A few days after Golden Frieza was dealt with, in the God of Destruction Realm of Universe 7.
Son Goku and Vegeta wore heavy white Gravity Suits. Their bodies were held perfectly straight as they supported their entire weight on a single index finger, doing textbook handstand push-ups.
Sweat streamed down their foreheads and soaked the ground beneath them. Their arms trembled slightly; they had clearly reached their limits.
"Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety!"
Son Goku gritted his teeth and shouted, his voice hoarse.
His face was flushed red. Every time he pushed himself up, it was as if he were struggling against a mountain.
Vegeta's lips curled into a stubborn smile. He was moving a little faster than Son Goku.
"Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety! One more to go!"
"Son Goku! This time, I'm going to beat you!"
They had already done tens of thousands of handstand push-ups. They were drenched in sweat and exhausted, yet they gritted their teeth and kept going, neither willing to give in.
On an open patch of ground nearby stood an elegant stone table.
Whis and Lin Fan were sitting leisurely on stone stools, drinking steaming cups of tea.
Watching the two of them compete, Whis shook his head gently.
"They certainly have plenty of energy."
"But this level of training is no longer enough for them."
Lin Fan lifted his teacup, took a sip, and said with a smile,
"This is only the beginning."
"Once they get used to the weight of these Gravity Suits, I'll give them even more challenging training."
Just then,
Rumble!
A sudden crash rang out from the sky.
A figure plunged straight down from high above like a meteor, slamming into the ground and kicking up a vast cloud of dust.
A terrifying shock wave spread out, making Son Goku and Vegeta—who had been competing—jerk violently. They lost their balance and crashed heavily to the ground.
"Damn it!"
Vegeta jumped to his feet and glared toward the cloud of dust, his face livid.
"I was only one away! I would've done ten more than Son Goku!"
"That guy who suddenly fell out of the sky ruined it!"
Son Goku rubbed his aching arm and grinned.
"Ha ha, Vegeta, that just means you were unlucky!"
A flash of purple light appeared, and Beerus slowly materialized in the air.
With his hands on his hips, he looked down at Son Gohan on the ground, his tone full of mockery.
"What a fragile body!"
"I didn't even use a fraction of my strength, and you already couldn't take it?"
"How could someone like you ever become the God of Destruction's backup in Universe 7?"
A powerful aura suddenly erupted from within the dust!
Golden flames shot into the sky, sweeping away the dust around them.
Son Gohan slowly stood up. His hair had turned a brilliant gold, and violent waves of energy swirled around him. He was in his Super Saiyan 2 form!
"Lord Beerus!"
Son Gohan's gaze was unwavering. He bowed deeply to Beerus.
"My power is still far from enough!"
"Please continue guiding my training!"
"I can keep going!"
Before he had even finished speaking, Son Gohan's golden aura surged again.
He pushed off hard with both feet and charged at Beerus like an arrow loosed from a bow.
His fist clenched, he swung with a rush of wind, aiming straight for Beerus's face!
Beerus raised an eyebrow, a trace of disdain crossing his face.
Just as Son Gohan's fist was about to land,
Rumble!
An even louder crash suddenly rang out from far away.
The entire God of Destruction Realm trembled slightly from the impact.
Beerus's attention was instantly drawn away.
Son Gohan couldn't pull his fist back in time. It landed squarely on Beerus's face.
But his fist struck Beerus as if it had hit a cloud. It had no effect whatsoever.
Son Gohan's face went deathly pale. He hurriedly withdrew his fist and bowed repeatedly to Beerus.
"I'm sorry, Lord Beerus! I didn't mean to!"
Whis and Lin Fan exchanged a glance. They both saw recognition in the other's eyes.
Lin Fan set down his teacup and said with a smile,
"Looks like we have a visitor."
Whis nodded.
"And an old friend, at that."
The smoke around the landing site slowly cleared.
Two figures appeared before them.
One was short and stocky, dressed in a God of Destruction uniform matching Beerus's. He was Champa, the God of Destruction of Universe 6.
Behind him stood a tall, stunningly beautiful woman: Vados, the angel of Universe 6.
Looking at the damaged ground around them, Vados shook her head helplessly, her tone edged with exasperation.
"Lord Champa, you really didn't need to make such a big entrance."
"As a God of Destruction, you should make a more elegant entrance."
Champa put his hands on his hips and spoke smugly.
"Elegant? What's that?"
"When the star of the show makes an entrance, of course it has to be grand!"
"I can already picture Beerus losing utterly and begging me for forgiveness on his knees!"
When Beerus saw Champa, his expression immediately darkened.
He snorted and demanded angrily,
"Champa! What are you doing in my Universe 7?"
Champa chuckled, his expression full of provocation.
"What? Don't welcome me?"
"I just came to see how my dear big brother has been doing lately."
Beerus's fists clenched at once, and a terrifying aura radiated from him.
Just as the two were about to fight, Whis quickly shot Beerus a meaningful look.
Gods of Destruction were not allowed to fight each other freely. That was a rule of the universe.
Beerus took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his anger.
Watching the scene unfold, Lin Fan's lips curled into a smile.
He remembered clearly that the brothers Beerus and Champa had a special contest every year.
Beerus remembered it, too.
He and Champa held a food contest every year.
Each of them brought a delicacy from his own universe, and the two of them tasted both. The more delicious dish won.
Beerus had never lost any of their previous contests.
Seeing how confident Champa looked, Beerus was full of disdain.
He had Earth, after all—the "Gourmet Planet"!
Earth had an incredible variety of delicious foods, and their flavors were hailed as the best in the universe!
No matter what delicacy Champa brought out, it could never compare to Earth's food!
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