Crisis Strikes

"What's wrong?" Jiang Che immediately heard the tension in his voice and leaned forward.

"Son Goku has already gone to Earth." Old Supreme Kai sighed, closed his eyes, and shook his head, looking as though he were recalling what he'd just seen. "His injuries had only just healed, and he even went and pulled out his tail. I'd wanted him to try a different path to strength, maybe train his divine power and hone his insight. Even a few more days of preparation would've helped. But the fool wouldn't listen. He just had to go and pick a fight."

Old Supreme Kai opened his eyes, worry written all over his face. "He really thinks Baby is just an ordinary opponent. But I know Baby's strength has far surpassed that of any ordinary enemy. If nobody goes to save him, Goku's going to die this time."

Jiang Che sprang to his feet. His clothes stirred without a breeze, and a cold, sharp aura radiated from him. "I'm going to Earth right now."

There was no room for argument in his tone. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"And then what?"

Old Supreme Kai's voice was hoarse enough to make your throat ache, like sandpaper scraping together. He was so anxious his whiskers trembled, his white hair stood on end, and sweat broke out across his forehead.

His cloudy eyes were fixed on the crystal ball before him, as if he wanted to burn through the image with his stare.

"And then? Goku turns into Super Saiyan 4 and fights Baby in a battle that shakes the world. At first, he's got the upper hand. Wherever his fists and feet land, the battlefield gets bulldozed. A single blast of pressure reduces everything within dozens of miles to rubble." Jiang Che's tone was cool, and he didn't even raise his eyes. "But the fool gets carried away. After gaining a bit of an advantage, he starts playing around. He toys with his opponent, slows down his attacks, and can't resist running his mouth. That gives Baby an opening, and now... see for yourself."

Old Supreme Kai raised a hand and drew an arc in the air with his bony finger.

The air before them suddenly rippled like a stone had struck the surface of a pond, sending out rings of transparent waves.

Then a fist-sized crystal ball appeared out of thin air, its surface flowing with a deep blue light like a ball of cold flame suspended in the air.

The image lit up. It showed New Planet Tuffle.

The planet was in a pitiful state. The shattered remains of buildings belched black smoke, and cracks ran across the ground to the horizon like a spiderweb. The sky was so gray it seemed ready to collapse, and every so often a bolt of lightning flashed, illuminating the devastation below.

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

Black fur bristled across its body, gleaming with oil. Every breath it took radiated an oppressive force.

Its blood-red eyes blazed with fury, its pupils sharp as blades.

A crimson "M" marked its chest. Its muscles rippled like living things.

It opened its maw, baring its fangs as saliva streamed down, and let out a deep, deafening roar.

It raised a foot and stomped down hard—BOOM!

The earth split open, stones burst into the air, and dust billowed up. The shockwave toppled every remaining building nearby, reducing them to dust.

Beneath its foot lay a badly injured figure, motionless on the ground.

It was Super Saiyan 4 Goku. Mud and blood matted his golden hair, which spread messily across the ground. His red battle suit had been torn to shreds, revealing deep wounds beneath, some nearly exposing bone. Blood seeped out slowly, staining the rubble.

A trace of blood ran from the corner of his mouth down his chin, then dripped onto the ground in a few dark-red drops.

His breathing grew weaker and weaker. His chest had nearly stopped rising and falling, and his eyes had gone unfocused. He clearly couldn't hold on much longer.

Super Saiyan 4 Goku's hand still trembled faintly as he struggled to grab hold of something. In the end, all he managed to clutch was a handful of ash, which he then let fall.

Great Ape Baby lifted its enormous foot, blotting out the sky and casting Goku in shadow.

Black, hardened skin covered the sole, its edges sharp as knives and glinting coldly in the daylight.

The movement was agonizingly slow. It drew in a breath, readying itself to crush Goku's head beneath its foot!

"See that? That kid's about to die!" Old Supreme Kai jumped out of his chair in a panic, his whiskers nearly poking Jiang Che in the face. "Didn't you say you were going to deal with Baby? What are you waiting for? If you don't hurry, Goku's going to end up as a pancake!"

Jiang Che watched the scene in the crystal ball, still looking perfectly calm. He folded his arms and gave a faint, amused smile. "What's the rush? If he dies, that saves me the trouble."

"You!" Old Supreme Kai nearly exploded with rage. His face turned red, and the words caught in his throat. "Didn't you promise to kill Baby?! If you don't go now, Earth's going to be destroyed too. Are you going to complete your mission or not? Do you have any sense of responsibility at all?!"

"I'm joking." Jiang Che rose unhurriedly and brushed off some dust that wasn't even there.

As soon as he finished speaking, a red aura suddenly surged around him, wrapping around his limbs and body like flames as it let out a low, mournful howl.

The air grew several degrees hotter at once, and Old Supreme Kai's whiskers fluttered backward in the heat.

"Look at you, panicking over nothing."

With a wave of his hand, transparent ripples appeared along the edge of his palm. The space traced by his gesture split open like cloth.

At first, it was only a thin line. In the blink of an eye, it widened into a gaping hole big enough to swallow a person. Light twisted around the edges, and the darkness within seemed bottomless.

A wind howled out of the rift, carrying boundless chill that made Old Supreme Kai shudder.

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

With that, Jiang Che stepped into the rift and disappeared into the darkness.

The rift slowly closed, leaving behind only a faint hum.

High above New Planet Tuffle, space suddenly tore open—a recreation of the rift in the image, with its tearing sound, deep-red flames, and ripples in the air.

The next moment, a figure stepped out of the rift on a gust of wind.

Jiang Che hovered high above, looking down at the scene below.

The wind at that altitude blew his short hair back and snapped the hem of his clothes.

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

Great Ape Baby's foot was already coming down. It was only a hair's breadth from crushing Super Saiyan 4 Goku's head. The wind roared down, dust swirled, and waves of pressure slammed into his face.

If the foot landed, Goku would either lose his head or be crippled for good.

Jiang Che narrowed his eyes, then suddenly flashed out of sight. His body turned into a red afterimage, trailing a stream of fire as the air twisted around him.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared beside Goku. The pressure burst outward, carving a deep crater as rubble flew everywhere.

He grabbed Goku by the collar and effortlessly lifted his barely breathing body, his movements crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

Just as Baby's enormous foot was about to land—BOOM!

The giant foot slammed into the ground, shaking the entire earth. Cracks raced across the surface, the shockwave swept the ruins aside, and rubble and dust exploded into the sky. A crater several meters deep appeared in the ground.

But Jiang Che had already teleported away with Super Saiyan 4 Goku, landing atop a ruined platform a hundred meters away.

"Hm?" Great Ape Baby had stomped on empty ground and froze in surprise.

When it looked down, it saw only the crater. There wasn't a trace of flesh or blood.

It stared blankly for a moment, then realized what had happened. Its blood-red eyes swept around before finally locking onto the distant platform.

Two jets of white vapor burst from its nostrils. A deep, furious growl rumbled in its throat, making the ground tremble. "Where do you think you're going?!"