c3: Sweeping the Guards
Ye Lin hadn't neglected his personal cultivation. In fact, he was now fully focused on mastering a new technique: the Helix Pill. Though still in its early stages, the move showed signs of immense potential one that could rival even the ki-based energy attacks from legends of the Turtle or Crane Schools.
At present, Ye Lin trained in a dense forest just beyond Yage Village. The energy released from practicing the Helix Pill was too unstable to risk damaging the already fragile village. Besides, recent battles had shown him how important it was to increase his power fast.
"When will this Helix Pill advance to the next stage?" he wondered aloud, his palm glowing faintly with concentrated energy.
Name: Ye Lin
Combat Power: 36
Skills:
1. Helix Pill – (Elementary 4/100)
Skill Effect: Temporarily boosts combat power by 20%.
Items: Senzu Beans ×10, Dragon Ball ×1 (4-Star)
Having reached this new plateau, Ye Lin tested how many times he could use the Helix Pill in a day. The answer was sobering only three uses before his stamina collapsed. Beyond that, the strain on his ki would leave him completely vulnerable. Even in its elementary form, the Helix Pill already drained a significant amount of life force.
Still, Ye Lin was optimistic. With every punch, every meditation, he felt himself inching closer to a breakthrough.
Ding!
A crisp alert echoed in his mind the familiar tone of his integrated system.
"System Task Reminder: Eliminate 12 members of the Redhead Guard within 1 hour. Task Difficulty: Normal."
He blinked in surprise. The system rarely gave real-time missions without warning.
"Normal difficulty, huh?" Ye Lin rubbed his chin. "That's supposed to be easy… but this is still a great opportunity. System missions usually drop decent rewards—maybe even a rare capsule or another Dragon Ball."
But then came the obvious dilemma.
"Where are these Redhead Guards? The system doesn't give coordinates... Searching for them without intel is like trying to find a Dragon Ball without a radar."
He paused. The Red Ribbon Army's last target was the Dragon Ball. The one currently in his possession.
"They'll be headed to Yage Village again. That's their target."
Without wasting another second, Ye Lin blasted off toward the village. His current speed surpassed that of a highway motorcycle. Five kilometers was now a sprint—barely a minute to cover the distance.
Suddenly, he halted mid-step.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Dozens of synchronized footsteps echoed in the forest. Thanks to his increased ki control and combat strength, Ye Lin's hearing was now far more refined. Each breath, each crunch of a twig, was as loud as thunder in his mind.
From the dense foliage emerged twelve figures, dressed in matching crimson combat uniforms. Their eyes were sharp, and their movements precise they were unmistakably Red Ribbon elites.
"It can't be... such perfect timing?" Ye Lin's lips twitched upward. "I didn't even have to go looking for them. They came to me."
One of the Redhead Guards stepped forward, his aura icy and murderous. Ye Lin's honed ki sensitivity immediately recognized the lingering death on all twelve. These weren't rookies they were assassins seasoned in blood.
"You there," the guard growled, "You're from Accord Village, aren't you? Take us there. Refuse, and you'll die."
Ye Lin pretended to falter, masking his strength behind a veil of panic. He had already scanned their energy readings. None of them exceeded combat power 22 dangerous to civilians, but still far below his current level.
"You're headed to Yage Village?" Ye Lin asked with mock fear. "You'd better turn around. There's a powerful martial artist there far stronger than the mercenary you sent last time."
His words prompted mocking laughter from the Redhead Guards.
"Hah! That fraud Hong Xiong? He was all talk. To think he was wiped out so easily by some rural monk it's embarrassing. But we're not like him. We were handpicked by Colonel Siruba himself."
"Two minutes," another chuckled. "That's all we'll need to end this."
Ye Lin's smirk returned.
"Confident, huh? Well... you're even more clueless than Hong Xiong."
"Why's that?" one asked.
"Because the martial artist you're looking for—is standing right in front of you."
In the next instant, Ye Lin vanished. He appeared behind the nearest guard like a flicker of smoke. The man didn't even have time to turn around before Ye Lin's fist struck his solar plexus.
BOOM!
The Redhead Guard was launched back nearly ten meters, crashing through two trees before slumping lifelessly to the ground.
The remaining eleven were stunned.
"He's... the one who killed Hong Xiong?"
"He's just a kid!"
"He masked his power!"
Ye Lin cracked his knuckles, his body radiating ki-enhanced pressure.
"You wanted to fight a real martial artist," he said coldly. "Congratulations. You found one."
After unlocking formidable combat power, Ye Lin had long since begun engaging in real battles. Although his movements still showed slight inexperience, the sheer output of his power more than made up for it—his raw speed and strength now vastly outclassed the Redhead Guards, whose own training resembled that of mid-tier Red Ribbon Army soldiers under Commander Red's regime.
Hiss!
All the Redhead Guards sucked in a sharp breath. Although trained in close-combat tactics akin to those used by Colonel Silver's elite, even their seasoned companions battle-tested and brutal had been killed in a single strike. Such brute force reminiscent of early Son Goku's assaults was downright terrifying.
"This guy's no pushover! Go all in don't give him space to counter!"
The remaining eleven moved in perfect formation. Despite the initial shock, they recovered swiftly these weren't street thugs; they were tactical enforcers. They rapidly coordinated, forming a pincer attack pattern, cutting off all escape routes. Their aim was simple: overwhelm Ye Lin with synchronized strikes and finish him before he could gather energy.
However, Ye Lin's five senses greatly enhanced by his increased combat power immediately picked up on their movements. The moment he eliminated the first soldier, he fell back, anticipating their retaliation.
Yet despite his quick reflexes, one of the Redhead Guards managed to circle behind him, a concealed trench dagger already drawn and glinting.
"You're dead!"
The assassin's lips curled upward, confident his blade would pierce Ye Lin's back. But Ye Lin, without turning his head, raised two fingers over his shoulder the same way Goku had caught bullets and arrows in early arcs and clamped the blade mid-swing.
In one fluid motion, he twisted and launched a reverse kick, imbued with ki, sending the assassin flying into a tree. The sound of ribs cracking echoed before the man slumped lifeless.
The remaining ten Redhead Guards froze, their breathing sharp but their offensive didn't falter. As expected from elite Red Ribbon enforcers, they maintained formation, launching an airtight barrage of punches, kicks, and jabs from all sides. Ye Lin, though highly skilled, found it increasingly difficult to keep up with the flurry of feints and pressure strikes.
Unknown to him, one of the enemies had covertly drawn a compact Red Ribbon pistol, designed for assassinations. Their relentless attack had been nothing but a distraction the true killing blow would be a bullet.
Ye Lin was forced airborne by a series of sweeping kicks exactly as planned. Just as he lifted off the ground, the shooter took aim.
Boom!
The shot rang out. Ye Lin crashed to the ground, limp. The Redhead Guards grinned victoriously.
"Hah! What use is martial arts when you can't outrun a bullet?" sneered the shooter, confident in their win. "You kung fu freaks always forget this is a world with guns."
Whoosh!
But before the man could finish his taunt, a sharp gust tore past them and a counter-shot whizzed through the air. The shooter gasped, his body freezing in place as a bullet pierced directly between his eyes. He collapsed, dead before he hit the ground.
Ye Lin stood calmly, completely unharmed.
"So that was your trump card?" he said, holding the spent bullet between two fingers. "I was hoping for something new."
The truth was, Ye Lin had deliberately created an opening, having sensed the hidden firearm the moment it was drawn. Using heightened ki-perception just as Goku did when blind-fighting against Murasaki or Dodonpa users he timed the arc of the bullet perfectly and caught it barehanded. His growing strength had made this feat seem... natural.
"Ever since my power rose, my instincts keep telling me I can do more," he muttered. "And now, I don't even doubt it anymore."
The remaining Redhead Guards were utterly shaken.
"Is this guy even human?!"
"Run! We're not dealing with a rookie—we're dealing with a monster!"
The battlefield, once brimming with bravado, was now thick with fear. The Redhead Guards, trained killers, broke formation. But Ye Lin would show no mercy not to those who had spilled innocent blood in the name of the Red Ribbon Army.
One by one, he hunted them down, dodging bullets, weaving between attacks, and delivering precise, lethal strikes.
Within ten minutes, the forest was silent again—twelve Redhead Guards lay dead on the grass. Ye Lin stood amidst them, breathing steadily. He didn't feel guilt. Not for killers.
These were men who had likely followed General Blue or Staff Officer Black-style orders: eliminate, extract, disappear. Their cruelty had become second nature.
Suddenly, a voice crackled through a radio transmitter on one of the bodies.
"Redhead Team, respond! What's your status? Have you retrieved the Dragon Ball? Report! Colonel Siruba demands confirmation!"
Ye Lin bent down, picked up the Red Ribbon-standard walkie-talkie, and pressed the button.
"Mission failed," Ye Lin said coldly. "My name is Ye Lin. Martial artist from Yage Village. If Colonel Siruba wants this Dragon Ball—he can come get it himself. Or better yet... wait for me at the branch base. I'll be coming to end this soon."
With that, Ye Lin crushed the walkie-talkie underfoot. No need to hear the reply. He could already picture Siruba's face: purple with rage.
He turned toward the horizon. His eyes narrowed. This wasn't over.
Not yet.
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