Red Arc

A suffocating pressure permeated the air. The waves of energy surging around Tang Yangbing distorted the light as if they were tangible, while shattered stones beneath his feet silently crumbled into dust. Android 18's azure eyes trembled slightly as her gaze remained fixed on Tang Yangbing's tall back. His fluttering clothes snapped amid the turbulent energy currents, like banners unfurled at the descent of a war god. "Your energy is impressive. Looks like you're a worthy opponent!" Cell grinned darkly, his green carapace reflecting a cold gleam beneath the sun.

He flexed his scale-covered knuckles, the grinding of his joints producing a teeth-grating crackle. "But just this much—" Before he could finish, he suddenly launched his attack. The ground beneath him collapsed into web-like cracks as his fist, wrapped in a sonic boom cloud, shot straight for Tang Yangbing's face. In a flash, Tang Yangbing vanished into an afterimage. Cell's fist tore through the phantom, unleashing a piercing blast as the violent cyclone it generated sliced a broken wall a hundred meters away clean in half. Android 18's pale golden hair was tossed by the gale. She instinctively raised a hand to shield herself from the flying rubble, only to see that Tang Yangbing had somehow appeared three inches behind Cell like a ghost, hovering there without so much as a speck of dust on his clothes.

"Let's hope you can still smile later." Tang Yangbing lowered his gaze with a faint laugh, raising his hand with casual elegance. The instant his fingertips moved, the surrounding air abruptly solidified into an amber-like substance, and countless tiny motes of light converged between his fingers into a spinning vortex of stars. The scales on the back of Cell's neck suddenly stood on end. He swung an arm behind him and unleashed a sky-filling barrage of energy needles. The green streams of light tore through the sky, yet they eerily halted in midair upon reaching within three meters of Tang Yangbing, buzzing densely like a swarm of bees that had struck an invisible barrier. Android 18 could not help holding her breath as she watched the energy needles melt into drifting firefly-like sparks at a visible rate. "You talk too much."

Tang Yangbing's voice seemed to rise from the depths of hell. He slashed downward with two fingers held together like a blade, and the suspended torrent of energy actually reversed direction, roaring back at its owner. Cell hurriedly raised both arms to block. The shockwave from the explosion hurled the sand and gravel of the entire wasteland into the air, and from the yellow haze, Tang Yangbing's frost-laden fist suddenly punched through. Android 18 stared at the white figure flickering in and out of view amid the smoke and dust, her fingertips unconsciously pressing against her trembling lips.

She saw the spiraling gusts unleashed as Tang Yangbing's fist tore through the smoke screen; she saw the carapace on Cell's blocking arms crack apart inch by inch, scattering fragments everywhere; and she saw the battle intent blazing in those eyes that reflected the heavens, enough to dim the stars themselves. Amid the dust-filled battlefield, Tang Yangbing appeared behind Cell like a phantom. Every muscle in his body tensed as his right arm snapped out like a venomous snake lying in wait. His elbow whistled as it tore through the air, striking Cell squarely in the middle of the back. "Bang!" A dull boom echoed across the empty battlefield.

Cell's body pitched forward like a kite with its string cut, his face still frozen in stunned disbelief. He clearly had not expected Tang Yangbing to appear behind him with such bizarre speed. However, the instant Tang Yangbing's elbow touched Cell's body, a sudden change occurred. Cell's figure abruptly blurred, swaying slightly like a reflection in water before transforming into a faint purple phantom that slowly dissipated into the air. "Afterimage? Watch out!" Android 18 cried out, her slender fingers unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes.

Worry filled her sapphire-blue eyes as her gaze tightly followed the tall figure at the center of the battlefield. Cold sweat slid down her smooth forehead, glittering crystal-clear beneath the sunlight. "What? Even Tang Yangbing can't do it?" Krillin's eyes widened, his mouth falling open in disbelief. He rubbed his eyes hard, as though unable to believe what he was seeing. Beads of sweat as large as beans rolled down his shiny bald head, kicking up tiny puffs of dust as they struck the cracked earth. "No! Look carefully before you say anything!" Android 16 said in a deep voice, the metallic tone of his voice carrying unquestionable seriousness.

His electronic eyes constantly adjusted their focus, barely managing to capture the two figures moving at high speed across the battlefield. His mechanical body leaned forward slightly, ready to intervene in this breathtaking fight at any moment. Trunks clenched his fists, his fingernails digging deeply into his palms. As he compared his own strength with Cell's, a feeling of helplessness surged over him like a tide. His long purple hair whipped wildly in the gale, and his handsome face was full of gravity. "So this is Cell? No wonder Tang Yangbing told me to be careful before. This guy really is strong!" he muttered, a faint, barely perceptible tremor in his voice.

At that moment, Cell's true body suddenly appeared three meters to Tang Yangbing's left. A cruel curve lifted the corners of his mouth, while his green body glimmered with an eerie sheen under the sun. The terrifying aura radiating from him seemed to freeze even the air around them, making it hard to breathe.

The sky darkened as thick clouds gathered overhead. Violent winds swept up clouds of sand and dust, howling across the desolate battlefield. Cell's true body appeared before Tang Yangbing like a bolt of green lightning. He was tall and powerfully built, his muscles knotted, his face carrying a hint of solemn seriousness. A cold light glinted in Cell's eyes as he slowly spoke in a low, forceful voice. "You're very fast. Much stronger than Vegeta!" Those words were like a sharp dagger stabbing viciously into Vegeta's heart. Vegeta stood in the distance with his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.

His face was filled with fury and unwillingness. His teeth ground together, and his eyes nearly spat fire. Over the past few years, he had trained day and night to surpass Son Goku and Tang Yangbing, sweat and blood soaking every inch of the training grounds. When he had finally transformed into a Super Saiyan, unprecedented confidence had surged within him, and he had believed that he had reached the pinnacle. Yet Tang Yangbing's single punch and his crushing defeat had been like a basin of cold water, waking him up and making him deeply realize the unbridgeable gap between himself and Tang Yangbing.

From then on, Vegeta cultivated even more desperately, but no matter how hard he tried, he could never fathom the true depths of Tang Yangbing's power. At this moment, Cell's assessment was undoubtedly rubbing salt into his wounds, driving the humiliation and fury in his heart to their peak. "But you won't do! The warm-up is over. It's time to send you on your way!" Tang Yangbing's voice was calm and cold, as though he were merely stating an obvious fact. He lightly flexed his wrist, his joints producing crisp cracks. Tang Yangbing swept his gaze over Cell and silently assessed him. Cell's strength had not changed much. He was still about the same as in the anime, not even reaching sixty billion.

Since that was the case, Tang Yangbing felt there was no need for him to transform directly into Super Saiyan 2. With his base battle power of 1.2 billion, combined with Full-Power Super Saiyan, he already had more than enough to deal with the opponent before him. "You underestimate—" Before Cell could finish, Tang Yangbing vanished from where he stood like a ghost. In the next instant, Tang Yangbing appeared before Cell, his right fist wrapped in violent energy as it slammed toward Cell's chest at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow. A sharp explosion rang through the air. The force of his punch tore through space, creating streams of distorted airflow. Bang!

A dull impact rang out. Cell's chest instantly caved in, and his entire body flew backward like a kite with its string cut. He spat out a huge mouthful of blood, carving a glaring red arc through the air.