Testing Strength

"Kid, that fish looks pretty good."

From beneath the mask came a deliberately lowered, hoarse, icy voice.

"Hand it over, and I might consider not breaking your legs."

Sun Wuxiu was trying hard not to laugh as he played the role of a villainous road robber.

Son Goku froze for a moment, then his brows shot up as he tightly shielded the fish behind him.

"Who are you? Why are you trying to steal my fish? It's my lunch!"

"Who I am isn't important."

Sun Wuxiu's figure flickered, vanishing from where he stood. When he reappeared, he was already less than three meters away from Goku.

"What matters is that I've taken a liking to that fish. And... I don't like the look of you, kid."

So fast!

Son Goku's pupils contracted sharply.

He had not seen that movement at all!

This masked freak was strong!

"You bastard!"

Son Goku had never been the type to back down. Since the other side refused to reason, then fists would have to do the talking.

"If you want my fish, beat me first!"

"Yaaah!!"

Son Goku shouted, stomped hard against the ground, and shot forward like an arrow released from its bow!

"Rock-Paper-Scissors—Rock!!"

There was no probing attack. He went all out from the start!

Son Goku's fist howled through the air as it shot straight for Sun Wuxiu's face.

Faced with that heavy, powerful blow, Sun Wuxiu remained where he stood without moving an inch.

There was no need to use any Talismans.

The body he had tempered for four years was already more than enough.

Only when the fist was mere centimeters from his mask did he slowly raise his left hand.

"Smack."

A crisp impact rang out.

Son Goku's fist, powerful enough to shatter rock, was effortlessly caught in a slender palm.

"What?!"

Son Goku was stunned.

His fist felt as though it had struck an iron mountain. It would not budge, and the recoil made his wrist go numb.

"Is that all you've got?"

Sun Wuxiu mocked him calmly.

"Too slow. Too weak."

"Damn it!"

Son Goku refused to believe it. He yanked back his captured right hand, then used the momentum to leap into the air and whip out his left leg like a lash!

"That's—Scissors!!"

The change in attack came incredibly fast, stabbing directly toward Sun Wuxiu's eyes.

"Oh? Your reactions got faster."

Sun Wuxiu silently praised him, but his movements remained utterly composed.

He did not even block. He merely tilted his head slightly, dodging the eye strike by a hair's breadth. At the same time, his right hand formed a blade and lightly chopped toward Son Goku's waist and ribs.

That seemingly weightless strike carried a suffocating sense of pressure.

Son Goku's hairs stood on end. Instinctively, he forcibly twisted his body midair and spun away like a top, narrowly avoiding the blow before landing more than ten meters away.

"Huff... huff..."

Son Goku watched the Demon Mask warily, his expression more serious than ever before.

"You... you're really strong."

"You're a little stronger than I expected, too."

Sun Wuxiu rolled his wrist as his mind rapidly analyzed the exchange.

Their clash had been brief, but he had already seen a great deal.

In the original story, Goku at this stage fought with broad, unrestrained moves full of savage instinct, but he lacked structure.

But Goku now... was different.

After that "Scissors" attack, his midair change of direction and evasion were still somewhat immature, but the way he generated force and the rhythm of his breathing clearly carried traces of the Turtle Hermit Style!

"Looks like Grandpa increased Goku's training because of me."

Sun Wuxiu understood.

That only made him more excited.

"Come on, kid. Show me what you've really got, or I'm taking this fish."

Sun Wuxiu crooked a finger at him.

"It's not over yet!"

Son Goku removed the Power Pole from his back, its red shaft gleaming beneath the sunlight.

"Power Pole—Extend!!"

The red blur of the staff instantly stretched, sweeping toward Sun Wuxiu's waist with overwhelming force!

With a weapon in hand, Goku's attack range and destructive power instantly rose to another level.

"Using a weapon now?"

Sun Wuxiu chuckled.

He neither dodged nor retreated. The instant the staff swept toward him, his right hand shot out.

"Bang!"

The air exploded.

The Power Pole, carrying immense force, was actually caught firmly in Sun Wuxiu's palm with one hand!

Its tremendous momentum came to an abrupt halt. The gust it kicked up made Sun Wuxiu's hair whip wildly, yet the ground beneath his feet did not even crack.

That was absolute suppression through strength!

"H-How is that possible?!"

Son Goku's eyes widened. He desperately tried to pull back the Power Pole, but it was as if the staff had grown out of the other man's hand.

"Your strength's not bad, but your technique is too crude."

With a casual flick, Sun Wuxiu sent both Goku and the staff flying.

"Damn it!!"

Son Goku flipped several times through the air before landing. He planted the Power Pole into the ground, fiery determination blazing in his eyes.

"Then I'll use that move!!"

If you can't find it by searching the book title, try searching the author. It may have simply been renamed!

Son Goku assumed a peculiar starting stance.

He bent his knees slightly and formed his hands into a flower-bud shape at his waist.

"Huh?!"

This time, it was Sun Wuxiu's turn to be surprised.

That stance...

"Could it be..."

Son Goku clenched his teeth as all the energy in his body gathered in his palms. It was still immature and unstable, but it was undeniably the genuine energy-channeling method of the Turtle Hermit Style!

"Ka—me—ha—"

What the hell?

Sun Wuxiu cried out inwardly.

In the original story, Goku had only used it for the first time after watching Master Roshi demonstrate it.

And now he had learned it ahead of time?!

It seemed that while his big brother had been away, this kid had been training hard!

"—me—ha!!"

"Boom!!"

With Son Goku's roar, a dazzling blue beam carrying a destructive aura erupted violently from his palms!

This energy wave might not have been as thick as Master Roshi's, but its power was absolutely enough to flatten a small hill!

Wherever it passed, it plowed a deep trench into the ground, while grass and trees were instantly reduced to ash!

Faced with this sudden attack, Sun Wuxiu smiled.

"Interesting."

He neither dodged nor used any Talismans.

He merely slowly raised one hand, palm facing forward.

"Bang!!!"

A thunderous explosion shook the air.

The blue energy wave slammed heavily into Sun Wuxiu's palm, kicking up clouds of dust and arcs of blue electricity!

"D-Did it hit?"

Son Goku panted heavily as he stared fixedly at the center of the dust cloud.

Yet...

When the dust settled.

The figure wearing the Demon Mask still stood in the same place, without taking even one step back.

That slender palm was firmly holding back the blue beam that had yet to dissipate.

"Th-That's impossible..."

Son Goku was completely dumbfounded.

"Disappear."

Sun Wuxiu gave a light shout and suddenly clenched his hand.

"Crack!"

Like a cigarette butt being snuffed out, the energy wave was instantly crushed apart, dissolving into specks of blue light in the air.

Sun Wuxiu dusted off his hands, removed the mask from his face, and revealed a smiling expression.

"Not bad, Goku. You even learned that move."

The familiar voice. The familiar face.

Son Goku, who had been in a state of extreme shock, instantly went rigid.

He blinked once, then again.

"B-Brother?!"

Son Goku's eyes widened as overwhelming joy surged into his heart, throwing even his earlier frustration to the winds.

"It's Brother!!!"

He threw himself at Sun Wuxiu and clung to him like a koala.

"Wow!! Brother, you're back!!"

"You scared me to death just now! I thought you really were a bad guy! And you caught that Kamehameha with one hand! Brother, you're amazing!!"

Watching his younger brother cling to him and act spoiled, Sun Wuxiu smiled helplessly and rubbed Goku's hedgehog-like hair.

"If I weren't a little amazing, how could I be your big brother?"

"But did Grandpa teach you that Kamehameha?"

Goku jumped down from him, shook his head, and spoke somewhat sheepishly.

"Grandpa left to take care of something half a year ago, and he still hasn't come back. Before he left, he demonstrated the Kamehameha for me once."

"He left half a year ago?"

Sun Wuxiu was slightly taken aback.

"Did Grandpa say where he was going?"

"No. He just said he was going to see an old friend and might not be back for a long time. He told me to look after the house and not slack off."

Goku answered honestly.

Sun Wuxiu nodded thoughtfully.

Son Gohan had gone to see an old friend?

Could he have gone to see Master Roshi? No, Grandpa had not visited Kame House during the four years he had been there.

Then who had he gone to see?

Could it have been Taishang Laojun?

Forget it. With Grandpa's strength, he should not be in any danger.

"Come on, let's go home."

Sun Wuxiu picked up the large fish from the ground and slung it over one shoulder with one hand.

"Since Grandpa isn't here, the two of us are having a full fish feast today."

"Awesome!! Brother, are you leaving again after coming back this time?"

"I'm not leaving. At least, not for the time being."

"That's great! Then can you teach me the move you used to catch the energy wave?"

"You don't need to be taught that. Once you get stronger, you'll naturally be able to do it."

"When will I get stronger?"

"We'll talk after you finish eating this fish."

Beneath the setting sun, the shadows of the two brothers stretched out long.

One carried a fish, stepping steadily with unfathomable strength.

The other carried a staff, youthful yet possessing infinite potential.

Mount Paozu had recovered its former clamor.

And only a few final days remained until the moment the gears of fate began to turn.