Martial Arts Tournament Clouds Gather, Old Friends Reunite on Turtle Hermit Island

"I'll go to the tournament."

Qi Tian's tone was calm, betraying little emotion. He had already planned to participate in this World Martial Arts Tournament—partly for the excitement, and partly to eliminate the hidden danger posed by Piccolo Jr. The demon seed could be kept to drive the plot forward, but if he allowed it to grow unchecked until it went out of control, it would only become troublesome.

Kami let out a long breath of relief when he agreed.

He could sense that the aura of that demon egg was growing at an astonishing rate, far surpassing King Piccolo's growth back then. Without someone as powerful as Qi Tian holding the line, ordinary martial artists alone would never be able to stop the new Demon King once he matured.

"Then I must thank you." Kami nodded slightly, then flicked his sleeve. Three golden jade plaques appeared in his palm. "These are Heaven Realm Passes. With them, you may freely pass through the astral winds surrounding the Heaven Realm. If you ever wish to cultivate in the Heaven Realm, you may come at any time."

Qi Tian accepted the jade plaques. They felt smooth and warm in his hand, their divine essence restrained within. They were indeed decent little items. He put them away, offered his thanks, and turned toward the rear hall.

On the training ground behind the hall, Goku stood bare-chested and drenched in sweat, locked in close combat with Mr. Popo. He moved with the agility of a monkey, his fists and kicks so fast they left afterimages. His control over his aura had improved by far more than just a little. Mr. Popo's movements were steady, every strike carrying a faint trace of divine essence. Though Goku was repeatedly knocked back, he always quickly adjusted himself and lunged back into the fight. There was not the slightest hint of exhaustion in his eyes; if anything, he grew more excited with every exchange.

"Hah!"

Goku gave a low shout as the force around him suddenly erupted. A heavy punch shot straight toward Mr. Popo's face. Mr. Popo sidestepped it, lightly tapped Goku's wrist with his fingertip to disperse the force, then guided him along with the motion. Goku lost his balance and staggered several steps forward before steadying himself.

"No, no. Your aura is still scattering." Mr. Popo shook his head, his voice as calm as ever. "When you throw a punch, concentrate your energy into a single point. Don't let it leak into your flesh and skin."

"Again!" Goku wiped the sweat from his face, his eyes shining brightly as he assumed his stance and prepared to charge again.

"That's enough. Take a break first."

Qi Tian's voice came from the edge of the field. Goku turned at the sound, and his eyes immediately lit up when he saw him. He hurried over. "Qi Tian! You came out of that time room? Did you get stronger?"

"A little." Qi Tian smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping over Goku. "You've improved quite a bit too. Your aura is much steadier now."

Receiving praise, Goku grinned from ear to ear and scratched his head with a foolish chuckle.

Mr. Popo also walked over and bowed to Qi Tian. "Lord Qi Tian. Son Goku's talent is indeed rare. In just two days, he has already grasped the basic method of breathing and circulation for divine essence. His progress has far exceeded expectations."

"He was suited for this path to begin with." Qi Tian nodded. Goku's talent for battle was already at the absolute pinnacle. Given the right method, his growth would only become more and more astonishing.

He remained at Kami's Lookout for another half day, offering Goku a few pointers on exerting force before preparing to take his leave down the mountain.

"You're not staying here to train?" Goku sounded somewhat reluctant. "Training at the Lookout is so fast, and Mr. Popo is really strong too."

"I have other things to do." Qi Tian patted his shoulder. "See you at the tournament. By then, I'll see just how far you've grown."

"Okay!" Goku nodded heavily, fighting spirit blazing in his eyes. "I'll definitely become super strong, and then we'll have a proper fight!"

After bidding farewell to Kami and Mr. Popo, Qi Tian leaped down from the platform of the Lookout. The force around him wrapped around his body, turning him into a streak of black-gold light that tore through the clouds toward Turtle Hermit Island.

Enhanced by his divine essence perception, the auras of the mountains and rivers below lay fully exposed to his senses. He could even vaguely detect the faint demonic energy hidden deep within the mountains. He deliberately swept his senses toward the direction in which Piccolo's demon egg had fled, and sure enough, he sensed an immature yet sinister aura lurking deep in the mountains and slowly growing. Its speed was indeed much faster than in the original story.

"Good. Saves me from waiting too long."

Qi Tian's eyes flickered, but he did not linger. He flew directly toward the southeast.

About half an hour later, a lush little island came into view amid the azure sea. The outline of Turtle Hermit Island grew clearer and clearer. Bulma's Capsule aircraft was parked beside the beach, and the sea breeze carried a salty, damp scent.

The instant he landed, the people inside the house noticed the commotion.

Master Roshi was the first to rush outside. Seeing Qi Tian safe and sound, he immediately beamed. "Young friend Qi Tian! You're finally back! What did Kami say? Can the Dragon Balls still be saved?"

Bulma, Krillin, and Yamcha rushed out right after him, their faces full of anticipation.

"Shenron's soul needs to be nurtured for half a year. After that, the Dragon Balls will restore their divine power on their own and scatter across the world again." Qi Tian walked slowly into the yard and spoke casually. "Goku stayed behind at Kami's Lookout to train. He won't come down until around the time of the tournament."

"That's great! The Dragon Balls really can be fixed!" Bulma cheered, the burden weighing on her heart for days finally lifted.

Krillin, meanwhile, wore an envious expression. "Goku actually gets to train at Kami's Lookout... He's way too lucky."

"You're not doing badly yourself." Qi Tian glanced at him. "These past few days training under Master Roshi, your aura has become much more refined too."

At that, Krillin smiled somewhat sheepishly. Master Roshi had indeed intensified their training over the past few days. Both he and Yamcha had trained desperately, unwilling to be left too far behind by Goku.

[Ding! Detected that the host has returned to Turtle Hermit Island. Scene sign-in triggered.]

[Would you like to sign in?]

The system prompt suddenly sounded, and a faint smile flashed through Qi Tian's eyes.

"Sign in."

[Ding! Sign-in complete. Rewards distributed.]

[1. Permanent battle power +500. Current normal-state battle power: 13,300.]

[2. Kamehameha: Divine Essence Improved Version. Integrates the divine essence circulation method, increasing power by 40% and reducing charge time by half.]

[3. Capsule Space Expansion: Portable capsule storage space expanded to ten cubic meters.]

A warm current flowed into his sea of qi, while a method for improving the Kamehameha flooded into his mind. Qi Tian nodded slightly. The rewards suited the setting well enough. The improved Kamehameha was much more practical—faster to charge and more powerful, more than sufficient for ordinary battles.

"Oh, right, Qi Tian," Master Roshi suddenly said, stroking his beard. "The World Martial Arts Tournament will be held in three months. I plan to have Krillin and Yamcha participate, so they can broaden their horizons. What about you? Want to join in on the fun?"

"I'll go," Qi Tian said.

"Good!" Master Roshi's eyes lit up. "With you there, the championship definitely won't get away. It's just a pity Goku is training in the Heaven Realm. I wonder if he'll make it in time."

"He'll come." Qi Tian's tone was certain. Goku had always been a regular at the tournament, and Kami would not stop him.

In the days that followed, the pace of training on Turtle Hermit Island suddenly intensified.

Master Roshi brought out his most closely guarded training methods: weighted running, gravity training, and combat sparring in relentless rotation. Krillin and Yamcha trained until they were exhausted every day, but they improved at a rapid pace as well.

Most of the time, Qi Tian meditated on his own, refining his divine-tier body-tempering art. Occasionally, he gave Krillin and Yamcha a few pointers. His insight far surpassed that of this era, and often a single sentence was enough to expose the bottleneck holding them back, bringing them sudden enlightenment.

Bulma spent every day tinkering with her Dragon Radar, occasionally grumbling that the Dragon Balls still hadn't recovered. Every now and then, she would tug Qi Tian over and ask what the heavenly realm was like, her eyes full of curiosity.

The days passed one by one, and three months flew by in the blink of an eye.

Only three days remained until registration for the World Martial Arts Tournament closed. There was still no news from Goku, and both Krillin and Yamcha were getting anxious.

That morning, Qi Tian was practicing punches by the sea. His black-gold fist winds swept across the water, sending up walls of spray several yards high. Suddenly, he sensed something and looked up toward the horizon.

A small figure rode the Flying Nimbus, speeding toward Turtle Hermit Island. His red martial arts uniform stood out sharply amid the clouds.

"It's Goku!"

Sharp-eyed Krillin pointed at the sky and shouted.

Everyone looked up to see the Flying Nimbus racing along at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it had reached the sky above the island. Goku flipped off and landed steadily on the ground. His aura was several times more substantial than it had been three months ago, and his entire bearing had become much more composed.

"Everyone! I'm back!"

Goku grinned, flashing a mouthful of white teeth. His gaze swept over the group before finally settling on Qi Tian, battle intent blazing in his eyes. "Qi Tian, I've improved a ton over these past three months! At the tournament, I'm definitely going to fight you!"

Qi Tian withdrew his stance. Looking at the fighting spirit in Goku's eyes, the corner of his mouth rose slightly.

"Alright. I'll be waiting."

The sea breeze carried the waves as they crashed against the shore. A grand martial arts event gathering Earth's greatest fighters was about to begin. Deep in the mountains, that immature demonic aura finally stopped lying dormant and slowly began moving toward the site of the tournament.