"Begin!"
With the referee's aged voice echoing across the arena, the second match officially commenced!
Xiao Yuan appeared to be a frail and scholarly young man, but unexpectedly, the weapon he wielded was a massive greatsword. The moment he gripped the sword, the warmth in his smile vanished, replaced by a sharp, intimidating aura.
"Junior, this is just a friendly spar, but don't blame me if you get hurt!" Xiao Yuan said calmly. As his Dou Qi surged through his body, the surrounding temperature soared—his energy carried a blazing heat. He was actually cultivating fire-type Dou Qi!
"Fire element? Could he be an alchemist? Doesn't really look like one though..." Goku muttered as he watched Xiao Yuan take the stage. "Also, this guy wasn't in the original story. Guess his spot got replaced before Xiao Yan entered the Inner Court?"
While Goku speculated to himself, the battle had already begun.
"Careful now!" Xiao Yuan shouted, his figure turning into a white blur as he charged forward! Gripping his greatsword with both hands, muscles bulging, he brought it down toward Rei with incredible force. The blade's descent made the very air shimmer red with heat!
"Heh~ Didn't expect a stick-thin guy like you to be a strength-based fighter," Rei called out with a fierce smirk. She showed no fear at the incoming blow. Instead, she stepped in, her spear sweeping out in a sharp horizontal strike!
Clang!
Greatsword met spear, and the impact exploded in sparks and sound! Xiao Yuan grunted, and under the wide-eyed gaze of the crowd, he was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing through the air. His sword gouged a long trench—nearly twenty meters—into the ground before he finally managed to stop himself.
"Hmph! Trying to match strength with me? Know your place." Rei looked calmly at Xiao Yuan. Her body had been reforged by Goku's divine power—she was no ordinary opponent. Going head-to-head in brute force with her? That was just asking to lose.
"Holy crap! Busty muscle babe alert! For real?"
Spectators on the sidelines gasped in disbelief. Some even swallowed hard. "She's so pretty and delicate—how the hell is she this strong? That's Xiao Yuan! He's ranked fifth on the heavenly rank for his power alone! And he just got swatted away by a single strike!"
"A girl with that kind of terrifying strength? Totally underestimated her…" Xiao Yuan muttered bitterly, staring at the beautiful young woman before him. To get completely overpowered in the one area he was most confident in—it was humiliating.
"…Looks like I'll need to get serious." He murmured, bracing himself and taking half a step back. His aura surged again as he charged forward once more. His greatsword, now blazing with crimson Dou Qi, looked like it was wreathed in flames. Fire rolled across his Dou Qi armor, encasing his body in burning heat. In mere seconds, he transformed into a blazing "Flame Giant," waves of scorching heat rolling off him. Even the air around him seemed to ripple. With wild force and a brutal aura, he brought his fiery greatsword down on Rei once again!
"Flame Slash!"
A fiery arc of crimson burst from the greatsword, slicing forward in a half-moon shape with destructive force. The energy alone gave off the terrifying impression that it could cleave someone in half!
"Damn! He's pulling out his signature move right off the bat! That's an Earth-tier low-rank Dou Technique!" A fan-wielding young man watching from the stands exclaimed in surprise.
"Which just shows how formidable his opponent is," another young man beside him said with a faint smile.
"An Earth-tier technique, huh?" Rei's expression turned serious. Her opponent was a full major realm and several stars stronger than her. The power behind his technique wasn't something she could take lightly.
"Hoo~" Rei let out a long breath, her aura changing drastically—sharp, fierce, and piercing like a divine spear thrust into the sky. Her Dou Qi flowed into her spear without even needing a technique. Wrapped in a suit of blue Dou Qi armor, she surged forward, eyes calm and fearless. Her spear whipped out like lightning, meeting the incoming Flame Slash head-on!
In the arena, crimson flame and sapphire Dou Qi split the battlefield in two. Where the energies collided, heat waves exploded, and thin white mist began to rise. The air trembled as if even space itself was warping. Amidst the mist, Rei stood proud and tall, utterly unfazed by the roaring flames around her.
She was Goku's earliest companion—one of the first to train with him in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Compared to latecomers like Hu Jia, Rei's strength was leagues ahead.
"Break!" With a crisp cry, Rei's spear surged with power. In full view of the shocked crowd, the blazing Flame Slash was shattered by sheer force—fire bursting out in all directions!
Rei vanished in a flash, then reappeared directly in front of Xiao Yuan. Her spear swept out mercilessly once more!
Startled, Xiao Yuan barely managed to raise his sword to block—but the terrifying force behind Rei's spear still sent it flying from his hands. The spear's shaft slammed into his chest, sending him flying off the platform, blood spurting from his mouth as he crashed hard into the ground and carved out a small crater. He didn't get up for a long while.
Falling from the stage meant defeat.
"S-So strong…" students in the stands were dumbfounded by the clean and decisive end to the match.
"She won! Another win for the freshmen… This year's batch is seriously broken!..."
Once the shock wore off, the arena erupted in thunderous cheers. Countless eyes were now locked on Rei, filled with admiration and awe.
"Nicely done, Rei." Saeko smiled faintly as Rei walked over.
"After Goku's divine power baptism, even fighting people a whole realm above us doesn't feel like a big deal anymore," Bulma said with a light laugh. The other girls nodded in agreement.
"I'll go next!" Alice grinned as she climbed down from Goku's lap.
"You got this, Alice!" the girls all cheered her on.
Alice giggled and skipped onto the arena. Glancing around, she said in her soft, childlike voice, "So… who's my opponent? Hurry up and come get beaten up!"
"Holy hell, she's adorable! Who's kid is that?!"
"No way… she's a student this year?"
"I heard rumors there are a few eight- or nine-year-old Great Battle Masters among the freshmen. Could she be one of them?"
"You serious? A Great Battle Master at that age? You sure you're not the dumb one here?"
"This year's freshman class is ridiculous!..."
As Alice stood proudly on the stage, chatter exploded through the crowd. Faces filled with surprise, disbelief, and shock.
__
As Alice stepped onto the stage, the arena instantly erupted into a commotion. The crowd's reactions were varied—shock, surprise, and sheer disbelief filled every face.
Despite Alice's confident arrival, no one came forward to challenge her. After all, she was just a little girl. Winning against her would bring no glory, and losing to her would be utterly humiliating. Who would want to put themselves in that position?
After calling out again and again with no response, Alice visibly began to fume. A stream of indignant grumbling spilled from her lips—less like taunting and more like a child sulking alone. Rather than irritating the audience, her frustration only made her seem even more adorable. The result? Even fewer people dared step up to fight her.
In the end, with no opponent in sight, she could only stomp off the stage, sulking.
"So annoying! I'm not a little kid anymore! Why does everyone keep treating me like one?! Meanies! All of you are mean!" Alice huffed angrily as she hopped down and dove straight into Goku's arms, seeking comfort.
Goku gave her a gentle smile, softly stroking her head to calm her down. He didn't say much—this wasn't the time to risk saying the wrong thing and making things worse.
But just then—boom!
A figure dropped from the sky, landing hard in the center of the arena. The impact was intense—visually and physically. His foot slammed into the stone floor, shattering the solid surface into fine dust. Cracks spiderwebbed outward at lightning speed.
A young man stood tall, a massive black spear strapped across his back. His presence was overwhelming, and his aura burst out like a serpent awakening from hibernation—fierce and domineering. He stood straight with arms crossed, the black spear behind him gleaming coldly under the sunlight. That intimidating gear, paired with his raw aura, was enough to make any mentally unprepared opponent lose without even lifting a finger.
His eyes swept over the freshmen section before finally locking onto Goku. Battle intent flared in his gaze—sharp and unyielding.
"You seem to be the leader of this year's freshmen, right? Do you dare fight me?"
Goku was momentarily stunned. So were the girls around him. Even the elders and instructors watching from the upper pavilion—like Elder Su Qian—froze in surprise.
Su Qian let out a long sigh, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Liu Qing… of all the people to challenge, why him? Is he asking for it?"
"Should we intervene? They're not even in the same league," one of the older instructors asked, looking toward Elder Su Qian with concern.
"No, let's wait and see what Goku decides. Even if we stepped in, it wouldn't make a difference… Besides, Goku entered the Inner Court as a student himself. Liu Qing does have talent—it wouldn't hurt to let him get a little humbled." Su Qian gave a faint smile, keeping his eyes locked in the arena.
"Liu Qing the Tyrant Spear, ranked third on the heavenly ranking!" someone shouted from the crowd. The students around them gasped in unison. Liu Qing was a famous figure in the Inner Court—one of the strongest among all the students. No one expected even he would be drawn into the challenge.
"Well, it makes sense. Goku and the girls are practically sweeping the top elites. Based on their strength, only the top three on the Heavenly List could possibly go toe-to-toe with them. If those guys didn't show up, they'd be losing face big time."
"Heh… Liu Qing. Finally, someone we actually recognize," Goku said with a relaxed smile, looking up at the stage with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
But before he could move, Saeko stepped forward. Her voice was sharp and steady: "With your strength, you're not qualified to challenge Goku. I'll be your opponent."
"Oh? What's the matter? Afraid?" Liu Qing looked at Goku, his tone dripping with disdain. "Or are you the kind of man who hides behind women?"
"He's asking for it…" the girls around Goku all shook their heads with a sigh. It was clear someone was about to have a very bad day.
"Hmph! How dare you look down on Goku-nii!" Alice, nestled in Goku's arms, puffed up angrily. "Goku-nii, go up there and beat him so bad his own mom won't recognize him!"
"You little brat, watch your mouth. Have some class. Where did you even learn to talk like that?" Goku lightly tapped her on the head, speaking in a mock-stern tone.
____
T/N:
Hello everyone! My Patreon is just $3 — a perfect opportunity to access 40+ advanced chapters and support the translation.
You'll also get access to firsthand girls' pics as a bonus!
🔗 patreon.com/user?u=79514336
Or simply search Translator-Sama on Patreon