Falling to Azure Planet, First Meeting with Bulma

The tearing sensation of the spatial turbulence was a bone-deep torture.

It felt like thousands of tiny blades repeatedly slicing through skin, flesh, bones, and meridians, leaving even his consciousness shattered into pieces.

Lin Chen's body tumbled uncontrollably through the pitch-black spatial rift, the flesh that had just been repaired tearing open once more, with tiny beads of blood floating in the distorted void.

The aftereffects of the [Desperate Burst] he had just used erupted in full force.

His strength was drained in an instant, his limbs felt weak and sore, and the energy flow within his dantian was in utter chaos; he couldn't even maintain basic levitation, let alone execute a technique.

His combat power plummeted off a cliff, dropping from the two thousand seven hundred he had just broken through to less than one thousand—even weaker than when he had first started.

System Prompt: Burst aftereffects active. Combat power locked in a weakened state for the next 72 hours. Autonomous breakthrough impossible. Cultivation speed significantly reduced.

As the cold notification sounded, Lin Chen's heart sank.

The worst possible state, met with the most unknown of circumstances.

No one knew where this random jump channel would lead—to a desolate, silent nebula, a death sector swarming with ferocious beasts, or dangerous territory controlled by some other faction.

That ancient divine sense from earlier, which had towered even above Frieza, remained like a thorn firmly embedded in his mind.

That was definitely not Beerus's energy.

The majesty of a God of Destruction was overbearing, destructive, and possessed a detached sense of superiority.

But that divine sense was vast, ancient, and carried a sense of distance that looked down upon eons, as if it had existed since the very birth of the universe.

The entity had merely glanced at him—no malice, no attack—yet it made Lin Chen feel a dread that reached his very bones.

Universe 7 truly held countless secrets never revealed in the original story.

The feeling of dizziness grew increasingly intense. His overdrawn body could no longer withstand the high-intensity spatial turbulence, and Lin Chen's consciousness, like a candle in the wind, gradually faded into darkness.

Before he lost consciousness entirely, he had only one thought.

Please, let it not be the Frieza Force's jurisdiction.

Please, let it not be a death trap.

He did not know how much time had passed.

A warm breeze brushed gently against his cheek.

It carried the faint, sweet scent of grass and flowers, impossibly gentle.

There was no biting cold of space, no tearing of spatial turbulence, no scorching heat of magma seas, and certainly none of the blood-stained, desolate atmosphere that plagued Planet Vegeta year-round.

Comforting, peaceful, warm.

This was a comfortable environment Lin Chen had never experienced in the ten years since he had transmigrated.

His heavy eyelids fluttered slightly before slowly opening.

What met his eyes was a clear, clean blue sky. White clouds drifted lazily, and the sunlight fell softly, the warm rays landing on his skin, dispelling most of the chill within his body.

Beneath him was soft green grass, and he was surrounded by lush, dense forests. Birds chirped crisply, the wind rustled through the leaves, and the area was teeming with life.

Vibrant and peaceful, far removed from the strife of the world.

It completely subverted the cruel and savage nature of the Saiyan homeworld.

"Is this... a habitable planet?"

Lin Chen murmured, bracing his aching arms to sit up with great difficulty.

His body remained incredibly weak; every movement sent waves of soreness and stinging pain through his bones, and his internal energy was so chaotic that even lifting his hand was a struggle.

He looked down at his body. His combat suit had been mostly shredded in the spatial turbulence, leaving his clothes in tatters. His body was covered in small wounds, many crusted with dark red scabs—he was in a wretched state.

But fortunately, all his fatal injuries had been suppressed by the [Near-Death Super-Speed Recovery] talent, leaving his foundation intact.

As long as he survived this period of weakness, his strength would fully recover, and perhaps even reach a higher level.

"It seems I won the gamble."

Lin Chen let out a long, weary breath, his tightly wound nerves finally relaxing a little.

The random jump hadn't landed him in a death trap; instead, he had fallen onto a habitable planet with an excellent ecosystem.

Combining the environment, vegetation, atmospheric density, and gravitational coefficient... all the characteristics pointed precisely to one place.

Earth!

The safe haven he had dreamed of and spent ten years lurking to reach—the core origin of the Dragon Ball world!

After all the twists and turns, surviving life-and-death escapes, shattering his ship in a blood-soaked struggle, and being hunted to the brink by the Universe Emperor, he had finally landed here.

"Heaven hasn't been too unkind to me."

Lin Chen raised a hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sun. A flash of relief crossed his eyes, but he quickly calmed himself.

Landing on Earth did not mean he was absolutely safe.

The current Earth was a place where martial arts flourished, hiding veteran masters like Master Roshi and Master Shen, not to mention the endless stream of wild beasts and dangerous secret realms.

More importantly, his Saiyan aura had not been completely masked. Once he encountered a master with keen perception, it would be easy for his identity to be exposed.

Furthermore, Frieza had already memorized his energy signature.

Escaping today was only possible thanks to a random spatial jump and a desperate trump card.

If he were targeted again, he would never have such good luck.

He had to become stronger as quickly as possible!

He needed to possess power sufficient to contend with the Universe Emperor before Frieza's army located Earth!

Lin Chen raised his hand and pulled up his current full attribute panel.

[Host: Lin Chen]
[Race: Half-Saiyan (Earth soul modification, potential exceeding pure-blooded Saiyans)]
[Current Combat Power: 920 (Weakened state locked)]
[Base Combat Power Peak: 2780]
[Talent: Near-Death Super-Speed Recovery (Rare bloodline talent)]
[Permissions: Super Saiyan Primary Unlock Permission (Inactive)]
[System Status: Stable]

Looking at the data on the panel, Lin Chen understood his situation clearly.

A peak combat power of nearly 2,800 was already far beyond that of an ordinary low-level Saiyan, comparable to the level of Nappa in his early days.

As soon as the period of weakness passed, he could immediately begin a new round of devouring to level up.

Just as he prepared to stand up to scout the surrounding environment and search for a water source and human settlements, a crisp, lively, and slightly spoiled-sounding girl's voice suddenly drifted from the forest path not far away.

"Seriously! Where on earth did it go?"

"The radar clearly shows it's right around here, so why did the signal for the Dragon Ball suddenly disappear?"

"I finally managed to sneak out of the house for an adventure; I am not going back until I find that Dragon Ball!"

The voice was sweet and pleasant, carrying the unique vitality and petulance of a young girl.

Lin Chen paused his movements and turned his head to look.

At the end of the forest path, a beautiful young girl slowly walked into view.

The girl looked to be only eighteen or nineteen years old, with neat, short purple hair, exquisite and bright features, fair and translucent skin, and clever, cunning eyes.

She was wearing simple outdoor adventure gear, carrying a large backpack, and holding a small, exquisitely designed, high-tech detection instrument in her hands. She walked along, head bowed, staring at the screen with a look of distress.

Bulma!

Seeing this familiar face, Lin Chen instantly confirmed the timeline.

The beginning of the early Dragon Ball story!

Bulma, the genius girl who left home for the first time in her youth to hunt for treasure and started the Dragon Ball adventure!

At this moment, Lin Chen was completely certain that the node where he had landed was the very origin point of the Dragon Ball story.

I didn't expect to run into the start of the plot the moment I arrived on Earth.

A flash of realization crossed Lin Chen's eyes.

In the original work, Bulma made the Dragon Radar to collect the Dragon Balls and wish for a handsome boyfriend, left West City, stepped into the deep mountains to find the Four-Star Dragon Ball, and happened to meet Son Goku.

But now, due to a twist of fate, the first person she encountered was not the ignorant and innocent Little Goku, but himself—scarred and having just escaped a desperate situation in the universe.

Bulma was still staring down at the radar screen, her brows tightly furrowed, her small mouth slightly pouting, her face full of unwillingness.

"That's strange. The signal was clearly in this forest just a moment ago, so how did it vanish into thin air? Is the instrument broken? That's impossible! How could a radar made by me, a genius, go wrong!"

She muttered to herself as she walked forward. As she walked, her gaze lifted inadvertently and instantly froze on the boy sitting on the grass not far away.

The next second, Bulma was completely stunned.

A light breeze stirred in the forest. The boy sat on the green grass, his clothes tattered but his posture upright. His brows and eyes were sharp and deep, his temperament cold and clean—completely different from any Earth boy she had ever met.

He carried a sense of composure and detachment forged through life and death. Even covered in wounds and in a sorry state, he could not hide the rebellious edge in his bones.

Bulma had grown up seeing the playboys and refined gentlemen of West City's elite, but she had never seen a boy with this kind of gaze or this kind of temperament.

For an instant, she was mesmerized.

Lin Chen also looked at her calmly, not initiating the conversation, his expression indifferent.

Strange, calm, composed.

This appearance made Bulma feel a strange tightness in her chest. She subconsciously stopped in her tracks, a flicker of vigilance crossing her small face.

"Who... who are you?"

Bulma gripped the Dragon Radar in her hand and spoke in a low voice, her tone carrying a hint of cautious probing.

She had been intelligent and precocious since she was a child, with knowledge far beyond that of her peers. She could tell at a glance that the boy before her was definitely not an ordinary person from the mountains.

His temperament, his gaze, his physique—everything about him exuded an extraordinary feeling.

Lin Chen did not hide anything, nor did he try to curry favor, his tone calm and steady: "My name is Lin Chen. I got lost and ended up here."

He deliberately suppressed his Saiyan accent, speaking in the most standard Earth common tongue, his aura retracted to the absolute limit, making him appear like a down-and-out, lost outdoor traveler.

"Lost?"

Bulma blinked her large eyes, looking him up and down, carefully examining his tattered clothes and the wounds on his body, her curiosity deepening.

"Where did you come from? This is deep mountain forest, completely uninhabited. Ordinary people wouldn't dare come in here. How could you get lost and end up here? And how did you get so covered in wounds?"

The rapid-fire questions were filled with a young girl's curiosity.

Lin Chen had his story ready, his tone composed: "I encountered a landslide, fell into a valley, and stumbled my way here. When I woke up, I was already in this place."

Half-truth and half-lie, it was impeccable.

The destruction of Planet Vegeta, cosmic pursuit, space-time jumping—these things were too inconceivable. Saying them out loud would only lead to being labeled a madman.

Hearing this, Bulma suddenly understood, and a look of sympathy appeared on her face.

"So that's how it is. How miserable."

Looking at the dense web of scars on Lin Chen's body, she instantly let go of most of her wariness, her soft-hearted nature taking over.

Although the man had a cold temperament, he truly looked quite pitiful.

"Are you okay? Is it serious? These deep mountains are very dangerous; there are many ferocious wild beasts!"

As she spoke, Bulma carefully stepped closer, rummaged through her backpack, and pulled out a tube of portable healing spray and some compressed biscuits, handing them over.

"Here, take these. Eat something first, then treat your wounds."

Lin Chen looked at the food and medicine being offered, his heart stirring slightly.

The Bulma from the original story was proud, intelligent, and willful, yet kind-hearted and warm toward others.

She truly lived up to her reputation.

"Many thanks."

Lin Chen did not decline, reaching out to take them.

His body was currently extremely weak and in urgent need of energy; these supplies had come at the perfect time.

He lowered his head and ate a few bites of the compressed biscuits, the hollow feeling in his stomach easing slightly, his strength recovering just a fraction.

Bulma stood to the side, hands behind her back, tilting her head as she stared at him unblinkingly, becoming more curious the longer she looked.

This boy named Lin Chen was truly unique.

Despite being covered in wounds, disheveled, and weak, he showed not a hint of panic or embarrassment, remaining impossibly calm.

He was handsome, with sharp facial features and a cool, detached air—better looking and more captivating than any of the handsome men she had seen in West City.

For a moment, a subtle sense of attraction inexplicably rose in the girl's heart.

"Lin Chen, where do you plan to go next?" Bulma couldn't help but take the initiative to strike up a conversation. "These deep mountains are vast and very dangerous. You won't be able to walk out on your own."

Lin Chen replied calmly while simply treating his wounds: "I'll walk out of the forest first, then decide."

"That's perfect!"

Bulma's eyes lit up, and she immediately followed up: "I'm just about to head deeper into the mountains to search for a Dragon Ball, and I know the way! If you don't mind, you can follow me for now, and I'll lead you out!"

She was calculating in her heart.

On one hand, it was out of kindness; on the other, she was genuinely filled with curiosity about Lin Chen and wanted to spend more time with this mysterious, handsome stranger.

Lin Chen pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"That works. Sorry for the trouble."

He was a newcomer to Earth and knew nothing; following Bulma was undoubtedly the fastest way to understand the planet, integrate into the world, and familiarize himself with the current timeline.

Moreover, following the main cast of the story meant always having the best access to opportunities, secret realms, and resources.

Just as the two were preparing to travel together and continue deeper into the forest:

Hum—!

The system in Lin Chen's mind suddenly vibrated without warning.

[Ding! High-concentration Dragon Ball origin fluctuation detected at close range!]

[The Four-Star Dragon Ball is within one hundred meters!]

[Special life form detected approaching rapidly!]

[Combat power detected: 1350!]

[Life form traits: Pure-blooded Saiyan, innately pure state of mind, infinite potential!]

Lin Chen's footsteps came to an abrupt halt, a flash of light crossing his eyes.

Son Goku!

Little Goku is here!

But the next second, the system's second notification instantly caused his entire body to stiffen, a monstrous wave rising in his heart!

[Special Alert: Long-range energy signature lock-on detected!]

[Source of signature: Frieza!]

[The target has utilized cosmic origin coordinates to preliminarily lock onto the location of this planet!]

[Estimated arrival of Frieza's scout squad in Earth's sector: seventy-two hours!]

Having just landed on Earth, the peaceful days had not even begun.

The Universe Emperor's pursuit had already spanned the star-seas and caught up!