As for what to do next, Jiang Yun had already given it some thought. He decided to harness technology to aid his training—for example, the Gravity Training Room from Dragon Ball, one of the original story's greatest training tools. With one of those, he could surely improve his training speed considerably. But he was still young, so there was no rush to build one. Using a gravity room too early could stunt his growth. A few years from now, though, it would be a different story.
"By then, I'll surely have made great strides in strength. I can't wait to meet Goku." Jiang Yun said, his face full of anticipation.
Jiang Yun had also thought about how to build a faction of his own. He decided to recruit the young people in the village who practiced martial arts.
That's right, the village Jiang Yun lived in had a strong martial arts tradition. It was probably founded by a group of fallen martial artists, and practicing martial arts had always been customary there. Young and old alike were remarkably fit.
Jiang Yun had heard all this from his late grandfather, who had passed away two years earlier. In other words, Jiang Yun was a bona fide orphan.
After thinking it over for a while, Jiang Yun came up with a plan. He decided to open a Chinese Cuisine restaurant to serve as his faction's public source of income and provide the food needed for training. Martial artists always had enormous appetites. As the saying went, scholars could study on a shoestring, but martial artists needed money. The many hidden injuries caused by training also required medicinal herbs to heal; not everyone had the recovery abilities of a Saiyan, especially people from Earth!
Technology in this world was far more advanced than in his previous life. Healing Liquid that could treat injuries was already available on the market, though it was somewhat expensive and generally considered a luxury for the wealthy. Ordinary people still went to hospitals.
Jiang Yun had started cultivating young talent a year ago. During his first year after arriving in this world, he had already beaten all the young people in the village, and even held his own against the older generation. By now, the villagers could no longer tell how strong he was.
After all, most people now saw martial arts as nothing more than a way to stay fit. They no longer had the spirit of martial artists.
Of course, a few people still devoted themselves to martial arts. They were descendants of the martial artists who had survived the battle with King Piccolo. They truly understood the glory martial arts had once enjoyed!
They were also the people Jiang Yun intended to recruit, because they were the only ones worth cultivating.
Jiang Yun walked through a stretch of woods, where tall trees grew thick and lush. It was completely different from his previous life. Towering trees were everywhere in this world, and industrialization was far less extensive. Some places were highly developed, while others remained mired in an extremely backward agricultural age.
After crossing the woods, Jiang Yun arrived at a simple training ground. It was fairly large, and he had built it a year earlier with some of the village's young people. The villagers admired the strong. After Jiang Yun defeated them, the young martial artists in the village had made him their idol and hoped to train under him. That was how the scene before him had come about.
The moment they saw Jiang Yun arrive, the group, who had been training hard, stopped and turned to look at him.
A boy who looked about sixteen ran over and asked excitedly, "Brother Yun, are you here to teach us?"
"Bu Chen, there's something I want to discuss with you all. Get everyone else over here. It concerns them too."
"Hey, everyone, stop for a second! Brother Yun has something to say!" At Bu Chen's call, everyone came over.
Looking at the youths before him, Jiang Yun saw the admiration in their eyes. They all began asking, "Brother Yun, what did you need us for? Are we ready to move on to the next stage of training? We haven't been improving much lately!"
"Brother Yun, does this mean we can go out and make our way in the world, like you said before?" some of them asked eagerly, having guessed part of the reason.
"Yeah! The elders in our families never let us go out. They say we have to earn your approval first."
As everyone talked over one another, Jiang Yun raised his hand. "Everyone, quiet down!"
The group immediately fell silent. It was clear how much influence he had over them.
"I called you here today because I want to establish a faction to make our training easier. We've reached a point where our progress has slowed, so we need to find a new approach." As he spoke, Jiang Yun couldn't help thinking of the enemies who would casually blow up stars in the future. He wasn't about to entrust his life to the Saiyans. His fate had to be in his own hands—and that only strengthened his resolve to build a faction.
"I plan to establish a faction like the Martial Arts Alliance, one that will spread martial arts and make them shine again." Jiang Yun had made up his mind long ago to strengthen Earth's martial arts and prepare for the upheavals to come. He also planned to venture into space one day, so having a faction of his own was essential.
"But, Brother Yun, can we really build a faction with just the people here?" someone asked doubtfully.
Hearing that, Jiang Yun frowned and snapped, "Quiet! Do you have any martial artist's spirit left in you? Martial arts are in decline. If you're convinced we can't do it, then martial arts have no future! Remember, martial arts are in our hands now. We must never let their legacy die with us. We'll make them flourish again!"
"But are martial arts even useful anymore? Even if they can stop bullets, can they stop artillery shells, planes, and tanks?" The boy questioned him again. The others wavered too, though none of them spoke up.
Bu Chen couldn't take it anymore. Angrily, he said, "Shut up, Bu Fan! You've really disappointed me. How dare you question Brother Yun? Even if martial arts can't defeat artillery shells and tanks, that's no excuse for you to act so brazenly!"
That's right, the boy was Bu Chen's younger brother, Bu Fan! Hearing Bu Chen's words, Jiang Yun shook his head with a wry smile. The younger generation in the village didn't share the older generation's beliefs. They thought martial arts were powerful, but no match for modern human technology. Even Bu Chen, who believed in him most, didn't think martial arts could rival it.
"Since you all think martial arts have reached their limit, I'll show you today just how powerful they really are. Martial arts can shatter mountains and boulders, burn mountains, and boil seas!"
With that, Jiang Yun walked over to a boulder without looking back. It stood twice as tall as a person.
"Keep your eyes wide open!"
Jiang Yun began channeling his inner force and unleashed two waves of Dark Energy. With his current strength, he could only unleash two waves, which doubled his power for an instant.
"Haah! Half-Step Crushing Fist!"
There were two sharp cracks, and the boulder instantly shattered into dozens of pieces. The astonishing display stunned everyone present.
Even Bu Chen was left in shock. He had known Jiang Yun was strong, but he had never realized he was this powerful.
He was practically superhuman!
"Now, I don't want anyone objecting. We'll call our faction the Martial Alliance, meaning an alliance of martial artists. I know how difficult it is to build a faction, so I'll help you. In five years, I want you to make the Martial Alliance the strongest faction in West City! Bu Chen, you'll serve as the Vice Alliance Leader, and you'll be in charge of everything for now. Don't be afraid of the difficulties. I'll pass on a method for cultivating ki to those who do well. I'm still working on it, but I hope you won't let me down!"
"Yes!" Everyone had been won over by Jiang Yun's strength, and their confidence surged.
Time passed in a flash...
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