Turtle Hermit Island Encounter with Master Wu Tian, Sign-in for Indestructible Body

At first light the next day, the sharp crack of a capsule activating rang out across the clearing on Mount Paozu.

Bulma pinched a white capsule between her fingertips and casually tossed it. With a "poof," white smoke burst out, and a sleek silver speedboat landed steadily on the grass. Goku's eyes widened as he circled the boat three times, touching it all over and nearly scratching the paint off the hull.

"Don't touch it! This is the latest model—it cost a fortune!" Bulma slapped Goku's hand away, then turned and saw Qi Tian leaning calmly against a tree. She could not help being surprised. "Why aren't you surprised at all?"

"It's just a capsule item." Qi Tian shrugged and stepped over the side of the boat. "You're making a big deal out of nothing."

He could hardly tell her that not only had he seen one before, he even knew her family would build a time machine someday.

The three boarded the boat, and it roared across the sea. The evening before, just after they had packed their things, they had run into an old sea turtle that had gotten lost after coming ashore at the foot of the mountain. It said it wanted to return to Turtle Hermit Island to find Master Roshi. Goku had enthusiastically pounded his chest and promised to take the turtle home, while Qi Tian had gone along with it—he had not forgotten that Turtle Hermit Island held the second Dragon Ball, as well as that legendary God of Martial Arts.

The sea breeze carried a salty dampness as it rushed toward them. Goku clung to the railing and watched the seabirds, while Bulma lowered her head to adjust the Dragon Radar, occasionally sneaking glances at Qi Tian. After spending a night together, she found the boy increasingly unfathomable. Though they were about the same age, he always carried an air of lazy detachment, as if he saw through everything. Last night, he had even lifted both her and her car with one hand to move them aside, frightening her so badly she nearly dropped the radar.

"Hey, who exactly are you? What ordinary mountain kid has that kind of strength?"

"I got it from hunting every day." Qi Tian did not even raise his eyelids. "How else would I deal with wild boars and bears?"

Bulma curled her lips, about to ask more, when huge waves suddenly rose ahead. A massive shark several meters long shot out from beneath the surface, its bloody maw wide open as it lunged at the speedboat!

"Watch out!" Bulma screamed in fright.

Goku had just grabbed the Power Pole when Qi Tian was already standing at the bow. He did not even assume a stance. Facing the shark's gaping jaws, he simply raised a hand and threw a punch.

"Thud—"

The muffled impact sounded like a fist striking a broken drum. The shark's charge abruptly halted, its enormous body frozen in midair. The next second, it crashed back into the sea with a splash, belly-up and eyes rolled white, instantly knocked unconscious.

The whole thing took less than a second.

Bulma stood there with her mouth open, her scream stuck in her throat for a long while before she could recover.

"That's it?" Qi Tian shook his hand, looking bored. "The things in the sea aren't even as tough as the wild boars on Mount Paozu."

[ Ding! A minor plot event has been detected: Punching a Giant Shark. One ordinary sign-in make-up opportunity obtained. Use it? ]

"Use it."

[ Ding! Make-up sign-in complete. Obtained: Permanent Power Level +30, Refined Steel Wristguards ×1 ]

Qi Tian curled his lips. Even a mosquito leg was still meat—better than nothing.

The speedboat traveled for another half hour before a lush little island appeared on the horizon. A domed house stood at its center, medicinal herbs were drying outside the door, and the old sea turtle lay on the beach basking in the sun.

"We're here! This is Turtle Hermit Island!" the turtle shouted, stretching out its neck.

Just as the three jumped ashore, a lecherous laugh came from above. Looking up, they saw a skinny old man with a turtle shell on his back and a white beard, slowly floating over on a giant sea turtle. He wore sunglasses and carried a gourd of wine—he was none other than Master Roshi.

"Oh? So you're the ones who brought my turtle back?" Master Roshi landed on the beach, his gaze sweeping over the three before settling on Bulma. His eyes immediately lit up. "Well, well, there's even such a cute little girl. How rare, how rare."

As he spoke, he moved closer, intending to shake her hand, only for Qi Tian to block him with an outstretched arm.

"Stop right there. Show some restraint, you dirty old man." Qi Tian folded his arms, smiling without really smiling. "Master Roshi, we didn't come for thanks. We came for the Dragon Ball."

Master Roshi froze for a moment, then coughed dryly and stroked his beard as he put on a serious expression. "What Dragon Ball? This old man has no idea what you mean."

"Stop pretending. The Three-Star Ball is with you." Qi Tian raised a brow. "The turtle told us you were hiding a glass ball with stars on it."

The turtle beside him looked utterly bewildered: I didn't say that?

Bulma caught on too and pulled out the Dragon Radar. One glowing point on the island shone so brightly it was almost blinding. She hurriedly jumped in. "That's right! That Dragon Ball is very important to me! I can pay you!"

Master Roshi's eyes shifted as he was just about to name his terms, but Qi Tian cut him off again.

"Hold it. Don't even think about it." Qi Tian saw through his thoughts at a glance. "You want to see under her skirt, right? Not a chance. Let's make a bet: if I can take one of your moves, you give us both the Dragon Ball and the Flying Nimbus. How about it?"

This time, Master Roshi was truly surprised. He had lived for hundreds of years, yet this was the first time some brat had exposed his thoughts to his face—and then turned around and challenged him to a bet.

"Interesting." Master Roshi became intrigued. "If you can take one punch from me, forget the Dragon Ball—the Flying Nimbus will be yours too!"

The moment his words fell, the system prompt sounded right on cue.

[ Ding! Core plot node detected: First meeting with Master Roshi. Special sign-in opportunity triggered! ]

[ Sign in immediately? ]

"Sign in!"

[ Ding! Special sign-in complete! Rewards obtained as follows: ]

[ 1. Permanent Power Level +800 ]

[ 2. Concept-Level Ability · Indestructible Body (Beginner): Non-fatal injuries automatically heal at high speed. Physical resistance to impacts and energy permanently increased by 50% ]

[ 3. Skill: Mastery-Level Afterimage Fist ]

[ 4. Senzu Bean ×20 ]

A warm current flowed through his entire body. His flesh, bones, and muscles seemed to have been reforged, carrying a solid, weighty strength. Qi Tian clenched his fist, the smile in his eyes deepening. With beginner-level Indestructible Body, he had gained a little more confidence in bulldozing through the universe with nothing but his physical body.

While he silently absorbed the rewards, Master Roshi had already taken his stance. He had originally intended to send the boy flying with ten percent of his strength to dampen his arrogance, but upon seeing Qi Tian's unruffled expression, he subconsciously raised it to twenty percent.

"Watch yourself, kid!"

Master Roshi gave a low shout, his fist wrapped in a fierce gust as it smashed toward Qi Tian's shoulder.

But in the next instant, his expression changed.

"Bang!"

The fist landed solidly on Qi Tian's shoulder, but his feet did not budge in the slightest. He did not even sway. Instead, he patted his shoulder with a look of disdain.

"That's it? Master Roshi, didn't you eat?"

Master Roshi's pupils contracted sharply. Even an adult martial artist would have been sent flying by that punch, yet this kid had taken it head-on as if nothing had happened? That physical toughness was absurd!

How could he know that Qi Tian's normal combat power had long since surpassed five thousand? With Force-Piercing Force and the newly acquired Indestructible Body empowering him, let alone twenty percent strength, even Master Roshi's full-force strike might not break his defenses without using a technique like Thunder Shock Surprise.

"Good! Good kid!" Master Roshi came back to his senses. Rather than getting angry, he burst into hearty laughter. "The younger generation surpasses the old! A bet is a bet—the Dragon Balls and the Flying Nimbus are both yours!"

He turned around and brought out an orange three-star Dragon Ball, then whistled. A gleaming golden cloud floated over from behind the house.

"This Flying Nimbus can only be ridden by those with pure and kind hearts. Which of you wants to try?"

Goku immediately raised his hand, leaped onto it, and stood firmly on top as he flew around in delight. Bulma tried it out of curiosity, only to pass straight through and land hard on her backside. She stamped her feet in frustration. Qi Tian watched with his arms folded, amused. With all the wild ideas in his head, he knew he definitely would not be able to ride it. Sure enough, his hand passed right through when he reached out to touch it.

"What kind of lousy cloud is this? It discriminates against people with rich imaginations." Qi Tian curled his lip, drawing another burst of laughter from Master Roshi.

Bulma was overjoyed to receive the three-star Dragon Ball. Master Roshi found himself more and more pleased the longer he looked at Qi Tian, and he could not help saying, "Kid, you have good potential. How about becoming my disciple? This old man can teach you real martial arts."

"No need to become your disciple." Qi Tian smiled and shook his head. "I'll consider it when there comes a day I can't beat you."

He was following a path of pure physical, brute-force evolution. Though Master Roshi's techniques were exquisite, they did not suit his path. Still, he would remember this favor. When Beerus came calling in the future, he could save the old man while he was at it.

The three of them bade Master Roshi farewell and boarded the speedboat again. Goku lay sprawled atop the Flying Nimbus, following alongside the boat as he flew and shouted, too excited to contain himself. Bulma adjusted the radar and pointed west. "The next Dragon Ball is in a village to the west! Let's go!"

Qi Tian leaned against the rail, gazing into the distance as the sea breeze blew against his face.

Turtle Hermit Island had only been an appetizer. Oolong, Yamcha, the Pilaf Army... the real show was only just beginning.