Contestant Rest Area.
"Junior Brother, do you believe it? The host's conclusion—that Tao Pai Pai lost his mind, his power went out of control, and he ended up self-destructing?" The monk Purin from the Orin Temple asked his junior Puhui with a thoughtful expression.
"Amitabha… Senior Brother, Tao Pai Pai was a man filled with malice. It's not impossible for someone like him to lose control of his power due to a mental breakdown or Ki deviation," Puhui calmly replied, clasping his hands together and reciting a Buddhist chant.
Purin simply shook his head.
"Not impossible?"
That meant… it wasn't necessarily true either.
At that moment, faint footsteps echoed from outside the rest area, growing closer. Though the steps were light, the people inside the room were no ordinary individuals. They were seasoned martial artists, each with sharp senses and keen awareness. Not to mention, the two disciples from the Muten School who had awakened their ki could sense the approaching presence through their energy.
The contestants clearly knew who the footsteps belonged to. Their bodies tensed, their casual demeanor fading as vigilance and wariness took over. Finally, at the entrance, Taro turned the corner from the contestant passageway and walked in.
After the host announced the match results, Taro had returned directly from the arena. As for how Tao Pai Pai's body would be handled, that was no longer his concern. Killing Tao Pai Pai had been a mere afterthought. The current Taro was not someone who would show mercy simply because the person was a character from the original storyline.
Back then, he had even killed King Piccolo, an figure of significant importance in the first arc. What was a useless waste of space like Tao Pai Pai compared to that?
Seeing Tao Pai Pai had displeased him, so he had found an excuse to eliminate him.
Taro walked back in just as he had left over ten minutes ago. His expression was calm, his steps neither hurried nor slow. However, compared to when he had left the room, his return now carried a much heavier pressure.
Martial artists like Purin from the Orin Temple and the three qualifiers from Central City subtly avoided him. Taro could even sense their wariness and caution.
Naturally, Taro paid no attention to this. He smiled faintly, almost imperceptibly, and leaned against the wall as before, closing his eyes to meditate.
Of course, the two Muten School disciples, Monkey D. and Lanton, were not like the others. Taro was their founder, the creator of their school, and the father of Mr. Tam, who had organized this martial arts tournament and brought about signs of a martial arts revival! Like the other Muten School disciples, they held nothing but reverence and awe for Taro.
Moreover, in the eyes of these two disciples who had cultivated orthodox ki, there was no doubt that their founder had been the one to kill Tao Pai Pai—and it was well-deserved! That man's ki… even they, let alone their founder, could sense it and frown in disgust, wishing to eliminate him immediately.
Evil people radiated evil ki.
It was the kind of ki that disgusted martial artists who cultivated pure and balanced energy.
Ki could never lie.
So, Tao Pai Pai's death was well-deserved.
Taro, of course, noticed the excitement on the faces of these two disciples. He nodded at them and motioned for them to focus on their own preparations. They should concentrate on their upcoming matches and not let their thoughts wander.
Over the past few days, these Muten School disciples had come to understand a bit of their founder's attitude. Taro naturally treated the Muten School differently—he couldn't regard its members as strangers. However, on the other hand, he had no interest in managing or running a school. Establishing the Muten School had been something he did to fulfill the dying wish of his late master, Muten.
However, it was clear that Taro had no intention of becoming a full-time caretaker for a group of unrelated strangers who hadn't even appeared in the original story. Obviously, Taro had never studied management, and if he were to manage and operate a martial arts school, it would undoubtedly consume a significant amount of his mental energy. This, in turn, would make it uncertain whether he could continue to make progress in his martial arts journey.
As for using mental magic to manage the school, that was neither practical nor humane, and it contradicted Taro's moral principles.
Therefore, not long after the revival of the Muten School, Taro had left with the Phoenix and drifted far away.
He had no interest in dealing with such mundane matters. As for whether future generations might ruin the school… that would be their problem. If they lacked the ability, they couldn't blame their ancestors for not protecting them every step of the way.
On the other hand, if the current Taro were to return to the past, to the time before he descended from Mount Mutaito, he probably wouldn't even consider establishing the Muten School, nor would he take on Aragon as a disciple.
Back then, he had taken Aragon as a disciple largely because he planned to push Aragon into managing the Muten School he had founded. If he hadn't planned to establish the Muten School in the first place, there would have been no need to take on a disciple.
As for fulfilling Mutaito's dying wish…
Taro believed that the Muten School was insufficient to carry out the grand vision of his master, Muten.
However, the "Virtual Earth Network" was a different story.
The dying wish of his master, Muten, and the promise Taro had made—these were things Taro had kept close to his heart for over two hundred years, never forgetting them.
But relying on these people… or even one or two Son Gokus… was not enough to fulfill the grand vision of his master, Muten.
Leaning against the wall, Taro slightly opened his meditative eyes, his calm gaze sweeping across the rest area, taking in the varied expressions of everyone present. Then, he slowly closed his eyes again.
Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, his cultivation never ceased.
At this point, his practice of meditation was no longer limited to sitting cross-legged in absolute mental emptiness, free from external distractions. Now, he could practice meditation at any time, entering a state of deep focus to temper his spiritual power.
Additionally, thanks to his divine tree physique, he could gather natural energy and refine it into his own strength during daily life. However, outside of a meditative state, the efficiency of this process was greatly reduced. Moreover, the strong human presence in the area diluted the natural energy, so Taro refrained from simultaneously engaging in this part of his cultivation.
Sitting in the corner, sharpening his sword, Noah Robe occasionally glanced at Taro, this mysterious and powerful old man… Noah Robe had never cultivated ki, nor had he formally trained in martial arts.
He only knew one thing: how to wield a sword.
How to cut people down with it.
"I really want… to try cutting him…" Noah Robe thought silently, his expression unchanging.