An Encounter in South City's Bustling Streets, Master Roshi Appears, and a Pre-Tournament Check-In

The silver-white Capsule aircraft glided smoothly through the clouds, sweeping over stretches of towns and countryside. After half a day of travel, it arrived in the prosperous heart of South City.

Compared to the small coastal towns and desolate wastelands, South City was bustling with people. Its streets were wide and orderly, and shops lined both sides. Martial arts schools and fighting dojos were everywhere. Most of the people walking the streets were agile martial artists with steady auras, and tournament banners could be seen throughout the city.

Red flags fluttered in the breeze, emblazoned with golden characters: "The 21st World Martial Arts Tournament! Open to all! The champion will receive a prize of 100 million zeni!"

"As expected of the World Martial Arts Tournament. The whole city is packed with martial artists who've come to compete." Bulma put away the aircraft, stored it in a Capsule, and gazed at the lively streets with a sigh of admiration.

Goku curiously surveyed the vendors around them, sniffing the aroma of grilled meat wafting from a nearby stall. His stomach rumbled. Tugging on Qi Tian's sleeve, he gazed longingly at the street food, his eyes full of hunger.

Yamcha tensed up and unconsciously clenched his fists. The auras of the surrounding martial artists were varied, and quite a few of them were far stronger than the bandits he'd encountered in the wilderness. The pressure weighed on him. "There are too many strong fighters here. They're all stronger than the opponents I've faced before. This tournament won't be easy."

Puar rubbed against Yamcha's cheek and quietly tried to comfort him. Pilaf and his two companions kept a low profile at the back of the group, having fully accepted their subordinate status. They didn't speak out of turn, only keeping an eye out for danger nearby.

Qi Tian suppressed his aura, completely concealing his 4,400 battle power. He looked like an ordinary young man out for a stroll. As he casually surveyed the martial artists in the street, he understood the situation.

At this stage, the unattached martial artists in South City generally had battle powers of three or four hundred. Even the top street fighters barely broke a thousand. None could compare to him; they couldn't even match Goku or Yamcha. They posed no threat.

The only true opponents were Master Roshi, whom they were about to meet, and Krillin, who had only recently entered the martial arts world.

The group headed into the food street, bought a table piled high with grilled meat and rice balls, and sat around a wooden table by the roadside to rest and eat. Goku wolfed down the food, out-eating everyone there. In no time, he'd polished off two large plates of meat, still bursting with energy.

Just as they were halfway through their meal, a hoarse, elderly voice with a lecherous edge came from beside them. "Well, well. I didn't expect to run into such interesting young people here. This boy's physique is a rare sight in this world."

Qi Tian looked up and turned.

Beneath a tree beside them stood a short old man wearing a colorful shirt and sunglasses, with a cane in his hand and wispy white hair. A turtle shell ornament hung at his waist. He seemed to have no battle power at all, yet beneath the surface lay a deep, ocean-like aura. He was the founder of the Turtle School and the pinnacle of martial arts: Master Roshi.

Beside him stood a short, skinny, bald boy with sharp, clever eyes and a lean build. He was Krillin, who had trained at Orin Temple since childhood and had just come down from the mountains to join Master Roshi.

Krillin's eyes swept over Goku, and he recognized him at once. Fighting spirit blazed in his eyes. "Son Goku! I didn't expect you to enter the World Martial Arts Tournament too! This time, I'll beat you for sure!"

Back when they trained together at Kame House by the sea, Krillin had always considered Goku his greatest rival.

Goku's mouth was stuffed with food as he nodded indistinctly. "Krillin, long time no see. I won't go easy on you at the tournament!"

Leaning on his cane, Master Roshi slowly approached. His gaze settled mainly on Qi Tian, and suspicion filled his eyes behind his sunglasses.

With a century of martial arts experience behind him, he still couldn't see through Qi Tian's abilities at all. His aura seemed perfectly ordinary, yet his flesh and bones gave off a profound, unbreakable sense of weight, far beyond that of other fighters his age—even beyond Master Roshi's own at this point.

"I am Master Roshi. May I ask where you learned your skills, young man?" Master Roshi greeted him with cupped hands. His tone was far more serious than his usual frivolous, lecherous manner.

"I taught myself. I trained my body on my own," Qi Tian replied calmly.

No school. No teacher. No reliance on ki techniques. He had reached his current level through nothing but physical training.

Hearing that, Master Roshi was even more shaken. To develop such a foundation through self-training alone took talent that defied the heavens.

[ Ding! Core story characters encountered: Master Roshi and Krillin. The core World Martial Arts Tournament cast has assembled. Exclusive pre-tournament check-in unlocked.]

[Proceed with the exclusive check-in?]

"Check in."

Qi Tian silently gave the command and triggered the check-in without hesitation.

[ Ding! Pre-tournament check-in complete. Rewards granted.]

[1. Permanent battle power +1,100. Current host battle power: 5,500]

[2. Great Ape Transformation fragments ×10 (total progress: 79/100). Base multiplier for Great Ape Transformation increased to 4.5×]

[3. Martial Arts Insight MAX: Master all basic martial arts techniques; spot flaws in techniques at a glance; quickly replicate beginner-level fighting skills]

[4. Passive skill: Clear Martial Heart. Eliminate unnecessary movements in battle and minimize losses in offense and defense. The activation rate of the "stronger with every fight" passive is doubled.]

[5. Item: Martial Arts Wristbands (fit snugly without hindering movement; withstand ki blasts and physical blows)]

A clear understanding of martial arts surged into his mind. The Wolf Fang Fist, the basic principles behind the Kamehameha, and the major fighting styles of the world all became clear to him. It was as if he had gained the ability to see through flaws: the weaknesses in anyone's technique were obvious at a glance.

His body grew sturdier and stronger once more. With a battle power of 5,500, he now stood at the top of this year's World Martial Arts Tournament. Even Master Roshi in his muscular form would be no match for Qi Tian as he was now.

Watching Qi Tian's presence suddenly grow more focused and clear, Master Roshi grew even more wary. He silently assessed him: This young man's foundation is unfathomably deep. He's the greatest wild card in this tournament.

Krillin sensed the change in Qi Tian's aura and instinctively took half a step back. A sense of oppression rose in him, stronger even than what he felt when facing Master Roshi.

Seeing this, Yamcha stood and bowed to Master Roshi. "I'm Yamcha. I practice the Wolf Fang Fist. I've long admired your reputation, Master Roshi."

"The Wolf Fang Fist. An old martial art from the wilderness. The techniques are decent, but your foundation is too weak." Master Roshi casually assessed it, seeing the flaws in Yamcha's style at a glance.

Bulma put down her skewer of grilled meat and teased him with a smile. "Grandpa Master Roshi, you're here to enter the tournament too, right? You can stop pretending to be an old man who's just here to slack off."

At that, Master Roshi dropped his serious demeanor and instantly reverted to his lecherous old-man self. Stroking his beard with a grin, he glanced at a young woman passing by. "Of course I'm competing. And I'll get to see whether any pretty young ladies have entered this year's tournament, too."

His sudden change of character made everyone laugh.

After chatting for a while, Master Roshi explained the schedule. "The World Martial Arts Tournament preliminaries begin tomorrow morning. All the martial artists in the city will enter the arena, and half will be eliminated in the preliminaries. The official knockout rounds begin the day after."

With that, Master Roshi turned and left with Krillin. Before departing, he gave Qi Tian a long look and left him with a meaningful remark. "I hope I get the chance to spar with you in the ring, young man."

Qi Tian watched them leave, lightly tapping his fingertips on the table.

Master Roshi knew the Kamehameha and the essence of martial arts. Fighting him would both hone Qi Tian's body and build up his "stronger with every fight" passive, making him an ideal training partner.

The preliminaries tomorrow—and the battles in the ring—would mark the true beginning.

As night fell, the lights of South City came on. The martial arts arena blazed with light as countless fighters warmed up, waiting for the tournament to begin.

Qi Tian's eyes remained calm. He simply waited for each battle, ready to temper his body to the utmost.