The Choice of Power

Jiang Che's face remained devoid of expression. He shook his head, a trace of mockery even tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Sorry, not interested."

His voice was calm, as cold as winter ice. "Besides, do you really think I would believe a word from a parasite? Your eyes are filled with nothing but lies and a thirst for power."

"No! I'm serious!" Great Ape Baby cried out in a panic, his voice quickening as if he were about to vanish. "Spare me, and I can tell you about Zeno! Zeno! You know Zeno, right? The greatest god in the universe! I know his secret base, and his power fragments—"

Before he could finish, perhaps due to his agitation, he began to cough violently, blood surging from the corners of his mouth to drip onto the ground.

Jiang Che's movements paused for a fraction of a second.

Zeno.

He was, of course, well aware of that name.

In the entire universe, Zeno stood at the absolute apex; a single word from him could destroy everything, and everyone else was insignificant in his presence.

But so what?

Seeing Jiang Che waver, Great Ape Baby scrambled forward desperately, his hands dragging two bloody furrows across the ground, his entire body nearly clawing its way to Jiang Che's feet. "I know where Zeno is! And other secrets of the universe! I have so much more intelligence gathered! Spare me, and I'll tell you everything! Please! Please—"

"Enough." Jiang Che cut him off directly, his tone flat yet carrying an unyielding finality. "I have no interest in your secrets. Whether it's Zeno or those powerhouses in the universe, they are useless to me."

The energy sphere in his hand swelled abruptly, growing from the size of a fist to a meter wide.

The sphere flashed with a fierce, scarlet light, like a small sun hovering in his palm, its humming sound growing higher and sharper.

The air distorted completely under the intense heat, even catching fire as ripples of flame spread outward in circles.

Debris melted into magma, sizzling as it flowed across the ground.

Jiang Che's voice was icy, each word like an ice pick stabbing into Great Ape Baby's heart. "I only know one thing—"

He paused, his gaze like a blade, staring fixedly at Great Ape Baby's twisted face. "A parasite like you doesn't deserve to live in this world."

"No—!" Great Ape Baby screamed in despair, his voice tearing through the air.

He tried to flee, his legs kicking frantically in the rubble, his entire body trembling violently with fear.

The shadow of death was already reflected in his eyes—the red energy sphere growing larger on his retinas, shining as if it would swallow everything.

Great Ape Baby began to wail incoherently, moaning, cursing, and begging in a chaotic mess, eventually dissolving into broken sobs.

Jiang Che simply pushed his hand forward slowly. The energy sphere flew out, trailing a dazzling red wake like a meteor destined to destroy everything, slamming directly into Great Ape Baby's back.

A gale roared, Great Ape Baby's furious howl was shredded, the battlefield floor cracked open with a boom, and debris sprayed upward like rain.

Jiang Che opened his hands. The scarlet energy sphere in his palms seemed alive, its surface flickering with arcs of electricity, each line of energy carving a faint, low roar into the air.

His eyes held only indifference, a faint smile hanging on his lips as he hovered in mid-air, his black hair whipped up by the gale.

"There was a path to heaven you refused to take, and no gate to hell, yet you insisted on breaking in. Now, it's time to send you on your way."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Che flicked his wrist and pushed with his five fingers—the scarlet energy sphere instantly expanded several times over, shooting out like a burning star dragging a wave of heat behind it.

The air was compressed to its limit, the cracking sound piercing. A straight trench was instantly blasted into the dust on the ground, the soil flying toward Great Ape Baby.

Fear leaked from the eyes of the Great Ape that Baby had transformed into. His massive body tried desperately to dodge, but the speed of the energy sphere was far beyond his reaction time—before he could even fully raise his arms, the red light slammed directly into his chest.

"BOOM—!"

The explosion rolled across the entire battlefield like a thunderclap, the ground shaking for kilometers as if the earth itself were crying out.

A blinding white light erupted from the blast, making it nearly impossible to keep one's eyes open, followed immediately by a scarlet tide that flooded everything, swallowing all in its path.

Great Ape Baby's screams were torn apart in the red light. "No! I won't accept this! I won't accept this—!"

The cries grew weaker, as if sinking into the deep sea, until they finally fell silent.

The aftershocks of the red light slowly dissipated, clearing away all the explosive energy and leaving behind only a deathly stillness.

The light gradually receded, like the curtain falling on a stage.

A crater dozens of meters in diameter appeared on the ground, its walls smooth and still glowing with faint red embers, like a scar left behind after the earth had been scorched.

Great Ape Baby's massive body, his hideous face, and the consumed consciousness of the Tuffle were all reduced to nothingness, not even a speck of dust remaining.

The wind swept over the crater, causing the sand to whistle, as if whispering the end of the battle.

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for completing the mission: Kill Great Ape Baby!]

The system's voice in Jiang Che's mind was as crisp as metal, carrying a hint of pride.

[Reward: 50,000 Exchange Points!]

After a moment, the notification tone suddenly pitched higher, sounding as joyful as if it were jumping for glee:

[Special Notice: As this is the Host's first mission completion, the reward is doubled! A total of 100,000 Exchange Points awarded!]

The numbers flickered in Jiang Che's mind like ignited fireworks.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, the smile on his lips deepening.

He nodded gently, lowering his hands slowly as the airflow around him gradually calmed.

The golden aura of his transformation slowly receded, his long hair falling from a scorching gold back to a deep black, settling steadily over his shoulders.

His muscle definition and breathing gradually returned to normal, and he became an unremarkable youth once again.

In the distance, Gohan stood where he was, his face pale and his lips trembling uncontrollably, as if he had words stuck in his throat that he couldn't bring himself to speak.

Baby's lingering consciousness within him had been purged, but those memories of being controlled—the despair of having his soul torn apart and his body stolen—still coiled in his mind like a viper, gnawing away at his composure bit by bit.

He stared fixedly at Jiang Che, his eyes filled with nothing but awe and confusion.

"Jiang Che... you..." Gohan finally spoke, his voice as hoarse as sandpaper scraping against stone, every word trembling, "Just how strong are you?"

Jiang Che turned slowly, his gaze falling upon Gohan's pale face like calm water.

He offered a faint smile, so subtle it was almost imperceptible, yet that expression was unfathomable. "What do you think?"

With that, he bent his knees slightly and tapped his toes against the ground—transforming into a streak of light that tore through the sky and shot straight toward the clouds.

The light pierced the cloud layer, leaving a straight white trail across the heavens as if splitting the sky in two, a gash that refused to close for a long time.

Only Gohan remained standing where he was, head tilted back as he watched the light gradually vanish. His lips moved, but no sound came out; only the wind whipped his tattered clothes, snapping loudly.

Supreme Kai World.

Dull nebulae drifted along the edge of the sky, and Kami's Lookout towered toward the heavens, its ground paved with crystalline shards that reflected the radiance of the distant galaxy.

Old Supreme Kai sat enthroned in the center of the temple, his withered fingers slowly moving away from the crystal ball. The image within blurred, leaving behind only the fading afterimage of the light streak from when Jiang Che had vanished.

His expression was grave, the wrinkles on his face etched deep, but his eyes were incredibly sharp.