Fierce Arena Battle, Each Displays Their Divine Powers, Gods and Demons Clash, Shaking the Entire Venue

The next morning, the main venue buzzed with noise as tens of thousands of spectators packed the circular stands to capacity. Sunlight spilled across the pristine white marble arena, making the railings around it gleam gold.

The announcer leaped onto the stage with a microphone in hand, his voice booming through the loudspeakers across the venue. "Ladies and gentlemen! The quarterfinals of the Twenty-Third World Martial Arts Tournament officially begin now! For the first match—Krillin versus King Chappa!"

Amid the cheers, Krillin sprang onto the arena. Across from him, King Chappa wore a beast-hide battle outfit and slammed his fists together with loud cracks, his eyes full of disdain. "Shorty, you only won last time by sheer luck. You won't be so lucky today!"

Krillin took a deep breath and assumed his stance. He remembered Qi Tian's words: "Sink your qi into your dantian, then gather it in your limbs." His aura was entirely restrained, not leaking the slightest bit. He seemed like a completely different person from the impatient little monk he used to be.

The instant the gong rang, King Chappa roared and charged forward, his punches carrying tremendous force. Krillin neither dodged nor retreated. Just as the fist reached him, he turned sideways to redirect its force, lightly tapped the crook of his opponent's elbow with his fingertips, and pulled along with the momentum. King Chappa's balance tipped, and he nearly fell. Embarrassed and enraged, his attacks became even more savage.

Below the stage, Master Roshi stroked his beard and nodded. "Not bad. He can keep his qi steady now."

"That's all thanks to Qi Tian's guidance." Yamcha's gaze burned with intensity. "Three months ago, Krillin wouldn't have been able to take three punches from King Chappa."

After dozens of exchanges, King Chappa's breathing gradually grew ragged, and openings appeared everywhere. Krillin seized one, lowered his stance, and threw a qi-infused right punch. A pale white aura wrapped around his fist as it struck King Chappa squarely in the chest. King Chappa let out a muffled groan and flew back several meters, crashing heavily near the edge of the arena. He struggled twice but could not get back up.

"The winner—Krillin!"

Thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue. Krillin wiped away his sweat and flashed a broad grin in Qi Tian's direction, his eyes brimming with excitement.

The second match was Yamcha versus Chiaotzu. Chiaotzu floated in midair, blue light flickering at his fingertips. Just as he tried to restrain his opponent with telekinesis, Yamcha—already prepared—darted left and right with exceptionally nimble footwork.

"Useless. I knew you'd try that!" Yamcha shouted, suddenly accelerating and leaving behind layers of afterimages. Chiaotzu's telekinesis could not lock onto a target, and he began to panic.

Seizing the moment, Yamcha leaped into the air and crossed his hands at his waist. "Wolf Fang Fist: Rapid Barrage!"

Dozens of fist shadows rained down from above. Chiaotzu hurriedly raised a qi shield to block them, but the force of the blows still knocked him several meters back, and he barely managed to land at the edge of the arena.

"I lost," Chiaotzu said quietly, floating back to Tien Shinhan's side.

Yamcha landed, breathing hard. He knew full well that if Qi Tian had not taught him how to deal with telekinesis, he would most likely have been the one to lose today.

The third match: Son Goku versus Tien Shinhan.

The two stood at opposite ends of the arena, their fighting spirit nearly tangible. The crowd's cheers shook the stands as everyone waited to see the rematch between last tournament's champion and runner-up.

"Tien Shinhan, you've definitely gotten stronger, right?" Goku rubbed his fists together, his eyes gleaming.

"Of course." Tien Shinhan spread his arms, muscles knotting beneath his skin. "I haven't been idle these past three months."

The moment the gong fell silent, both figures vanished from where they stood. All that could be heard on the arena were rapid, heavy impacts, while the gusts from their strikes spread cracks across the floor.

Goku's punches were absurdly fast, each one carrying a faint trace of divine energy. Their force was heavy and focused, never scattered. Tien Shinhan countered with his Three-Eyed Fist, his attacks tricky and vicious, but Goku repeatedly evaded them with even more exquisite movement.

"Four Witches Fist!"

Tien Shinhan shouted, and two additional arms abruptly grew from his back. Four fists struck at once, instantly doubling his offense. Goku remained calm, spinning like a top as his fists and kicks flew, blocking every attack. He even used the force to spring back and widen the distance between them.

"So fast! His reactions are more than twice as fast as they were in the last tournament!" Master Roshi exclaimed.

"Take this!" Tien Shinhan pressed his hands together, dazzling white light gathering at his fingertips. "Tri-Beam!"

A massive white pillar of light descended from above, blasting directly toward Goku's position. The arena floor instantly shattered, and dust filled the air. But when the dust cleared, Goku was floating in midair, standing on the air itself. He grinned. "You missed!"

Tien Shinhan's pupils contracted sharply. He could fly through the air?

Before he could react, Goku had already dived down, his fist wrapped in pale golden qi as it slammed heavily into Tien Shinhan's shoulder. Tien Shinhan grunted and dropped to one knee. His shoulder had gone numb, and he could not rise for the moment.

"I lost." After a moment of silence, he raised his head calmly. "You've improved faster than I have."

Goku landed back on the ground and scratched his head with a smile. "You're really strong too! Once the tournament's over, let's have a proper fight again!"

With the first three matches over, the atmosphere in the arena reached its peak. The announcer took a deep breath and shouted, "Next is today's final quarterfinal match! Qi Tian versus—Piccolo!"

For a moment, the entire venue fell silent. Then even louder cheers erupted. The spectators only saw another clash between powerful fighters, but everyone from Turtle Hermit Island wore grave expressions.

"Be careful, Qi Tian!" Krillin shouted at the top of his lungs.

Bulma clenched her fists, inexplicably feeling that the green-skinned man radiated danger.

Qi Tian slowly stepped onto the arena, his black robe stirring without wind. Across from him, Piccolo's cape slipped from his shoulders, revealing a hard, cold green face. His red eyes were filled with killing intent. "You carry Kami's aura... Did he send you to kill me?"

"Kill you?" Qi Tian replied flatly. "You're not worthy of that."

"Arrogant!"

Piccolo roared and abruptly vanished. Dark green fist shadows, carrying bone-chilling cold, shot straight for Qi Tian's face. Qi Tian tilted his head slightly and flicked a finger, striking Piccolo's wrist precisely. Piccolo felt a gentle yet tyrannical force surge into him, numbing his arm and forcing him back three steps.

His heart tightened. This man's qi was not merely martial energy. It was more like... divine energy?

"No wonder Kami dared let you descend into the mortal world. So he found himself a good helper." Piccolo sneered as black qi churned around him. "Unfortunately, divine energy is useless before me!"

He threw up both hands, sending dozens of black ki blasts raining down like a storm. Qi Tian stood where he was as a pale golden barrier appeared around him. The blasts exploded one after another against the shield, yet none even touched the hem of his robe.

"That's all you've got?"

Qi Tian's voice was calm, yet it carried an overwhelming pressure. He took one step forward, and black-gold currents of energy spread from beneath his feet, cracking the arena floor inch by inch. Piccolo felt his chest tighten as though a mountain were crushing down upon him, driving him back again and again.

"Impossible!" Shock and fury flashed through Piccolo's eyes. He raised both hands above his head and gathered a blinding purple sphere of energy. "Demon Flash!"

A massive purple beam, wrapped in sinister demonic qi, blasted toward Qi Tian. Wherever it passed, the air itself tore apart with piercing shrieks.

Cries of alarm rose from the stands, and Master Roshi abruptly stood up. "Not good! That attack's too powerful!"

Qi Tian raised his eyes slightly and slowly drew his hands to his waist. Pale golden and dark black qi intertwined in his palms, more condensed than the light of an ordinary Kamehameha, while charging at twice the speed.

"Kamehameha."

He softly spoke the word, then thrust both hands forward.

A black-and-gold pillar of light erupted with a thunderous roar, colliding with the purple Demon Flash. There was no earth-shattering explosion as imagined. Like a razor-sharp blade, the black-and-gold beam effortlessly tore through the purple energy and continued unabated, bearing down on Piccolo.

Piccolo's expression changed drastically. He hastily crossed his arms to block. With a deafening boom, the force of the blast sent him flying, and he crashed heavily into the arena railing, dark green blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

The entire stadium fell silent.

The host stood frozen to one side, having even forgotten to commentate. The audience gaped at the black-robed figure in the center of the arena, unable to recover their senses for a long while.

"W-What kind of move was that...?! Its power is terrifying!"

"He sent that green-skinned freak flying in one move?"

Piccolo pushed himself to his feet, his chest heaving violently and his eyes filled with disbelief. Since hatching and growing to this point, he had believed his strength was no weaker than his father's in his prime. Yet he could not even last three moves against this man?

"Who exactly are you?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"I told you, you're not qualified to know." Qi Tian slowly walked closer, black-and-gold energy flowing around his fingertips. "After the tournament ends, behave yourself and stop setting your sights on Earth. Otherwise, next time, it won't be something as simple as a concussion."

He could sense that although the demonic nature within Piccolo was strong, he had not yet become completely bloodthirsty. Keeping him around would not only give Son Goku pressure to spur his growth, but also provide an extra measure of strength against future enemies. As long as he could keep him in check, Piccolo would not be a threat.

Piccolo glared at him, his nails digging deeply into his palms. He knew his opponent had held back. Otherwise, that last attack would have been enough to blast him into ashes. Humiliation, resentment, and apprehension tangled together before finally turning into a cold snort.

"I'll remember today's humiliation."

He turned, leaped down from the arena, and vanished directly through the venue exit with a sweep of his black robe.

Only then did the host snap out of his daze and hurriedly raise his microphone. "The w-winner—Qi Tian!"

The entire stadium erupted in thunderous cheers. Son Goku jumped high into the air and clapped with all his might. "That was amazing! Qi Tian, you really are insanely strong!"

The final four had now been decided: Qi Tian, Son Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha.

As the sun set, the crowds gradually dispersed. Master Roshi led everyone back toward their lodgings, still marveling over the power of Qi Tian's Kamehameha along the way.

"Your improved Kamehameha is ridiculously powerful." Master Roshi clicked his tongue. "It's more than twice as strong as mine."

"It was only enhanced by divine energy," Qi Tian said indifferently.

He raised his head toward the distant mountain range. Within the range of his divine-energy senses, that demonic aura had not gone far. It was lurking in the forests of the mountains outside the city, its presence fluctuating unevenly as it clearly healed its wounds.

I hope you know better, he thought.

What he did not notice was that, in the highest stands of the venue, a figure wearing a wide-brimmed hat stood silently, watching his retreating back with a meaningful smile at the corner of his lips.

"Interesting... Earth actually produced someone like this. Looks like this trip wasn't wasted."

The night wind gradually picked up, making the colorful flags beside the arena snap loudly in the breeze. The final-four matches had yet to begin, but an even more hidden undercurrent had already quietly shrouded this city of martial arts.