"Ice Dragon Break!"
With a crisp shout from Ruo Lin, the massive blue ice dragon in the sky let out a resounding roar as it spiraled down with overwhelming momentum, crashing toward Goku like a divine judgment. The air turned frigid, and within the barrier, the entire space was instantly sealed in a world of ice.
This technique didn't create a massive explosion of power. Instead, it relied on an absolute cold that could freeze everything in its path. Once frozen—so too was the outcome of the battle.
"Wow! Goku really knows how to strike a pose!" Bulma couldn't help but comment teasingly as she stared at the figure now sealed in ice within the barrier.
Goku stood tall, his gaze aimed toward the sky, a contemplative, almost melancholic look on his face—as though he was lamenting the loneliness of being invincible. The pose was flawless… if not for the fact that his hand was casually scratching his backside.
That alone completely ruined the poetic aesthetic.
Seeing Goku seemingly frozen solid, Yue Mei—who had only recently gotten familiar with the group—looked on with concern. "Umm… is he really going to be okay?"
"Don't worry," Yuriko said with a soft smile. "That kind of attack could never hurt Goku."
Sure enough, with a faint shake of his body, all the frost that had encased Goku shattered and fell to the ground like scattered shards of glass.
He turned to look at Ruo Lin, whose lips were slightly purple from the cold. Goku smiled faintly. "Not bad. This move could kill anyone below the rank of Dou Emperor with a single blow. But… you ended up hurting yourself with your own technique. That's pretty weak, don't you think?"
As he spoke, he walked over to Ruo Lin, gently taking her cold hand and channeling a strand of Dou Qi into her body. Her pale complexion quickly regained its color.
Ruo Lin blushed and shot him a helpless look. "Well, you suddenly set up a barrier and trapped me in with my own technique. I had no room to dodge! If it weren't for the fact that the technique matched my own elemental affinity, I might've frozen myself solid!"
Just then, Zi Yan and a few other girls returned from their outing and ran up to them.
"Goku!" Zi Yan said happily, "Did you hear? In half a month, the academy is holding the Advancement Tournament! That means you can finally come study in the Inner Academy with me!"
"The Advancement Tournament, huh…" Goku's eyes narrowed slightly before he let out a light smile.
'The Fallen Heart Flame… and the Ancient Dou God's Cave… I've been waiting to visit those places.'
---
Half a month passed quickly. During that time, the girls trained hard in their Dou Techniques. Most of them were already five- or six-star Da Dou Shi (Great Battle Masters). In the Outer Academy, that level was already elite—and even in the Inner Academy, few could match them. All that remained was to refine their mastery of their techniques. Advancing to the Inner Academy? That was already a sure thing.
The Inner Academy Advancement Tournament was one of Jia Nan Academy's biggest events, drawing attention from students and instructors alike. During this tournament, many of the academy's most famous and influential students would appear—making it especially exciting for the younger students who looked up to them.
Naturally, Goku's group of girls attracted the most attention. A lineup of nothing but stunning beauties—it was impossible not to draw gazes. And Goku himself, once an outer courtyard celebrity who had defeated Bai Shan and other top contenders in a single move, was once again the center of attention.
However, compared to the overwhelming popularity of the girls, Goku's presence was almost overshadowed. Beauty always attracted attention—and with dozens of breathtaking girls appearing together, it was simply jaw-dropping. The moment they arrived, the crowd exploded into cheers.
The massive circular arena was ringed by rising stone steps, resembling a coliseum. From any seat, the audience could clearly see the central battleground.
As the tournament progressed, a man and a woman faced off in the arena. But it was obvious from the crowd's gaze that only the woman mattered—a voluptuous, mature "big sister" type who stood out like a goddess. All eyes were on her.
At the same time, many students kept glancing over—some with envy, others with pure jealousy—toward the contestant area where Goku was seated. He was surrounded by a ring of gorgeous women and had not one, but two adorable girls on his lap. If looks could kill, Goku would've died a hundred times over already.
"How many rounds do you think Sister Launch will take to beat that guy?" Xue Lan asked with a soft smile, glancing at the male student standing opposite her.
"He's a five-star Battle Master," Xiao Yu said, shaking her head. "That's already impressive in the Outer Academy. But against Launch, who's a five-star Great Battle Master? He doesn't stand a chance. One move will be enough."
The referee, an elderly man with white hair and beard, gave the signal.
"Xiang Yang, junior sister. Please go easy on me." The male student's voice was cold but polite. He even gave Launch a slight nod. Despite his bland demeanor, he carried himself decently.
"Please guide me," Launch responded softly with a graceful bow. Without her transformation, she was the epitome of gentle femininity.
Xiang Yang's fists clenched. In a flash, his figure charged forward, aiming a heavy punch at Launch's right shoulder.
Launch dodged gracefully, stepping back multiple times with effortless precision. "You're actually quite strong," she said sweetly. "But I can't afford to lose either."
Blue Dou Qi surged from her palm, and as her hair fluttered, a gust brushed across her face. Her expression suddenly paused...
"Now's my chance!" Xiang Yang's eyes lit up, and with a burst of power, he launched a punch laced with green Dou Qi straight at Launch's chest.
"Achoo!" At that exact moment, Launch let out a loud sneeze. Her hair instantly turned golden, and her expression changed from gentle to absolutely savage.
"Oh no, she transformed!" Bulma laughed gleefully. "This guy's finished."
Just as Xiang Yang's fist closed in, the now-golden-haired Launch backflipped gracefully, narrowly dodging the blow.
"You little punk, you dare try to hit me? You've got guts!" she growled. With a sudden blur of movement, she reappeared in front of Xiang Yang. Her petite fist crackled with golden Dou Qi as she drove it forward.
With a scream, Xiang Yang flew backward out of the ring, slamming hard into the ground and spitting out blood.
Despite the match being over, Golden Launch wasn't done. With a crazed grin, she pulled an AK-47 out of thin air. "Hahaha! You weaklings—come play with me! Let's see you dodge this!"
Goku sighed, rubbing his temple. "Launch, don't overdo it. That's enough."
"Tch, boring." With visible disappointment, Launch reluctantly put the gun away and hopped off the stage, walking back toward Goku.
"W-What just happened? Was that… really Launch?"
"Her hair changed color! What's going on?! Someone explain!"
"No… no way… my sweet big sister… she's gone…"
The crowd was left reeling. The transformation had clearly traumatized some of the onlookers.
"The winner: Launch."
The referee paused for a moment before announcing the result. His aged eyes watched her leave with a flicker of awe. "Could that be a unique constitution of some kind? No wonder her strength has grown so fast… Anyone from that man's group is truly extraordinary."
Then he raised his voice again. "Next match: Xuan-Class Group 3, Xue Beng versus Huang-Class Group 2, Qing Lin!"
"Your turn, Qing Lin! Do your best!" Goku said with a smile. The other girls also encouraged their shy little sister.
"Mm!" Qing Lin nodded with rare firmness and stepped forward.
The referee's murky old eyes paused slightly on Qing Lin as she approached. He furrowed his brows and muttered, 'Another little monster… this one might be even more terrifying.'
"Xue Beng, huh? That name sounds kind of familiar…" Goku murmured to himself, trying to recall. After a moment of thought, he gave up.
'Eh, probably just another background character. Doesn't matter.'
In the original timeline, Xue Beng had shown up when Xiao Yan first entered Jia Nan Academy. Back then, he tried to challenge the protagonist and was promptly one-shotted—becoming a perfect example of "kill one to warn a hundred." However, the current Inner Academy Advancement Tournament was happening a year earlier than in the original story. At that time, Xue Beng had already reached nine-star Battle Master, but now he was still at seven stars.
As the two entered the arena, the white-haired referee gave a slight nod. "Begin!"
Due to Goku's overwhelming presence, Xue Beng didn't dare act too familiar with Qing Lin. Everyone knew by now that trying to get close to any of Goku's girls was a one-way ticket to the infirmary—some still hadn't recovered.
After a brief round of introductions, both drew their weapons, and the match officially began.
Xue Beng's expression was serious. Though the delicate-looking girl in front of him appeared timid and shy, she gave off an intense sense of danger. It was a feeling he only got when facing genuinely strong opponents.
Which meant—this girl was anything but weak.
With a breath, he channeled his Dou Qi into his long spear. A reddish glow surged along its length. He gave a short shout, "Junior sister, be careful!"
With that, he slammed his palm against the butt of the spear. The weapon shot forward like a bolt of lightning, heading straight for Qing Lin's throat! Xue Beng didn't hold back at all. From the moment he felt her strength, he knew she wasn't someone he could take lightly.
His spear was fast, precise, and lethal—a move meant to end the match quickly.
"Ahhh!"
A wave of gasps and cries rang out from the stands.
"Xue Beng, you bastard! If you hurt Qing Lin, I'll kill you myself!"
"Fight fair, you coward!"
The furious shouts from the crowd clearly shook Xue Beng. His face turned stiff, and his strike—already near completion—hesitated for just a moment, instinctively pulling back some of his force.
He hadn't expected such a reaction. Qing Lin was cute and soft-spoken, sure—but she had also unknowingly become the academy's little sister mascot. Hurting her in a match would practically make him public enemy number one.
Qing Lin gently stepped to the left, her delicate body swaying just out of the spear's path. With a soft voice tinged with shyness, she said, "Don't worry about them… You can come at me with full strength. I don't need you to hold back."
Xue Beng let out a slow exhale to calm himself and nodded. "Alright then. Be careful!"
With that, he thrust his spear forward again, faster and with no hesitation this time. The red glow around the weapon pulsed brightly—this was his full strength.
But just as the audience cried out again—
Clang!
Qing Lin calmly raised her longsword and blocked the spear cleanly.
A surge of green Dou Qi burst from her body. Her previously shy and timid demeanor disappeared, replaced by a focused and sharp aura. Her eyes, once gentle, now shimmered with a faint glow of power.
"I'm sorry," she whispered softly. "But this is where your match ends."
With a graceful turn of her wrist, she stepped forward. Her palm struck out lightly, but with perfect precision. A glowing green palm-shaped imprint slammed into Xue Beng's chest.
Boom—!
Xue Beng let out a pained grunt as he was blasted backwards, spinning through the air before crashing hard outside the ring. Blood sprayed from his lips as he hit the ground.
A moment of silence followed.
Then—
"Whoa!!"
The crowd erupted.
"Qing Lin!! So badass!"
"She's so cool! She looked like a little bunny before, and now—she's a tiger!"
"I take back everything I said—she's terrifying!"
The cheers rang across the arena.
Goku watched calmly from the sidelines and nodded in approval. She's mastering her powers more and more each day. If that legendary "Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils" of hers fully awakens, even Dou Emperors might fear her…