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Chapter 288: The Outlier's Counterattack
The moment the golden beam pierced Earth's atmosphere, the entire sky resembled an overturned palette. Diamond-shaped points of light simultaneously erupted with blinding white light, and the previously orderly data stream suddenly became frenzied, like a school of startled fish thrashing about in a glass tank. Lin Ye, hovering atop the beam, could clearly see the invisible shackles binding the universe loosening—cracks covered the dark purple energy chains, each fissure seeping out fragments of golden light—the cheers of life from various universes.
"Now!" Alice's holographic projection suddenly exploded in the beam of light. Her mechanical arm rapidly typed on the virtual keyboard, and countless blue codes spread upwards along the energy flow, weaving a giant net in mid-air. "I've hacked into their secondary system, and the main control center's portal is open! But this lousy net can only hold for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, it will collapse into a black hole!"
"If I can't hold on, I'll blow up the black hole." Vegeta's voice came from below as he kicked away the last fragment of the Observer, leaving a long trail of deep blue flames behind him. "Get out of here, don't waste the time we've bought for you."
Lin Ye looked back and saw his companions' figures appearing in the pillar of light. Goku's golden aura was the most dazzling; he was using the aftershocks of his Kamehameha to repair the hole in the ozone layer, muttering, "I'm going to eat a hundred roasted meat rice bowls after this is over." Piccolo's green clones were scattered across the globe, each protecting a city with a shield. Android 18 stood on the ruins with her arms crossed, her high heels crushing a flashing Observer chip. "Hurry up, I don't want to be a babysitter forever."
“Let’s go together.” Lin Ye’s destructive energy condensed into a spinning vortex in his palm. “If we’re going to dismantle, let’s dismantle it completely.”
"Are you stupid?" Vegeta suddenly rushed in front of him, and the collision of their energies produced dazzling sparks. "Do you think we're here playing house with you? Only your energy can break through the limits of both God of Destruction and Saiyan at the same time. This is something you have to do!" His voice suddenly lowered, with a hint of seriousness that was barely perceptible. "Don't mess it up."
"Go, Lin Ye!" Wukong's voice pierced through the energy layer, carrying his signature cheerfulness. "We'll be here waiting for you to come back! I'll treat you to all the delicious food in the universe!"
Bick gently placed his hand on Lin Ye's shoulder, the familiar warmth emanating from his green palm: "Remember, your energy contains the power of all of us. If you encounter trouble, just think that we are still here on Earth waiting for you."
Lin Ye's eyes welled up slightly. As he turned and rushed into the passage, he heard Number 18 say into the communicator, "Remember to pay me overtime when you get back, according to cosmic standards." Trunks' Time Sword emitted a crisp hum, as if it were giving him a send-off.
There were no ups, downs, lefts, or rights in the passage, only a constant stream of data. Lin Ye felt as if he were traversing a river made of numbers, the schools of 0s and 1s crashing against him, bringing a chilling sensation—the observer's repulsive reaction to something different. He gritted his teeth, gathering the energy of his companions in his chest, and golden and silver flames formed a shield around him, forcefully carving a path through the torrent of data.
At the other end of the passage was a pure white space, without boundaries or sound, only countless crystal balls floating in the air. Each ball contained the fate of a universe: some were slowly expanding, with galaxies being born one by one like soap bubbles; some were being swallowed by dark matter, eventually shrinking into a black dot; what shocked Lin Ye the most was that in one of the crystal balls he saw the universe where Hei Lin Ye was—the Earth there was being rebuilt, and a man who looked just like himself was carrying a little girl across the ruins, the little girl clutching a small yellow flower in her hand.
“Experiment Subject 739, 2 minutes and 17 seconds later than expected.” The figure on the central platform slowly turned around. He was wearing a pure white robe, and his face had no facial features, only a constantly flowing stream of green data, like wearing a mask made of code. “Your resistance is meaningless and will only accelerate the destruction of all universes.”
"Destruction?" Lin Ye's destructive energy condensed into a swirling vortex in his palm, the deep purple energy flow mixed with golden Saiyan aura. "You treat life as experimental data, trample freedom underfoot, and you still have the nerve to talk about destruction?"
“Freedom is an inefficient energy fluctuation.” The observer on the left let out a piercing laugh. His robe was embroidered with countless miniature cosmological models, which exploded and regenerated on the fabric as he spoke. “According to our observational data, ordered destruction can increase energy conversion efficiency by 370%. It’s like taking apart and reassembling a chaotic jigsaw puzzle; this is the optimal solution for the universe.”
"Optimal solution?" Lin Ye scoffed. "Have you ever considered the weight of life? Have you considered how 'efficient' the choices of those who sacrificed themselves to protect others were?"
The observer on the right suddenly raised his hand, silver liquid flowing from his fingertips. The liquid transformed into slender needles in the air, precisely piercing the surrounding crystal spheres. With a crackling sound, more than a dozen universes instantly collapsed within the spheres, turning into black singularities. "Since you refuse to cooperate with the observation, then I'll let you witness the end of all universes with your own eyes. This is the price for your resistance."
Countless scenes of universe destruction suddenly exploded before Lin Ye's eyes: Namek shattered for the second time before his eyes, Goku's golden aura was swallowed by dark matter, and his outstretched hand stopped in mid-air, unable to catch the disappearing Krillin; Beerus and Whis from the God of Destruction world turned into data streams and dissipated, with Beerus complaining before leaving that he hadn't finished his ice cream; Kafka's Word of Power runes shattered inch by inch in the void, and in her last look at Lin Ye, there was no fear, only relief; even the Earth that Lin Ye was on, which was being rebuilt, was suddenly engulfed by dark purple energy—the man who looked just like him tightly hugged the little girl in his arms before disappearing, and a small yellow flower slipped through his fingers and was instantly swallowed by darkness.
"enough!"
Anger and power intertwined in his blood, and Lin Ye's new form erupted with unprecedented brilliance. His silver-white hair moved without wind, golden flames burned in his scarlet pupils, and the energy flow around him was no longer spiral-shaped, but transformed into countless ribbons of light, dancing in the air as if they were alive. This was the first time he had fully mastered two powers: the destructive energy of a God of Destruction and the life energy of a Saiyan, achieving a perfect balance within him.
"This move is called 'Light of Hope'!"
A torrent of golden and silver energy swept across the entire space, and wherever it passed, the collapsing crystal spheres suddenly stopped changing. The black singularity shone brightly again, the shattered planets began to reassemble in reverse, and even the crystal spheres pierced by the silver liquid were repaired in the light. Lin Ye could even see that in the universe where Hei Lin Ye was, on the Earth that was about to be submerged, a golden protective shield suddenly rose, and small yellow flowers bloomed again inside the shield.
For the first time, panic gripped the three observers. The data streams on their bodies began to malfunction, and black holes appeared in their white robes. "Impossible!" the central observer screamed, green data streams flashing wildly across his face. "How could you reverse the rules we set! This violates the law of conservation of energy!"
"Because you overlooked one thing." Lin Ye's figure flickered in the light, appearing in front of the Central Observer the next second. His fist, crackling with golden and silver energy, pierced through the data stream-based body. "That is life's desire to survive, a resistance etched into its very bones! This power has never been in your calculations!"
The data stream churned violently within the energy, and the central observer's body, like a paper doll thrown into flames, rapidly disintegrated into scattered specks of light. The observer on the left attempted to escape but was entangled by suddenly appearing golden bands of light. Within these bands of light emerged the faces of Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo… all his companions, their energy flowing within them, ultimately crushing the observer's body into fragments.
The observer on the right, watching his companion vanish, suddenly let out a meaningless hiss. His body began to swell, transforming into countless silver needles that pierced the surrounding crystal spheres. "Since we can't get the data, then destroy all the samples!"
Lin Ye's destructive energy suddenly erupted, forming a deep purple energy wall that protected all the crystal balls in the center. The silver needles melted the moment they touched the energy wall, like ice meeting boiling water. "It's over." He walked step by step towards the last observer, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable power. "Your game is over."
As the last observer vanished in the light of hope, the entire pure white space began to become transparent. Lin Ye felt a wave of dizziness, and countless images flashed before his eyes—people from various universes celebrating freedom: on Earth, where Lin Ye was, fireworks lit up the sky above the rebuilt city; people from a certain technological civilization were smashing the monitoring devices left by the observers, and children were running under the unmonitored sky for the first time; even in the palace of the Omni-King, two little kings were cheering and smashing the cosmic models in their hands, and Whis was smiling as he handed them new toys.
"It's time to go back." Lin Ye said softly to the void. The universes that had been reborn because of him shone brightly behind him, like a river composed of countless stars.
The return journey was much smoother than the way there. Lin Ye could even see his companions fighting in the data stream—Vegeta's deep blue aura blasted the last piece of the Observer fragment into dust, while he was still cursing; Goku was using Instant Transmission to rescue trapped citizens and, incidentally, stuffing the ice cream that had fallen on the ground into a crying child; Piccolo's clones formed a green protective shield, protecting the entire West Capital.
As Lin Ye landed on the roof of Capsule Corporation, the setting sun was painting the sky red. His companions were all waiting for him. Vegeta leaned against the railing, holding the Senzu Bean that Bulma had handed him. Seeing him land, he deliberately turned his head to the side, but a strange smile appeared on his lips: "Looks like you didn't disgrace us Saiyans, although you were a little slower than I expected."
"Thanks to you." Lin Ye nodded with a smile, then suddenly noticed a large, charred hole in the back of Vegeta's battle suit. "What happened to the back?"
"Hmph, I accidentally got grazed by a shard." Vegeta tossed a Senzu Bean into his mouth and mumbled, "Speaking of which, tell me, isn't the guy inside pretty weak?"
"You'll see for yourself." Lin Ye looked up at the now clear sky; the rhomboid dots of light had vanished, replaced by a sky full of stars. Suddenly, the system interface displayed its final notification, the font no longer cold white, but a warm gold: [The Observer System has collapsed; all universes are now free. Congratulations, host, on completing the "Break the Cage" mission. Reward: None. Because freedom itself is the best reward.]
The moment the system interface disappeared, Lin Ye felt a sense of relief in his chest. The system core that had accompanied him for so long had finally been completely extinguished.
"Where to next?" Trunks' Time Sword gleamed silver in the sunlight, and the boy's face was filled with an expectant smile. "How about we go check out the other universes? I heard that there are flying noodles in Universe 7!"
"What's so good about flying noodles?" Wukong suddenly leaned in, his golden hair shimmering in the sunset. "I know a planet where the roasted meat tastes like honey!"
Lin Ye gazed into the depths of the universe, where countless unknown realms and civilizations awaited discovery. Though the observers had vanished, the mysteries of the universe were only just beginning to unfold before them. "Let's go see," he said, turning towards the spaceship, his companions' laughter and chatter echoing behind him. "Let's see what this universe without observers will become."
As the Vegeta spaceship broke through the atmosphere and flew towards the dazzling galaxy, no one noticed that the system core on Lin Ye's chest, which had already been extinguished, suddenly flashed with an extremely faint blue light, so fast it was like an illusion.
Lin Ye looked down at his chest. Was that momentary blue light just his imagination?
"What's wrong?" Vegeta's voice came from the pilot's seat as he impatiently pressed the takeoff button. "Hurry up, or Goku will finish the food supplies!"
Lin Ye smiled and shook his head: "It's nothing. Let's go."
The spaceship transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the depths of space.
Behind them, on that blue planet that had just regained its freedom, in some forgotten corner, a fragment of the observer suddenly flickered before falling silent again.
True freedom has only just begun. And have those eyes, hidden in deeper dimensions, truly closed?
Perhaps we'll have to wait until the next leg of our journey to find the answer to this question.
Chapter 289: A New Adventure
On the top floor of the Inter-Universe Alliance headquarters, the wind carrying the scent of cosmic dust swept through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Lin Ye leaned against the alloy railing, watching the spaceships shuttling back and forth outside the window—Saiyan battleships drew golden streaks in the low sky, Namekian medical ships, resembling giant green olives, were slowly landing on the tarmac; most surprisingly, Frieza's army's trading ships, their former death symbols now painted bright pink, and their hulls emblazoned with advertisements for "Direct Sales of Cosmic Specialties."
"Looking at Frieza's new business?" Android 18's voice came from behind her. She was holding two glasses of chilled juice, and the scars on the joints of her mechanical arm were particularly clear in the sunlight. The scar that ran from her elbow to her wrist was from when she fought the Observer to protect a group of children. At that time, she used her mechanical arm to block the Observer's energy beam.
Lin Ye took the juice, the water droplets on the glass wetting his fingers. His gaze fell on the training area in the distance, where Vegeta stood with his hands behind his back, Little Bra's deep blue aura flickering like a small flame before him. "That old guy can actually teach kids to control their ki now? Who would have believed that three years ago?"
"He just doesn't want Bra to lose to Goten's daughter." Android chuckled, leaning against the railing and taking a sip of juice. "Last week at the martial arts tournament in Universe 7, after Bra was knocked off the stage by Pan, he locked himself in the gravity chamber and trained for three days and three nights."
Lin Ye couldn't help but laugh as he recalled Vegeta's expression at the time. In the three years since becoming a God of Destruction, unlike Beerus, he hadn't fallen into a deep sleep. Instead, he and his companions had established an inter-universe alliance. Initially, it was simply to help civilizations injured in the Observer's experiments, but now twelve universes had joined, and even his former enemy, Frieza, had come to trade—it's said that half of his specialties were souvenirs made from the remnants of planets he had destroyed.
"Speaking of which, where did Wukong and the others go?" Lin Ye glanced at the helipad of the Alliance headquarters but didn't see the familiar orange spaceship.
"He went to Universe 2 to participate in the food competition." Android 18 shook his head helplessly, swiped his finger on the tablet, and brought up a picture of Goku holding a giant pudding. "It is said that the rainbow pudding there can enhance fighting power. You know, he never misses an event like this."
Just as Lin Ye was about to laugh, the alarm at the Alliance headquarters suddenly blared. Red warning lights scrolled across the ceiling, and the holographic screens throughout the hall lit up simultaneously. The figure of the Supreme Kai of Universe 4 flickered amidst the energy turbulence, his robe torn in several places, and one of his horns broken off.
"Lin Ye! Number 18! Come to Universe 4 quickly!" The Supreme Kai's voice was choked with sobs. The image suddenly shook, revealing the distorted space behind him. "We have discovered a new dimensional rift, and the energy surging out of it... is exactly the same as the core of the primordial singularity! It is devouring the surrounding planets!"
Lin Ye and Number 18 exchanged a glance and rushed towards the helipad simultaneously. "Looks like there's new trouble." Lin Ye's destructive energy condensed in his palm, and a silver-white flame trailed behind him.
“I’m used to it.” Android 18’s mechanical arm unfolded into a thruster, and her high heels sparked as they scraped the ground. “I hope this time the enemy will make desserts, otherwise Goku will definitely be disappointed.”
The moment their spaceship passed through the dimensional rift, a familiar sense of oppression washed over them. The sight before them made both of them hold their breath—countless fragments of shattered planets formed a massive ring, with black stardust flowing within it like a frozen galaxy. At the center of this ring, a stone tablet covered in strange patterns floated in the void. These patterns were exactly the same as those on the core of the primordial singularity in Lin Ye's memory, and they were slowly glowing with the flow of energy.
“This is…” Lin Ye’s finger pressed on the spaceship’s scanning screen. The energy curve on the screen fluctuated violently, and the red warning light flashed wildly. “The energy reading is 30% higher than the primordial singularity, and it is constantly absorbing the surrounding stardust to grow stronger.”
The robotic arm of number 18 suddenly pointed to the stone tablet: "Look there."
The patterns on the stone tablet suddenly lit up, projecting a blurry image. In the image, several figures dressed in black robes stood before countless cosmic remnants, holding what appeared to be controllers, piecing the remnants together into new spheres. Although he couldn't hear any sound, Lin Ye could sense that the power level of those figures was far higher than that of the previous observers.
"It seems the game isn't over yet." Number 18's mechanical arm unfolded into battle mode, the alloy joints making a crisp sound, and his eyes flashed with a determined light. "But this time, we're not fighting alone."
Lin Ye's destructive energy resonated simultaneously with his Saiyan bloodline, and a silvery-white aura exploded within the ring, blasting away the surrounding stardust. He could feel that the two powers within him were more harmonious than three years ago; the destructive energy was no longer cold, and the will to protect was no longer impulsive. "No matter who's behind this, wanting to treat the universe like a toy again, they'll have to ask us first."
Just then, the spaceship's communicator suddenly lit up. Vegeta's face appeared on the screen, with the training area of the Alliance headquarters in the background, and little Bra clinging to his leg and acting cute. "Where did you two go? Bra said she wanted to show Brother Lin Ye her new move."
“There’s a new development in Universe 4,” Lin Ye transmitted the scanned energy data, “It’s related to the primordial singularity.”
Vegeta's expression instantly turned serious: "Wait, we'll be right there." Before the communication was cut off, Lin Ye heard Little Bra say in his childish voice, "Daddy, shall we go fight the bad guys? I can help!"
Before long, the Alliance headquarters fleet appeared at the outer edge of the ring. Goku's orange spaceship was at the forefront, and his voice came through the public channel, filled with excitement: "Lin Ye! Android 18! We brought Pudding from Universe 2! Let's eat together after we take care of the enemy!"
"Defeat the enemy first!" Vegeta's battleship passed by, its deep blue flames exploding at the stern. "Don't let me steal all the credit!"
Piccolo's green spaceship followed closely behind, his voice as steady as ever: "I've already put Namek's medical ship on standby. Be careful not to get caught in the energy wave; this singularity energy will corrode the gas shield."
Lin Ye watched as his companions appeared one after another on the screen. Frieza's pink trading ship had even come along, and his irritating voice came through the public channel: "Oh my, how could such a lively scene be complete without me? If you damage this planet, remember to buy me souvenirs as compensation."
"This guy is still the same as ever." A smile appeared on Number 18's lips, the scars on his mechanical arm gleaming in the sunlight.
Lin Ye gripped the control stick, and the spaceship slowly approached the mysterious stone tablet. He could feel the energy within the tablet responding to his destructive energy, as if calling out, or perhaps taunting him. "Ready?" He turned to look at Number 18.
"Anytime." Number 18's thrusters were already activated, his eyes flashing with the light of battle.
As the two figures burst from the spaceship and flew towards the stone tablet, Lin Ye felt an unprecedented harmony within his body. Destruction and creation, annihilation and protection—these once contradictory forces now merged perfectly, radiating a golden and silver light from his fist.
This may be the true meaning of becoming a god of destruction—not one-sided destruction, nor blind protection, but understanding when to raise a fist and when to lend a helping hand, protecting the right of all life to pursue freedom.
The patterns on the stone tablet suddenly became dazzling, and the shattered planet in the ring began to tremble, as if something was about to emerge from within. Lin Ye and Number 18 stopped in the light, behind them the myriad lights of the Alliance fleet, like a dazzling sea of stars.
A new adventure has just begun. And this time, they have the power of the entire universe behind them.
Lin Ye clenched his fists slightly, looking at the mystery about to be revealed. He felt no fear, only anticipation. He knew that whatever lay ahead, with his companions by his side, no obstacle was insurmountable.
In the distance, Wukong's cheers pierced through the energy barrier: "Everyone, attack together!"
Lin Ye smiled and rushed out at the same time as Number 18.
A burst of light exploded within the ring, illuminating the unknown darkness. And deep within the stone tablet, a faint consciousness was awakening; its first thought was—
"Finally... I've found you."
Chapter 290: Cosmic Undercurrents
On the edge of Universe Seven, the asteroid belt resembled an overturned chessboard, with countless angular rocks colliding in the dark energy flow. The black spaceship glided alongside the largest iron-nickel meteorite, its sharp edges cutting through the thin stardust, emitting an almost inaudible hiss. The ripples from its energy shield followed the unique "shadow frequency" of the dark star cluster, changing bands every 0.3 seconds, distorting Beerus's destructive perception into gibberish, making it difficult even for the Omni-King's direct angels to detect.
On the circular holographic screen in the main control room, the battle replay of the Tournament of Power was looping at 0.5x speed. The moment Lin Ye transformed into Super Saiyan Blue, the burst of ki was broken down into 789 data streams: 32% from pure Saiyan blood, 51% from the million-fold gravity compression in the gravity chamber, and the remaining 17% marked "unknown origin." The black-robed man's fingertip hovered over the screen, tracing the frame of Lin Ye dodging Jiren's heavy punch—in the pseudo-Ultra Instinct state, his hair had actually avoided the shockwave generated by the punch 0.1 seconds in advance.
"The fluctuation frequency of this 17% unknown gas matches that of the 'Zero Boundary' relic stele." The black-robed man's voice was like sandpaper rubbing against metal. "Retrieve the data left over from the Zero Boundary War."
The tall, thin man's joints creaked as he rapidly operated the virtual keyboard: "Sir, Zero Boundary was wiped out by the Omni-King seven thousand years ago. Survivors' records indicate that they could directly extract the primordial energy of the universe..."
“So he’s not an ordinary Saiyan.” The man in black robes sneered, the patterns on his mask glowing red. “Vegeta’s ki is tempered steel, his ki is an uncontaminated star core—this purity is enough to make him the perfect vessel for the ‘Star-Eating Ritual’.”
The short alien suddenly interjected, slime dripping from between his scales onto the floor, corroding it into tiny holes: "A container? Just kill it, it'll save you trouble! My 'Bone-Rotting Worms' can decompose Saiyan cells. Last time in the Southern Galaxy, three of them devoured an entire Saiyan colony..."
"Shut up." The man in black raised his left hand, and the short alien was instantly gripped by an invisible hand, his throat clenched and suspended in mid-air, veins bulging like a spiderweb beneath his scales. "You think Beerus is eyeing Earth? He's waiting for Lin Ye to break through to true Ultimate Freedom—the God of Destruction needs a pawn capable of contending with the powerful beings of other universes. To mess with Lin Ye is to steal his pawn, to try and turn the Dark Cluster into the next Zero Realm?" He released his grip, letting the alien fall to the ground.
The short alien coughed, clutching his neck, blood and saliva steaming on the ground: "Then... what do we do?"
"Use bait." The tall, thin man handed over a 3D projection. In the Earth Defense Force member files, Number 18's photo was enlarged, labeled "Abilities: Infinite Energy, S-rank Combat Skills, 27 times in coordinated combat with Lin Ye." "Behavioral pattern analysis shows that Lin Ye prioritizes protecting companions with weaker energy responses during combat. Number 18's seemingly powerful infinite energy will attract energy-devouring creatures."
The man in black robes pointed his finger at photo number 18, projecting countless smaller images: her and Klin eating ice cream at an amusement park, teaching Xiaofang combat at a training center, and adjusting the energy barrier in the command center. "She's the person Lin Ye trusts most, and also the easiest target—unlimited energy is to the energy-devouring worms what honey is to a bear." He pulled up a 3D map of Earth, where the eastern commercial district of the city was flashing red. "There are three energy towers there, backup power sources for the Earth Defense Force, perfect as bait."
The spacecraft's bottom hatch slid open, and the airflow stirred up a small storm in the asteroid belt. Three energy-devouring worms, like dehydrated sponges, were covered with a translucent membrane, beneath which countless tiny suckers could be seen. The moment they fell into the asteroid belt, the membrane suddenly contracted, turning into three drops of dark green liquid that burrowed into a spatial rift—this was the Dark Cluster's "subspace shuttle technology," capable of evading the Seventh Universe Space Monitoring Network.
At this moment, the metal floor of the gravity chamber on the Ark space station was riddled with honeycomb-like pits from being trampled. Lin Ye's fist stopped in front of the simulated Weiss's throat, his knuckles white, the golden flames in their super blue state compressed into a thin veil clinging to his skin, even his breath carrying a scorching heat wave. His left pupil dilated slightly, capturing the simulated Weiss's impending dodge—this was the pseudo-Ultimate Freedom's "predictive mode," relying on bodily instinct to react 0.2 seconds in advance.
"During the last dodge, the explosive power of the left deltoid muscle was 7% lower than the standard value." Lin Ye deactivated his transformation, his silver hair fading, leaving behind a few golden afterimages. Sweat splattered on the floor, each drop carrying residual heat, exploding into miniature air clouds upon contact with the ground, raising fine metallic dust. "System, compared to the last data, how much has muscle fatigue increased?"
[Quadriceps fatigue 12%, cardiac load exceeds safe threshold 3%, 1.5 hours of rest recommended] The mechanical voice had barely finished speaking when the interface was covered by a red alert: [Earth Defense Force Emergency Communication, coordinates 35°N, 116°E, energy reaction level: unknown, threat level: S+]