The opponent who ascended the platform was none other than Mitsurugi.
It had been fifty-two years.
Compared to the time during the Demon clan invasion, Mitsurugi had made significant progress. From his initial strength of 43,000, he had increased to a formidable 220,000.
He didn't know King Kai, nor had he chosen to remain on Grand Kai's Planet (typically, martial artists without connections only had the chance to stay on Grand Kai's Planet after the Other World Martial Arts Tournament ends, and Mitsurugi had been eliminated in the first round of the previous tournament, so he hadn't dared to stay). Without guidance from anyone, and with no suitable opponents to spar with, he had only relied on his own efforts.
However, after fifty years of cultivation, Mitsurugi's power was now greater than Bam's, who had trained on Grand Kai's Planet. Of course, this was without factoring in the Kaioken technique.
After all, who had been teaching Bam? Taro himself, and North Kai, a martial arts master of great depth. With the tenfold gravity of Grand Kai's Planet aiding his training, coupled with Bam's considerable martial arts talent.
In such a comparison, even though Mitsurugi's strength once surpassed Bam's, after fifty years, Bam's power (excluding the Kaioken) should have overtaken him.
But in reality, Mitsurugi's power had grown even stronger. This clearly showed just how rigorous and unimaginable the training Mitsurugi had undergone in Heaven over these fifty-two years.
A sense of shame fuels resolve.
The so-called ki in the Dragon Ball world is closely tied to a martial artist's spirit, will, faith and other mental forces.
In a sense, ki shares similarities with chakra, both being bodily powers combined with mental force. What is mental power? Besides someone like Taro, who can materialize it into telekinesis through meditation, a person's thought or idea can be considered mental power as well. But how is this intangible mental power combined with real "physical strength"?
There's no need for a specific combination. When you think, when your thoughts surge, this combination naturally occurs.
So, when a person is pushed to the brink, they can unleash unimaginable strength. A martial artist with a firm belief will always have more potential than a pure warrior who only knows how to kill. Extreme anger can even break the internal barriers within Son Goku, transforming him into the legendary Super Saiyan.
It's like the "Dragon and Snake Legend", where breaking through to the Hidden Strength realm requires the type of soul-shaking emotional breakthrough, where the unity of the mind and body brings forth a surge of power.
This was why Tsuru had once said that Taro had gone down the wrong path. Initially, Taro had merely sought strength or Ki, without seriously reflecting on what martial arts truly meant, or what ki really was.
For the past fifty-two years, Mitsurugi had spent each day struggling with his anger and the shame from that past incident. After all, when the previous earth Kami had approached him to resolve the crisis on Earth, he had done so from a higher position, to help the "unworthy descendants" solve their problems.
But what he didn't expect was that not only did he fail to resolve the issue, but he nearly lost his own life. Though he was already dead, the Demon Tribe could kill even souls, preventing them from entering the Other World and leaving them lost in the mortal world forever.
If it hadn't been for Taro, Earth might have ended.
Every time he thought about this, it was as though a fire was burning inside Mitsurugi. His will, which had started to waver from exhaustion, was reignited with determination.
This was how he achieved his progress. Every bit of his power had been accumulated through fifty-two years of relentless effort.
But...
None of that mattered.
Even though his strength had vastly improved, Mitsurugi was still destined to be eliminated in the first round this time. His match had already been decided the moment both he and Taro ascended the stage.
Both of them knew this fact deep down.
Mitsurugi knew, that even if it had been Taro from fifty-two years ago standing in front of him, he would have had no confidence in defeating him. How could he possibly win against the Taro who stood before him now?
He hadn't even changed in appearance.
Just as youthful as he had been back then.
Mitsurugi was originally from Earth, and he was certain… that if Taro were a normal Earthling, no matter how powerful, he should not be able to remain so youthful forever.
What level of power must he have reached?
"How many moves could I even block?"
In his mind, Mitsurugi imagined the "white jade statue" constructed of ki, as if it were a living being, a clone of sorts. The effortless grace with which Taro wielded martial arts, the gigantic palm that covered the sky.
"Perhaps, i wouldn't be able to block a single move!"
"Why aren't they starting yet?" someone murmured from below the stage.
"Do you know him, Master?" Bam thought as he gazed at the platform.
"Mitsurugi's luck…" the former Earth Heavenly God, Garga, muttered with a shake of his head, his voice filled with regret. Beside him was an old woman draped in a large, deep black robe. Who else could it be but the master of the Fortuneteller?
"He is stronger now." Baba master spoke in a deep, raspy voice, her words drifting like a mist. Her gaze fixed on Taro, standing in the center of the large platform. She softly murmured, "What a vigorous life force. How did you transform the Elixir of Life into something like this."
Meanwhile, on the special seats in the stands, North Kai smiled and shook his head. "So it's this guy… Haha, I bet when he sees Taro, he'll probably lose the courage to even make a move."
"Does Lord King Kai know about Taro's opponent?" Hathaway, watching the child, couldn't help but ask, intrigued by what North Kai had been muttering to himself.
North Kai then briefly explained the events from back then, and Hathaway understood.
"I never would have thought you'd actually participate in this martial arts tournament," Mitsurugi said, shaking his head with a wry smile.
A number "24" was pinned to the chest of his robe.
Taro didn't have the complex feelings Mitsurugi had. He was merely surprised to see the man here. In fact, they weren't particularly close, so there was no desire to catch up. He just nodded in acknowledgment, then assumed a serious expression and extended his hand slowly. "Since this is a match, i will not hold back."
Mitsurugi let out a long sigh, nodding seriously, and said, "While my skills are humble, I would not ask for mercy."
He then spread his legs, lowering his waist and hips, and brought his arms into a starting position. He shifted his stance, eyes firmly locked on Taro, who stood with his palm calmly held out, observing his every movement.
But Taro didn't move. He stood as still as a wooden post. Mitsurugi, however, began to feel an invisible pressure weighing on him. Even a dead tree like that felt as heavy as a mountain. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
This wasn't because Taro was intentionally releasing any pressure or using mental magic—it was simply the result of the immense difference in their strength. It naturally created pressure on the weaker party.
Although they were only facing off, the difference in their abilities was already clear. The spectators in the stands remained silent for now, but even the eliminated competitors could already see the vast gap between the two combatants.
There was no more time to waste.
Mitsurugi tensed up, muscles bulging.
He had to attack.
Boom, boom, boom! White ki flames ignited, as if they erupted from his feet, spreading upwards and soon engulfing his entire body. His eyes widened, and he shouted, "Here I come!"
Whoosh!
The ground beneath Mitsurugi cracked with a sharp snap, and his entire body shot forward, transforming into a streak of white light. Before long, even that light faded, and on the vast rectangular arena spanning over ten thousand square meters, the white streak circled around Taro, who remained still at the center, creating spiraling patterns like a web, becoming tighter and denser, while the color of the light continued to fade.
A powerful aura spread across the arena, and small whirlwinds, resembling mini tornadoes, intertwined and clashed in the air. Occasionally, faint electric sparks could be seen crackling — this was caused by the energy field created by Mitsurugi's full-force release of power.
Had it not been for the quality of the arena materials, the intense collision of Mitsurugi's energy would have likely caused it to shatter into pieces by now.
"So fast!" A previously victorious contestant in the stands exclaimed, struggling to track the flickering afterimages, only able to catch fleeting glimpses of them.
"Such strength, Why haven't I seen him on King Kai's planet?" someone else wondered aloud.
"Could he have trained on King Kai's planet himself?" another speculated, startled by their own thought. "Is it even possible to get this strong training there? That seems unbelievable."
"Maybe he trained on one of the other Kai's planets?"
Ignoring the whispers of the onlookers, Jiam sneered and muttered from the edge of the crowd, "Making a show of it. weakling."
On the other side of the arena, Duan stood with his arms crossed, indifferent, seemingly uninterested in the battle taking place. If you observed closely, you could notice his fingers impatiently tapping against his arm.
Back to the fight.
Mitsurugi found himself at a crossroads. His initial intention had been to use this approach to find an opening, but now, after using it, he realized he couldn't find the opportunity to strike.
Or rather, with Taro standing still, every moment was an opportunity for him. But this made it even harder for Mitsurugi to make a decision and prevented him from acting rashly.
He knew he likely only had one chance to attack.
Mitsurugi became a streak of white lightning, moving at lightning speed, darting around Taro. Finally, he steeled himself to strike!
But just as he was about to make his move, Taro, who had been standing still and unaffected by the surrounding chaos, suddenly moved.
"Taking too long."
Taro spoke in a low voice, and his hand began to slowly extend.
As Mitsurugi, still in motion, was about to strike, he clearly saw Taro's eyes lock onto his. Even as Mitsurugi moved at high speed, Taro's gaze tracked him precisely.
Taro's hand came down swiftly. Mitsurugi, feeling a wave of dread, instinctively began to retreat, his body flashing like white lightning as he rapidly shifted direction across the arena...
Finally, he crashed directly into the power of Taro's outstretched hand.
"Thud!" Mitsurugi spit out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying like a broken kite.
"What happened?!" The crowd below cried out in shock.
"He clearly dodged the attack, how did he still get hit?"
"Was the attack tracking him? I feel like it was as if he intentionally ran into the attack."
"I had the same feeling."
Indeed. just one blow.
A grim realization filled Mitsurugi's mind.
Though Mitsurugi was dead, he was still flesh and blood, and could feel pain and be wounded. His internal organs felt as though they had been displaced, and after taking a moment to catch his breath, he heard the announcer's voice from above: "Number 23 wins".
Then, an irresistible force lifted him from the ground. He turned to see Taro already floating toward the spectator stands.
The way he controlled his energy and applied it from a distance, the way he handled his own ki—it was beyond comprehension. It truly felt like something supernatural. Mitsurugi could only watch, stunned.
"I should go for reincarnation..." he muttered as he left the arena.
"Match 13, contestants 25 and 26, please take the stage." The Great Kai announced nonchalantly from the podium, glancing briefly at Taro, who was flying toward North Kai.
Meanwhile, the runner-up from the previous tournament, Jiam, furrowed his brow. He gazed at Taro's departing figure and murmured, "Seems like he has some tricks up his sleeve." He shook his head and added, "But even with some fancy moves, he's still too weak."
The tournament continued.
128 participants, fighting in pairs, one match after another. From Taro's perspective, the schedule felt like a frustrating waste of time, yet none of the spectators showed signs of impatience.
But Taro didn't leave because of that. He flew toward King Kai's platform for one simple reason.
He was hungry.
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