The magma world was still a sea of crimson, its searing heat filling the air. Yet for Goku, the inferno posed no threat. Ignoring the molten lava that surrounded him, he descended straight down, deeper and deeper, toward the very bottom of this fiery realm.
As he descended, faint and hidden auras entered his perception—clearly the presence of mysterious beings that lived within this magma world. At once, the molten sea rippled violently, and countless crimson silhouettes surged forth from all directions, surrounding him.
Goku cast a calm glance across the lizard-like magma creatures, before his gaze settled on two unusual ones. Unlike the rest, these two were pale white, appearing much older than their kin. Their auras were vastly different as well—each had actually reached the level of a half-Saint.
"Out of my way." Goku's tone remained indifferent as he spoke to the swarm.
"Human," one of the pale lizardmen rasped, its words broken and rough but still comprehensible, "this is the Tomb of the Gods. You have no right to be here. Leave now, or if you awaken the Guardian, even you will be buried here forever!"
"Hmph."
A cold light flashed in Goku's eyes. A terrifying soul wave burst from between his brows, spreading at lightning speed. The magma roared like crashing waves under its pressure. The fiery lizardmen convulsed as an overwhelming soul force—like the wrath of heaven itself—descended upon them.
The two pale lizardmen paled further, but before they could even cry out, terror dawned in their eyes. Their bodies seized up, expanding rapidly.
Boom!
They exploded into bloody mist.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
One after another, the surrounding lizardmen erupted in violent explosions. A tidal wave of molten fire swept in all directions. In mere moments, the magma creatures were completely annihilated.
Yet even amidst the raging torrent of flame, Goku stood untouched, face calm as ever. His gaze dropped toward the endless depths below. Pressing his finger lightly against his brow, his figure flickered and vanished.
"So, this is the bottom of the magma world…"
Stretching out his hand, he pressed against the molten sea before him.
Buzz!
Ripples spread outward. His palm sank into the magma as though passing through a distorted layer of space.
"This is it." With a faint murmur, Goku stepped into the hidden realm beneath the lava.
---
The moment his body crossed over, the roaring of magma ceased abruptly.
What greeted him was a dark and silent expanse—an ancient space that had been undisturbed for countless ages. The air itself carried the weight of time, steeped in desolation and antiquity.
With a flash, Goku's figure appeared before a glowing sphere of light. Within the light was an enormous stone gate, towering tens of thousands of feet high.
The gate loomed in silence, as though it had stood there since the dawn of creation. From it emanated an aura of primeval wildness, filling the air with ancient majesty.
At its summit, four ancient characters were carved:
"Ancient God's Estate!"
---
Even Goku, gazing upon the colossal gate, felt a flicker of awe. But a faint smile soon touched his lips.
"All this for just one Dou God? Quite the grand display."
Then, sensing something below, his eyes narrowed slightly in surprise.
Blazing light pierced the endless darkness beneath, revealing an immense creature.
It was so vast that words failed to describe it. Its body coiled within the void, unmoving, stretching so far that Goku's vision could not see its end.
The creature's scales gleamed with a violet-gold radiance, hard and cold, radiating the aura of steel itself.
As Goku's gaze met it, the beast shuddered. After a long stillness, two titanic eyes opened, glowing faint red. Its pupils were layered, strange and alien. Each eye was hundreds of times larger than Goku's entire body, giving the unnerving illusion of making him seem tiny and insignificant.
The eyes locked onto him. At once, an incomparably terrifying pressure crashed down, enveloping him.
"You dare provoke me?"
But Goku only sneered. In the next instant, a soul force more terrifying than the heavens itself burst forth from him, smashing apart the beast's oppressive aura as though it were nothing. His own overwhelming presence cascaded downward, regal and absolute, suffocating the titanic creature.
"W-what?!"
The enormous beast trembled violently, its eyes widening with shock. Its body spasmed as if crushed by an invisible mountain. Unable to sustain itself, it plummeted like a meteor, slamming into the ground. The entire space quaked from the impact.
In a blink, Goku was standing atop its massive head.
Though small in size compared to the beast, the power radiating from him was unfathomable. No matter how the creature struggled or roared, it could not move an inch. Terror finally replaced its defiance.
'What manner of existence have I encountered? Even the master of this estate was not this terrifying…!'
Then, realization flickered in its eyes.
"This aura… I remember now. You… you were the one who shook the magma world half a month ago! I never imagined your strength would be this monstrous!"
Its voice thundered like rolling storms, but behind it was trembling fear.
Suddenly, it froze again, eyes widening further with shock—then delight.
"You… you can enter and leave this space freely? You can ignore the dimensional seal?!"
Its tone shifted, growing ingratiating.
"Great one, since you can ignore the seal… would you release me from this prison? If you do, no matter what you desire, I will grant it!"
"Anything? Tell me, what could you possibly offer me?" Goku withdrew his killing intent, smiling faintly as he stood atop its colossal head. He had already guessed its identity.
"Uh…" The massive creature faltered. Indeed, what could it possibly give to someone this powerful?
As it hesitated, Goku chuckled lightly.
"Your strength isn't bad. How did you end up trapped here, reduced to a watchdog?"
"Damn that Tuoshe!" the beast bellowed, fury shaking the space. "He lured me with promises, then ensnared me in a trap. I've been sealed here for thousands of years!"
It sighed bitterly. "I shouldn't have coveted his estate. Now I've wasted endless millennia in chains…"
"You're Zhu Kun, aren't you?" Goku asked casually.
The creature froze.
"Yes… that's my name. You know me? Even after thousands of years? But… how? I've been trapped all this time. How could you recognize me?"
"Want to leave?" Goku ignored the question, his voice calm.
"Yes!" Zhu Kun's reply was immediate, his tone brimming with desperation and excitement.
"But… what do you want in return?"
"Nothing."
"…Nothing?" Zhu Kun blinked.
"You should be grateful you have a daughter worth saving. For her sake, I'll let you out."
"You… you've seen my daughter?" Zhu Kun's vast body trembled with sudden emotion. His voice quivered. "Is she well? Has she grown?"
Seeing his agitation, Goku smiled faintly.
"She's fine. But speaking with you like this is troublesome. Let's get you out first."
With that, he leapt toward the boundary of the space. His fist clenched, and with a devastating punch, he struck.
Crack!
The unyielding barrier that had trapped Zhu Kun for millennia split apart, fissures spreading like lightning.
Boom!
The entire wall shattered.
Zhu Kun roared with joy, his triumphant cry shaking heaven and earth. His terrifying aura exploded outward, the world itself trembling beneath its might.
Light flared, and his titanic form shrank rapidly. In moments, he became a middle-aged man with violet-gold hair, his golden eyes brimming with gratitude.
"Great one, you have my eternal thanks. After thousands of years trapped in that cursed space, I am finally free. I, Zhu Kun, owe you a life-debt."
"Your debt? What's it worth to me?" Goku said calmly, not even glancing at him, his eyes instead fixed on the stone gate of the Ancient God's Estate.
"…!" Zhu kun froze, words caught in his throat. Indeed, before this man, what did his debt matter? Even he, one of the mightiest beings, had been rendered helpless. This existence was beyond the realm of mortals—beyond the Dou God itself.
"Wait… no… this can't be right." Zhu Kun's eyes widened as he remembered something, shock flooding his heart.
'Wasn't the Dou God supposed to have vanished from this world long ago? Then what is he? To be so powerful that even I cannot resist—if not a Dou God… then what could he possibly be?'
___
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