The next morning, everyone had breakfast together.
"Master Roshi, Brother Gohan, are you ready? If so, let's set off," Yuujin asked, fully prepared to depart.
"We're all set, let's go," Master Roshi said, picking up his wooden staff.
They were about to meet the legendary God of Earth and witness Yuujin's challenge, so Master Roshi and Son Gohan had been preparing since early morning. Both even wore formal attire for the occasion.
Seeing that Bulma, Tights, and Goku had no issues, Yuujin decided it was time to head out.
"Everyone, hold onto me," Yuujin instructed.
Goku quickly jumped up and clung to him, but the others looked puzzled.
"Yuujin, why should we hold onto you? Aren't we taking the Flying Nimbus?"
"This time, we're not using the Nimbus. We're using a faster method."
"Alright, everyone, hold on tight; you'll find out soon enough," Yuujin said with a mysterious smile. Without further questions, Bulma and the others grabbed onto his arms or shoulders.
Once everyone was ready, Yuujin closed his eyes to focus, soon locking onto the distant energy of Korin.
"Teleportation!"
As soon as he spoke, they vanished. When Bulma and Master Roshi came to their senses, they realized they were no longer at Roshi's little island.
"This...is this Korin Tower?!"
"Amazing! We got here instantly!"
"Yuujin, how did you do that?"
Looking around the temple and the vast sea of clouds outside, Master Roshi and Gohan were stunned, while Bulma and Tights stared at Yuujin with excitement and curiosity.
"We learned this technique called 'Instant Transmission' from the Yardrat people. Once you lock onto a target's energy, you can teleport directly to their location," Yuujin explained. Bulma and Tights' eyes sparkled with fascination, and Master Roshi and Gohan were astounded.
Seeing their amazement, Yuujin only smiled. He and Goku hadn't just wandered the universe for years; they had sharpened their skills, learning various techniques like the Yardratians' Instant Transmission and the Metamoran Fusion Dance.
"Ah, you've arrived," came a voice.
Taking small steps, Karin descended from the second floor of the temple.
"Long time no see, Master Karin," Master Roshi greeted him, with a nostalgic look on his face.
Yuujin and the others greeted Karin, and Master Roshi introduced Gohan.
"Master Karin, this is Son Gohan, another of my students."
"Master Karin," Gohan said, bowing respectfully, having heard stories about Karin from his teacher.
Kzrin nodded, then turned to Yuujin.
"Yuujin, I've informed the God of Earth of your challenge. Are you certain about this?" Kzrin asked seriously.
"Yes, Master Kzrin," Yuujin replied solemnly.
He had asked Karin to relay his message out of respect for the God of Earth; otherwise, a more reckless person might have simply flown up to the temple and thrown a blast to announce their arrival.
"If you're certain, I won't say more. Normally, getting to the God's Temple would be tricky, but your technique should work. Let's use that to reach the temple."
"Yes, Master Karin."
Yuujin had everyone hold onto him again, including Korin. This time, he locked onto the God's Temple and used Instant Transmission to bring everyone there.
"Brrr, it's so cold…"
The temple, high in the sky and near the edge of the atmosphere, was bearable for the martial artists like Master Roshi and Gohan, but Bulma and Tights shivered, struggling to breathe.
"Are you okay, Bulma, Tights?" Yuujin asked, transferring a small bit of energy into them.
Their bodies warmed, and they could breathe easier. With softened gazes, they replied, "Yes, much better."
As everyone adjusted to the temple's atmosphere, they took in the surroundings.
The God's Temple resembled a floating, dome-shaped platform. One side held a grand temple, while the rest was a spacious plaza with a few flower beds but was otherwise simple and vast.
"So this is the legendary dwelling of the God of Earth…"
"It's...not much, but peaceful," Bulma noted, while Goku ran around the plaza laughing.
"Here comes the God of Earth," Karin said, and everyone fell silent, looking toward the temple.
Tap, tap, tap...
Footsteps echoed, and an elderly figure, accompanied by the attendant Mr. Popo, emerged from the temple.
But as soon as Master Roshi saw the figure, he gasped in shock.
"King Piccolo!!"
Master Roshi's initial shock quickly turned into a fighting stance.
"Calm down, Master Roshi. This isn't King Piccolo," Karin said, trying to calm him down.
"He's not King Piccolo?"
"No, he's the true God of Earth, not King Piccolo."
"Then why does he look just like King Piccolo?"
While Master Roshi trusted Karin and didn't believe he would lie, he couldn't shake his confusion and shock.
"I'll explain," the God of Earth spoke, having come before them all.
To be continued…