Meeting in the Bustling South City, Master Roshi Appears, and Signing In Before the Tournament

The silver-white capsule aircraft passed smoothly through the clouds, skimming over stretches of towns and countryside. After a half-day journey, it arrived at the prosperous and thriving main city of South City.

Compared to the small coastal towns or the desolate Gobi, South City was bustling with noise and excitement. The streets were wide and orderly, lined with shops, martial arts halls, and fighting dojos. Among the pedestrians, the majority were martial artists with agile postures and steady auras. Promotional banners for the World Martial Arts Tournament could be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys.

Red banners fluttered in the wind, printed with large golden characters: The 21st World Martial Arts Tournament, open to all citizens, with a grand prize of one hundred thousand Zeni for the champion!

"As expected of the World Martial Arts Tournament, the entire South City is filled with martial artists who have come to compete." Bulma put away the aircraft, stored the device back into a capsule, and sighed with emotion as she looked at the lively streets.

Son Goku curiously examined the surrounding vendors, his nose sniffing the aroma of roasted meat from the street. His stomach rumbled, and he tugged at Qi Tian's sleeve, staring longingly at a food stall with a look of pure hunger.

Yamcha's expression was tense, and he clenched his fists involuntarily. The surrounding martial artists had complex auras, and there was no shortage of experts whose strength far exceeded that of the wilderness bandits, which put pressure on his heart. "There are too many experts here, stronger than any opponent I have fought before. I'm afraid the martial arts tournament won't be easy to win."

Puar rubbed against Yamcha's cheek, whispering words of comfort, while Pilaf and his two companions followed quietly at the back of the group. They had already fully accepted their subordinate position, not interjecting casually and focusing only on watching for dangerous movements in the surroundings.

Qi Tian activated his aura suppression, completely concealing his 4,400 battle power. He looked like an ordinary, idle youth. He scanned the martial artists on the street, and his heart was clear.

At this stage, the rogue martial artists in South City generally had a battle power of three to four hundred, while the top street martial arts masters barely broke one thousand. Not to mention comparing them to himself, they couldn't even match Son Goku or Yamcha, posing no threat at all.

The only true formidable enemies were Master Roshi, whom they were about to meet, and the fledgling Krillin.

The group walked together into the food street, bought a table full of roasted meat and rice balls, and sat around a wooden table by the street to rest and eat. Son Goku ate voraciously, his appetite crushing everyone else, and in the blink of an eye, he cleared two large plates of meat, full of energy.

Just as the group was halfway through their meal, an old, hoarse, and slightly lecherous voice came from the side: "Yo, I didn't expect to run into such interesting little guys here. This kid's physical foundation is rare in this world."

Qi Tian raised his eyes and turned his head.

Under a tree to the side, a short old man wearing a floral short-sleeved shirt, leaning on a cane, wearing sunglasses, and sporting short, graying hair stood leaning against the tree. A turtle shell accessory hung from his waist. His body seemed to have no battle power at all, yet it hid a deep, ocean-like, restrained aura. It was the founder of the Turtle School and the ceiling of martial artists—Master Roshi.

Beside him followed a short, bald boy with clever eyes and a sturdy build. It was Krillin, who had just come down from the mountain after training at the Orin Temple to join Master Roshi.

Krillin's gaze swept over Son Goku, and he instantly recognized him, his eyes igniting with fighting spirit. "Son Goku! I didn't expect you to come to the martial arts tournament too! This time, I will definitely beat you!"

Back when they were training at Kame House by the sea, the two had practiced together, and Krillin had always regarded Son Goku as his greatest rival.

Son Goku, his mouth stuffed with food, nodded vaguely. "Krillin, long time no see. I won't let you win the martial arts tournament!"

Master Roshi leaned on his cane and walked over slowly, his gaze focusing on Qi Tian. The eyes behind his sunglasses were full of surprise.

With his century of martial arts experience, he could not see through Qi Tian's cultivation at all. His aura was plain and unremarkable, yet his flesh, blood, and bones gave off a deep, indestructible, and heavy feeling that far exceeded martial artists of his age, and even far exceeded his own current self.

"I am Master Roshi. May I ask where you studied, young friend?" Master Roshi cupped his hands, his tone completely devoid of his usual lecherous demeanor, appearing exceptionally solemn.

"Self-taught, cultivating the body on my own," Qi Tian replied calmly.

No sect, no master, not relying on energy techniques, but reaching this point solely through tempering the body.

These words fell into Master Roshi's ears, causing his heart to shake violently. To be able to achieve such a foundation through self-study was a talent that could be called heaven-defying.

[Ding! Encountered core plot characters: Master Roshi, Krillin. Collected the core protagonist group of the martial arts tournament, unlocking the exclusive pre-tournament sign-in.]

[Do you wish to perform the exclusive sign-in?]

"Sign in."

Qi Tian chanted in his heart, triggering the sign-in without hesitation.

[Ding! Pre-tournament sign-in complete, rewards issued.]

[1. Permanent battle power +1100. Current total battle power: 5500.]

[2. Great Ape Transformation fragment x10 (total progress 79/100), Great Ape Transformation base multiplier increased to 4.5x.]

[3. Martial Arts Insight MAX: Master all kinds of basic martial arts moves, see through the flaws of moves at a glance, and quickly replicate entry-level hand-to-hand combat techniques.]

[4. Passive: Clear Martial Heart. Eliminate unnecessary movements during combat, reduce attack and defense consumption to the minimum, and double the efficiency of the "grow stronger through battle" passive trigger.]

[5. Item: Martial Arts Wristbands (fits the body, does not affect attacks, blocks energy blasts and physical heavy strikes).]

A clear understanding of martial arts flooded his mind. The Wolf Fang Fist, the basic power-flow of the Kamehameha, and all mainstream hand-to-hand combat moves in the world were now clearly understood. His eyes seemed to possess a built-in flaw-detection perspective; the weaknesses of anyone's attacks were clear at a glance.

His physical body was once again solidified and elevated. With 5,500 battle power, he firmly sat at the ceiling of this martial arts tournament. Even if Master Roshi transformed into his muscular form, his battle power would still fall short of Qi Tian's current level.

Master Roshi looked at the suddenly refined and transparent aura around Qi Tian, feeling increasingly wary. He calculated to himself: This child's foundation is unfathomable. The biggest variable in this martial arts tournament is this person.

Krillin, standing to the side, sensed the change in Qi Tian's aura and subconsciously took a half-step back, an inexplicable sense of oppression rising in his heart. This pressure was even stronger than when he faced Master Roshi.

Yamcha stood up at the sight and bowed to Master Roshi. "Junior Yamcha, practicing the Wolf Fang Fist. I have long admired Master Roshi's martial arts reputation."

"Wolf Fang Fist, an ancient wilderness martial art. The moves are passable, but the foundation is too shallow," Master Roshi commented casually, seeing through the shortcomings of Yamcha's moves at a glance.

Bulma put down her roasted meat skewer and teased with a smile, "Grandpa Roshi, you're here to participate in the martial arts tournament too, right? Don't pretend to be an old man slacking off."

Hearing this, Master Roshi changed from his solemn demeanor, instantly reverting to his lecherous old man persona. He stroked his beard and chuckled, his eyes drifting toward the girls passing by on the street. "Of course I'm competing, and while I'm at it, I'll see if there are any pretty young girls participating in this tournament."

The contrast made everyone laugh instantly.

After chatting for a while, Master Roshi finalized the schedule. "The martial arts tournament preliminaries start tomorrow morning. All martial artists in the city will enter the competition venue together. The preliminaries will eliminate half the contestants, and the official knockout tournament will begin the day after."

After speaking, Master Roshi turned and left with Krillin. Before leaving, he took a deep look at Qi Tian and left behind a meaningful sentence: "I hope to spar with you on the ring, young friend."

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

Master Roshi had mastered the Kamehameha and the essence of martial arts. Sparring with him would not only polish his body but also stack his "grow stronger through battle" passive, which perfectly suited his own cultivation.

The next day, the preliminaries and the slaughter on the ring officially began.

As night fell, the lights of South City turned on, and the martial arts venue was brightly lit. Countless martial artists were eager and ready, waiting for the start of the tournament.

Qi Tian's eyes remained calm, waiting only for the duels to come, to temper his supreme physical body.