The crowd erupted in cheers. They looked at Krillin, their eyes full of disbelief.
"What just happened?! That short guy kicked his opponent into the wall?!"
"Did I see that right? That wall is granite!" Someone rubbed their eyes, as if confirming this was reality.
Roshi saw this scene, his heart filled with amazement, yet he was genuinely happy for him, "Incredible — Krillin has actually grown to this level. Truly surprising!"
Krillin's fellow disciple from the Orin Temple saw this scene. His face turned pale with fright, and the towel in his hand unconsciously dropped to the ground.
"How did this kid Krillin become so powerful… Oh no, I need to take my senior brother and get out of here quickly. We bullied him for so long — if he retaliates, we're done for!"
After saying this, he hurried to check on his senior brother.
Ranfan, who was watching from a distance, saw this scene. Her originally charming smile disappeared, her red lips slightly parted.
"This little baldy — his strength is actually this fierce?" She unconsciously touched her slender waist, couldn't help but pray, "I hope I don't have to face him. And even more, I hope I don't run into him in the quarter-finals."
Yamcha, hiding in the crowd, spat out his water.
"You've got to be kidding? I thought avoiding that kid with the tail was enough. Who would've thought this little baldy would be this strong too! Now even runner-up seems hopeless."
Hearing the referee announce his victory, Krillin pointed at himself in bewilderment.
"I won?"
The referee looked at him and said, "You won. But be careful — go easier on them. If you kill your opponent, you'll also be disqualified!"
Krillin immediately understood.
Goku was right — he had become stronger, terrifyingly strong. The senior brother who used to bully him was now no match for him, even in a single exchange.
Krillin's eyes regained their sparkle. He nodded, "Got it, I'll be careful."
Seeing him being so polite, the referee continued calling the next pair of fighters.
Krillin looked at his own hands, his eyes shining, "After training with Master Roshi, I've become the complete Krillin!"
Next, the preliminaries went exceptionally smoothly.
Goku and Krillin dominated their matches, defeating their opponents in single rounds.
Soon, the preliminaries ended. Both advanced to the official tournament — the quarter-finals. The finals moved to the outdoor arena.
After the draw, crowds of spectators surrounded the arena.
The referee walked to the arena and announced loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen who have come from afar, sorry for the wait! The World Martial Arts Tournament finals will begin shortly. Let me announce the matchups!
Krillin versus Bacterian!
Jackie Chun versus Yamcha!
Nam versus Ranfan!
Son Goku versus Giran!
Now, the first match will begin shortly. Krillin and Bacterian, both fighters please come to the stage!"
Despite Bacterian's disgusting tactics, Krillin's confidence had returned. With his solid skills, he easily defeated him.
Nam defeated Ranfan, who tried to win with her beauty. Goku naturally defeated the dinosaur-man Giran with ease. Jackie Chun, in his match against Yamcha, discovered his great potential and invited him to join the Turtle School.
When Yamcha learned his identity, he was overjoyed.
Goku and Krillin both shone brilliantly — they were Master Roshi's disciples after all, and opponents Yamcha was very wary of.
At this moment, he understood Master Roshi's prowess. Losing to him was no shame. So he agreed to come to Kame House later to become his disciple.
In the end, the four semi-finalists were Goku, Jackie Chun, Krillin, and Nam.
The semi-finals were: Krillin vs Nam, Goku vs Jackie Chun.
The battle between Krillin and Nam was about to begin. Nam stood at the edge of the arena, nervous as hell, cold sweat on his forehead.
Seeing such a strong fighter break into a cold sweat, Roshi (Jackie Chun) looked puzzled. He used his mind-reading technique to sense what was in his heart — images of dried-up rivers, cracked earth, and barren fields.
Nam kept repeating in his heart, "Mother, little brother, and all the villagers — I must win this tournament. Get the 500,000 prize money and buy enough water to bring back…"
Having read his thoughts, Roshi decided to help him. However, it would be after the match.
This person's strength is decent. Hopefully he'll work hard and teach Krillin a lesson. Can't let the baldy boy have it too easy right out of the gate, or he'll become arrogant.
At this moment, Krillin and Nam both took the stage.
A staff member struck the gong once. The referee shouted loudly, "The sixth match begins now!"
Krillin's momentum was at its peak. He gave a great shout and charged fiercely at Nam, his swift kick going straight for his face.
But Nam was no pushover. Just as Krillin was about to succeed, he dodged the kick by the narrowest of margins.
Krillin was surprised. He thought to himself, "Master Roshi was right — in this world there's always someone better. Almost at the finals, and I've finally met a strong opponent."
A slight smile curved at the corner of his mouth.
"But this makes it more interesting!"
Nam dodged the kick, then flipped in mid-air and counterattacked, using gravity to kick at his opponent.
Feeling the power behind this kick, Krillin's pupils contracted sharply.
"What speed!"
He chose not to meet it head-on, instead retreating to avoid its edge.
The instant Nam's attack missed, Krillin stomped the ground and charged again. His fists were like a violent storm, pouring down like countless raindrops.
Nam's expression was urgent, but his movements stayed sharp. He waved his arms rapidly, blocking each strike.
In just a few breaths, the two had exchanged over a hundred blows.
Usually, spectators ate snacks and chatted while watching matches. But this thrilling duel had the audience holding their breath. The entire venue fell silent — so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
After the round ended, the two pulled apart, both panting and contemplating their next moves.
The referee began his commentary.
"Magnificent, absolutely magnificent! Both Krillin and Nam are incredibly strong — a spectacular battle with neither side giving an inch!"
The crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers.
In a flash, another round began.
Nam launched the first attack. Facing such a powerful opponent, Krillin wanted to test his own strength, so he crossed his arms in front of his chest to block.
Bang!
Nam's fist struck heavily against Krillin's defense.
The massive impact forced him back several steps. His feet carved two shallow marks in the arena floor. He had withstood the blow.
The audience gasped.
"That kid took such a powerful kick head-on — he's really strong!"
Backstage, Jackie Chun saw this and couldn't help but sigh, "Krillin's growth rate is incredible!"
Krillin shook his numb arms, yet a slight smile curved at the corner of his mouth.
"Worthy of a semifinalist — my arms are numb! But this makes it more interesting!
Nam said earnestly, "Young man, you're very strong. But I must win — the villagers are all waiting for me to bring back the prize money!"
Krillin assumed his fighting stance again, "Don't underestimate me. I haven't used my full strength yet!"
As he spoke, he charged again.
They exchanged several rounds of fist-to-fist combat, forcing Krillin into a corner. The next moment, Nam leaped high into the air again.
"Namu Amida Buddha, Cross Arm Dive!"
As he spoke, Nam crossed his arms, using his ultimate technique to strike at Krillin.
This move used gravity's amplification. The higher the jump, the stronger the power.
Seeing him charge down at such incredible speed, Krillin couldn't help but be startled. Behind him was the edge of the arena — no space to retreat.
A flash of stubbornness passed through his eyes.
"I can't lose to you. I still have to fight Goku in the final. It's time to show my true abilities!"
As he spoke, Krillin shouted:
"Headbutt!"
The next instant, instead of retreating, he advanced. He stomped hard on the ground, his body spinning at high speed as he charged toward Nam.
Headbutt versus Cross Arm Dive.
The two ultimate attacks collided instantly. A pure clash of strength against strength.
Bang!
In the end, Nam fell just short.
Krillin broke through his Cross Strike. Nam flew backward while Krillin landed steadily on the ground. When Nam landed, he discovered he had fallen outside the arena.
The crowd below erupted in enthusiastic applause.
The referee shouted loudly, "Victory! Incredible — contestant Krillin has won! Contestant Nam regrettably fell outside the arena. What a spectacular match! Contestant Krillin advances to the finals!"
Seeing that Krillin could actually break through such a powerful diving attack, Roshi's forehead beaded with sweat.
"This kid… so strong. I couldn't possibly lose to him, could I…"
After Krillin won, he flashed a victory sign at Goku.
"Goku, I won, hahahaha!"
Goku was also happy for him, immediately going on stage to celebrate with him.
"Congratulations, Krillin!"
After celebrating for a moment, Krillin smiled and said, "Goku, it's your turn next. You have to win too, so we can compete for who's number one in the world!"
Goku nodded, "Okay, definitely!"
The defeated Nam rose, his eyes full of worry.
However, out of martial artist courtesy, he showed a smile and shook hands with Krillin, "Young man, I accept my defeat wholeheartedly. Congratulations on winning the championship!"
Krillin nodded politely, "Thank you!"
After the handshake, Nam returned to the backstage, began packing his things, and prepared to leave. However, he worried about how to explain things to his fellow villagers when he returned.
Just then, Jackie Chun — that is, Roshi — walked over, "Leaving already? Won't you stay to watch the rest of the competition?"
Nam was taken aback and replied, "Ah, it's Mr. Jackie Chun. I must go — I can't waste time here."
Jackie Chun pulled out a Capsule and handed it over, "Mr. Nam, take this with you when you go back."
Nam was stunned, "Could this be a Capsule?"
Roshi nodded, "Yes, though it's empty inside. You can use this to fill it with water and easily carry it back to your village."
Nam was greatly shocked.
"How could this be… I clearly haven't told any outsiders. How do you know I need water?"
Jackie Chun looked left and right. Everyone else was at the arena, so he revealed his true identity.
"I am Master Roshi. I can see this small matter."
Nam exclaimed, "What — you're actually Master Roshi?"
Jackie Chun quickly covered his mouth, "Keep your voice down. You almost let others hear!"
Only then did Nam realize his impropriety. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why are you competing in disguise?"
Jackie Chun explained, "As you know, Krillin and Goku are both my disciples. They came to participate in the competition. However, they've grown far stronger through training than I expected. They're still young. I'm worried that if they win the championship, they might become conceited. So I'm competing in disguise like this to let them know there's always someone better out there."
"You truly are worthy of being a grandmaster. It's my honor to meet you." Nam nodded. He looked at the Capsule in his hand, saying somewhat distressed, "However, although you've given me the Capsule, I have no money to buy water."
Roshi smiled, "Hehehe, you're overthinking this! This isn't an arid region. Basically all water sources are free to use. If you said water needed to be bought, people would laugh at you."
Nam couldn't help but be shocked, "What — water is free?"
Roshi led him to the backyard of the martial arts tournament, where there was a well.
"You can get water here. If getting water multiple times is inconvenient, you can get water from the stream, though walking there might not be very convenient…"
He thought to himself: This person couldn't even afford to buy water. Let alone have any means of transportation — he probably walked here.
As he was pondering, his forehead suddenly lit up.
"That's right, I thought of a treasure!" Saying this, Roshi shouted toward the sky, "Flying Nimbus!"
Instantly, a golden cloud flew over.
Roshi looked at Nam, "Only those with pure hearts can ride the Flying Nimbus. If you can get on, this should be very helpful for transporting water."
Just then, the referee's voice suddenly rang out from the front, "Contestant Son Goku and contestant Jackie Chun, please take the stage!"
Roshi immediately said, "Oh no, it's time for my match. Try stepping on this, quickly!"
Nam knew he couldn't waste his time. Though worried he would fall, he still jumped toward it. However, the Flying Nimbus steadily caught him.
Seeing this scene, Roshi breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, 'He can actually ride the Flying Nimbus. So it's not that the Flying Nimbus is broken — it's that my two disciples and I aren't pure enough… Alas… I'm a bit worried. I hope these two disciples of mine don't go astray.'
Nam discovered he had mounted the Flying Nimbus, "Master Roshi, I'm on — what now?" he said delightedly.
Roshi said, "The Flying Nimbus can understand your words. Let it help you transport water. Sorry, I have to compete now. I must go!"
With that, he hurried back to the arena.
Watching his retreating figure, Nam jumped down from the Flying Nimbus and bowed deeply toward him.
"Thank you, Master Roshi. Once the village's water problem is solved, I'll return the Flying Nimbus to you!"
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T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
If you want more chapters of this novel or enjoy a large catalog of good novels with excellent translations: MrBlackWing (you know where to search)
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)