Crisis Descends

"What's wrong?" Jiang Che immediately caught the tension in his voice, his body leaning forward instinctively.

"That brat Son Goku has already gone to Earth." Old Supreme Kai sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head, looking as if he were reliving the scene he had just witnessed. "His wounds had just healed, and he went and pulled his tail off—I wanted him to try a different path to strength, like focusing on divine power or honing his intuition, even if it meant just taking a few days to build up his reserves. But that guy wouldn't listen; he insisted on going head-to-head."

At this, Old Supreme Kai opened his eyes, his expression filled with worry. "He actually thinks Baby is just an ordinary opponent. But I know that Baby's strength is far beyond that of any common enemy. If no one goes to save him, Goku is going to lose his life this time."

Jiang Che stood up abruptly, his clothes fluttering without a breeze, a cold, sharp aura radiating from him. "I'm going to Earth now."

His tone left no room for negotiation, a flash of icy light crossing his eyes.

"And then?"

Old Supreme Kai's voice was raspy, sounding like sandpaper rubbing together; he was so anxious his beard trembled, his white hair stood on end, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

His cloudy eyes were fixed intently on the crystal ball before him, as if he wished he could burn a hole through the image.

"And then? Super Saiyan 4 Goku turned the tide against Baby. At first, his momentum was fierce; wherever his fists and feet landed, the battlefield looked like it had been raked by a bulldozer. With every shockwave, everything within a hundred miles was reduced to dust." Jiang Che's tone was indifferent, his eyelids not even flickering. "But the brat was too arrogant. Once he gained the upper hand, he started playing around. He toyed with his opponent, slowed his attacks, and couldn't help but run his mouth—and that gave Baby the opening he needed. Now... see for yourself."

Old Supreme Kai raised his hand, his withered fingers tracing an arc in the air.

The air before them suddenly rippled like a pond disturbed by a stone, sending out concentric, transparent waves.

Then, a crystal ball the size of a fist materialized out of thin air, its surface flowing with a ghostly blue light, hovering like a cold flame.

The image brightened, revealing New Planet Tuffle.

The entire planet looked devastating; the broken walls of the cities were billowing black smoke, and cracks in the ground spread to the horizon like a spiderweb. The sky was a bruised gray, as if it were about to collapse, with an occasional bolt of lightning illuminating the carnage below.

At the heart of the ruins, a colossal Great Ape stood like a moving mountain of black.

The ape's black fur stood on end, glistening with oil, its breathing rhythmic and oppressive.

Its blood-red eyes were filled with madness, the pupils sharp as blades.

A crimson "M" mark sat on its chest, its muscles pulsing as if they were alive.

It opened its massive maw, revealing fangs and dripping saliva, and let out a low, earth-shaking roar.

It raised a foot and stomped heavily onto the ground—BOOM!

The earth split, gravel erupted, and dust clouds exploded upward; the remaining structures nearby were flattened by the shockwave, reduced to nothingness.

And beneath its foot, a battered figure lay on the ground, motionless.

It was Super Saiyan 4 Goku—his golden hair matted with mud and blood, splayed messily across the ground. His red battle armor was shredded into rags, revealing deep, bone-exposed wounds beneath, from which blood slowly seeped, staining the rubble.

A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth down his chin, dripping into dark red spots.

His breathing grew weaker, the rise and fall of his chest nearly ceasing, his pupils dilated; he was clearly at his limit.

Super Saiyan 4 Goku's hand still trembled slightly, struggling to grasp at something, but in the end, he only pinched a handful of ash before letting it go.

Great Ape Baby then raised its massive foot, blotting out the sky and casting its shadow over Goku.

The sole of the foot was covered in black, calloused skin, its edges sharp as blades, gleaming coldly in the dim light.

The movement was agonizingly slow, drawn out as if it were gathering strength to crush Goku's skull!

"Do you see? That boy is going to die!" Old Supreme Kai jumped off his stool in a panic, his beard nearly poking Jiang Che in the face. "Didn't you say you were going to deal with Baby? Why are you just standing there! If you don't go now, Goku is going to be turned into a meat patty!"

Jiang Che watched the crystal ball, his expression calm. He crossed his arms, a smirk playing on his lips, his eyes filled with mockery. "What's the rush? If he dies, it saves me the trouble of doing it myself."

"You!" Old Supreme Kai was nearly bursting with rage, his face turning beet red, his breath hitching in his throat. "Didn't you promise to take down Baby?! If you don't go now and Earth gets destroyed, what about your mission? Do you have no sense of responsibility at all?!"

"Just kidding." Jiang Che stood up slowly, brushing off dust that wasn't there.

As he spoke, a red aura suddenly surged around him, wrapping around his limbs and body like fire, emitting a low, muffled hum.

The air temperature spiked, the heat wave causing Old Supreme Kai's beard to curl backward.

"Look at you, so impatient."

He waved his hand, and a ripple of transparent energy formed along the edge of his palm. As he traced the air, space tore open like fabric.

At first, it was just a thin line, but in the blink of an eye, it widened into a gaping maw, the edges distorting light, the interior bottomless and dark.

Wind rushed out from the rift, carrying an infinite chill that made Old Supreme Kai shiver.

"Let me show you what a real fight looks like."

With that, Jiang Che stepped into the rift, his entire body vanishing into the darkness.

The rift closed bit by bit, leaving only a faint, humming vibration.

In the sky above New Planet Tuffle, space suddenly tore open—the same sound of rending, the same deep red flames, and the same ripples in the air reappeared exactly as before.

The next second, a figure stepped out of the rift, riding the wind.

Jiang Che stood high in the sky, looking down at his surroundings.

His short hair blew back in the high-altitude wind, his clothes snapping violently.

His expression remained calm, but his gaze was sharp as a blade, locked firmly onto the monster below.

Great Ape Baby's foot was already descending, mere inches from crushing Super Saiyan 4 Goku's head. The wind whistled, dust swirled, and the shockwave slammed against his face.

If that foot landed, Goku would either lose his head or be crippled for life.

Jiang Che narrowed his eyes and suddenly flashed—transforming into a Red Afterimage, trailing a stream of fire as the very air distorted around him.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared beside Super Saiyan 4 Goku, the blast of energy gouging a deep crater into the ground as debris flew in every direction.

He grabbed Super Saiyan 4 Goku by the collar and effortlessly hoisted the dying body into the air, his movements crisp and decisive, without a hint of hesitation.

Just as Great Ape Baby's massive foot was a mere half-step away—BOOM!

The giant foot slammed into the earth, shaking the entire ground. The surface cracked and splintered, the shockwave shoving the ruins aside as rubble and dust were blasted into the sky, leaving a crater several meters deep in the ground.

But Jiang Che, carrying Super Saiyan 4 Goku, had long since teleported to a ruined high platform a hundred meters away.

"Hmm?" Great Ape Baby had missed its mark, and even it was taken aback for a moment.

When it looked down, it saw only the crater, with no sign of flesh or blood.

It paused, then realized what had happened. Its blood-red eyes swept wildly across the area, finally locking onto the distant platform.

Two columns of white steam erupted from its nostrils, and a low, guttural roar rumbled from its throat, causing the ground to tremble: "Where do you think you're running!"