Gilo

When Mu Yang and Xis returned to the inn, they discovered they had become celebrities. Many disciples from mid-tier and smaller schools, accompanied by their instructors, stepped forward to greet them. Their enthusiastic reception was the first time Mu Yang truly felt the warmth of this world.

"Haha, you young folks chat amongst yourselves. I won't intrude."

Xis chuckled heartily, a look of satisfaction on his face as he went off to drink and mingle with the instructors from other schools.

Mu Yang, left behind, felt a touch of helplessness. But it was good, he thought, this was a perfect opportunity to make some friends! Just like in the original story, wasn't Son Goku a part of a large group of companions he met through the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament?

People go from strangers to acquaintances gradually. In a classroom, it might be difficult for a struggling student to approach a top student, but if a top student lowers themselves to talk to a struggling student, the effect is completely different. It's like a goddess pursuing a guy.

However, what Mu Yang didn't expect was that just as he was chatting happily with a group of "struggling students," the uninvited guest Wu Ting also joined them. Wu Ting was relatively stocky, somewhat resembling Jura, one of a "Ten Great Wizard Saints" from Fairy Tail, though he appeared younger and had more refined features than Jura.

The two hit it off immediately, finding their values and understanding of martial arts surprisingly compatible. If Mu Yang wasn't unsure whether the monks of Dolin Temple were allowed to drink, he would have wanted to have a night of drinking with him until they dropped.

Time passed quickly, the night cool like water.

In the end, Mu Yang didn't drink and talked with Wu Ting until late into the night. After returning to his room, he fell asleep immediately.

The next morning, the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament officially began its quarterfinals.

If the matches in the previous eight major divisions were just an appetizer, then the quarterfinals were the core that gathered the essence of the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament.

Out of respect for every match in the quarterfinals, starting from this stage, everyone unified and moved to the main arena. Furthermore, the matches would no longer be held in parallel.

Through a live draw, the opponents and the order of matches were decided, just like in later generations.

After drawing his lot, Mu Yang proceeded to the spectator stands for the contestants. This area was specifically prepared for the quarterfinal participants and their respective schools, offering a wider field of vision.

The first match was between Lis of the Qianhe Style and Bani of the Cross Fist school.

This was a closely contested match filled with spectacle. Bani of the Cross Fist school was a stout, strong man standing at 1.8 meters, skilled in Cross Fist. His every move was grand and powerful, seemingly amplified, displaying immense explosiveness. In contrast, Lis of the Qianhe Style was a petite and delicate beauty, less than 1.6 meters tall, agile and graceful, with flowing long hair, excelling in evasion and short-range strikes.

One was hard, the other soft; one tall, the other petite, they staged a real-life Beauty and the Beast, drawing cheers from everyone present.

Mu Yang and Xis watched intently from below, offering commentary and critiques, but also diligently contemplating how they would handle such a situation if it were them.

Mu Yang watched with particular seriousness, not because the contestant Lis was pretty, though she was indeed quite beautiful. Mu Yang's focus wasn't there; he was more eager to draw nourishment from observing others' battles.

Martial artists need to constantly strive. Any complacency or slackening could lead to stagnation or even falling behind others.

Compared to other Earthlings, Mu Yang was acutely aware of just how terrifying this world truly was. In the universe, there were no shortage of formidable individuals who could destroy worlds or even treat planets like marbles. Earthlings' potential was not particularly outstanding, and if they didn't strive and catch up, they would truly be at the mercy of others in the future.

This was something one could only truly grasp by personally entering the Dragon Ball world; it was by no means as purely entertaining as depicted on television or in video discs.

In fact, if a person lived on a planet that could be destroyed at any moment, and they were fully aware of this fact, they wouldn't find it fun. What they would likely feel is immense pressure, which would then drive them to train even harder.

Nothing could be a greater spur than a life-or-death crisis.

Lis and Bani's match lasted over twenty minutes. This highly engaging opening performance kicked off the quarterfinals with a bang, drawing rounds of applause from the audience. Ultimately, Lis won by a narrow margin, but Bani also earned the audience's applause.

The subsequent matches followed one after another, and it was Mu Yang's turn again.

His opponent was Gilo, a boy from an ordinary mountain village. Gilo was a dark-skinned youth, perhaps not even older than Mu Yang. It was said he had never received formal martial arts training, but being able to reach the quarterfinals of the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament indicated that his strength was not to be underestimated.

After stepping onto the stage, Mu Yang seriously scanned his opponent. "To reach the quarterfinals without formal training, discovering it on his own, his talent must be quite remarkable."

This Gilo might be a Yajirobe-type character.

In fact, after the draw paired him with Gilo, everyone else thought Mu Yang had good luck. Gilo was the least favored among the quarterfinalists, and this match was considered a sure win.

"The match begins."

As the starting whistle blew, Mu Yang and Gilo on the opposite side both adopted serious expressions and took their offensive stances.

This was a match with little suspense. Mu Yang's combat power far exceeded Gilo's. It didn't take long for Gilo to fall into a disadvantage under Mu Yang's onslaught, eventually losing the match.

"Thank you. This match taught me a lot," Gilo's sincere voice reached Mu Yang's ears after the match concluded.

Mu Yang looked at Gilo in surprise, his good impression of him increasing significantly.

"You're welcome. If you could receive formal training, you could become even stronger. Are you interested in joining a major martial arts school?"

Gilo shook his head. "No, not yet at least. I want to strive through my own efforts and don't want to be bound by the frameworks of my predecessors..."

Mu Yang was taken aback, looking at him with new eyes.

This Gilo seemed to be like him, someone with his own aspirations. However, without guidance from predecessors, the chances of falling into misconceptions increase, and even if he eventually breaks through them, it would cost him a lot of time.

A good teacher can help one avoid many detours, and the experience of predecessors is worth absorbing.

However, on second thought, experience depends on the person. If one encounters a teacher with low skill, then experience can be harmful; it will lead you deeper into error.

Seeing the determined belief in Gilo's eyes, Mu Yang nodded and jumped off the stage without saying more.

Xis watched from the side of the arena, a look of admiration on his face. "This Gilo is a good prospect for martial arts. Although I don't entirely agree with his viewpoint, his persistence is worthy of respect."

"Yes, but this is a path destined to be arduous," Mu Yang also remarked, inwardly applying those words to himself.

Based on the memories from his "previous life," Mu Yang could ensure he wouldn't take too many wrong turns in the early stages of his cultivation. However, once he reached the later stages, Earth's level would not be able to keep up with his development. At that point, he might have to do as Gilo did, forging his own path through his own comprehension.

That too would be a path destined to be arduous.