In the Supreme Kai World.
"This ki is powerful, but it isn't evil.
And it's coming from none other than Earth!"
Old Supreme Kai had lived a long time and seen a great deal, so he was very experienced and knowledgeable.
Although he was also extremely shocked, unlike Supreme Kai Shin, he managed to keep his composure.
Besides, Son Goku and the others were on Earth.
But no matter how he sensed this ki, he couldn't match it to anyone among Son Goku and the others.
"Earth?"
Supreme Kai Shin froze, then immediately closed his eyes and sensed it. Only after a moment did he nod.
"Let's take another look. Perhaps things aren't as bad as we think."
Old Supreme Kai took out a crystal ball and placed it before him, murmuring a few words that no one else could understand.
He placed both hands on the crystal ball.
"Show me!"
Ripples flashed across the crystal ball, and an image appeared at once.
The place shown in the image was none other than Earth as it was now.
And the figures reflected within it were—
"Son Goku, Son Gohan, Vegeta, and who's the other person?!"
Looking at the four people in the crystal ball, Supreme Kai Shin recognized only three of them.
The last one looked completely unfamiliar, and he voiced his confusion.
"If I knew, do you think I'd be asking you?"
Old Supreme Kai replied crossly.
Supreme Kai Shin froze, unable to find anything to say in response.
Old Supreme Kai's expression gradually grew serious.
If this person had never appeared before, then things could get troublesome.
"This is my Super Saiyan 3. Its power is four times that of Super Saiyan 2, which makes it four hundred times my normal strength!
My battle power in my normal state is 100 billion. After transforming into Super Saiyan 3, my power reaches 40 trillion!
Super Saiyan 3 is simply one of the Saiyans' stages.
Any Saiyan who's willing to put in the effort can easily reach the third transformation stage.
But after the third stage, there are other transformations waiting to be developed. That's where the dividing line appears."
Soya spoke slowly. He didn't immediately set out to transform into Super Saiyan 4, but instead began explaining things to Son Goku and the others.
"A dividing line?!"
Son Goku was taken aback, then looked at Soya in confusion. With his intelligence, he clearly found the explanation hard to grasp.
"You can think of the dividing line as a choice.
It's just that each person makes a different choice.
From what I've learned, Saiyans in ancient times split into two groups. One group made Saiyan glory their foundation. They refused to abandon their path or give up, and pressed on with unwavering resolve.
It's very difficult for people like that to break through, but once they do, their strength increases tremendously.
You could say that they followed the path of the Saiyans' innate ability to transform.
The other group chose a different path.
When they couldn't break through to a new transformation, they used other methods to grow stronger.
By chance, some of them reached a new realm: the realm of the Super Saiyan God.
Every species can cultivate itself into a god after reaching a certain level. This is an unchanging law that has existed since time immemorial.
The Saiyans of old walked both paths, and succeeded at both.
As for which of the two paths is truly the right one, there's no way to know."
Soya explained slowly. He didn't actually have to say any of this.
And he believed that even if he said nothing, once Beerus arrived, Son Goku and Vegeta would still follow the original course of events and become Super Saiyan Gods.
Soya's appearance had simply given them another choice. That was his main purpose.
"Son Gohan, the path you've taken is one that no Saiyan has walked in all these years. But it leans more toward becoming a Super Saiyan God.
There are some specific differences, though, and I can't really comment on those. In the end, it's up to you."
As he spoke, Soya glanced at Son Gohan.
"Soya, you've said all that, but I want to know which path you took."
Vegeta looked at Soya. He was the only one who would ask such a question.
If they left it to Son Goku, the guy would probably be too embarrassed.
It wasn't that Son Goku didn't dare ask; he might not have even thought of the question.
"I..."
Soya glanced at Vegeta, then shifted his gaze to his fist.
"I chose the Saiyan path. I didn't choose to cultivate a higher realm. In other words, I focus on the Saiyan transformations, not on becoming a Super Saiyan God."
Soya smiled faintly as he spoke.
"Then that means you have another transformation after Super Saiyan 3, right?"
Vegeta looked at Soya and asked directly, without beating around the bush. A look of anticipation appeared in his eyes.
"Of course!"
Soya nodded, making no attempt to deny it.
"Can you show us?"
Son Goku looked at Soya expectantly too.
"Sure!"
Soya nodded, then—
"Boom!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a terrifying aura, countless times more powerful than Super Saiyan 3, erupted from Soya.
It kept rising!
"This..."
As the three of them sensed this aura, their expressions changed drastically, and they stared at Soya in shock.
"What you're about to see is a transformation that disappeared in ancient times and that no one has ever achieved since.
It's a transformation beyond Super Saiyan 3. I call it Super Saiyan—"
Soya clenched both fists. A moment later, he suddenly spoke.
"4!"
The instant the words fell, an unimaginable aura of power erupted from within Soya.
It was simply too powerful, reaching a level beyond anything they could imagine.
At least, that was how it seemed to Son Goku and the other two. They had never imagined that one person could become this powerful.
Especially since this person was a Super Saiyan, just like them.
Son Gohan was another matter. All he wanted now was to focus on his studies and follow the path his mother, Chi-Chi, wanted for him.
But to Son Goku and Vegeta, Soya was a towering mountain standing before them.
Though he was unimaginably powerful, far beyond anything they had pictured,
they still had to climb over that mountain!