novelhk Page 148
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A deathly silence descended. All the Gods of Destruction sat upright, the angels stopped joking, and Champa stared intently at the arena... Jiren slowly turned around, his dark pupils reflecting Goku's silver figure.
Wukong grinned and clenched his fist.
Jiren nodded slightly, and a fragment of his combat suit fell from his left shoulder.
A battle that tears through time and space is about to begin.
Chapter 339: The Threshold of Ultimate Freedom
As Goku's silver hair exploded on the arena, the air in the Omni-King's palace seemed to be gripped tightly by an invisible hand. The High Priest tapped his scepter with his slender fingers, and with a humming sound, a pale blue energy barrier rose from the edge of the arena, completely isolating this area from the outside world—even the God of Destruction needed to penetrate three layers of energy refraction to see inside.
"Is it finally getting serious?" In the stands of Universe 7, Bulma gripped the energy meter tightly. The energy values on the screen had already exceeded her understanding. "Goku's ki... is more than three times stronger than when the Tournament of Power started!"
"What's the use of being strong?" Vegeta scoffed, his gaze fixed on Goku. "The opponent is Jiren."
On the ring, Jiren stood as upright as a pine tree, but the muscles beneath his black suit writhed at a frequency imperceptible to the naked eye, every inch of his skin containing energy that could explode at any moment. “Let me see,” his voice came through the energy barrier, carrying a metallic quality, “just how much the so-called Saiyan miracle really is.”
"I won't hold back!" Goku grinned, his silver hair moving without wind, and the air around him rippling with fine waves—the resonance of energy and space in the state of Ultra Instinct. Before he finished speaking, his figure suddenly left a pale golden afterimage in place, and when he reappeared, he was behind Jiren, his fist slamming into the back of Jiren's head with a whistling sound as it tore through the air.
This punch was faster than anyone could comprehend, even Hit from Universe 6 couldn't help but squint: "It's at least 40% faster than when we last met."
But Jiren seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, turning his head slightly to the side without even turning around. The force of the punch grazed past his ear and slammed heavily into the energy barrier, exploding into a waterfall of golden sparks.
“Not bad speed,” Jiren slowly turned around, his dark pupils reflecting no emotion, “but not enough.”
Before he could finish speaking, his elbow slammed into Wukong's chest like a steel cone. The silver-haired warrior groaned, his body flying backward as if hit by a speeding train. In the instant he was thrown back, he forcibly twisted his body, his feet carving two deep furrows in the arena, sliding five meters before barely managing to regain his balance.
"Cough..." Wukong coughed twice, clutching his chest, but his eyes blazed with even stronger fighting spirit. "Wow, that's impressive! This is what makes the fight more interesting!"
In the preparation area, Lin Ye's system was operating at a rate of millions of times per second, with dense streams of data constantly refreshing the virtual screen: [Jiren's reaction speed is 0.001 seconds, his neural reflex arc surpasses the norm for Ultra Instinct ? Trillion, and his energy density is stable at the God of Destruction level]. He quickly slid his fingertips across the screen, suddenly recalling Whis's words during training, and muttered to himself, "The true essence of Ultra Instinct is not speed, but following nature... Goku hasn't even scratched the surface yet."
"What did you say?" Piccolo asked from the side, his hand still resting on the Special Beam Cannon's energy generator at his waist. "Isn't Goku already very close to that point?"
“Not even close.” Lin Ye pointed to the two intertwined curves on the screen. “Look, Jiren’s energy fluctuations are like a calm lake, while Goku’s…”
Before the words were even finished, another fierce battle erupted on the arena. Their fists collided at speeds imperceptible to the naked eye, creating a counter-clockwise vortex in the center that shattered the patterns on the energy floor. Whenever Goku's attack was about to hit, Jiren always managed to dodge with the slightest movement—sometimes just a slight tilt of his head, sometimes just a slight twist of his wrist, as if he had anticipated the trajectory of the attack.
"This is the ace of Universe 11?" Vegeta's knuckles clenched white, his voice filled with resentment. "Kakarot's attack couldn't even touch him, just like mine just now."
“It’s different.” Lin Ye shook his head, his gaze fixed on Goku’s dazzling silver hair. “Look at his hair, it’s getting even shinier. Every time he gets hit, his dodges become smoother—he’s learning, memorizing Jiren’s fighting style with his body.”
[System Notification: Wukong's emotional outburst value is 92%, his mastery of Ultra Instinct has increased to 70%, and his cell activity has exceeded the critical point.]
Jiren clearly noticed the change as well, and suddenly leaped into the air, black energy condensing into a spinning sphere in his palm, distorting the surrounding light: "I can't let you grow any longer."
"This move looks familiar." Goku scratched his head, then crossed his arms in front of his chest, and golden energy surged forth like a tide. "Then I'll use my special move too! Kamehameha!"
Golden and black energy waves collided in the center of the arena, the shockwaves like invisible giant hands, sending both of them flying. Goku adjusted his posture in mid-air, lightly touching the energy barrier with his toes, using the rebound force to charge towards Jiren again. Just then, his silver hair suddenly turned into a dazzling gold—the energy of Super Saiyan form and Ultra Instinct began to forcibly merge, with iridescent patterns shimmering around the edges of his aura.
"What is that?" Beerus sat bolt upright, forgetting to lick his ice cream. "Maintaining two forms at the same time? Has this kid gone mad?"
“That’s utter nonsense!” Weiss shook his head slightly, but his tone carried a hint of approval. “The conflict between the two energy systems will tear his body apart, but… it is indeed a shortcut to breaking through the bottleneck.”
Lin Ye's system instantly popped up a red warning: [Unstable energy fusion detected, Goku's vital signs are fluctuating violently, risk of cell tearing 68%]. Just as he was about to rush out to call for a stop, he saw Goku already appear in front of Jiren, his fist carrying the power of both forms, slamming solidly into the opponent's chest.
"Ugh!" Jiren took a half step back for the first time, a trace of golden blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. He raised his hand to wipe away the blood, and a long-lost fighting spirit finally rekindled in his eyes: "Interesting. This is the kind of level that makes me serious."
A black aura suddenly erupted around Jiren, causing the entire arena to tremble violently, and the patterns on the energy barrier spread like a spider web. Goku's continuous attacks were all blocked, and his silver hair gradually dimmed—the consumption of Ultra Instinct had exceeded his limits.
"It's time to end this." Jiren's fist broke through layers of defense and slammed into Goku's abdomen. The silver-haired warrior flew out like a kite with a broken string, and just as he was about to fall off the stage, he suddenly hooked his toes on the edge, his body drawing a dangerous arc in the air.
"It's not over yet!" Wukong's body began to glow, and golden energy overflowed from his pores, a sign that all his life force had been gathered together.
Lin Ye's pupils constricted sharply: "He's going to self-destruct!"
Jiren clearly sensed the danger as well, crossing his arms in front of his chest to form a diamond-shaped shield, and the density of the black aura around him instantly tripled. Goku's body continued to expand in the light, and the energy reading exceeded the system's detection limit, but at the last moment, the light on his body suddenly dimmed.
He saw the curious gaze of Zeno below the stage, Bulma's anxious face, and Lin Ye and Vegeta's tense expressions—there were still too many people in this universe who needed to be protected.
"I concede." Goku's voice was soft, yet it resounded like thunder across the arena.
Jiren lowered his fist, watching his opponent slide off the energy barrier and fall out of the arena, his brow furrowing slightly: "Why did you give up? You could have..."
"Because I still have to protect everyone." Goku's silver hair turned back to black, but a bright smile graced his face. "When I become stronger, I'll definitely challenge you to a duel again! Don't lose to me then!"
Lin Ye rushed over and supported the swaying Wukong. The system showed that his energy value was only 5% left, and his vitality index was still declining. "Well done," he said softly, taking out a Senzu Bean from his pocket. "Sometimes admitting defeat takes more courage than stubbornly holding on."
"Hehe," Goku chewed on a Senzu Bean, his complexion recovering at a visible speed, "The rest is up to you! Lin Ye!"
Back in the preparation area, the atmosphere was incredibly tense. Universe 7 consisted of Lin Ye, Piccolo, Gohan, and Frieza. Universe 11, besides Jiren, also had Dyspo, Toppo, and another warrior skilled in energy sealing.
“Lord Frieza,” his subordinate asked in a low voice, “should we…”
"What's the rush?" Frieza licked his lips, a playful glint in his golden eyes. "The show has only just begun."
At that moment, the High Priest's voice rang out again: "Next match, Universe 6's Gabe versus Universe 11's Dyspo."
The green-haired Saiyan took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and stepped onto the ring. He had barely transformed into a Super Saiyan, and before the dazzling green light had even stabilized, Dyspo's figure had already left several afterimages before his eyes.
"Too slow!" A supersonic punch slammed into Gabe's face with a whooshing sound, and Tespo's voice came from all directions, "You think you can participate in the Tournament of Power with this kind of speed? You should go back to your universe and drink milk!"
Gabe took a dozen punches to the face in an instant, blood trickling from his mouth, yet he stared intently in one direction—he was trying to pinpoint the location of Dyspo's true form. "I'm a member of the Saiyan Alliance!" he suddenly roared, taking a vicious hook punch head-on. "I will absolutely not let Brother Lin Ye and Mr. Vegeta down!"
"The Saiyan Alliance?" Tispo's true form appeared behind Gabe, his fist brimming with white flames. "It's nothing more than losers banding together for warmth!"
"Gabe!" Lin Ye suddenly stood up, his voice clearly piercing through the energy barrier, "Use our practiced Meteor Impact! 45 degrees to the left front!"
Gabe shuddered and immediately nodded in understanding. He deliberately created an opening, slightly lowering his left shoulder as if to defend against an attack from his right. Tispo fell for the trap, his figure flashing like a white light as he rushed towards Gabe's right rib.
Just as the opponent's fist was about to hit, Gabe's body suddenly twisted at an angle that defied the laws of physics, and green flames condensed into a comet-like ball of light, which struck Tespo's chest at a tricky angle.
"Ugh—" The image of Tispo was hit by the cannonball, its body arched like a shrimp and flew backward, crashing heavily into the barrier.
"Universe Six wins!"
Gabe limped back to the Sixth Universe camp, his face still bruised, but he smiled brightly. Champa, unusually, didn't mock him, but just awkwardly snorted, "At least you're somewhat useful, you didn't embarrass this God of Destruction."
"Yes!" Gabe nodded vigorously, secretly giving a victory sign towards Universe 7.
The pace of the following match was so fast it was almost blinding. The warrior from Universe 4 had barely stepped onto the ring when Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon pierced through his energy barrier, giving him no chance to react.
“Universe 7, Piccolo wins.”
When Piccolo landed, the veins on his forehead were still throbbing—that last strike had almost exhausted his energy reserves. "It's been a long time since I've been this serious," he smiled at Lin Ye.
But then, bad news came from Universe 7. During his fight with two magical girls from Universe 2, Gohan was accidentally caught in their "heart chains" around his ankle. Although he struggled to break free, half of his body still fell off the ring.
"Universe 7, Gohan is eliminated."
The boy returned to the preparation area dejectedly, head down, avoiding eye contact. Lin Ye walked over and patted him on the shoulder: "You did a great job. Your flashbang just now broke their magic circle, right?"
Gohan suddenly looked up, his eyes shining: "Really?"
"Of course." Lin Ye handed her a bottle of fairy bean juice. "Get some rest. There will be other places where we need you later."
The High Priest's voice, like a countdown clock, resounded once more throughout the arena: "Next, Lin Ye from Universe 7 will face Toppo from Universe 11."
Toppo strode heavily onto the arena, his purple God of Destruction aura surging around him, scorching the energy floor wherever he passed. Beerus suddenly sat up straight, his tail taut against the back of his chair: "That guy... has completely mastered the power of the God of Destruction, even more stable than Goku was back then."
“He was originally a candidate for God of Destruction,” Weiss said softly. “I just didn’t expect him to be able to unleash his full power in this situation.”
The moment Lin Ye stepped onto the arena, the system automatically switched to the highest resolution mode, and the virtual screen was filled with red data streams: [Toppo: Candidate for God of Destruction of Universe 11, ability "Wrath of Justice", can increase combat power through the strength of belief, current status: God of Destruction mode (energy output stability 92%)].
"I won't hold back." Toppo's fist, wreathed in purple flames, smashed down. Even before the wind of the punch arrived, the energy patterns on the arena had already begun to crack. "For the justice of Universe Eleven, I must eliminate you."
Lin Ye's figure weaved through the shadows of fists, like a willow leaf in a whirlwind. The system's simulated Angel Training Program was running at high speed, recording Toppo's attack trajectory, energy fluctuations, and even the frequency of muscle contractions. He suddenly remembered what Weiss had said during training: "Ultimate Freedom is not a technique, but a state of mind—letting the body flow like water, naturally avoiding obstacles and naturally flowing towards the target."
A silver ripple suddenly appeared within the golden aura, and Lin Ye's movements became as fluid as flowing water. Tuopo's fists missed their mark time and time again; the wind from his punches grazed past him, but couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes.
“This is…” Beerus’s ice cream fell to the ground with a “plop,” but he didn’t notice. “Ultra-Freedom? When did he…”
“Not the complete form.” Weiss pushed up his non-existent glasses. “But it has already reached the threshold; it’s a unique form that incorporates systems analysis.”
Lin Ye did not respond to the astonishment from the outside world, but simply raised his hand to gather energy. Silver flames swirled in his palm, forming a miniature black hole-like vortex—this was a new move developed by the system in combination with the principles of the Ultimate Freedom: "Space-Time Collapse Fist".
"Justice will never be defeated!" Toppo unleashed his full power, his purple aura surging dozens of meters high, seemingly threatening to engulf the entire arena. "The conviction of the Eleventh Universe is a hundred times stronger than that of you lazy bums!"
"Justice never depends on power," Lin Ye said calmly, his silver vortex suddenly accelerating. "It only depends on whether you are willing to understand others."
The moment the purple flames collided with the silver vortex, the energy floor of the entire arena groaned, and the pale blue barrier trembled violently, as if it were about to collapse at any moment. The watching Gods of Destruction unanimously released their protective energy—this was no longer the level of ordinary fighters.
As the light faded, Topo knelt on one knee on the ring, the purple aura completely dissipated, his forehead covered in cold sweat. "I lost," he said, his voice tinged with relief and a hint of confusion. "So true justice isn't about stubbornness..."
As Lin Ye turned to leave, Jiren's gaze met his again. This time, the ace of Universe 11's eyes no longer held contempt, but rather a serious expression of respect for his opponent. He slowly raised his right hand, making a "please" gesture—a warrior's respect for the strong.
Lin Ye nodded slightly, his steps unwavering. He knew this was just the beginning. He would eventually have to climb over the mountain of Jilian himself.
Back in the preparation area, Wukong suddenly leaned over, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "Lin Ye, that move you just used was amazing! Can you teach me?"
"Let's talk about it after we win." Lin Ye smiled and ruffled his hair, his gaze sweeping over the crowd to the still upright figure on the stage.
The next match will be the final showdown.
Chapter 340: The Oath of the Saiyan Alliance
Above the arena of the Tournament of Power, turbulent energy currents surged like boiling lava. The surviving contestants held their breath in the preparation area; the once formidable contingent from the twelve universes had dwindled to less than thirty members.
Lin Ye sat alone in a corner of the Seventh Universe's preparation area, his fingertips rapidly swiping across the virtual screen. The screen was replaying every battle of Jiren's. The gray warrior from the Eleventh Universe stood in the center of the arena, his muscles beneath his black suit sculpted like precise machinery. Whether his opponent was a barbarian warrior wielding a giant axe or a time-manipulating superhuman, none could withstand more than three moves from him. In the final battle, he even blasted away the giant fighter from the Second Universe with a single energy wave condensed in his gaze.
"Tsk tsk, after studying it for so long, what flaw have you found?"
A mocking voice came from above, with a metallic, scraping quality. Lin Ye looked up and saw Frieza hovering in mid-air, golden flames flowing around him like molten gold, even the air itself seemed to distort slightly from the heat.
"I advise you to admit defeat sooner rather than later," the Cosmic Emperor said, lightly tapping the ground with his toes, creating a ripple of energy. "At least you can preserve your body intact, which is better than being reduced to cosmic dust."
Lin Ye raised his hand to turn off the light screen, his fingertips unconsciously tracing patterns on his worn combat suit. His fingertips, stained with dirt from the training ground, drew an intertwined rune on his knee—a mark he and Cabba had made in the Saiyan settlement of Universe 6, like two intertwined shooting stars.
"Gabe hasn't come back yet?" he asked without looking up.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a loud crash echoed from the preparation area of Universe 6, as tables and chairs overturned. Lin Ye jumped to his feet and saw two purple-skinned warriors carrying Cabba back. The green-haired Saiyan's battle suit was torn to shreds, blood was still flowing from the wound on his forehead, wet hair clung to his face, and his once bright eyes now looked as if they were covered with a layer of gray.
“I’m sorry…” Gabe’s voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded. He struggled to stand up straight, but the sharp pain pulled him back. “I couldn’t withstand three moves… that guy named Jiren…”
"Useless!" Champa kicked over the energy table in front of him, splashing purple drinks all over the Supreme Kai. "He's not even worthy of carrying my shoes! I should have had Cauliflower drag him along!"
“Lord Champa.” Bardos waved her staff lightly, and the overturned table automatically returned to its place. “Getting angry now won’t do any good.”
Lin Ye suddenly stepped through the energy barrier, golden flames exploding around him, startling several contestants from Universe 5 who retreated hastily. The alloy floor of the preparation area hummed from the shockwave, and even the suspended illumination spheres shook violently.
"Gabe, look up."
The green-haired Saiyan shuddered and struggled to lift his head. When he saw the glowing rune in Lin Ye's palm, his pupils suddenly contracted.
"Do you remember what we said in front of the ruins of Planet Vegeta?" Lin Ye's voice pierced through the noisy preparation area, like a pebble thrown into a lake. "The oath you swore to the ancestral tablet."