The morning sun had yet to beat down in earnest, and dew still clung to the grass along both sides of the dirt road.
Bulma yawned as she set the Dragon Radar's navigation, grumbling, "What's wrong with this lousy signal? It keeps jumping around... Hmm? Does it look like something's coming up ahead?"
Lin Fan followed her gaze. A small cloud of dust was rising at the end of the road, accompanied by a rhythmic "thump, thump" that grew louder as it approached.
The first figure burst out of the dust—a boy in an orange gi with spiky hair and a furry tail trailing behind him. He was carrying a giant milk can and running at astonishing speed, an almost absurdly bright smile on his face.
"Whoa! A car!"
The boy's eyes lit up when he saw Bulma's sports car, and he charged straight toward it without slowing down.
"Idiot! Get out of the way!"
Bulma frantically leaned on the horn.
Just as they were about to collide, the boy gave a hearty "Heave-ho!" and leaped with ease, tracing a perfect arc through the air with the milk can before landing steadily in front of the car. Then he curiously leaned toward the hood and sniffed it. "Ohh, what a strange smell!"
Bulma slammed on the brakes, nearly hitting her head on the steering wheel. "You scared me to death! Where did you come from, you wild monkey?"
"My name's Son Goku!"
The boy didn't seem to mind being called a wild monkey. He introduced himself with a bright smile, then immediately turned his attention to Bulma and Lin Fan inside the car. "Who are you? This box goes really fast!"
Lin Fan sat in the passenger seat and said nothing.
His heart thumped heavily in his chest.
Son Goku!
A living, breathing, young Son Goku!
Right before his eyes!
But something else shook him even more—in his perception, this seemingly harmless boy appeared to contain a small sun within him!
The immense life force and True Qi inside Goku seemed calm and dormant, but their total volume and strength were more than a hundred, even a thousand times greater than those of Lin Fan, a cultivator who had only just reached the first layer of Qi Refining.
It was like comparing a stream to an ocean!
He could even vaguely "see" the Qi, like golden flames flowing faintly around Son Goku.
Was this... the power of a true warrior in this world?
Lin Fan felt a trace of bitterness, but more than that, he felt an indescribable shiver of awe and understanding. The path he had chosen led to a destination of unimaginable breadth.
"Honestly, you nearly hit him, you know?"
Bulma put her hands on her hips, but she got over her anger quickly. After all, the boy didn't seem to mean any harm. "I'm Bulma, and he's Lin Fan. We're traveling."
"Traveling? Is it fun?"
Son Goku blinked, then seemed to remember something and turned to call out, "Krillin! Come look! There's a box that runs, and some people I've never seen before!"
Just then, another small figure came panting up from behind.
He was a short, bald monk in the same orange gi. As he ran, he complained, "Goku, you run too fast! I can't keep up... Huh? Miss Bulma?"
"Krillin?"
Bulma recognized him too. "It's you! What are you doing with this kid?"
"Goku and I are both training under Master Roshi!"
Krillin explained, then curiously looked over the luxurious sports car and the quiet-looking Lin Fan, who was dressed in plain cloth.
Lin Fan's gaze fell on Krillin as well.
The Qi within the bald boy wasn't nearly as scorching or vast as Son Goku's, but it was still solid and lively, far beyond that of an ordinary person. It put Lin Fan under tremendous pressure all the same.
Son Goku and Krillin... The basic combat power of this world really was terrifying.
"Training?"
Bulma raised an eyebrow. "You mean with that lecherous old man?"
"Master Mutian is really strong!" Son Goku and Krillin protested in unison.
After speaking, Son Goku moved closer to the car and sniffed a few times. Then he suddenly stared at Lin Fan, a hint of confusion on his face. "Hmm... You..."
Lin Fan's heart tightened. Had he sensed something?
Son Goku scratched his head, seeming to search for the right words. "You feel really weak, like you'd get knocked down in one hit... But..."
He tilted his head, his golden eyes full of pure curiosity. "There's something strange about you, too. It's like... something inside you is slowly turning? It doesn't feel quite like the Qi Krillin and I have."
Lin Fan sighed inwardly. A Saiyan's instincts really were frightening.
The meager True Qi of his first layer of Qi Refining should have been insignificant next to Goku's massive reserves. But its unique qualities—its order and refinement—had still let Goku sense something unusual.
He kept his expression calm and offered only a faint smile, saying nothing.
Bulma, however, was intrigued. "Oh? Lin Fan's pretty mysterious! He knows... uh... a really ancient martial art!"
She remembered the Palm Thunder from the previous night and the pills from before, and figured that explained it.
"An ancient martial art?"
Krillin looked Lin Fan over curiously. "Is it older than the Turtle School?"
"I don't know,"
Son Goku replied honestly with a shake of his head, but he continued to study Lin Fan with interest. "It sounds like fun! Want to have a match and see?"
"Give it a rest!"
Bulma annoyedly tapped Son Goku on the head, though he dodged with ease. "We're in a hurry! By the way, do you know about the World Martial Arts Tournament?"
"Of course!"
Krillin hurried to answer. "Master Roshi said he'd take us to compete once we'd made more progress in our training!"
"The World Martial Arts Tournament! I can fight lots of strong people!"
Son Goku's eyes instantly lit up, and he jumped with excitement. "I'm definitely going to enter!"
After chatting a little longer, Son Goku remembered he still had to deliver the milk, and Krillin had to get back to the temple.
After saying goodbye, the two disappeared down the road at inhuman speed, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Bulma waved as she got back into the car. "What a pair of freakishly strong kids with way too much energy... All right, we should get going too!"
The sports car started up again and continued down the road.
Lin Fan leaned back in his seat and watched the scenery flash past outside the window, but his mind was far from calm.
Son Goku and Krillin's appearance, the vast ocean of Qi within them, and Goku's keen instincts had all struck like a hammer, shattering the last of Lin Fan's wishful thinking.
A weakling... In this world, that was a harsh and undeniable label.
But at the same time, an unprecedented desire began to burn in his heart.
Qi Refining... Foundation Establishment... Golden Core... Nascent Soul...
One day, he would use the Great Dao Source Scripture to walk the path of immortality and see whether it could rival—or even surpass—the ultimate limits of this world's "Qi"!
The road ahead was long, but he could already see the mountains on the horizon. He could also feel the tiny yet resilient seed of strength within him quietly beginning to sprout.
Before you continue