The Awakening of Super Saiyan 4
That power—profound, wild, and unfathomable—far surpassed even the Super Saiyan 3 that Son Goku had previously been so proud of.
Now, he feels that he can touch the stars with just a raised hand and make the earth tremble with a single step.
"This is... Super Saiyan 4 ..." he murmured softly, his voice hoarse and deep.
Each word seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his chest, carrying a slight tremor of newly acquired power, and a kind of throbbing that even he himself found strange and unbelievable.
He raised his head, his crimson hair swaying gently with the movement, his vertical pupils flashing with golden light.
Through the golden flames still swirling around him, he stared intently at Qi Heng not far away.
Qi Heng remained standing in the same spot, not even moving the hem of his clothes.
With his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his black trousers, he appeared both upright and relaxed.
His quiet demeanor was worlds apart from Son Goku's outward-flailing, earth-shattering aura.
His golden pupils were completely still, like two deep pools, reflecting only Son Goku's majestic figure, yet remaining calm as if nothing had happened.
Even the energy turbulence brought about by Son Goku's transformation dissipated silently within three feet of Qi Heng, as if encountering an invisible barrier.
"Not bad," Qi Heng finally spoke, his voice as flat as if he were commenting on a decent dish. "A little better than I expected."
His gaze casually swept over Son Goku, as if weighing something, but he quickly lost interest.
Upon hearing this, Son Goku's lips unconsciously curled into a smile, a pure, excited, and challenging one.
His fighting spirit was like a volcano, almost bursting forth from his golden eyes, causing even the surrounding atmosphere to become restless.
"Shall we have a fight now?" He took half a step forward, and the special ground of the Supreme Kai Realm beneath his feet slightly collapsed, revealing fine cracks.
This power made him eager to have a good fight with someone to prove himself and release his pent-up energy.
Qi Heng shook his head almost imperceptibly, his movements languid.
"You are no match for me." He said it directly, without contempt or encouragement, simply stating a fact that was perfectly natural to him.
Son Goku's brows furrowed instantly, and a few strands of his crimson hair swayed. "You haven't even fought one, how do you know?"
He retorted defiantly, his voice filled with the confidence that came with newfound power, as well as bewilderment at being underestimated.
Qi Heng didn't bother to answer, and didn't even glance at Son Goku again.
He turned around abruptly, leaving his unguarded back to the newly empowered Super Saiyan 4, whose fighting spirit was boiling.
This action itself is an extreme form of arrogance.
"Let's talk about it when you truly master this power." Qi Heng's voice drifted on the wind, calm yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.
In his eyes, no matter how powerful Son Goku is now, he is still just a child wielding a hammer, all strength and no skill.
He raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers together, and casually touched his forehead.
The movements were fluid and natural, without any pre-existing power or flashy moves.
I will be back in three days.
As soon as he finished speaking, a faint light appeared between his fingertips and forehead, instantly spreading throughout his body like mercury spilling onto the ground.
Without any earth-shattering roar or spatial distortion, his figure became illusory in this soft yet all-consuming light, disappearing completely from the sky of the Supreme Kai Realm like a pencil mark erased by an eraser.
Only a barely perceptible trace of energy remained, which quickly dissipated with the wind.
Son Goku remained standing in the same spot, motionless.
The golden aura gradually subsided, but the golden light in his eyes burned even brighter.
That wasn't the afterglow of arrogance, but pure fighting spirit.
He slowly and forcefully clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking crisply, the muscles on his arms undulating like waves.
"Three days later..." he repeated in a low voice, but with the force of a vow.
Each word struck the silent air with unwavering resolve. "I will make you take this seriously."
The wind swept across the surface of the Supreme Kai Realm, stirring up fine dust.
In the distance, Pan, Gohan, Vegeta, and the others were still immersed in immense shock and complex emotions, silently gazing at the red-haired, golden-eyed figure in the center of the arena, seemingly reborn, speechless for a long time.
Son Goku's gaze, however, was already fixed on the void where Qi Heng had disappeared.
That gaze seemed to pierce through time and space, already locked onto the reunion three days later.
The energy within the body is still slowly circulating, adapting, and integrating.
With each heartbeat, that newborn, wild power resonated even more closely with his fighting instincts.
Three days later.
Supreme Kai Realm.
The sky was a deep blue, and a few wisps of clouds drifted by, making the place even more tranquil.
The distant mountains stretch out in lush greenery, gleaming softly in the sunlight.
Nearby, the grass is thick and lush, undulating gently in the wind like a green wave.
In the middle of the meadow, Son Goku sat cross-legged.
His eyes were closed, and his breathing was long and steady.
Every breath feels like absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, and every exhale cleanly expels impurities from the body.
He had long since deactivated his Super Saiyan 4 form and reverted to being a child again—a short body, a youthful face, and an orange martial arts uniform that was a little too big for him.
But now, no one dares to underestimate this body.
Beneath that gently rising and falling chest lies a power powerful enough to shake the stars and overturn the laws of nature.
He has barely rested for the past three days.
"Ha--ah!!"
The roars tore apart the tranquility of the divine realm time and again.
Golden flames soared into the sky, crimson fur covered his entire body, his muscles bulged, and his figure grew taller.
But there was always a glimmer of clarity in those eyes.
Transform, maintain, and feel the surging power in every muscle; then release, breathe, and experience the subtle changes after the energy recedes.
This repeated training resulted in sweat soaking through their clothes, which were then quickly evaporated by the flames.
The grassland was plowed with several furrows by his shockwaves, but slowly recovered under the power of the divine realm.
Until his body completely memorized that feeling—no longer a forced control, but a complete and effortless mastery driven by his will.
Then, he opened his eyes.
A flash of golden light appeared deep within his black pupils, then quickly disappeared, returning to stillness.
Everyone gathered around him.
Vegeta stood on a distant rock with his arms crossed, his expression as stern as ever, but his gaze never left Son Goku.
Gohan and Piccolo stood side by side, their expressions serious and their breathing steady.
Goten and Trunks were a little nervous, but couldn't hide their excitement, and they kept exchanging glances.
Pan knelt on the grass behind her grandfather, her hands unconsciously clenching the fabric on her knees.
Uub stood quietly beside Shin, his eyes filled with focus.
The Old Kai sat cross-legged on the cushion, a teapot that had appeared in his hand at some point. He sipped slowly, squinting as he surveyed the scene.
The air seemed to freeze, with only the rustling of the wind through the grass remaining.
"Will he... really come?" Pan finally asked in a low voice, her voice full of worry.
Son Goku didn't turn around, but his voice was steady and firm, echoing exceptionally clearly. "Yes."
The words had barely left his mouth--
Without any warning, a soft yet clear light poured down from the sky and landed on the grass in front of Son Goku.
The light quickly converged, outlining a human figure.
Qi Heng appeared.
He was still wearing that simple black shirt and trousers, which clung to his tall and slender figure.
His black hair was neatly styled, and his face was as calm as an ancient, deep pool, with only his pair of dazzling golden eyes slowly sweeping across the entire room.