NOVEL NEXT Chapter 286: Xu Wenwu’s Harvest
Ten Rings Headquarters.
Inside a massive warehouse, mountains of round stones were piled high. At the entrance stood Xu Wenwu, flanked by his daughter Xu Xialing, his son Shang-Chi, the Death Merchant, and several subordinates.
Shang-Chi stepped forward.
"Father, the year has passed. The Dragon Balls have revived again. I can feel the knowledge returning to my mind."
Xu Xialing nodded.
"Yes, father. I received the same vision. The Dragon Balls have awakened."
A faint smile crept across Xu Wenwu's face.
"Open the warehouse. Bring out the Dragon Ball."
At his command, soldiers rolled open the giant doors, revealing the endless sea of nearly identical stone spheres.
For six long months Wenwu had ordered his men to scour the markets, buying every perfectly round stone they could find. Now, the moment of truth had come.
The soldiers began the exhausting task of moving them piece by piece. An hour passed, and yet the pile still seemed bottomless. Wenwu's patience wore thin.
"Enough. Step aside."
He strode into the warehouse, his Ten Rings glowing with blue light. With a gesture, the rings flew from his arms, collided together, and unleashed a sweeping wave of energy.
"BOOM!"
The blast reduced the entire mountain of stones into fine powder, a half-meter-thick layer blanketing the floor. With another command, the rings blasted a hole in the back wall and whipped up a gale, sweeping the dust into the night.
When the air cleared, only a single orange orb remained—its surface gleaming, one bright star burning inside.
Wenwu's smile widened. He stepped forward and lifted the One-Star Ball in his palm.
Instantly, knowledge flooded his mind—how the Dragon Balls worked, the rules of the Tournament, the wish-granting power of Shenron. Smith Dole had infused these details into the relics themselves.
"Haha… hahaha!" Wenwu laughed, voice shaking.
"The Dragon Balls truly exist… and they can bring back the dead. Ying Li… this time, I will revive you."
Xialing and Shang-Chi rushed in, bowing their heads.
"Congratulations, father. You've claimed the One-Star Ball and earned your place in the Tournament."
Wenwu's heart soared. His sacrifice had not been in vain. He had even investigated Smith Dole and confirmed John Wick's wife truly lived again. This proof only hardened his resolve—nothing would stop him from seeing his wife alive once more.
"Death Merchant," Wenwu ordered.
"Spread the word. I want the Dragon Balls. Any man who brings me one—name your price."
The Death Merchant reported,
"Master, the current highest buy-offer online—thirty million dollars—is the one we released."
"Thirty million?" Wenwu waved it off.
"If it's genuine, I'll pay a hundred million without hesitation."
His children exchanged looks. A hundred million per Dragon Ball? The underground market would go insane.
To Wenwu, it was simple math. Six more Dragon Balls for six hundred million dollars. To him, no price was too high.
······
Elsewhere—
In another vast warehouse, Tony Stark was also busy.
The moment the Dragon Balls revived, he had felt it. He had failed last year's Tournament, but he wouldn't give up. While Smith Dole trusted the competition system, Tony believed the orbs were too dangerous to remain in circulation. Better locked away, reserved for doomsday.
His solution? Collect every round stone he could find.
His storage was like a research lab—rows upon rows of shelves, each stone resting in its own container, scanners humming as they analyzed.
"Jarvis," Tony asked, "any changes?"
Jarvis responded instantly,
"Sir, sector X, shelf three, row five—one stone has transformed. It is now a Dragon Ball."
Tony's lips curled into a grin.
"Knew it. The system works."
From above, his warehouse looked like a labyrinth of shelves, stretching farther than three factories combined. He had bought more stones than any other collector on Earth.
And now, his first Dragon Ball had awakened among them.
······
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]