The training season was short-lived, as in just under one day they were able to catch up with Korin's movements and replicate them... surprising even Shen, who had expected it to last at least three days.
Now, as they leisurely descend the mountain, Gohan recalls the unexpected revelation from Korin:
—"To tell you the truth, the thing about the sacred water is just a lie. It doesn't multiply your strength; it's just ordinary water."
They had already gotten stronger simply by climbing and descending the tower multiple times—that's the real secret of this place, as revealed to them by Korin... Shen, of course, already knew it all.
Shen has also gotten his hands on some Senzu beans; now, he doesn't have to worry about injuries for a long time.
...
Finally, arriving at the bottom of the tower for the last time, Son Gohan has something to say to Shen.
—it is a matter that has been troubling him for a while now: "I beg your forgiveness for my earlier behavior, Master Shen."
Shen wonders what he is talking about.
Noting Shen's confusion, the old man clarifies. "It is regarding my disrespectful behaviour towards you when we first met at my house."
Having already reached the epilogue of life, that would for, any normal human be the end. Gohan wants nothing more than to let bygones be bygones, if he can.
"Ha hahahahaha!!!!" Shen shrugs it off with a haughty laugh. "Here I thought it was something major... don't worry about it!"
A warm smile appears on Gohan's wrinkly face. "Thank you, Master Shen!. . . So what do you intend to do now?" he quickly changes the topic, not wanting the situation to get awkward.
"I have some additional matters here that I need to see to. You can return back But don't forget what i told you. we will meet again, soon enough."
Shen sends off Gohan after providing him with a Hoi-poi Capsule car.
...
Now all alone in the cold North Pole, Shen starts searching the surrounding forest of Korin Tower. He is looking for a particular forest-dwelling tribe that has been guarding the tower for generations.
Eventually, he finds them near a river, some distance away from the tower.
The tribe isn't big, having only 50 or so members.
He approaches a man who looks to be the leader of the tribe.
The leader is initially alarmed by Shen's sudden appearance, but when Shen explains why he is here, the leader becomes intrigued and a little suspicious.
The suspicion dies down when Shen shows the leader and the whole tribe his powers, like how he had done when introducing himself to the scientist Dr. Flappe.
Having witnessed Shen's power...
The chief isn't filled with fear but rather with determination and anticipation, as one of the boys from their tribe is going to be the martial artist's disciple.
Having already confirmed Shen's abilities, no one in the tribe is skeptical of his words. For them, such powers are otherworldly and worthy of reverence.
Of course, there's the worry of Shen being an evil person...
But would an evil person really go out of his way to convince the tribesmen of his intentions rather than just kidnap the boy? No one could stop him if he wanted to do so.
The tribe chief is confident in his assessment of the man.
"Bora, come here," he calls out to the boy.
Amongst the crowd of people watching them, a brown-skinned teen comes forward. This is Bora, the future father of Upa. In the future, this same Bora will try to climb Korin Tower...
Although he will fail, the dedication itself is what matters to Shen. He believes Bora has the potential to reach unprecedented heights if provided with the opportunity.
"Sir, Shen here wants to take you in as a disciple. As you have seen, he is a great man. If you properly train under him, you could even one day be able to climb Korin Tower... Are you willing to follow him?"
"Yes, I am willing. Please take me in as your disciple, Master Shen." He respectfully bows his head; it has always been a dream of Bora to climb the tower.
In the tribe, Korin Tower is seen as a holy pilgrimage. Climbing it is a matter of pride for them. The tribesmen have always tried to conquer the insurmountable tower by reaching its top.
However, none have ever been successful.
Now, he has a chance to fulfill this wish. Of course, he is willing.
"Good!" Shen is satisfied with his behavior.
...
The next day, he further recruits two more disciples under him, using the same tried and tested method he used with Bora's tribe. What works once and twice works thrice!
His other two disciples are Nam and Giran.
Nam is a regular 7-year-old human kid. The only notable thing about him is that he wears a turban on his head. He is also a tad bit skinny.
Giran, with a thick-set build, is the exact opposite of Nam. He is from a humanoid, dragon-like race called Giras. They have robust wings on their back and a long tail.
Everything about this race is similar to an obese dragon. The only difference is that, unlike actual dragons, they have hands and legs similar to humans.
Nam and Giran first appear in the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai (Strongest Under the Heaven Tournament).
Excluding Goku, along with the Dragon Team, these two participants left the most impact on Shen.
Generally speaking, he is more so a bigger fan of the original Dragon Ball series compared to Z. Not that he dislikes Z—it's just that to him, the fine details of world-building in the original are what led to the success of the later series.
The sheer beauty of Dragon Ball is unmatched.
Adding flair to the story were the compelling characters, and from early on in the series, he had found Nam, Giran and Bora especially fascinating.
Now that he lives in this world...
He wants the untold potential of all three of his disciples to fully blossom.