Dragon Ball Roshi

This was South City on Earth—one of the five major regions hosting the World Martial Arts Tournament.

Tienshinhan was filled with emotion. After five years, he had finally arrived at this place. Back then, he had watched the previous tournament's broadcast in a hotel room and had been deeply impressed by one particular contestant—a boy with a monkey tail...

The disciple of the Muten School, the grandson of Gohan—Goku!

Over the past five years, he had roamed the world with his master, Tsuru, even taking on some assassin work. (Tsuru had refused to let him join the Martial Arts Association; the assassination jobs were part of a professional gray area, existing outside the Association.) While earning money to survive, he had also accumulated a wealth of life-or-death combat experience.

He believed that he was now far stronger than he had been five years ago.

Goku, this time... you're definitely coming back, aren't you?

From Master Tsuru, Tienshinhan had learned that if Goku participated this time, he would likely enter the West City regional competition again—just like last time. The reason? The Muten Roshi seemed to have some strange emotional attachment to West City. Whatever he could do there, he would.

The old Capsule Corporation? It had been in West City.

The current Virtual Earth Network Corporation? Also headquartered in West City.

Even his own one and only participation in the World Martial Arts Tournament had started in West City.

"Chiaotzu, let's go. Master finally agreed to let us take part in the World Martial Arts Tournament. We absolutely must meet him again in Sayuan City at the Grand Finals!"

Tienshinhan was full of fighting spirit as he addressed the pale-faced boy beside him, whose cheeks were red, eyes vacant, and who looked as lifeless as a zombie.

With that, Tienshinhan shouldered his pack, pushed through the crowd, and marched toward the tournament registration area.

Chiaotzu nodded and followed.

As an infant, Chiaotzu had been found in a pile of corpses by Tienshinhan's third eye. At the time, Tienshinhan himself had only recently been taken in by Tsuru. After much begging, Tsuru had reluctantly agreed to save the dying baby. Chiaotzu was a descendant of Honton, a finalist in the very first World Martial Arts Tournament, and was born with incredible psychic abilities. Though Tsuru initially saw him as a burden, he eventually discovered that Chiaotzu's powers could be surprisingly useful.

Chiaotzu had always felt an innate closeness to Tienshinhan.

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Sayuan City – Muten School Dojo – Broken Mountain Grand Arena

Nowadays, the Muten School dojo and the Broken Mountain Grand Arena had both been incorporated into Sayuan City's official urban planning and were regarded as iconic landmarks. During the tournament season, the Grand Arena served as the site for the final showdown. In the off-season, it became a globally famous tourist attraction. Visitors came daily in endless streams to snap pictures and pay homage.

In the midst of the bustling crowd, an elderly man with white hair and a gaunt but spirited face stood with his hands behind his back, gazing deeply at the modest dojo buildings of the Muten School. Located behind the Grand Arena (whose main entrance was on the other side), the dojo complex looked solemn and dignified even from afar, emanating the noble aura of a true martial arts sect of the highest order.

Passersby would instinctively quiet down when moving through the large open space before the dojo, watching from a respectful distance without making a scene.

In modern times, martial artists were no longer seen as mere superstition—they were acknowledged as wielders of genuine supernatural power. Though not every martial artist could attain true supernatural strength, by now, the group's existence and capabilities could no longer be dismissed by ordinary people.

Fortunately, thanks to Taro's deterrence and the Martial Arts Association's regulation, there remained harmony between martial artists and civilians, with no major conflicts.

Martial artists enjoyed the food, drink, and fun of everyday life. Ordinary people, in turn, admired and revered them.

Amid the flow of people, Tsuru stood, silently chuckling as he watched the passing tapestry of mortal life. His eyes grew distant, as if remembering the past three centuries—his master Mutaito's legacy and grand vision. Under the step-by-step guidance of his senior brother Taro, that vision now seemed to be steadily taking shape.

He gave his right hand, tucked behind his back, a flick, and a book slipped out from his sleeve. On its cover was an illustration of two figures facing off atop a sheer cliff—both rendered in solid black silhouette. Alongside them, in bold, flamboyant calligraphy, were four large characters: "The Martial Artist's Notes."

Each stroke of those characters felt like a blade, like scars punched into the sky above a mountain cliff—the very essence of a martial artist's soul.

It was the seventh time Tsuru had opened the book. He skillfully flipped to the latter portion and began reading word for word. The story told of Don Riyue, the protagonist, and his battles and philosophical debates with the greatest grandmaster of all time—Mutaito. Their clash represented the book's ultimate climax. Even ordinary readers would be stirred with blood-boiling excitement. For martial artists, it was nothing short of a blazing inspiration—a bottomless wellspring of passion and motivation for the martial path.

And so, this lean, white-haired old man walked through the crowded city streets, reading as he went, utterly unfazed by those around him. He seemed totally immersed in the world of the book. Yet whenever someone was about to bump into him, a vehicle came too close, or something fell from above, he would casually block, halt, swat, or catch it—all without ever looking up. Sometimes, he'd even turn the page mid-action, utterly focused.

Onlookers gradually understood: this old man was clearly a martial artist of unimaginable depth. No one with sense dared disturb him.

"Hey, that's The Martial Artist's Notes! See that? The book he's reading was written by the Muten Roshi himself!"

"Of course I see it! That book's selling like crazy right now. Everyone's scrambling to get a copy—especially those martial arts types. They're calling it everything from 'The Martial Bible' to 'The Ultimate Canon of Martial Principles' and 'The Path to Martial Immortality.' You'd have to be living under a rock not to know that!"

"Hyped? That book doesn't need hype! It's legit! I wasn't even into martial arts before, but after reading that thing, I kinda want to start training myself. Do you think martial arts really have those mystical truths in them?"

"How would I know? But... I doubt the Muten Roshi would make stuff up."

"True. The Muten Roshi is the only living god, after all... uh, I mean, that's what the government officially calls him nowadays—'The Guardian Deity of Earth.' Though I'm not sure why. It's not like there's been any global war or disaster lately. What's he even guarding?"

"Don't forget, the Martial Arts Association was founded by him too..."