Taro smiled. "I was just thinking… it might be time to pay that old man in the temple another visit."
"Why, darling?" Hathaway asked softly, smiling with a trace of curiosity.
"Because he's hiding some good stuff over there that I want to study... hehe." What Taro was referring to was naturally the Hyperbolic Time Chamber deep within the temple. Back when he mentioned it to the Grand Kai, the latter had remarked that it was likely a replica of the Grand Kai's Time Corridor, created by one of Earth's former Kami.
He hoped that spending time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber would spark some inspiration and help him uncover the space-time related powers hidden within his eyes. Otherwise, those eyes were on the verge of becoming completely useless.
If he truly gained something from the chamber, he might even shamelessly head to the Grand Kai's Planet again and ask for another trip into the Time Corridor. Surely, that would be even more beneficial. Step by step—start with the basics before reaching for the advanced.
With that in mind, Taro grinned, wrapped his arms around his wife Hathaway, and flipped their bodies. Boom—a white ki flame suddenly burst forth, enveloping them completely. Hathaway held tightly onto Taro's warm body, pressing herself against his chest, smiling as she closed her eyes, the wind tossing her purple hair about.
"Can I come with you next time?" Hathaway asked in a dreamy whisper, her cheek resting against Taro's chest.
"Of course, whatever you say, my lady."
Taro let out a hearty laugh as a white burst of ki exploded around them. In the next instant, the two figures vanished from the spot, shooting through the sky like lightning, soon shrinking into a tiny speck on the horizon. The surging clouds below were blown apart by their force, revealing a long, narrow rift that stretched far into the distance—like the sky itself had been torn open.
Looking down through that "Heaven's Scar", one could see the mountains, rivers, towns, and villages of the world below.
"Screee!"
The phoenix, eager to assert its presence, followed along the "Heaven's Scar," bursting into white flames and transforming into a blur of motion. With a mighty flap of its wings, a fierce wind kicked up behind it as it soared forward like a streak of red lightning…
---
In the blink of an eye, the sun rose and set, flowers bloomed and withered—seven years had passed.
It was now June 6, Year 745.
Today marked the official start of the 20th Tenkaichi Budokai!
A full hundred years had gone by. Held every five years, the global super tournament and grand martial arts event had already taken place nineteen times, and today, it celebrated its twentieth anniversary. The predecessor of the Virtual Earth Network Company, formerly Planet Corporation, had begun widespread promotion for this year's tournament as early as the start of the year.
Martial arts elites from around the world had been itching for a rematch since the last tournament five years ago—some had even begun preparing as soon as that one ended. After all, this centennial edition of the tournament came with more generous rewards than ever!
Not just the top eight from the global finals—the top four from each of the five regional preliminaries would also receive double the usual rewards!
Prize money? Doubled!
Martial Arts Association points? Also doubled!
How could martial artists not go crazy for this? Martial arts wasn't something you trained in casually—it was a money-burning pursuit. Without good food, drink, and resources, even the most skilled master would be of little use. And even if resources weren't an issue, how many martial artists today could truly sever themselves from modern society?
In this era—where the Martial Arts Association had been operating for decades and many earned points by doing good deeds—the number of rogue martial artists who dared to break laws in the name of "robbing the rich to help the poor" had dwindled to almost none.
What's more, nearly every member of the Martial Arts Association, once they achieved a ranking, would without hesitation choose Association points as their reward!
"If I can just make it to the top four in the regional prelims, I'll have enough points for another trip into the 'Muten Tower! This time, I will break through!" said a determined young martial artist, slamming his right fist into his left palm while talking to his companion, psyching himself up.
This was West City, one of the regional arenas for the Tenkaichi Budokai. Outside the contestants' area, martial artists were lined up to collect their official number plates using the registration slips they had received earlier.
The line stretched on and on—so long that the head and tail couldn't be seen. And this was just one region: West City alone had more participants than could be counted.
Ever since the God of Martial Arts, Master Taro, ushered in the New Era of Martial Arts, martial culture had flourished for over a century. Throughout those hundred years, the former Planet Corporation had tirelessly partnered with the Martial Arts Association to promote martial arts to the younger generations of Earth.
And ever since Planet Corporation was restructured into the Virtual Earth Network Company and officially launched its global network platform, that promotion had become even more immersive. In the Virtual Earth Network, there were nine major virtual cities. Floating above them in the virtual sky was a sacred place known as the "Muten Capital".
Inside the Virtual Earth Network, everyone's body was simulated by Jarvis to reflect normal human standards—without exception. Except for one place: the Muten Capital. There, Martial Arts Association members were modeled with their real-life physical capabilities! Everything within that realm was identical to the real world!
The Virtual Earth Network's "net police" and "security officers" were all members of the Martial Arts Association stationed in the Muten Capital. Not only did they possess unmatched combat skills, they also had physical attributes far superior to anyone in the lower realm! Any attempt to exploit the network—though virtually impossible—would be instantly detected by Jarvis, who would then teleport an active "Martial Enforcer" from the Capital to the scene.
Sure, Jarvis could forcibly disconnect violators or even trap their consciousness in the network, but unless it was an extreme emergency, the system's protocol forbade such measures.
On the flip side, this setup gave Martial Association members in the Capital a new way to earn points—a win-win for everyone.
…Okay, that was a bit of a tangent.
The companion chuckled and patted the determined youth on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Daren. With your ability, I think the top four in the region is... well, still possible!"
The young martial artist named Daren gave a bitter smile and sighed. "'Still possible,' huh… Rosen, you're always so blunt! But yeah, I'm still stuck on the sixth floor of the first tier of the Tower, and you've already reached the first floor of the second tier. I've got a long way to go…"