The sun rose, and faint morning light seeped in through the window.
Wang Shen's good sleep habits meant he woke up first.
He slowly opened his eyes.
Infinite stamina was absurd, but my Full Power endurance was no joke either.
A mysterious smile tugged at the corner of Wang Shen's mouth. He called out:
"Time to get up. You've got a match today."
Lazuli's eyelashes fluttered, but her eyes showed no sign of opening.
Wang Shen felt both fond and helpless. He leaned close to her ear and continued in a soft voice:
"If you don't get up, you'll be disqualified if you're late, and you'll never get that hundred-million-yuan prize!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Lazuli's eyes snapped open, filled with a longing for money.
Five days passed. The competition grounds were still packed with people, bustling with noise.
Countless people dreamed of becoming Satan's disciple, rising to the top in one leap and earning everyone's respect.
Lazuli and Wang Shen were dressed and ready. Hand in hand, they arrived at the venue.
Lazuli had none of the languid air she'd had at the hotel. Instead, she looked bright-eyed and full of energy.
Wang Shen stood straight-backed too, discreetly releasing a gentle force that parted the crowd and opened a path.
The first five days had already weeded out most of the contestants without real skill.
Except for one boxing master who'd pulled off an upset.
Today, the ten rings were hosting the second round of eliminations.
It would be completed over the next two days.
"Why are the matches this morning? I want to go back to sleep."
Lazuli complained.
"The earlier they start, the sooner they'll be over. We'll have plenty of time afterward."
Wang Shen raised an eyebrow and smiled.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before Lazuli's turn came.
After her match yesterday against the boxing master Dorank, no one dared underestimate her anymore or assume she was all looks and no substance.
When Lazuli's next opponent saw her step onto the ring, he looked as if he were facing a formidable enemy.
He planted his feet and watched her warily, not daring to attack recklessly.
However.
He made the wrong call.
When Lazuli saw that he wasn't making a move, she took the initiative. She appeared beside him, hooked his foot with hers, and sent him tumbling off the ring.
Lazuli won again.
Then came the familiar routine: shocked onlookers, media interviews, the two of them fleeing, then good food and hotel entertainment.
The next few matches went the same way.
She finished each one quickly and easily.
Lazuli breezed her way into the finals. Not a single opponent had managed to withstand even one of her attacks.
During that time.
Beautiful, sexy, and unfathomably strong, Lazuli naturally attracted plenty of ardent admirers.
But after she'd sent each one flying with a single kick, no one dared come within ten feet of her.
Wang Shen, of course, didn't keep ten feet away. He stayed right up close.
Soon, the tenth day arrived!
At last, a young man named Ennate, who had crossed mountains and valleys from the remote Xilin Tribe, stood on the finals stage.
His final opponent was Lazuli!
Facing this unfathomable opponent, Ennate looked especially tense. He clenched his fists and stood stiffly on the stage, with thousands of eyes fixed on him.
As a contestant's family member, Wang Shen was finally no longer watching from below, squeezed into the crowd.
Instead, he'd been given a seat in the VIP section, the best place to watch—and higher up than the ring itself.
From there, he could clearly see every movement the contestants made.
Still, Wang Shen thought it was all unnecessary.
Against ordinary Earthlings, Lazuli wouldn't even make a single attack.
"Why haven't they started yet? I'm waiting to go home and play games."
Watching Lazuli grow bored from standing around for so long, Wang Shen couldn't help complaining too.
Wang Shen was about to reach for some pastries when he noticed a small, fair hand rummaging around on his plate.
Judging by the empty space on the plate, that wasn't the first time the little hand had struck.
Just as it was about to grab another pastry, Wang Shen quickly caught it and gave it a gentle tug.
He saw a cute little girl with twin ponytails pop up from behind the table.
She stared at him with pale blue eyes and pouted, not daring to look him in the eye.
She only lowered her head, trying hard to pull her hand free from Wang Shen's grasp.
Then she tried to run away.
"Who are you? Why are you stealing my pastries?"
Wang Shen asked with interest.
The little girl with twin ponytails didn't say anything. She only pulled harder at her hand.
Wang Shen continued with a smile:
"Just tell me who you are, and I'll not only let you go, I'll even treat you to the pastries on the plate. How about it?"
The little girl lowered her head and stayed silent. After a long while, her cheeks red, she finally said shyly:
"My name is Videl. I'm ten years old."
At that, Wang Shen, who'd only been chatting with her to pass the time, became even more interested.
So this was Videl. She really was cute.
She'd grow up to be one of the rare beauties in Dragon Ball, too.
She'd meet Gohan in high school and pursue him after learning he was the Great Saiyaman.
After the Majin Buu incident, she and Gohan would end up together.
Later, she'd go from a stubborn, justice-loving girl to a devoted wife and mother.
She and Gohan were more or less the only couple in Dragon Ball with a real romance.
"Why were you eating my pastries? Where's your dad?"
Videl lowered her head, twisting the hem of her skirt, and answered in a quiet voice:
"I was hungry, and we'd eaten all our pastries, so I just..."
"My dad's been watching the matches and didn't notice me, so I sneaked over by myself."
"Your dad sounds pretty negligent, then. He can't even keep an eye on a little girl."
Wang Shen said.
With a daughter that cute, why was he watching the matches?
"That's not true! My dad is the strongest person in the world. If he wants to, he can do anything."
Videl tipped her head back and loudly protested.
"Is that so?"
Wang Shen let go of Videl's hand and offered her the pastries.
Sure enough.
Every child looked up to their father as a hero when they were little.
But when they grew up...
Well, that was a whole other story.
Videl rubbed her reddened hand, grabbed a pastry, and wolfed it down.
"Of course! My dad is Satan, the world champion!"
After finishing the pastries, Videl clasped her hands together and bowed to Wang Shen to thank him and apologize.
Then she raised her hands and ran off.
That Gohan kid sure was lucky!
After teasing the little girl, Wang Shen looked down at the ring.
At last, the match was starting!
The spectators cheered and urged them on.
Ennate made his move!
Ennate fell off the ring.
For Lazuli, knocking her opponent off the ring was the safest way to attack.
The grand martial arts tournament finally had its winner.
Then Satan made his entrance in an extremely flashy fashion.
Gripping both sides of his cape, he leaped down from the VIP section and landed on the ring by the narrowest of margins.
Then he draped the cape over his shoulders.
"Lazuli, well done."
"You may not be my equal yet, but once you become my disciple, you'll surely catch up with me."
Satan braggingly patted the enormous champion's belt around his waist.
"I'll train you to become the next world champion."
Wang Shen noticed Videl nearby, watching Satan and Lazuli excitedly, her eyes shining with envy.
That big sister is so strong.
I want to become a world champion like Dad, too.
Wang Shen smiled and shook his head.
Faced with Satan's boastful speech, Lazuli answered without the slightest politeness:
"Hey, who said I wanted to become your disciple?"
"Just give me the hundred-million-yuan prize money. I'm going home."
Huh!?
As soon as she said that, everyone except Wang Shen froze in place, their faces full of disbelief.
Was there really someone who'd come for the hundred-million-yuan prize and turned down the chance to become Satan's disciple?
Satan awkwardly held his earlier, boastful pose, blinking his mismatched eyes.
In the end, the seasoned host hurriedly brought Lazuli a case filled with a hundred million yuan in cash.
Lazuli's eyes flickered as she took the case firmly, unable to stop the corners of her mouth from rising.
She'd never earned this much money before.
Trying to contain her excitement, Lazuli also forgot Wang Shen's reminder to keep a low profile. She picked up the case and flew into the sky.
"What!?"
"She—she—she... she flew!"
The crowd erupted in cries of shock. Lazuli, who'd turned down the chance to become Satan's disciple, had actually flown away!
Was that a kind of martial arts?
Almost everyone wondered the same thing and turned their eyes toward Satan.
It seemed they were hoping he'd show them how to fly, too.
And so, the world champion Satan found himself on the spot, at a loss for what to do.
Suddenly, inspiration struck. Satan smiled and explained:
"Everyone, don't get the wrong idea. Miss Lazuli must have been performing a trick for you. She prepared it ahead of time; she can't really fly..."
"Oh!~"
Whatever the reason, the audience chose to believe him.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Wang Shen couldn't help bursting into laughter at the ridiculous scene.
Satan really was a natural comedian!
If there was a flying trick, then a disappearing act wouldn't be too much of a stretch either.
Thinking that, Wang Shen suddenly vanished from the spot without warning.
This set off another round of shocked cries and speculation from the VIP section.
High above the clouds, Wang Shen looked down at Satan, who had chosen Ennate as his disciple after all, and began to ponder.
Maybe it was about time I returned to the God of Destruction Realm.
Before you continue