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

Page 135

Lin Ye's silvery-white aura suddenly surged. The moment he broke free from the beam of light, he saw countless eyes staring at him through the porthole of the warship. The owners of those eyes all had faces exactly like his.

"Want to capture me? Ask my friends if they agree first!" His fist was filled with the energy of all his friends. In the silvery light, the phantoms of Goku's golden cudgel, Vegeta's energy ball, and Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon appeared at the same time.

The warship's alarm suddenly blared throughout the universe. The moment Lin Ye charged towards the beam of light, he heard Vegeta roar behind him, "Idiot! Wait for me, Prince!"

It seems this battle has only just begun.

Chapter 312: The Ancient Covenant

The shadows of the warships spread like ink dripping into clear water, turning the entire battlefield a deathly gray-black. The fused Omega suddenly ceased its attack; hundreds of mechanical arms pointed in unison to the sky, the clicking of their joints forming an eerie chorus, as if worshipping a descending deity. Lin Ye's system bracelet frantically alarmed; on the screen composed of data streams, an unfamiliar symbol flashed, twelve cosmic symbols coiled into a circle, with half a Key of Time embedded in the center, its edges engraved with intricate contractual text. These characters seemed to writhe like living things, emanating an ancient and majestic aura that caused subtle ripples in the surrounding space.

"That's... the mark of the Dragon God Zalama?" Piccolo's pupils contracted sharply, cold sweat beading on his green skin. He instinctively touched the old scar on his chest; the gruesome scar seemed to be infused with some kind of power at this moment, sending waves of burning pain through him. It was a scar he had left to protect Gohan years ago, but now it seemed to echo the mark in the sky, reminding him of the ancient texts' records about the origin of the universe. "Legend has it that the creator of the Super Dragon Balls made a pact with a certain being before the birth of the universe, exchanging the balance of the twelve universes for eternal order. But the specific details of the pact have long been lost, leaving only the prophecy, 'When the balance is broken, the Guardians of Order will descend.'" His voice trembled with disbelief, his green fingers turning white from the pressure. "I never thought this legend was actually true..."

The warship's hatches slowly opened like the fangs of a behemoth, the grating sound of metal scraping against metal tearing through the deathly silence of the battlefield. A figure clad in a robe of stardust floated out, the robe studded with points of light like living stars, flowing in galaxy-like trajectories with his movements. His face was obscured by a hood, revealing only a hand gripping a scepter. That hand was pale, almost transparent, with twelve rings on its knuckles, each engraved with the emblem of a different universe: the Dragon Ball pattern of the Seventh Universe flowed with a warm yellow light; the martial arts uniform pattern of the Sixth Universe shimmered with a bluish light of martial arts aura; the emblem of justice of the Eleventh Universe flashed with a resolute blue light... Most glaring was the ring engraved with a system icon, radiating an ominous red light, like a throbbing demon's eye, distorting the surrounding light into a bizarre blood-red hue.

"I didn't expect that it would take awakening seventeen Omega variants simultaneously to force the materialization of the spacetime paradox." The robed man's voice was like the grinding of weathered rock, carrying an age-old vicissitude and indifference, each syllable seemingly striking the depths of everyone's soul. With a light wave of the scepter, the body fused with Omega suddenly disintegrated, emitting a piercing metallic cracking sound, transforming into billions of pure energy streams that were sucked into the warship. These energy streams collided and annihilated continuously along the way, emitting chilling fluctuations. "Too many experimental materials were wasted."

Lin Ye's pure white aura suddenly became chaotic, like flames torn apart by a gale; the previously stable flow of energy surged wildly within his body. When the opponent's scepter pointed at him, his Saiyan bloodline began to flow backward, his blood vessels felt as if they were being ripped apart, and his heart was gripped tightly by a cold, invisible hand, each beat bringing a suffocating pressure. "Who exactly are you? System, Omega, Super Dragon Balls... are all these related to you?" He forced back his voice, hoarse from the surging blood, his eyes filled with wariness and confusion, as he endured the pain.

“You can call me the Order Keeper.” The robed man chuckled, a laugh devoid of warmth. A metallic sheen shimmered beneath his stardust robes, as if he weren't made of flesh and blood, but rather forged from some kind of cosmic alloy. “I’m here to retrieve the runaway experimental subjects, including you, Lin Ye.” His gaze swept over Goku and Piccolo, his eyes like tangible blades, sending a chill down their spines. “And these defective products contaminated by paradoxes.”

"Who are you calling a defective product?" Goku's Kaioken suddenly erupted, golden flames tearing through the gray-black sky, forming a torrent of energy that pierced the heavens and earth, rushing towards the Order Keeper with a world-destroying force. However, just three meters away from its opponent, the unstoppable golden flames abruptly froze, as if frozen in spacetime. The energy particles trembled slightly in place, unable to advance any further. The Order Keeper's ring flashed with blue light—the ring representing the sixth universe. The golden energy flow began to reverse, as if drawn by an invisible force, crawling up Goku's arm back to his palm, condensing into a constantly rotating ball of light in his fist, emitting increasingly stronger energy fluctuations, as if it might explode at any moment.

"Saiyan of Universe 7, your power comes from the system's charity." The Lawkeeper's voice was mocking, like an ice pick piercing Goku's heart. "If it weren't for the divine aura injected by the system back then, you wouldn't even be able to transform into a Super Saiyan. Now it's time to return it to me."

Vegeta's deep blue aura suddenly surged, the intense blue flames more blazing than ever before, distorting and scorching the surrounding space. But this time, he wasn't attacking the Law Keeper; instead, he hurtled towards Lin Ye like a cannonball, leaving a trail of afterimages. "Idiot! Run! This guy can manipulate causality!" The Saiyan prince's skin vitrified the moment it touched the Law Keeper's aura, like glass scorched by intense heat, silver blood seeping from the cracks, dissipating into tiny energy particles in the air. He pushed Lin Ye away with all his might, but the impact caused him to be backlashed by the Law Keeper's aura, his body trembling violently. "Remember to find Bulma...make her destroy all the Super Dragon Balls! Those aren't wish-granting balls, they're surveillance devices!"

Lin Ye staggered backward from the impact, his eyes filled with shock and rage as he watched the glassy patterns spreading across Vegeta's body. He could feel the urgency and determination Vegeta was conveying—a spirit of sacrifice that transcended pride. "Vegeta!" he roared, his pure white aura igniting once more, this time more violently, filled with an unwavering resolve.

Goku stared at the ever-expanding energy sphere within his fist, then at Vegeta's wretched state. A flicker of confusion crossed his golden eyes, quickly replaced by unwavering resolve. He hurled the energy sphere aside, the ball of light imbued with the power of the Kaioken striking a distant asteroid, triggering a violent explosion that instantly reduced the entire asteroid to cosmic dust. "No matter where my power comes from, I will not let you harm my friends!" Goku's voice echoed across the battlefield, his golden aura surging once more. Though still suppressed by the power of the Lawful Ones, it carried an indomitable will.

Piccolo clasped his hands together, green energy gathering in his palms to form a massive energy blast. He recalled the countless times he fought alongside Goku, the determination he had shown when protecting Gohan, and a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. "A Lawful One? Whoever you are, if you want to hurt them, you'll have to get past me first!" He hurled the energy blast, the green energy shooting towards the Lawful One with a whistling sound.

However, the Order Keeper merely waved his scepter, and an invisible barrier appeared before him. Piccolo's energy blast struck the barrier, only to be swallowed up instantly, like a stone sinking into the sea. "A futile resistance," the Order Keeper's voice remained icy. "Your very existence is a disruption of the cosmic order; recovery is the only outcome." His gaze returned to Lin Ye, the red light on the ring engraved with the system icon intensifying. "Lin Ye, your system is essentially a backdoor program I left behind to monitor and guide the growth of experimental subjects. Now, the experiment has encountered uncontrollable variables; it's time to end it."

Lin Ye felt the system within his body vibrating violently, as if it were being forcibly ripped away. He recalled his experiences since transmigrating to this world, the days he fought and laughed alongside Goku and Vegeta—memories etched deep into his soul like a brand. "My destiny is not in your hands!" he roared, and at that moment, the Saiyan bloodline and the system's power resonated strangely, a golden pattern interspersed within the pure white aura. "System or experiment, everything I've experienced is real! My power is something I earned myself!"

The Order Keeper seemed somewhat surprised, his gaze beneath his hood flickering slightly. "Oh? It's developed self-awareness? This experimental subject seems more interesting than I imagined. However, that doesn't change anything." The twelve rings on his scepter simultaneously lit up, twelve beams of light of different colors intertwining to form a massive net that enveloped Lin Ye, Goku, and Piccolo. Wherever the net passed, space continuously collapsed and reformed, filled with terrifying power.

Lin Ye watched the energy net relentlessly approaching, then glanced at the spirited Goku, the heavily injured but still determined Vegeta, and Piccolo poised to attack again. A powerful surge of strength welled up within him. He knew this was not the time to back down; for everything he cherished, he had to fight to the bitter end. "Goku, Piccolo, let's go together!" he shouted, charging towards the energy net. A trail of pure white and gold flames stretched behind him, like a shooting star piercing the darkness.

Goku and Piccolo exchanged a glance, both seeing determination in each other's eyes. "Alright!" they replied simultaneously, golden and green flames intertwining as they charged towards the Lawful Ones, following Lin Ye's figure. On this gray-black battlefield, three indomitable lights were engaged in a life-or-death struggle against the terrifying power representing "order," a struggle that would determine the fate of the universe. Meanwhile, in the distance, Vegeta's words echoed in Lin Ye's mind as he was pushed aside. He knew that besides fighting, he had another important mission: to find Bulma and uncover the truth about the Super Dragon Balls—perhaps the key to defeating the Lawful Ones.

Chapter 313: Dragon Ball Uprising

As the light from the Super Dragon Balls, like a red-hot branding iron, fiercely pierced the surfaces of planets across the twelve universes, Lin Ye stood before the altar of the Grand Elder Temple on Namek. Dende's staff hovered in the center of the altar, the green energy bands wrapped around it suddenly taut. On the seven illusory Dragon Balls spinning within the crystal ball, black energy lines writhed like venomous snakes, their other ends plunging deep into the depths of space—towards the Order Keepers' warship.

"They're draining life energy." Dandy's green skin was beaded with cold sweat. The moment his fingertips touched his staff, the gem at the top shattered into pieces with a "crack." "The Namekian dragon Porunga... we can't contact him anymore, it's like he's been formatted by something."

Lin Ye raised his hand and pressed it against the edge of the altar. Crimson-gold flames emanated from his palm, colliding with the illusory Dragon Ball within the crystal ball. Fragments of the hourglass of time rapidly reformed within the flames, and he could clearly "see" the Super Dragon Balls of the twelve universes trembling: the largest one in Earth's core was covered with covenant text resembling ice crystals; the two in Universe 6, embedded in the asteroid belt, were having black energy lines crushing rubble into powder; even on the abandoned planet of Universe 10, the cracked Dragon Ball was bleeding golden "blood."

“We must break the synchronization.” Android 18 suddenly smashed the communicator on her wrist, the metal fragments coalescing into a miniature bomb in her palm. “Bulma just sent a message: Cabba from Universe 6 blew up two Super Dragon Balls, but the Order Keepers’ warship seems to have a self-repair program; the shattered fragments pieced themselves back together in the blink of an eye.” She tossed the bomb into the air, her energy gun aimed at the center of the ball. “This thing can interfere with energy waves, but it can only last for three minutes.”

Goku's Kaioken suddenly slammed into the altar without warning. The golden shockwave exploded, the crystal ball shattered into a spiderweb, and the seven Dragon Ball phantoms transformed into silver data streams, scurrying into Lin Ye's body like parasites finding a host. "When I touched them just now, I think I could talk to them!" The blond warrior scratched the back of his head, several runes flashing in his pupils. "They said they wanted to break free of control, but they needed the blood of all the hosts."

"Host's blood?" Piccolo frowned, and the magical runes on his forehead suddenly burned. Just as he was about to raise his hand to touch it, he saw golden blood seep from Lin Ye's fingertips. The moment the blood dripped onto the ground, countless cracks appeared on the Namekian ground.

Countless green vines sprouted wildly from the cracks, each topped with a tiny dragon ball the size of a fingernail, and each one flashed with a symbol from a different universe: some were engraved with stars from the seventh universe, some had cat paws drawn on them from the sixth universe, and some had a crooked "F" character embedded in them, like Frieza's mark.

"This is..." Lin Ye looked at the miniature Dragon Balls on the vines and suddenly realized, "The life energy of Namek is responding to the Dragon Balls' distress call?"

Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon shot towards the vines without warning. The moment the green light collided with the golden blood, it exploded into a massive dragon skeleton, with the phantom of Porunga embedded in its crevices. "It's Porunga's remnant soul!" The green warrior clenched his fist, Dragon Ball runes appearing on his forehead. "It's helping us! Quickly, get everyone who can sense the Dragon Balls to focus their minds; we can set up a counter-barrier!"

Goku suddenly grabbed Lin Ye's arm. A touch of deep blue mingled with the red light of the Kaioken—Vegeta's energy. "The Dragon Balls just said that Saiyans from different universes need to work together to maintain consciousness in the Hyperbolic Realm." He pointed to the entrance of the temple, where Vegeta stood with his arms crossed, deep blue flames sweeping the ground like a cloak. "Vegeta could sense it too; he just blew up a Lawful One reconnaissance satellite, saying, 'A bunch of trash doesn't deserve to play with Dragon Ball.'"

Vegeta scoffed and turned his face away, but a deep blue aura crept over, mingling with the red light of Goku's Kaioken. "Enough talk, hurry up and get going." He glanced at Lin Ye. "I don't want to waste time with a bunch of controlled beads."

Lin Ye's crimson-gold aura suddenly soared into the sky, spreading throughout the twelve universes via the Dragon Ball network. This time, he "heard" even more voices:

At Capsule Corporation on Earth, Bulma was pointing the beam of light from the time machine at the Super Dragon Ball. Amidst the machine's buzzing alarm, she yelled at Trunks not to touch the control panel: "If this thing explodes, our whole family will turn into data streams!"

Champa from Universe 6 stuffed the last piece of strawberry cake into the dying Dragon Ball's crack. Vados, standing nearby, held up her staff and softly chanted a healing spell: "God of Destruction, if you keep feeding it, it'll die from overeating." Champa rolled his eyes and pulled out a piece of chocolate: "When did it become your turn to interrupt my desserts?"

Even in the highest-security zone of the Galactic Prison, Frieza was pricking his fingertip with the tip of his tail, dripping golden blood onto an energy barrier. The barrier reflected the phantom image of the Dragon Balls from Universe 7. He licked his lips and sneered at the phantom: "Want my help? Once we get out, I'll crush you all first." Despite his words, he used energy to draw a crooked smiley face on the barrier—a mark he had made on the Namekian sands when he first obtained the Dragon Balls.

"Just one last step!" Dende suddenly grabbed his broken staff and slammed it into the altar floor. Namek's core erupted with a green light, which spread throughout the planet via vines. All the miniature Dragon Balls suddenly lit up simultaneously. "Someone needs to enter the Super Dragon Balls' mental space and personally sever the Guardians' control links!"

Lin Ye's figure gradually became transparent amidst the crimson-gold flames. As he turned, his silver hair brushed against Wukong's shoulder: "Take care of everyone."

"Wait!" Goku grabbed his wrist, and the light of the Kaioken suddenly surged. This time, not only Vegeta's deep blue energy was mixed in, but also Gohan's mysterious aura, Krillin's Destructo Disc's faint light, and even Android 18's energy gun beam was entangled in. "Let's go together! Dragon Ball just said that Saiyans from different universes can only avoid being assimilated in the Hyperbolic Realm by working together."

Lin Ye looked around: Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon was ready to fire, green light condensing into thin lines at his fingertips, and the runes on his forehead flashing as if they were about to burst into flames; Android 18's energy gun was pointed at the sky, and his other hand was on the communicator, where Krillin's voice came from, shouting "Be careful"; in the distance in space, on the barrier of Frieza's prison, a new line of text appeared next to the smiling face: "Remember to tell this king if you win."

The crimson-gold flames surged once more, and this time, the light of all twelve universes resonated. Earth's Super Dragon Ball began to tremble, the Dragon Ball fragments of Universe 6 began to reassemble, and even the dying Dragon Ball of Universe 10 regained its brilliance.

"Let's go." Lin Ye, Goku, and Vegeta disappeared from the spot at the same time. Before entering the Super Dragon Ball's spiritual space, the last thing Lin Ye saw was the Namekian vine, where a newly formed miniature Dragon Ball reflected the smiling face of the Grand Elder. This oldest Namekian was pouring all his life energy into the vine.

In the mental space, there is no up, down, left, or right; only an endless ocean of data. Here, the black energy lines transform into giant pythons, flicking their forked tongues, which are covered with the covenant text of the Order Keepers.

"This place is disgusting." Vegeta's deep blue aura exploded, and he casually tore off a strand of energy that had been wrapped around him. "It smells just like those guys' warships."

Goku's Kaioken flashed red light across the surroundings, then suddenly pointed to the left front: "Look over there!"

In the ocean of data, twelve enormous phantom images of Super Dragon Balls floated, each bound to a cross by countless black energy threads. The largest one in the very center was the one from Earth's core, its "face" engraved with a symbol familiar to Lin Ye and his companions—the mark of the Seven Dragon Balls.

“They are crying.” Lin Ye’s crimson-gold aura seeped into the nearest dragon ball phantom, and a stinging pain came from his fingertips. “The Order Keepers planted control programs in their cores, using covenant text as locks.”

"Then smash the lock." Vegeta's fist, enveloped in deep blue energy, slammed into the nearest energy line. The moment the energy line exploded, even more lines surged in from all directions. "Damn it, this thing multiplies!"

Goku suddenly grabbed Lin Ye and Vegeta's shoulders, and the Kaioken, deep blue energy, and crimson-gold aura collided violently, forming a three-colored sphere of light. "Just now on Namek, the Dragon Balls said they needed the host's blood as a key." He bit his fingertip, and a drop of golden blood dripped onto the sphere of light. "Lin Ye's blood can connect to the Dragon Ball network, mine can communicate with them, and Vegeta's..."

"Enough with the nonsense!" Vegeta bit his fingertip, his deep blue blood mixing into the orb of light. "My blood is more effective than any of yours!"

The three-colored spheres suddenly erupted with intense light, and the twelve Super Dragon Ball phantoms trembled simultaneously. The covenant text on their surfaces began to peel away, revealing the original symbols beneath. The Earth ball reflected Bulma's smiling face, the two from Universe 6 shimmered with the luster of champaca desserts, and even the ball where Frieza's blood had dripped appeared with a mocking smile.

"Now!" Lin Ye and the other two rushed toward the Super Dragon Ball in the center at the same time.

Just as their fists were about to touch the largest Dragon Ball, a massive wave suddenly surged in the ocean of data. The voice of the Order Keeper boomed like thunder, accompanied by the grating sound of metal scraping against metal:

"Those who trespass or violate the covenant shall be formatted."

A gigantic black shadow emerged from the giant wave. The shadow's face was composed of countless covenant texts, and it held a giant scythe woven from black energy threads.

“The consciousness clones of the Order Keepers.” Lin Ye’s crimson-gold aura surged. “It seems they’ve focused their main force here.”

Vegeta sneered and assumed a fighting stance: "Perfect, I haven't beaten up this cowardly guy before."

Goku's Kaioken had reached its peak of red light. He glanced at Lin Ye and Vegeta, grinned, and said, "It's been a while since the three of us fought together, hasn't it?"

Lin Ye nodded, and the crimson-gold flames completely merged with the energy of the other two. In the ocean of data streams, the twelve Super Dragon Ball phantoms suddenly lit up simultaneously, and the covenant text peeling off their surfaces transformed into golden blades, hovering behind them.

The shadowy figure swung down with a massive scythe, carrying an aura of annihilation.

Lin Ye, Goku, and Vegeta charged forward at the same time.

In that instant, all the Dragon Balls from the twelve universes, whether Super Dragon Balls or regular Dragon Balls, burst forth with light at the same time. Namek's vines sprouted even more miniature Dragon Balls, Earth's time machine beam pierced through the clouds, and on the energy barrier of the Galactic Prison, Frieza's smiling face suddenly flickered, as if saying, "Go for it, you bastards."

Within the mental space, the golden blade collided with the tri-colored flames, slashing fiercely down at the giant scythe of the black shadow.

Chapter 314: The Battlefield of the Mind

Within the Super Dragon Ball's Hyperbolic Realm, a torrent of data surged forth like a living tide. The instant Lin Ye's crimson-gold aura collided with the data stream, it solidified with a "click" into a tangible armor, its shoulder armor adorned with the phantom images of seven miniature Dragon Balls. Goku's Kaioken, its red light transforming into a flowing cape, swept across the data stream, causing it to recede and reveal shimmering star trails beneath. These star trails were crowded with blurry figures, each silently screaming.

"These are..." Wukong suddenly grabbed Lin Ye's shoulder, pointing to the left front, "Isn't that me?"

On the star trails, a black-haired youth in martial arts attire was having his chest pierced by the Lawful One's scepter, his face still showing lingering surprise. It was Goku in his youth; blood dripped from his chest down the scepter, forming small pools of blood on the star trails.

“All those who have been erased by the system.” Lin Ye’s armor suddenly cracked, and data streams took the opportunity to enter the cracks, bringing excruciating pain. “The Order Keepers trapped their consciousness here, using it as an energy source for the mental space.”

"These bastards!" Goku's Kaioken cape suddenly expanded, and wherever the red light swept across, the afterimages all raised their heads, their eyes gleaming. "They seem to be able to hear us!" The blond warrior clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white. "Was that 'me' just now saying 'Break this place'?"

"Don't waste your energy." The voice of the Order Keeper came from the end of the starry sea, clearer than before, and with a metallic scraping sound. The data stream suddenly split, revealing a figure that looked exactly like Lin Ye, except that the other person had no pupils, and miniature galaxies spun in the eye sockets. "I set the rules for the mental space. Your consciousness will soon be assimilated and become part of these star orbits."

Lin Ye's crimson-gold armor suddenly unfurled wings of light, each feather etched with characters from different universes: stars from the seventh universe, a cat's paw from the sixth universe, and even a crooked "弗" (Fu). "Rules?" he sneered. As the wings flapped, the phantoms on the star trails suddenly stirred. "Listen to this!"

Countless fragmented shouts converged and crashed into the Order Keepers like a tsunami. Among those phantoms were hosts erased by the system, warriors who had failed in their resistance, and even a few figures wearing Order Keeper robes, each with the same scepter stuck in their chest.

"Just the wailing of traitors." The Lawkeeper raised his hand and waved, the gem at the top of his scepter shooting out black light, instantly drowning out the shouts. The phantoms on the star trails began to dissipate, even the phantom of Wukong became transparent. "I have personally eliminated three hundred million rebels like you, two more of you won't make a difference."

"What nonsense!" Goku suddenly grabbed Lin Ye's arm, the red light of the Kaioken clashing with the crimson flames. "Just now on Namek, the Dragon Balls said your blood can connect to the internet, and mine can communicate. Why don't we try combining our powers?" His golden hair suddenly stood on end, and runes flashed in his pupils. "I think I can manipulate the power of those phantoms!"

The moment Lin Ye nodded, their energies intertwined into a spiral. The phantoms on the star trails suddenly stopped dissipating and reached out, injecting their faint light into the spiral energy. The phantom of Wukong even removed the golden headband from its head and threw it into the energy spiral. The headband passed through the data stream and actually materialized, fitting onto Lin Ye's wrist.

"This is..." Before Lin Ye could even react, the black light from the Order Keeper had already struck.

"Watch out!" Vegeta's roar suddenly exploded from the energy spiral. Deep blue flames surged out without warning, encasing the spiral in a layer of solid ice, forcefully blocking the black light. "How did my energy end up here?"

At the edge of the star trail, a Saiyan phantom in a battle suit clenched his fist; it was a young Vegeta. Though he couldn't utter a sound, his lips clearly formed the words, "Idiot, fight back!"

Goku suddenly laughed, and the light of the Kaioken intensified: "It's the Dragon Ball Network! The power of my friends has come in through the network!" He looked at the Lawkeepers, his fighting spirit burning even brighter, "You just said you've eliminated 300 million rebels? Well, we'll gather 300 million and 300 to show you!"

The moment the energy spiral collided with the black light, the entire mental space trembled. In the intense light, Lin Ye saw fragments of the Order Keeper's memories: a boy in a white coat weeping as he looked at the system on the screen; a warrior holding a Dragon Ball, watching helplessly as the system destroyed his planet; and finally, a figure in an Order Keeper's robe kneeling before the Dragon God, signing a covenant to exchange freedom for "order."

"So you're a system host too." Lin Ye's armor suddenly cracked, revealing the hourglass on his chest. "You're not maintaining order, you're afraid—afraid that someone will discover, like you, that the system is just a toy from a higher dimension."

The Order Keeper swayed, the galaxies in his eye sockets suddenly spinning erratically. "Shut up!" For the first time, his voice carried emotion, and his scepter transformed into countless black snakes. "I've witnessed a cosmic reset! All emotions and bonds turn into data! Rather than subjecting you to that despair, it's better to format you now!"

"So you became the new jailer?" Lin Ye's hourglass suddenly flew out and hovered above the Lawkeeper's head. "Dragon God told you, right? The Super Dragon Balls were originally protective devices, but you turned them into monitoring devices."

The moment the black serpent collided with the hourglass, it froze into an ice sculpture with a "crack." The golden sand in the hourglass flowed backward, reflecting more fragments of memory. This time it was the face of the Dragon God, who was sighing at the young Lawful One: "The price of freedom has always been blood."

"That's still better than being a puppet!" Goku's Kaioken suddenly broke through the black snakes' encirclement and slammed into the Order Keeper's chest. As the blond warrior's fist passed through the opponent's body, it suddenly grabbed something—half of the Key of Time, embedded in the Order Keeper's heart.

"This is..." The moment Wukong pulled out the key, the Lawkeeper's body began to become transparent, while the phantom on the star trails became clearer and clearer.

"The token of the first host." Lin Ye caught the hourglass that flew back; the golden sand inside had turned into golden blood. "Every time the system resets, it reclaims the host's token. You're hiding this half because you still want to resist, right?"

The Order Keeper didn't answer, but simply raised his hand. His stardust robes suddenly unfurled, transforming into countless specks of light that merged into the phantoms on the star trails. The figures that were about to dissipate suddenly gained color, and even their voices became clear. Three hundred million shouts converged, causing the mental space to begin to collapse.

“So that’s how it can be done…” The Lawkeeper’s face returned to that of the boy in the white coat, and the galaxies in his eye sockets gradually subsided. “The freedom the Dragon God spoke of… is this what it means…”

Before his body completely turned into specks of light, half of the Key of Time suddenly flew towards Lin Ye. The instant it touched the blood in the hourglass, the key clicked shut, transforming into a complete disc engraved with the symbols of the twelve universes.

"The mental space is collapsing!" Goku grabbed Lin Ye's arm, and the Kaioken cape wrapped around the two of them. "Quick, find an exit!"

Lin Ye stood still, watching the phantoms of the twelve Super Dragon Balls reassemble. The black energy lines on their surfaces had disappeared, replaced by protective shields formed by the Stardust Robe. The wreckage of the Order Keeper warship slowly melted within the shields, transforming into new nebulae, each containing a Super Dragon Ball.

“No need to look anymore.” Lin Ye gripped the Key of Time tightly, and the crimson-gold armor began to peel away. “They will send us out.”

When Lin Ye opened his eyes on the Namekian altar, the first thing he smelled was the earthy stench of soil. Dandy ran over, carrying a new crystal ball that displayed real-time images of the twelve universes: the Super Dragon Ball of Universe 7 was suspended in Earth's orbit, channeling excess energy into the Earth's core; the two Dragon Balls of Universe 6 were dozing in a pile of desserts in Champa; even the dying Dragon Ball of Universe 10 had been rekindled under Vados's staff.

"Is it over?" Goku touched his golden hair, which was still covered with stardust from the spiritual space, and it fell off with a shake.