With a deafening boom, like a mighty thunderclap, a huge black boulder fell from the sky.
Then a handsome boy with golden hair and golden eyes spread his arms and crashed down from the mountain, leaving a mark even in the hard, rocky ground.
Kakarot stood up as though nothing had happened.
Ever since he had begun attempting this extremely dangerous mountain-jumping training half a year ago, he had suffered severe injuries every time, sometimes even coming close to death.
But now, after countless brushes with death, Kakarot could easily handle such heights and impacts, suffering only minor injuries.
In just the past year, ample nutrition and tireless, extensive training had brought earth-shattering changes to Kakarot's body.
His height had shot up like bamboo after the rain, soaring from his original 1.4 meters to 1.8 meters.
At this rate, Kakarot estimated that he would grow to at least three meters tall.
As Kakarot walked from Black Ironstone Mountain to the training ground, thunderous crashes kept reaching his ears.
After long hours of tireless training, day after day, Lilith's formidable talent had begun to show its effects.
As time passed, her muscles grew tougher, and her strength kept increasing. Her claws also grew sharper and sharper.
Not only that, but Lilith also rammed her body into enormous rocks, just as Kakarot did.
Every violent collision with a boulder brought her intense pain, but she gritted her teeth and persevered.
She knew full well that these impacts could effectively improve her ability to withstand blows.
After each collision, Lilith would quietly feel the pain in her body, using that time to sense the energy within her and spur her wounds to heal rapidly.
Through these repeated collisions and recoveries, her innate physical gifts developed stronger self-healing capabilities, allowing her to repair damaged tissue and bones more quickly.
Gradually, this repeated tempering greatly improved Lilith's physical abilities.
Ailik possessed immense strength and incomparably tough bovine hide.
Several months earlier, he had already become capable of tackling the demanding mountain-jumping training alongside Kakarot.
Besides jumping from the mountain with Kakarot, Ailik also spent a great deal of time running with weights.
Through this prolonged, high-intensity weighted running, Ailik's leg strength had improved tremendously.
His legs grew thicker and stronger, their muscles sharply defined, as though cast from steel.
This powerful leg strength not only let him move faster and jump higher in battle,
but also enabled him to unleash fiercer, swifter attacks against his enemies.
Simba possessed a fiercely competitive spirit, seemingly an inborn trait branded deep into his soul.
Although he knew perfectly well that no matter how hard he worked, he would struggle to keep up with Kakarot's rocket-like rate of improvement, he had never entertained the slightest thought of discouragement or giving up.
Instead, Simba consistently kept close behind Lilith as they undertook grueling training.
Every morning, after the first "Benevolence Rain," Simba would already be up early, beginning his day's training;
and when night fell and the stars dotted the sky, he would still be training, sweat pouring off him.
Although Simba still lagged somewhat behind Lilith, there was no denying that his progress was equally remarkable.
Every bit of growth after breaking past his limits, every drop of sweat shed on the training ground, bore witness to Simba's indomitable fighting spirit and his firm conviction to keep pushing forward.
Compared with the others, Vian and Emily were indeed somewhat less physically robust.
However, Vian possessed an astonishing talent for swordsmanship.
After a long period of diligent practice, her swordsmanship had already approached the Iron-Cutting Realm, leaving her just one step away from becoming a Swordmaster.
Emily was not to be underestimated either, as her skill with a bow grew ever more refined. Every time she drew the string and released an arrow, she seemed to become one with the bow in her hands, never missing a shot.
Even more delightfully, Emily had also successfully awakened the rare Observation Haki.
This ability allowed her to keenly sense minute changes in her surroundings and perceive her enemies' movements in advance.
It could be said that Emily displayed an exceptionally high talent for Observation Haki.
Besides them, Yingyue had put considerable effort into improving her own abilities.
Every day, she trained alongside everyone else, beginning a grueling yet fulfilling day of training in the light of the rising sun.
Whether practicing strength, speed, or endurance, she never slacked off.
Compared with before, Yingyue now trained for significantly longer and at much greater intensity.
At the same time, Yingyue practiced basic swordsmanship with Vian every day, and her own swordsmanship had advanced further within the Swordmaster realm.
She could already unleash a Flying Slash and was not too far from becoming a Great Swordmaster. Vian's rapid progress was also thanks to her.
As time passed and lunchtime approached, Kakarot began preparing lunch.
Their appetites were now astonishing, and they ate at least a thousand jin of food at every meal.
He deftly turned the roasting meat with one hand, heating it evenly and releasing an enticing aroma, while steadily tossing a boulder above his head with his other arm, making full use of the time to train his arm strength.
An hour later, the rich aroma drifted out, drawing over everyone who was training.
Two girls around 1.7 meters tall ran over swiftly like cheerful little deer, while another figure flew rapidly toward them through the sky.
"Big brother!" "Big brother Kakarot!" the girls called out together, filled with joy.
An indulgent smile appeared on Kakarot's face as he said gently, "Come take a rest. Once everyone's here, we can eat."
They saw Kakarot's bare upper body, with its sharply defined muscles, firm, full chest, and deeply etched abdominal muscles as neat as though carved by a blade.
The transitions between his muscles were natural and their proportions exquisite, with nothing jarring about them. His physique looked perfectly balanced overall, every part seeming to contain endless strength and exuding an astonishing masculine charm.
Although the girls saw him every day, they still blushed slightly and sat down nearby to whisper among themselves.
"Big brother!"
A short while later, Simba and Ailik ran over to the side and called out.
Kakarot responded with a smile.
Over the past year, Kakarot had taken very good care of them, and he was also the most mature, so everyone was willing to acknowledge him as their big brother.
Finally, Yingyue raced back from the distance like a gust of wind, never slowing her steps as she charged straight toward the three girls.
Her face was full of excitement and her eyes sparkled as she shouted, "Karuchu! Girls really are the cutest!"
Lilith, Karuchu, and the other girl exchanged helpless smiles, but still let Yingyue play and frolic beside them.
Although Yingyue was the oldest among them, her lively, irrepressible manner and behavior made her seem like a child the same age as Lilith and the others, leaving them both exasperated and amused.
Over the course of the year, everyone had come to understand Yingyue's personality, so no one was surprised by the sight.
According to Kakarot, Yingyue's usual coldness might have been social anxiety: she grew nervous around unfamiliar people, then revealed her true nature once she got to know them.
"All right, get ready to eat!"
At these words, everyone's physical exhaustion vanished in an instant, and they surged forward like a tide, enjoying the delicious food to their hearts' content. Only when their bellies were round and full were they satisfied.
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