Registration and Reunion

Beside the cottage on Mount Paozu, the two brothers finally had a rare moment of peace.

"Goku, from now until the World Martial Arts Tournament begins, we need to stay in our blonde forms as much as possible, even while training. You'll need to be careful about controlling your ki during that time."

The brothers transformed where they stood, then quickly reined in their auras.

Wuchen knew this state had two fatal weaknesses. First, it was difficult to control. Second, it was hard to maintain for long.

The first problem was manageable. They simply weren't used to it yet; the more they transformed, the easier it would become.

The second was different. It had two main causes: excessive strain and excessive energy consumption.

Wuchen had already thought of ways to deal with both.

To handle the strain, they would condition their bodies. To address the energy consumption, they would conserve and replenish their ki.

Body conditioning was straightforward: they just had to keep at it step by step. Conserving ki was straightforward too. It came down to control—streamlining their moves and making each strike precise. There was a clear path to follow.

Replenishing their reserves, however, was difficult. Ki wasn't a stable form of energy to begin with, and storing it in their acupoints carried too much risk.

As for storing it in the Consciousness Realm, they could suppress it with their Origin Souls, but drawing on it would never be as easy as using their Yuan Power.

Of course, Wuchen had no solution for the time being, so he didn't dwell on it.

He simply kept training with Goku, conditioning their bodies and practicing their techniques step by step. They also trained with weighted gear to increase their ki, doing their best to maintain their blonde forms throughout.

One thing worth mentioning was that Wuchen cleared a patch of land especially for their training and planted some Senzu Beans there.

After that, time once again became meaningless.

Two years and three months flashed by in the blink of an eye. (Be careful with the details: three months, not six.)

Babaiya Island, home of the World Martial Arts Tournament venue.

The brothers arrived the day before registration opened, found an inn, and checked in.

They had a single room. Goku slept in the bed, while Wuchen rested on two Flying Nimbus clouds set side by side. The Flying Nimbus felt like a hard seat to Goku, but Wuchen felt differently: put two together, and they were better than any bed in the world.

At that moment, both of them had blonde hair.

Their hair was indeed blonde, but it wasn't standing straight up. Goku had a blond spiky hairstyle, while Wuchen's blond hair fell loosely around his ears.

Their auras were both steady, making them feel no different from ordinary people.

One thing worth mentioning was that the Dragon Balls had been restored. To keep anyone from going to Mount Paozu and disturbing Grandpa, Wuchen had brought the Four-Star Ball with him.

Early the next morning, the brothers got up, ate some food they had brought with them, checked out, and headed to the registration area.

Registration hadn't even opened yet, but a long line had already formed. The two took their places at the very end.

Gradually, they were no longer at the end of the line, as more and more people queued up behind them.

There were all sorts of people: tall and short, fat and thin. A considerable number were animal-people, including lions, tigers, wolves, bears, leopards, and more.

If there was anything unusual about Goku and Wuchen, it wasn't their tails but their age. Boys as young as them were truly one of a kind among the competitors so far.

After a while, the line began to move. It was almost noon by the time the brothers reached the front.

"Name." The staff member had been so busy he was nearly numb. Without looking up, he simply asked for their names.

"Sun Wukong," Wuchen answered for Goku. Once he saw the staff member write it down, he led Goku away and made room for the next person. Yes, he wasn't planning to compete himself.

"Go right for the waiting area. Next... Wait!" The staff member abruptly looked up. Why had that sounded like a child's voice?

"I must be exhausted." But by then, there was no one in front of him. He shook his head and went back to work. "Next."

"Big Brother, we've registered. Where do we go to fight?" Goku looked around, but couldn't see an arena, and started to get anxious.

"It says on the notice over there. Registration's today, and the preliminary rounds are tomorrow morning, so the tournament won't start until tomorrow." Wuchen had learned to read the writing in this world.

"We have to wait until tomorrow? That feels like such a long time." Goku couldn't hide his disappointment.

"Let's wait here for a while. Grandpa Roshi and Yamcha should be arriving soon." The two waited outside the tournament's waiting area.

Meanwhile, the staff member kept his head down and continued recording names. "Next."

"Jingdi Tailang!"

"Next."

"Next."

"Krillin."

"Mm, next... No, I definitely heard that right this time. That was a kid's voice!" The staff member looked up again, then immediately froze. That round head looked awfully familiar.

"Krillin! Right, you're the previous champion! Master Mutaito's prized pupil!" The staff member's words instantly caused a stir. The crowd broke into excited chatter, and Krillin's bald head seemed to turn red.

Behind Krillin, Master Roshi abruptly turned around. He had sensed a cold aura!

"It's him! That aura... When did he...?"

Master Roshi's gaze met a cold stare. The man was a thin, sly-looking old man with winglike sideburns, wearing a hat topped with a crane-head ornament!

It was Master Shen. Like Master Roshi, he had studied under Mutaito, but he was no good sort. He often competed with Master Roshi behind the scenes, which was one of the reasons Master Roshi had chosen to live in seclusion after making a name for himself.

Two others stood with Master Shen, apparently his students.

One was a tall, muscular, bald man with a third eye in the center of his forehead and a stern expression.

The other was even stranger: a pale-white childlike figure with a slightly vacant—or perhaps simply adorable—expression.

But the two were somewhat different from Master Shen. Their ki was sinister but not evil, as if they had merely strayed down the wrong path.

What shocked Master Roshi most was that he sensed fluctuations of spiritual energy from all three of them!

"Mr. Krillin, go this way and let the reception staff in the waiting area know about your situation. They'll arrange private accommodations and meals for you."

The organizers had given special instructions concerning the previous champion, so the staff member was particularly welcoming.

"Okay. This is my friend, Jackie Chun. He'll be competing too." Yes, Master Roshi planned to compete as well. He had even prepared a false name in advance, though he hadn't disguised himself.

"Mm, all right, all right. Mr. Jackie Chun, was it? There, I've recorded your name. Go through here, and someone will be there to take care of you."

"Sorry for the trouble." Master Roshi looked away, then headed to the waiting area with Krillin.

The treatment they received nearly made Master Shen grind his back teeth to dust. He felt deeply resentful.

"That damn turtle! He actually sent his disciple to compete in the World Martial Arts Tournament so he could advertise that stupid Turtle School! What a schemer!"

"Hmph! You'd never guess that I stumbled upon a powerful technique by sheer chance. Once I use the Crane School's secret technique to defeat all your Turtle School fighters in the tournament, it'll be time for the Crane School to make its name!"

Meanwhile, outside the waiting area.

"Goku? Senior Brother Wuchen?! You... You caught it from Launch?!" Everyone had been busy with their own training lately. They hadn't kept in touch much, nor had they seen each other.

That made their reunion all the more surprising, especially when Goku and Wuchen had such striking blonde hair and eyes that seemed a little cold.

Krillin was actually trembling a little and didn't dare approach. Even after all of Launch's weapons had been confiscated, Blonde Launch still chased him around the mountain with a kitchen knife. He'd nearly lost a few body parts several times.

"Krillin, Grandpa, it's been a long time." Wuchen greeted them with a smile. Seeing how uncertain Krillin and Master Roshi looked, he then explained:

"Goku and I are indeed somewhat like Launch. Thanks to it, we can draw on greater power. But we're still ourselves, which is where we differ from Launch."

"Amazing, Krillin! Your cultivation has caught up with mine! But with your petite build, wearing clothes like that makes you look broad, like a rock. It looks so weird. Haha!"

Goku chimed in, and his innocent laughter put Krillin and Master Roshi at ease. Krillin in his suit really did look funny to Goku.

"What do you mean? Master Mutaito told me to dress like this. Doesn't Master Mutaito look just like me? And you're not that tall either. You only look taller than me because you have hair."

"But Senior Brother Wuchen, you said you could draw on greater power? Really? You both look so much weaker than before..." "Bonk!" "Ow! Master Mutaito, what did you do that for?"

Before Krillin could finish, Master Roshi rapped him on the head.

"You idiot! Can't you tell Goku and Wuchen are suppressing their auras? There's an incredibly terrifying power hidden inside them! You're going to such lengths to conceal it because you can't control it, aren't you?"

Master Roshi's last two questions were naturally directed at Goku and Wuchen, and his tone was somewhat concerned.

"Don't worry, Grandpa. Goku and I feel perfectly fine. We're suppressing our auras just to avoid wasting energy." Wuchen hurriedly reassured him, but didn't explain further. It would take too long to make him understand right now. He would explain properly another time.

Wuchen was more surprised by the auras of Master Roshi and Krillin. Krillin was at the fifth level of Soul Condensation, on par with Goku, while Master Roshi had reached the seventh level—and it didn't seem like he had only just broken through.

After Wuchen finished speaking, Master Roshi relaxed a little, and the mood lightened as well.

Goku and Krillin were especially happy to catch up, chatting away. Goku even shared a few ways to tell men and women apart. Krillin turned red with embarrassment, but still wanted to hear more.

Meanwhile, Master Roshi took Wuchen aside and spoke to him privately at length.

Most of their conversation concerned what had just happened and Master Shen and his group. The cultivation method had definitely leaked out.

Master Roshi also mentioned a detail he had noticed.

"Still, although they're filled with spiritual energy and their blood and qi are surging, there's no sign of Yuan Power at all." He paused, then added:

"When I passed on the cultivation method, I only taught a small group how to condense their souls. Master Shen and the others must have only learned how to generate spiritual energy."

"We'd already taken this possibility into account, so there's no need to worry too much, Grandpa. The situation is still under control." Wuchen wasn't concerned; it was only to be expected.

Then Wuchen took the initiative to change the subject, bringing up things like the finer points of Expand Dream after reaching the seventh level of Soul Condensation.

Talking about cultivation did distract Master Roshi. He stopped worrying and overthinking things.

Before long, Yamcha, Bulma, and the others arrived too.