Chance Encounter with Bulma, Holding Onto Her Thigh

Lin Xuan let out a long breath.

He rose to his feet.

After cultivating once, his mind felt unbelievably clear.

Nothing happening within several meters of him could escape his ears.

A rabbit.

Its hind leg was tangled in vines, and it was struggling desperately nearby, letting out faint, mournful cries.

Lin Xuan immediately pinpointed its location.

"The Dust-Cleansing Realm isn't complete yet. This level of perception isn't enough."

Muttering to himself, he got up and headed over.

With a few quick motions, he untangled the vines. The wild rabbit vanished in a flash.

His Merit Points jumped from 0 to 0.03.

"Even a mosquito leg is still meat."

Lin Xuan curled his lip and continued wandering through the woods.

Over the past few days, he had practically become Mount Paozu's model worker.

He helped lost porcupines find their homes.

He splinted the broken legs of little deer.

And while he was at it, he even broke up several animal brawls.

His Merit Points had finally crawled up to 2.1.

He fed all his merit into the Tao Te Ching, but such a small amount barely improved his insight.

"Too inefficient. I need to do something big."

He climbed to the top of a slope and considered his next route.

A strange humming sound came from the foot of the mountain.

It wasn't the roar of a wild beast, nor was it the wind.

It was the sound of a car.

Lin Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

He immediately concealed all his presence, lying flat on the slope like a rock as he poked his head out to look below.

In the clearing at the foot of the mountain, a small car was parked.

A blue-haired girl in a pink dress was impatiently tapping the round device in her hand.

"Seriously, why would a Dragon Ball be in these deep mountains and forests?!"

The girl's voice was crisp, carrying a touch of spoiled young-lady impatience.

Lin Xuan's eyes widened instantly.

Blue hair.

And that Dragon Radar.

Bulma!

It was Bulma!

Lin Xuan's heart pounded wildly.

He had really come to the Dragon Ball world.

And it was right at the very beginning of the story.

A surge of ecstatic joy rushed to his head.

His mind raced.

An opportunity!

This was a heaven-sent opportunity!

With his current strength, trying to survive alone in the Dragon Ball world would be nothing but courting death.

He needed to cling to someone powerful.

He had to latch tightly onto the protagonist group. Not only would it keep him safe, he could also earn merit along the way.

Wasn't the girl in front of him a core member—and a walking cash machine?

Lin Xuan exhaled and suppressed his excitement.

He needed to think of the most badass entrance possible.

It had to be reasonable, mysterious, and convincing enough to bluff people.

He stood up and brushed the grass clippings from his clothes.

He straightened his outfit.

Putting on the air of a reclusive master, he slowly walked toward Bulma.

Bulma had been worrying when footsteps suddenly sounded behind her, startling her.

She spun around.

An ordinarily dressed young man was looking at her.

He even had a smile on his face.

"Who are you? Where did you come from?"

Bulma warily stepped back half a pace, her hand reaching for the gun at her waist.

She was full of caution toward someone who had appeared out of nowhere in this desolate mountain wilderness.

"Don't be nervous. My name is Lin Xuan. I cultivate in the mountains."

Lin Xuan's voice was gentle.

Then his gaze fell on the radar in her hand.

And on the Two-Star Ball sticking halfway out of her pocket.

"Miss, are you looking for something? Dragon Balls, perhaps?"

With that one sentence, all the wariness on Bulma's face turned into shock.

"How do you know about the Dragon Balls?"

This was her secret.

There couldn't possibly be a second person who knew about it yet!

Who was this guy?

Could he be some bad guy trying to steal the Dragon Balls?

But he didn't look like one.

"I happen to know a little about them."

Lin Xuan smiled, his gaze profound.

"According to ancient legends, there are seven Dragon Balls between heaven and earth, each marked with one to seven stars. Gather all seven Dragon Balls, and you can summon the Divine Dragon to grant any wish."

Bulma's mouth fell open into an O.

Her mind buzzed.

She had gone through tremendous effort to decipher that information from ancient books in her family's attic.

Yet this guy who had popped out of the mountains recited it word for word!

That wasn't scientific!

Seeing her expression, Lin Xuan secretly laughed, though his face remained unfathomable.

He decided to add a little more.

"If my deductions are correct, the next Dragon Ball you seek should be in the hands of a pure-hearted, innocent boy who knows nothing of the world. He regards it as a relic left behind by a family member, so he likely won't hand it over to you easily."

Bulma's brain crashed again.

If what he had said before could have been a guess, then this sounded as though he had seen it with his own eyes! He had even "deduced" the detail that its owner would refuse to give it to her?

How did he know so much?

Was he some master skilled in divination?

A god?

Or a monster?

"Y-you... who exactly are you?"

Even Bulma's voice trembled.

"I told you. I'm a cultivator who has read a few ancient books and knows a little about the art of deduction."

Lin Xuan looked utterly sincere.

"I'm quite interested in verifying these legends. I wonder if I could join you, miss, and witness the Divine Dragon's appearance?"

That was his real goal.

He would blend into the group as a "history enthusiast" and "guide."

Bulma looked at Lin Xuan, her expression shifting constantly.

Reason told her that this guy was highly suspicious.

But he could be a companion capable of divination, perhaps even foresight. And he seemed to know a great deal without showing any ill intent.

"Fine! I agree!"

After thinking it over for a while, she agreed anyway.

And so, the two set off together to continue searching for the Dragon Balls!