"What's wrong?"
"What happened?!"
"Immortal? Are you all right?"
After a hearty meal, everyone was left savoring the delicious food and immersed in the changes they were experiencing.
Only Master Roshi was different. He sprang to his feet, rushed outside, and sat down cross-legged.
The sudden turn of events startled everyone, and they all followed him outside. Of course, Wuchen, Goku, and Krillin were surprised and delighted.
"Don't—don't disturb the old man." When he saw Bulma, Yamcha, and the others about to go over and check on Master Roshi, Wuchen quickly stopped them.
He knew Master Roshi was about to break through.
He'd sensed it earlier. Master Roshi had already reached the peak of the first level of Soul Condensation, and his cultivation was advancing much faster than Goku's had at the same point.
There were two reasons for this. First, he had the support of a large quantity of higher-quality spiritual resources. Second, Master Roshi already had a solid cultivation foundation and a powerful physique, so it was only natural that he advanced rapidly.
Now, with the medicinal meal to assist him, his accumulated gains had finally borne fruit, and his breakthrough came naturally.
"Being all mysterious again!" Bulma watched Wuchen's nonchalant expression and couldn't help thinking of how secretive he'd been when they were searching for the Dragon Balls.
Once before, he'd also told her not to disturb Goku without explaining what was going on.
Even the time the two brothers had turned into monsters remained a mystery to this day.
"Master Mutaito, is he... practicing some kind of martial art? I feel like he's getting stronger!" Yamcha had managed to pick up on some of what was happening.
Wuchen didn't choose to stay silent. To be honest, he'd already had a plan for some time: to spread the Essence-to-Spirit Conversion method from the Yin-Yang Creation Art.
This was as good a time as any.
"That's right. Master Roshi is practicing a divine art, and he's about to break through and greatly increase his strength!" With that, Wuchen took the opportunity to reveal the existence of cultivation, hoping it would spread far and wide.
Everyone exchanged glances. None of them had expected Wuchen to explain anything. Bulma was especially surprised. That guy was always so mysterious.
Whenever he did something astonishing, he'd brush it off afterward with an excuse like "It's nothing" or "I just have a special constitution." Why was he acting differently this time?
Ignoring their surprise, Wuchen led them to an open space some distance away and explained the cultivation of himself, Goku, Krillin, and Master Roshi.
Of course, he only explained Essence-to-Spirit Conversion and how to cultivate spiritual plants. He also went into some detail about breathing exercises, opening the Consciousness Realm, condensing the Origin Soul, Momentum Insight, and Spirit Attachment. He didn't mention anything else.
"You mean the fruit and vegetables you gave me were just ordinary produce at first? They changed because of a method you figured out from some tree?"
Bulma turned into a curious little investigator, firing off one question after another. "What exactly is this spiritual energy you mentioned? What kind of substance is it? How can it have this effect? And is that fruit tree still around? Can I go see it?"
Wuchen was a little overwhelmed. He could only answer directly when he could, and make something up when he couldn't. He even took Bulma to see what he claimed was the first spiritual tree.
It was one of the first spiritual trees he'd "cultivated," and it had indeed undergone some unusual changes. It was just enough to satisfy Bulma.
"Senior Brother, there's something I'd like to ask you about." Fortunately, Krillin came to his rescue. Otherwise, Wuchen really might not have been able to handle things. Bulma was far too curious.
"Krillin, you want to ask about Spirit Attachment, right?"
"Exactly, Senior Brother. I followed your instructions and comprehended my attribute. It's the metal attribute. I've also successfully condensed my Origin Soul, but I still can't achieve Spirit Attachment. Master Mutaito doesn't know why, either." Krillin was genuinely asking for advice, not just trying to bail Wuchen out.
"Metal represents reform and transformation. It emphasizes killing and subduing, and its nature is to sink. You can't focus only on strength and ferocity. You've only understood its sharp, deadly aspect, which doesn't count as true comprehension. You need to understand that a sword is sharp, while a blunt weapon is heavy and restrained. Only then can you say you truly understand it."
In any case, Krillin had rescued him from an awkward spot, and Wuchen was grateful. He patiently explained things to Krillin, using the opportunity to escape Bulma's questions.
Unlike Bulma, who wouldn't stop until she'd gotten to the bottom of everything, Yamcha was much more well-behaved. He sat cross-legged like Master Roshi and started experimenting.
Goku was a warmhearted fellow. He offered a few pointers, and Yamcha really did manage to figure out some of the basics.
Meanwhile, there was a change with Master Roshi, too.
The air around them grew slightly damp. The sky remained clear and cloudless, yet a fine rain began to fall.
The rain didn't come down from the sky. It gathered in midair from nowhere, then suddenly fell. Its range was small, and it didn't even catch the attention of anyone but Wuchen, but it was exceptionally strange.
Gradually, the fine rain gathered into strands of water that circled Master Roshi. They suddenly stopped, then sank into the soil.
Master Roshi slowly rose to his feet. His aura had become even more subdued, yet Wuchen couldn't help marveling. Master Mutaito truly was a martial arts grandmaster. Not only had he broken through, but his understanding of Water Momentum had also advanced to a new level.
"Congratulations, Old Master. Two happy breakthroughs at once." Wuchen stepped forward to offer his congratulations.
"You really do notice everything. Tell me honestly, what realms have you and Goku reached?" Master Roshi laughed heartily, then turned the question back on Wuchen.
"Goku broke through to the third level of Soul Condensation four months ago. He's only a step away from the fourth. As for me, I'm about the same as Goku."
Wuchen answered, then took out a bottle of pills and handed it to Master Roshi. "Old Master, there are ten pills in here. I happened to come up with them while experimenting. Taking them can improve your cultivation. You and Krillin can use them to aid your training."
"These are too precious. Keep them for yourself and Goku. You're much more talented, and you'll go much further."
"Don't worry, Old Master. Though I came up with them by chance, I've gotten the hang of making them. As long as I have enough spiritual herbs, I can make as many as I want. Oh, and there's another bottle here. It has beautifying and rejuvenating effects. Could you pass it along to Launch?"
"All right, then. I'll take them." Seeing this, Master Roshi stopped refusing. Then he looked toward Yamcha, who was sitting cross-legged in the distance, and spoke again.
"Have you passed on the secrets of cultivating spiritual energy to them?" It sounded like a question, but the answer was obvious. Master Roshi was also quite pleased. What a good child, always willing to share! Of course, Master Roshi had a serious misunderstanding about Wuchen.
"Yeah. I've thought it over. Even though I was the one who figured out these methods, they'd be extremely beneficial to others, and even to the whole world. I should spread them." Wuchen said righteously, without a hint of embarrassment.
"Very good. It's wonderful that you can think that way. Gohan would have known... Oh, right. Gohan..." Master Roshi felt even more pleased, though a trace of emotion crept into his voice.
Wuchen quickly led the way, taking Master Roshi to pay his respects at Son Gohan's grave. They also discussed spreading the cultivation methods.
Afterward, the two of them rejoined everyone as they practiced. Even Bulma had started training.
With Goku and Master Roshi joining in, the group training reached its peak, igniting everyone's enthusiasm.
They often discussed cultivation among themselves, and Wuchen would occasionally slip in a well-chosen remark or two, making the story he'd invented seem all the more convincing.
Before you continue