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"Use that move? Good—very good. It seems your Uncle Mercenary Tao didn't spoil you for nothing."
"In that case, I won't interfere in your battle."
Upon hearing that Tien Shinhan intended to use that move, the Crane Hermit narrowed his eyes, his expression shifting instantly.
He withdrew the Ki he had been on the verge of unleashing from within his body and sat back down in his original seat.
For he knew that the murderer who had killed his younger brother, Mercenary Tao, was now a dead man.
The move Tien Shinhan spoke of was called the "Kikoho" (Kikoho)—the ultimate secret technique of the Crane School, possessing truly terrifying destructive power.
Once unleashed—provided it struck its target—it could obliterate an enemy even if their power level was five or six times greater than the user's own.
However, this technique came with one massive drawback.
Namely, executing it would instantly drain every last drop of Ki from the user's body.
There was a ninety percent probability that, immediately after using this move, the user would collapse from total exhaustion and die.
In short, it was a suicidal technique.
The brat who had killed his brother, Mercenary Tao, was incredibly powerful; even if the three of them—master and disciples—were to gang up on him, success would be far from guaranteed.
Furthermore, that brat was a disciple of that "old lecher"—though it was currently unknown where the old lecher himself had run off to.
Still, if they were to launch a joint assault on the brat, there was no way the old lecher would simply stand by and do nothing.
And that brat had two fellow disciples of his own.
Rather than risk such a chaotic free-for-all, it was better to make a sacrifice: let Tien Shinhan face his opponent in the ring and kill him in a fair, honorable duel.
That way, at the very least, the old lecher and his group would be bound by the tournament rules and unable to conveniently intervene.
Moreover, even if the brat somehow survived the Kikoho blast, he would undoubtedly be critically injured; Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu could then seize the opportunity to finish him off. It was precisely because he had reasoned all this out that the Crane Hermit suppressed his murderous intent and agreed to Tien Shinhan's proposal.
"What just occurred was an unforeseen incident. We can understand that Master Shen is experiencing some emotional turmoil due to the death of his younger brother; however, we must insist that you do not interfere with the match.
On this occasion—since the contestant Tien Shinhan blocked the attack himself—we will refrain from taking disciplinary action.
However, should Master Shen interfere with the match again, we will immediately disqualify contestant Tien Shinhan!"
Master Shen's sneak attack had clearly violated the rules of the tournament. Consequently, after consulting with the organizers, the blond-haired announcer issued a formal warning.
"Now, let the match resume!"
"I didn't expect it... You don't seem quite so bad after all."
Seeing that Tien Shinhan had actually stepped in to block the sneak attack on his behalf—demonstrating a desire for a fair duel—Goku's impression of him improved slightly.
In truth, even if that sneak attack had landed squarely on the back of his head, he wouldn't have suffered a single scratch.
"Even if you say that, I still won't go easy on you."
Tien Shinhan retracted the pair of extra arms he had manifested behind his back, then turned once more to face Goku. With a cold expression, he spoke in a low voice:
"The next technique I use will kill you outright. If you surrender and flee right now, you might still make it out alive."
"I'm not running anywhere! Let's see if you've got any even stronger moves up your sleeve."
With an expression of pure excitement, Goku assumed the opening stance of the Turtle School—a gesture intended to show his respect for Tien Shinhan.
He didn't fear facing a strong opponent; rather, he feared that Tien Shinhan might be too weak—for that would make the match utterly boring.
"Very well, then I shall grant you your wish!"
Tien Shinhan gritted his teeth, ceasing his attempts to dissuade him.
To be honest, despite having made his decision, deep down in his heart, he still instinctively recoiled from the idea of actually killing Goku.
"Tien Shinhan! No! Don't use the Kikoho!"
At that moment, Chiaotzu's anxious voice—transmitted via a special telepathic technique—secretly echoed within Tien Shinhan's mind.
Naturally, Chiaotzu was all too aware of the dangerous side effects associated with the Kikoho.
"Don't worry. With my current level of control, I can hold back just enough Ki within my body at the very last moment. I won't end up completely drained of energy and die."
Tien Shinhan's body stiffened for a brief instant as he telepathically sent his reply using the very same technique. Even when his master, the Crane Hermit, used the Kikoho, it was still a move with only a one-in-ten chance of survival.
But Tien Shinhan was different; he had long since completely mastered the Kikoho, and—thanks to his formidable control over his Ki—he had eliminated the inherent risks involved.
As long as he retained even a single shred of Ki at the very end, death could be averted.
"Chiaotzu! When Tien Shinhan uses the Kikoho in a moment, pin that little brat down for me!"
Upon hearing Tien Shinhan's reply, Chiaotzu felt his heart ease slightly; however, he immediately received a command from his master, the Crane Hermit.
"If that brat manages to dodge the Kikoho attack, Tien Shinhan will be in grave danger.
Chiaotzu, surely you don't want to see Tien Shinhan lose in the end, do you?"
Hearing his master's words, Chiaotzu hesitated for a moment, then quietly raised both hands, aiming them toward the Goku standing in the ring.
At that same instant, Tien Shinhan placed his hands against his forehead, and the Ki within his body began to circulate in a unique pattern.
"Solar Flare!"
A blinding flash of light instantly engulfed the entire arena; everyone watching the match—without exception—could not help but squeeze their eyes shut.
This included the Goku.
This technique of Tien Shinhan's was truly unexpected—even Goku hadn't anticipated it.
Fortunately, given his heightened senses, Goku knew that even if Tien Shinhan were to attempt a sneak attack while he was temporarily blinded, the chances of it succeeding were virtually nil.
However, the anticipated sneak attack never came.
When he finally opened his eyes again, he discovered that Tien Shinhan had vanished from the ring, having instead ascended into the air directly above it.
It turned out that the true purpose behind Tien Shinhan's previous technique was simply to buy time—time needed to properly unleash his ultimate signature move.
The destructive power of the Kikoho was indeed terrifying, but because it required channeling almost every ounce of Ki within the body, it demanded a certain amount of time to charge up.
Had he not stalled for time, Tien Shinhan feared that—given the Goku's formidable strength—the boy could easily have interrupted his ultimate technique before it could be fully unleashed.
"To think he's using Ki to make his body fly!"
Seeing Tien Shinhan hovering in the air above the ring, a look of astonishment once again appeared on the Goku's face.
He, too, was capable of flight—though his own aerial movement relied upon the use of gravity magic. His flight speed was quite slow, and he lacked agility.
Tien Shinhan, however, clearly relied on Ki—utilizing some advanced technique to lift himself into the air.
"That is the Crane School's secret technique: the Sky Dancing Technique—a method of achieving flight by manipulating one's Ki."
Standing in the competitors' waiting area behind them, Master Roshi shouted a warning to Goku with a hint of anxiety in his voice:
"The move he's about to unleash is likely the Kikoho! Goku, whatever you do, don't try to block it head-on!"
Master Roshi was intimately familiar with the Crane School's entire repertoire; naturally, he recognized that the technique Tien Shinhan was currently preparing was the Kikoho—a devastating, self-sacrificial attack.
"It ends here!"
No sooner had Master Roshi finished his warning than Tien Shinhan, hovering above, completed his charge and locked onto his target.
A faint yellow glow emanated from his hands. He then spread his palms and brought them together, aligning his thumbs and index fingers to form a perfect circle aimed directly at the entire ring below.
"Kikoho!"
The yellow energy instantly converged at the center of the circle, then blasted downward with explosive force.
At that very moment, Chiaotzu unleashed his own psychic abilities upon Goku, attempting to telekinetically pin him to the ring.
"What an incredible technique!"
Gazing up at the Kikoho descending from the heavens, Goku's eyes lit up with excitement. In a rare display of caution, he actually raised his hands to shield his head.
However, just as he did so, he felt his body stiffen slightly—as if some unseen force were binding him in place.
Yet, with a mere surge of effort, he instantly shattered the force restraining him.
Consequently, he paid it no further mind.