"All set! Let's go!"
Bulma clapped her hands excitedly, then pulled another capsule printed with a plane from her seemingly bottomless capsule case. She pressed the button hard and tossed it onto the open beach.
Boom!
A larger cloud of white smoke burst out, accompanied by the faint whir of machinery.
As the smoke cleared, a sleek little white jet appeared before them, gleaming in the sunlight.
"Whoa!!!"
Son Goku and Krillin's eyes instantly turned into stars, their mouths hanging open wide enough to fit an egg. They rushed over like a gust of wind, touching and inspecting the plane.
"That's amazing, Bulma! Did this come out of that little box too?"
Son Goku bounced around excitedly, his tail nearly spinning like a propeller.
"That's so cool! It's way faster than Master Roshi's Sea Turtle, right?"
Krillin's face lit up with excitement.
Master Roshi ambled over, leaning on his cane. A flicker of surprise showed behind his sunglasses, but he quickly put on the air of a man who had seen it all and stroked his fake beard. "Mm-hmm. As expected of Dr. Brief's daughter. Capsule technology really is convenient. But a true martial artist should rely on his own ki to fly. That's the proper way..."
Unfortunately, no one paid him any attention. Everyone was captivated by the plane.
Lin Fan looked at the technologically advanced plane, feeling a little surprised himself.
He had seen planes in his previous life, but something this small and refined, conjured from a capsule, was truly beyond his imagination.
The Dragon Ball World's technology tree had certainly taken a strange turn.
"Don't just stand there! Get in!"
Bulma opened the cabin door first and climbed into the pilot's seat. She patted the steering wheel proudly. "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 especially spacious, but there was more than enough room for all five of them.
Son Goku and Krillin jostled for the window seats, pressing their faces almost against the glass as they watched Kame House and the blue sea grow smaller, shouting excitedly.
Master Roshi casually claimed the seat behind Bulma, his eyes wandering toward the front from time to time.
Lin Fan chose a seat near the back and fastened his seat belt.
The engine gave a deep, powerful roar. The plane taxied smoothly, picked up speed, then abruptly tilted up and shot into the sky.
"Whoa! We're flying!!!"
Son Goku and Krillin's cheers filled the cabin.
As she piloted the plane, Bulma proudly explained its features.
Master Roshi occasionally chimed in, bragging about how he'd once traveled on the Flying Nimbus.
The cabin was lively.
Lin Fan, however, gradually closed his eyes.
Once the plane reached cruising altitude, with only endless blue sky and soft banks of clouds outside the windows, he sensed something unusual.
The natural energy high in the sky seemed purer and more active than it was on the ground. It was still sparse, but carried less of the world's impurities.
This was a rare opportunity to practice.
Ignoring the chatter around him, he focused his mind on his dantian and once again began circulating the method of the Great Dao Source Scripture.
The wisp of True Qi in his body, still at the early stage of Qi Refining, flowed slowly like a tiny stream, greedily drawing in the purer particles of spiritual energy around him.
The faint sensation of weightlessness from flying high above the ground, along with the boundless view outside, seemed to open and clear his mind.
It was easier to concentrate, and his perception of spiritual energy grew sharper.
The True Qi flowing through his meridians gradually quickened. With each completed cycle, the stream seemed to grow a little stronger and more concentrated.
A faint warmth stirred in his dantian, growing more noticeable by the moment.
He sank completely into his practice. The sounds around him gradually blurred, as if separated from him by a veil of water.
Only the flow of True Qi within him and the gathering spiritual energy remained vivid.
Son Goku seemed about to turn around and say something to Lin Fan, but Master Roshi lightly tapped him on the head with his cane. "Shh. Don't bother him."
Master Roshi lowered his voice, his eyes behind the sunglasses studying Lin Fan curiously.
He noticed that the young man's breathing had become unusually long and steady. There was an exceedingly faint yet peculiar sense of stillness around him, completely different from the vigorous, outward energy they felt when cultivating ki.
"What's wrong with him? Did he fall asleep?"
Krillin asked quietly.
"Doesn't look like it..."
Master Roshi muttered. "Interesting..."
Time passed quickly as Lin Fan practiced.
After who knew how long, the stream of True Qi circulating and growing within him seemed to reach a certain threshold.
The warmth in his dantian suddenly intensified. The wisp of energy was no longer a tiny stream, but a stronger, more concentrated flow!
It sped up again as it circulated on its own, washing through his meridians with greater force and bringing a sense of clarity and power.
The area from which he drew spiritual energy seemed to expand slightly as well.
The middle stage of Qi Refining!
Lin Fan understood. The Great Dao Source Scripture stated that at the early stage of Qi Refining, one's first sense of energy was like a fine thread. By the middle stage, it became a steady current that circulated on its own without end, raising both the efficiency and capacity for absorbing spiritual energy to a new level.
He slowly opened his eyes. A faint glimmer of light flashed in them, then vanished.
The whole world seemed a little clearer, and his body felt much lighter. The fatigue that had built up over the past few days swept away.
He flexed his fingers slightly and could feel the new, stronger power flowing through him. It was still weak, but compared to when he had first entered the early stage of Qi Refining, the difference was like night and day.
At the very least, using the rudimentary Telekinesis or Palm Thunder again shouldn't be so exhausting.
"Oh? You're awake?"
Bulma spotted him in the rearview mirror. "You really can sleep, huh? We're almost there."
Lin Fan looked out the window. The deep blue sea had given way to green waters dotted with small islands. In the distance, the outline of a sizable island was already clear, and there seemed to be buildings in its center.
"Is that Papaya Island?"
Lin Fan asked.
"That's right!" Bulma said excitedly. "The site of the World Martial Arts Tournament! I hear it's going to be especially lively this year!"
Son Goku and Krillin had already crowded back to the windows. They watched the island draw closer, their faces full of excitement and anticipation.
"There are so many boats!"
Krillin pointed toward the harbor by the island, where vessels of all sizes were moored.
"And there are so many powerful fighters!"
Son Goku frowned as he sensed the situation on the island. "A lot of strong guys have come!"
Master Roshi pushed up his sunglasses and chuckled. "Of course. The World Martial Arts Tournament isn't child's play. Just wait for the show."
As he spoke, he glanced at Lin Fan meaningfully once more.
Feeling the True Qi of the middle stage of Qi Refining within him, Lin Fan also turned his gaze toward the island drawing closer.
The tournament... fighters from all walks of life...
With his meager cultivation, he would probably still be no match for the true powerhouses of this world.
But this was only the beginning.
The plane began to descend in preparation for landing. Lin Fan drew in one last breath of the pure air high above and brought himself into peak condition.
Papaya Island had arrived.
Before you continue