That remark dealt another blow to Vegeta's pride.
His expression twisted with rage.
"Shut your mouth, Kakarot!"
Vegeta clenched his fists and turned furiously, the veins on his forehead bulging as if they were about to burst.
Son Goku could transform into a Super Saiyan, but he couldn't. It was a sore spot for him.
And now those two were rubbing it in. They might as well have been pouring salt into a wound!
Son Goku looked at Vegeta's furious expression and opened his mouth, wanting to explain.
Vegeta didn't give him the chance. Instead, he turned his anger on Li Lin. "And you! Aren't you just afraid to accept my challenge because you're scared of losing to me? Why keep making so many excuses?"
Li Lin furrowed his brows, his expression darkening.
He actually liked Vegeta quite a lot.
But that was the Vegeta from later in Dragon Ball. At this point, he was still rather arrogant.
So arrogant that he was hard to like.
"Fine, then. Let's get this over with quickly!"
Li Lin looked at him calmly and spoke in an even tone.
"Heh." Vegeta curled his lips into a cold smile. "What, are you angry?"
Li Lin yawned and replied blandly, "I wouldn't say I'm angry. I don't bother arguing with ants."
He really wasn't angry. It was just that, if things continued like this and they didn't fight today, this guy would probably stick to him like a leech, which would seriously interfere with his training.
The moment Vegeta heard the word "ant," he flew into a rage. No one had ever called him that in his entire life.
Even when he had served under Frieza, Frieza had always considered him a threat. He had never once called him an ant!
Vegeta gritted his teeth. "You bastard! I'll show you just how strong an ant can be!"
"Ha!" His furious shout shook the surroundings.
The power within him erupted in an instant. Waves of energy surged in every direction, and a white aura enveloped his body.
Feeling this powerful energy, everyone retreated a distance.
They were afraid they might get caught up in the fight once it began.
"Heh, Vegeta's pretty strong!"
Son Goku watched from the front and praised him.
Back on Planet Namek, Vegeta hadn't been this strong.
Who would've thought he could improve so much in such a short time?
Seeing the surprise on Son Goku's face, Vegeta finally felt a little better.
But he knew this level of power was nothing in front of Li Lin.
After all, the energy this man had just released was far more ferocious than his own!
"Mm, not bad. Not bad!"
Li Lin nodded and spoke casually.
He could sense Vegeta's energy. Aside from himself and Son Goku, every other strong fighter on Earth was a whole level below him.
In that case, the title of Saiyan Prince suited him. His talent was indeed impressive.
"Hmph!" Hearing Li Lin's approval, Vegeta finally showed a hint of smugness. Then his gaze sharpened, and he said, "Take this!"
The next moment, Vegeta charged in with a punch.
A steady stream of sonic booms rang out. The force of his punch tore through everything in its path, sending dust and smoke billowing into the air!
Li Lin saw Vegeta's overwhelming attack heading straight for him.
He decided to stop holding back. His expression turned serious, his gaze fixed on Vegeta, and he punched back.
"Boom!" A thunderclap exploded out of nowhere!
The two forces collided, unleashing a gale that blasted several yards of dust off the ground.
As the dust scattered, Vegeta felt his arm go numb. He thought in shock, What incredible strength!
After exchanging a punch, the two of them flew backward.
Li Lin nodded to himself. It seemed he had controlled his strength fairly well.
If he'd been as careless as before, Vegeta would probably have ended up in hell keeping Frieza and his father company.
Though Vegeta felt fear rising inside him, he didn't back down. He charged at Li Lin again.
His pride wouldn't let him admit defeat. The two of them had to determine who was stronger!
Li Lin didn't hesitate either. After roughly gauging how much force to use, he threw another punch.
"Boom!" A violent explosion rang out, and waves of energy swept across the area.
The ground shook throughout the entire region. Vegeta braced himself against the impact, but it sent him flying dozens of yards!
He rolled across the ground several times before finally managing to stop.
Li Lin gave him no chance to recover. With a single instant movement, he appeared right in front of Vegeta.
"Thud!" "Thud!" "Thud!"
Dull impacts rang out as fists the size of sandbags slammed into Vegeta's body.
"Ugh!"
Blood sprayed from Vegeta's mouth. He lowered his head and clutched his chest, his face contorted in pain!
Li Lin looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Looks like I went a little too easy. He's still conscious."
He had meant to knock Vegeta out, not take his life.
So he'd held back. A few punches had left Vegeta in a sorry state, but they hadn't had the desired effect!
Li Lin shook his head and looked down at him.
"Wham!" Then he lashed out with his leg like a whip.
"Ah!" Vegeta screamed as the kick landed squarely. He rolled across the ground twice more.
The blood streaming from his mouth traced a graceful arc through the air.
His head throbbed. His vision went black, and this time he truly passed out!
"Mm." Li Lin nodded calmly and said slowly, "It's finally over."
Everyone watched the fight come to an end, their hearts filled with emotion.
They hadn't even seen how Li Lin had attacked before Vegeta was spitting blood and lying on the ground.
They'd known beforehand that Vegeta was no match for Li Lin, but they hadn't expected him to lose so quickly—or to be beaten without a chance to fight back.
"If I had to face Li Lin, I can't even imagine what would happen!"
Krillin patted his chest and sighed.
Piccolo shot him a sidelong glance and said bluntly, "Don't flatter yourself. Li Lin was holding back a lot just now."
"If he'd fought with the same power he released earlier,"
"even Goku probably wouldn't have fared much better as a Super Saiyan. And you're even weaker than him."
"Heh." Krillin rubbed his bald head and laughed awkwardly.
He was just saying. When it came to a powerful fighter like Li Lin, he'd run for his life rather than provoke him.
"So strong! He's so strong!" Son Goku clenched his fists, practically bouncing with excitement.
He'd never faced such a powerful opponent before. He could hardly wait.
"Li Lin, now it's our turn!"
Before you continue