c84: The Spiritual Fruit Tree
"So this handsome guy is your husband, Bulma?" Paranti asked with a teasing smirk, openly admiring Li Xu's sharp looks and strong build.
"Hey! Don't even think about it," Bulma snapped, stepping quickly between them. Her blue eyes narrowed as she eyed her old friend warily. "He's mine."
"Come on, Bulma, we used to share everything when we were kids," Paranti said in a mock-pleading tone. "I'm still single, you know. Isn't it fair to share a little now too?"
"Absolutely not!" Bulma replied without a second's hesitation, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Ugh, what a shame. I finally meet a guy this good-looking, and it turns out he's your husband," Paranti said with a pout. "Talk about stepping on a landmine."
"With your looks and your family's money, you could have any guy you want," Bulma shot back. Though the Briefs family was wealthier, Paranti's family ranked among the elite in West City and she was undeniably beautiful.
"Tch." Paranti clicked her tongue playfully.
Li Xu chuckled quietly, watching the banter unfold between the two women.
"Weren't we supposed to be going out for fun?" he asked, finally cutting in. "So where to?"
"How about swimming? I brought my bikini," Paranti said with a wink. "I've got a figure that's just as good as Bulma's, you know."
"Nope! No swimming," Bulma countered firmly. "Let's go hiking instead."
"Hah, you sure you're not feeling insecure?" Paranti teased, puffing out her chest with a smug grin.
"As if! I'm just worried you'll use it as an excuse to cling to my husband!" Bulma replied hotly.
"Alright, hiking it is," Li Xu said quickly, not wanting their bickering to delay things any longer.
"So boring," Paranti muttered with a huff, questioning her own charm for the first time in a while.
"Hmph! My husband doesn't fall for cheap tricks like yours," Bulma said smugly, clearly enjoying her win.
"Let's go," Li Xu said with a laugh.
Despite their constant quarreling, Li Xu could tell the two were genuinely close. Most of Paranti's remarks were meant in jest, her flirty personality part of her nature rather than a serious attempt to seduce him.
Paranti stored her sports car back into its capsule and climbed into Bulma's. She tried to snatch the passenger seat, but Bulma beat her to it, leaving her grumbling as she took the back seat.
The three spent the entire day hiking, talking, and relaxing together. As the sun set, the tension gave way to warm laughter. That night, perhaps driven by a little lingering jealousy, Bulma was unusually passionate and adventurous with Li Xu, exploring poses and energy they hadn't shared before.
---
Far beyond Earth, in the cold expanse of space...
Li Xu stood alone, a small figure against the vast black void.
"It's time to test this," he murmured, opening his hand to reveal a small, dark seed the seed of the Tree of Might, taken from Turles after their encounter.
He clenched his fists and transformed into Super Saiyan 2, golden aura flaring and crackling with electricity. Then, activating a technique to nurture growth, he converted his Ki into a soft, greenish energy stream. Slowly, the energy flowed into the seed.
Almost immediately, the seed began to react. It cracked, sprouted, and took root even without soil anchoring itself to the very fabric of space. The tree grew rapidly, expanding from a sapling to a towering behemoth in moments.
As the Tree of Might grew, its roots twisted like wooden dragons, stretching across the void. Its hunger for energy accelerated; it absorbed Li Xu's green Ki faster and faster, draining him rapidly.
Within half an hour, the spirit tree had grown into a colossal giant. Thick vines coiled through the vacuum, and heavy fruit began to form though still unripe.
Li Xu felt his energy dipping dangerously low. Not willing to risk collapse, he quickly pulled a Senzu Bean from a pouch on his waist and ate it. Instantly, his energy was restored to full.
He took a deep breath.
"The tree's power... it's real. But it's not ready yet."
His eyes narrowed.
"Once the fruit ripens, I'll see what it can really do."
Time passed slowly. The Ki in Li Xu's body was drained again and again as he nurtured the massive energy demands of the Tree of Might. Fortunately, he had a stash of Senzu Beans, which instantly restored his energy each time. Without them, he could never have sustained the power required to grow the tree to completion.
The fruits on the tree, once bluish-green, gradually turned red and blue glowing faintly with intense energy.
"Finally mature!" Li Xu said, eyes flashing with excitement.
He stopped the energy infusion and plucked every single fruit from the branches. There were roughly 300 Spirit Fruits in total each radiating immense energy.
Once harvested, the Tree of Might withered at an alarming rate, its colossal trunk crumbling to ash in the vacuum of space. All that remained was a single, dormant seed. Li Xu carefully stored it away in a capsule and returned to Earth using Instant Transmission.
---
King Kai's Planet
From his small world at the end of Snake Way, King Kai felt the massive energy spike from the universe.
"So that's what Li Xu was doing," King Kai said with both awe and concern. "He really managed to grow the Tree of Might artificially... incredible."
Even among the gods, very few beings had the raw power and technique to pull off such a feat. Across the entire Seventh Universe, only a handful like Goku, Vegeta, or Beerus might even attempt it.
---
Back on Earth, Li Xu wasted no time. He called for Bulma, who arrived quickly, both curious and excited.
"Husband, what's up?" Bulma asked, smiling but already anticipating something special. When Li Xu called her like this, it usually meant he'd been working on something big.
Li Xu reached into his capsule case and revealed a glowing fruit.
"Remember this?"
"The Spirit Tree Fruit!" Bulma's eyes lit up instantly. She remembered the last time she ate one her power level had increased dramatically with just a few bites.
"Eat up. I have plenty now," Li Xu said, grinning as he handed her the fruit.
But Bulma hesitated, worry flashing across her face.
"Wait... you didn't plant a Tree of Might on some poor planet, did you?" she asked. She remembered reading about the tree in ancient data and its catastrophic effects it consumed the life force of an entire planet to grow.
"What are you thinking?" Li Xu laughed. "This wasn't planet-grown. I used a controlled cultivation technique. It took a huge amount of my Ki to create it, but no planets were harmed."
"Oh no, I'm sorry!" Bulma said quickly, guilt in her voice. She realized she had doubted him unfairly.
"It's fine. Just eat." Li Xu waved her concern away.
Spirit Fruits grown from a planet's life energy were tainted and inefficient, far below the level needed to benefit someone like Li Xu. That's why he had developed his energy-born cultivation method, even though it was far more difficult.
After all, in the Dragon Ball Universe, the destruction of a few planets was commonplace Lord Beerus could wipe out several worlds in his sleep. But Li Xu preferred to avoid unnecessary harm.
Crunch!
Bulma bit into the fruit. As the sweet, dense pulp entered her system, her energy spiked dramatically. A glowing aura flared briefly around her.
"Whoa! That's amazing!" she exclaimed.
"Each one boosts combat power by about 10,000 points, give or take," Li Xu said, satisfied with the result.
He noted how these fruits were red and blue an upgrade from the earlier green-and-red fruits. The higher red content meant greater potency and faster energy absorption.
"Husband, I feel so much stronger already!" Bulma said, practically bouncing.
"That's great, but you'll need to train with me for a while," Li Xu said. Power without control was dangerous even for someone as smart as Bulma.
Luckily, Li Xu still had hundreds of fruits left. He had no intention of using them on himself his own training was far more efficient. These were all for Bulma. He wanted her to have the power to stand beside him not just as a genius inventor, but as a powerful warrior.
"Alright!" Bulma nodded enthusiastically. She understood. As long as she grew stronger, she could always remain at Li Xu's side and face whatever threats came their way.
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