Awakening at the Summit of Hell

This battle was like hell, and it was far from over.

Having only just completed his Perfect Form, this guy was already this strong—and still growing stronger.

Son Goku suddenly called out to Gohan, his voice low and firm, his eyes locked on the silver figure ahead. "Gohan, watch carefully."

Gohan froze, a hint of confusion flashing through his eyes.

The next second, golden energy erupted around Goku's body, surging like a volcano and shredding the air to pieces.

Golden arcs of electricity crawled across the ground, and the rocks beneath his feet shattered on the spot, sending stone fragments flying everywhere.

His muscles began to swell, every inch of skin tightening and twitching beneath that power.

His aura became an invisible shockwave that made the entire earth tremble.

"This..." Piccolo's eyes widened, veins bulging on his forehead. "A higher level of Super Saiyan? No, this aura is far stronger than an ordinary Super Saiyan's—purer than every transformation I've ever seen."

Trunks was stunned as well, his clenched fists trembling. "He's already reached this level? I've never seen power like this. Just how much strength has Father been hiding?"

Cell's mocking expression faded, replaced by seriousness. The disdain at the corners of his mouth vanished as he narrowed his eyes. "So you do have something up your sleeve. You were hiding your strength. Looks like you're not just some nobody who talks big."

Goku did not answer. He merely took a step forward.

The rock beneath his feet instantly crumbled to dust. A golden afterimage flashed, and in the next moment, he was already before Cell, his right fist clenched, muscles bulging as he drove a punch toward Cell's chest.

This punch was twice as fast as before, and twice as powerful.

A thunderous boom exploded through the air—the sound barrier had been shattered.

The force of the punch was like a blade, carrying golden energy straight for Cell's heart.

Cell raised an arm to block.

Boom!

Golden energy exploded amid the deafening impact. The ground split apart, cracks spreading like a spiderweb.

Cell was blasted back three steps, his feet carving deep trenches into the rock. Even his arm had gone numb.

His expression finally changed.

"Hm?" Cell's gaze turned cold. His muscles tensed, and his smile disappeared. "This is getting more and more interesting."

Goku gave him no chance to catch his breath.

His body suddenly dipped low. His left foot slammed into the ground, and he shot forward again with the recoil, his right leg sweeping toward Cell's waist like a golden energy blade.

Cell hastily raised an elbow to block, but the kick still knocked his body sideways.

Then Goku's fists came down like rain—a rising punch struck Cell's chin, a straight punch slammed into his ribs, followed by elbow strikes, knee blows, and a chain of sweeping kicks. His fists and legs surged like a violent storm. Cell could only defend himself miserably, completely unable to strike back.

Golden energy intertwined and exploded around them. Every collision was deafening, shattered stones flew wildly, and the air was filled with scorching heat.

Cell's body swayed slightly under the barrage, tiny cracks appearing across his silver shell.

Gohan stared at his father's back, his hands unconsciously clenching, his eyes filled with admiration and excitement.

Dad was really incredible!

It felt as if a force were surging through his chest, making his blood boil.

So a true Super Saiyan did not rely on anger, but on willpower and faith in battle.

He silently vowed that one day, he would reach this level too.

Suddenly, Cell unleashed a powerful shockwave. Golden energy burst from his body and forced Goku back several steps.

The air became stifling, as if it had been pinned down by an invisible weight.

"Enough." Cell straightened his disheveled clothes. The cracks in his silver shell healed at a visible rate. His expression returned to calm, but his gaze was sharp as a blade.

"The warm-up ends here."

The moment he finished speaking, he abruptly spread his arms.

A terrifying aura suddenly rose, pouring from Cell's body like a tidal wave.

The sky immediately darkened. Clouds were torn apart by his aura and scattered in swirling gusts.

The air was filled with crushing pressure, as if an invisible hand had seized everyone by the throat.

Golden energy appeared around Cell, reflecting off his silver shell like flowing radiance.

A cold smile hung on his lips, and only killing intent remained in his eyes.

"You want to see my true strength?" Cell sneered, his voice echoing through the air with irresistible pressure. "Then I'll let you witness it."

He raised his right hand and pointed a single finger at Goku.

Destructive energy gathered at his fingertip. The white light grew brighter and brighter, as though he had condensed a tiny sun in his palm. Even space twisted and trembled beneath that energy.

The air turned scorching hot, and the rubble on the ground was crushed into powder by the pressure of his power.

Gohan's heart tightened abruptly.

What was that...? The power within that light sent a chill into his bones.

"Now taste the true power of my Perfect Form." Cell spread his arms, the lines of his muscles gleaming like steel beneath the sunlight, his skin giving off a faint sheen.

He slowly raised his right hand, a speck of white light dancing at the tip of his index finger—like a star.

A scorching smell spread through the air.

The rubble beneath his feet trembled faintly from the energy's vibrations. Dust swirled up, forming a barely visible vortex around him.

Goku's pupils contracted, sweat beading on his forehead. He felt an immense pressure bearing down on him, like a mountain crushing him.

Gritting his teeth, he stomped hard on the ground, spread his arms, pressed his palms together, and growled, "Kamehameha!"

The instant he shouted it, the white beam from Cell's fingertip had already shot forth—a streak of white tore through the air with a shrill scream. The surrounding airflow churned violently, and the rubble on the ground was swept up by the shockwave, pulverized, and instantly reduced to ash.

Goku did not take it head-on.

He swiftly twisted aside, his body spinning so low it nearly brushed the ground, his toes carving deep grooves across the rock.

The beam grazed his shoulder. A scorched mark instantly burned through his clothes, and searing pain stabbed into his skin.

The beam shot straight into the mountain wall behind him—with a thunderous boom, as if heaven and earth had been ripped apart.

The mountain shook violently. Massive boulders tumbled down, and dust rose dozens of meters into the air, forming a grayish-yellow mushroom cloud.

Once the dust cleared, everyone could see that the once-towering mountain had been blasted through with a hole dozens of meters wide. The walls of the hole were smooth as mirrors, white smoke still rising from its edges; the rock had been vaporized by the extreme heat in an instant.

"This is just an appetizer." Cell sneered, gathering another orb of light at his fingertip. The sphere spun with a low hum, warping the surrounding air as though even the light were being drawn into it.

Tilting his head at Goku, he taunted, "The next one won't be so easy to dodge."

Goku drew a deep breath, his chest heaving violently.

He closed his eyes and slowly brought his hands together at his waist. His muscles tensed, then relaxed, as golden energy surged from within him and blazed across his body.

His hair stood on end, golden light flashing in his eyes.

Between his hands, a dazzling sphere of energy rapidly took shape. Arcs of electricity intertwined across its surface, crackling sharply.

The ground beneath his feet could not withstand that power, and cracks continued to spread.