Ascending Again

Sun Wuxiu landed in the Indian village at the base of Korin Tower, Upa and Bora's hometown. He did not linger, merely releasing a trace of his aura to intimidate the beasts lurking nearby before heading straight to the foot of the tower.

Looking up at the pillar that pierced the clouds, Sun Wuxiu smiled.

"So this is the stairway for mortals to reach the gods?"

"For me now, it really is a little short."

He neither used the Rooster Talisman's Levitation nor painfully climbed for three days and nights like Goku had in the original story.

He merely bent his knees slightly.

"[Ox Talisman: Strength] x [Rabbit Talisman: Extreme Speed]."

"BOOM!!!"

The ground suddenly caved in, sending dust and debris soaring into the sky.

Like an intercontinental missile, Sun Wuxiu shot straight up along the tower, trailing a terrifying sonic boom cloud behind him!

The wind howled past his ears while layer upon layer of clouds shattered beneath his feet.

A journey that would have taken mortals days to climb took Sun Wuxiu less than ten minutes with his absurd explosive power.

At the top of Korin Tower.

A fat white cat was leaning on a cane, squinting as he dozed off.

He was Korin. Over the past eight hundred years, he had watched countless martial artists try to climb this tower, yet very few had ever made it to the top.

"Snore... snore..."

Suddenly.

A fierce gust surged up from below, blowing his whiskers crooked.

"Meow?!"

Korin jumped in fright. Before he could react, a figure had already landed steadily on the railing before him.

It was a young man in an orange martial arts uniform, his face unflushed and his breathing unlabored. He had not even sweated a single drop.

"Oh, so this is Korin? You're a little rounder than I imagined."

Sun Wuxiu jumped down from the railing and studied the legendary cat with interest.

"You... how did you get up here?!"

Korin's eyes widened. He had not sensed anyone climbing at all. This guy had appeared as though he had teleported up here!

"I ran up," Sun Wuxiu said with a shrug.

"Ran... ran up?!" Korin wiped away cold sweat that did not exist.

This tower was ten thousand meters tall and completely vertical, and while I wasn't paying attention, you tell me you ran up? Are young people these days all such freaks?

"Cough, cough..." Having lived for eight hundred years, Korin quickly regained his composure. "Since you made it up here, you must have some skill. I am the immortal of this place. You're here for the Ultra Divine Water, aren't you?"

He pointed at a jar of water in the center of the hall. "As long as you can snatch this from my hands..."

"Jingle."

A crisp bell interrupted him.

Korin froze.

He felt as though something was missing from his hand.

Looking down, he found that the cane he had been holding was still there, but the bell hanging from it—the one used to test speed—was gone.

He jerked his head up.

Sun Wuxiu was casually playing with the bell in his hand, a smile on his face.

"This bell? It didn't seem that hard to take."

"..."

Korin turned to stone.

One second? No, not even 0.1 seconds!

The movements he had always been so proud of were as slow as a snail before this young man?

"You... you..." Korin stammered for a long while before finally sighing.

"Fine, you win. You are the first person in centuries to take the bell so quickly. You're even countless times stronger than Master Roshi was back then."

"You may drink that jar of Ultra Divine Water."

Yet to Korin's surprise, Sun Wuxiu casually tossed the bell back to him and did not even glance at the jar of water.

"Keep that self-deceiving water for those who come later."

Sun Wuxiu spoke calmly. "My strength does not need something like that to prove itself."

"Besides, you are not my goal."

Sun Wuxiu raised his head, his gaze seeming to pierce through the roof of Korin Tower and into the empty skies above.

"I want to go up there and meet Kami."

"!!!"

Korin was so shocked that his fur stood on end. "You... you know there is a god above?"

Kami's existence was Earth's greatest secret. Aside from generations of Attendants and Korin himself, no one knew of it!

"Relax, Korin." Sun Wuxiu waved a hand. "I mean no harm. I simply want to train there."

"This... this is against the rules..." Korin said awkwardly. "Without Kami's approval, even the Power Pole cannot..."

Just then.

A majestic, aged voice rang directly in Korin's mind through telepathy.

"Korin, let him come up."

"Huh? Lord Kami?!" Korin hurriedly bowed toward the sky.

"There is extraordinary fortune and power within this young man. And... though his heart possesses a powerful desire for battle, it holds no evil intent."

The voice continued, "I wish to meet him as well."

"Yes, Lord Kami."

Korin sighed in relief, and the way he looked at Sun Wuxiu became even more reverent.

"Kami has agreed. You may go up."

"Thank you."

Sun Wuxiu nodded. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly seemed to remember something and stopped.

With a flip of his hand, he pulled several jars of large, plump fresh fish from the backpack behind him, as if performing a magic trick. He had caught them in the forest below.

"It is our first meeting, and I did not bring any gifts. Consider these fish a greeting gift for you, Immortal."

The moment Korin saw the fish, his lofty demeanor instantly collapsed, and he nearly started drooling.

"Meow! Such huge fish! And they're still alive!"

"But..." Sun Wuxiu abruptly changed the subject. "I would also like to trade you for some local specialties."

"Trade for what?" Korin asked warily, hugging the fish.

"Senzu Beans."

Sun Wuxiu held up two fingers. "Two jars."

"Two jars?!" Korin nearly dropped the fish.

"Do you think Senzu Beans are candy? One bean can keep you from going hungry for ten days and heal any injury as long as you're not dead! Are you planning to go to war with two jars?"

"It never hurts to be prepared." Sun Wuxiu smiled. "Look, the enemies I face in the future may be very strong. If I get beaten half to death without any beans around, wouldn't that be awkward?"

"Besides, if I train at the Lookout in the future, I will not have time to come down and catch fish for you, right?"

Korin struggled with the decision for a long time. He looked at the lively fresh fish in his arms, then at Sun Wuxiu's expression, which plainly said, If you don't give them to me, I'll stay here and refuse to leave.

"Fine, fine! You win!"

He ran into the inner room and returned carrying two jars that did not look particularly large, though both were stuffed full.

"Eat them sparingly! This is my stockpile from several hundred years!"

"Thanks!"

With a grand wave of his hand, Sun Wuxiu put away the two jars of Senzu Beans—actually sealing them inside capsules.

Though he possessed the Dog Talisman and Horse Talisman and theoretically should not need Senzu Beans,

there was no telling when the Z Fighters might get into a fight while he was away. It never hurt to be prepared.

After completing the trade, Sun Wuxiu did not linger any longer.

"I won't borrow the Power Pole. I'll fly up myself."

His feet left the ground. The Rooster Talisman's power activated, and he became a streak of light that shot through the clouds toward the Lookout floating high above the heavens.