Rainbow light descended upon the God of Destruction realm as Whis and Raditz touched down on the soft grass, gentle breezes flowing around them. Raditz gazed upward, noting that the scenery here differed little from the Sixth Universe—likely a consequence of their twin universe relationship.
Whether divine realms, planets, or species, the Sixth and Seventh Universes shared remarkable similarities.
Stars and celestial bodies hung suspended in the sky above quiet, open landscapes of verdant grass. The lake's surface remained perfectly still, reflecting green trees, azure heavens, and the outlines of giant celestial bodies like a mirror. In the distance stood ancient trees concealing Beerus's hidden chambers.
"You should be familiar with this place, Raditz," Whis said with a smile, one hand behind his back.
"Indeed, it's very similar to Champa's realm."
"Let's visit the God Trial Ground first," Whis nodded. "I'd like to see how powerful your Super Saiyan God truly is."
Trial of the Gods? Raditz recalled his grueling training in the Sixth Universe and felt his heart skip—part fear, part excitement. He was eager to discover how far he could progress in the Super Saiyan God realm.
They arrived at the God Trial Ground—the same illusory space containing what seemed an endless road stretching beyond sight.
"Give it a try, Raditz."
"Understood." Raditz regarded the wide pathway ahead and stepped forward.
All emotions in his heart completely suppressed themselves the moment his foot touched the ground, leaving him calm as the ocean depths. As his thoughts stirred, he refined his divine power once more and released it from within! His jet-black hair instantly turned crimson as divine flames ignited—Super Saiyan God manifested once again!
His footsteps created gentle ripples as the gods' trial immediately descended upon him. Beyond mental pressure and physical burden, dense energy bombardments struck faster and more intensely than those in the Sixth Universe.
Raditz glanced back at Whis, who was enjoying snacks with a cheerful smile while offering encouragement!
"As my strength increases, does the trial's severity also escalate? It seems using divine power to pass won't be so simple," Raditz muttered, frowning as he strode forward determinedly.
No matter what trials lay ahead, he had to demonstrate his utmost strength and approach that distant end infinitely.
Initially, Raditz maintained steady progress. His steps showed no hindrance from the mental burden or physical drag, while energy bombardments couldn't even graze his hair. The Super Saiyan God state enhanced his reaction ability and speed while elevating his mental fortitude tremendously. The smoothness surprised even Raditz.
However, as time passed, mental and physical burdens intensified while energy bombardments increased in both intensity and frequency, falling like meteor showers. Crimson light and shadow danced flexibly through the barrage—multiple afterimages brushing past before consolidating into one. The sole deity shuttled back and forth across the God Trial Ground, advancing indomitably!
Yet through constant exertion, bombardments eventually struck Raditz and sent him flying considerable distances. Every step on this path proved extraordinarily difficult, and being repelled not only injured his body but meant losing hard-won ground. Even more terrifying—follow-up attacks came in unending succession, impossible to avoid!
BOOM—BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!
A series of explosions hammered Raditz's body, forcing him into direct combat. Even the red-haired god couldn't dodge easily and could only resist with supreme willpower. Whis shook his head slightly upon witnessing this—in his view, the trial was effectively over.
Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Whis suddenly fell silent. Raditz's roar had overwhelmed everything else!
"AAAHHHHH!" Raditz screamed, roaring from his very core until his voice grew hoarse—nearly vomiting his heart and lungs! The thunderous shouts stimulated energy excitement as the red-haired god's aura burned fiercely. His hands bore the energy assault while pressing forward!
He could still advance.
Under normal circumstances, anyone suffering such continuous strikes would only grow weaker before finally collapsing from exhaustion. But Raditz was different—he actually grew stronger in desperation, his indomitable will driving him step by step forward.
The overlapping of sacred radiance and spatial luminescence was truly extraordinary in Whis's eyes. He smiled with slightly pursed lips, a rare look of genuine appreciation in his gaze.
Raditz moved his battered body forward under tremendous pressure. After walking for an indeterminate time, he finally felt his limits approaching. After all, massive energy bombardments were no joke, while ever-increasing mental pressure and physical burden had nearly broken him. Even Super Saiyan God had limits—he'd reached his.
Instantly, all chaos ceased. Energy bombardments stopped. With physical and mental strength completely exhausted, Raditz's arms drooped as his eyelids grew heavy. For the first time, he looked ahead—the road beneath his feet extended forward to... the end!
A vast expanse within white, brilliant light engulfed the pathway, standing at the God Trial Ground's terminus. Just one step away from Raditz!
Before he'd realized it, he'd reached the boundary—just a little closer and he would succeed. But his remaining strength couldn't support continuing. He collapsed in a daze, showing a satisfied smile.
At that moment, Whis leaped up, waving his staff lightly to lift Raditz from the God Trial Ground.
The scepter glowed softly, and Raditz's wounds healed instantly.
"Thank you, Whis."
"You're welcome," Whis smiled. "I'm genuinely surprised you reached this level. It seems Super Saiyan God isn't an ordinary preparatory divine state."
"Preparatory God?" Raditz was again intrigued by new terminology.
"Allow me to explain. The pure divine realm like Lord Beerus's is called the True God realm. Upon reaching this level, one can destroy universes at will—invincible strength within any single universe. Below the True God realm lies the Preparatory God realm, though preparatory gods are also divided into several grades. Despite all being divine realms, the differences are substantial."
"How substantial?" Raditz asked in surprise.
Whis looked upward. "Preparatory God is the initial state upon first entering the God Realm—Super Saiyan God is one example. But your brother Goku's transformation is merely the basic state, unable to enter the divine realm at will." Here, Whis paused. "You're now entering a higher realm—you can enhance your strength freely within the divine dimension while simultaneously improving spiritually and in other aspects. You're extremely close to True Godhood."
"As for realms above True Gods..." At this point, Whis suddenly stopped speaking, leaving only a meaningful smile.
Raditz didn't continue questioning, but understood in his heart that the higher level was naturally the Angel realm!
Raditz had come within one step of passing the God Trial, earning extremely high evaluation from Whis—not the general preparatory god state. Undoubtedly, this represented the greatest encouragement for Raditz.
He'd been just slightly short of the God of Destruction's ultimate divine realm. But this final step definitely wasn't something that could be easily crossed...
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