Jiang Che said nothing. His eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze as sharp as a blade.
There was no trace of confusion in his expression. You could tell he had rehearsed this scene in his mind countless times.
Over the next half month, the Supreme Kai World seemed to become one enormous training ground for cultivating ki.
Ki rippled everywhere in the air, as if the entire world were breathing and flowing.
At daybreak, the sun had yet to rise over the plaza outside Kami's Lookout. A faint streak of pale light had just appeared along the edge of the sky.
Jiang Che sat cross-legged on the ground, eyes closed, his breathing long and steady, his hands resting casually on his knees.
A few little birds with golden feathers flew overhead. The sound of their wings cutting through the air was so faint that ordinary people couldn't hear it.
His God Ki slowly spread outward—like invisible tentacles, it climbed distant mountains, pierced thick clouds, and reached even into the depths of the universe.
He could feel the thin barrier at the edge of the Supreme Kai World. He could also sense the faint earth energy in the rock layers beneath Kami's Lookout, and even the fading life force of a planet on the other side of the galaxy.
Old Supreme Kai stood behind him, leaning on his cane. Every so often, he offered a word of guidance. "Don't use your eyes. Use your heart. Ki is invisible, but it has warmth and weight, and its own vibrational frequency. Once you truly resonate with it, your destination will shine like a ball of fire."
Jiang Che still didn't say a word. Instead, his brow gradually relaxed, and the corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly.
A week later, he made his first direct Instant Transmission from the high platform of the Supreme Kai World to a desolate rocky peak at its edge.
In that instant, he vanished from where he stood, leaving behind only the faintest ripple in the air.
His figure reappeared on the rocky peak. The whole process was so fast it seemed like the blink of an eye—without leaving a trace, or even stirring the hem of his clothes.
Half a month later, Jiang Che could perform Instant Transmission over vast distances at will.
He no longer needed to deliberately lock onto ki. He only had to picture his destination—whether it was a forest, a city, or a particular mountain peak—and his God Ki would carry him there as if it had a mind of its own, directly and accurately every time.
That day, the sun was already sinking in the west. Orange-red light poured through the Supreme Kai World's temple, warming the white jade steps.
Jiang Che had just finished his final practice. His figure streaked away from the horizon like a beam of light, then appeared in the center of the temple the very next instant.
He stood steadily, feet shoulder-width apart, as if he had been there all along.
A breeze blew through the open temple doors, gently ruffling the hair over his forehead.
But just then, a strange tension washed over him like a splash of cold water.
The air had changed. The tranquility from before vanished, replaced by an indescribable oppression.
Under the pillars on the far side of the temple, Kibito Kai was rushing toward them in a panic.
His pristine Supreme Kai robes whipped wildly in the wind. His face was full of anxiety, sweat beaded on his forehead, and he was panting as he ran.
"Old Supreme Kai! Old Supreme Kai!" Kibito Kai's trembling voice echoed through the empty temple. "Something's happened on Earth!"
Old Supreme Kai had been standing before a crystal ball. At those words, he spun around, his bushy white eyebrows knitting together. His gaze sharpened. "Why the rush? Calm down and tell me what happened."
"Son Goku and Baby are fighting!" Kibito Kai rushed up to Old Supreme Kai, his hands clenched tight, his voice tumbling out in a frantic jumble. "I saw it clearly in the Surveillance Mirror—Son Goku is no match for Baby and is already covered in wounds. Even Super Saiyan 3 can't break through Baby's defenses. Baby's even fighting with his hands behind his back!"
Old Supreme Kai's expression darkened at once, deepening the wrinkles on his face.
He asked no more questions. Gripping his cane tightly, he strode straight into the depths of the temple.
A millstone-sized crystal ball sat quietly on a stone pedestal, wrapped in golden lines of runes.
Old Supreme Kai approached it and gently swept his withered hand over its surface, murmuring an ancient incantation.
A mass of mist immediately welled up inside the crystal ball, swirling gray and white before quickly clearing to reveal a bright image.
The first scene appeared: thick leaden-gray clouds hung over a devastated wasteland.
Cracks crisscrossed the ground like an ugly spiderweb, and the air reeked of smoke and scorching heat.
Jiang Che walked over, folded his arms across his chest, and stopped three paces from the crystal ball, his gaze fixed on the image.
The view moved closer.
Two figures were fighting fiercely in a wasteland on Earth.
Son Goku was now in his Super Saiyan 3 form. His golden hair stood on end and rippled like wheat in a gale, while dazzling golden lightning coiled around him. Each time the current cut through the air, it crackled sharply. Even the grass roots caught fire.
His muscles were taut, and pale fury burned in his eyes. Every punch and kick came with a shrill whistle as it tore through the air.
Across from him, Baby stood with his arms crossed, looking disdainful, as if he were admiring the scenery in his own yard.
Son Goku's fists rained down. Every strike made the air explode, shaking the rocks and clods of earth across the wasteland into dust.
But Baby didn't move an inch.
The dark green aura around him was like an impenetrable iron wall. Each blow only sent out ripples that quickly vanished.
"Is that all you've got?" Baby's lips curled into a mocking smile. He looked down on Son Goku as if he were watching an insect struggle.
Before he had even finished speaking, Baby suddenly thrust out his right hand, moving so fast that the air couldn't react, leaving only a blur.
He caught Son Goku's incoming fist precisely. As his five fingers closed around it, bones creaked.
Son Goku's expression changed abruptly, his pupils contracting.
Baby gave a casual flick, as if shaking dust from his hand.
Son Goku spun through the air like a stone hurled from a catapult. He slammed into the ground, blasting it apart as dirt and rocks shot skyward. The heavy impact made the image in the crystal ball shake.
Old Supreme Kai stared intently at the crystal ball, his brow furrowing even deeper. His knuckles had turned white where he gripped his cane.
Jiang Che remained still, but his gaze had grown sharper, like a silent blade drawn from its sheath, carrying a hint of danger.
The ground quickly fractured. Rocks scattered as dust surged up like a towering wave, blotting out the sky.
Cracks spread like a spiderweb. The air filled with the scorched smell of smoke and powdered stone.
Son Goku struggled to push himself up amid the rubble, both hands braced against the rocks, his fingertips dug into the cracks, blood running down his arms.
His whole body trembled. His knees buckled, nearly dropping him to the ground, but in the end he gritted his teeth and held on.
Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth and dripped from his chin onto the charred ground with a faint patter.
Defiance blazed in his eyes; stubbornness and fury lay deep within his pupils.
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