"Ka...me...ha...me...ha!!"
Son Wukong brought her hands together and fired a shockwave from her palms.
"Aaagh!" Krillin was blasted away.
He flipped over and lay on the ground, relaxing completely. He had clearly given up on continuing the fight.
"I lost this one." Staring up at the pale sky, Krillin said with a bitter smile.
"Krillin's big brother, you haven't even used your real strength yet. How can you give up? Let's go again!"
"Haha, a loss is a loss. There's no point making excuses." Too tired to bother correcting her about being Krillin, he said, "You're amazing, Wukong. You're still so young, yet you fought me to a standstill. No wonder you're the other world's version of that guy."
"Hehe." Son Wukong smiled at the praise, then looked toward the other battle taking place a little farther away.
"Empty Fist!!"
"Dodon Ray!!"
The flying fist imprint clashed with the straight-line shockwave. Tien Shinhan's Dodon Ray pierced through Zhang Wutian's Empty Fist and continued relentlessly forward.
But Zhang Wutian was no longer where he had been. Clearly, his Empty Fist had only been a feint. He darted forward at incredible speed and appeared above Tien Shinhan at an angle, his fists glowing as he swung them down in a crisscrossing motion.
"Double Palm Empty Fist, Spiral!" The two fist imprints spun across each other, forming a tornado-like vortex that slammed toward Tien Shinhan, who was still holding his Dodon Ray stance.
Tien Shinhan had used a great deal of energy to make his Dodon Ray pierce through Zhang Wutian's Empty Fist, so his energy recovered more slowly than Zhang Wutian's. Now, facing Zhang Wutian's true finishing move, Tien Shinhan had no choice but to fall back on defense.
He raised both arms in front of himself and took Zhang Wutian's attack head-on.
"An attack of this level..." Tien Shinhan shouted.
"Of course it wouldn't be enough to beat you, right?" Zhang Wutian's voice came from behind him.
"Dash Heavy Punch!"
Zhang Wutian's fist came to rest lightly against Tien Shinhan's back, aimed directly at his spine.
"Checkmate."
Tien Shinhan stiffened all over. A moment later, he relaxed and gave up his fighting stance.
"I lost." Head bowed, Tien Shinhan said heavily.
"Phew... I finally won one. At least I managed to save a little face." Seeing Tien Shinhan's stiff expression, Zhang Wutian patted him on the shoulder. "What's with that face? This is the first time I've beaten you, and you can't even take a loss? You beat me hundreds of times before this. Can't you just win the next one?"
"Next time..." Tien Shinhan fell silent. Only he knew that he should have lost their previous match. Back then, Zhang Wutian had pushed him to his limit, and he had finally been forced to use a move that shouldn't have been used during training. Even so, when the fight ended, he had been more badly injured than Zhang Wutian. If they hadn't been sparring by the rules, but fighting for real, he would have already lost that time.
He had done everything he could to drag the contest out until the next match. After enduring even harsher training, all he had gained was a delayed defeat. And this time, his loss foretold that Zhang Wutian had surpassed him in every way.
Tien Shinhan could no longer beat Zhang Wutian. It was a reality he couldn't face, but had no choice but to accept. And it wasn't just Zhang Wutian—Son Wukong had also made enormous progress. Krillin's defeat was the clearest proof of that.
"Wukong, want to have a match?"
"Sure. I won't go easy on you!"
Watching the two of them immediately launch into a fight, Tien Shinhan silently walked over to Krillin.
"If it's those two, do you think they can beat that guy?"
Tien Shinhan was quiet for a moment, then said, "When I faced that guy, I felt a despair unlike anything I'd ever known. I hated how powerless I was. Now, someone else has made me feel that same despair."
"Don't say such depressing things." Krillin watched the fight in front of them. "I think those two are our world's hope!"
In Krillin's eyes, the sparring match between Zhang Wutian and Son Wukong was rapidly taking a different turn.
"Zhang Wutian threw a punch. He didn't hit Son Wukong, but the force of his blow tore through her already tattered clothes."
Son Wukong's growth spurt had already put a strain on her slightly small martial arts uniform. Then Zhang Wutian's follow-up did the rest, and her outer garment finally came off, revealing her two developing breasts.
"Impressive! You even managed to ruin my clothes. Let's go again!"
"Go again, my foot!" Zhang Wutian angrily took off his own clothes and draped them over Son Wukong.
Wrapped in Zhang Wutian's clothes, Son Wukong looked uncomfortable and complained, "So what if my clothes are ruined? When I lived in the mountains, I used to go hunting without any clothes on."
"That was before. You've grown up now."
"So what?" Son Wukong looked at Zhang Wutian, confused.
"You're a young lady now. Didn't Master Roshi ever tell you not to expose yourself?"
"Granny Master Roshi said I could expose myself in front of my husband. Zhang Wutian, you're my husband, right?"
"You still haven't let that go? Has Master Roshi still not taught you what a husband means?"
"She did! Granny Master Roshi told me a husband is someone who can make sure I get enough to eat. You always make sure I eat well, Zhang Wutian. No wonder you're my husband!"
"Your dad can feed you too, you silly daughter! Accept your father's love, as heavy as a mountain! Take this—Hell Paradise Cradle!!"
"Ha... haha, I'm so dizzy! Let me go, Zhang Wutian..."
Zhang Wutian trapped her limbs in a playful grappling hold and held her tightly in his arms, rolling around on the ground with her. Son Wukong let out a cheerful laugh as clear as a silver bell.
"The world's hope, huh?"
Watching the two of them go from fighting to showing off their affection, Tien Shinhan said gloomily.
"No. Maybe I got it wrong..." Krillin covered his face and gave a helpless, bitter laugh.
Since everyone's clothes were already in tatters, their training seemed to have hit a bottleneck, and Tien Shinhan and Krillin judged that their strength had caught up with that guy who destroyed the world, Zhang Wutian and the others finally left the room of spirit and time after training for half a year and returned to God's Realm.
Outside the door, Mr. Popo had been waiting for them for a long time. He seemed not to have moved at all; every motion he made was just as it had been half a year—or rather, half a day—earlier, when he had sent the four of them inside.
Looking at the four who had returned, Mr. Popo asked in his distinctive tone, "Did you flee because you couldn't stand the harsh conditions, or did you master your training and gain the strength to overcome every obstacle?"
The four exchanged glances, then lined up in front of Mr. Popo.
"Now that we're back to normal gravity, our bodies feel so much lighter. Shouldn't we let out a few shouts?" Zhang Wutian suggested.
"Hehe." Son Wukong supported the idea without hesitation.
"That's a good idea," Krillin agreed. "What do you think, Tien Shinhan?"
"Whatever."
The next moment, all four of them shouted at the top of their lungs.
"Haaaaaaah!!!"
Enormous energy erupted from their bodies, and the resulting gusts of wind left Mr. Popo stunned.
Just half a day earlier, he had been able to hold the four of them back. Now, facing the fighting power they unleashed, he had no choice but to retreat again and again to escape the pressure they put on him.
He retreated five steps, reaching a comparatively distant spot, before he could finally steady himself with his own strength.
Clearly, no words were needed.
**********
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