One Year

"Got it!"

Meixia nodded vigorously, but her small nose wrinkled dismissively. How much of it actually sank in, only the ghosts knew.

Mu Yang muttered inwardly, aware she hadn't taken his words to heart, but he couldn't watch over her every moment, so he said no more and led Meixia onward through the Primeval Mountains.

The Primeval Mountains truly lived up to their reputation as a forbidden zone untouched by human footsteps for countless ages. Before long, the pair encountered attacks from various other ferocious beasts, but one by one, they overcame them with their formidable strength.

Time flew, stars shifted and seasons turned.

The sun slanted westward, leaving a blood-red afterglow across the sky.

Half a day had passed in the blink of an eye. By dusk, the forest grew even more shadowy and dim.

After finishing half a day of training, Mu Yang and Meixia stumbled out of the Primeval Mountains, their clothes tattered and torn. By now, they were ravenous, hurrying back to enjoy a hearty dinner.

After dinner, Mu Yang bid Meixia farewell and returned to his small hut.

Soaking his body in the warm pool water, all the day's fatigue seemed to wash away. At last, he had the peace of mind to consider the situation before him.

The current world was confirmed to be the Dragon Ball world without a doubt. After the initial shock and disbelief, his heart gradually settled.

"If I bought a lottery ticket, I'd hit the jackpot," Mu Yang muttered to himself, his hands resting on the edge of the pool.

He had never imagined crossing into the Dragon Ball world. Here, only powerful races had the chance to shine; ordinary races didn't even qualify to be the green leaves setting off the flowers. The order of the Dragon Ball world was nakedly strength-based—the strong ruled.

Saiyans, Namekians, the Frieza Clan, Majin Buu... every one of them was a world-shattering, fearsome existence.

Thinking about it made Mu Yang's head ache faintly.

The one saving grace was that the early stages of the Dragon Ball world were relatively stable. At least until the Saiyans arrived, Earth's safety wouldn't be threatened by external enemies. But as the plot unfolded, especially in the later stages, powerful foes kept emerging, turning Earth into a powder keg—a place more dangerous than any other planet in the universe.

By then, only the Saiyans, with their mighty bloodline, would remain active on the battlefield. Everyone else, even the early protagonists—elite Earthlings like Krillin and Yamcha—would be reduced to mere background characters.

Clearly, Mu Yang was now an ordinary Earthling, with no other bloodline in his veins.

Was he really doomed to be nothing but a backdrop?

To be honest, as a transmigrator, Mu Yang refused to accept that.

"Why worry about all this? Who knows how many years it is until the plot even starts. By the time it does, I might already be old and gray—I might not even live to see it!"

Mu Yang snapped back to reality and shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh.

According to news brought by Uncle Cal from the sect, the technological revolution in the outside cities had only just begun. Clearly, it was still far from the advanced era of jet-powered flying vehicles seen in the original story. Thinking so far ahead was premature.

What if he died of old age before the plot even started? That would be a joke.

So, he set a first goal—live to see the plot begin!

Of course, by "live to see the plot begin," Mu Yang didn't mean barely clinging to life. He meant staying healthy and keeping his body in peak condition.

To do that, he needed to strengthen his physique and maintain his prime. That required the support of great power.

Just like Master Roshi, Master Shen, and Tien Shinhan—even after two or three hundred years, they were still hale and hearty.

"Starting tomorrow, I'll train even harder. Since I've come to the Dragon Ball world, and my race is fixed and unchangeable, I'll just accumulate more over time. I refuse to believe Earthlings can't grow stronger."

Mu Yang made his first plan.

Fortunately, the Tianxin Style martial arts school he belonged to emphasized nurturing the body above all. While its power might not match the Kame Style or the Crane Style, its inherited methods were exactly what Mu Yang needed right now. As the senior disciple of the Tianxin Style, he had access to the most core cultivation techniques.

"Step by step. First, lay a solid foundation. Once I'm strong enough, I'll explore other training grounds on Earth."

Earth had many places for training—Karin's Holy Land, Five Elements Mountain, and even the Sacred Temple suspended high in the sky. Those mysterious locations would be places Mu Yang needed to set foot on as he climbed to the peak.

But for now, thinking about all that was too early.

Lost in thought, the pool water grew cold. Mu Yang stepped out, dripping wet, and turned into the bedroom.

The night air was cool. Starlight twinkled on the other side of the Milky Way. Carrying many thoughts, Mu Yang gradually drifted into sleep.

The next day, Mu Yang rose early. Before the sky had even brightened, he was in the courtyard, practicing basic stances. As his muscles began to ache, he knew that pushing further would not only fail to help but might harm his body. So he sat down to ponder the problems in his training.

Haste makes waste. Mu Yang always remembered what had happened to this body before he awakened.

Time flew like a white horse passing a crack—a year had passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Mu Yang trained steadily under his teacher Aisafu's guidance. His physical strength continuously increased. Over the year, Mu Yang had turned fourteen, now entering the golden period of physical development.

At fourteen, thanks to training and ample nutrition, Mu Yang appeared taller and more upright than his peers. Though still not burly, every muscle in his body contained astonishing explosive power.

His strength had nearly doubled compared to a year ago.

Even his teacher Aisafu praised him repeatedly, saying Mu Yang might reach a rare, high-level realm within their school.

But despite his surge in power, Mu Yang remained humble.

He had to stay humble—what was his strength worth? A rough estimate put his Battle Power at just over 30. A true strong opponent could kill him with a single breath.

After all, Son Goku had a Battle Power of 120 at age twelve. Even without comparing to Goku, Krillin at the same age had 113. By that measure, Mu Yang truly felt there was nothing to be proud of.

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