Chapter 16: The Fragile Earth

Launching the first strike, Xavier moved with the speed of the wind and the force of lightning. An orange blur flickered through the air, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Master Korin. Swiftly changing his position, he targeted the staff, causing Master Korin's eyes to narrow as he prepared to dodge.

Suddenly, Master Korin's expression changed, his white fur bristling slightly.

Just a step away from Master Korin, Xavier shifted his stance again, leaving a lingering afterimage in mid-air as his figure eerily appeared behind the elder. His slender hand lunged toward the target.

With a hiss, the staff jerked downward, causing Xavier to miss his grasp. A powerful strike followed, bouncing Master Korin's corpulent body slightly as he kicked out at Xavier.

Xavier was flung uncontrollably away.

After repelling Xavier, Master Korin patted his chest and exhaled deeply, glancing at the still-swishing water bottle and wiping the sweat that had formed on his back.

"Phew, that was too close! If not for my quick reaction, he would have succeeded in taking the bottle," Master Korin murmured, his gaze at Xavier now filled with a mix of caution and respect.

"Such a formidable youngster; he nearly succeeded. When Kami first ascended to the temple, it took him decades to steal the bell from Mr. Popo. These two are no ordinary beings!"

Meanwhile, Celine closely observed each of Xavier's movements. Seeing him nearly succeed but ultimately fall short, she felt a twinge of regret while also deeply contemplating the wisdom imparted by Master Korin.

The more she thought about it, the more profound it seemed, far surpassing the teachings from Planet Vegeta.

"Earth truly is a remarkable place," Celine mused, her bright eyes shining with joy. Perhaps coming to Earth with Xavier had indeed been the right choice.

Time flowed like fine sand, slipping silently through the fingers.

Before they knew it, half a month had passed since Xavier and Celine began their training under Master Korin. Guided by his expertise, both were swiftly evolving, bridging gaps in their foundational skills, comprehending the true essence of Ki, and learning to harness it within themselves.

After half a month, they could contain their Ki, no longer as overtly formidable as when they first arrived on Earth. On the sixteenth day, Xavier, having mastered the delicate use of Ki, successfully snatched the water bottle from Master Korin’s hand. Three days later, Celine achieved the same feat.

With that, Master Korin's training concluded.

"Your progress is beyond my expectations—truly incredible. You've reached the goals of this stage of training in just a few days. Now, you can remove your weighted clothing and show me your full power," Master Korin said, waddling over with his plump body swaying.

"No problem!" Xavier replied cheerfully, quickly shedding his weighted clothing.

As soon as the clothing was removed, the strange gravitational field that had enveloped his body disappeared. With the sudden absence of this constraint, the power suppressed within him began to stir restlessly.

With a series of crisp, popping noises, like the sound of popping corn, emanating from all over his body, Xavier's power burst forth. Like a floodgate opening, his energy surged wildly. In that moment, a tidal wave of momentum swept through the temple with Xavier at its center, turning the calm skies turbulent as if a bomb had been dropped. The temple itself began to tremble slightly.

Feeling the overwhelming energy coursing through every cell, Xavier couldn't help but laugh heartily, his face bright with a satisfied grin.

Then, his expression grew serious, and the swirling energy around him intensified once again. The force became tangible, with gusts howling around him like a massive, unstoppable force. Master Korin, standing not far from Xavier, bore the brunt of it. Facing the immense pressure, his expression stiffened, his body went cold, and it seemed as if his blood had frozen in an instant.

"Enough, enough, quickly... rein in your energy!" Master Korin shouted, leaning on his staff and shielding his face from the fierce winds with his hand.

In just twenty days, Xavier's combat power had soared dramatically from when he first arrived on Earth, now estimated to have surpassed a power level of 3000.

As Xavier began his training anew, he felt his foundations solidifying significantly. While his strength was considerable even before, standing now in this moment, Xavier experienced a peculiar revelation. He realized that his previous strength was somewhat illusory, like a huge sponge that seemed substantial on the surface but compressed easily under pressure.

Such strength was inflated, formidable against the weak, where he could remain superior, but against a true challenger, it was as vulnerable as a balloon ready to burst.

Now, Xavier’s approach to harnessing power was grounded and realistic. This new feeling was gratifying; each step forward was firm and steady, marking another solid stride on the path of the strong.

"Xavier, tell me honestly, how many warriors like you exist across the universe?" Master Korin asked, curious about Xavier and Celine’s incredible aptitude for cultivation.

"Like me?" Xavier paused, then answered truthfully, "To be honest, my strength hardly ranks in the universe."

"I and Celine come from a planet called Planet Vegeta, inhabited by a warrior race known as the Saiyans. We are just mid-level adolescent warriors among our people, and there are easily tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, stronger than us. Though Saiyans are called a warrior race, our influence in the universe is only moderate, nothing compared to those cosmic overlords who can destroy worlds with a flick of their wrist!"

Unintentional words can have intentional effects, and Master Korin gasped, his eyes widening in shock.

Xavier's strength, seemingly formidable, was nothing notable among his own kind.

But then again, it made sense considering they were merely children and naturally couldn’t match up to the adults.

Yet, this realization only deepened Master Korin’s concerns. Children of a cosmic race were already far stronger than Earth’s Guardian, and Xavier suggested that the Saiyan race's power was considered only moderately influential in the universe?