As the dust settled after the preliminary rounds, the quarterfinals of the World Martial Arts Tournament officially began amid tremendous anticipation.
Following the rain, Papaya Island’s air was exceptionally fresh.
The open-air arena gleamed under the sunlight, while countless spectators filled the stands.
Their cheers surged wave after wave like a roaring ocean.
The first few quarterfinal matches held very little suspense.
Although Yamcha was slightly stronger than he had been in the original timeline, his luck remained as tragic as ever.
His opponent was the mysterious old martial artist known as Jackie Chun.
After displaying a flashy series of Wolf Fang Fist attacks, Yamcha was completely toyed with by Jackie Chun’s Afterimage Technique before ultimately being knocked out of the ring with a single palm strike.
The next match featured Krillin against Bacterian.
Relying on his unique advantage of not having a nose and therefore being immune to Bacterian’s infamous stench attacks, Krillin narrowly secured victory.
Son Goku’s match was just as exciting.
His opponent was Nam, the warrior monk from a distant village.
The two engaged in an intense aerial battle, exchanging attacks throughout the sky above the arena.
In the end, Goku emerged victorious thanks to his superior physical conditioning and longer airtime.
Soon, the semifinal matchups appeared on the giant display board.
Match One: Sun Wuxiu vs Jackie Chun.
Match Two: Son Goku vs Krillin.
“So it’s finally here.” Inside the competitors’ waiting area, Sun Wuxiu slowly stood and adjusted his orange martial arts uniform.
“That old grandpa is really strong, Big Brother.
You need to be careful.” Son Goku spoke seriously from beside him.
His eyes carried the sharp instinctive awareness unique to Saiyans.
“His Qi feels very similar to Grandpa Gohan’s.
They’re both impossible to see through.” “Don’t worry.” Sun Wuxiu smiled and rubbed Goku’s spiky hair before turning toward the arena.
At the same time, the silver-haired old man dressed in a black Zhongshan suit slowly stepped onto the stage.
The two stood at the center of the ring.
Ten meters apart.
Facing one another.
“Young man, your martial arts are quite impressive.
I noticed that during the preliminary rounds.” Jackie Chun clasped his hands behind his back, maintaining the demeanor of a transcendent martial arts master.
“However, on the path of martial arts, one must avoid arrogance and impatience.” “Today, this old man shall test your abilities.” Sun Wuxiu looked at his master putting on a grand performance and couldn’t help suppressing a smile.
Instead of exposing his identity, he respectfully cupped his fists.
“Please guide me, Senior.” “Match begin!” The referee in sunglasses swung his arm downward.
Whoosh!
Contrary to everyone’s expectations, there was no explosive collision.
Both fighters moved almost simultaneously.
Yet their movements appeared surprisingly slow.
To ordinary spectators, it hardly looked like a battle between experts at all.
Jackie Chun launched a straightforward punch aimed directly at Sun Wuxiu’s chest.
Sun Wuxiu neither blocked nor dodged.
Instead, he traced a small circle with one hand and gently placed it against Jackie Chun’s wrist.
With a soft motion, he redirected the incoming force.
“Redirecting force?” A sharp light flashed through Jackie Chun’s eyes.
His fist instantly changed into a claw, aiming for Sun Wuxiu’s shoulder.
Sun Wuxiu slightly lowered his shoulder and shifted his footing.
Like a fish slipping through water, he avoided the grab while simultaneously delivering a knife-hand strike toward Jackie Chun’s ribs.
“Excellent!” Jackie Chun praised him.
He immediately raised his knee to intercept the attack.
Bang!
A muffled impact echoed across the arena.
The two separated instantly.
But that was only the beginning.
For the next several minutes, the battle evolved into a pure contest of martial arts technique.
There were no massive Ki blasts.
No overwhelming shockwaves.
No impossible displays of brute force.
Only technique.
Blocking.
Redirecting.
Counterattacking.
Every punch and kick carried the essence of Turtle School martial arts.
“Is this…
true martial arts?” Yamcha stared with wide eyes from the audience seats.
Cold sweat dripped down his face.
“Every movement is perfectly measured.” “Not a single bit of strength is wasted.” “These two are complete monsters.” Meanwhile, Jackie Chun became increasingly shocked as the fight continued.
Originally, he intended to use this battle to expose flaws in Sun Wuxiu’s techniques.
He wanted to guide him.
Teach him.
And ultimately defeat him.
Only then could he pass on the lesson that there would always be stronger martial artists waiting beyond the horizon.
However…
He couldn’t find a single flaw.
Not one.
Sun Wuxiu’s defense resembled an impenetrable fortress.
No matter how tricky the angle.
No matter how clever the setup.
Every attack was calmly neutralized.
Even more alarming was the nature of Sun Wuxiu’s counterattacks.
He clearly wasn’t fighting seriously.
Yet every strike targeted a blind spot within Jackie Chun’s defenses.
Each attack forced him to retreat and readjust.
“This kid’s foundation…” “It’s actually this solid?” Shock surged through Jackie Chun’s heart.
“In only four years…” “He not only learned every technique I taught him…” “He’s already approaching my level of martial arts intent.” At first, Jackie Chun thought he was generously feeding Sun Wuxiu experience.
As the battle continued, he slowly realized something unbelievable.
Sun Wuxiu was doing the same thing.
The young man was patiently matching his rhythm and allowing him to fully display everything he had learned over a lifetime.
“I’ve actually been underestimated.” Jackie Chun laughed bitterly.
Then his eyes sharpened.
“In that case, don’t blame this old man for getting serious!” “Thunder Shock Surprise!” Jackie Chun suddenly leaped backward.
His palms pressed together.
Qi surged violently throughout his body.
Blue electrical currents gathered within his hands before rapidly expanding into a massive net of lightning that surged toward Sun Wuxiu.
This was one of Master Roshi’s signature techniques and an extremely troublesome attack to defend against.
“He forced out that technique?!” Krillin cried out in shock.
Yet facing the incoming wall of electricity, Sun Wuxiu merely shook his head.
“Master.” “This technique won’t work on me.” He neither dodged nor countered with a Kamehameha.
Just as the lightning was about to engulf him…
[Rabbit Talisman: Superspeed] Sun Wuxiu disappeared.
Not an afterimage.
Not a blur of motion.
A genuine disappearance created by speed so extreme that it exceeded normal perception.
“What?!” Jackie Chun’s pupils contracted.
Before he could react, a cold sensation appeared behind his neck.
“Pardon me, Senior.” Sun Wuxiu’s calm voice sounded from behind him.
Bang!
A precise knife-hand strike landed directly on the carotid region at the back of Jackie Chun’s neck.
The strike was not powerful.
But it was perfectly timed and perfectly placed.
Jackie Chun’s vision instantly darkened.
The Qi gathered within his body dispersed.
His knees weakened.
And he collapsed.
Silence.
The entire arena became silent.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then the referee finally reacted.
“Jackie Chun is down!” “The count begins!” “One!” “Two!” “Three!” The crowd held its breath.
“Eight!” “Nine!” “Ten!” “The winner is…” “Sun Wuxiu!!!” ROAR!!!
The audience exploded.
The entire stadium erupted into thunderous cheers.
The mysterious old martial arts master who had effortlessly defeated Yamcha had actually been knocked out in a single strike.
Just how strong was this young fighter named Sun Wuxiu?
Ignoring the deafening cheers around him, Sun Wuxiu calmly walked forward.
He crouched down and gently helped the unconscious Jackie Chun to the edge of the ring before handing him over to the tournament staff.
“Rest well, Master.” Looking at the old man being carried away, Sun Wuxiu spoke silently in his heart.
“The era that belonged to your generation ends with me.” “And the future…” “Will be opened by me.”