Kaio-ken

"Come on!"

A faint smile curled at Tang Yangbing's lips, and a sharp glint flashed through his eyes. He did not choose to transform into a Super Saiyan, because Son Goku was still far from strong enough to make him use his full power. He would rather face this battle in his purest form.

Before his words had even faded, Tang Yangbing and Son Goku moved almost simultaneously.

They both stomped the ground fiercely, instantly shattering the earth beneath their feet as rocks sprayed out like rain. The next moment, their bodies shot into the sky like arrows loosed from a bow, moving too fast for the naked eye to follow.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A series of deafening sonic booms rang out across the sky. The air seemed to tear apart as visible rings of shockwaves spread through the heavens. Yet aside from those rippling traces, neither fighter could be seen. Like two streaks of light, they continuously crossed and collided in the sky, every clash unleashing astonishing waves of energy.

The surrounding mountains and terrain crumbled beneath those terrifying energy tremors. Boulders tumbled down, dust filled the air, and bottomless ravines split across the ground, as though the earth itself trembled for this battle. Yet Tang Yangbing and Son Goku had deliberately restrained most of their energy. Otherwise, those few exchanges alone would have been enough to make the entire Earth collapse.

Tang Yangbing appeared completely at ease in this battle. Rather than rushing to win, he was enjoying the process. Son Goku's combat experience was incredibly rich; every move he made contained exquisite technique and a deep foundation of skill. Tang Yangbing keenly observed Son Goku's every motion, taking the opportunity to learn his fighting techniques and experience. His gaze was focused and calm, as though he were studying a superb live combat lesson.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Their fists rained down like a storm, their figures flashing constantly through the sky—one moment in the east, the next in the west. They moved so fast that Krillin and the others watching could not keep up at all. They could only hear the unending sonic booms and see the shockwave rings spreading through the sky, but they could never catch their exact positions.

Even Tien Shinhan furrowed his brow. His third eye operated at full power as he tried to see the details of this high-speed clash. Yet even he could only barely follow the paths traced by the sonic boom rings, his gaze shifting with the fluctuations of energy, unable to lock onto those two lightning-fast figures.

"Their speed and power are too much! We can't see them at all!" Krillin cried out, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Yeah. This guy is unbelievably strong," Piccolo said in a deep voice, his eyes filled with gravity.

Trunks stood to one side with his fists clenched, his expression solemn. He could barely keep up with their speed, but deep down, he knew that he had no right to join this battle. Even Son Goku's battle power was far above his own.

"Not bad. You're learning my fighting techniques, aren't you?" Son Goku suddenly said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. Although he was at a disadvantage, his eyes were full of excitement and fighting spirit. This battle was also a rare opportunity for him to temper himself.

Tang Yangbing did not answer. He merely smiled faintly, and his punches became even sharper. In the sky, their figures intertwined once more, the aftershocks of battle sweeping in every direction as the duel grew even fiercer.

Son Goku, a born combat genius, had keenly perceived Tang Yangbing's intentions and tactics after only a few minutes of fighting. A sharp light flickered in his eyes, as though he could see through all falsehood and reach straight into his opponent's fighting spirit. Tang Yangbing's moves were fierce, but before this Saiyan warrior, they gradually became transparent. Son Goku absorbed his opponent's combat techniques at an astonishing rate, like a parched sponge greedily drawing in every drop of battle's essence. Before long, Son Goku had learned more than half of Tang Yangbing's once-peerless fighting arts.

Rumble!

Another earth-shaking collision erupted. Tang Yangbing's fist carried world-destroying force as it slammed heavily into Son Goku's guard. The power of that strike sent Son Goku flying hundreds of meters away. His feet plowed two bottomless trenches through the hard ground, rocks flying and dust billowing. A piercing scraping sound echoed through the air, as though the earth itself were groaning beneath that blow.

"What incredible strength!" Son Goku shook his numb hands, but an even more excited expression appeared on his face. Ever since his life-and-death battle with Frieza, he had not encountered such a satisfying opponent in a long time. Every cell in his body was cheering, his blood boiling in his veins as long-dormant battle passion ignited within him.

"Looks like I have no choice but to use Kaio-ken." Son Goku took a deep breath, his expression becoming incomparably solemn. "Using Kaio-ken while in Super Saiyan form puts an enormous burden on my body, but if I don't use it now, I'm no match for you at all!"

"Aahhh—ha!"

Accompanied by an earth-shaking roar, astonishing energy erupted from Son Goku's body. His golden hair stood upright, and outside the golden aura surrounding him, a layer of blazing red light wrapped around his body. The red-and-gold energy waves surged and rose, scorching the surrounding air until it twisted and warped.

"Twofold Kaio-ken!"

Before his words had faded, his aura surged again.

"Fourfold Kaio-ken!"

The energy fluctuations caused the ground for miles around to begin cracking.

"Eightfold Kaio-ken!"

At that moment, Son Goku resembled a humanoid sun, so dazzling that no one could look directly at him.

"Tenfold Kaio-ken! This is my limit!" Son Goku's voice was somewhat distorted amid the roaring energy. "I can only maintain this state for one minute!"

Everything before had merely been a warm-up. Now, the true contest had only just begun. The energy fluctuations around Son Goku made the entire battlefield tremble. Rocks floated beneath his feet, while the air burned around him.

"Tenfold Kaio-ken?" A meaningful smile rose on Tang Yangbing's lips, and a trace of approval flashed in his eyes. "Looks like I should show some real skill too."

This scene had never appeared in the anime—Son Goku, in Super Saiyan form, had actually used Kaio-ken. At that moment, it felt as though the rules of the entire universe were being rewritten, and the duel between two supreme powerhouses was about to open a new chapter.

It was not until the events of Dragon Ball Super, during Son Goku's fierce battle with Hit, the top assassin of Universe 6, that he first fused the power of Super Saiyan with Kaio-ken and displayed unprecedented explosive strength. However, this forcibly stacked form placed an immensely heavy burden on the body, and the slightest mistake could result in irreversible damage. Yet now, facing Tang Yangbing's unfathomable strength, Son Goku once again activated this forbidden power without hesitation—Super Saiyan plus Tenfold Kaio-ken! Golden energy flared into the sky like an erupting volcano, threaded with the crimson streams unique to Kaio-ken. The two powers intertwined as though they would tear the entire sky apart. Scorching heat filled the air, while the ground cracked inch by inch beneath the energy's impact. Rocks and dust were swept into the air, forming a chaotic vortex.

"This next minute will be my limit—hope I won't disappoint you!" Son Goku's lips curved slightly. His voice was calm, yet it carried unquestionable resolve. The golden aura around him blazed ever brighter, like a star on the verge of exploding, its radiance so piercing that none dared look directly at it.

Tang Yangbing stood not far away, his expression shifting from its previous calmness to solemnity. He slowly raised his hands, and a faint dark-blue energy barrier appeared around him, like an undercurrent in the deep sea—quiet, yet concealing deadly danger. "Good. The real battle starts now!" he replied in a deep voice, excitement and vigilance mingling in his eyes.

With Super Saiyan stacked with Tenfold Kaio-ken, Son Goku's strength had long surpassed beings like Frieza, the former emperor of the universe, and even faintly touched the realm of gods. Every inch of his muscles was tensed like steel, his golden hair whipping wildly amid the energy fluctuations, while blade-sharp light burst from his pupils.

"Take this—this is my strongest one minute!" Son Goku roared, and his body abruptly vanished from where he stood. In the next instant, he appeared before Tang Yangbing like a ghost, moving so fast that even an afterimage was almost impossible to catch. His right fist clenched, carrying world-destroying energy as it shot straight at Tang Yangbing's face! Wherever the punch wind passed, space itself seemed to rip apart with a piercing hum.

"Good!" A sharp gleam flashed through Tang Yangbing's eyes. Rather than dodge, he threw a punch of his own to meet it head-on! He knew that only a direct clash could truly measure Son Goku's current power. The instant their fists collided, a deafening explosion erupted, and the energy shockwave spread outward like a tsunami, completely overturning the ground within a hundred meters!

Bang—!

Tang Yangbing felt a mountain-toppling force surge through his fist, sending him flying backward like a kite with its string cut. He drove his feet fiercely into the ground, trying to steady himself, but that immense force still pushed him backward. Screech—! His feet plowed two deep tracks dozens of meters long through the hard earth, sending rocks and soil flying in all directions, as though two colossal beasts were ravaging the land. Finally, Tang Yangbing stomped backward with one foot and blasted apart a small hill dozens of meters tall behind him! Amid a thunderous crash, the rocks shattered and dust filled the air, and only then did he finally halt his retreat.

Slowly straightening up, Tang Yangbing shook his slightly numb arm, admiration flashing in his eyes. "Such powerful strength... Tenfold Kaio-ken truly lives up to its reputation!" he said quietly. His tone held a measure of gravity, but it could not conceal the fighting spirit that rose whenever he met a powerful opponent.

In the distance, the golden-red aura around Son Goku continued to burn fiercely. Like a god of war descended upon the mortal world, he waited for the next, even more intense exchange...

Mo slowly shook his somewhat numb arm, an irrepressible, excited smile curling at the corner of his mouth. Sunlight spilled through the clouds, outlining his body with a faint golden glow, while tiny specks of dust seemed to dance uneasily in the air amid the energy fluctuations.

"This is good..." he murmured, a hint of relief in his voice. "At least the gap won't seem too huge."

Suddenly, he threw back his head and roared, "Aah—ha—!"

The roar seemed to tear apart the sky as a scorching wave of energy exploded outward from him. His originally black pupils instantly turned emerald green, like two burning stars. The ground beneath his feet groaned under unbearable pressure, and dense cracks spread outward from where he stood like an enormous spiderweb unfolding across the earth. Rocks and dust were swept up by the violent airflow, forming a spinning vortex in the air.

"Super Saiyan 1!" Tang Yangbing felt the surging power within his body, every cell cheering with excitement. "This kind of power is truly intoxicating!"

A full thirty billion battle power surged through his body, making him feel as though he could shatter stars with a single punch. Golden energy blazed around him, lightly warping the surrounding air with its heat.

Far across the battlefield, Son Goku's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief. "What's going on? You're a Saiyan too?"

He excitedly clenched his fists, but then a confused look appeared on his face. He clearly remembered Vegeta saying that there should only be a few Saiyans left in the entire universe.

"That's right. I'm a Saiyan too." Tang Yangbing replied calmly, though his voice carried unquestionable authority.

At that moment, Tang Yangbing was like an insurmountable mountain, his presence as vast as the cosmos and unfathomably deep. Standing before him, even a powerful fighter like Son Goku hesitated instinctively for a moment, as though he faced not a warrior, but a god walking among mortals.

"Su... Super Saiyan?" Son Gohan and Krillin gaped, staring blankly at the unbelievable sight before them.

His violent aura bore down on everyone present as if it were tangible. Yamcha and Chiaotzu, whose wills were comparatively weaker, had long since been unable to endure it. Their knees gave out and they fell to the ground, their bodies trembling uncontrollably as fine beads of sweat covered their foreheads.

At the same time, on Turtle Hermit Island thousands of miles away, Master Roshi, who had been leisurely sunbathing in a recliner, abruptly sat upright. He adjusted his sunglasses, and a flash of alarm crossed his clouded old eyes.

"Whose aura is so terrifying?" He looked in Tang Yangbing's direction and murmured to himself.

The sea breeze gently brushed through his graying beard, carrying a salty dampness. Master Roshi focused his senses for a moment, and the furrow between his brows gradually eased. "Still, although his aura is terrifying, there's no evil intent in it. He probably isn't a bad person."

With that, he lay back down in his chair and let the warm sunlight wash over his body. Yet behind his sunglasses, his eyes still held a shock that was difficult to dispel.

The Lookout hung high above the clouds. Piccolo stood at its edge, his dark green skin gleaming faintly beneath the sunlight. His arms were folded across his chest, his brow tightly furrowed, and his sharp eyes flickered with gravity and unease. Thousands of miles away in West City, Vegeta stood bare-chested inside Bulma's family's gravity chamber, sweat streaming down his muscular body like rain. He stopped training and suddenly raised his head toward the distance, his usually stern face now clouded over.

"This aura... How can it be this terrifying?" Piccolo muttered, his voice carrying a tremor even he had failed to notice.

Vegeta viciously drove a fist into the gravity chamber wall, instantly denting the metal. "What trouble is that idiot Kakarot getting himself into now?" he said through gritted teeth, though a trace of unwillingness flashed through his eyes. "Looks like I'll have to keep getting stronger."

At the same time, in the barren wilderness, Son Goku strode steadily toward Tang Yangbing. With every step, the ground beneath his feet trembled slightly, as though unable to withstand the surging power within him. Sunlight fell across his orange gi, making his distinctive black hair stand out all the more.

"Whoever you are, let's fight!" Son Goku grinned, baring his white teeth as blazing fighting spirit burned in his clear eyes.

Tang Yangbing stood with his hands behind his back, his white robes fluttering gently in the breeze. His expression was calm, with the faintest smile at the corners of his lips. "Thank you for your fighting techniques. I'll go all out," he said lightly, his voice calm yet filled with unquestionable confidence.

A sharp glint flashed through Son Goku's eyes as he lightly tapped the ground with the tip of his right foot. With a crack, the earth beneath him split apart, web-like fissures spreading rapidly outward. The next moment, his figure vanished, leaving behind only a blurry afterimage.

Tang Yangbing remained where he stood, his robes fluttering. In his eyes, Son Goku's lightning-fast movements seemed like slow motion, every tiny action clearly visible.

"He's this strong?" Son Goku's astonished voice echoed through the air. His fist, carrying tremendous force, slammed toward Tang Yangbing, only to be stopped inches away by an invisible wall of energy. Golden aura flowed around Tang Yangbing like a tangible barrier, effortlessly neutralizing Son Goku's full-power blow.

"I can't even break through his defense?" Son Goku murmured in disbelief. A trace of frustration flashed through his eyes, only to be replaced by even fiercer fighting spirit.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Son Goku's figure darted through the air at extreme speed, too fast for the naked eye to follow. Countless shockwaves from his fists poured down like a raging storm, every punch containing enough force to split mountains and shatter stone. The rocks around Tang Yangbing crumbled beneath the ferocious assault, debris flying everywhere as dust filled the air. Yet Tang Yangbing remained completely unmoved; not even the hem of his clothes was disturbed.

As the dust gradually settled, Tang Yangbing was still standing where he had been, a faint smile on his lips. He gently raised a hand, and the aura around him rippled slightly, as though mocking all of Son Goku's efforts.