At that moment, Hit stepped forward and stood opposite Son Goku. His aura gradually grew cold, like a hunter waiting for the perfect moment to strike. "Next, it's our turn."
"Hit? You want to spar with me?" Goku paused, then broke into an excited grin. " I've wanted to fight you for a long time! During the last Universe 6 Martial Arts Tournament, Vegeta hogged all the opponents for himself. I never got a chance to face you. It was such a shame."
"The feeling is mutual. I've always wanted to spar properly and see which of us is truly stronger," Hit smiled, then added, "But you just finished fighting Cabba. You must have used a lot of energy. Why not rest for half an hour? It'll take a while to reach our destination anyway; there's no rush."
"No need for rest. Fighting Cabba didn't use much energy at all; I'm in top form right now." Goku waved it off, his tone as relaxed as if he had just come back from a stroll. He even rolled his shoulders, showing no signs of fatigue.
Cabba: "..."
Cabba's face instantly darkened, and he grumbled inwardly. Can you not say things like that right in front of me? It's a total blow to my self-esteem! Do I not get to keep any of my dignity? I was fighting with everything I had just now!
"In that case, I won't be polite." Hit's expression grew serious. He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned forward slightly, ready for battle.
This was Hit's habitual stance for using his Time-Skip; it allowed him to activate the ability faster. A faint blue light was already flickering at his fingertips.
"You aren't planning to..." Goku glanced at Moro nearby, and the words he was about to say died in his throat. Goku knew that Hit kept his hands in his pockets to better activate the Time-Skip. This was Hit's weakness; if Moro found out, it would be very dangerous for Hit in a future fight against him, so Goku couldn't expose it.
Moreover, Goku wanted to take this chance to use Hit's Time-Skip to hone his Base Ultra Instinct. A Time-Skip could jump 0.1 seconds, which was the perfect test for Ultra Instinct's limits to see just how fast his reaction speed really was.
"Come on, Hit. Don't hold back. I want to see if your Time-Skip can even touch me." Goku beckoned to Hit, his posture relaxed but his guard secretly raised. The white aura around him grew more concentrated.
"Fine then!" Hit didn't hesitate. His figure flashed as he lunged at Goku like a ghost, simultaneously activating his Time-Skip.
Time seemed to freeze for 0.1 seconds.
Hit's palm thrust toward Goku's chest, moving so fast it was impossible for the naked eye to track. His fingertips had already brushed against Goku's clothes.
In the nick of time, Goku's Ultra Instinct was triggered. His body moved as if it had a mind of its own, nimbly swaying aside to dodge the lethal strike. The hem of his gi fluttered in the resulting air current.
Hit's gaze sharpened. He increased his speed even further, launching a barrage of attacks using Time-Skip—palms, fists, knees. A variety of moves were unleashed in turn, each precisely aimed at Goku's vitals, yet he consistently failed to touch Goku's body.
After several rounds, Hit stopped, his brow furrowed. Just like Cabba, Hit hadn't even touched the edge of Goku's clothes. It gave him a sense of unprecedented frustration, and fine beads of cold sweat began to form on his forehead.
"Oh? So that's how it is." Moro suddenly spoke up, breaking the deadlock. His tone held a hint of understanding, and his eyes were full of contempt. "You can make time stop briefly for 0.1 seconds, right? This ability is called Time-Skip, isn't it?"
Hit: "..."
Hit was startled. Found out that quickly? This old goat's knowledge is really extensive if he even knows about Time-Skip!
"That's right. It's my Time-Skip. It allows me to jump 0.1 seconds into the future," Hit nodded, not bothering to deny it. At this point, there was no point in lying.
"Being able to control time is certainly not simple. It's a rare ability even in the universe," Moro said with a smile, before his tone shifted. "Unfortunately, this guy Son Goku has exceptional dodging abilities. Your Time-Skip is completely useless against him; it's a total waste of effort."
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Hit frowned and snorted. He hated the feeling of being seen through and looked down upon, especially by a villain like Moro.
"I'm just suggesting you admit defeat early. You're not his match. Continuing is just inviting humiliation," Moro said flatly, his tone mocking, as if he were watching a clown.
Hit's expression turned sour. After being reincarnated, Hit had clearly trained hard for a long time, and his strength was much higher than in his past life. Yet, not only could he not beat Vegeta, but he couldn't even beat Son Goku either. Moreover, the Goku of this timeline seemed even stronger than the one from his past life, which left Hit feeling incredibly frustrated. His fists clenched instinctively.
"But your Time-Skip is really amazing. On that third strike just now, I almost didn't dodge it. I could actually feel the wind," Goku suddenly spoke up, his tone full of praise. On that last strike, Goku's Ultra Instinct had barely reacted in time; he was nearly hit, and his heart had skipped a beat.
Hit: "..."
After all that, you still didn't get hit, did you? That 'consolation' is worse than saying nothing! Thanks a lot!
"Hit, keep going! I think you can definitely hit me! That last one was so close!" Goku encouraged him, his eyes full of expectation. He wanted to refine his Ultra Instinct a bit more. Hit's Time-Skip was the ultimate "training tool." If he missed this chance, he might not find such a perfect opponent again.
Hit's face darkened. He grumbled inwardly. I'm starting to feel like you're just using me as a 'utility player' to hone your Ultra Instinct. And a free one at that! Thanks again!
"Fine then! I'll hit you today no matter what!" Hit's gaze sharpened. He stopped holding back his strength, and his aura suddenly grew sharp like an unsheathed blade. He lunged at Goku, unleashing a storm of fists and kicks, each strike aimed squarely at Goku's vitals.
Goku continued to rely on his Base Ultra Instinct to dodge, his body moving as if it had a mind of its own, weaving nimbly through the gaps in Hit's attacks. But Goku's Base Ultra Instinct wasn't perfect yet. Facing Hit's increasingly sharp assault, he gradually began to struggle.
About a minute later, Hit caught a tiny opening in Goku's defense and threw a lightning-fast punch.
THUD!
The punch landed squarely on Goku's shoulder. The massive force sent Goku stumbling back several steps. Goku's right leg slammed into the ground, crushing the crimson rock into a shallow pit, before he managed to steady himself.
"Ow... you got me!" Goku rubbed his shoulder. Instead of being discouraged, he grinned, his eyes full of excitement. "Your Time-Skip seems even stronger than before. I barely reacted to that one."
Hit: "..."
You got hit, and you're still smiling? Can you at least show a little respect for my attack?
"Keep it coming! Sparring with you is such a challenge—it's even more fun than fighting Vegeta!" Goku said, lunging forward with a punch that whistled through the air toward Hit.
Hit didn't dare to be careless. He activated his Time-Skip again. Time seemed to stop for 0.1 seconds, and his figure instantly appeared behind Goku, his palm striking toward Goku's back.
Another ten seconds or so passed.
THUD!
Hit's fist landed again, this time hitting Goku's waist. Goku let out a cry of pain, and his body instinctively doubled over.
"What? Is your stamina already failing you?" Hit didn't follow up with another attack. He stood his ground and asked with a smile, his tone teasing.
"It's not a stamina issue. Has your Time-Skip evolved? It feels like the time jump is longer than before," Goku asked curiously while rubbing his waist and scratching his head.
"Correct. I've been training lately and managed to increase the Time-Skip jump to 0.2 seconds," Hit nodded, not hiding the truth.
"No wonder I'm having trouble dodging!" Goku realized, his excitement growing even more. "Now this is getting interesting!"
The two didn't waste any more words and engaged in a fierce exchange once more. The heavy thuds of colliding fists and the roar of energy explosions echoed across the crimson land. The surrounding stone walls shook from the aftershocks of the battle, with rocks tumbling down occasionally.
The fight lasted for over an hour. Both were drenched in sweat, and their breathing had become ragged. Finally, they both leaped back, putting several meters of distance between them as they came to a temporary halt.
"Keep going, keep going! I haven't had enough yet!" Goku grew more courageous as the fight went on. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and prepared to lunge again.
Hit: "..."
Hit silently wiped his sweat, grumbling inwardly. Why are you so excited? I'm about to collapse from exhaustion!
"Hmph, you shrewd fellow. You're clearly just using Hit to hone your Ultra Instinct, aren't you?" Moro couldn't watch any longer and exposed the truth with a mocking tone. "Using someone as a practicing dummy and making it sound so high-sounding."
"Uh... you caught me." Goku wasn't embarrassed at all; instead, he gave a frank smile. "But I didn't really plan on hiding it from Hit anyway. We're sparring with each other. He can also use me to hone his Time-Skip. It's a win-win."
Moro snorted and stopped talking, simply crossing his arms with a look of total impatience. These two had been fighting for ages without a winner; it was a total waste of time.
"Hit, I'm going again. Are you ready?" Goku looked at Hit, his eyes full of expectation.
Hit: "..."
Hit felt his temples throbbing, but he was too embarrassed to refuse. After all, Goku was telling the truth; this sparring session was helping him too.
Piccolo was chuckling to himself on the side. Hit's really in for it now. Goku's Ultra Instinct just happens to need the rapid-fire attacks of Time-Skip to be refined. If he doesn't pester you, who else is he going to pester?
SHING!
Goku didn't wait for Hit's response and lunged forward, entangling himself with Hit once more. Hit had no choice but to pull himself together and focus on the fight, activating his Time-Skip over and over as he tried to find an opening in Goku's defense.
The sparring session continued for another half hour without them realizing it. Moro was getting sleepy watching them. He let out a yawn and muttered impatiently, "Two boring fools! You've been fighting for ages and no one's dead yet. What's the point of fighting like this?"
"Hey, Mr. Piccolo, is Son Goku always this good at fighting?" Cabba quietly leaned toward Piccolo and whispered, his tone full of amazement.
This was the first time Cabba had ever seen someone treat a sparring match like a marathon.
"You're just realizing that now? If he gets hyped up, he can fight someone all day long without stopping," Piccolo shot Cabba a sidelong glance, his tone full of helplessness, as if he had long since grown accustomed to Son Goku's "battle fever."
RUMBLE!
However, at that moment, the ground suddenly shook violently, and the entire space seemed to tremble.
CRACK!
Eerie black cracks appeared in the sky, spreading like shattered glass. It was a terrifying sight. Son Goku and Hit immediately stopped fighting and looked up at the sky, their expressions grave.
"What's happening? Why is the space cracking?" Goku scratched his head in confusion.
Hit didn't speak. Instead, he immediately turned to look at Moro. Moro was the one who had created this pocket dimension; only he would know the situation.
"Not good! It seems the spaceship has hit something!" Moro's brow furrowed slightly. Without hesitation, he snapped his fingers.
SNAP!
In the blink of an eye, Goku and the others felt their vision blur. Their surroundings shifted instantly, and they were back in the main cabin of the spaceship.
As soon as they returned to the ship, they were stunned by the scene before them. A massive hole had been torn in the hull, metal fragments were scattered everywhere, and a piercing alarm was blaring. Outside the ship, it was no longer the emptiness of the World of Void, but a vast, shimmering golden land. Brilliant light poured through the hole, illuminating the entire cabin.
"What's going on? Why did our spaceship suddenly crash?" Goku looked at the golden land outside in shock, completely baffled. "Why is there a planet in the World of Void?"
"At least this planet has air, otherwise we'd all be finished," Piccolo walked to the hole and felt the atmosphere outside, letting out a small sigh of relief.
"Strange... this is truly strange!" Cabba was scratching his head and cheeks, looking completely lost. "This spaceship is the most advanced model from our Sadala Defense Forces. It has a fully automatic avoidance system. Forget a planet—it should be able to detect even a small meteorite in advance. How could we suddenly crash into a planet?"
"And more importantly," Hit added, his tone heavy with gravity, "this is the World of Void! Theoretically, there shouldn't be any celestial bodies here, let alone a planet this large."
"Yeah, the World of Void is supposed to be empty. How did a planet suddenly appear?" Goku rubbed his chin, falling into deep thought.
"What if this planet appeared here suddenly?" Moro mused, his eyes full of inquiry. "In that case, even with an avoidance system, the ship wouldn't have had time to react."
"A planet appearing suddenly? How is that possible?" Cabba was stunned. "The spatial structure of the World of Void is very stable. How could a planet appear out of thin air?"
"We'll know once we go down and take a look. Let's figure out what kind of planet this is first," Moro said flatly, taking the lead and walking toward the ship's exit.
Moro had a nagging premonition that this planet was not simple. The group followed him out of the ship and stepped onto the golden land. The ground felt hard beneath their feet and emitted faint ripples of energy. The brilliant golden light inspired a sense of awe.
The moment Moro's foot touched the golden earth, his body suddenly jolted, and a look of joy appeared on his face. He could clearly feel that this planet contained an unimaginably vast amount of energy—at least billions of times that of Namek!
This is perfect! Moro was ecstatic. If I can drain the energy of this planet, I won't even need to find the Super Dragon Balls to wish for my magic back. I might even be able to break through to a new realm of power!
Moro couldn't help but laugh maniacally. He unhesitatingly raised his right hand, and black magic spread out like vines, attempting to absorb the planet's energy.
However, in the next instant, Moro's smile froze on his face. He was completely dumbfounded. He discovered that his magic was like a clay ox entering the sea—he couldn't absorb the planet's energy at all. He couldn't even move a single shred of it!
"This... what's going on? Why can't I absorb it?" Moro's brow furrowed deeply, his face full of confusion. He had never encountered a situation like this. The energy of this planet seemed protected by an invisible barrier, making it impossible to touch.
"Wait... why does this planet look so familiar?" Cabba also walked out of the ship and looked around, his eyes full of doubt. He felt like the shape of this planet was very familiar.
"Those are... red five-pointed stars!" Piccolo suddenly pointed toward the center of the land, his tone full of shock.
In the middle of the golden land, several red star-shaped patterns could be seen embedded in the ground, standing out clearly.
"Is this... could it be..." Goku also realized it immediately, his eyes widening.
"A Super Dragon Ball!" Cabba blurted out, his tone full of disbelief. He finally understood why it looked familiar; the shape and energy fluctuations of this planet were identical to the Super Dragon Ball he had seen before!
Hit's brow furrowed slightly. He didn't speak, but he carefully observed the surroundings, his eyes full of vigilance.
"So this is a Super Dragon Ball! No wonder it has such powerful energy!" Moro realized, and the joy in his heart was rekindled. Even if he couldn't absorb the energy, finding a Super Dragon Ball meant he was one step closer to fulfilling his wish!
"Four stars!" Cabba counted the red star patterns on the ground and said in surprise, "This isn't the Three-Star Super Dragon Ball we encountered before. This one is the Four-Star!"
"But why would a Super Dragon Ball appear in the World of Void? It shouldn't be here," Goku scratched his head, looking puzzled.
"Could someone have moved it here on purpose?" Piccolo guessed. "The only ones capable of doing something like this would be the Supreme Kai."
"That seems possible," Hit nodded in agreement. "A Super Dragon Ball won't move on its own. Only a Supreme Kai with Instant Transmission could teleport something this large into the World of Void."
"Right! That must be it!" Cabba thought Hit's reasoning made sense. "Aside from a Supreme Kai, no one could move a celestial body this large into the World of Void!"
"Supreme Kai!" Hearing that word, Moro's face instantly turned grim. He clenched his fists, and a thick killing intent surfaced in his eyes. Black magic rippled faintly around him.
"You look like you really hate the Supreme Kai," Piccolo noted Moro's reaction and asked calmly.
"I don't mind telling you," Moro snorted, his tone full of malice. "About ten million years ago, my magic was sealed by that old fool, the Grand Supreme Kai. He locked me away in the Galactic Prison for ten million years! I'll settle that debt sooner or later! Though from what I've heard, the Grand Supreme Kai is already dead. No matter—any Supreme Kai counts as his disciple. Seeking revenge on his disciples is just as good!"
"Huh? You've actually lived for over ten million years?" Goku was amazed, his eyes wide.
"Is that so surprising? I am Moro, the Consumer of Worlds. My lifespan is far longer than that of ordinary mortals," Moro gave a contemptuous smile, his tone full of arrogance.
"Now isn't the time for this," Cabba interrupted them hurriedly, his tone full of anxiety. "Our spaceship has crashed, our communicators have no signal, and there's nothing on this Super Dragon Ball. We'll starve to death if we stay here!"
"Let me make my wish first. Once I've restored my peak magic, I'll have plenty of ways to get us out of here," Moro snorted, then turned to Cabba. "Quick, tell me how to use this Super Dragon Ball to make a wish!"
"Uh... didn't I tell you? There are seven Super Dragon Balls in total. You have to gather all of them to make a wish. We've only found one; we can't make a wish yet." Cabba gave Moro a look of disbelief, his tone full of helplessness. This guy didn't even know the basic common sense.
"I was just testing you to see if you were lying to me," Moro's expression changed, and he quickly made up an excuse to cover his embarrassment. "It seems you were telling the truth."
Cabba: "..."
Cabba grumbled inwardly. You obviously didn't know, but you're still talking tough!
Moro said no more. Taking advantage of the fact that the others weren't paying attention, he secretly raised his hand again, trying to absorb the Super Dragon Ball's energy. However, no matter what method he used, he couldn't move a single shred of it. This made Moro incredibly frustrated, and his face grew even darker.
"Since we found a Super Dragon Ball, why don't we take the chance to see if there are any cracks on it?" Goku was still thinking about the Shadow Dragons. As he spoke, he leaped into the air and hovered, carefully observing the surface of the golden land. Then, he flew off quickly to inspect the rest of the Super Dragon Ball.
Seeing this, Piccolo immediately followed, joining Goku in the inspection. The two of them flew several laps around the Super Dragon Ball, hovering high in the sky.
"You should be able to rest easy now, right? There are no cracks on this Super Dragon Ball, and no black gas either," Piccolo said with a smile.
"Yeah, there are definitely no cracks or black gas," Goku nodded, letting out a small sigh of relief. "Maybe Whis was right. In our world, the Shadow Dragons won't appear."
"Wait," Piccolo suddenly frowned, his tone full of doubt. "Whis said before that the Super Dragon Balls 'breathe' through cracks. But there aren't any cracks on this one at all. How does it breathe? This doesn't make sense."
"Eh? Now that you mention it, that is a problem." Goku's brow also furrowed. He quickly pulled his communicator from his pocket and pressed the call button, immediately attempting to contact Whis.
To be continued…
Guys, do support me on Patreon; It helps me a lot!
Advance 70 Chapters are up on my Patreon!
pat reon.com/AlphaSenatus