Wandering the Mortal World, Returning to the Bustle!

Lin Xuan knew that his help was no longer needed, so he said goodbye to Bulma.

Bulma's aircraft hovered in midair with its hatch open as she invited him once more.

"Want me to give you a ride? My Hummingbird is the latest model. It can cross the continent in just an hour."

Lin Xuan smiled and shook his head.

"No. I'll walk."

Bulma looked utterly baffled.

To her, this was completely wasting time.

There was convenient technology available, yet he insisted on traveling in the most primitive way possible. This guy's mind was really strange.

Lin Xuan did not explain further.

He still needed to continue cultivating his insights and strive to enter the Second Tribulation as soon as possible, so he could face the crises to come.

He waved to Bulma. Lin Xuan's figure flickered a few times, then vanished from above the deserted island.

He did not fly, nor did he use even a trace of soul power.

When he reappeared on a highway on the continent, he had become an ordinary traveler.

He walked unhurriedly along the edges of the traffic and crowds.

Sunlight fell upon his shoulders, warm and gentle.

Car horns, pedestrians chatting, and the distant clamor of the city all flowed into his ears.

Those sounds were no longer noise. Instead, they brimmed with life.

His soul power shifted from its constant state of vigilance to being completely withdrawn.

He passed through bustling cities, where skyscrapers stood in clusters, hovercars streaked through the sky, and enormous holographic billboards played all kinds of images.

He also passed through quiet countryside, where field ridges crisscrossed, farmers drove their oxen, and cooking smoke rose into the air.

One day, two days, one week.

Lin Xuan completely blended into the mortal world.

When he was thirsty, he bought a bottle of soda in a small roadside town.

When he was hungry, he entered a lively little restaurant and ordered a steaming bowl of noodles.

No one knew that this utterly ordinary-looking young man had, not long ago, wiped out a drone swarm capable of destroying an entire nation with the wave of a hand.

Silently, he blended into the everyday warmth of human life.

That evening, he entered a small town dyed golden by the setting sun.

Before he even entered the town, a festive atmosphere washed over him. It was the joy of hundreds, even thousands, gathered together.

The air was filled with the aroma of roasted meat and the scent of ale.

In the town's central square, people sang and danced around a huge bonfire.

Children held candy, laughing and shouting as they chased one another through the crowd.

Burly men raised their cups high and sang loudly, celebrating this year's harvest.

The women gathered together, contented smiles on their faces as they shared the food they had made themselves.

Lin Xuan found an inconspicuous corner and sat down, quietly watching the lively scene before him.

He saw an old farmer with a face full of wrinkles carefully take out a small pouch of plump wheat grains from his clothes, kiss it, and gaze at it with eyes full of gratitude.

He saw a young mother lift her child high into the air, letting the child's little hand reach toward the warm firelight.

He saw a retired veteran missing an arm, grinning as he told a group of children stories about fighting in his youth. Though his account was jumbled and incoherent, it still drew bursts of astonished cries.

The corners of Lin Xuan's mouth rose unconsciously.

Before, he had done good and eradicated evil for merit, for cultivation, and for the numbers on the panel.

But at that moment, he suddenly understood.

What exactly was it that he protected?

What he protected was precisely this real yet ordinary warmth of everyday life before him.

It was that old farmer's devotion to the land, that mother's love for her child, the children's laughter, and people's yearning for simple happiness.

The meaning of protection was to safeguard this ordinary happiness, allowing it to exist and continue.

A flash of enlightenment surged into his heart.

Lin Xuan closed his eyes and examined himself inwardly.

His aura became even deeper and more restrained, as though he had merged with the surrounding night.

The next morning, Lin Xuan left the town and continued on his way.

His pace remained unhurried, but every step he took seemed to resonate faintly with the earth beneath his feet.

Finally, after several more days, an exceptionally bustling island appeared at the end of the horizon.

Papaya Island.

The venue of the World Martial Arts Tournament.

The moment Lin Xuan set foot on Papaya Island, he sensed several familiar presences.

He did not deliberately search for them, merely spreading out his soul perception gently.

Very soon, several points of light lit up within his senses.

One presence was pure and blazing, brimming with fighting spirit—it was Son Goku.

Another was peaceful—it belonged to Master Roshi.

There were also several comparatively weaker yet equally lively presences, belonging to Krillin, Yamcha, and the others.

Lastly, he caught a distinctly different presence.

It held no fighting spirit, yet it was bright, full of intelligence and vitality.

It was Bulma.

Lin Xuan's heart settled.

It seemed he had not arrived too late.

Following the flow of people, he headed toward the magnificent Martial Arts Temple at the center of the island.

The world around him was extremely bustling.

Martial artists from all over the world radiated formidable auras, rubbing their fists together, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Tourists and reporters carried all manner of filming equipment, excitedly discussing this year's favorites to win.

Vendors' cries rose and fell, while the air was filled with the mingled scents of sweat, food, and excitement.

Lin Xuan walked amid the clamor, yet no one noticed him.

He was clearly within the crowd, yet it was as though he existed in another world.

People unconsciously made way for him, but once they turned their heads, they forgot what he looked like.

Passing through the densely packed crowd, the tournament registration area came into view in the distance.

Lin Xuan calmly swept his gaze over the scene ahead.

Suddenly, his eyes settled on a figure beside the registration area.

She was a beautiful young woman in a pink dress with short blue hair. Standing on tiptoe with some anxiety, she peered around through the crowd as if searching for someone.

As though sensing his gaze, the girl abruptly turned her head.

Their eyes met.

The moment she saw Lin Xuan, the anxiety written across her face instantly blossomed into radiant joy.