Visitor in the Desert

On the Gobi Desert, a blinding white light exploded without warning!

A pillar of light shot into the sky, dyeing the vast expanse of yellow sand a ghastly white. Birds and beasts within a hundred miles fled in panic, and even the Sand Scorpions hidden beneath the gravel felt a terrifying aura that made their blood run cold.

At the center of the white light, a boy of twelve or thirteen curled his body, his entire frame radiating a faint golden aura.

Goten slowly opened his eyes.

"Cough... cough, cough..."

He propped himself up, only to find he was lying in a completely unfamiliar wasteland. Beneath him was scorching gravel, overhead was a scorching sun, and in the distance lay an endless stretch of Gobi and jagged, strange rocks.

"Where... is this?"

Goten shook his head, his memory still stuck a few minutes ago.

He had clearly been playing video games at home with Trunks when an irresistible force suddenly enveloped him, followed immediately by a dizzying, tearing sensation.

"Dad said that Instant Transmission doesn't feel like this... This is nothing like Instant Transmission at all!"

He tried to sense the "ki" in his surroundings.

But the next second, Goten froze.

He couldn't sense anything.

This world was like a stagnant pool. The "ki" he was familiar with—the energy fluctuations emitted by every living being—was completely non-existent.

In its place was something more ancient and primitive, like a pulse surging from the depths of the earth.

"Interesting."

Goten grinned, sparks of excitement igniting in his eyes.

He was, after all, the son of Sun Wukong. The combative and adventurous genes flowing in his Saiyan blood made him full of curiosity about everything before him.

"No matter where this is, I'll find someone first."

He brushed the sand off his body and was about to fly up—only to discover his body felt much heavier than usual.

"Huh?"

Goten frowned, drew in a breath, and pushed off with his legs—

Whoosh!

He shot out like a cannonball, carving a long trench into the desert and tumbling several times in the air before stabilizing his form.

"Phew, that's a relief. My physical fitness is still here!"

He patted his chest and let out a sigh of relief.

Just then, noisy sounds drifted over from ahead.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Surround it! Don't let that Sand Scorpion get away!"

"The strategist said if we don't have roasted scorpion meat tonight, he's going to roast you instead!"

"Why is it always me—ouch! It's running, it's running!"

Curious, Goten landed behind a giant rock and peeked out.

He saw seven or eight men in strange attire scrambling to chase a massive scorpion—the creature was as big as an ox, its two pincers swinging with fierce force, and its tail stinger glinting with a cold light.

"Hey! You won't catch it like that!"

Goten couldn't help but call out.

Everyone froze and turned to look at him.

A burly man with a scarred face looked him up and down. "Where did this brat come from? Get lost, don't get in the way of your grandfathers catching a scorpion!"

Goten scratched his head. "I just think you're being too slow."

"What did you say?!"

Just as the man was about to lose his temper, the giant Sand Scorpion suddenly charged at him, its tail stinger thrusting straight for his face!

"Boss, watch out!"

Everyone screamed.

The man's face turned deathly pale, and just as the stinger was about to pierce his skull—

Thud!

A dull sound echoed.

The entire scene fell into dead silence.

Goten was already standing in front of the man, one hand casually pinning down the Sand Scorpion's tail stinger, not moving an inch.

"Be a good boy and stay still."

He smiled slightly and flicked his finger.

Boom!

The giant Sand Scorpion, weighing several hundred pounds, was sent flying, rolling over a dozen meters across the ground before passing out with stars circling its head.

The entire scene fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone's jaws were practically hitting the floor.

"...What did I just see?"

"He... he flicked that scorpion away with his finger?"

"What kind of martial art is that?!"

Goten scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "Sorry about that, was I too rough?"

Just then, a lazy voice drifted from the back of the crowd.

"Interesting."

The crowd parted automatically, and a man strolled out slowly.

He wore tattered yet dashing cloth robes, a long sword hung at his waist, and a cynical smile played on his lips—but his gaze was exceptionally sharp, as if he could see right through a person's heart.

"Hey, kid," Zhi Zun Bao tilted his head as he looked at Goten, "that move of yours, what school or sect is it from?"

Goten blinked. "Martial art? It's not really a martial art... I was just born with a bit more strength."

"Born with a bit more strength?" Zhi Zun Bao laughed. "I've seen people with natural strength, but I've truly never seen anyone flick a Sand Scorpion away like that."

Goten shrugged. "It's the truth."

Zhi Zun Bao stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Interesting! Too interesting! Come on, let's go back to the stronghold, I'll treat you to a drink!"

"Huh?"

"What, are you afraid?"

Goten thought about it; he had no idea where he was anyway, so he might as well use these people to get the lay of the land. He nodded. "Alright."

As Zhi Zun Bao turned around, a flicker of keen insight flashed through his eyes.

The aura on this kid was too strange. It wasn't demonic, it wasn't celestial, and it wasn't dark... It was a power he had never felt before.

Meanwhile, on a mountain peak thousands of miles away, a woman draped in purple silk with an imposing, heroic air suddenly turned around and gazed toward the west.