He raised one hand, palm facing up, as though weighing something invisible.
"Become the strongest in the Sixth Universe? Or... something else?"
At the edge of the arena, Son Goku sat cross-legged atop a broken stone pillar, propping up his chin as he blinked curiously.
Beerus leaned against a distant wall, his eyes narrowed, the tip of his tail impatiently tapping the ground.
Whis and Vados stood side by side, the Angel Staffs in their hands glowing faintly.
Chen Feng said nothing.
This silence was not empty. Instead, it weighed down on everyone until they could barely breathe.
He slowly lifted his head and looked toward the starry sky beyond the training ground's high windows.
Planet Sadala's two moons hung one behind the other, casting down their cold light.
After a while, he withdrew his gaze. His voice was low, yet perfectly clear. "My goal is to protect my people, so they can live stable and peaceful lives without having to worry about war and destruction every day."
He paused, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. His smile was as faint as moonlight, but his gaze suddenly deepened.
"As for being the strongest—"
He raised his right hand and slowly clenched it into a fist, his knuckles cracking softly.
"That is merely a means to achieve my goal, not the goal itself."
Vegeta froze.
He stood there as though struck by lightning.
Protecting his people... living in peace... Coming from Chen Feng, those words did not sound weak or hypocritical. Instead, they carried a will as unyielding as steel.
This was not the pursuit Vegeta knew warriors to have—warriors cared only about strength, victory, and surpassing others.
But Chen Feng spoke with the words of a king, of someone who regarded power as responsibility rather than glory.
Vegeta's brow