By the time Lin Xuan and his group returned to the World Martial Arts Tournament arena, the battle between Jiraiya and Nagato had already concluded.
However, the result was quite unexpected for many in the Ninja Guild: Jiraiya had actually defeated Nagato!
Lin Xuan was also surprised when he heard the news.
It was only after Hashirama Senju's explanation that he learned Jiraiya could not only use Sage Mode independently now but had also mastered Haki from the Pirate World! Furthermore, the unique environment of the Dragon Ball world, with its more abundant natural energy, meant that the Sage Mode he unleashed was far more potent than its counterpart in the original ninja world.
As a result, Jiraiya's overall strength had drastically increased!
In contrast, Nagato had become overly reliant on the power of the Rinnegan. Without the assistance of the Six Paths of Pain, his combat effectiveness was greatly diminished.
Thus, after a fierce battle, Jiraiya successfully knocked Nagato out of the ring, securing the victory.
At this point, Nagato seemed quite at peace with his defeat. This battle had made him fully realize that he had been too headstrong and rigid in the past. If he didn't find a way to improve his strength soon, he feared he might be surpassed by more and more people, and perhaps one day, he would no longer be qualified for Lin Xuan's Impure World Reincarnation. If that were to happen, it would be a true defeat for him.
Seeing the contemplative look on Nagato's face, Lin Xuan guessed what he was thinking and considered it a positive development.
He then looked towards the World Martial Arts Tournament ring and saw that, after the battle between Jiraiya and Nagato, the arena was completely wrecked, making it impossible for the next matches to proceed.
The host looked utterly distraught. Such destruction clearly couldn't be fixed in a short time, and everyone was starting to wonder if the matches would have to be suspended for the day.
In fact, the arena had been specially reinforced on Lin Xuan's suggestion, yet it was still reduced to this state, which left him speechless.
Seeing the damage, Lin Xuan didn't seem bothered. He simply waved a hand toward Hashirama Senju and the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, and said, "It's time for your show!"
Hashirama and Mu had no objections.
And so, once again, in front of countless spectators worldwide, they demonstrated the powerful and miraculous aspects of Ninjutsu.
Through a combined application of Wood Style and Earth Style, the severely damaged arena was instantly and perfectly repaired!
In that moment, everyone—from the audience to the contestants like Goku and his friends—stared with wide eyes.
"Oh my gosh, that's incredible!"
"So Ninjutsu can be used like that!"
"Wow! It's amazing! I really want to learn it!"
Various exclamations and discussions erupted from the crowd around the arena and from viewers watching the live broadcast across the world.
In a single stroke, Lin Xuan once again collected several hundred million Fame Points! His account's Fame Points were steadily advancing toward his goal of ten billion!
The host, upon witnessing the miraculous repair of the arena, quickly recovered from his shock, was overjoyed, and immediately announced the continuation of the matches. He was truly grateful that he had brought Lin Xuan into the fold; this man was solving so many problems for the Martial Arts Tournament!
The next match was between Might Duy and the First Raikage.
Before this match, the already eliminated Yamcha and Tien Shinhan were discussing how, if they encountered any of Lin Xuan's ninjas, they must quickly engage in close-quarters combat and deny them the opportunity to use Ninjutsu. They had observed that these Ninjutsu users seemed generally weaker in close combat, which they believed was the martial artists' greatest advantage.
However, when they saw the fight between Might Duy and the First Raikage, they were utterly bewildered.
Who said these ninjas were weak in close combat? They were ridiculously strong!
Look at that First Raikage; even if you got close, how could you attack him when his entire body was wrapped in lightning?
And as for the one called Might Duy, he was fighting so fast that he was practically invisible, his very presence hard to sense!
Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, and the others felt their scalps tingle. They genuinely didn't know how they were supposed to fight Lin Xuan's people if they met them later. Their only comfort was that they had all been eliminated, so they wouldn't have the chance to fight even if they wanted to.
Of course, Lin Xuan and his companions were also quite astonished while watching the battle.
The First Raikage, in the middle of the fight, had actually combined Armament Haki with his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, creating an even stronger defense and attack power!
Despite this, the battle between Might Duy and the First Raikage ultimately ended with Might Duy's victory. To win, Might Duy had opened the Seventh Gate, which caused a considerable drain on the vessel of his Impure World Reincarnation. At this rate of consumption, he might not even be able to last until the finals.
The arena was again destroyed during their fight, forcing them to rely on Hashirama and the others to fix it before the tournament could continue.
The subsequent matches unfolded smoothly and swiftly.
Soon, the thirty-two-person bracket was completed, and the sixteen contestants advancing to the next round were determined.
Everyone thought the drawing for the next round of sixteen would take place immediately, but the host announced on stage: "To ensure the fairness of the tournament, the live drawing will take place tomorrow morning before the matches begin! No contestant will know their opponent until they step onto the stage! Please look forward to it!"
This decision was actually suggested by Lin Xuan, who claimed it was to create more suspense and anticipation for everyone. In truth, he just wanted people to discuss the tournament more so he could earn more Fame Points!
And his decision was indeed very effective. Over the course of the night, he earned several hundred million Fame Points!
The next morning, his account balance had reached an impressive six billion!
In high spirits, he addressed Madara Uchiha and the others, "Your performance yesterday was excellent. How about I treat you all to a big breakfast before we head to the tournament today?"
Madara Uchiha and the others: "..."
Can your way of saying thanks be more sincere?
We are all Impure World Reincarnation bodies! How are we supposed to eat a big meal?!
In the end, Lin Xuan could only regretfully take Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, Bulma, and the others to enjoy a hearty meal himself before heading to the tournament arena with the rest of the group.
By the time they arrived, the place was already a lively hub of noise, and countless people worldwide had turned on their televisions early, waiting for the live broadcast.
The host wasted no time, giving a brief introduction before starting the drawing.
"The first match: Madara Uchiha versus Piccolo!"
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T/N:
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