c10: "Flying Technique",
"Turtle"
Li Xu positioned his hands in a calyx shape at his right waist, mimicking the classic stance he'd seen from Master Roshi. A faint glow began to form between his palms.
"Hermit"
The air around him grew turbulent, as if being stirred by an invisible force. The small orb of light in his hands grew larger, its energy beginning to ripple outward.
"Wave"
In a matter of seconds, the energy condensed into a glowing sphere the size of a soccer ball, pulsating with bright blue light. Li Xu's power surged to its peak, his ki churning furiously.
"HA!"
With a forceful thrust of both palms, the energy surged forward in a brilliant beam, roaring through the air like a cannon shot. A long tail of light followed it, stretching behind like a comet.
BOOM!
The beam struck a massive boulder a short distance away, instantly reducing it to rubble. Debris scattered in all directions, and a thick cloud of dust filled the air.
"Finally! I did it!" Li Xu's face lit up with excitement. "The power's still not quite on Master Roshi's level, but I've got the basics down."
It had been two months since Shenron was summoned. After parting ways with Son Goku at the ruins of Pilaf's castle, Li Xu and Bulma had returned to Capsule Corporation in West City. During this time, Li Xu had focused on improving his strength.
Thanks to the Primary Comprehension Plug-In, the moment when Master Roshi first demonstrated the Kamehameha flashed repeatedly in Li Xu's memory like a recording. However, because his ki had been insufficient back then, he had only now managed to replicate the technique successfully.
---
…Personal Information Panel…
Name: Li Xu
Age: 18
Combat Power: 90
Acquired Plug-Ins:
Primary Auto-Practice Plug-In (automatically raises combat power by 1 daily)
Primary Comprehension Plug-In (enables instant mastery of 1-star level techniques)
---
"Now that I've got the Kamehameha down, it's time to try the Flying Technique," Li Xu thought to himself with anticipation.
While he hadn't seen anyone use the Bukujutsu (Flying Technique) firsthand, he clearly remembered the scene in the original manga when Gohan taught Videl how to fly during the Great Saiyaman arc. Despite being introduced much later in the series, Li Xu believed that the basic mechanics could be figured out with enough ki control.
"It's all about manipulating your ki to cancel out gravity," he recalled from Gohan's instructions.
Li Xu sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and focused on circulating ki evenly through his body. Bit by bit, he lightened his weight and visualized himself pushing against the earth's pull.
Slowly but surely, his body began to rise.
His boots left the ground, floating several inches into the air. "I'm flying…!" he whispered in awe. With more control over his ki now than ever before, the technique felt surprisingly natural.
"This is incredible… to actually be flying like in the manga." He looked down and laughed in exhilaration. The world below seemed to stretch wider with every foot he rose.
Li Xu steadied himself and practiced moving side to side, spinning slowly in mid-air.
"Alright, time to see how Goku's doing—maybe I can teach him to fly too."
Having made up his mind, Li Xu shot off into the sky, heading toward Kame House (Guixian Island) over the vast blue ocean. As he flew, his technique became more refined. The initial wobble disappeared, and he soon soared smoothly like a seasoned fighter.
Kame House – Turtle Hermit Island
"If you want me to train you in martial arts, you first need to prove your physical strength," said Master Roshi, tapping a nearby boulder with his cane. "Try pushing this rock."
"That's impossible!" Krillin exclaimed, sweat forming on his brow. "This thing looks like it hasn't moved in a thousand years!"
"Who said it can't be done?" Master Roshi shot back confidently. Without hesitation, he walked to the boulder and, with a grunt and surprising strength for someone his age, shoved it several meters away.
Krillin and Son Goku stared with wide eyes.
"See? Follow my training regimen, and one day you'll be able to move stones like this too," Master Roshi declared.
Son Goku, brimming with eagerness, walked over to a similarly sized rock. With a deep breath and a shout, he pushed it successfully causing it to roll several feet away.
"I did it, Grandpa!" Goku shouted joyfully, turning around with a big grin.
"Ahem... well, I must've pointed to the wrong rock earlier." Master Roshi coughed awkwardly, quickly shuffling to a far larger boulder, several times the size of the last. "This one this was the real test."
Son Goku sprinted over, pushed with all his might but the massive boulder didn't budge an inch.
"No good… it won't move at all." Goku slumped in exhaustion.
Suddenly, a voice called out from above.
"Let me give it a try!"
A streak of energy flashed in the sky before a figure descended gracefully.
"Li Xu!" Goku's eyes lit up. "What are you doing here?"
"Just checking on your training," Li Xu replied, floating down beside them. "If your progress is too slow, that martial arts tournament won't be any fun."
He walked up to the boulder and placed both hands on it. With a firm push, the enormous rock slowly scraped across the ground, leaving a deep trench behind.
"What in the world…?" Master Roshi's jaw dropped. "This kid's strength… it's monstrous!"
"Incredible!" Goku was starry-eyed with admiration.
"Is he even human?" Krillin muttered, stunned.
"Goku, keep working hard," Li Xu said with a casual smile, stopping after a few meters. He deliberately didn't push it too far—it was better to give Goku some motivation so their fight at the upcoming tournament would be more exciting.
"I'll train even harder!" Goku declared, eyes shining with determination.
"Wait—how did you fly in the sky like that?" Krillin asked, pointing up.
"That's called the Flying Technique or Bukujutsu." Li Xu explained, smiling. "Once your ki control is good enough, you'll get the hang of it."
"Old master, you've got some strong techniques, right?" Li Xu turned to Master Roshi with a grin. "Why not teach me a few?"
"Where's your respect, calling me 'old man' like that?" Roshi barked, fuming.
"Forget it then. I'll just see you at the World Martial Arts Tournament," Li Xu shrugged. He figured there was no rush—once Roshi used his more advanced techniques, like the Thunder Shock Surprise or Evil Containment Wave, he could copy them using his comprehension plug-in anyway.
With that, Li Xu took off into the sky again, disappearing over the horizon.
"Grandpa, please train us even harder!" Goku said seriously.
"Me too!" Krillin chimed in eagerly.
"You two are still far behind Li Xu," Master Roshi said gravely, his usual pervy tone replaced by one of a true martial arts master. "But if you're serious, we'll double the training starting now."
"I'll surpass Li Xu for sure!" Goku declared, his fists clenched with resolve.
"Very well. Get ready your bodies will cry by the end of today," Roshi said, grinning with pride.
———
After leaving Kame House, Li Xu returned to Capsule Corporation—his current home with Bulma. He didn't mind being the freeloader. In fact, he was more than comfortable with it.
"Li Xu, you just flew down from the sky!" Bulma exclaimed, running over in amazement.
"Just a little something I figured out recently," he replied with a wink, gently taking her hand.
Over the last two months, the two had become even closer. Aside from that last step, they'd basically shared everything a couple could.
"That's amazing!"
"Want to try flying for real?" Li Xu asked, smirking.
Bulma's head bobbed enthusiastically like a chick pecking rice. "Yes!"
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