In reality, Sun Goku's physical state was still far from meeting the standards required to fully activate the Super Saiyan transformation; he had merely touched upon the threshold.
Consequently, this match did not last much longer.
After Goku unleashed the Super Kamehameha, the arena quickly erupted into fierce combat once more.
Goku's extraordinary performance left Piccolo, who was watching from below, astonished. To his dismay, Piccolo realized that even if he were to face Goku now, he likely stood no chance of winning.
What shocked him even more was that, faced with Goku's explosion of power, Lin Xuan also surged in strength, continuing to firmly suppress Goku!
This was because Lin Xuan had opened the Third Gate!
The two sides continued their intense clash, eventually reducing the arena to complete rubble. They simply took to the air, continuing their rapid exchange of blows in mid-flight.
Watching the aerial battle, Might Dai scratched his head, perplexed. "Why do I feel like the Eight Inner Gates technique displayed by the Guild President is stronger than mine? He's only opened the Third Gate, yet he's already this powerful!"
Uchiha Madara spoke calmly, "Because his base physical constitution is stronger than yours. Naturally, the explosive power he generates is greater."
Senju Hashirama nodded in deep agreement. After all, they had witnessed Lin Xuan using lightning to temper his physical body with their own eyes.
Might Dai didn't question Madara's assessment. Instead, he clenched his fists with determination. "It looks like I need to continue burning my youth and hot blood to become even stronger!"
After another round of fierce exchanges, Goku was finally unable to maintain his explosive state for long. In the end, he was knocked out of the arena by Lin Xuan, who had opened the Fourth Gate.
"Winner of this match, Lin Xuan!" the host announced loudly.
The crowd erupted in cheers. They weren't just cheering for Lin Xuan's victory, but out of excitement for having witnessed such a spectacular match.
Although Goku lost, he had displayed his strength to everyone.
Master Roshi looked at Krillin, Yamcha, and the others who were comforting Goku, and sighed. "Goku didn't lose because he was too weak. He lost because his opponent's strength is simply too monstrous!"
This was his heartfelt opinion. It was also the most genuine impression he had formed after watching Lin Xuan's terrifying speed of improvement along the way.
His sentiment was echoed by others. "That's right, that Lin Xuan… he's just not human!"
At this moment, they even began to suspect whether Lin Xuan was actually human at all. Otherwise, how could he possess such inconceivable power?
Of course, Goku's strength had also refreshed many people's perceptions. Even among the Ninja Guild, no one dared to underestimate Goku anymore. Apart from Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, and including heavyweights like Whitebeard and Roger, the others weren't necessarily guaranteed a win against him.
With the first match concluded, it was time for the second bout.
Ten minutes later, the arena had been restored. Senju Hashirama and Whitebeard stepped onto the ring.
Whitebeard grinned broadly. "Gurararara! I've wanted to cross hands with you for a long time, old man. I've finally got the chance!"
"Likewise!" Hashirama responded with a smile.
By now, the audience had recovered from the excitement of the previous battle and began to look forward to this next matchup with eager anticipation.
Soon, the host shouted, "Let the match begin!"
In the next second, the two men on the stage launched fierce attacks at one another.
"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Hashirama immediately unleashed his signature ninjutsu, transforming the entire arena into a sprawling forest and launching a ferocious offensive against Whitebeard.
Whitebeard didn't hesitate in the slightest. His arms, coated in Armament Haki, constantly smashed the tree roots thrusting toward him. Simultaneously, he punched the empty air with his other hand, causing the surrounding space to quake violently.
A terrifying vibration erupted, instantly blasting the trees in front of him to splinters and carving a clear path through the forest.
"Wood Style: Wooden Shield Technique!"
A wooden shield rose in front of Hashirama, blocking Whitebeard's shockwave head-on. However, cracks appeared across the face of the wooden defense.
"That Whitebeard… as expected of a Yonko, his strength is truly formidable!" Hashirama grinned.
As he spoke, his movements showed no sign of slowing down, and he immediately transitioned to his next ninjutsu.
The audience watched unblinkingly, afraid to miss a single moment. Clearly, compared to the previous match, the spectators found this battle even more visually captivating.
While the fight between Lin Xuan and Goku had been so fast that they were essentially invisible blurs, the clash between Hashirama's magical Wood Style and Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit offered a much stronger visual impact.
The two continued to trade blows, but many in the crowd felt they could already predict the outcome. They knew Hashirama hadn't even entered "that special mode" yet. If he did, the large man with the crescent-moon mustache likely wouldn't stand a chance.
However, as the battle progressed, something completely unexpected happened.
Just as Hashirama appeared ready to activate his Sage Mode, Whitebeard suddenly closed the distance. He landed a punch, sending Hashirama flying backward—straight off the arena and out of bounds!
The spectators were stunned. The members of the Ninja Guild were stunned. Even Whitebeard himself stood there, bewildered.
It's over?
I won just like that?
"Oh my, I've actually been eliminated! Whitebeard, your strength really is great; I'm no match for you!" Hashirama exclaimed, his face full of dramatic lamentation.
Hearing his words, many people looked confused. Hashirama had clearly been performing incredibly well just moments ago—how did he get eliminated so suddenly?
"That guy, Hashirama..." Lin Xuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The corner of Uchiha Madara's mouth twitched, and he looked at Hashirama with eyes full of disdain.
Others might not understand what had happened, but how could he not know what Hashirama was thinking? That guy clearly didn't want to fight Lin Xuan, so he threw the match on purpose!
However, after thinking about it, Madara found himself sympathizing with Hashirama. After all, he had recently experienced the frustration of fighting Lin Xuan himself.
That guy, Lin Xuan, was too shameless. He relied on his invulnerability to act completely recklessly!
Thus, Madara decided that Hashirama had actually made the correct decision.
With the conclusion of this match, the tournament finally welcomed the grand finale that would decide the strongest in the world.
Final Match: Lin Xuan VS Whitebeard!
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T/N:
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