Tracing the Origin, Ancient Secrets

"You are, in essence, a fragment of my original soul that I lost an eternity ago."

This light, airy sentence struck Lin Chen's mind like a thunderclap from the heavens.

The surging energy in the surroundings, the two supreme entities locked in confrontation, and the dying crowd in the distant ruins all seemed to dissolve into blurred phantoms at this moment. Lin Chen stood frozen, his blood feeling as though it had turned to ice. A numbing chill radiated through his limbs, and even the Dragon Ball essence sealed within his body began to churn violently.

He instinctively looked down at his hands. The seven-colored light of the Dragon Ball flowing in his palms flickered erratically. The essence, usually docile and gentle, now pulsed with a sensation like a wanderer yearning for home, mixed with a bone-deep resistance and terror.

A soul fragment lost for an eternity?

This conclusion completely overturned everything he had known throughout his journey.

Since awakening his Dragon Soul and learning he was the reincarnation of the Dragon Ball, he had always believed he was reborn with the memories and opportunities of a past life, using the Dragon Ball's essence to traverse the Heavens, searching for fragments and exploring his history. Yet now, the Mysterious Shadow had laid the truth bare: he was never an independent reincarnated soul from the start, but merely a fragment of essence the other had scattered away.

Then what of his life, his memories, and his emotions in this lifetime?

Countless chaotic thoughts intertwined wildly in his mind, followed by a fresh eruption of the strange memory fragments he had experienced earlier.

Shattered scenes flashed through his consciousness like a spinning lantern. It was a world far more desolate and ancient than the Primordial Era—no sun, moon, or stars, no Heavens or myriad worlds, only churning Chaos and boundless darkness. A massive figure that blotted out the sky stood in the depths of the Chaos, surrounded by thousands of glowing filaments of essence, each containing the power to create worlds.

Later, due to some cataclysmic event, the Chaos shattered and the world divided. That supreme figure suffered grievous wounds, its body disintegrated, and countless filaments of essence scattered, falling into the newly born worlds and buried by the currents of time.

One particularly unique fragment, carrying the core consciousness, had attached itself to the ancient Dragon Ball by chance, passing through generations before finally reincarnating as him.

Each scene was shockingly vivid, clearly no mere illusion. Lin Chen felt his head throb with pressure, his consciousness threatening to tear apart under the weight of these ancient memories. The cold words of the Shadow echoed in his ears, leaving his heart a complex mix of emotions.

Resentment, confusion, shock, and an indescribable sense of emptiness.

"Impossible..." Lin Chen gritted his teeth, forcing down the agony in his mind. He looked up at the Mysterious Shadow in the void, his voice raspy and strained. "I have my own past, my own will! I am not just some fragment of another's soul!"

From an ignorant youth to where he stood now, he had survived life-and-death battles and forged bonds with comrades. He had obsessions, principles, and everything he wanted to protect. If he were truly just a soul fragment, then were these decades of life nothing more than a false, fleeting dream?

The figure within the shadows shifted slightly, its dark outline expanding in the void. The Desolation Power that transcended the ages flowed around it, and the restrictive force binding Lin Chen did not loosen; instead, it grew even more suffocating.

"Will? A past?" The ancient, weathered voice sounded again. It held no hint of emotion, only the indifference of one looking down upon all living things. "That the essence formed its own consciousness before returning is an unexpected delight. Among the thousands of scattered fragments, only you birthed an independent mind. No wonder you could stir the Dragon Ball's fortune and break the ancient seal."

It did not seem surprised by Lin Chen's rebuttal, as if it had long since foreseen every change.

"When the cataclysm descended, my body perished and my essence shattered. To seek a chance at survival, I attached my core consciousness to the Dragon Ball, using the reincarnation power of the living to recuperate. I thought I would find you within tens of thousands of years to merge our essence, but the wars of the Primordial Era saw various powerhouses intervene, setting layer upon layer of seals to suppress the Dragon Ball and you along with it."

As the words were spoken, a secret buried for endless ages finally revealed its tip of the iceberg.

Lin Chen listened intently, his heart sinking further with every word.

So, the ancient seal was never intended to suppress the soul of the Ancient Supreme, but to trap him—the one attached to the Dragon Ball—and contain this fragment of the supreme existence. The sealed Supreme was merely a prisoner caught in the aftermath of that ancient war, who had accidentally become a barrier guarding the seal.

The Shadow that had trailed him all this time was the very supreme being that had disintegrated during the Chaos cataclysm. It had endured for eons, planning every step, guiding him into the secret realm, using the Dragon Ball's essence to break the seals, and manipulating the Ancient Supreme's soul to force him to release his power. Its goal from beginning to end had been singular: to reclaim its lost essence and make them one again.

Every coincidence had been deliberate.

From the moment he stepped into the secret realm, he had fallen into a web woven over an eternity.

"Hmph! A pack of lies!"

A roar filled with violent rage abruptly interrupted their conversation.

The Ancient Supreme soul, having gathered its strength, could no longer restrain itself. The black malice and golden runes around it surged, its ten-thousand-foot body trembling in the void, and killing intent boiled within its blood-red eyes. It had been suppressed twice by the Mysterious Shadow and harbored deep resentment; hearing their exchange, it instantly understood the cause and effect.

So it had been suppressed for eons, a mere pawn in another's game, while this Dragon Ball reincarnate was the very essence the other had lost!

If the two were to merge, this mysterious entity would surely return to its peak. At that point, no one in the Heavens or the myriad worlds would be able to oppose it, and as a surviving fragment of a Supreme, its own fate would be even more miserable.

It could not allow this to happen!

"You want to reunite your essence and return to your peak? You'll have to get past me first!"

The Ancient Supreme soul held nothing back, fully unleashing all its remaining supreme laws. The space of the secret realm groaned under the strain, cracks spreading across the earth as black mist poured from the abyss, all of it swallowed and absorbed by the entity.

It raised a giant palm, covered in divine runes and concentrated with eons of malice and ancient slaughter. A supreme palm strike that spanned the sky crashed down. Wherever the wind of the strike passed, space collapsed into massive black voids, and a destructive aura flooded the area, aimed directly at the Mysterious Shadow and the restrained Lin Chen.

It intended to kill them both in one blow and sever this ancient connection.

Facing the incoming strike, the Mysterious Shadow remained within its darkness, its expression indifferent, showing not a hint of panic. It freed its other hand and raised it slowly. There were no brilliant lights or earth-shattering phenomena, only the simple, pure exertion of the Desolation Power within it as it blocked the strike.

The two supreme forces—one black, one gold—collided in the center of the void.

There was no earth-shattering roar as expected; instead, a dull, heavy thud erupted, like two ancient divine irons clashing. The Ancient Supreme's full-force strike was halted in mid-air by the Shadow's seemingly casual defense, unable to advance even an inch.

Golden runes and black malice clashed and annihilated each other, the violent energy ripples spreading outward and leveling the already ruined secret realm once more. In the distance, Son Goku and Vegeta, having barely regained a sliver of strength, exchanged a look of profound horror.

They had given everything they had and couldn't even withstand a casual blow from the Ancient Supreme soul, yet this Mysterious Shadow had blocked the entity's full-force attack with such ease. The gap in strength between them was despairingly vast.

"What kind of monster is this..." Son Goku struggled to prop himself up, his chest wound flaring as he let out a muffled groan. "Even the Ancient Supreme is no match for it, and now Lin Chen is trapped. We're in big trouble."

Vegeta sat up against a broken wall, his deep blue eyes fixed on the battle in the void. His aura remained withered, and blood still stained his lips. Proud by nature, he had to admit that the situation had become dire.

"The Shadow's target is Lin Chen's essence, and the Ancient Supreme wants to eliminate them both. With the three of them in a standoff, Lin Chen is caught in the middle, unable to move," Vegeta said in a low voice. "We're too badly injured to intervene. We can only watch and wait."

Both were filled with anxiety, yet they knew the reality: rushing in would only mean death and serve no purpose.

Above, the stalemate continued.

Seeing its full-force attack blocked, the Ancient Supreme soul's blood-red eyes grew even more vicious. Countless cracks on its body widened; clearly, the effort of channeling such power was taking a toll on its already fragile soul. But it had lost its reason; the resentment of eons of imprisonment and the fear of death were intertwined, driving it to abandon all caution.

"I have been sealed for eons, living a life worse than death! You want to reclaim your essence, rule the heavens, and earth? Keep dreaming!"

It opened its mouth and spat out a ball of soul fire, black as ink. This was the core foundation of its soul, the very thing that had kept it alive until now. Once the soul fire took to the air, it instantly split into thousands of threads of Netherfire, like a poisonous net covering the sky. Part of it coiled toward the Mysterious Shadow, while the rest bypassed the entity and lunged straight for Lin Chen below.

If it couldn't defeat the strong enemy head-on, it would destroy the essence the enemy desired! As long as Lin Chen died and the essence dissipated, the other's plans would naturally turn to dust.

"Delusional."

The Mysterious Shadow's tone remained indifferent. With a slight flick of its wrist, the Desolation Power surrounding it expanded, manifesting as an invisible barrier. The moment the sky-filling threads of Netherfire touched this barrier, they dissolved like snow meeting boiling water, unable to bring even a single spark within reach.

Yet, the very instant the barrier blocked the soul fire, the binding force shackling Lin Chen loosened for a fleeting moment.

Lin Chen, whose focus had been stretched to the limit, precisely captured this split-second opening.

Opportunity!

A sharp glint flashed in Lin Chen's eyes; he dared not hesitate. He forcefully suppressed the chaotic memories and inner confusion swirling in his mind, casting all distractions aside. Regardless of whose original soul fragment he truly was, or what secrets his past held, the most important thing right now was to break free and escape this death trap.

He immediately channeled the remaining Dragon Ball essence and Dragon Soul power within him. A seven-colored radiance erupted from his body, and the power that had been tightly suppressed suddenly surged in reverse, striking against the restraints. Simultaneously, the several Dragon Ball Fragments hovering before him vibrated in unison, releasing a gentle yet resilient primal energy that flowed through his meridians, continuously repairing his damaged body.

"Hmm?"

The Mysterious Shadow sensed the disturbance and let out a soft sound of surprise, moving to tighten the bindings once more.

Lin Chen's figure had already violently recoiled, his feet executing the Void Steps to transform into a streak of seven-colored light, instantly breaking free from the range of the shadow's power. Within a few short breaths, he reached Son Goku and Vegeta, shielding his two heavily injured companions behind him.

Though temporarily free, Lin Chen felt no relief.

He could clearly sense that the strand of Desolation Power within him had not fully dissipated; it remained hidden deep within his meridians like a maggot in the bone, constantly tugging at his Dragon Soul essence. The opponent hadn't been using its full strength to bind him; the earlier loosening felt more like a deliberate act, as if a cat playing with a mouse, allowing him a brief escape.

This playful attitude was more bone-chilling than raw, naked suppression.

"I didn't expect you to be able to break free, even for a moment." The Mysterious Shadow walked forward slowly, its pitch-black form emerging from the shadows step by step. Its outline gradually became clearer, revealing a body covered in ancient markings, though its face remained obscured by thick black mist. "An independent consciousness and a resilient essence—you are even more interesting than I anticipated."

It did not pursue immediately, instead turning its head toward the Ancient Supreme's remnant soul, which was still launching frantic attacks. Its tone grew colder. "Noisy thing. I trapped you for eons with no intention of taking your life, but since you insist on seeking death, I shall grant your wish."

The moment the words fell, the Mysterious Shadow stopped holding back.

With a single grasp into the air, all the baleful energy, power, and even the spatial force permeating the secret realm were brought under its control. Countless invisible threads of power extended from the depths of the void, wrapping layer upon layer around the massive body of the Ancient Supreme's remnant soul.

"No! You dare!"

The Supreme's remnant soul let out a terrified roar, struggling with all its might, but those threads of power were incomparably tough and contained a suppression at the level of the essence itself. Its Supreme Laws were continuously dismantled and devoured. Its massive body shrank bit by bit, the golden runes on its surface fading rapidly, and its once-towering aura weakened at a visible rate.

A Supreme powerhouse who had once dominated the ancient era found even resistance to be an arduous task in the face of such an absolute gap in strength.

In a few moments, the ten-thousand-foot body was compressed to a mere few feet, the pitch-black soul fire flickering, on the verge of total extinction.

In the distance, Lin Chen watched this scene, his heart shaken to the core.

A Supreme remnant soul that had survived for eons and possessed an aura that could suppress the Heavens was being completely crushed by the opponent in mere seconds. The gap in their realms had exceeded his capacity to understand.

Once the Supreme remnant soul was dealt with, the next target would undoubtedly be him.

Lin Chen took a deep breath, raised his hand to draw all the Dragon Ball Fragments into his body, and channeled his full power to shield Son Goku and Vegeta more closely. His companions were severely wounded and unable to fight; he had to shoulder all the pressure alone.

"Lin Chen, be careful!" Son Goku warned with difficulty, his fists clenching instinctively, filled with anxiety but unable to step forward.

Vegeta's expression was grave as he whispered, "This guy's strength is unfathomable. There's no chance of winning in a head-on fight. Find an opportunity to retreat."

Lin Chen nodded slightly, his gaze returning to the approaching Mysterious Shadow, his expression becoming exceptionally calm. Confusion was confusion, and doubt was doubt, but his own will and bottom line would never be easily shaken.

"I understand that you want to reclaim your essence," Lin Chen said, his voice clear and every word ringing with conviction. "But I have lived a life, and I have my own obsessions and things to protect. I will not be at your beck and call. If you want to forcibly merge my essence, then come and try."

He was prepared to fight to the death.

The Mysterious Shadow stopped, facing Lin Chen from a distance. The Desolation Power around it rose slowly, and the tugging force from the depths of his essence grew stronger, causing the Dragon Soul within Lin Chen to stir restlessly.

"Obsessions? Protection?" The Mysterious Shadow murmured softly, then shifted its tone. "Do you think this is the end? Do you know that when my essence shattered, it was not merely due to the Chaos catastrophe?"

At this point, the aura around it suddenly became deep and eerie, and the light in the entire world seemed to dim.

"The one who struck me down and scattered my myriad essences back then was a hidden mastermind. And now that your core essence has appeared and the Dragon Ball seal has been broken, the commotion has spread throughout the Heavens. It is not just me who has come seeking you; the enemies from that time have also followed the scent and arrived outside this secret realm."

BOOM!

This sentence struck like a second thunderclap, exploding in everyone's ears.

Lin Chen's pupils contracted, his heart sinking violently.

A third party? The enemies who had crippled the opponent back then had arrived as well?

Just as he was filled with doubt and instinctively turned to look toward the entrance of the secret realm, the sky of the entire ancient secret realm suddenly trembled violently. On the distant horizon, dense swarms of black shadows blotted out the sun, and countless cold auras crossed the void, approaching the interior of the realm like a tidal wave.

A biting murderous intent surged forward like a flood, completely shrouding the entire secret realm.

Watching the countless uninvited guests descending from the sky, the Mysterious Shadow, beneath its mist-covered face, seemed to reveal a sinister smile.

"Now, the game truly begins."