Heading to Papaya Island

"Done! Let's go!"

Bulma clapped her hands in excitement, fished another capsule with a plane icon printed on it from her seemingly bottomless capsule case, pressed the button firmly, and tossed it onto the empty beach by the sea.

Bang!

A massive cloud of white smoke exploded outward, accompanied by the faint sound of mechanical gears whirring.

As the smoke cleared, a sleek, small white jet appeared before them, glistening in the sunlight.

"Wow—!!!"

Son Goku and Krillin's eyes turned into stars, their mouths hanging open wide enough to fit an egg. The two of them rushed forward like a gust of wind, circling the plane to touch and inspect it.

"So amazing! Bulma! Did this come out of that little box too?"

Son Goku jumped up and down with excitement, his tail wagging so hard it looked like a propeller.

"Too cool! This has to be way faster than Master Roshi's sea turtle!"

Krillin's face beamed with thrill.

Master Roshi leaned on his cane and strolled over slowly. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes behind his sunglasses, but he quickly put on a worldly-wise expression, stroking his fake beard. "Hmm, indeed, as expected of Dr. Brief's daughter; capsule technology is certainly convenient. However, for a true martial artist, relying on one's own ki to fly is the righteous path..."

Unfortunately, no one paid him any mind; everyone was captivated by the plane.

Lin Fan looked at the high-tech aircraft, feeling a slight sense of wonder himself.

Although he had seen planes in his past life, one this compact and exquisite, appearing out of a capsule, truly exceeded his imagination.

The technology tree in this Dragon Ball World was indeed a bit skewed.

"Don't just stand there! Get on!"

Bulma opened the cabin door first and slid into the pilot's seat, patting the steering wheel triumphantly. "This is the latest model from my family's company! It's super fast! We'll be at Papaya Island in no time!"

The cabin wasn't particularly spacious, but it was more than enough to seat the five of them.

Son Goku and Krillin scrambled for the window seats, their faces nearly pressed against the glass as they watched the Kame House and the vast blue sea shrink below, shouting and pointing at everything.

Master Roshi, seemingly casual, snatched the seat behind Bulma, his eyes darting forward every now and then.

Lin Fan chose a seat in the back and buckled his seatbelt.

The engine let out a deep, powerful roar. The plane taxied smoothly, accelerated, and then suddenly tilted upward, soaring into the clouds.

"Oh oh oh oh—we're flying!!!"

The cheers of Son Goku and Krillin filled the entire cabin.

Bulma piloted the plane while proudly explaining its performance specs.

Master Roshi occasionally chimed in, bragging about his stories of using the Flying Nimbus back in the day.

The cabin was lively and bustling.

Lin Fan, however, gradually closed his eyes.

As the plane climbed to a steady cruising altitude and nothing remained outside the window but the boundless blue sky and soft sea of clouds, he felt something different.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth at this high altitude seemed purer and more active than on the ground; though still thin, it lacked much of the worldly impurities.

This was a rare opportunity for cultivation.

Ignoring the noise in his ears, he focused his mind on his dantian and began to circulate the method of the Great Dao Source Scripture once more.

The wisp of qi in his body from the early stage of refining flowed slowly, like a tiny stream, beginning to greedily absorb the purer spiritual particles in the surrounding space.

The slight sense of weightlessness from high-altitude flight, combined with the vast, boundless scene outside the window, seemed to make his state of mind more expansive and clear.

His spirit was easier to focus, and his perception of spiritual energy became sharper.

The speed at which his qi circulated through his meridians gradually increased. With every completed cycle, the stream seemed to grow a fraction stronger and more refined.

A faint, warm sensation emanated from his dantian, becoming increasingly distinct.

He became completely immersed in his cultivation state. The sounds of the outside world grew blurry, as if separated by a curtain of water.

Only the flow of his internal qi and the gathering of spiritual energy remained clear.

Son Goku seemed to turn back, wanting to say something to Lin Fan, but Master Roshi tapped him lightly on the head with his cane. "Shh, don't disturb him."

Master Roshi lowered his voice, his eyes behind his sunglasses observing Lin Fan with curiosity.

He noticed that the young man's breathing had become exceptionally long and steady, and there was an extremely faint yet peculiar sense of "stillness" about him—something entirely different from the vigorous, outward-bursting feeling they experienced when cultivating ki.

"What's wrong with him? Is he asleep?"

Krillin asked in a low voice.

"Doesn't look like it..."

Master Roshi muttered, "This is interesting..."

Time slipped away rapidly during his cultivation.

He did not know how much time had passed, but the stream of qi within Lin Fan, constantly circulating and growing, seemed to reach a certain critical point.

The warmth in his dantian suddenly intensified; that wisp of airflow was no longer a tiny stream, but had transformed into a more powerful, more concentrated flow of energy!

Its self-circulation speed increased once more, and the sensation of it scouring his meridians became even more pronounced, bringing with it a sense of clarity and strength.

The range from which he drew spiritual energy from his surroundings seemed to have expanded by a fraction.

Mid-stage Qi Refining!

Lin Fan understood clearly in his heart. The Great Dao Source Scripture stated that in the early stage of Qi Refining, the sense of Qi is just beginning to emerge, thin as a thread; but upon reaching the mid-stage, the airflow becomes a stream, circulating on its own in an endless cycle, with both the efficiency and total volume of spiritual energy absorption rising to a new level.

He slowly opened his eyes, a faint, clear light flashing across his pupils before vanishing.

He felt as if the entire world had become a little clearer, his body felt much lighter, and the fatigue of the past few days had been swept away.

He flexed his fingers slightly, feeling that new, stronger power flowing within him. Although still weak, it was a world of difference compared to the early stage of Qi Refining.

At the very least, casting those crude techniques like Telekinesis or Palm Thunder shouldn't be so strenuous anymore.

"Oh? You're awake?"

Bulma saw him in the rearview mirror. "You really can sleep; we're almost there."

Lin Fan looked out the window. Below was no longer the azure sea, but a green expanse dotted with numerous small islands. In the distance, the silhouette of a sizable island was already clearly visible, with what appeared to be urban architecture at its center.

"Is that Papaya Island?"

Lin Fan asked.

"That's right!" Bulma said excitedly. "The venue for the World Martial Arts Tournament! I heard it's especially lively this year!"

Son Goku and Krillin had also been leaning against the window for a while, watching the approaching island with faces full of excitement and anticipation.

"So many ships!"

Krillin pointed toward the harbor at the edge of the island, where many vessels of all sizes were docked.

"And so much Qi!"

Son Goku frowned, sensing the situation on the island. "A lot of tough guys have arrived!"

Master Roshi pushed up his sunglasses and chuckled, "Of course. The World Martial Arts Tournament is no child's play. Just wait and see the show."

As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward Lin Fan with a meaningful look.

Feeling the mid-stage Qi within him, Lin Fan also cast his gaze toward the approaching island.

The martial arts tournament... experts from all walks of life...

With his meager cultivation, he would likely still be vulnerable before the true powerhouses of this world.

But this was only the beginning.

The plane began to lose altitude, preparing to land. Lin Fan took a deep breath of the final, pure spiritual energy at this high altitude, adjusting his state to its peak.

Papaya Island, here we come.