Though Taro had reached such a level, some things no longer mattered much to him.
But since the moment he chose to coexist with Hathaway and decided to preserve the humanity he deemed beautiful, Taro would never go against that principle... His experience in the previous ninja world had driven him mad, twisted his mind, and made him accustomed to disguises; yet after settling in this Dragon Ball world, he ultimately returned to a simple and plain true self.
The destruction of Earth and Namek in that parallel timeline could be said to have no direct relation to him—yet it could also very well have been caused by him.
So Taro felt a sense of duty to restore those two planets in that parallel timeline.
Moreover, he wanted to understand exactly what had happened.
Besides, that faint sense of being watched he noticed after failing to kill Dabura and preparing to leave… still made him somewhat uneasy.
At his level, naturally, his training in spiritual energy and divinity far surpassed that of ordinary people, allowing him to command natural energy to some extent—after all, Goku, after training in energy gathering, could summon energy to multiple bodies; how much more so for Taro, a half-god of pure natural energy?
And with his spatial abilities, not only could he freely teleport within the scale of a single universe, but after opening his Divine Jade Eye, he could also use the temple's Spirit Time Chamber to perform a space-time technique similar to Uchiha Obito's "Kamui" eye technique, even traversing parallel worlds... He was basically invincible at this point.
Beyond that, in martial arts mastery, he stood peerless throughout the entire universe. Unless faced with a divine being, Taro was at the absolute pinnacle—because "martial arts" itself was an extremely rare thing in the cosmos.
The universe's warriors favored brute force, direct killing, and destruction; they were not skilled in "martial arts" or the control of "ki."
Perhaps… this was why the God of Destruction existed in Universe 7? Due to his influence, all living beings in the universe involuntarily walked the path of warriors focused on killing and destruction. The stronger the innate energy, the more so. Meanwhile, species like Earthlings, with naturally lower energy levels, could research "ki" and "martial arts" more steadily because they were less disturbed by the God of Destruction's interference?
— In any case, at Taro's level, the strength of his enemies was meaningless.
At worst, if he couldn't defeat them, they still couldn't kill or trap him (unless they were on the level of a God of Destruction). Taro, having come into close contact with several Gods of Destruction, understood this clearly.
What stood before him now was only the threshold to attaining godhood.
Though he cared about the "watching sensation," it hadn't risen to the level of worry… What concerned him was that the other party could suddenly spy on him at that precise moment, clearly from that parallel timeline.
Most likely, it had something to do with Dabura suddenly destroying Earth and Namek in that parallel timeline.
Was it Babidi?
— Babidi didn't seem to have that ability—or at least not to this extent. Otherwise, he wouldn't have struggled so much against Majin Buu, and would not have been so surprised when meeting Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta's Super Saiyan forms on Earth.
Or was it Dabura himself?
— Dabura mysteriously gained teleportation abilities (Jarvis speculated Dabura's teleportation might have come from a Dragon Ball wish), so it's not impossible he possessed other abilities beyond the storyline.
"...That's probably it." After countless calculations, Jarvis explained the top ten possibilities to Taro. Pushing up his glasses, his tone and expression remained calm as he said, "As for solutions, I suggest you become a god first. Then all problems cease to be problems."
Taro was silent. Standing with his hands behind his back before the wordless stele on the fiftieth floor of the Muten Tower, he calmly observed for a moment before saying to Jarvis, "How is the Muten Tournament going? Release it; let me see."
"Understood." Jarvis paid no mind to Taro's lack of response to his suggestion. Taro had the authority to do anything, and he never questioned it. As he spoke, a stream of green data flowed across his gold-rimmed glasses, and a light screen appeared before Taro.
The image zoomed in on a slightly chubby, short young man with messy black hair. He drew a blade neither metallic nor wooden and, with incredible speed, swung out a sharp, pale white energy wave that cleaved his opponent in two.
Taro couldn't help but smile slightly. "That sword suits this little chubby guy quite well."
Jarvis said seriously, "It's your sword that's excellent. An ordinary blade couldn't carry this person's understanding of swordsmanship."
"Heh... maybe there's some divinity hidden in Yajirobe's swordsmanship too," Taro said casually.
He wasn't joking... Divinity is countless and actually lies hidden in all natural things and cosmic life. Anyone has a chance to understand it—it's just a matter of finding the key. And even with the key, whether one has enough strength to open that door is another question.
---
Setting aside Taro's casual comment on Yajirobe's strike—
Actually, after Yajirobe wielded that Muten sword and made a spectacular display at the Muten Tournament, killing across the board, it caused a huge sensation in the tournament's battle space, the entire virtual Earth network livestream, and countless screens in the real world!
The Muten Tournament livestream was officially provided.
Real-time power levels of the combatants were displayed using existing battle power detection data.
It was normal for fighters' power to fluctuate during battles, but generally stayed within their own range… However, Yajirobe was different. Though his base power was already quite strong, it was nowhere near as impressive as Krillin's nearly 900 to 1000 power shown previously.
Yet with that sword, he dealt terrifying power.
"Is it because of the Muken? This Yajirobe, what level is he on the Muken Tower?" someone guessed.
"No, Yajirobe didn't hide his identity. Anyone can check his ranking on the Muken Tower... He's only at the third level, fifth rank, which means his combat power is about 3.5 times baseline! But his opponent isn't weaker than him in Muken, and their skills are roughly on par. How could he have been cut down by a single slash without any resistance?" someone pondered, shaking their head.
"That's really strange!"
"Incredible! To be able to reach this level with swordsmanship..." Tienshinhan watched from his small stone platform, his three eyes flashing brilliantly, clearly impressed. By this time, Yajirobe had long been declared the winner. The opponent he had sliced in two was restored by Jarvis, who then glanced deeply at Yajirobe before leaving.
Krillin whispered, "If we compare it to martial arts, this guy's 'Sword Way' has already surpassed ours, hasn't it?" The little bald guy glanced at Goku beside him. Sure enough, his friend was watching Yajirobe return alone to his small stone platform, eyes gleaming with eagerness.
Krillin smiled faintly and looked over at Kakarot on the other side. That guy was also staring at Yajirobe, but although his expression was similar to Goku's excitement, his eyes were burning with killing intent, as if he couldn't wait to brutally slaughter this fine prey...
Krillin was speechless. So this is what Goku is really like?
Elsewhere, the old masters—like Master Jifen and the venerable monks of the Orin Temple—were all stunned by Yajirobe's superb swordsmanship.
Even Piccolo was secretly alarmed. That flash of brilliant sword light was truly breathtaking. He thought to himself, "If that fat guy had this sword back then, in my previous life, I probably wouldn't have been able to block a single slash."
Then he self-mocked, "But I was wrong. Back then, there was no Taro's Muken, no Muken manuals. No matter how skilled that fat guy was, if he foolishly practiced swordsmanship alone, what could he really do? I've killed plenty of sword fighters myself."
Piccolo felt that Earth had now become a grand martial world under Taro's influence. Everyone had to immerse themselves in the torrent of this era. For someone like him, once a demon lord, any dissent would only lead to suppression and eradication... No need for Taro himself to act. Even his weakest disciple could rival him.
He sighed silently.
But the new Piccolo was fundamentally different from the old one. He wasn't purely demonic; he still had a heart capable of kindness. More importantly, unlike the old Piccolo, he possessed the heart of a martial artist.
He could no longer be the Demon King this life, but at least he could be an excellent martial artist and enjoy the battles.
---
The competition continued.
Goku, Tien, Krillin, Chiaotzu, Piccolo, Yajirobe, Chi-Chi, Master Jifen, Master from the Yixin School, the venerable monk of Orin Temple... one by one, the masters took the stage. Their martial arts and the real-time combat power data officially released during their fights shocked viewers worldwide.
With each round of elimination...
Anyone with combat power below 150 was eliminated.
Those with Muken below three times base were all disqualified.
Master Jifen's explosive Ki amazed the audience. Each punch and palm was a Jifen secret technique, divine in execution and terrifying in power.
Master Yixin applied force, ki, and spirit all at once, focusing with single-minded intent. When calm, his strikes were as solid as stone; when unleashed, they shone like meteors. His Muken wasn't constantly active but peaked brilliantly at the moment of attack—a miraculous skill.
The venerable monks of Orin Temple were even more remarkable. Many thought they had long passed on, but surprisingly, they were still alive. They hadn't planned to participate initially but couldn't resist upon hearing that the Muten champion could meet the Muten Roshi. They chanted a Buddhist mantra, instantly raising their power. Reciting a verse made their Muken even stronger—truly incredible.
"Unbelievable! I didn't expect these old masters to be so terrifying!" someone watching the live stream was excited to the point of bursting.
They were young and had never witnessed the era when these old masters rose, nor had they searched for ancient footage. So this was their first time seeing it, and it was utterly shocking.
"But these old masters are impressive... aren't Goku and the others even more terrifying?" someone said weakly, as if watching a miracle unfold, "Goku and the others... are they even human?!"
Some eliminated martial artists also flooded the live stream forums, sighing as they posted, "Their base combat power is in the 1000s, way too high! The gap is huge! Their Muken level is far beyond ours... especially... especially Goku..."
"I am the invincible Great Sky God! Combat power 1900! Who else dares challenge me?!" Some purely casual viewers who never trained martial arts happily played cheerleaders.
Fans replied, "Haha, with 1900 power, Goku doesn't even need to use Muken! Who can make my Great Sky God show his second move?"
"Goku's record on the Muken Tower... now at level 8, rank 7 — that's 8.7 times base power. Even ignoring other secret techniques he may have and his growing strength from battle experience, his raw combat power is already 16,530!!" a data analyst calmly explained.
He was calm, but others weren't: "Gah... terrifying!!"
"Looking at the whole Earth, except for the Muken masters, probably only Mr. Gohan can surpass him a little."
"Speaking of Gohan, don't forget that 'Kakarot' who looks so much like Goku? His power isn't weaker than Goku's! People even call him Goku's twin!" someone reminded.
"Yeah, where did this Kakarot suddenly come from? I've never seen him before!"
"I feel like in just five years, the martial artists' strength has already surpassed my imagination..." someone murmured. The world was changing too fast.
"And then there's Tien... Krillin... even that Piccolo... their power, even if not as strong as Goku's, is terrifying! Stronger than those old masters!"
Finally, a consensus was reached: "No wonder they're disciples of the Muten Roshi!"
But even though Goku and Piccolo were so strong—strong enough that ordinary Earthlings seemed as weak as ants to them, strong enough that conventional Earth weapons were useless against them—no one worried about what they could do...
Because the Muten Roshi was there! Could these guys overturn everything? Rebel? No way!
---
"Goku, show me your strongest move!" Tien coughed up a mouthful of blood. Jarvis's simulation capability was impressive, almost perfectly replicating every detail of reality. This was the final championship match. Tien's Tsuken was burning at its peak! His whole body was a deep red, with streaks of golden light, and the terrifying combat power numbers were displayed for every viewer watching the live broadcast—
Nearly 3000!
Tien's body was Jarvis's perfect simulation of the real-world body. After fully charging the Tsuken, he unleashed all his power, raising his strength from just over 900 to nearly 3000!
This did not include the Muken itself.
"This is brutal!"
"He actually raised his basic power to such a level! Terrifying!"
"What kind of ultimate technique is this? My god, this is unbelievable!"
"But Tien's body looks like it's about to collapse..."
"And Goku has been holding back all along, letting Tien charge up slowly, step by step, raising his power... If Goku wanted a straightforward win, he could have interrupted Tien a long time ago..."
The audience was shocked, instinctively holding their breath, as if not daring to disturb the two fighting atop the great Muten platform.
Because there was no real danger of death, the matches at the Muten tournament had all been fierce and brutal, the outcome only decided by life or death. This ultimate battle between Tien and Goku was no different—they had been fighting fiercely for half an hour, both battered and bloodied, especially Tien, whose "flesh body" seemed on the verge of collapsing due to the power-enhancing technique!
Krillin had already lost. He sat on a small stone platform nearby, whispering, "Tien's Tsuken... it's too strong..."
Kakarot sneered, "Hmph, charging too slow. If this was a real death match, he would have been killed countless times already..."
Krillin glanced at him and smiled, "If you weren't facing Goku, but Tien instead, would you be able to interrupt him before he showed his full strength?"
Kakarot snorted coldly and said nothing. Krillin smiled quietly to himself.
"The final strike!"
"The final strike!"
"The final strike!"
Many could tell this final battle was at its climax, watching the live stream intently.
"The strongest move, huh..." Goku was also panting. With Tien's power enhanced, and the Muken multiplied over five times, he was not much weaker than Goku anymore... But Goku's eyes were full of delight—he was thoroughly enjoying the fight. Hearing Tien's words, he smiled.
Tien was also smiling but quickly composed himself. Veins bulged on his exposed skin, now red with golden hues. The third eye on his forehead flared brilliantly, as if driven by a mysterious power. He shouted loudly: "Come on, Goku!!"
Goku could feel a surge of power about to be unleashed from Tien's third eye. But he had no intention of backing down—in fact, he grew more excited. Clenching his right fist, he whispered: "Then taste this move, Tien..."
"Hah!" A highly condensed beam of ki shot from Tien's third eye!
Whizz!
In the blink of an eye, it tore through the data-space air, rushing toward Goku.
Everyone held their breath.
Kakarot's face darkened, a cold sweat trickling down his forehead. His Muken wasn't as strong as Goku's, nor was it much stronger than Tien's or Krillin's. He thought to himself—if Tien's strike hit him...
Piccolo's face turned pale, growing grim.
Krillin gasped, pride flashing on his pale face.
In a secluded space, Bulma clenched her fists tightly, staring unblinkingly at the big screen. Could Goku lose? Impossible...
Beside her, Gohan smiled faintly, letting out a soft sigh.
Goku's expression was confident, full of fighting spirit. Facing the terrifying ki beam from Tien, an overwhelming aura erupted from his right fist. Everyone at the scene seemed to hear a creature's long roar—like a dragon!
"Dragon Fist, erupt...!!"
Boom! When the two beams collided, the live stream screen turned into a blinding white light.
---
Satan took off his virtual Earth network headset, completely drained, drenched in sweat.
"This is too terrifying... too unbelievable..." he muttered over and over, eyes glazed. He had never imagined human power could reach that level—Goku and the others had simply exceeded the limits of imagination.
It was like a spiritual baptism, opening a door in his heart.
So the world was so vast after all.
Not just Satan—everyone watching the Muten tournament felt similarly... Some even shouted three times on the spot after watching and swore to embark on the martial path to surpass themselves. That was a whole other story.
Satan wanted to log back into the virtual network to watch more, but the headset's Babata system warned him: "Mental status detected as unstable, recommended not to log into the virtual Earth network for the next 10 hours..."
"Sigh, whatever. I still want to see what those people who have met the Muten Roshi are like…" Satan shook his head, but there was nothing he could do. He had to go over and grab his laptop, planning to check out everyone's discussions on the real internet.
After browsing for a while, most of the posts were about the terrifying power of Goku and the others—overwhelming worship, praise, and admiration. Of course, there were some negative comments too, but Satan ignored them. Only those who truly walk the martial path can understand how hard it is for Goku and the others to reach that level. What right do those worthless people have to belittle them?
"Huh, what's this?"
Satan was about to do his usual routine—just skim through the official Virtual Earth Network notifications and then rest. It had been a hectic, exciting day, and he needed time to digest everything. But suddenly, he caught sight of an official announcement.
"'Earth Defense Battle'… a new game? Or something else?"
He rubbed his chin, stroking his scruffy beard, feeling a bit puzzled.