The dust above the ring finally began to settle, revealing two figures swaying on their feet.
Son Goku and Tien Shinhan stood at the edge of the ring, covered in wounds and panting heavily. Even staying upright seemed to take all their strength.
That earth-shaking clash had nearly drained them of every last ounce of energy.
The referee approached cautiously and watched them for a moment before raising his hand and announcing, "Neither fighter can continue! This match is a draw!"
The entire arena erupted!
A draw!
It was an incredibly rare outcome in the history of the World Martial Arts Tournament!
Medical staff hurried into the ring and helped the nearly exhausted Son Goku and Tien Shinhan off.
"Th-they're amazing..." Krillin watched, enthralled, and murmured to himself. Then he clenched his fists, his little face tense. "Next... it's my turn."
Soon, the announcer's voice rang out. "The next match: Fighter No. 18, Krillin, versus Fighter No. 56, Chiaotzu! Please come to the ring!"
Krillin took a deep breath and encouraged himself. "Come on, Krillin! You can do this!"
He glanced at Goku as the others helped him down, his gaze growing more determined, then stepped into the ring.
His opponent, Chiaotzu, was already floating lightly at the other end of the ring, watching him without expression.
The match began!
Krillin knew Chiaotzu's strange psychic powers were difficult to defend against, so he immediately adopted a strategy of rapid movement, constantly changing position as he looked for a chance to get close.
He was nimble, had a solid foundation, and his ki was quite concentrated. It was clear he had received strict training under Master Roshi.
"Krillin is on the offensive! But Chiaotzu is hovering in the air and dodging with remarkable agility!" the announcer exclaimed.
Lin Fan watched quietly from the stands.
He could sense that Krillin's ki was far less abundant than Son Goku's or Tien Shinhan's. But it was indeed as the Turtle School taught: quite concentrated and flowing in an orderly manner. It was just...
"It's no use."
Chiaotzu spoke softly from the ring, and his eyes glimmered.
Krillin, moving at high speed, suddenly felt his body stiffen as if invisible ropes had bound him. His movements faltered, and he stumbled, nearly falling!
"It's Chiaotzu's psychic power! He's frozen Krillin in place!" the announcer shouted.
"Damn it!"
Krillin struggled with all his might, and his ki surged through his body. He barely broke free, but his rhythm had already been disrupted.
Chiaotzu seized the chance to float closer, his small hand sweeping toward Krillin with ki behind it.
Krillin hurriedly raised his guard, but the blow sent him staggering backward.
The match settled into a stalemate.
Krillin kept trying to close the distance, but Chiaotzu disrupted him with one bizarre psychic ability after another—paralysis, numbness, illusions...
Krillin managed to break free each time through sheer ki and willpower, but he was left scrambling desperately, looking worse for wear and rapidly burning through his stamina.
"This isn't good..." Bulma said anxiously. "That little guy's powers are such a pain!"
Lin Fan watched and gave a slight shake of his head. Krillin's ki was well concentrated, but the way he used it was too straightforward and predictable. He lacked variety.
Against an opponent as strange and unpredictable as Chiaotzu, charging in and attacking head-on only played into Chiaotzu's strengths.
As expected, even the strongest defense had its limits.
While trying to use the Kamehameha's opening stance to force Chiaotzu back, Krillin's earlier exertions caused his ki to falter for a split second.
Chiaotzu seized that fleeting opportunity!
He unleashed his psychic powers with all his might!
Krillin felt a sharp pain stab through his brain, followed by dizziness. His body froze completely!
Thud!
Chiaotzu's small hand, charged with a considerable amount of ki, struck Krillin squarely in the chest.
"Ugh!"
Krillin cried out in pain. His body flew backward and slammed into the edge of the ring. He struggled to move, but couldn't get back up right away.
The referee ran over and began counting. "Ten! Nine! Eight..."
Krillin gritted his teeth and tried to rise, but the tightness in his chest and the dizziness clouding his mind kept him from gathering his strength.
"...Three! Two! One! Time's up! The winner is—Fighter No. 56, Chiaotzu!"
A sigh of disappointment rippled through the crowd.
Chiaotzu floated down, softly said, "You fought well," to Krillin as the medical staff helped him up, then drifted out of the ring.
Krillin lowered his head as they helped him down, his little face filled with frustration and disappointment. He went over to Goku, his voice catching in his throat. "I'm sorry, Goku... I lost... I'm so useless..."
Goku had only just recovered a little strength, but he quickly waved a hand. "It's okay, Krillin! Chiaotzu really is strong! We'll train together and beat him next time!"
Master Roshi came over with his cane and offered a hoarse, comforting word. "Don't lose heart, Krillin. You did very well. Your opponent's abilities are certainly unusual."
Bulma patted his bald head, too. "Exactly! There's no shame in losing to psychic powers!"
But a few words of comfort clearly couldn't dispel Krillin's dejection. He walked alone to a corner of the competitors' passageway, sat down against the wall, and buried his face in his knees, his shoulders trembling slightly.
Lin Fan watched him in silence for a moment, then walked over.
He stood in front of Krillin without saying a word.
After a while, Krillin seemed to sense someone nearby and looked up. His eyes were a little red. When he saw it was Lin Fan, he quickly wiped them and forced a smile. "Lin Fan... congratulations on winning. I... I really embarrassed myself."
Lin Fan shook his head, his voice calm. "Don't sell yourself short. Your ki has a very solid foundation, and it's far more concentrated than that of your peers."
Krillin froze, not expecting Lin Fan to say that. He stammered, "B-but I still lost..."
"Victory and defeat are part of any contest."
Lin Fan looked at him, his gaze clear. "You didn't lose because your ki was lacking. You lost because you lacked variety."
"Variety?" Krillin looked up, puzzled.
"Mm." Lin Fan spoke slowly. "Your ki is concentrated, but you use it in few ways; direct, but lacking finesse. Against brute force, you might stand a chance. But against strange techniques, rigid attacks are easily broken."
He paused, recalling some of the most basic ki cultivation methods in the Great Dao Source Scripture, then continued, "There's more than one way to use energy in this world. You might move and seep through like flowing water, endure and renew yourself like grass and trees, or hold firm like an immovable boulder... When you have the time, perhaps... you could try a different approach. You might find a new path."
His words were like a small stone dropped into Krillin's fixed understanding, sending ripples across its surface.
Krillin stared at Lin Fan. The dejection in his eyes gradually gave way to confusion and thoughtfulness. "A different approach... like water... like a rock..."
He murmured to himself, seeming to struggle to understand what Lin Fan meant.
Master Roshi had always taught them how to gather and unleash their ki more effectively. He had never mentioned that ki could take such different forms or be used in different ways.
Lin Fan said no more. He simply patted Krillin on the shoulder. "You still have a long road ahead."
Then he turned and left, leaving Krillin sitting there, lost in thought.
Bulma came over, curious. "Lin Fan, what did you say to that little bald guy? Why does he look like he's gone dumb?"
Lin Fan smiled. "I just told him that if you fall, try walking in a different direction. You might see a different view."
Bulma gave a vaguely understanding, "Oh."
In a corner on the other side, Tien Shinhan had just finished receiving treatment. One of his three eyes cracked open slightly as he watched Lin Fan walk away, then looked at Krillin, deep in thought. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
That Lin Fan... somehow always managed to say things that made people think, even in passing.
Meanwhile, Krillin rubbed his smooth, bald head, repeating the words in his mind: "Concentrated, but lacking variety... like flowing water... like an immovable boulder..."
A seed called "another possibility" had quietly taken root.
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