Jackie Chun? Mary Sue??

After half a day of effort, the preliminary rounds concluded, and the list of the top eight for the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament was finalized.

Among them, Zhang Wutian had replaced Ranfan from the original work, but there was one other person who caught his attention.

So Jackie Chun really isn't here? And what the hell is a Mary Sue?

Comparing the names on the list, Zhang Wutian found the source of the disharmony.

Since the finals had yet to begin, Zhang Wutian could not see the actual people on the list, so he had to suppress his curiosity for now and head off with Little Wukong to find Bulma and the others to report the good news of his qualification.

"Bulma, look who this is!"

Son Wukong excitedly found Bulma and pushed Zhang Wutian, who was standing beside her, into view.

"A perverted, scum, lolicon?!" the blunt Bulma blurted out.

"Is that the fixed impression you have of me? Miss Bulma, my impression of you has just worsened."

"This young lady doesn't need you to have a good impression of her!" Bulma retorted, her haughty young-miss attitude flaring up.

Beside Bulma, Zhang Wutian finally caught sight of the female version of Master Roshi in this world.

How to put it? She was an elderly woman, only half the height of an average person, slightly plump, leaning on a cane, and looking quite amiable.

So this is the Master Roshi of this side? I'm curious, how does she manage to disguise herself looking like this?

Of course, Zhang Wutian didn't say this out loud; he bowed respectfully to the elderly Master Roshi.

"Master Roshi, thank you for taking care of my Wukong."

"Ho ho ho, so you're the husband Wukong mentioned? What a spirited young man. How about joining this old lady for a cup of tea later?"

"I must respectfully decline." Confirmed! This old creature drooling at me is definitely a variant of Master Roshi.

Zhang Wutian felt his hair stand on end. He quickly grabbed Son Wukong and, using the finals as an excuse, fled the scene.

Returning to the World Martial Arts Tournament venue, the riffraff had been cleared away, leaving the arena feeling much more spacious and quiet.

The tournament announcer—that same man in the black suit, sunglasses, and blonde hair who had held the same job for thirty years—approached the contestants with a drawing box, looking as young as ever.

"The hardware is pitifully crude. Can this really be called the World Martial Arts Tournament? Even the internal exams of some villages use electronic big screens."

Zhang Wutian said this directly, leaving the announcer looking quite embarrassed.

"The budget was all used for venue repairs and the winner's prize money. Please understand, contestant Zhang."

Of course, Zhang Wutian was just habitually complaining; he had no intention of arguing with the announcer. Instead, he glanced at a certain female martial artist who absolutely did not exist in the original work.

Is this person really the Master Roshi from earlier? The change is too drastic!

The target of Zhang Wutian's gaze was a middle-aged woman who still retained her charm. From her, one could not see a single shadow of the elderly Master Roshi from before. The reason was simple: this woman's height was completely out of sync with that short old woman. The former had a normal human physique, while the latter seemed to be only half the height of an average person.

Now, Zhang Wutian wasn't even sure if this person was truly Master Roshi in disguise. After all, even the body type had changed completely. Without the original work as a reference, Zhang Wutian probably would never have linked her to that elderly Master Roshi.

Noticing Zhang Wutian observing her covertly, the woman in the red kung fu outfit smiled slightly and gave him a wink.

Zhang Wutian turned his head, no longer paying her any mind.

"Everyone, please come forward to draw lots," the announcer said at the appropriate moment.

"So this is the result?"

After the draw, looking at the posted bracket, Zhang Wutian stroked his chin and said, "Is this what they call the inevitability of history?"

The bracket was almost identical to the original work, with the only exception being Zhang Wutian replacing Ranfan. His first-round opponent was Nam, who had come from a poverty-stricken village, while Mary Sue, who had replaced Master Roshi, was still set to face Yamcha.

Following that, with little fanfare and an opening ceremony that felt like a cold joke, the tournament officially began.

First round: Krillin vs. the foul-smelling Bacterian.

"I am not a person who likes to break the rules," Zhang Wutian muttered, frowning and holding his breath as he watched the guy emitting strange gases. "But this once, it is simply unbearable!"

Gathering his qi into his right fist, Zhang Wutian kept his movements subtle and gave a faint, forward flick.

Bacterian, who had been in the middle of provoking Krillin, seemed to be struck hard on the back of the head by something. After standing frozen for about three seconds, he hit the ground with a thud.

"What happened? Mr. Bacterian suddenly fainted. Did he get heatstroke from the weather?" the announcer asked in surprise.

Zhang Wutian stood with his hands in his pockets, eyes wandering toward the upper-left at a 45-degree angle, and began to whistle.

Bacterian remained unconscious, and in the end, the staff had to carry him away while wearing gas masks, their hearts filled with grief and indignation. Krillin won the first round without a fight; this time, he finally didn't have to rely on his "no-nose" talent.

"How could he suddenly faint?" Krillin asked Son Wukong, bewildered.

"Is he feeling unwell?" If it were purely a matter of strength, Little Wukong should have been able to see through Zhang Wutian's trick, but this honest monkey-girl didn't even consider that direction. Without suspicion, she naturally didn't notice Zhang Wutian's small move.

The others were much the same; only Mary Sue seemed to have sensed Zhang Wutian's interference. However, she said nothing. Regardless of whether it was "righteous" or not, as a woman, she clearly approved of Zhang Wutian's actions.

After Bacterian left the stage, the second round was Yamcha vs. Mary Sue.

"Mary Sue? I've never heard of such an expert. She shouldn't be hard to deal with."

At that moment, Zhang Wutian offered a well-intentioned hint: "Yamcha, your opponent is strong. Don't be careless; go all out from the start."

"Zhang Wutian?" Yamcha paused, then looked slightly displeased. "What do you mean? Do you think I'll lose?"

"I just hope you don't have any regrets," Zhang Wutian said indifferently to the playboy.

"Just watch from the sidelines. After I finish off this opponent, I look forward to meeting you in the tournament."

"I think that young man is right," Mary Sue suddenly spoke up at this moment. "It's a rare opportunity to step onto the ring; it would be better for a young person not to leave any regrets behind."

"What is going on?" Yamcha revealed a sinister smile. "Why does everyone think I'm the weak one? Do I really look that easy to deal with?"

An aura of weakness—when it comes to weaklings, using you as a background character is spot on. If he said this out loud, he would completely turn Yamcha into an enemy, so Zhang Wutian only grumbled to himself and ultimately said nothing.

And so, the match between Yamcha and Mary Sue officially began.