Awakened Power

Kibito Kai stood there, dumbfounded, his mouth half open as he struggled to say a word.

He stared at Jiang Che—that young, resolute face and the determination in his eyes. Honestly, for a moment, he had no idea what to say.

Was this guy really that confident?

Or had he seen through everything from the start?

Time trickled by, like fine sand slipping through his fingers.

Three days, four days... just like that, only one day remained of the five-day period Old Supreme Kai had promised.

Dawn broke over the Supreme Kai World, bathing it in a faint purple light.

As usual, Jiang Che sat on the cliff outside Kami's Lookout. The early morning breeze was chilly, stirring the loose strands of hair on his forehead.

He sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, focusing his mind.

His breathing was slow and steady.

The aura around him rose and fell, perfectly blending with the dawn glow on the horizon.

Suddenly—

BOOM!

A powerful surge of energy erupted from inside Kami's Lookout, shaking the entire temple as if a volcano had blown.

The stone tiles split with countless hairline cracks. Pebbles scattered, and dust billowed everywhere.

Loose stones along the cliff tumbled into the bottomless abyss.

Jiang Che's eyes snapped open, a flash of light glinting in his pupils.

He turned toward Kami's Lookout. Through the wide-open entrance, he saw golden light pouring from within, like a sun rising from the center of the temple.

Within the golden light, an aura so powerful it was suffocating slowly began to awaken, like an ancient dragon opening its eyes after ten thousand years of slumber.

"The time has come."

Jiang Che rose to his feet with a brisk, decisive motion.

He brushed the dust from his robe and headed toward Kami's Lookout.

Each step landed on the cracked tiles, stirring up a faint cloud of dust.

In the morning light, his shadow stretched long behind him, like a sword about to be drawn.

As soon as he entered Kami's Lookout, he nearly slammed into an invisible wall. A crushing pressure bore down from all directions, and the entire space seemed on the verge of being squeezed apart by some unseen force.

His steps faltered slightly. Looking around the temple, he saw Old Supreme Kai seated cross-legged at the center of the altar, his back straight and his hands forming a seal. Blazing white light swirled around him.

The light churned and flickered like boiling fire, occasionally spitting arcs of electricity that seemed to carve cracks into the air.

The ancient patterns on the floor shone brightly. The candles around the temple swayed violently, as if they might be snuffed out at any moment—little soldiers clinging to life in the wind.

The entire surge of energy was radiating from Old Supreme Kai himself.

A few streaks of light seeped through his closed eyes. Sweat covered his forehead, and even his beard stood on end, as if charged by electricity.

Kibito Kai stood nearby, both hands pressed tightly to his chest. He never took his eyes off Old Supreme Kai, and his knuckles had gone white from the strain.

The moment he saw Jiang Che enter, he whipped around. His voice was taut with barely contained anxiety. "We're at the final stage. Old Supreme Kai is bringing it all together!"

"Don't get too close. The residual energy is dangerous. You could get hurt!"

Jiang Che nodded without a word and stopped at the entrance.

He folded his arms and watched the altar in silence, listening for every ripple in the temple's air.

Each time the white light swelled, it came with a low hum, like the breathing of an ancient beast.

The floor shuddered now and then, and dust cascaded from the ceiling.

Jiang Che adjusted to the crushing pressure and quieted his breathing, concealing every trace of his own energy.

About half an hour passed. Then the mass of white light suddenly seemed to be seized by an invisible hand, shrinking into a thin line before pouring back into Old Supreme Kai's body.

The temple instantly fell dark. The candles flickered out for a moment, then suddenly flared back to life.

Old Supreme Kai shuddered and let out a long breath, a few golden particles drifting slowly through the air.

He opened his eyes, faint afterimages still flickering in his pupils, and looked at Jiang Che. His voice was hoarse but steady. "Come over and sit down."

Jiang Che walked over, his footsteps ringing clearly against the stone tiles.

He sat cross-legged in front of Old Supreme Kai, their hands almost facing each other.

He noticed that Old Supreme Kai's palms were glowing red, as if they had just been burned by fire. A faint light still flowed beneath his skin.

"I've brought your potential development this far. All that remains is to pass this power on to you."

Old Supreme Kai extended one hand, palm up and fingers spread. "Relax. Don't resist."

"Remember, if you fight it and the power runs wild, you'll be the one who gets hurt."

Jiang Che took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He cleared his mind and let his consciousness sink completely into his body.

He drifted like a feather in the sea of his own consciousness.

He could feel Old Supreme Kai's hand drawing closer, its palm radiating warmth.

"Here it comes," Old Supreme Kai said in a low voice.

A warm current of power flowed from his palm into Jiang Che's body.

At first it came like a gentle stream, but soon it turned into a raging flood, rushing through his channels and coursing throughout his body.

Jiang Che's whole body tensed. His muscles trembled uncontrollably, and golden patterns surfaced across his skin, like ancient runes.

Wherever the power reached, his cells awakened, frantically absorbing energy as they tore apart and rebuilt themselves.

"Ugh..." Jiang Che's face twisted. His brow furrowed, veins bulged on his forehead, and his teeth ground together with a sharp crunch.

A stabbing pain surged from deep within his bones. Countless tiny needles seemed to dart through him as his cells grew and strengthened at a furious pace, bringing pain beyond anything he had ever known.

His heart pounded wildly, each beat like a war drum. He could almost hear the blood crashing through his veins.

His joints kept cracking, like an old machine being forced to turn.

But he didn't resist. Instead, he relaxed completely and let the power wash freely over every cell in his body.

He could feel his muscles growing fuller and stronger, his bones becoming denser and tougher. Even his breathing had grown deeper and more powerful.

The channels within his body widened like rivers, energy thundering through them.

Sweat slid down his cheeks and evaporated as soon as it hit the ground, leaving behind only a white ring.

Time passed. The only sounds in the temple were Old Supreme Kai's ragged breathing and Jiang Che's muffled groans.

Kibito Kai stood there, watching without blinking, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the hilt of his sword.

The wind outside had died. The temple was so quiet that all they could hear were the beating hearts within it.

After an unknown amount of time, the stabbing pain gradually faded, replaced by a fullness unlike anything he had ever felt. It was as if molten iron had filled his body, then cooled and hardened into an unbreakable whole.

Jiang Che could clearly feel that the power inside him was now ten times greater than before. With the slightest lift of his hand, he felt as if he could split the void.

He reined in the light within him. The golden patterns on his skin slowly disappeared, and his body returned to normal.

"That's it."

Old Supreme Kai withdrew his hands and swayed, as if all his strength had been drained in an instant.

He wiped his forehead, his fingertips coming away faintly red.

It was a sign that he had pushed himself too far.

He looked up at Jiang Che and spoke slowly. "I've drawn out your potential to its limit. How far you go from here is up to you."

"Don't forget: the greater your power, the greater your responsibility."

Jiang Che opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a blade.

He slowly clenched his fist. His knuckles cracked, and the vast power within him surged like an ocean.

He drew a deep breath and said, "Thank you."

His voice was quiet, but carried such force that even the candle flames trembled.

"Don't thank me yet. We're not finished."

Old Supreme Kai's expression turned stern. He stared hard at Jiang Che. "Didn't you say you were going to defeat Baby? Now's the time."