In Dragon Ball: A brutal beating of Frieza at the start

Page 145

Lin Ye's hair turned a mix of gold and white, the black cracks disappeared, and in their place was a golden heart mark beating on his chest: "Because the future of the Saiyans is not to become slaves to Chaos, but to become its masters."

He unleashed the "Space-Time Collapse Fist," this time the fist imprint was pure gold. Dapura's energy network shattered like paper under the fist imprint, all the black-robed figures were blasted away, their scepters fell to the ground, and the red gems all turned to dust.

Vegeta leaned against Cabba, looking at Lin Ye's new form, and suddenly laughed: "Hmph, finally you're starting to look like a Saiyan."

Yamoshi's phantom took one last look at the group in the sky before transforming into a golden speck of light and merging into the Ark's engine: "The seal on Chronos has been reinforced, but his consciousness is infiltrating the rules of the Omni-King... You must be prepared..."

A new task popped up in the system:

[A stage victory! Gained the "Chaos Neutralization" ability! Next stage objective: Stop Cronus from destroying the Omni-King's Palace!]

Lin Ye gazed in the direction where the entrance to the ruins had closed, knowing that this was only the beginning. The true final battle would be the clash between the rules of the Omni-King and the chaos. And the golden mark on his chest was radiating a warm light, proof of the coexistence of humanity and chaos, and the starting point for the Saiyans' atonement.

On the distant frozen plain, black cracks were receding, but before they closed completely, a pair of scarlet eyes flashed.

Chapter 334: The Tournament of Power

The Tournament of Power arena was suspended in the very center of the Omni-King's Palace, with twelve cosmic pillars of light piercing the sky like crystal pillars, illuminating the entire arena like a dazzling galaxy. Lin Ye stood on the alloy floor of the preparation area in Universe 7, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the Dragon Ball radar at his waist. This device, modified by Bulma, hadn't stopped since entering the arena; the red dot on the screen churned like boiling magma, constantly devouring the surrounding energy patterns and emitting a crackling sound of electricity.

"Are you nervous?"

Vegeta's voice came from behind, tinged with his usual sarcasm. Lin Ye turned around and caught the Saiyan prince turning around. On the shoulder armor of his battle suit, a new tear was seeping a bead of pale golden blood—a wound from his sparring match with Cabba from Universe 6 yesterday. The blood was now congealing at a visible speed, and fine silver lines appeared at the edges of the wound, as if countless tiny metal wires were stitching flesh together.

"The recovery speed has improved again." Lin Ye raised an eyebrow, and a notification suddenly popped up on the system interface on his retina: [Residual energy of the "Deep Blue Time" form was detected in Vegeta's body. Skill that can be copied: 10000 times gravity adaptation (requires 50000 evolution points)].

"Hmph, better than some guy who only relies on the system." Vegeta snorted, but when he turned around, he deliberately shared the parameters of the training device to the public channel. "Hit from Universe 6 is not easy to deal with. His Time-Flash technique can freeze time by 0.1 seconds. You have to anticipate your Spacetime Collapse Fist in advance."

Before Lin Ye could reply, a deafening cheer erupted from the center of the arena. He looked up and saw the Omni-King's figure appear on the floating throne. Two children wearing matching onesies were clapping their hands, their silver hair fluttering like dandelions in the cosmic wind. Below the throne, Beerus, the God of Destruction, was arguing quietly with Champa from Universe 6. Golden sparks of energy crackled between them, scorching the surrounding air.

"Scum of Universe 7, are you ready to be eliminated?"

A boastful voice suddenly rang out. On the stage of the fourth universe, an insect warrior with compound eyes was waving its scythe-like forearms, the patterns on its carapace flashing with its breath: "Our universe's 'invisible warriors' can take your heads in 0.01 seconds. By then, even the Omni-King won't be able to see who wins."

"Noisy."

Lin Ye's figure left an afterimage in place, and the next second he appeared in front of the contestant's stage in Universe 4. The energy blast condensed at his fingertips grazed the insect warrior's compound eyes and accurately exploded on the energy barrier behind him, causing spiderweb-like cracks to spread instantly.

The insect warrior's compound eyes suddenly contracted to pinpoints. Just as it was about to swing its forearm, a scaly hand pressed down on its shoulder. Quitra, the God of Destruction of Universe 4, emerged from the shadows. This serpentine-tailed God of Destruction licked its forked tongue, its purple vertical pupils flashing with a dangerous light: "Interesting Saiyan. I hope you survive to the end."

Back in the preparation area, Cabba was surrounded by warriors from Universe 7. The Saiyan boy from Universe 6 was blushing as he frantically demonstrated his newly mastered "Super Saiyan Rose" form, pink flames wrapped in unstable black lightning that crackled and sizzled in the surrounding air.

"If you can't control your emotions, you'll go berserk." Lin Ye took out a bottle of chilled bean juice from the capsule and threw it over. "Remember the 'emotional anchoring' training I taught you? Think about the smile on your sister's face when she received the fruit candy you sent."

Gabe's arrogance instantly subsided, and the pink light softened. He scratched his head sheepishly, his ears turning as red as ripe cherries: "Thank you, Brother Lin Ye. Our universe's Lord Champa said that if I lose the match, he'll throw me into a lava planet for three years of special training, saying that my abilities aren't even enough to be his appetizer."

A sudden commotion arose in the distance. Lin Ye looked up and saw a golden aura soaring into the sky from the arena of the eleventh universe. Jiren's figure was like an unshakeable mountain, meditating with his eyes closed. The energy around him formed an absolute domain, even distorting the gravity field of the arena into a vortex, and the patterns on the alloy floor slowly rotated around him.

“That guy’s fighting spirit is about to break through the system’s detection limit.” Alice’s holographic projection suddenly appeared on Lin Ye’s shoulder, with blue data streams jumping on her hair. “According to the simulation, your spacetime collapse punch has an effective damage rate of less than 7% on him, which is less than tickling.”

Lin Ye clenched his fist, and the system interface automatically switched to the "Angel Weiss Training Program." In the virtual scene, Weiss was gently tapping his back with a spoon, golden energy flowing down his spine and into his limbs: "The key to Ultimate Freedom isn't strength, it's making the body react faster than the mind. Like now—"

The virtual scene suddenly shattered. Lin Ye abruptly opened his eyes, cold sweat trickling down his forehead. Ji Lian had already opened his eyes at some point, two golden gazes piercing through the arena like solid objects, locking onto him directly. There was no anger, no contempt in those eyes, only a blank, lifeless stillness, as if he were looking at an ant destined to be crushed.

"Looks like we need to warm up beforehand." Vegeta suddenly unleashed his power, his deep blue aura intertwining with Lin Ye's golden aura in the air to form a spiral. The shockwave from the energy collision knocked away the timer on the training platform. "System kid, dare to have a sparring match under 10000 times gravity? The loser has to clean the gravity chamber for a month."

Lin Ye smiled. He turned and walked towards the gravity training chamber. As the metal door slowly closed behind him, he caught a glimpse of a black tentacle emerging from a spatial rift in the shadows of a corner of the preparation area. The tip of the tentacle shimmered with the same golden light as Jiren's pupils, and the moment it touched the ground, acrid black smoke billowed from the alloy floor.

Inside the gravity training chamber, the red warning lights flashed incessantly as the gravity level rose. Lin Ye's bones creaked and groaned as the 10000-fold gravity field pressed his body against the ground like an invisible giant hand. Vegeta's figure appeared opposite him, his deep blue aura crackling with silver lightning: "Don't keep pushing yourself. Admitting defeat now will save you some suffering."

"It's not certain who will admit defeat yet." Lin Ye's golden aura suddenly surged, and his muscle fibers crackled in the gravitational field. "I've improved the 'Time-Space Displacement Fist' that I taught you last time."

Before he could finish speaking, his figure suddenly blurred in the gravitational field. Vegeta's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively dodged to the side. The fist grazed his ribs, leaving a dent the size of a bowl in the bulkhead. "Interesting." The Saiyan prince's lips curled into a cold smile, and even stronger energy erupted from his deep blue aura. "This move is 0.3 seconds faster than last time."

The two figures collided rapidly in the gravitational field, golden and blue flames exploding continuously, making the observation windows of the training pod buzz. Lin Ye's every punch carried ripples of spacetime distortion, while Vegeta's counterattacks were as swift as thunder. The shockwaves from the two tore through energy vacuums under 10000 times gravity.

"enough."

Beerus's voice suddenly came through the communicator, carrying an undeniable authority. The gravity field instantly dropped to zero, and Lin Ye and Vegeta staggered backward simultaneously, their sweat-soaked battle suits clinging to their bodies. "Pre-match checks will be conducted in 10 minutes. Everyone, assemble at the central arena."

As the training pod door opened, Lin Ye bumped into Number 18 standing in the corridor with her arms crossed. Her golden hair shimmered softly under the lights, and she was twirling an energy capsule between her fingers. The capsule's surface reflected the holographic screen of the preparation area, where a countdown was rapidly ticking: [11 hours and 47 minutes until the official start of the competition].

"The sparring just now was quite exciting." Number 18 smiled slightly. "But be careful of Hite's master, Chappell. I heard he can freeze time for one second, and his mechanical eye can predict the opponent's movements."

Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat. He recalled the encrypted record in the system database: Chapier was the "Time Guardian" of Universe Six, his right mechanical eye equipped with an energy core of the same origin as that of "Time Devourer" Kronos. At the end of the record was a blurry note, seemingly written in blood: [Beware of "Time Loop"]

A sudden commotion erupted in the distant arena. Lin Ye looked up and saw Jiren's figure had already reached the center of the arena, his golden aura as dazzling as the sun. The strongest warrior of Universe 11 slowly raised his right hand, making a provocative gesture towards Universe 7, clenching his fist, and then slowly opening it, as if to say, "I can crush your power at any time."

"Looks like we don't need to warm up anymore." Vegeta's voice was filled with icy anger, and his deep blue aura erupted once again. "System brat, dare to take a gamble? Whoever can get Jiren serious first will be the vanguard of Universe 7."

Lin Ye clenched his fist, and the "emotional outburst value" on the system interface instantly jumped to 90%. He looked at Ji Lian's rock-solid figure on the field and suddenly remembered his father's words before his death: "True strength is making your opponent have to take your existence seriously."

The gravity training pod's alarm sounded again, this time indicating "external energy intrusion." Lin Ye looked down and noticed a thin black thread wrapped around his wrist. The other end of the thread was connected to the piercing alarm in the combat zone, and the red warning light cast ghostly shadows of Lin Ye and Vegeta. The black thread was climbing up Lin Ye's wrist, and a needle-like stinging pain shot through his skin. The system interface frantically displayed warnings: [Residual Kronos energy detected, attempting to invade the nervous system!]

"Damn it!" Vegeta grabbed the thin black thread, and the deep blue flames instantly burned it to ashes. "These are the tentacles of a spacetime parasite, specifically used to monitor the combat data of strong fighters." He shook his burning palm, and golden blood dripped from between his fingers. "Looks like that guy has been eyeing the Tournament of Power for a while now."

Lin Ye pressed the red mark on his wrist, where the skin had turned a dark purple. The system was frantically suppressing the invading chaotic energy, and a new notification popped up on the interface: [Acquired passive skill "Chaos Resistance" (Basic): Increases defense against Kronos energy by 15%].

"Let's go." Vegeta turned and walked towards the center arena, his deep blue aura leaving a long trail behind him. "Don't keep those two brats, Zeno, waiting. I don't want to be eliminated for being late."

Lin Ye followed behind, his fingertips tracing the "Chaos Resistance" skill on the system panel. He suddenly recalled the black lightning mixed in with the pink flames when Gabe demonstrated "Super Saiyan Rose" earlier, which was clearly the same energy as that of the spacetime parasite.

The central arena was already filled with contestants from various universes. Hit from Universe 6 leaned against the energy barrier, closing his eyes to rest, his purple trench coat fluttering in the wind; the robot legion from Universe 3 stood in neat rows, the sound of metal joints grinding together like fine raindrops; the warriors from Universe 9 huddled in a corner, their green skin turning deathly pale under the gaze of the Omni-King.

The Omni-King's floating throne slowly descended, and two children clapped their hands and cheered, "Is it going to start? I can't wait to see the fight!"

The High Priest's voice, like heavenly music, resounded throughout the arena: "The pre-match checks will now begin. Each universe, please send one representative to demonstrate their abilities and prove their eligibility to participate in the Tournament of Power." His golden energy stream pointed towards Universe Seven, "Universe Seven, who goes first?"

"I'll go." Lin Ye took a step forward, golden flames swirling around him. He looked towards the direction of the eleventh universe, where Jiren was still meditating with his eyes closed, but his absolute domain clearly fluctuated.

The system interface automatically popped up a "Skill Recommendation": [It is recommended to use "Space-Time Collapse Fist - Miniature Version," which can showcase strength without revealing your trump card]. Lin Ye took a deep breath, raised his hand to gather energy, and a golden ball of energy swirled into a tiny vortex in his palm.

"Watch closely." He threw a punch at the test stake in the center of the arena. There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a slight spatial ripple. The test stake remained motionless, but suddenly spiderweb-like cracks appeared on its surface, running from top to bottom through the entire alloy pillar.

"Wow! That's amazing!" Zeno clapped his hands and laughed, his little face full of excitement.

Beerus's voice carried a hint of approval: "Not bad."

As Lin Ye retreated to the preparation area, he bumped into Gabe, who was hiding behind the team from Universe 6, giving him a "good luck" gesture, his pink flames shimmering at his fingertips. Caulifla crossed her arms and turned her face away, while the green-haired Kale secretly handed him an energy capsule, whispering, "This is a Senzu Bean, a specialty of our universe, and it's bigger than yours."

In the shadows of the distance, the spatial rift opened again, its black tentacles silently retracting. Lin Ye stared at the faintly flickering golden light within the rift, then suddenly clenched his fist. Not only was Kronos monitoring them there, but an even more dangerous conspiracy was likely lurking beneath the surface.

On the system interface, the countdown to the Tournament of Power is still ticking: [10 hours and 32 minutes until the official start of the tournament]. In the corner of the interface, a new main quest is generating: [Expose Kronos's infiltration of the Tournament of Power, reward: "Ultimate Freedom" mastery progress +5%].

Lin Ye looked up at the central arena. Ji Lian had opened his eyes at some point, his golden pupils meeting Lin Ye's gaze across the distance. His eyes were still lifeless, but there was a subtle, almost imperceptible fluctuation in them, like a hunter spotting prey worth hunting.

"Just wait and see," Lin Ye muttered to himself, golden flames condensing into a small ball of light in his palm. "This game won't go according to your script."

On the alloy floor of the preparation area, the remnants of the black threads that Vegeta had just burned were quietly reassembling, eventually transforming into a miniature black eye, staring intently at Lin Ye's back. The pupil reflected the outline of the entire arena. This place was not only a gladiator for warriors, but also a breeding ground for the quiet spread of chaotic power.

Chapter 335: The Collision of Time-Flash and Collapse

The alarm from the gravity training chamber sounded like a wildcat whose tail had been stepped on, sharp enough to pierce eardrums. The red warning lights flickered wildly on the metal walls, casting Lin Ye and Vegeta's shadows long and short, making them look like two demons struggling in purgatory.

In a gravitational field 10000 times stronger than gravity, every breath felt like a burning sensation. Lin Ye felt as if his lungs were filled with scalding hot steel wool, and each expansion caused him excruciating pain, making him see stars. The alloy floor beneath his feet was already soaked with sweat, leaving countless tiny dents, and the white salt stains were proof of their relentless training over the past three days.

"Hey, system kid, how much longer can you hold out?" Vegeta's voice was rough and hoarse, like sandpaper scraping against a rusty iron plate. But the deep blue aura around him was becoming more and more solid, like a red-hot iron encased in an ice shell. Every punch he threw could be heard tearing the air apart. "If you don't activate Ultra Instinct soon, you'll make a fool of yourself during the spot check."

Lin Ye was too weak to speak, and could only grit his teeth and gather his energy at his fingertips. The system interface on his retina was still flashing, the progress bar for "Ultimate Freedom Simulation Training" stuck at 93% and wouldn't budge. In the virtual projection, Weiss was tapping the back of his head with a spoon, his slow, deliberate tone almost driving him mad: "What's the rush? When Jiren was on stage, he didn't hold back just because his opponent was impatient. Think about those eyes of his."

"What the hell!" Lin Ye cursed inwardly, when suddenly he heard a crisp "click" from the observation window. The sound was inconspicuous amidst the frantic alarm, but it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end instantly.

In the instant he turned his head, he saw Hit standing outside the window. The assassin from Universe Six was still dressed the same, hands in his pockets, his purple trench coat fluttering under the weight of gravity, the hem almost touching the bulkhead. Even through the thick alloy, Lin Ye could feel those eyes hidden in the shadows, like a venomous snake eyeing its prey.

"Need any help?" Hit's voice somehow penetrated the bulkhead, calm yet carrying a chilling penetrating power. "I can let you experience what real time is like."

"Ha!" Vegeta suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, the sound shaking the air inside the cabin. He slammed his fist into the cabin wall, and the shockwave that exploded with deep blue flames sent Hit's trench coat flying wildly outside the window. "Stop pretending! If you have the guts, come in and fight. What kind of skill is it to hide outside?"

Hit didn't move, not even lifting his eyelids. He simply raised his right hand slowly, his index and middle fingers together, and made an extremely slight cutting motion towards the training pod.

Just then, Lin Ye suddenly felt as if the immense pressure on his body had been pulled away for a moment... not disappear, but freeze. 0.1 seconds, so fast it was almost imperceptible, but the burning pain in his lungs did indeed pause. Even more bizarrely, Vegeta's fist, which carried the force of tearing through space, froze in mid-air, the air in front of his fist still rippled, his whole body like a frozen statue.

Hitt was already standing inside the cabin.

Lin Ye didn't even see how he got in; he only felt a chill in his throat. The assassin's fingertips were only three centimeters from his carotid artery, and purple energy flowed within an area the size of a fingernail, like a nebula held in his hand.

“The limit of Time-Flash is 0.1 seconds.” Hit withdrew his hand, the energy at his fingertips extinguishing like a spark. “But at the Tournament of Power, I will make this time eternal.”

Lin Ye's pupils suddenly contracted. The system alarm on his retina flashed wildly, the red warning of "[Spacetime Disorder Detection: Danger Level 98%]" almost bursting his vision. He suddenly remembered what Alice had said when she was analyzing the data yesterday: "Hit is not freezing time, he has pulled his consciousness out and inserted it into a higher-dimensional time stream, like in a fast-forwarded movie, only he can press the pause button."

"Interesting." Vegeta's maniacal laughter suddenly erupted; that 0.1-second pause seemed to ignite his fighting spirit. Silver lightning bolts suddenly shot from the deep blue aura, crackling electricity making his black hair stand on end. "Then I'll show you what a true breakthrough looks like!"

Before he could finish speaking, Vegeta had already transformed into a streak of blue light and charged towards Hit. The force of his fist stung Lin Ye's cheek, and the momentum seemed to be enough to smash through the entire training pod.

Hit moved again. His figure left a pale purple afterimage in place, clearly indicating that he had activated the Time-Flash Technique. But in the instant he teleported, he suddenly groaned. Lin Ye's palm had been placed on his back without him noticing, and golden energy was frantically pouring into him along his spine.

"Space-Time Collapse Fist? Modified." Lin Ye's voice rang close to Hit's ear, the vibration of the air currents making the assassin's ear slightly numb. "This time, I won't shrink space, I'll shrink your time-lapse."

Hit's body jolted violently, as if he'd been stabbed with a red-hot iron rod. He staggered back three steps, a tear appearing in the back of his purple trench coat, revealing a pale blue energy core pulsating wildly, like a heart about to explode. "You can interfere with the flow of time?" He turned his head, a look of fear in his eyes for the first time.

“It’s not interference, it’s synchronization.” Lin Ye brought up the system panel, where the words “[Space-Time Resonance Rate 17%]” were flashing. “Your move was actually just bending your own timeline a little bit, and my punch… is bending it back.”

"Heh." Hit sneered, raising his hand to press against his back, the ripped trench coat automatically healing. "17% is not enough."

Just then, a burst of children's cheers suddenly came from outside the training pod. The three of them looked up at the same time and saw two children dressed in loose clothing appear out of nowhere on the referee's table, clapping their hands and jumping up and down: "Fight! We want to fight!"

Omni-King!

Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat. These two were the kind of people who would blow up a planet without hesitation. Sure enough, Beerus's impatient voice soon came through the loudspeaker, lazy yet carrying an undeniable authority: "Hit, go back to your seats. Lin Ye, Vegeta, come to the testing room for a random check in ten minutes. Latecomers will be disqualified."

Hit gave Lin Ye a deep look, his gaze as if he wanted to burn a mark on his forehead. The next second, his figure transformed into a purple streak of light and vanished from the cabin in an instant.

"Tch, you run fast." Vegeta spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, but when he turned around, he raised an eyebrow at Lin Ye, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly for once. "That move just now was alright, better than all your previous fancy moves."

Lin Ye smiled, about to say something, when a new notification popped up on his retina: [New skill detected: Time-Flash Technique (Beginner), can freeze time for 0.03 seconds, consumes 12000 energy points each time]. In the far corner of the panel, a line of small text slowly appeared: [Abnormal energy fluctuations detected in Jiren of Universe 11, emotional outburst value 98%].

The gravity field in the training pod slowly returned to zero, and the sudden feeling of lightness made Lin Ye sway. He held onto the pod wall and walked out. As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Number 18 standing in the corridor with her arms crossed. Her golden hair shone softly under the light, and she was wearing a black, tight-fitting combat suit that perfectly accentuated her curves.

"That was quite a commotion just now." Number 18 smiled slightly, a hint of mockery in his eyes. "It's not often we see Hit looking so defeated."

"Just lucky." Lin Ye touched his nose, noticing a small communicator tucked behind her ear. "You just finished a spot check?"

“Yes, Bulma’s new detector is much more sensitive than before.” Android 18 took two steps forward and lowered her voice. “But you have to be careful of Hit’s master, that old guy named Chappell. I heard he can freeze time for a full second, which is ten times stronger than Hit is now.”

Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat. The system database did indeed contain a record of Chapier: the "Time Guardian" of the Sixth Universe, with a mechanical prosthetic eye in his right hand, capable of predicting his opponent's next move. At the end of the record was an encrypted comment, which Alice had deciphered last time: [Exists in energy resonance with "Time Devourer" Kronos].

This Chronos exists only in scattered fragments within the system. It is said to be able to devour timelines and is an existence even older than the Omni-King.

Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted in the distant arena, like a thunderbolt thrown into a calm lake. Lin Ye and Number 18 looked up at the same time and saw a dazzling golden light illuminating the region of Universe 11.

Jilian stood in the center of the field.

The strongest warrior of Universe 11 remained unchanged, his golden aura like a condensed sun, drawing even the light away. He slowly raised his right hand, making an extremely slow movement towards Universe 7, first clenching his fist, then loosening his knuckles one by one, until finally his palm was fully open.

The message was crystal clear: I can crush your power at any time.