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

Page 115

However, his fist passed through the opponent's head without any resistance, as if striking nothingness. But at the very moment of impact—

"Ugh—!" Vegeta let out a heart-wrenching scream! His right arm, powerful enough to shatter stars, began to become transparent and ethereal from his fist, like a pencil drawing erased by an eraser! The image of Supreme Kai Shin dissipating flashed through everyone's minds in an instant.

“Attack the data clone, and the ‘existence backlash’ protocol will be triggered.” Ignoring Vegeta’s screams, Lin Ye, dressed in a suit, placed a hand made of data through Lin Ye’s White God defensive flames and gently pressed it against his chest.

Om-!

The system panel was instantly covered in blood red, with alarms flashing wildly: "Core protocol compromised!" and "Existence locked!" In the lower right corner of the panel, a window forcibly popped up and zoomed in.

The scene depicts a tranquil courtyard. Beneath a giant tree bursting with white blossoms sits a middle-aged woman in casual clothes—Lin Ye's mother. She smiles at the camera, a warmth that could melt even the hardest heart. On her wrist is a bracelet Lin Ye had bought with his hard-earned money. Every detail is perfectly captured.

[Accept the Observer Contract to gain access.] The system notification changed to a sweet female voice: [Your most cherished loved one will find eternal peace beneath the Tree of Origin. This is the only blessing bestowed upon this exceptional experimental subject…]

“Family…” Lin Ye’s white divine aura flickered like a candle in the wind, spiderweb-like cracks appearing in its pure white halo. The smell of disinfectant in the hospital before his transmigration, the ticking of the electrocardiogram monitor, his mother’s withered hand gripping him, and her last words, “Live well…” Fragments of memories overwhelmed him like a tsunami. His fist, powerful enough to destroy stars, now felt as heavy as lead, slowly drooping downwards.

"Lin Ye! Wake up! That's fake!" Number 18's stern shout was like an ice pick piercing the fog! A scorching energy blast grazed Lin Ye's ear and struck half of his face with pinpoint accuracy!

boom!

Half of Lin Ye's face, dressed in a suit, exploded into a stream of shattered data. In that interplay of light and shadow, Number 18's voice was resolute: "The bracelet you gave me has a small brown mole near the clasp on the inside! On the projected wrist, there's nothing there!"

The remaining half of Lin Ye's face, framed by a suit, froze instantly from its programmed smile, twisting into a bizarre and ferocious expression: "...Data...oversight." His voice crackled with an electric shock. The next moment, his body collapsed inward, transforming into a wildly spinning vortex of data!

call out!call out!call out!

Countless figures shot out from the vortex! Mechanical Lin Ye's plasma cannon spewed flames, green-skinned Lin Ye wielded a bone spear, student Lin Ye flung out a backpack entangled with data streams, and ancient armored Lin Ye's longsword cleaved a time rift... Thousands upon thousands of "Lin Ye" filled the control room, and chilling killing intent swarmed towards Lin Ye and his companions like locusts!

"The oversight has been corrected. Secondary target elimination protocol activated." Lin Ye's voice, emanating from the core of the vortex, was utterly cold. "The dimensional rift is closing. Subject 772, returning to the Tree of Origin is your only... final resting place."

"Lin Ye—!" Liu Nan's roar drowned out all other noises! His eyes were bloodshot, and his entire body erupted like a volcano, his Kamehameha starting stance moving faster than its limit. An unprecedentedly huge green energy ball condensed between his palms, its core wrapped with the "causal pattern" unlocked by the Martial Arts Profound Truth System, writhing like a living thing.

"Remember what Master Roshi said!" Liu Nan's voice boomed like a bell, making the cabin vibrate. "True power is never given by the system! It's the belief in protecting! It's what you want to protect that gives you power!"

"Kamehameha!"

The green beam of light, wrapped in patterns of causality, was like a spear of divine punishment, carrying Liu Nan's roar and unyielding belief, and slammed into the center of the clone vortex!

Om-!

The vortex that was struck suddenly froze, as if time had stopped. All the clones that were rushing towards Lin Ye were instantly frozen, like insects trapped in amber!

In the instant of utter silence, a line of small but clear text appeared like a new sprout next to the status bar of 【Above the White God? The End】 on the system panel before Lin Ye's eyes:

[The "Guardian" attribute was detected, generating an extreme resonance...]

[Hidden skill unlocked: Dimensional Anchor Point.]

An unprecedented power erupted from the depths of his soul—not from the cold system, but from the burning belief ignited by his mother's smile and his companions' shouts!

"Trying to use your family as bait?!" Lin Ye suddenly looked up, the cracks in his White God form being mended by an even deeper power! His voice was like rolling thunder, shaking even the dimensional rifts! His right hand clenched into a fist, the divine aura no longer pure white, but a profound darkness fused with the data streams of all his clones! The darkness was frantically compressed in his palm, forming a black singularity capable of burying the universe!

"Inscribe it into your database!" Lin Ye's eyes burned with a fury that seemed to incinerate the void. He hurled the black sphere, which embodied all the will of the guardians, at the core of the data vortex as if throwing fate into the air!

"My family, Lin Ye's family, I alone will protect them!!!"

The black sphere silently disappeared into the vortex.

Time stood still for a second.

next moment--

Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff…!

Like millions of soap bubbles bursting, thousands upon thousands of "Lin Ye" clones vanished simultaneously, turning into raw data points that disappeared in an instant, like fireflies on a summer night.

"No...it's impossible..." Lin Ye's distorted face appeared before the vortex collapsed, and the electronic alarm sounded like a dying wail, "The Observer...will not let...the aliens go...the trials of the Tree of Origin...are...the true...hell..."

The sound stopped suddenly.

The data vortex completely collapsed, dissipating into specks of light.

On the star map, the golden rift that spanned the twelve universes contracted like a healed wound, eventually closing completely without leaving a trace.

pat.

Lin Ye's knees buckled, and he slumped heavily onto the cold floor of the research vessel. The White God form faded, revealing a pale and exhausted face. Sweat soaked his clothes, and the phantom smile of his mother still flickered before his eyes. The emptiness at his wrist pierced his heart with pain.

"Here." Alice's holographic projection walked to his side, and a materialized robotic arm handed him a can of hissing, fizzing energy drink. Her voice was hoarse from the shock of the ordeal, "Your adrenaline levels are detected to be three times above the normal range. It is recommended that you replenish electrolytes."

Lin Ye didn't take the drink; the cold touch on his fingertips brought him back to his senses. He raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the solitary coordinates on the main control screen's star map—the Tree of Origin.

hum.

The system panel popped up automatically again, the cold text carrying an undeniable sense of destiny:

[Main Quest Update: Arrival at the Tree of Origin]

[Hidden condition: Arrive safely with all current companions]

[Final Reward: Uncover the Truth Behind Time Travel]

Below the quest prompt, the image of a giant tree covered in white flowers floats silently, like a silent summons, or a cruel mockery.

"Hey, you bastard." Vegeta walked over, clutching his translucent right arm, his face pale but still arrogant. "Don't look like your mother just died. If that old woman knew you were swayed by a fake, she'd skin you alive." He tossed out a Senzu Bean. "Hurry up and recover. When we get to that damn tree, I, the prince, will have to settle things with you."

"Lin Ye, are you alright?" Goku squatted down in front of him, waving the remaining Senzu Bean in his hand, his smile as warm as the sun. "No matter where the Tree of Origin is, we'll go there together!"

Number 18 leaned on Krillin's shoulder, quietly adjusting the frequency of her energy ring: "Alice is analyzing the energy trajectory left behind by the dimensional rift. She should be able to calculate the route to the Tree of Origin in about three days." She glanced at Lin Ye, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Until then, you'd better not be fooled by fakes again—I won't remind you a second time."

Liu Nan wiped the sweat from her forehead and stuffed the leftover cake into her mouth: "How was that 'Causality Kamehameha' move just now? I feel like it could be improved... By the way, what's the effect of your new skill 'Dimensional Anchor Point'? Did the system explain it?"

Lin Ye gazed at his companions' faces. Their voices, smiles, and unwavering, scarred eyes rippled like a pebble thrown into a lake. He slowly clenched his fist, the embers of black energy in his palm resonating strangely with the Saiyan blood within him.

“The Tree of Origin…” he murmured, repeating the name as he downed the energy drink. The cold liquid slid down his throat, but it couldn’t extinguish the flames that had reignited in his chest.

Whether it's the observer's trap or the ultimate truth, he must go. For his mother's true whereabouts, for the safety of his companions, for all lives manipulated by the observer—he must personally uncover this conspiracy spanning countless dimensions.

Lin Ye stood up, and the description of the [Dimensional Anchor Point] skill on the system panel slowly unfolded. His gaze passed over his companions' shoulders, looking out the porthole at the deep universe. There, countless stars were lighting up again, as if igniting the first glimmer of light for the upcoming journey.

Chapter 273: The Trial Grounds of the Tree of Origin

The shuttle plummeted into the abyss like dust, suffocatingly small before the colossal tree that devoured stars. Outside the porthole, the twisted, writhing silhouette resembled a living serpent at the edge of the universe. The trunk, large enough to contain three Earths, flowed with dark, molten iron-like energy. Its branches were rotating galaxies composed of pure, violent energy, radiating a destructive aura. The massive root system plunged into the churning dark matter belt, constantly "seeping" out the twisted remains of devoured civilizations—metallic starships, gigantic skeletons—silently proclaiming despair.

The observer's final testing ground, the "Absolute Territory," flashes a crimson warning on the system map.

The bridge was deathly silent. Alice's smart glasses projected a violently fluctuating 3D scan, a blinding red dot pulsating wildly at the core of the tree trunk. "Energy reading off the charts! 99.7% identical Super Dragon Ball core!" Her voice trembled. "This tree wasn't born! It's a monster 'forged' from countless cosmic cores!"

Lin Ye stared intently at the red dot, as if he could feel the terrifying will that was crushing his soul. Suddenly, dark gold patterns appeared on the bulkhead he was holding onto—twisting and spreading like living vines, carrying the ferocious aura of Saiyan runes!

[WARNING! Higher-dimensional rule intrusion!]

[First Trial Activated: Bloodline Purity Verification.]

The chilling reminder exploded in everyone's minds.

"Ugh—!" Lin Ye groaned as his hand was absorbed by the runes! A searing pain tore at the depths of his soul! The Saiyan bloodline from seventeen parallel universes was forcibly stripped and extracted by the domineering power! His extraordinary foundation dissolved rapidly, as if thrown into strong acid!

"Pfft—!" The raging deep blue flames surrounding Vegeta instantly dissipated, leaving only a flickering golden glow like a lighter's flame. He staggered, staring in horror at his trembling hands: "My power?! Damn it! It's stripping everything the system gave me! My fighting instincts are fading!"

"Ha! Hahahaha—!" Liu Nan laughed wildly. His martial arts system panel exploded into golden fragments and disappeared, releasing an even purer and more refined burst of energy! "My strength is something I've trained myself with every punch and kick! This damn system is just icing on the cake!" He slammed his fist into the bulkhead! Boom! White air compressed and condensed, forming a majestic yet blurry dragon-shaped phantom, leaving a deep crack in the metal wall—his self-created ultimate technique, "Dragon Fist - Breaking Illusion"! "See? The Observer only hates crooked methods!"

Boom! The shuttle tilted violently! Lin Ye gripped the control panel tightly. Outside the porthole, the "leaves" formed by energy galaxies projected a hellish holographic image:

The armored warrior knelt down and kowtowed, begging for mercy.

The hosts kill each other for "resurrection slots".

The most glaring scene: A cold-blooded "Lin Ye" grins as he pushes his severely injured partner (Universe No. 18) into an energy vortex to clear the level!

"Damn it!" Vegeta's face turned ashen.

"Don't let this affect you!" Android 18 pressed down on Lin Ye's trembling shoulder. The android's aura dimmed, but its eyes were sharp as ice. "Remember? True strength is not power, but the choices you make in desperate situations!"

Lin Ye took a deep breath and nodded emphatically.

*Swoosh!* The shuttle landed. Beneath his feet lay cool, glowing moss. Lin Ye stepped barefoot—for the first time, completely disconnected from the system, the feeling of nakedness enveloping his entire body.

The moment the four stepped onto the moss, a strange change occurred!

The air creaked and crackled! The outlines of the surrounding giant trees twisted and deformed wildly! A figure formed from energy and trees rose from the ground:

Machine-Frieza!

Golden Cell Afterimage!

Lin Ye, shrouded in black mist, with vacant eyes!

Opposite Vegeta, a violent and dark clone of himself!

The cold sound reverberated through the space:

[First Trial Rule: With your primal body, defeat the shadows of the past.]

[To be trapped in a cycle of memories is to be eternally imprisoned.]

The words have not yet been spoken!

"Whoosh—!" The mechanical Frieza's massive arm tore through the air, slamming down on Lin Ye! The noise was exactly the same as on Namek!

Danger! Lin Ye's body reacted before his thoughts, instinctively rolling to the side! Bang! A giant fist slammed into the ground, sending up fluorescent fragments.

He tumbled to the ground, stunned. Without the system's assistance, his dodging was exactly the same as when he first fought Frieza! "So... these instincts... were already etched into my bones!" A surge of heat dispelled his unease.

"Roar—! Get out of the way!" Vegeta roared from the left. He was shirtless, his muscles bulging, fiercely battling the dark clone! His movements were "slower," but every punch and kick was natural, sharp, and precise! "My pride comes from my bloodline, not from the system!" He seized an opening and delivered a powerful uppercut, gathering all his strength and will, smashing the dark clone's jaw!

Crack! Dark Vegeta shattered like glass! In the instant it dissipated, Vegeta's faint golden flames leaped, and a deep blue aura suddenly emerged! More restrained, more concentrated, it exuded a pure, wild aura—the power belonging to his own bloodline and will!

"Lin Ye! Don't stand there!" Liu Nan weaved through the shadows of the trees, unleashing a burst of green light from "Dragon Fist: Breaking Illusion," forcing back the phantoms. "These damned things have the same attack pattern as memories! They're inferior puzzle pieces! Hit their 'memory scars'!" He abruptly pulled away Android 18, who had been ambushed by Cell's tail needle.

Android 18 locked her gaze on Cell, grabbed a glowing pebble, and hurled it with a cunning move! The pebble, like a bullet, aimed straight at the back of Cell's head—the very spot where Trunks had slashed him years ago!

*Thud!* Hit! Golden Cell's image froze, his energy in the back of his head became disordered, and a brief void appeared!

"Now!" Lin Ye's eyes flashed with a sharp light! He pushed off the ground with both feet and rushed towards Cell like an arrow released from a bow! As he ran, he clasped his hands together and activated the most basic Kamehameha technique, incorporating Ultra Instinct (White God)'s understanding of the origin of "ki".

"Drink—!" A highly condensed, almost transparent shockwave containing terrifying annihilation power was unleashed! It precisely struck the energy void!

Silent annihilation. From the point of impact, Golden Cell melted away like ice and snow, turning into specks of light and disappearing completely.

A chain reaction ensued! The phantoms, including Mechanical Frieza and Mirror Lin Ye, became sluggish and disoriented.

"Well done!" Liu Nan exclaimed excitedly.

Vegeta snorted coldly, his deep blue aura surging, and his punches and kicks rained down like a storm.

Number 18 used his fighting skills and physical abilities to dodge and weave, striking vital points with precision.