Korin

While they chatted after the meal, Wuchen asked Bora about Korin Tower, the tower he guarded.

After hearing the answer, Wuchen was full of curiosity, while Goku was practically bursting with excitement.

According to Bora, legend had it that a Korin lived at the top of Korin Tower. Anyone who climbed all the way up with their bare hands would get to meet the immortal.

And once they met him, if they passed his test, they would receive something called Ultra Divine Water. Drinking it could increase their strength several times over.

Wuchen was very curious about this. An immortal certainly wasn't the kind of "immortal" he had in mind. Was this Korin related somehow to Master Roshi?

Goku, on the other hand, kept shouting that he wanted to climb up. He was eager to get his hands on the Ultra Divine Water, which could multiply his strength several times over.

Wuchen motioned for Goku to be patient, then took out a Hoi-Poi Capsule and produced a large refrigerator packed with spirit fruit.

After giving most of it to Bora and Upa, who had treated them to fish, Wuchen found a suitably sized box and picked out some fine-looking spirit fruit. In truth, they were no more effective than the others, but he packed them inside anyway.

He then dressed up the box a little, turning it into a neat gift box. Only then did Wuchen take Goku and start climbing.

That was right. Wuchen had no intention of riding the Flying Nimbus up, nor of flying straight to the top.

Since they had been told they had to climb it with their bare hands, they would do so, whether or not there was some deeper meaning to the rule.

It was a rule set by Korin, after all. Since they were visiting, they ought to respect it.

Before long, the brothers had climbed to a tremendous height, far higher than they usually went when riding the Flying Nimbus or flying under their own power.

The air grew thin, undoubtedly making the climb more difficult. And that wasn't even counting the occasional gusts of wind.

"Goku, regulate your breathing and watch your pace," Wuchen reminded him promptly.

Being blown off the tower wasn't a big deal, since they could fly. But this was a rare opportunity to train. It demanded a certain degree of control over one's breathing, something Goku really needed to work on.

So the brothers slowed their pace. Wuchen urged Goku to pay attention and focus on what he was experiencing.

As it turned out, Goku really was a genius.

His breathing gradually steadied, and his strength gathered without being released. He wasted less energy, yet his climbing speed barely decreased.

Goku's control over his body improved rapidly. Wuchen smiled with satisfaction. My little brother has a real shot at becoming an immortal!

But soon, Wuchen sensed that something was wrong. Goku seemed a little off.

"Goku, are you about to gain insight into Momentum?" Once Goku's aura had grown restrained to a certain degree, it took on a subtle quality. That was exactly what happened when someone gained insight into Momentum—and this time, Goku was gaining insight into Earth Momentum.

This wasn't something Wuchen hadn't foreseen. Back in the desert village, at the oasis dam, Goku had already begun to ponder the nature of earth.

Sand and mud soaked together became soil, able to hold water and nourish things; earth and stone piled up became a dam, able to block water and stem its flow...

When water was plentiful and earth scarce, there would be flooding; when earth was plentiful and water scarce, there would be drought. When water and earth joined, wood could grow...

These ideas had already taken root in Goku's mind.

So his fourth Momentum was bound to be Earth Momentum. It was only a matter of whether he grasped it sooner or later.

At the same time, Goku had been stuck at the third level of Soul Condensation for quite a while, and his foundation was already very solid. All he lacked was insight into a new Momentum.

Yet, of all times, he had gained that insight at this critical moment.

"He must have suddenly grasped the weight of the earth while restraining his breathing and keeping himself in check." Seeing that Goku wasn't responding, and even seemed about to let go, Wuchen quickly scooped him up and flew straight toward the top.

Soon, Wuchen sensed an aura above them. It wasn't especially powerful, but it was remarkably peaceful.

Then a spherical building came into view, as if it had been "plugged" into the top of the pillar.

That must be the top of Korin Tower.

The pillar connected to the bottom of the spherical building, where there was an entrance. Wuchen flew straight inside.

It was a modest room, with a bed, a table and chairs, cabinets, bottles and jars, and a staircase leading upward.

The only thing missing was another person. Wuchen could sense that the aura was upstairs.

Wuchen carefully set Goku down. Even while unconscious, Goku naturally assumed a meditative pose. At this rate, he was likely to break through to the fourth level of Soul Condensation in one go.

After that, Wuchen didn't dare disturb him. He followed the stairs up to the "second floor."

The so-called second floor looked more like a circular balcony. A stone platform stood in the center, holding an exquisite teapot.

Apart from that, there were only a few supporting pillars and a railing running around the edge.

There were no walls or windows—or rather, the whole place was one large, circular open window.

Outside, clouds hung below them, partly veiling the mountains and land. Inside, they were sheltered from the sun and rain, while a gentle breeze brushed past.

A white cat was dozing on the railing, leaning against a pillar with a staff at his side and one leg crossed over the other. If you squinted and looked from a distance, you would never think he was a cat. He looked more like a carefree old man out enjoying the scenery.

Wuchen immediately bowed and spoke softly. "Sun Wuchen and Sun Wukong of Mount Paozu pay their respects to the immortal."

This cat's aura wasn't strong, but his cultivation was profound!

He seemed neither asleep nor awake, neither dreaming nor not dreaming. Wuchen could sense that the other's aura rose and fell just like that of someone in a dream. But anyone who tried to take advantage of the moment and attack him would surely fail—unless the difference in their strength was overwhelming.

"Meow~ The young men who defeated Tao Pai Pai have finally made it up here." The cat had indeed only been pretending to doze. He had heard Wuchen's soft voice perfectly well.

The cat hopped down from the railing, his round body wobbling slightly as he opened his eyes. "What's wrong with your little brother?"

Wuchen wasn't surprised that the other had learned so much about them in just a few words.

This world was full of wonders, and the one before him was a reclusive... cat. This was his territory, too. It was only natural that he had special means of gathering information.

"Thanks to Korin's blessing, my little brother gained some insight while climbing the sacred tower. I'm afraid we'll have to trouble you. Please let him stay here and complete his insight. I've prepared a small gift as a token of my respect. I hope you'll accept it."

There was no doubt that the one before him was Korin. Wuchen promptly held out the gift box with both hands.

As the saying went, flattery could get you anywhere. Wuchen's words made Korin beam.

Normally, Korin, who had lived for hundreds—nearly a thousand—years, shouldn't have been so easily pleased.

But Wuchen was someone who could ride the Flying Nimbus, and he was remarkably powerful for his age. Naturally, that made him different from the rest.

"Of course. You can stay as long as you like, meow~" Korin accepted the gift box and replied with a smile, clearly in a good mood.

"Thank you, Korin."

Since his rebirth, Wuchen had usually kept a humble attitude toward others and the world around him.

He understood the situation perfectly. His status as an Immortal Venerable belonged to his previous life, in another world. In this life, he was simply a seeker of the Dao who had inherited the remnants of those memories.

"By the way, you two climbed up here for the Ultra Divine Water, didn't you?" Korin pointed his wooden staff at the teapot on the stone platform in the center and continued:

"The Ultra Divine Water is in that teapot. If you want to drink it, all you have to do is snatch it from me."