Awakening! First Clues, Approaching Undercurrents

Night blanketed the land. The valley lay silent, save for the soft rustle of the breeze brushing over newly sprouted grass and the light yet vigilant footsteps of the guards in the distance. Son Gohan remained at Ximen Qing's side, the faint power of purification around him never ceasing. From time to time, his fingertips touched Ximen Qing's pulse to check on his recovery, yet his gaze remained fixed on the depths of the universe, the gravity in his eyes never easing in the slightest.

The strange energy fluctuations deep within the universe still lurked like ghosts. Every so often, a fleeting trace of icy chill drifted over, but their exact location could never be pinpointed. Son Gohan had focused his mind several times in an attempt to catch them, only to come away empty-handed—the energy was too concealed, too bizarre, as though it could hide freely within the void of space. Only that faint sense of desolation and deathly stillness silently proved that it existed and had never truly gone away.

Just then, Ximen Qing, lying on the rock, suddenly furrowed his brow tightly. The weak, dormant golden-red aura around him abruptly became active, and strands of golden-red radiance slowly seeped from his body, wrapping around him. Intertwining with Son Gohan's purifying power, they formed a warm yet steadfast energy barrier that quietly nourished his damaged meridians.

"Qing'er?" Joy flashed through Son Gohan's heart. He immediately focused his attention, fixing his eyes tightly on Ximen Qing. The purifying power at his fingertips slowed once more, carefully working with the reviving energy inside him to nourish his damaged meridians. "Are you waking up?"

As soon as he spoke, Ximen Qing's eyelids fluttered lightly a few times. Fine dust still clung to his long lashes, while a faint yet genuine flush gradually returned to his paper-pale cheeks. He slowly opened his eyes. At first, they were blank with confusion, but then intense pain and weakness swept over him. He let out a muffled groan and tried to push himself up, only for the agony throughout his body to hold him firmly in place. He could only shift his eyes slightly toward Son Gohan, who was keeping watch beside him.

"Grandpa Gohan..." Ximen Qing's voice was hoarse and dry, like sandpaper scraping together, so weak that the evening breeze nearly swallowed it. He struggled to open his mouth, only for a burning pain to shoot through his throat. His tone was filled with frail anticipation. "Did we... win?"

Son Gohan quickly pressed him down gently, relief and worry filling his eyes. His voice was soft but firm. "We won, Qing'er. We won. The Dark Sovereign has fallen. This catastrophe is over for now." He paused, but ultimately did not conceal the truth. "However, things have not completely settled yet. We detected a strange energy fluctuation coming from the depths of the universe. It is hidden and bizarre, even more troublesome than the Dark Sovereign's energy. We still don't know its origin or purpose."

Upon hearing that, the confusion in Ximen Qing's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a trace of gravity. He instinctively tried to mobilize the remaining energy in his body to sense that strange fluctuation, but the moment he did so, blade-like pain tore through his meridians. He could not help frowning tightly as his body trembled. The golden-red aura around him dimmed several degrees, nearly dissipating.

"Don't force yourself." Son Gohan quickly held down his wrist, stopping him from circulating his energy any further. "You were severely injured, and your energy is exhausted. The most important thing now is to rest and recover your strength. That strange energy is too well concealed. Nappa, Gray Shadow, and I have already made arrangements. We are maintaining close watch and investigating for clues."

Ximen Qing nodded faintly and slowly closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he forcibly suppressed the pain and weakness within him, though his mind was racing. While unconscious, he had vaguely sensed that icy fluctuation. It lingered like a parasite clinging to his bones, leaving him deeply unsettled. That aura of desolation and deathly stillness was unlike any form of energy he knew. It even carried a strange pressure that seemed to transcend this star region, making him instinctively wary.

"That fluctuation..." Ximen Qing slowly opened his eyes. Confusion and solemnity flickered within them. His voice remained hoarse, but it carried greater certainty. "I think I sensed it while I was unconscious. It was very cold, very strange. It is definitely not something as simple as an ally of the Dark Sovereign. It felt more like an ancient and terrifying existence, staring at us from across endless space... staring at the Twinborn Token."

"The Twinborn Token?" Son Gohan's heart stirred, and his brow instantly tightened. "You mean their target may be the Twinborn Token?" Before this, he had only suspected that the other party might be seeking revenge for the Dark Sovereign or plotting something else. He had never considered that their target might be the Twinborn Token they had suppressed.

Ximen Qing nodded lightly. There was uncertainty in his voice, but also an unquestionable resolve. "I can't be sure, but I can clearly sense that the fluctuation harbors an inexplicable covetousness toward the Twinborn Token. It is as though it is searching for something, or waiting for the right moment to seize it. After all, the Twinborn Token contains power capable of destroying heaven and earth. If its owner obtains it, the consequences would be unimaginable."

At that moment, the communicator suddenly rang. Gray Shadow's urgent and grave voice came through the receiver, breaking the valley's silence. "Grandpa Gohan, has Lord Ximen Qing awakened? While we were clearing the battlefield and gathering dark energy fragments, we found an abnormal fragment. The strange aura on it is astonishingly similar to the fluctuation you detected deep in the universe!"

Son Gohan and Ximen Qing exchanged a look, each seeing both joy and gravity in the other's eyes—their first clue had finally appeared!

"We'll be right there!" Son Gohan answered at once. Carefully helping Ximen Qing up, he placed one of Ximen Qing's arms over his shoulder and slowly rose to his feet. The power of purification around him began circulating again, cautiously supporting Ximen Qing's body. "Qing'er, can you hold on? Let's go look at that fragment. It may give us more clues about that strange energy."

Ximen Qing gritted his teeth and nodded lightly. Leaning on Son Gohan for support, he moved forward slowly. Every step sent piercing pain through his meridians, while the scant energy left within him was rapidly draining away. Yet his eyes only grew firmer—he had to see that fragment. He had to find clues as quickly as possible and uncover the hidden danger. He could not let everyone's efforts go to waste, much less allow Earth to fall into catastrophe again.

Outside the valley, moonlight spilled over the scorched, ruined earth, illuminating the battlefield's devastation and desolation. The elite warriors clearing the battlefield remained busy. Every one of them was covered in wounds and had a weak presence, yet none showed the slightest slackness. Their movements were slow, but exceptionally meticulous. Gray Shadow stood in the center of the battlefield, holding a pitch-black fragment in his hands. A faint yet bizarre icy aura coiled around it, identical to the fluctuation Son Gohan had detected deep in the universe.

Seeing Son Gohan and Ximen Qing approach, Gray Shadow immediately went forward to meet them. His eyes were filled with joy and solemnity. "Grandpa Gohan, Lord Ximen Qing, you're here! Look at this fragment. It's different from the other dark energy fragments. The aura on it is far too strange. And it is still continuously releasing faint fluctuations, as though it is responding to something."

Supporting Ximen Qing, Son Gohan slowly stopped. His gaze locked onto the fragment in Gray Shadow's hand as the purifying power around him quietly circulated, carefully examining the aura upon it. Sure enough, the icy aura on the fragment was exactly the same as the strange fluctuation from the depths of the universe. It carried a trace of desolation and deathly stillness, hidden and bizarre. Moreover, that fluctuation was indeed pulsing rhythmically, as though silently echoing something far away.

Ximen Qing also leaned forward slightly, his gaze falling upon the fragment. The golden-red aura within him instinctively rippled, lightly colliding with the fragment's strange aura. At the instant they collided, a blurry, fragmented image abruptly burst into his mind—within an endless black universe, a massive Black Altar stood atop the void. Dense, unfathomable strange energy swirled around it. Countless shadowy figures knelt beneath the altar, muttering obscure incantations. At the center of the altar lay a fragment identical to the one in Gray Shadow's hand.

"Ah—!" Ximen Qing suddenly clutched his head and let out a pained groan. Though the image in his mind was blurry, it carried a bone-chilling strangeness. An intense wave of dizziness swept through him, nearly causing him to faint again, while the golden-red aura around him instantly dimmed.

"Qing'er!" Son Gohan hurriedly supported him, his expression anxious. "What is it? Did you sense something?"

Ximen Qing slowly lowered his hand. His face was even paler than before, his lips trembling faintly. His eyes were full of shock and gravity, and his voice was so hoarse it was nearly broken. "I... I saw an image. A Black Altar, deep in the universe, with many shadowy figures kneeling before it. And at the center of the altar was a fragment identical to the one in our hands. That strange energy seems to be coming from that altar!"

Gray Shadow's expression changed dramatically, his eyes filled with shock. "A Black Altar? Deep in the universe? Could the owner of that strange energy be hiding within that altar? Are these fragments what fell from the altar?"

Son Gohan gently shook his head, his expression growing increasingly grave. He carefully touched the fragment with his fingertip, but the instant his purifying power made contact, the fragment's strange energy violently repelled it. It even inflicted a slight backlash, making him grunt as his fingertip trembled faintly. "It's hard to say. But one thing is certain: this fragment is absolutely closely connected to that strange energy and to the unknown existence deep in the universe. Its power is also extremely bizarre. Not only can my purifying power not suppress it—it is being countered by it."

Just then, the communicator rang urgently again. Nappa's panicked yet vigilant voice came through, carrying undisguised alarm. "Grandpa Gohan, this is bad! The guard team stationed on Earth has detected a powerful strange energy fluctuation. It is clearer than ever before, and it is rapidly approaching Earth—it's getting closer and closer! Also, the teams sent to investigate the two major star systems have sent word. They found the same kind of strange fragments near an energy node in the Extreme Cold Star System!"

The moment those words were spoken, everyone's faces turned deathly pale.

The strange energy was approaching Earth! Identical fragments had also appeared near an energy node in the Extreme Cold Star System! This meant that the other party's target might not be limited to the Twinborn Token. They might also be after the energy nodes of the two major star systems, perhaps even the energy balance of the entire universe. An even more terrifying crisis was quietly drawing near.

Ximen Qing forcibly suppressed the pain and dizziness within him. His eyes were sharp as blades as he stared fixedly at the fragment in Gray Shadow's hand. His voice carried unquestionable determination as he issued orders into the communicator. "Everyone, immediately enter Level One Alert! Nappa, recall the investigation teams from the two major star systems at once. Gather all combat strength and defend Earth and the Twinborn Token with everything you have. Closely monitor the approaching strange energy fluctuation. Gray Shadow, continue collecting every strange fragment. Carefully examine their auras and search for more clues. Grandpa Gohan, please continue using your purifying power to help me recover quickly. I have to regain my strength as soon as possible to face the coming crisis!"

"Yes, sir!" everyone answered in unison, their voices resolute. Even though they were covered in injuries and exhausted beyond measure, they immediately sprang into action. The weariness and slackness on their faces were completely replaced by vigilance and determination.

Under the moonlight, more and more lights lit up across the battlefield. The elite warriors stood ready, their energy quietly gathering around them as their gazes turned in unison toward the depths of the universe. Their eyes were filled with vigilance and resolve. The strange fragment in Gray Shadow's hand continued to emit faint pulses, echoing the approaching energy deep in the universe. A more terrifying undercurrent was rapidly surging forth. A new catastrophe was already close at hand, almost within reach.

Leaning on Son Gohan's support, Ximen Qing slowly closed his eyes. The golden-red aura around him intertwined tightly with the power of purification, frantically nourishing his damaged meridians and striving to restore the energy within him. The blurry image of the Black Altar continued replaying in his mind. He knew clearly that an even harsher and more terrifying confrontation was about to begin. And this time, the existence they faced might be even more dreadful and mysterious than the Dark Sovereign.