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"This!" Trunks could barely contain his surprise.
"Trunks, Aspara is very strong," Son Goku said with a warm smile.
Hearing Son Goku's reassurance, Trunks snapped out of his shock and quickly nodded, his expression filled with gratitude.
The group continued discussing matters, but despite his confusion, Trunks couldn't help but feel a hint of joy. This timeline was clearly different from his own. In this world, Son Goku was alive, and there were several other Saiyans. Even if the Androids were to return, this timeline seemed far better equipped than his own.
"Everyone, Bulma has prepared food. Let's go back and eat," Son Goku's cheerful voice rang out. "Today is my son's second birthday."
"Hahaha!" The group laughed as they began to head back.
"We haven't seen Gohan in a long time!" Someone remarked.
"Right, right!" Another voice chimed in.
"Brother Gohan!" Trunks said, anticipation in his tone.
However, when they arrived at a massive cruise ship, Trunks was left stunned.
The Son Gohan standing before him didn't resemble the black-haired version he remembered from his timeline. This Son Gohan had purple hair.
Seeing this unfamiliar Son Gohan and Bulma, who, in his timeline, was his mother but here was now married to Goku Ojisan, left Trunks even more confused.
"Each timeline has its own set of rules. Even a single action can change the course of events. Right now, there should be twelve timelines. Your timeline is the first, and ours is the seventh," Jiang Chen explained with a smile, patting Trunks on the shoulder.
With the Book of Time now in his possession, Jiang Chen had gained a deeper understanding of timelines.
Thanks to his involvement and the appearance of the Loginers, there were now twelve distinct timelines within the Dragon Ball universe. And this number was only the beginning. As more Loginers appeared and changes continued in the Dragon Ball world, the number of timelines would only keep growing.
"I understand!" Trunks nodded after a moment of thought. "Thank you, Aspara Sama!"
He took a deep breath, his expression now calmer as he processed the magnitude of the situation. Although the scene still made him feel a bit uneasy, Jiang Chen's words had managed to calm Trunks' mind somewhat.
The banquet aboard the yacht had come to an end.
However, just as Jiang Chen was about to take Trunks away, several more figures appeared beside him.
"Aspara, since you're helping Trunks train, count me in!"
"Right, Aspara, include us too!"
Son Goku's cheerful voice rang out, quickly followed by Raditz and the others.
Vegeta only snorted in response. Nappa seemed torn, clearly hesitant.
"Then let's all go! Vegeta, you come too!" Jiang Chen said with a hint of exasperation, turning to include Vegeta.
"Hahaha!"
"Alright!"
The group responded eagerly, quickly agreeing.
Even Vegeta, after a moment's hesitation, followed.
He had to admit that Jiang Chen was the only one who could help him rapidly improve his strength.
As the group moved forward, Nappa, after some further hesitation, walked over as well.
The others exchanged glances and couldn't help but curl their lips in mild distaste.
Compared to Vegeta, they were even less fond of Nappa. But since Jiang Chen hadn't said anything, they kept their thoughts to themselves.
"Don't leave the range of my time energy!" Jiang Chen instructed.
"I'll take you to the training grounds."
The next moment, a sudden, surreal wave of energy washed over them.
"Splash!"
An illusory tide surged around them, and with that, they were instantly enveloped by the energy of time and disappeared from the yacht.
Planet Yardrat.
Jiang Chen, Son Goku, Vegeta, Raditz, and the others appeared in an instant on the new world.
"Where is this?" The unfamiliar surroundings made everyone look around in confusion.
"Guests from afar… Welcome!" A familiar voice called out, and a strange figure materialized before them.
"Spirits, long time no see!" Jiang Chen greeted with a smile.
"Aspara Sama, long time no see!" Spirits replied, returning the greeting.
"Spirits, is the Great Elder available now?" Jiang Chen asked, curiosity evident in his tone as he looked at the Yardratian.
When considering a training ground, Jiang Chen had initially thought of the Time Nest or the Time Lookout. There was no better place for training than that. However, as a third-level patroller, he lacked the authority to bring others to the Time Lookout.
After some thought, he remembered Planet Yardrat.
Planet Yardrat not only possessed powerful training techniques but was also known for its expertise in training Saiyans. On top of that, it offered the chance to master techniques like Instant Transmission, Expansion, and Separation, which would be invaluable for strengthening Saiyan ki control, crucial for their training. Even transforming into a Super Saiyan could be enhanced here.
"Aspara Sama, esteemed guests, please follow me. The Great Elder has been waiting for you," Spirits said, smiling warmly as he gestured for the group to follow.
Moments later, under Spirits' guidance, Jiang Chen once again stood before the Great Elder of Planet Yardrat.
"Aspara Sama, long time no see!" The Great Elder greeted warmly, his voice full of familiarity.
"Great Elder, it's been a while!" Jiang Chen replied with a smile, and the others followed with their own greetings.
Except for Vegeta, who merely turned his head away in silence.
"Aspara Sama, I understand the reason for your visit. Spirits, please take Aspara Sama and the others to the secret training grounds." The Great Elder said after everyone had paid their respects.
"Yes, Great Elder!" Spirits responded with a nod.
"Thank you, Great Elder!" Jiang Chen bowed slightly in gratitude.
The group followed Spirits, ready to begin their training on the secret grounds.
"No need to thank me! The survival of Planet Yardrat is owed to you," the Great Elder smiled and shook his head. (In the original story, during the Namek saga, the Ginyu Force had planned to destroy Planet Yardrat.)
"Great Elder, you flatter me!" Jiang Chen replied humbly.
After some more conversation, they made their way to the first secret training ground.
Raditz and the others began their training.
Their first focus was on Instant Transmission. This was undeniably a huge challenge for most Saiyans.
Watching them crash to the ground one by one, Jiang Chen couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
He then vanished from Planet Yardrat.
His form reappeared in the Time Nest.
He resumed his own training.
However, this time, his focus wasn't on increasing his own strength. Instead, he was completely absorbed in mastering the flow of time energy.
Quietly, two years passed.
During this time, the group's progress on Planet Yardrat was far from smooth.
Aside from Son Goku and Trunks, who managed to master Instant Transmission, the others were still struggling with the basics.
This included Vegeta and Raditz, who were in the same position.
Clearly, even with the same training environment, achieving identical results was no easy feat.
While Vegeta had exceptional talent, it was obvious that, compared to his potential in 'Dragon Ball Super', he was still far behind. This gap was especially evident in his attempts to master Instant Transmission.
In 'Dragon Ball Super', Vegeta had learned the technique in just one day. But now, two years had passed, and he was still struggling with the very basics.
It remained uncertain how much longer it would take for him to truly grasp it.
In the Time Lookout...
Jiang Chen's aura had once again grown stronger, crossing a critical threshold. If he had been close to one hundred million before, now his Battle Power had genuinely reached that mark. Even in his normal state, he was likely not much weaker than Frieza.
This increase came naturally as a result of his focus on time and energy. If he had focused solely on his physical strength, his growth would have been even faster.
"Finally, I've got the basics down," Jiang Chen said, exhaling as the faint silver-gray aura surrounded him. A hint of joy crossed his face.
After two years of effort, his mastery over time energy had reached a new level.
At the same time, his control over the Book of Time had also slightly improved.
While strength was important, this was the improvement that truly pleased him the most.
(End of Chapter)