Chapter 10: John Advances to the Finals

It was undeniable that Goku had a natural talent for combat. Although he was slightly weaker than John, he made up for it with his combat skills and instincts, honed since childhood.

Both Goku and John had bruises and contusions on their bodies and faces, remnants of the battle.

John and Goku stood up from the ground. John said, "Goku, you're very strong. In the next round, I'll use my ultimate move, but I'm not sure if I can beat you. I've never used this move against anyone before."

Upon hearing that John had an ultimate move, Goku's face lit up with excitement. "Come on, John, let me see your ultimate move."

John slowly took a deep breath, calming himself and adjusting his mindset to a state of tranquility.

At the same time, John slowly lowered his arms, and in his mind, all external distractions disappeared. It was as if the entire world consisted only of Goku and himself.

To the others, especially Master Roshi, Goku, Yamcha, and Krilin, it seemed like John had disappeared from their senses. Although they could see John physically, he was no longer detectable through their ki.

No, it wasn't that his ki had disappeared; it was more accurate to say that John's ki was like a rock or a clear spring—it existed, but without any fluctuations.

Without ki fluctuations, there was no way to sense John's attack intentions, effectively blinding a martial artist's perception.

Martial artists typically rely on two senses: their physical eyes to observe their opponent's moves and their ki sense to detect their opponent's intentions. The ki sense is even more critical, especially when it comes to defending against surprise attacks. Without ki fluctuations, it's impossible to detect an enemy's sneak attack.

Goku was puzzled, unable to understand why he couldn't sense John's ki.

But this didn't deter Goku. If he couldn't sense it, he would rely on his eyes. Goku launched a test attack, throwing a punch at John.

However, to Goku's surprise, John effortlessly dodged the attack with a slight movement. Moreover, the timing of his dodge was impeccable, just as Goku's momentum was about to wane.

After avoiding Goku's attack, John counterattacked with full force, striking Goku's abdomen.

The powerful impact caused Goku immense pain. He staggered a few steps, clutching his stomach, before collapsing unconscious off the stage.

Following John's reminder, the host began the countdown.

"How is it possible that Goku couldn't even withstand John's attack when they were evenly matched a moment ago?" Krilin, who was watching from the audience, asked in confusion.

Master Roshi, standing beside Krilin in disguise as Jackie Chun, explained, "That's because John's timing was impeccable."

"Goku's previous attack was perfectly timed, but if John had dodged a moment earlier, Goku could have changed his move. If John had dodged a moment later, he would have been forced into a defensive position.

"However, John seized that fleeting moment, when Goku's momentum was waning, to dodge the attack and quickly counterattack. That's how he defeated Goku."

At that moment, the host finished the countdown and declared John the winner.

Master Roshi continued, "In terms of raw strength, the gap between them isn't that significant. John is just slightly better. Normally, to determine the winner between them, it would take several hundred rounds."

"However, in terms of martial arts philosophy, John has surpassed you all. He has already begun to grasp the concept of 'Intent Before Action.'"

"Intent Before Action?" Krilin and Yamcha looked at Master Roshi in confusion, not understanding what he meant.

Master Roshi explained, "It's when your actions are not controlled by your conscious mind but are instead governed by your body's muscle memory."

"Isn't that just instinct and muscle memory?" Yamcha asked.

Master Roshi thought for a moment and replied, "You can think of it that way for now. When you reach that level, you'll understand what it truly means."

It was clear from Master Roshi's words that while the external manifestation of instinct and 'Intent Before Action' might be similar, their underlying nature was different.

Krilin and Yamcha didn't ask further questions, as they felt that Master Roshi's explanation was beyond their comprehension. It was something they couldn't fully grasp at their current level of understanding.

At this point, Goku had regained consciousness and eagerly turned to John, asking, "John, what was that move you used to defeat me? Please teach it to me."

John shook his head and said, "It's not a specific move. It's a martial arts philosophy that you need to develop and experience for yourself. It can't be taught."

Goku was filled with disappointment, as his interest in martial arts was always strong. Whenever he encountered a move he didn't know, he was eager to learn it. So, when John said he couldn't teach it, Goku's disappointment was evident.

As John and Goku walked off the stage, Master Roshi approached John and said, "You're very impressive. I didn't expect you to reach such a level."

John, knowing that the person before him was Master Roshi, respectfully replied, "I still have a long way to go. What I demonstrated was just a basic application of 'Intent Before Action.' I've only taken a small step into that realm."

Master Roshi was extremely pleased with John's performance and nodded in approval. "Alright, take a break. Our final match will start soon."

As John had said, his current understanding of 'Intent Before Action' was still in its infancy.

Before using this technique, one needed to calm their mind and emotions. If Goku hadn't been so naive and had attacked John while he was calming himself on the stage, John might not have won so easily.

Additionally, John's victory didn't come without a cost. The previous movements had caused minor muscle tears in his body due to a lack of coordination.

John decided that he would practice this technique in the future, but he would only use it against opponents if necessary. Unless he had Senzu Beans to heal himself, using this technique would leave him vulnerable.

John couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed, thinking that he might lose the upcoming final match.