c17 — Cultivation on Korin Tower
"I still lack a lot of control over my Ki. You must have a lot to teach me in that regard," Li Xu said, neither humble nor arrogant.
It had now been a full month since the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai ended.
During that time, Li Xu's combat power had soared to over 400 points, a level far exceeding that of the average Earth martial artist.
However, because his strength increased so rapidly, his control over his Ki had become rough and unstable compared to before.
"Your Ki control is indeed somewhat crude, but your strength has become so overwhelming that it's hard to manage. I don't think I can teach you effectively,"
Master Korin (Karin-sama) said after observing him.
"That's troublesome. What should I do?"
Li Xu frowned.
"Leave it to me!"
Suddenly, a voice echoed from thin air. Two figures appeared before Li Xu—Kami, the Guardian of Earth, and his loyal servant, Mr. Popo.
"Kami-sama, why have you come down here?"
Korin asked in surprise.
"When an exceptional martial artist emerges in the lower world, it's only natural that we should assist his growth,"
Kami said solemnly.
He had long hoped to nurture a powerful protector for Earth in case future threats, such as the rumored Saiyan invaders, ever arrived.
"Are you not surprised to see me?"
Kami asked, glancing at Li Xu.
"I sensed a presence far above when I arrived at Korin Tower,"
Li Xu answered, not revealing everything he knew.
"Good. I wish to aid your training, but in return, if Earth faces danger one day, I hope you will help defend it,"
Kami said.
"Of course. I'm an Earthling myself,"
Li Xu replied with sincerity.
Both in his original life and this one, he was rooted to the Earth, and there were people he deeply wished to protect.
Kami nodded in approval.
He then retrieved a simple black training gi, enchanting it with a soft white glow that enveloped the fabric.
"This weighted training suit will help suppress and refine your Ki. Train here with Korin first, and once you have mastered control, ascend to the Lookout,"
Kami instructed.
"Thank you very much,"
Li Xu said, genuinely moved.
He hadn't expected Kami to offer him such a gift or personal guidance, especially considering he hadn't yet contributed anything significant to Earth's defense.
"Korin, I leave the next stage to you,"
Kami said, before he and Mr. Popo quietly vanished, returning to the Lookout above the clouds.
Li Xu donned the gravity training suit.
Weighing 500 pounds, nearly four times his own body weight, it pressed heavily against him, causing his movements to become sluggish and cumbersome.
"Get used to the suit first,"
Korin said, licking his paw lazily.
"Once you're moving naturally again, we'll start the real training."
"Understood,"
Li Xu replied.
He began simple physical exercises running, jumping, shadowboxing.
Although the suit didn't truly challenge his strength, the sudden weight made it awkward to adjust his body mechanics.
After half a day, Li Xu finally regained a fluid range of motion.
"This is a Senzu Bean. Eat it, and your stamina will fully recover,"
Korin said, tossing him a small green bean.
Crunch!
Li Xu bit into the Senzu Bean and immediately felt a surge of pure vitality coursing through his body, restoring him to peak condition in seconds.
"Korin-sama, could you give me more Senzu Beans?"
Li Xu asked eagerly.
"There's plenty over there in the storage jars. Take what you need,"
Korin replied casually.
Senzu Beans were originally reserved for those who challenged the climb up Korin Tower, but in the hundreds of years since Master Roshi's time, hardly anyone else had visited.
Thus, they had accumulated a large surplus.
"Thank you so much!"
Li Xu said excitedly.
There were three large urns filled with Senzu Beans, each containing tens of thousands.
Li Xu respectfully took two urns and left one behind.
Two urns would be more than enough for his immediate training and future battles.
"Now for your real training,"
Korin said, raising his staff.
"Your task is simple: snatch the bottle from my staff. Whether I'm asleep or distracted, it doesn't matter. Just grab it."
"But"
Korin added,
"because your strength is overwhelming, you must wear this bell around your waist. If the bell rings even once, the attempt is invalid, and you must start again."
Listening carefully, Li Xu nodded.
He accepted the bell from Korin, tied it firmly around his waist, and prepared for the next phase of his rigorous training.
Although it was just a small bell, the difficulty of the training had increased severalfold, but Li Xu knew that it was precisely this challenge that would allow him to learn and refine more skills.
"Korin-sama, let's get started!"
Swoosh!
Jingle!
The moment Li Xu moved, the bell tied to his waist rang loudly.
"You have too many unnecessary movements. They slow you down during combat and waste your Ki,"
Korin-sama commented calmly.
Though his personal combat power wasn't particularly high Korin's level had been surpassed by fighters like Son Goku during the Red Ribbon Army arc he remained a legendary martial arts master in terms of training theory and wisdom.
Li Xu listened carefully to Korin-sama's critique, adjusted his stance, and once again lunged towards the flask atop Korin's staff.
This time, although the bell didn't ring, his speed was significantly hampered because he was overthinking every motion.
"Silent as the sky, swift as lightning."
Li Xu suddenly remembered the words that Mr. Popo had once used to train Son Goku during his early days at Kami's Lookout in the original story, and a glimmer of understanding sparked in his mind.
"Such sharp intuition!"
Korin-sama thought in amazement.
——
Ten days went by in a flash.
Each day, Li Xu spent hours attempting to snatch the flask from Korin-sama's staff.
On the very first day, he had already adapted enough to move freely without causing the bell to jingle.
By the fifth day, he was able to exert real pressure on Korin-sama, narrowly failing several attempts to steal the flask.
By the tenth day, Li Xu could grab the flask even with his eyes closed, relying purely on instinct and Ki sensing.
"I'm truly astonished by your rapid progress. I have nothing more to teach you. I can't even imagine how powerful you might become,"
Korin-sama said, genuinely moved.
In these ten days, Li Xu had shocked him repeatedly more than all the surprises Korin had experienced over centuries, including those from training Goku and Master Roshi.
"Thank you for these ten days of guidance,"
Li Xu said respectfully, bowing.
Meanwhile, the Primary Auto-Training Plug-in continued operating silently, and during these days focused on fine-tuning his Ki control, Li Xu's combat power had risen by another 50 points.
Since the plug-in worked automatically, it didn't interfere with his intense training regimen.
Now, his ability to manipulate Ki had reached a new peak his fighting efficiency with the same level of combat power had improved significantly.
"Kami-sama just sent word. You're allowed to ascend to the Lookout,"
Korin-sama informed him.
"Then I'll take my leave!"
Li Xu waved goodbye and shot up into the sky above Korin Tower.
The Lookout, also known as Kami's Temple, floated high above Korin Tower.
It was a sacred site with an ancient legacy ordinary humans couldn't reach it unless invited by Kami-sama himself.
Of course, if one's combat power was sufficiently overwhelming, like Li Xu's now, those natural limitations became meaningless.
"So this is the Lookout?"
Seeing it in person was far different from merely reading about it.
The massive, floating platform had an architectural style influenced by ancient Indian and Southeast Asian cultures.
Rows of tall coconut trees lined the wide marble square at the entrance, swaying gently in the high-altitude breeze.
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