After confirming what Tien Shinhan wanted divined, Fortuneteller Baba led him and Chiaotzu back into the palace hall.
She had been sitting cross-legged on her crystal ball the entire time. Now she hopped down and stood beside it, spreading her hands.
As she used her special ability to divine through the crystal ball, Fortuneteller Baba explained things to Tien Shinhan.
"The Fountain of Youth isn't actually on Earth. It's in a special space attached to Earth.
"Before coming to me for a divination, you must have asked my younger brother, Master Roshi, where the Fountain of Youth was, right?
"It's perfectly normal that he couldn't remember its location.
"That's because the special space containing the Fountain of Youth moves every so often.
"And the entrance to the passage connecting it to Earth changes along with that special space's position.
"What I'm going to divine for you now is where the entrance to the special space containing the Fountain of Youth has currently appeared."
Understanding dawned on Tien Shinhan.
No wonder, in his memories of the Dragon Ball plot, Goku and the other martial artists on Earth had never drunk from the Fountain of Youth later on.
For one thing, Goku and the others had never been particularly obsessed with eternal youth.
For another, there was the peculiar nature of the Fountain of Youth itself.
The fact that its passage entrance changed locations every so often also meant that very few people could stumble into it.
On Earth, probably only someone like Fortuneteller Baba, who could divine anything at any time, could locate the Fountain of Youth.
"I see. How long will the passage entrance you divine this time stay in place?
"After Chiaotzu and I enter the special space, do we just retrace our steps when we want to leave?"
Tien Shinhan continued asking about the specifics of the Fountain of Youth.
Beside him, Chiaotzu also looked astonished. He had never expected such a wondrous place to exist on Earth.
But he didn't have as much to consider as Tien Shinhan.
Wherever Tien Shinhan went, he would go too. However Tien Shinhan came back, he would simply follow him back.
In his heart, Tien Shinhan was someone dependable who could do anything!
"Don't rush me. Aren't I still divining? As for getting back, just retrace your steps.
"There are quite a few challenges inside the Fountain of Youth's space, but with the strength you showed just now, most of them probably won't amount to much."
When Master Roshi had gone to drink from the Fountain of Youth, he had enlisted Master Shen's help, and only by working together had they finally overcome the challenges in that special space.
Tien Shinhan's current strength already far surpassed the combined strength of Master Roshi and Master Shen back then.
Fortuneteller Baba continued channeling her power into the crystal ball.
At last, the light on the crystal ball grew increasingly intense, finally revealing a bird's-eye view from high above.
In the image, thick clouds and mist surrounded a mountain peak. At its summit, a silvery-white opening of light flickered in and out of view, clearly connected to some unusual special space.
However, the opening had appeared in such a remote location, one that could be called virtually unvisited, that it had attracted no attention.
Not far from that peak, Tien Shinhan spotted a somewhat familiar little mountain.
"Could the Fountain of Youth's entrance have appeared on a mountaintop beside Mount Paozu this time?"
"Hm? The divination does indeed point to Mount Paozu, but how did you know? Have you been to Mount Paozu?
"According to my earlier divination about you, before entering this World Martial Arts Tournament, you should have been training under that fellow Master Shen all along. You've never been to Mount Paozu."
Tien Shinhan's anticipating the answer surprised Fortuneteller Baba somewhat.
"Oh, didn't Goku grow up on Mount Paozu? Of course I know about it!"
Tien Shinhan didn't directly answer how he knew.
But there was nothing wrong with that statement itself.
For the moment, Fortuneteller Baba failed to notice that Tien Shinhan was changing the subject, and simply took his words to mean that Goku had told him about Mount Paozu.
Considering that Tien Shinhan and Goku had trained together for more than three months, Fortuneteller Baba didn't examine the truth of it closely.
"Since you know where Mount Paozu is, that makes things easy. I was going to extract a map from the crystal ball for you, but it looks like there's no need now.
"If you have nothing else to do, you can head straight there yourselves. According to the divination, this entrance will next change locations in three days."
Three days?
Tien Shinhan hadn't expected the entrance to change locations again so soon.
Still, that was enough time for him to get there.
"Thank you, Fortuneteller Baba. You've been a tremendous help this time.
"Since there are only three days left, I'll leave right away. I'll come trouble you again another time, ma'am."
After a moment's thought, Tien Shinhan decided to set off immediately with Chiaotzu.
"Heh heh, such pretty words. In truth, you only come calling when you need something, don't you?
"Not that I can be bothered dealing with you for no reason, either.
"You can come again next time, but you'll have to pay the divination fee!"
Fortuneteller Baba was quite pleased to receive Tien Shinhan's thanks.
Still, out of habit, she grumbled with a trace of dissatisfaction as she watched Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu take flight and head into the distance.
"Young people. Truly fine young people!"
Only after Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu had flown so far away that they disappeared from sight did she turn and return to her desert palace.
Whoosh-
There was no denying that the Flight Technique was an extremely convenient martial art.
Even without a Flying Nimbus like Goku's, he and Chiaotzu could use the Flight Technique to travel through the air.
Moreover, unlike the Flying Nimbus, the Flight Technique had no fixed upper speed limit.
The stronger a martial artist became, the higher the Flight Technique's maximum speed could rise accordingly.
An ordinary person driving an off-road vehicle would need ten days to half a month to cross the desert, even without getting lost. Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu flew straight out of it in half an hour.
Another two hours after leaving the desert, the two could already see Mount Paozu a short distance ahead, along with the location of the opening of light revealed by the crystal ball's divination.
The Fountain of Youth's entrance appeared so close to Mount Paozu. In principle, Kid Goku could have stumbled into it and drunk from the Fountain of Youth too.
Should I say that Goku really does live up to being Dragon Ball's protagonist? All sorts of fortuitous encounters in the Dragon Ball world have some connection to him.
But Goku will miss some opportunities in the end, while I, knowing the plot and deliberately seeking out these encounters, can firmly seize every chance to grow stronger!
Musing inwardly, Tien Shinhan entered the opening of light with Chiaotzu without hesitation.
Whether he could overcome the Ultra Divine Water's challenge would depend on whether the Fountain of Youth's effects were potent enough!
After stepping into the opening of light, Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu suddenly saw a flash of white.
It was like being caught off guard and dazzled by a Solar Flare.
While their vision was temporarily lost, killing intent suddenly erupted around them.
But against Tien Shinhan, who had already learned to sense ki and remained on guard, such methods were nothing more than petty tricks.
"You want to kill me?"
"Die!"
Bang! Bang!
Tien Shinhan threw a punch to either side, directly extinguishing the two bursts of killing intent aimed at him and Chiaotzu respectively.
As his vision returned to normal, Tien Shinhan saw two strange birds whose chests had already been punched through.
Many more enormous strange birds circled in the air within the special space.
Clearly, these strange birds were one of the trials for obtaining the Fountain of Youth within the special space.