Finals and Champion, Master Roshi's Critique

After a brief rest, Tien Shinhan, still unsettled by his bizarre bout with Lin Fan, and Son Goku, whose astonishing recovery ability had him raring to go, stepped back onto the tournament stage for the finals.

The air was thick with tension and anticipation far beyond anything seen before. Everyone held their breath, waiting for this true clash of the titans to begin.

"The finals! Begin!"

The referee's voice even carried a hint of a tremor, and he retreated rapidly the moment the words left his lips.

No probing, no holding back!

Son Goku and Tien Shinhan erupted with energy almost simultaneously. Two vast, surging auras shot into the sky, gold-white and blue-white lights colliding violently. The entire arena hummed under the pressure of such terrifying energy!

The solid ground cracked inch by inch!

"Ka--me--ha--me--ha--!!"

"Do--don--pa--!!"

The two unleashed their respective ultimate techniques right from the start!

A thick blue-white beam and a condensed, piercing white ray collided like two roaring dragons!

Rumble--!!!

An unprecedented, terrifying explosion swept across the arena! The blinding light left everyone momentarily sightless, and the violent shockwave slammed into the protective walls surrounding the stage, emitting a teeth-gritting groan!

The entire venue shook!

Lin Fan sat in the contestant lounge, eyes narrowed slightly. Even from a distance, he could clearly feel the destructive energy contained within the center of that explosion.

Unlike the attacks he had dealt with through trickery earlier, this was pure, overwhelming power clashing head-on!

As the light faded, the two figures collided again fiercely amidst the dust! The sound of fists and feet striking echoed like a rapid-fire series of heavy bombs!

Their speed was faster, their strength greater, and every collision sent shockwaves rolling outward!

Son Goku fought with increasing vigor, his Saiyan blood boiling; he broke through his limits mid-battle, his movements wild and explosive. Tien Shinhan remained calm and ruthless, his third eye perceiving the slightest detail. The Crane School techniques were tricky and lethal; though he did not use the Four Witches Technique again, his twin-fisted assault was still like a raging storm!

The stage shattered beneath their feet, sending massive chunks of stone flying everywhere!

The audience's gasps rose in wave after wave!

Lin Fan watched quietly, his heart surging with waves of emotion.

This battle had completely overturned his previous understanding of "Qi."

Such a massive volume of Qi, such violent methods of application, such terrifying destructive power... this had completely exceeded his current understanding of "immortal cultivation."

His own true energy, even if cultivated to the late stage or even the perfection of Qi Refining, would likely struggle to compare with these monsters in terms of "quantity."

The Great Dao Source Scripture was a supreme classic, but cultivation could never be achieved overnight. What he lacked was precisely time and accumulation.

It seems... I must make some choices.

Lin Fan mused to himself, With the total volume of my true energy unable to skyrocket in the short term, only by reaching the pinnacle of "quality" and "finesse" can I hope to gain a foothold.

As he pondered, the battle on the stage reached a fever pitch.

Both sides were covered in wounds, yet neither was willing to take a single step back.

Finally, after a no-frills, full-power punch, both men exhausted their strength simultaneously. They fell backward like puppets with severed strings, crashing heavily onto the shattered stage, unable to move again.

Another draw!

After an emergency consultation by the tournament committee, based on the rules and the sequence in which they fell, it was ultimately ruled that Son Goku had won by an extremely narrow margin!

"The champion is--contestant Son Goku!"

The host roared with every ounce of his strength!

The entire arena erupted! Applause and cheers rang out like a tsunami! Krillin jumped up in excitement, and Bulma shrieked with joy.

Medical staff rushed forward to carry the two exhausted warriors away for treatment.

The awards ceremony was simple yet enthusiastic. A bruised and battered Goku held the championship trophy and the prize money check, grinning like a child.

After the clamor died down, the crowd gradually dispersed. Just as Lin Fan was preparing to leave, an aged yet steady voice sounded behind him.

"Young man, stay a moment."

Lin Fan turned to see the real Master Roshi—Master Mutian—who had appeared behind him at some point. He had changed back into his signature floral shirt and sunglasses, but his aura was completely different from when he was disguised as "Jackie Chun," carrying the poise of a grandmaster standing like a mountain.

"Master Mutian."

Lin Fan bowed slightly, his attitude respectful. This seemingly lecherous old man was, in reality, the Martial Arts God of Earth and deserved respect.

Master Roshi walked up to him and looked up (Lin Fan was a bit taller than him), his gaze behind the sunglasses seeming to pierce through to the heart.

He didn't beat around the bush, getting straight to the point:

"You kid... are very interesting." Master Roshi stroked his chin, his tone inquisitive. "What you used, that wasn't 'Qi,' was it?"

Lin Fan felt a chill in his heart; as expected, he couldn't hide from someone of this level.

He didn't deny it, nor did he explain in detail, simply nodding: "It is another way of utilizing energy."

"I could tell."

Master Roshi chuckled. "Your flight was very clever, your eyes were sharp, and that final defense and long-range force projection were unheard of. Your path is very wild, very unique, and one might even say... your potential is limitless."

He paused, his tone suddenly turning serious as he extended a wrinkled finger and tapped the air in front of Lin Fan's dantian: "However... your 'foundation' is too shallow."

"It is like a small puddle,"

Master Roshi used as a metaphor, "Even if you can make the water in that puddle dance, turning it into a fountain or an ice sculpture, it remains a small puddle. Once it encounters a true river, or even the vast ocean..."

He shook his head, "It would be washed away without a trace in an instant."

Lin Fan listened in silence, though his heart was as clear as a mirror.

Master Roshi had seen through his greatest weakness at a glance—his cultivation at the middle stage of Qi Refining meant his total volume of true qi was severely lacking.

No matter how exquisite his techniques might be, without sufficient power to support them, everything was just a castle in the air.

"Goku and Tien Shinhan,"

Master Roshi continued, "Their 'puddles' might not have been large at the start, but they have their ways—or rather, their constitutions and cultivation methods allow their puddles to quickly become ponds, then lakes... and perhaps one day, even the ocean."

He looked at Lin Fan with profound meaning: "Your method is very unique; I have lived a long time and never seen anything like it. But if you cannot find a way to make your 'puddle' grow larger and deeper more quickly... then in the future, you will be left further and further behind by them."

These words struck Lin Fan's heart like the tolling of a great bell.

They aligned perfectly with his own self-reflection, yet were even more incisive.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Mutian."

Lin Fan bowed respectfully once more, his tone sincere, "This junior understands. Solidifying the foundation is the top priority."

Seeing that Lin Fan understood with a single hint and maintained a humble attitude, Master Roshi nodded in satisfaction. He reverted to his usual lecherous old man persona and patted Lin Fan on the shoulder: "As long as you understand! You have a bright future, young man! Train hard! Who knows, you might bring this old man even more surprises in the future! Hehe..."

Laughing, he walked away with his hands behind his back, swaying as he went.

Lin Fan stood where he was, watching Master Roshi's retreating figure with a calm and determined gaze.

The recognition and guidance of a martial arts legend had completely clarified the path ahead for him.

Techniques must be studied, but cultivation is the root!

He had to raise his realm and increase his total volume of true qi as soon as possible!

He touched the money Bulma had given him in his pocket and recalled the laboratory and materials she had promised.

Perhaps... it was time to attempt refining some "elixirs" that could truly assist in his cultivation.

Lin Fan looked up at the vast blue sky in the distance.

The road ahead was becoming clearer than ever.