First Encounter

Jiang Che maintained his usual lazy demeanor, hands tucked into his pockets, his face devoid of even a ripple of emotion.

He tilted his head, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, looking like a mere spectator watching a play, completely unfazed by Vegeta's killing intent.

The evening breeze swept past, ruffling his hair and gently fluttering his shirt.

Needless to say, this indifference was pure provocation in Vegeta's eyes—arrogant, and filled with an indescribable contempt.

"You're courting death!" Vegeta roared, his voice raspy and beast-like.

He stomped hard against the ground, shattering the earth and sending gravel flying, while he himself shot toward Jiang Che like a bolt of golden lightning.

His movements were too fast; his figure dragged a streak of light through the air, tearing through the wind with a sharp, piercing shriek.

His right fist, clenched white, smashed directly toward Jiang Che's face.

The speed was significantly faster than before, and the wind pressure from his punch felt like blades, leaving a searing, painful sting on Jiang Che's skin.

Jiang Che's eyes tightened, his pupils shrinking.

Without a second thought, his body reacted instinctively; he twisted his waist and leaned slightly to the left.

The fist whistled past his face, the heat of the wind brushing his cheek as a few strands of his hair were shorn off and sent drifting into the air.

But Vegeta didn't stop; his knee was already following through.

The movement was crisp and decisive; the previous punch had been nothing but a feint, with the true killing blow packed into this knee strike.

The knee carried the force of a thunderbolt, driving straight toward Jiang Che's abdomen, the golden afterimage moving so fast it was nearly impossible to track.

Jiang Che had no time to think, subconsciously crossing his arms to block his chest, followed immediately by a dull thud.

He was sent flying backward by the impact, his feet carving arcs through the air, his arms numb and his chest trembling as if a sledgehammer had slammed into his internal organs.

He slid over ten meters across the ground, tearing up the turf and spraying mud, only managing to stabilize himself by digging his heels in hard.

Jiang Che crouched halfway, his hands still trembling slightly, his fingertips pale.

He shook his hands out and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Vegeta licked his lips and glanced at him with a hint of appreciation, though it was overshadowed by an excited, brutal cruelty.

"Not bad reflexes," he chuckled, his tone bloodthirsty, "but you're still far from enough!"

As the words fell, Vegeta exerted force, the ground exploded once more, and he vanished in an instant.

Only a golden afterimage remained, streaking across the night sky like a meteor.

The next second, Vegeta was already above Jiang Che's head.

His right leg was raised high, muscles taut, before he brought it crashing down!

The strike was like a battle-axe, accompanied by a shriek that tore through the air, aiming straight for the crown of Jiang Che's head.

Jiang Che looked up, catching sight of that golden aura, which seemed capable of slicing through space itself.

With no time to think, he raised his arms, crossing them to parry.

Bang! The ground collapsed violently, and soil and stone erupted like a torrential downpour, slamming into the surrounding trees with a rhythmic clatter.

The lawn caved in completely, forming a five-meter-wide crater with cracks spiderwebbing outward.

Jiang Che's legs sank deep into the mud, his knees bent at a dangerous angle, his bones groaning under the strain.

Vegeta hovered in mid-air, looking down at him from above, his golden aura roiling behind him like a deity.

The corner of his mouth curled into a mocking smile.

"How about that? Do you see the gap between us now?" Vegeta's voice was cold and sharp, laced with the taunt that Jiang Che couldn't hold on much longer.

Jiang Che shook his numb arms, trying to dissipate the lingering electrical sensation.

He stood up slowly, dusting the mud and grass clippings from his hands.

Though his chest heaved and his breathing was heavy, his eyes burned with excitement.

That was it—this was the feeling.

His blood was boiling; the desire ignited by combat made his entire body feel like it was on fire.

The energy within him felt like fuel catching flame, surging wildly and galloping through his meridians, every muscle roaring for a more violent collision.

"A gap?" Jiang Che chuckled, his tone profound. "This is only just beginning."

Before the words were even out, he suddenly crouched, bending his knees to the limit before exploding upward.

The mud beneath his feet detonated, and he shot into the sky like a cannonball, dragging a long afterimage behind him and creating a ring of shockwaves in the air.

Vegeta's pupils contracted, and he instinctively crossed his arms to block his chest.

Bang! Their fists collided, shattering the air itself. The shockwave rippled outward, causing the trees to thrash wildly and leaves to fill the sky, even dispersing the distant fountain's water column.

The two tangled in mid-air, moving faster and faster, their afterimages overlapping.

Fist met fist, knee met knee, each thunderous impact threatening to burst their eardrums.

The clouds in the sky were torn apart by their collision, and the moonlight spilled down, illuminating their figures with startling clarity.

To be honest, Jiang Che's combat experience couldn't compare to Vegeta's; his blocks were occasionally a beat slow, and his attacks lacked that final touch of cunning.

But his physical quality was too monstrous; a casual punch could shatter rocks, and with his increasingly proficient control over his Ki, he was actually fighting Vegeta on even terms.

After another collision, both men retreated several meters, creating distance in mid-air.

Jiang Che's breathing grew heavier, sweat beaded on his forehead, but his eyes became sharper, gleaming with excitement.

Vegeta's breathing also deepened, his chest no longer steady, his gaze turning serious.

"This kid..." Vegeta put away his disdain and became cautious.

He licked his dry lips, staring intently at Jiang Che, and had to admit in his heart that Jiang Che's talent was simply terrifying.

In their first encounter, within just a dozen moves, he had figured out his patterns and gradually shifted from being on the defensive to launching active counterattacks.

This speed of adaptation, this learning rhythm, was just like a sponge; a touch and he would evolve a little.

He was growing too fast, outrageously so!

But Vegeta had no intention of holding back. He took a deep breath, and the Ki within him surged, his golden aura flaring brighter, even his hair standing on end.

His eyes were filled with fervent battle intent.

"Come on, let's see how long you can last!" he roared and lunged forward, his entire body illuminated by the moonlight, like a streak of light tearing through the night.