Yamcha's Provocation, Master Roshi's Counsel

"Of course, my Wolf Fang Fist is no mere toy.

When I run into him, I'll show him what I'm made of."

Sun Wukong was not yet that powerful at this time, and his senses were not particularly sharp.

"Hmm, Yamcha's Wolf Fang Fist is truly impressive.

I couldn't even block it back then."

Krillin stared at Yamcha with an envious expression.

"Really? That's so cool."

He and Sun Wukong had joined Master Roshi's school at the same time, and for the past few months, they had been doing nothing but basic training; they hadn't touched any techniques at all.

Krillin had yet to learn any specific moves under Master Roshi.

He had learned training philosophies and methods, but not a single offensive technique.

Hearing that even Sun Wukong couldn't handle it, Krillin was naturally envious.

Sun Wukong stared seriously at Li Xing.

"That guy is very cruel. Be careful if you run into him. Don't force it; he's very strong."

Yamcha just grunted, not taking it to heart at all.

Krillin, however, was a cautious kid and nodded with great seriousness.

Whenever Li Xing struck, the other contestants ended up severely injured or crippled, and he didn't want that to happen to him.

Li Xing leaned casually against a corner, an aura of indifference radiating from his body.

His raw energy alone reached 150, and with his frequent combat experience, his actual combat power was no weaker than Master Roshi's.

At this moment, he was discussing matters with the system in his mind.

If he didn't complete this kind of mission, the system wouldn't release new ones, which really hindered his progress.

Take now, for example.

He would have liked to kill the contestants directly.

But things might not go smoothly; the system only gave the mission, not the criteria for judgment.

He had to advance step by step into the tournament before he could strike to kill.

This was quite troublesome, as he would have to waste a great deal of time on them.

While he was thinking, he felt a gaze fixed directly upon him.

Li Xing turned his head, and Master Mutaito hurriedly looked away.

The corners of Li Xing's mouth curled up.

Had he caught his attention?

He actually hoped Master Roshi's disciples would provoke him.

The combat power of Sun Wukong, Krillin, and Yamcha was already beginning to leave others in the dust at this stage.

If he could clash with them before the official matches and absorb a bit more of their energy to convert into his own physique, it would be a good thing for him.

With two consecutive absorptions, he might be able to increase his physique by 0.01.

Just that alone would boost his strength by 15 points, which was no small feat.

Unfortunately, they had all undergone strict training and were not impulsive.

The preliminary rounds were completed quickly, and it was time for them to pick their match order.

"Kid, watch yourself.

Didn't your mom and dad teach you to show mercy to others?"

An arrogant and self-satisfied voice suddenly rang in Li Xing's ear.

His hand, which was reaching for a match number, paused, and a cold sneer tugged at the corner of his mouth.

He stopped, turned around, and looked at the smug Yamcha.

"What number are you?"

Yamcha looked quite pleased with himself.

"I'm number 3. You'd better pray you don't run into me."

Li Xing raised an eyebrow.

Numbers 1 and 4 had already been taken, and there were three balls left in the box; he needed to draw number 2 from those three.

Only then could he face Yamcha in the second round, during the semi-finals.

Li Xing had also checked; Yamcha's first-round opponent was decent, but not particularly strong.

As for himself, if he drew number 2, he would have to face Krillin first.

Li Xing wore a strange, mysterious smile as he turned, reached out, and stirred his hands inside the container.

He pulled out a small ball and handed it to the scorekeeper.

He possessed no special powers, nor any mutant abilities.

Yet, this kind of perception was merely a trifle to him.

"Number 2!"

"Heh heh, kid, you just wait."

Yamcha grew excited at once, rubbing his palms together and staring at Li Xing with fervor.

Yamcha had been playing to the gallery all along, desperate to prove that he wasn't inferior and that through diligent training, he could catch up to those who had studied under Master Roshi.

That was why he had chosen to challenge Li Xing, a tough nut to crack.

As for the others, there was a sense of familiarity between them, and his own overly flamboyant nature made them unsuitable targets.

Li Xing had already sentenced Yamcha to death.

Li Xing's first-round opponent was Master Roshi.

Li Xing was actually quite pleased about this.

Compared to the other ordinary people, competing against Jackie Chun—Master Roshi in disguise—was undoubtedly very appealing to him.

It would also provide a significant boost to his combat power.

This was Master Roshi, after all.

In this era, he was absolutely one of the strongest individuals among mortals.

Once he dealt with Master Roshi, his strength would see a massive surge, and then he could take a break.

He would then gain a boost in physique from Yamcha, and finally, by killing Yamcha, he would obtain the system's reward of increased mental power.

Li Xing, who had originally been somewhat resentful and dissatisfied, felt his spirits lift upon realizing this outcome.

Most of the sinister aura surrounding him faded away.

"Young man, why do you practice martial arts with such heavy killing intent?"

Li Xing flashed a toothy grin.

He stared at Jackie Chun, who had walked over with a serious expression to strike up a conversation.

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Young man, one must cultivate virtue before martial arts. Your strikes are far too ruthless; you won't meet a good end. You should focus more on cultivating your heart and improving your character. A martial artist is meant to uphold justice. Your methods completely violate the virtues of martial arts."

Li Xing did not engage in a war of words with Master Roshi.

Such trivial matters were simply not worth it.

Master Roshi had his own ideas, and Li Xing had his own convictions.

As someone from the bottom of the social ladder, Li Xing held no concept of good or evil in his heart.

What is justice, and what is evil?

They were merely rules set by those with vested interests to stabilize the situation and maintain control.

They were nothing more than ideologies imprinted upon people's minds after enduring for a long, long time.

To this world, to this planet, there was only the law of the jungle; there was no room for benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, or integrity.

Li Xing did not believe in these things either.

Even if others called him a heretic, he did not care.

Everything was for the sake of becoming stronger.

Those people had dared to strike at him.

Crippling them was only natural.

Li Xing did not believe Master Roshi was posturing or putting on an act with his lofty ideals.

He acknowledged all of Master Roshi's philosophies, yet he would not act according to Master Roshi's way of thinking.

He had his own methods.

No one could change that.

Li Xing would not criticize Master Roshi's affairs; as long as one's actions matched their words and their character traits were not a facade, he would not feel any aversion.

Whether one was bloodthirsty, compassionate toward the world, a saint, or cruel—Li Xing did not care.

If they met and got along, they could chat.

They were incompatible, passing each other by without ever intersecting.

As long as you aren't using a facade to profit yourself and plotting against me, that is fine.

"In a moment, you will know what my martial virtue is."

Golden light bloomed in Li Xing's eyes as he stared at Master Roshi, a confident smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"I, too, am very curious to see exactly how much weight the renowned Master Roshi carries."

Originally intending to continue his admonitions, Master Roshi's eyes flashed with panic upon hearing Li Xing's words.

"Young man, what nonsense are you spouting? Who is this Master Roshi you speak of? I don't know him."

A mischievous smile appeared on Li Xing's face.

"Is that so? It is quite a rare thing indeed for a martial artist on Earth to not know the God of Martial Arts, Master Roshi."