Arrival at Pilaf Castle, Signing In for a Divine Resistance Fragment

The setting sun sank completely below the horizon, and night swept in with the desert wind and sand.

The Gobi Desert had extreme temperature differences between day and night. The evening wind was piercingly cold, whipping the dry yellow sand into the air. It struck the rocks with a sharp rustling sound. In the distance, an ancient castle, gray-black all over and bizarrely spired, pierced the night. Small black flags were planted at its four corners, each bearing the image of a vicious little demon. It was Pilaf's personal castle.

"That's Pilaf's base. The castle is surrounded by traps, and there are quite a few trained monsters guarding it." Yamcha stopped and stared solemnly at the distant castle. Having roamed the continent's wilderness for years, he had long heard of Pilaf's gang's notorious reputation. "Those villains are extremely ambitious. They want to gather the Dragon Balls and rule the world. Their methods are ruthless—they're far more troublesome than ordinary bandits."

Puar lay on Yamcha's shoulder, clutching his fur with his paws as his nose constantly sniffed the air. "There's a strong monster scent. There are at least a dozen trained beasts in the castle."

Goku was not afraid in the slightest. Instead, his eyes lit up as he gripped the Power Pole, his tail swishing excitedly up and down. "Monsters? Perfect! Let's fight!"

Bulma pulled her coat tighter and switched on the Dragon Radar. Four dots on the screen were clustered tightly in the center of the castle, shining brightly. "That's right. The remaining four Dragon Balls are all inside the castle. Pilaf has already collected three of them. With the Five-Star Dragon Ball we have, we're only one short of gathering all seven Dragon Balls."

Qi Tian stood on the sand as the evening wind lifted his black hair. He quietly activated his aura concealment ability, completely suppressing his battle power until it was nonexistent. He looked no different from an ordinary mountain boy. He calmly surveyed the entire castle as the system prompt sounded in his mind right on cue.

[Ding! You have arrived at a key plot location: Pilaf Castle. Plot prerequisite sign-in access has been unlocked.]

[Detected that the host has collected the Five-Star Dragon Ball. Traveling companions Son Goku, Bulma, Yamcha, and Puar are all present. Special sign-in conditions fulfilled.]

[Would you like to perform a plot-exclusive sign-in?]

"Sign in."

Qi Tian answered silently, without the slightest hesitation. The Pilaf arc was the first villain arc of Dragon Ball's early days, and it was also a special storyline involving magic, divinity, and dark curse power. Its sign-in rewards were bound to far surpass the ordinary reward from encountering Yamcha in the wilderness.

[Ding! Exclusive sign-in complete. Rewards have been distributed.]

[1. Permanent battle power +950. Host's current total battle power: 1770.]

[2. Bloodline Fragment: Great Ape Transformation Fragment ×3 (total progress 4/100).]

[3. Rare Resistance Fragment: Low-Level Divine Resistance (passively active; immune to low-level dark magic, curses, and illusions; reduces damage from divine-type attacks by 30%).]

[4. Skill: Mechanism Disabling (proficient in machinery, formations, and artificial mechanisms; can disable low-level traps in the Dragon Ball world without damage).]

[5. Supplies: Universal Override Toolkit ×1 (compatible with all artificial electronics and mechanical mechanisms).]

A far more powerful surge of energy than last time washed through his body. His Saiyan bloodline boiled completely, and the tail at his lower back grew slightly hot. The origin of the Great Ape became clearer, while his instinctive understanding of Great Ape muscle control and the suppression of wild instincts deepened once more.

In the past, Saiyans transformed into Great Apes when moonlight waves forcibly took control of their minds. But as the fragments accumulated, Qi Tian could now barely suppress the bloodlust and savagery in his bloodline on his own whenever his emotions fluctuated.

At the same time, an invisible barrier took root in his soul, and a faint, lightless shield surrounded him. Low-level illusions and curse power would automatically dissolve the moment they approached him. His low-level divine resistance had settled firmly into place.

Knowledge of Mechanism Disabling flooded into his mind. The structures of the castle's outer walls, underground passages, gate laser traps, and secret chamber sealing mechanisms—as well as the methods to disable them—all became instantly clear. There was no longer a single secret left in Pilaf Castle before his eyes.

"Qi Tian, are you okay?" Bulma noticed the slight fluctuation in his aura and could not help asking.

"I'm fine. Rest for a moment, then we'll enter the castle directly." Qi Tian withdrew his thoughts, his tone calm.

His battle power was now 1,770, far beyond early Goku's 1,200 and Yamcha's 1,080. With Indestructible Body, divine resistance, and aura concealment as his three major passive abilities, along with mastery over mechanisms, Pilaf Castle—which had trapped the original protagonists for so long—was no different from his own backyard.

Yamcha watched the unruffled Qi Tian, growing increasingly wary. After only half a day together, he could not fathom Qi Tian's limits at all. He had resisted fire with his bare hands, killed a massive beast several meters long with one punch, and now stood peacefully amid the sandstorm as though he possessed no battle power whatsoever. That unfathomable depth was far more frightening than raw explosive strength.

Under the cover of night, the group circled around to the high wall at the rear side of the castle. The wall was covered in sensor laser grids. Touching one would trigger an alarm and spray corrosive venom. It was Pilaf's first line of defense.

Bulma looked troubled. "The laser grid is too dense. My tech can't crack it directly, and forcing our way through will trigger the alarm."

Yamcha focused his energy, preparing to use Wolf Fang Fist to smash through the wall. "I'll break open the wall!"

"No need to make it so troublesome."

Qi Tian raised a hand and took out the Universal Override Toolkit he had received from signing in. He turned a dial with his fingertip, aiming a faint blue light at the laser controller. In just three seconds, the dense red lasers instantly went dark, and every sensor device failed completely.

A hidden alloy door on the side of the wall sprang open, revealing a clean, unobstructed passage without the slightest alarm.

"Th-this is some kind of tool? It's way too convenient!" Bulma's eyes widened. As a genius inventor, she could tell at a glance that this toolkit's technological level far surpassed Capsule Corporation's current technology.

"Just something I picked up." Qi Tian brushed it off and stepped into the hidden passage first.

Glowing dark-green gems were embedded in the passage walls, illuminating the narrow corridor. Rockfall traps, ground spikes, and poison gas vents were scattered along the way—all carefully crafted killing devices made by Pilaf.

Yet Qi Tian walked through them, each step landing precisely in the mechanisms' blind spots. Whenever he approached a trigger point, he casually flicked a tiny catch on the wall, and every trap silently failed.

They proceeded without obstruction, encountering not the slightest danger, and reached the castle's central hall without incident.

The hall was brightly lit, with a red carpet extending to a raised platform. The short, blue-skinned Pilaf sat upon his throne. The burly Hodgepodge stood to one side, and the female ninja Mai stood to the other. The three of them held three Dragon Balls and watched the outside through a crystal ball.

"Someone broke into the castle?!" Pilaf suddenly raised his head, malice flashing in his triangular eyes. "They managed to evade every trap. It must be Goku's group!"

Hodgepodge gripped his enormous spiked club and stepped forward, his entire body tensing. "My king, leave them to me!"

Mai held a short blade, her light frame poised for battle as she warily watched the entrance to the hall.

Without another word, Goku carried the Power Pole and charged straight into the center of the hall, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "Hand over the Dragon Balls!"

"You ignorant little brat!" Pilaf sneered and pressed a button on the throne's armrest. The floor of the hall abruptly split open, and dozens of sharp stone spikes shot upward. At the same time, an iron cage dropped from the ceiling, intending to trap them all.

Yamcha immediately moved in front of Bulma, ready to strike, but Qi Tian merely raised his fist and gave it a light shake.

Bzzz—

Invisible force from his body spread outward. The rising stone spikes all shattered, while the falling iron cage bent out of shape and crashed heavily onto the floor, breaking into pieces.

Qi Tian slowly stepped forward and looked directly at Pilaf on the throne. "Stop wasting time. Hand over the Dragon Balls and spare yourself a beating."

Pilaf watched Qi Tian effortlessly destroy both traps and felt his heart jolt. He immediately recognized him as the unfamiliar youth who had crushed Yamcha in the wilderness that day. His voice turned sinister. "So there's another expert among you. Since you came to my door willingly, then stay here together and become stepping stones for my conquest of the world! Hodgepodge, kill them!"

The burly Hodgepodge roared, his brute strength erupting as his thousand-pound spiked club swept forward on a fierce gust, carrying enough force to smash rock apart.

Yamcha immediately darted out. The force of Wolf Fang Fist whistled through the air as he met the spiked club head-on.

Bang!

Fist and weapon collided. Yamcha's arm went numb, and he staggered back three steps. The web between his thumb and forefinger split, blood seeping out as his expression grew grave. "What terrifying brute strength. He's even stronger than that lizard monster in the valley!"

Hodgepodge possessed tremendous brute strength and thick skin. He was Pilaf's strongest subordinate, and Yamcha alone was no match for him.

Goku leaped into the air, extending the Power Pole and bringing it down toward Hodgepodge's head with a powerful strike.

Hodgepodge raised an arm to block it, forcibly catching the Power Pole. Veins bulged along his arm as he held firm against Goku's assault.

For a moment, the battle in the hall reached a stalemate.

Pilaf sat on his throne with a sneer and quietly formed a hand seal. Black cursed mist gathered in his palm before he blasted it toward Goku's back. "Dark Curse, Bind His Body!"

The low-level dark curse struck directly at the soul. In the original story, Goku had once been caught by it, unable to move.

But the instant the black mist came within an inch of Goku, it was dissolved by the invisible divine resistance barrier around Qi Tian. It did not even stir a single ripple.

Qi Tian's gaze cooled, and he stopped watching from the sidelines.

This was the perfect opportunity to temper his body and build up the foundation of his passive ability to grow stronger through battle.

"It's time to end this."

As his words fell, Qi Tian kicked off the ground, cracking the floor beneath his feet. His figure flashed across the battlefield in an instant, and he lightly pressed a palm against Hodgepodge's chest.

There was no earthshaking boom—only the dull sound of bones breaking.

Hodgepodge's eyes bulged. His massive body flew backward and slammed heavily into a throne pillar. He fell unconscious on the spot, completely losing his ability to fight.

The entire hall fell deathly silent.

Pilaf and Mai turned pale, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Yamcha's pupils contracted as he finally understood completely: there was a gulf between himself and Qi Tian as vast as heaven and earth.

Qi Tian raised his eyes toward the throne, his tone even. "The Dragon Balls. Hand them over."