emotions. No longer caring about being reserved, she threw herself straight into Sun Wuxiu's arms and hugged him tightly.

"Waaah... Wu Xiu, you big idiot! Why did you waste such a precious wish?"

"Is youth really more important than ruling the world?"

Sun Wuxiu gently patted her back, feeling the girl's warmth as he smiled.

"To me, ruling the world isn't interesting."

"But if, over the coming decades or centuries, I can always have a forever young and beautiful Bulma by my side, then that would be the most interesting thing of all."

For sixteen-year-old Bulma, the destructive power of those sweet words was practically nuclear.

She buried her face in Sun Wuxiu's chest and cried so hard that she looked like a rain-soaked flower, yet her heart was sweeter than honey.

At that moment, she swore that she would marry no man but him for the rest of her life.

The next morning.

The adventure was over, and it was also time to part ways.

Out in the wilderness, everyone was packing their things.

"So, what are everyone's plans from here on out?" Sun Wuxiu asked.

Son Goku carried the Power Pole on his back and jumped onto the golden Flying Nimbus, his face full of excitement.

"I'm going to train with that old man named Master Roshi! Big brother, you said that only by becoming stronger could I enter that... what was it... the World Martial Arts Tournament, right?"

"That's right." Sun Wuxiu nodded. "It's the best stage for testing the results of your training. Go on, and give Master Mutaito my regards."

"What about you, big brother?" Goku asked curiously.

"Me?"

Sun Wuxiu glanced at Bulma, who was packing up capsules, and the corner of his mouth curved upward.

"I've already completed my training. There isn't much point in going to Kame House again."

"I plan to accompany Bulma back to West City and stay there for a while."

"Huh? Going to Bulma's house?" Goku scratched his head. "Then aren't you going to train, big brother?"

"Of course I am."

Sun Wuxiu's gaze grew profound. "It's just that my method of training is different from yours."

In truth, this was not an excuse Sun Wuxiu had made up just to court Bulma.

Over the past four years, he had undergone the most traditional grueling training at Kame House, and his foundation had become incomparably solid.

But he knew very well that the Saiyan power system—especially the legendary "Super Saiyan"—could not be attained through mere relentless training.

In the Dragon Ball lore of his previous life, there was an extremely important concept—S-Cells.

The Super Saiyan transformation was essentially a mutation produced when the S-Cells within one's body reached a certain quantity and were stimulated by emotions such as anger.

The increase of S-Cells mainly depended on two conditions:

First, possessing a peaceful and stable heart.

Second, having sufficiently high base battle power.