Black Nightmare

Li Ming did not hide his identity. He also told the sage why he had come, even revealing his attempt to transform into a Super Saiyan. Such matters were no secret to beings who possessed mysterious powers, nor was there any need to conceal them.

The sage pondered seriously for a moment before saying, "Yardrat has many secret techniques, but none can directly solve your current problem. However..."

"Please, just say it. Is there a problem?"

Li Ming could see that the sage had reservations. That meant there was still hope, which was better than being dismissed with a single sentence.

"...Forgive my bluntness, but I don't believe your problem lies in the vital energy within your body."

The sage's words caught Li Ming off guard. The sage continued, "Although the power of a Super Saiyan is formidable, and it even flourished at its peak in ancient times, it is ultimately a road of no return."

By the end, the sage's tone carried a hint of regret, as though he had witnessed the power of Super Saiyans before. Li Ming agreed with that assessment, but he had no better option.

At the very least, this path was indeed a shortcut for now. As for whether it would eventually lead to a dead end, that was not something Li Ming needed to consider at present.

"Please tell me how I can become a Super Saiyan."

"...Sigh."

The sage rose to his feet, and Li Ming stood as well. While raising his hand to demonstrate a mysterious hand seal, the sage said, "To become a Super Saiyan, one needs a pure heart. Your heart has never found its direction. That is the fundamental reason you have been unable to succeed. No secret technique can help you with this. Only you can do it yourself."

A mysterious power emerged from the sage's hand, and Li Ming's consciousness began to blur.

"Go seek your heart. It will tell you the answer you desire."

"Urgh..."

In an instant, the scene before him shifted. Li Ming found himself in an environment that was both unfamiliar and familiar. Before him stood a world of reinforced concrete, while streams of vehicles flowed endlessly along the broad roads.

Thump...

Clutching his chest, he crouched down as a suffocating sense of oppression surged into his heart!

In reality, Li Ming had fallen unconscious. The sage instructed Su Tu and Su Ji to carry him to another room and settle him there, where he was not to be disturbed by anyone.

Several days later, Babas and the others were brought here by the Yardratians one after another. After learning of Li Ming's condition, they remained at his side at all times, unwilling to leave him alone.

A week quickly passed. To everyone's surprise, Babas and Kulunxi had earned the sage's approval and were permitted to study Yardrat's secret techniques.

This was an unexpected blessing. While keeping watch over Li Ming, the two followed the sage in their training, and their progress went exceptionally smoothly.

Just like that, another month passed in a flash. Li Ming gradually began showing signs of waking up, primarily through the aura he was giving off!

At some point, a suppressive energy had begun erupting continuously from Li Ming's body. The surrounding ground trembled faintly, and no one dared approach him.

"Cain, what's going on!?" Babas noticed the situation as soon as he returned from the sage, and he immediately grew anxious.

"I'm not sure either. Lord Xilaka's energy level has been rising continuously, though it occasionally drops somewhat. It's very unstable, but there are already signs that his consciousness is waking."

"He's fine."

A voice came from behind them. The sage walked over, with Su Tu and Su Ji beside him, and explained, "He is about to awaken. This is merely the process of the potential within him being further stimulated. There is no need to worry."

BOOM!

Lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, followed by rolling thunder. Bolts of lightning began striking down as the immense aura started affecting the weather itself!

BANG!

"This..."

The scouter in Cain's hand broke apart on the spot. This was a device capable of measuring Li Ming's combat power in his normal state, with an upper limit of ten million!

"Su Tu, Su Ji, have the villagers evacuate. This place cannot be occupied for the time being," the sage said, first turning to the two behind him.

"Yes!"

The two vanished in a flash. This was not speed, but Instant Transmission. Nearly every Yardratian had mastered some miraculous secret techniques. As the sage's disciples, the two naturally knew even more powerful techniques and had mastered them to a very high level.

The sage looked at Babas and the others. "You should evacuate as well. This disturbance likely will not end anytime soon."

They exchanged glances, instantly understanding one another's intentions. Then they nodded. Babas said, "No. You should leave first. We'll wait here until the boss wakes up."

"...Sigh. Very well."

The sage sighed but said nothing more before turning and leaving. Yardratian secret techniques were indeed extraordinary, but their combat power was quite limited.

Babas and the others positioned themselves around Li Ming, though each remained more than a hundred meters away in case anything unexpected happened.

Within Li Ming's inner world, dark crimson bloodlight filled the sky. Beneath the shattered ruins of broken buildings, Li Ming stood blankly amid the bloody glow, while several people lay sprawled haphazardly around him.

At the same time, an enormous head hung high above this collapsing world, watching Li Ming below with a bizarre and savage gaze.

"Wuu..."

"Wuu... hehehe..." In this despairing world, he could only let out muffled cries of sorrow, curling helplessly into a corner.

"Are you going to keep hiding here?"

A calm voice rang out, but Li Ming did not react. This was a part of his inner world, and also a part of himself that he had once abandoned.

"Do you still want to run?"

Slap!

A figure appeared before him and struck Li Ming to the ground. Then, like dragging a dead dog, the figure grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the edge of this bizarre world before tossing him out in one motion.

The figure cast an icy gaze over the dead world behind him, said nothing, and slowly walked deeper within.

Almost at the same moment, Li Ming opened his eyes in reality. Terrifying energy erupted from his body, and even Yardrat trembled!

"Ah!"

His long roar resounded through the heavens as his immense ki rose continuously, blazing like an aura.

"The boss is about to wake up! You bastards are dead!"

Chaos reigned all around as a fierce battle raged. Babas and the others each held their own position, guarding Li Ming, while a group of aliens in combat uniforms attacked them. Their uniforms were identical to the standard battle suits worn by Frieza's subordinates.

"Move! We can't let that Saiyan wake up!"

One of the aliens kept attacking, driving Babas back step by step. He was on the verge of collapsing.

Babas struggled to hold on, but he was beginning to run out of strength. The person before him put him under far too much pressure. His battle power was now as high as 50,000, yet he could be suppressed so completely that he could barely move. The enemy's battle power was at least several levels higher than his!

"Get lost!" He fired a Ki blast with all his strength, clearing out the fodder soldiers rushing past him. But an incoming punch sent him flying, blood splattering everywhere.

The others were in much the same situation, nearly all of them suppressed. Cain had even been captured; he was not a combat-type alien to begin with.

"Captain!"

Seeing Babas completely fall into a disadvantage, the others grew frantic. Faced with the current situation, they were nearly in despair.

"Hmph!"

The leading alien snorted coldly and stomped Babas beneath his foot. "You dared oppose King Cold. You're all going to die!"

"King Cold?" Babas's pupils contracted. At last, he understood why these people had suddenly appeared. The ruler of this region of the universe was King Cold, a Frost Demon just like Frieza!

Boom!

Several fodder soldiers successfully approached Li Ming's position, but lightning serpents writhed around his body, and for the moment, they did not dare draw near.

Cold sweat ran down their foreheads. Merely approaching him made it difficult for them to breathe under that terrifying pressure. If Li Ming had already awakened, they likely would not even have had the courage to stand there!

"Attack!"

They continuously fired their laser weapons. The barrage kicked up huge clouds of dust, and the dark clouds overhead grew even denser.

"Boss!"

When the dust finally settled, the writhing lightning serpents vanished, and the terrifying pressure came to an abrupt stop.

"So noisy..."

Just when everyone thought all hope was lost, a voice came from within the dust. Then Li Ming stepped out, one step at a time. Though his clothes had been shredded, there was not a single wound on his body.

His terrifyingly calm gaze swept over the scene. Babas had been knocked down, while the others were all more or less injured. If he had not awakened soon, they would not have been able to hold out much longer.

Bang!

An afterimage flashed past, followed by a solid punch crashing into Li Ming's face, turning his head slightly to one side. But that was all.

A trace of approval appeared in his eyes as he praised, "Not bad speed."

"What? How is that possible?!"

The attacker was the leading alien, whose combat uniform differed from the others' standard issue. It looked more form-fitting and refined.

She was probably part of a special forces unit similar to the Ginyu Force, and one of King Cold's subordinates. However, her battle power was more than ten times greater than Ginyu's!