Cell Preys on a Town, Divine Essence Slashes the Soul as the Monster Flees

The group returned along Snake Way, passed through Kami's Lookout, and landed back in the mountains of the southern region in an instant. The moment their feet touched the ground, a cold, greedy aura swept in on the mountain wind, mixed with fading traces of life. Goku frowned, and his aura unconsciously flared around him.

"What an evil aura. It feels like it's devouring living people's life force."

Divine Essence stirred at Qi Tian's fingertips as his Divine Essence Heavenly Awareness spread out in an instant. The scene of a town a hundred li away became clear in his senses. The streets were silent and the houses intact, yet every living aura in the entire town had vanished. Only a dark green figure wandered through its center, the spike on its tail plunged into a dried corpse as it greedily sucked out the last remnants of life energy.

"It's Cell. He's growing faster than expected," Qi Tian said grimly. "He's evolving by absorbing life energy. If we let him continue, he'll soon approach his complete form."

"Let's go take a look!" Goku was the most impatient. Before his words had faded, he became a streak of blue light and shot away. Krillin and Yamcha followed close behind, and the three figures vanished beyond the forest in moments.

Half an hour later, the group landed at the entrance to the town.

Deathly silence filled their view. Villagers' bodies lay strewn across the streets, each shriveled and emaciated as though every drop of moisture and vitality had been drained from them. Terror still lingered on their faces. A breeze swept dust through the streets, and the entire town carried an indescribable air of strangeness and desolation.

"This is too much!" Goku clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, fury blazing in his eyes. "He actually attacked ordinary people. We can't forgive him!"

"Oh? More nourishment delivered right to my door?"

A hoarse, mocking voice came from the center of town. A dark green figure slowly leaped down from a rooftop. He was tall, with a shell that gleamed with a metallic chill. His head was insect-like, his dark red pupils narrowed into slits, and the spike on his tail wriggled faintly as murky fluid dripped from it. It was Cell, newly emerged from his cocoon.

His gaze swept over Goku and the other two. He licked his lips, greed flashing through his eyes. "Goku... Krillin... Yamcha... Dr. Gero's files had information on all of you. Perfect martial arts genes. If I absorb you, my evolution will speed up severalfold."

"Enough talk!" Goku roared as he suddenly charged forward. Fourfold Fission energy gathered around his fist, and with a shriek of torn air, he drove it straight at Cell's face. "Take this punch first!"

Bang—

Cell neither dodged nor evaded. He raised a hand and caught the punch. The collision of their force exploded into a shockwave, shattering and cracking the stone pavement beneath his feet, yet he did not move an inch. His fingers slowly tightened as he felt the energy from Goku's fist, and an eerie smile spread across his lips. "Fourfold Fission... Fine energy quality. Far more delicious than those ordinary humans."

Goku's heart jolted. His fist felt as though it had been caught in iron pincers, and the opponent's strength far surpassed even Android 17 in his complete form. He yanked himself free and immediately threw a second punch with his other hand, but Cell twisted aside and smashed an elbow hard into his chest.

With a muffled grunt, Goku was sent flying several yards. He crushed two paving stones beneath his feet before steadying himself. Rubbing his chest, the anger in his eyes intensified, but so did his caution—this monster was far stronger than he had expected.

"Together!"

Krillin and Yamcha moved at the same time. Twelve Molten-Cutting Energy Discs interwove in the air, forming an array that became six spinning blade wheels screaming toward Cell from every direction. Meanwhile, Yamcha controlled eight Wolf Fang Energy Balls, blasting at Cell from all sides as their energy sealed off every route of escape.

"You have quite a few tricks." Cell sneered. Demonic energy and Divine Essence intertwined around him, forming a pale violet barrier. The Energy Discs struck the shield in showers of sparks, their rotation rapidly slowing. The Energy Balls exploded one after another, flames shooting skyward, but they could not breach his defense.

When the smoke cleared, Cell stood unharmed in the same spot. There were barely even any cracks on his shield. His fingertips twitched, and he actually copied Krillin's technique, forming three dark green energy blades and flicking them out. Their trajectories were viciously tricky, and they even possessed a degree of tracking ability.

"I can use your Energy Disc too."

Krillin's pupils contracted sharply as he hurriedly threw out several energy blades to block them. When the blades collided, his arm sank. Cell's energy blades carried an absorption property, wildly dissolving his energy the instant they touched it.

"This guy can copy our techniques!"

"Not just that." Yamcha flashed aside to avoid an incoming energy blast and said in a low voice, "He has Piccolo's demon clan aura, a trace of Divine Essence, and he even resembles an android. He's practically a hodgepodge."

As they spoke, Cell flashed forward. His movement combined the demon clan's eerie unpredictability with an android's speed. Afterimages layered over one another, making it impossible to distinguish real from false, as one claw shot straight for Krillin's heart. The wind from the claw carried corrosive power, making Krillin's skin ache before it even reached him.

"Kaio-ken: Second Burst!"

Goku gave a low shout, and his aura abruptly swelled several times over. Pale blue energy waves swept through the entire street. The explosive power of Kaio-ken merged with his Fourfold Fission energy, multiplying his speed in an instant. Though he moved later, he arrived first, smashing a punch viciously into Cell's cheek.

Boom—

Cell was knocked sideways, crashing through half a wall as rubble and dust filled the air.

"We got him!" Goku's face lit up with joy. But before the dust had fully settled, a dark green figure slowly walked out of the ruins. The dent in his cheek was smoothing over at a visible rate, leaving not even the slightest wound behind.

"Not bad power. Unfortunately, it isn't enough to kill me." Cell rolled his neck, excitement flashing through his dark red pupils. "With the demon clan's regenerative abilities and Divine Essence's self-healing factors, as long as my core isn't destroyed, I'm immortal."

The moment he finished speaking, he vanished. Goku's pupils constricted. Just as he was about to turn and defend, a heavy kick struck his chest, sending him flying through three houses. Cell followed close behind, gathering a ball of dark green and silvery violet energy in his palm. It was a technique combining the Kamehameha with Demonic Essence Surge, and he brought it crashing down at Goku's head.

"Destructo Disc: Twelve-Spinning-Blade Killing Array!"

Krillin's hands flew as the twelve energy blades instantly converged into a massive spinning blade disc that slashed toward Cell's waist from the side. Yamcha gathered all of his Energy Balls into a single blast, its spiraling energy drilling straight toward the vital point at Cell's back.

Caught between attacks from front and back, Cell had no choice but to turn and block. He casually flung out his energy ball, which collided with the spiraling energy blast in a thunderous explosion. At the same time, the blade disc had already reached him. With a sharp hiss, the Energy Disc cut deeply into his waist, nearly severing him in half.

"Let's see how you regenerate now!" Krillin gritted his teeth and drove his energy harder, intending to grind Cell apart completely.

But the next second, a massive amount of dark green cells surged from Cell's severed body, rapidly entwining and fusing together. Within only a few breaths, the wound in his waist had healed completely. He even tore off a chunk of flesh from his shoulder and casually tossed it to the ground. The meat wriggled a few times, transforming into a small clone that bared its fangs and claws before pouncing on Krillin.

"His regeneration is even faster than Piccolo's..." Krillin's heart sank. He flashed aside and cut down the small clone, only to feel the situation becoming increasingly troublesome.

The longer the three fought, the more alarmed they became. Cell's strength, speed, and regeneration were all outstanding, and he could continuously copy their techniques while his combat experience grew at a terrifying rate. As the battle dragged on, the three gradually fell into a disadvantage. Their energy drained rapidly, and wounds accumulated across their bodies.

"That's enough. My turn now."

Cell sneered and abruptly brought his hands together. A dark green energy sphere rapidly expanded between his palms, containing the condensed force of the Kamehameha, the ferocity of Demonic Essence Surge, and the dissolving properties of Divine Essence. Its aura far surpassed any of his previous attacks.

"Mixed Energy Cannon. Taste the flavor of your own techniques fused together."

A thick beam of energy roared out. Wherever it passed, deep trenches were gouged into the ground, and streets and houses were reduced to dust in an instant. Goku and the others' faces changed dramatically as they pushed their energy to its limit, layering three defensive barriers together.

Boom—!

The beam slammed into the barriers, and a horrifying shockwave exploded outward. Goku and the others groaned and staggered back repeatedly. The stone beneath their feet shattered inch by inch, while cracks rapidly spread across the barriers. They were on the verge of collapsing.

At that moment, a black-gold figure silently appeared in front of them.

Qi Tian stood with his hands behind his back. Black-gold Divine Essence materialized into armor over his body, the Divine Essence Armor Manifestation gleaming brilliantly. He raised a hand and struck with his palm, sending a black-gold palm print toward the Mixed Energy Cannon. The instant the two collided, there was no earth-shaking explosion. The energy beam simply melted away like snow beneath the blazing sun.

With seventy percent of its force deflected and Divine Essence Heaven-Burning's scorching properties, Cell's proud mixed attack could not even come within three feet of Qi Tian.

"How is that possible?!" Cell's pupils contracted as shock appeared on his face for the first time. Dr. Gero's files had records of Qi Tian, but he had never imagined that the man's power would be this overwhelming.

Qi Tian raised his eyes, his gaze falling on Cell. His tone was calm. "You've fused quite a few genes. Unfortunately, they're impure and mismatched. You have only the form, not the essence."

"Quit putting on airs!" Cell was both shocked and enraged. Energy surged around him as the spike on his tail abruptly lengthened like a venomous dragon leaving its lair, stabbing straight for Qi Tian's heart. A faint glow shone over the spike, clearly containing poison and devouring power.

Qi Tian neither dodged nor moved. He merely raised a fingertip.

An invisible, formless blade of spiritual awareness shot through the air. It was the Divine Essence Thought Slash.

There was no energy ripple and no sound of air splitting. Cell only felt a sudden burst of agonizing pain in his mind, as though a sharp blade had stabbed deep into his consciousness. He let out a shrill scream, his attack instantly collapsing as he staggered backward with both hands clutching his head. His dark red pupils shrank violently.

"You... What did you do to me?!"

The pain of having his soul slashed seeped into his bones, more terrifying than any physical injury. Cell could clearly feel cracks forming in the core of his consciousness, and even his regeneration slowed considerably. At last, he understood that the man before him possessed the power to truly kill him.

"Your soul has been cut. The foundation of your evolution is already damaged." Qi Tian walked forward slowly, his black-gold armor rustling. "Keep fighting, and you won't even have a chance to escape."

Cell gritted his teeth and stared at Qi Tian, his eyes full of hatred and fear. He knew he could gain nothing from today's battle. If he did not leave now, he might truly die here.

"I'll remember this!"

He suddenly roared, and the energy around him became chaotic. He was actually planning to escape through self-destruction. A dark green energy sphere rapidly expanded inside his body, spreading an aura of destruction.

Goku and the other two changed expression and prepared to retreat, but Qi Tian merely shook his head. "It's fake."

Before the words had faded, a thunderous explosion rang out. Cell's body suddenly exploded, dark green flesh spraying in all directions as the energy shockwave engulfed half the town. When the dust cleared, only pieces of flesh remained scattered across the ground. Cell himself was nowhere to be seen.

"He escaped." Qi Tian looked toward the northwest. "He left behind a piece of core flesh as bait. His real body fled long ago."

Goku slammed his fist down in frustration. "We just let him get away? That's letting him off too easily!"

"He was determined to flee. Even if we pursued him, it would be difficult to kill him completely," Qi Tian said. "His soul is damaged, so he won't be able to evolve at full speed for a while. At least he's been temporarily suppressed."

Krillin crouched down and inspected the chunks of flesh on the ground, frowning. "These pieces are still wriggling. Their vitality is too strong. If any random piece can grow into a new one, that'll be a huge problem."

"There's only one core. The scattered flesh can't become a threat." Qi Tian raised his hand, and a strand of Divine Essence Heaven-Burning flame fell upon the ground. The flesh was instantly incinerated, leaving not even ash behind.

Wind swept through the town, carrying the smell of scorching and deathly silence. The three looked at the dried corpses throughout the town and fell silent. They were long accustomed to fighting powerful opponents, but this kind of slaughter aimed at ordinary people still weighed heavily on their hearts.

"That guy is even more ruthless than Piccolo," Yamcha said gravely. "We have to find him as soon as possible, or more people will suffer."

On a mountaintop a thousand li away, Piccolo stood with his hands behind his back, taking in the entire battle in the town.

"A soul attack... Interesting." A cold smile curved across his lips, and dark gold demonic armor gleamed coldly beneath the sunlight. "That trash Cell couldn't even withstand one move from him. Still, that's fine. With him causing trouble in the shadows, Qi Tian won't have any peace either. Once the Saiyans arrive and the three sides fall into chaos, that will be my opportunity."

His figure flickered, and he vanished from the mountaintop. With his demon clan origin fully awakened, he had already begun making arrangements. He only needed to wait for the Saiyans to descend before reaping the benefits.

After settling matters in the town, the group set off back toward Turtle Hermit Island.

Along the way, Qi Tian gazed at the horizon as his Divine Essence Heavenly Awareness locked onto the depths of space. The two Saiyan auras had drawn closer again, and their oppressive presence had become increasingly clear.

There were still three and a half months until they reached Earth.

"The days ahead won't be peaceful," Qi Tian said slowly. "Cell will hide away to heal and evolve. Piccolo is lying in wait in the shadows, and the Saiyans are steadily approaching. We'll split into two groups. The three of you will remain on Turtle Hermit Island, striving for the fifth energy core fission and refining your control over Kaio-ken. I'll investigate Cell and Piccolo's movements and delay them as much as possible."

Goku immediately shook his head. "No. I'm going with you! An extra person means extra strength, and we can find that guy sooner!"

"Your highest priority is becoming stronger." Qi Tian looked at him, his tone calm but leaving no room for argument. "The day the Saiyans arrive will be the true decisive battle. Cell and Piccolo are only the prelude."

Goku opened his mouth, but in the end, he nodded. He understood that his current strength was still insufficient against truly top-tier opponents. Only by becoming stronger could he be of help in the coming great battle.

As the sun set, four figures raced toward Turtle Hermit Island through the fading light.

After that brief clash, even fiercer undercurrents began to surge. Cell fled into the deep mountains, madly devouring living beings to recover from his injuries. Piccolo laid plans in the shadows as he waited for his chance, while the Saiyans in space steadily closed in on Earth.

Everyone was gathering strength. Everyone was waiting.

Waiting for the ultimate storm that would determine Earth's fate to descend in full.