Merit Fulfilled, Bulma's Support!

Lin Xuan stood quietly atop the giant rock, letting the sea breeze whip at his clothes.

The panel had gained 350 Merit Points.

This was more than just a number.

It was the relief of hundreds of children escaping their suffering, the gratitude of tens of thousands of enslaved people reborn into freedom, and the most thorough purification of those monstrous sins.

Having learned from his previous breakthrough in state of mind, Lin Xuan did not hesitate in the slightest.

"Panel, add everything to Nine Tribulations of the Divine Soul."

With a thought from him, that vast power of merit was instantly greedily absorbed and transformed by the cultivation technique.

If every previous improvement had been like pouring water into a dried-up riverbed—

Then this time, it was like the Milky Way above the nine heavens pouring down without restraint.

Lin Xuan's divine soul combat power surged madly at a terrifying speed.

Seven hundred fifty, eight hundred, nine hundred...

A bottleneck?

It did not exist.

Before such immense power of merit, any obstacle was as flimsy as paper.

By the time the power of merit had been completely exhausted, Lin Xuan's strength had already crossed into an entirely new realm.

[Divine Soul Combat Power: 1100]

[Physical Combat Power: 110]

His combat power had officially broken through the thousand mark.

An unprecedented sense of strength and completeness filled Lin Xuan's heart.

He could feel that every thought within his divine soul had become incomparably condensed, as though it possessed substance.

The ability of "Know Cause Upon Thought" rose accordingly.

If he closed his eyes now, he could even vaguely "see" scattered fragments related to himself within the next minute.

The entire world became clearer and more transparent beneath his perception.

As if a thick layer of dust had been wiped away.

After the "tempering of the heart" from the Li Yuan incident, followed by this "breaking of evil," one rise and one break, one tension and one release—it was just right. Next time, if his state of mind did not improve, he would have to first improve his comprehension of the manuals.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and opened his eyes.

His gaze fell upon the steel behemoth lying silently concealed in the bay.

The immediate trouble had been resolved.

But an even greater problem now lay before him.

There were hundreds of children aboard that ship who had just awakened from a nightmare.

He could save their lives. He could avenge them.

But he could not give them a home, nor could he heal the wounds carved deep into their hearts.

The subsequent psychological counseling, identity verification, and returning them to their respective parents would be an enormous and tedious undertaking.

It was far beyond what a hands-off boss like him could manage alone.

A figure with short blue hair and boundless energy instantly appeared in Lin Xuan's mind.

At a time like this, there was only one best candidate to solve this problem.

Bulma.

Lin Xuan took a strangely designed communicator from his pocket, resembling a metal pocket watch.

Bulma had practically forced it on him when they parted ways. It was an emergency communications device with Capsule Corporation's highest encryption level.

He pressed the button on it.

West City, Capsule Corporation Headquarters, private laboratory on the top floor.

Bulma was facing a massive holographic screen, rapidly tapping at a virtual keyboard with an unlit lollipop clenched between her lips.

She was completely absorbed, as though the rest of the world had nothing to do with her.

Then—

The delicate pink bracelet on her wrist suddenly began vibrating urgently, lighting up with a red glow that signified the highest priority.

Bulma's movements abruptly stopped.

She glanced at the unique code displayed on the bracelet, and the focus on her face was instantly replaced by a complicated mix of surprise, delight, and concern.

"This guy... he finally decided to contact me?"

She tossed aside the lollipop and swiftly accepted the call.

A multi-layer encrypted communication channel, absolutely impossible to eavesdrop on, was established in an instant.

"Lin Xuan? Is that you? Where the hell have you been!"

There was a trace of reproach in Bulma's voice, though even she had not noticed it.

"It's me."

Lin Xuan's calm voice came through.

"Bulma, I need your help. A big favor."

Hearing the seriousness in his tone, Bulma immediately put aside her playful mood, her expression turning grave.

"Tell me. What happened?"

"I'm on a deserted island. There's a ship here, and on board... there are hundreds of kidnapped children."

Lin Xuan spoke flatly, as though he were discussing something utterly insignificant.

But the words "hundreds of kidnapped children" exploded in Bulma's mind like a massive bomb.

"H-How many?!"

Bulma's voice shot up, filled with incredulous shock.

"I didn't count the exact number, but there are no fewer than that. They're safe for now, but they're in terrible condition and urgently need professional medical care and psychological support."

As Lin Xuan spoke, he sent her the coordinates of the deserted island.

"Bulma, only you can handle this."

Bulma fell into a brief silence on the other end of the call.

Her chest rose and fell sharply, clearly shaken to the core.

Once the shock passed, anger and lingering fear surged through her.

She could easily imagine the danger Lin Xuan had faced, taking on such a vicious kidnapping organization all by himself.

A few seconds later, Bulma's voice rang out again, restored to the decisiveness and composure of Capsule Corporation's heir.

"Coordinates received! Stay right there. Don't go anywhere!"

"I'll mobilize the company's emergency rescue teams immediately! Transport planes, medical ships, teams of psychological specialists... I'll send everything that could be useful!"

"Wait for me! I'll be there right away!"

With that, Bulma decisively cut off the call.

She sprang from her chair and issued a series of commands to the laboratory's intelligent assistant in an unquestionable tone.

"Activate Angel's Wings Level One response! Notify all department heads from Medical, Security, and Air Transport to report to the command center for a meeting within three minutes!"

"Prepare the fastest Hummingbird aircraft for me. I'm going there myself!"

The entirety of Capsule Corporation, that vast business empire, began operating at an unprecedented and frenzied efficiency because of a single call from Lin Xuan.

Less than an hour later.

A tremendous roar of engines echoed above the deserted island.

Dozens of large transport planes painted with white cross insignias, along with a gigantic medical ship resembling a hospital in the sky, broke through the clouds and slowly descended over the open waters near the island.

Immediately afterward, a sleek pink private aircraft, impossibly fast, landed first beside the massive boulder where Lin Xuan stood.

The hatch opened, and Bulma, dressed in practical explorer's gear, leaped out and hurried over to Lin Xuan, anxiously looking him up and down.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Lin Xuan shook his head and smiled. "I'm fine."

Only then did Bulma breathe a sigh of relief, before punching him lightly in annoyance.

"You idiot! Something this serious, and you charged in all by yourself! Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?!"

Though she scolded him, she could not hide the worry in her eyes.

Lin Xuan did not explain. He simply led her to the bay.

When Bulma saw the enormous Ghost Ship with her own eyes, along with the pale-faced, terrified children being carefully escorted off by rescue workers, she was rendered completely speechless.

The professional rescue teams worked in an orderly fashion.

The children were brought aboard the warm medical ship, where they received the best examinations and comfort possible.

Watching everything proceed so smoothly, Lin Xuan finally let go of his worries.

"Bulma, thank you."

He spoke sincerely.

Bulma looked at him and shook her head, her face filled with admiration.

"The one who should be thanking you is me. And this world. Lin Xuan, you've saved countless families once again."

She paused, as if remembering something, then suddenly said:

"By the way, you've been so focused on being some behind-the-scenes hero that you nearly forgot, haven't you? The World Martial Arts Tournament will be starting soon. Does your promise to Goku still stand?"

The World Martial Arts Tournament...

Lin Xuan's heart stirred. He thought of that boy who lived purely for battle, and of his own plan to temper his heart amid the mortal world.

Tracking down "Doctor" was certainly important, but it was not something that could be accomplished overnight.

His agreement with Goku, as well as honing his state of mind upon the grand stage of the martial arts tournament, where all walks of life gathered, were equally indispensable parts of his path of cultivation.

"Of course it still stands."

Lin Xuan smiled freely.

"I'll leave the children to you. As for that 'Doctor,' I'll settle the score with him after the tournament."

He glanced at the rescue site, which had already sprung into action, then nodded to Bulma.

"We'll meet at the tournament venue."