After calculating it carefully, the total was astronomical.
The east, west, south, north, and central regions would receive equal shares.
Each region had two thousand cities.
Each city would select eighteen people to participate in the regional tournament.
That meant thirty-six thousand participants in each regional tournament.
Even a single regional tournament would completely outclass the so-called World Martial Arts Tournament.
Holding one would take an absurd amount of money, time, manpower, and resources.
"Wisdom, the regional tournaments will use a ranking system as well."
Li Xing's eyes were calm and cold.
With so many participants, a ranking system wasn't the best choice.
It would take a very, very long time, and it might eliminate many promising candidates.
Li Xing had no better solution for this.
He couldn't spend an enormous amount of time and energy overseeing the regional tournaments.
Luck was part of strength, and besides, the ranking system was already relatively fair.
There was really no way to solve matchups like this.
For example, person A was very strong and could make it into the top twenty.
But person B had just the right abilities to counter him, keeping him from showing his true strength.
So B temporarily ranked above A.
But B was ranked only 249th.
A was ranked below B, and no matter what he did, he couldn't beat B. He could only remain ranked below him.
A had no choice but to settle for 250th place.
As for holding the sort of tournament used in the city qualifiers, where a winning streak could propel someone up the ranks—
Li Xing wouldn't consider it.
Recruiting someone with such an obvious weakness wouldn't help him much.
If they wanted to join, they could overcome their own weaknesses first.
Take Chiaotzu, for example.
In terms of his actual strength, he would have absolutely crushed Krillin early on.
But in the end, he lost to a lack of brains.
Then there was Krillin, who had once fought a warrior who reeked to high heaven. He should have been at a disadvantage against him.
No one could have endured it. Not even Sun Wukong.
But because Krillin had no nose, he took out the stinky fighter without a problem.
That—
was both a weakness and a strength.
Li Xing would naturally consider all these things from every angle.
Why demand fairness?
Martial arts training was about competing.
And competition was never fair.
The insistence that people be honest and virtuous was just a trick devised by dishonest, immoral people to gain more for themselves.
Human nature was selfish!
And if people were selfish, what was the point of talking about fairness?
"Wisdom, the championship tournament will be decided through arena matches."
A glint flashed in Li Xing's eyes.
After the first two rounds of ranking matches, everyone left standing would have real skill.
That was the kind of tournament people would want to watch.
The regional tournaments would have at least thirty-six thousand participants each year.
Each region would select eighteen competitors, making thirty-six competitors a year.
With five regions, the championship tournament would have 180 people.
"In the arena points tournament, you get one point for every win."
A devilish smile appeared at the corner of Li Xing's mouth.
It was like raising venomous insects in a jar.
With Li Xing's plan, people across the entire Earth would be fighting almost nonstop.
A martial artist's path was training, competing, then training again.
More importantly, Li Xing himself would benefit greatly from all this.
A look of yearning passed through his eyes.
If he could gather so many powerful fighters—
if their battle power eventually exceeded fifty, and he fought them regularly, how much would he improve?
Surely he'd be able to raise his physique to over five points with ease.
With things set up this way—
would Piccolo be completely bewildered when he emerged?
Three hundred years without a sign.
And then—surprise!
Everyone on Earth was a martial artist.
His hopes of taking control of Earth would be utterly crushed.
Let's see you argue with that!
"There's another issue: the prize money."
Li Xing's expression grew serious.
He had to make sure all these details were handled properly.
Within a year at most,
the Aurora Martial Arts Peak Tournament had to become self-sustaining.
That would require Pilaf and him to work together to make it happen.
They'd have to find a way to create Nutrient Solution and develop high-tech equipment to aid training.
It was the right choice, and it would benefit both him and the entire Earth.
"Damn, the more I think about it, the more I feel like some kind of great villain.
Secretly manipulating the entire planet.
Using money and force to push everyone in the direction I want."
Li Xing shook his head with a bitter smile.
He grumbled, but he had never considered giving up.
It was all to become stronger.
To avoid becoming cannon fodder.
"Wisdom."
"I'm here, Engineer."
"Create a new folder.
Name it the Martial Arts Network Project.
Outline four areas of research.
First: establish and improve an organization to evaluate martial arts systems, administer assessments, and issue missions."
This was essentially the same as the Aurora Group setting up branches in every city around the world.
"Second: establish a research and development system for Nutrient Solution."
Trying to train in martial arts without enough Nutrient Solution was a joke.
The rich had always had an advantage in education and martial arts training, everywhere.
"If we do that, won't the Aurora Group have to get involved in animal husbandry and agriculture?"
The more Li Xing calculated, the more dumbfounded he became.
Making Nutrient Solution would inevitably require high-quality raw materials.
They didn't have to worry about energy, but they would have to source the materials themselves.
Li Xing wasn't an idiot.
He didn't think Senzu Beans could do much.
The law of conservation of energy couldn't be broken.
If it could, this world wouldn't have distinctions between the strong and the weak, nor high-energy, ki, and all the rest.
There was bound to be a gap between what was shown and the real world.
On a remote planet with such low levels of strength,
how could Senzu Beans keep providing enough energy to heal people forever?
The fighters had already become godlike, and their clashes threatened to destroy the universe.
And you're telling me a single punch could send everything back to square one and make the world collapse?
That's not even a good joke.
Senzu Beans probably wouldn't be useful by the Super Saiyan God arc, let alone the Frieza arc.
Li Xing knew how to distinguish anime from reality.
"Various devices and facilities to aid training, like gravity chambers, gravity rings, high-powered treadmills, weighted vests, and so on."
Li Xing continued speaking.
His mind raced with ideas.
"No, that won't work. Then everyone's enthusiasm will fade."
Li Xing's eyes gleamed with a cold light.
"No, we have to create a villain, and a powerful one at that.
Keep everyone in a constant state of anxiety.
Only then will they take their training seriously."
The moment he said it, Li Xing grew troubled all over again.
That might be true.
But if the world fell into turmoil, there was no guarantee that the Aurora Group would remain secure.
"How about releasing a T-Virus or something into this world?"
Li Xing shook his head, still troubled.
"Forget it. I'll see after the first tournament.
If that doesn't work, Piccolo doesn't have to be redeemed, and Dr. Gero can create some weaker Androids early."
Li Xing spoke with a meaningful look.
"Everything else that could help with martial arts training needs to be researched too."
"Record complete, Engineer."
Li Xing nodded.
"Send it to Pilaf, then send it to Xiao Wu.
As for the rewards, I'll give them some more thought.
Too much won't do, but neither will too little."
"Understood."
Li Xing turned and walked toward the gravity chamber.
Everything he did was aimed at improving himself.
With the abilities he possessed, he needed companions whose strength was comparable to his own.
The Saiyans alone were simply too weak.
He could easily split his role in two.
One persona would remain in the open, in charge of the entire Aurora Group; the other would operate in the shadows, commanding the Polar Night forces.
Before you continue