Walking through the courtyard of his luxurious estate,
Lin Chuan found himself with some rare free time, since Little Xue had been taken out by Bulma and Android 18.
Suddenly, a powerful energy signature caught his attention.
He instinctively looked up at the sky, and moments later, a beam of light tore through space and descended rapidly in front of him.
It was Gohan.
Ever since he had asked to enter the Hyperbolic Time Chamber a few days ago, Gohan hadn't visited.
But now, out of the blue, here he was.
To Lin Chuan's surprise, three years inside the time chamber had transformed the once small boy into a young man.
More mature than the original Gohan during the Buu Saga, after all, this Gohan had lived three more years.
Though still slightly less seasoned than Buu Saga Gohan, he had clearly grown.
Lin Chuan smiled as he looked him over, then nodded in approval.
Seeing his reaction, Gohan grinned sheepishly and greeted him,
"Uncle Lin Chuan, long time no see… wait, actually for you, it's only been a few days, huh? Hehe."
He scratched the back of his head, an instinctive gesture he shared with his father, Goku, whenever nervous or shy.
Like father, like son.
"I can tell," Lin Chuan said, "You worked hard during those three years in the chamber. Your strength has grown.
You've gone from a boy to a young adult. In a few more years, you'll be fully grown."
By actual age, Gohan was now 15.
In the original series, including his one year in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Gohan would've been about 10 or 11 at this point.
But in this timeline, Gohan had spent a total of five years training inside the chamber.
Receiving Lin Chuan's praise lit up Gohan's face with joy.
"I still have a long way to go, Uncle Lin Chuan. Actually, I came to see you because I've hit a bottleneck in my training. I wanted to ask your advice."
No one comes empty-handed.
Gohan had changed a lot over the past two years.
In the past, he would've dropped by just to play or hang out.
But now, as he got older and learned more, he had become more reserved, like his older self in the original series, who became distant from past friends and family after starting high school.
"Three years of tough training has improved your strength, but you've hit a wall, right?" Lin Chuan said.
"You're unsure how to move forward, don't know which path to take?"
He squinted and smiled knowingly.
By Lin Chuan's estimation, Gohan had likely already achieved Super Saiyan 3.
And now, he had come to decide whether to pursue Super Saiyan 4 or move toward Super Saiyan God.
Gohan had always had monstrous potential. All he needed now was a catalyst to unlock the next level.
Chances were, he'd come seeking insight, hoping to understand that transformation used by the Future Gohan who once traveled to the past.
"Yes, Uncle Lin Chuan. Please teach me," Gohan said humbly.
He was no longer a child, he had come willingly to learn.
Lin Chuan nodded, knowing it was time for Gohan to step into the mysterious realm beyond.
"You haven't let power blind you. You remain calm and modest," Lin Chuan said.
"But if you came here thinking you could spar with me to figure out your future path, that's not the right approach."
Hearing this, Gohan's thoughts were laid bare, and he scratched his head again, embarrassed.
He had indeed hoped to get some direct pointers from Lin Chuan.
But now, having been seen through and gently turned down, he was momentarily at a loss.
"I know... With my current strength, I'm no match for you. Not even for my dad, or Uncle Raditz, or Uncle Vegeta… or even Uncle Piccolo."
Lin Chuan let him vent all his frustrations before speaking again,
"Gohan, being desperate to grow stronger isn't always bad. But it's not always good, either."
"Your path will differ from everyone else's. Right now, you're at the edge of a breakthrough, you just need the right push to awaken."
"You know it too. You have extraordinary potential. You trained hard during those three years, and your strength has soared.
But even so, you haven't fully unleashed your true potential."
"You have the determination to grow stronger… but you're also held back by your own internal constraints."
Just as Lin Chuan was about to get to the core of his advice, something suddenly disrupted his thoughts.
His spiritual sense picked up two unusual energy signatures appearing atop The Lookout.
"Those two auras…?!!"
He looked toward the Lookout, unable to hide his surprise.
He had sensed Goku and Vegeta's energy.
But Goku was supposed to be training in the God Realm with Raditz and Broly.
That wasn't the issue.
The real issue was, there were now two Vegeta energy signatures!
One Vegeta was here, in West City, in his own home.
So the Vegeta aura coming from the Lookout wasn't his.
"Did you sense it too, Gohan?" Lin Chuan suddenly asked, his serious tone catching Gohan off guard.
Though he was about to ask what was wrong, Lin Chuan's words made Gohan focus.
He extended his senses, and soon detected the two familiar but slightly different auras atop the Lookout.
"It's Dad and Uncle Vegeta's energy… but wait, Uncle Vegeta is here in West City. Why are there two Vegetas?!"
He turned to Lin Chuan, clearly puzzled.
After the events a month ago, peace had returned to Earth.
But Gohan had slowly realized, bigger events were coming.
That's why he'd committed himself to serious training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
Lin Chuan didn't answer right away.
Though he had a strong guess, he needed to see it with his own eyes to be sure.
If he was right, the two strange power signatures were from alternate timeline versions of Goku and Vegeta.
After all, even someone like Fu had appeared already, so more Z-Fighters from parallel timelines wouldn't be too far-fetched.
"Looks like our timeline has visitors from another world again."
"Come on, Gohan. If you want to grow stronger, you need to experience more."
Lin Chuan patted Gohan's shoulder.
The kid was already tall, about 1.7 meters, but still looked small standing next to him.
"Okay." Gohan nodded.
Lin Chuan placed a hand on his shoulder, then used Instant Transmission, and the two vanished.
At the same time…
On the other side of West City…
Inside Vegeta's gravity training chamber, red light flashed violently as the display showed an intense pressure,
5000G, 5,000 times Earth's gravity.
A terrifying number.
A normal person would be crushed to death instantly, reduced to nothing in the blink of an eye.
But Vegeta had endured years of gravity training.
And this past month of intense regimens had further honed his already formidable body.
5,000 times gravity barely fazed him anymore.
But this was also the limit of his current gravity chamber.
Two years ago, he had asked Bulma to upgrade the machine, and she had only managed to push it this far.
"Looks like I'll need to have it upgraded again," Vegeta muttered.
"If it can't go higher, it's basically useless now."
Of course, he wouldn't go to Bulma himself.
He'd just have his wife pass the message along.
Finishing his training, Vegeta walked over to the console and pressed the red button, disabling the gravity field.
Whirrrrrrr!!
The red glow faded, and the environment returned to Earth's natural gravity.
Vegeta felt the pressure lift and sighed with relief. He stretched a bit, loosening up.
Just as he was about to leave, his sharp senses suddenly picked up two strange energy signatures.
He stepped out and looked toward the direction of the Lookout, his expression shifting to a mix of surprise and seriousness.
"Kakarot's energy? Isn't he supposed to be training in the God Realm with Raditz?"
"And… my energy?! How is that possible?!"
Vegeta frowned deeply, falling into thought.
Having gone through so much already, his awareness was far beyond his original self in canon.
He quickly put two and two together, and his shocked look turned into a confident smirk.
"Interesting… Let's see what this is all about."
"If it really is another version of me from another timeline…
Hmph… I hope your strength doesn't disappoint me."
With excitement sparking in his eyes, Vegeta tossed aside his sweat towel, powered up, and shot into the sky, heading straight for the Lookout.
On the Lookout...
As time passed, Goku XENO not only explained the reason for their arrival to Piccolo, but also gained a good understanding of this timeline through conversation.
They had come to this world to track down Fu.
But they hadn't expected everyone here to be so powerful, strong enough to drive Fu away.
That revelation genuinely shocked them.
They assumed Fu had simply escaped,
when in reality, Fu had been critically injured by Lin Chuan and barely managed to flee with his life.
Dende and Mr. Popo, having listened in during the conversation, learned who Goku and Vegeta XENO were.
Though they found it hard to believe, their level was far too low to comment, they could only remain silent and listen.
"Since Fu is no longer in this timeline and the crisis has passed, we don't need to stay here," Goku XENO said, rising to his feet.
"If we linger in one timeline for too long, it can disrupt the time stream."
Vegeta XENO remained cold and calm as always. He had experienced countless such incidents and showed no reaction.
"Let's go, Kakarot. Don't waste any more time," he said flatly.
"The danger may be gone here, but other timelines may not be so lucky."
He was sharp, clearly more intelligent and composed than the usual Vegeta.
"Yeah, yeah... then let's.."
Just as Goku XENO moved to open the time-space tunnel, the surrounding air shifted with a sudden ripple.
Whoosh~~!!
Everyone turned toward the source.
Lin Chuan and Gohan had arrived on the Lookout.
"Old Lin, and Gohan!" Piccolo's eyes lit up.
He had expected Lin Chuan to sense the presence and come, but hadn't thought he'd arrive so quickly, and bring Gohan with him.
"Gohan came to ask me about training," Lin Chuan explained.
"After sensing the energy here, I brought him along to see what's going on."
"Just as I thought, these two really are Kakarot and Vegeta from another timeline."
Lin Chuan narrowed his eyes, turning his gaze toward Goku XENO and Vegeta XENO, examining them closely.
It didn't take long for him to piece it together.
With their outfits and aura, and given his own background as a reincarnator, there was no way he wouldn't recognize them.
He quickly assessed their power levels as well.
Not too strong, not too weak, average.
In their base forms, they had 7th-dimensional power, about equal to this timeline's Piccolo and Vegeta.
While Lin Chuan studied them, Gohan was also observing the two XENO fighters.
To him, their aura was profound and unreachable, their level far beyond his.
After all, Gohan was still in the 5th dimension (teratrillion level) in his normal state, and with Super Saiyan 3, could barely reach 6th dimension (kei level).
"Another timeline's Dad and Uncle Vegeta… they seem stronger than ours…"
Gohan could only guess, based on his senses.
"You're… Gohan from this timeline? Wait, at this point in time, you're already this grown up?" Goku XENO finally asked in astonishment after a moment of silence.
He remembered Gohan at this age should be around ten.
Yet the young man in front of him clearly looked over fifteen.
"Yes… uh, other-timeline Dad, I'm Gohan." Gohan nodded politely.
Goku XENO's expression turned from surprise to disbelief, even Vegeta XENO was visibly shaken.
And not just by Gohan's age, his strength seemed to exceed the Mystic Gohan they knew from seven years in their own timeline.
Clearly, this world was very different, fundamentally so.
Finally, the two XENO warriors turned their attention to Lin Chuan.
"You're the Piccolo of this world, wait, no… you're the Lin Chuan that Piccolo mentioned, the one who defeated Fu?" Vegeta XENO asked seriously.
"That's me. Problem?" Lin Chuan replied with a smile, unbothered.
"Vegeta from another timeline."
"Interesting…" Vegeta XENO's expression changed slightly.
Lin Chuan stood tall and proud, completely unfazed by his pressure, proving himself no ordinary opponent.
The pride of a Saiyan prince stirred in Vegeta XENO.
He instinctively wanted to challenge Lin Chuan.
Releasing a more aggressive aura, his intentions were clear, he wanted to fight.
Lin Chuan, sensing this, merely smiled.
He didn't mind sparring, but honestly, the aura Vegeta XENO released in base form wasn't enough to move him.
The atmosphere shifted subtly.
Dende and Mr. Popo quickly stepped back, fearing the collateral damage.
Piccolo crossed his arms with a smirk, ready to watch the show and see how two timelines would clash.
Gohan looked awkward, unsure what to do, until Goku XENO gave him a subtle glance to step aside.
Though not of the same timeline, they were still father and son in a way.
Goku XENO made no move to stop Vegeta XENO.
This timeline was too strange, and he too was curious, who exactly was Lin Chuan?
In his world, such a person had never existed.
If he's a threat to the time stream, I might have to eliminate him, Goku XENO thought.
He's completely unaffected by Vegeta's pressure… So his strength is real. No wonder he could drive off Fu…
"You sure you want to challenge me, Vegeta from another timeline?" Lin Chuan asked calmly.
Just as Vegeta XENO was about to reply,
WHOOSH!
Another figure descended from the sky, landing firmly on the Lookout.
It was this timeline's Vegeta.
"Hmph! Just as I expected, an alternate version of me, and another Kakarot."
"Seems like I arrived just in time."
His appearance shifted the dynamic once more.
"So this is me in this timeline… things are getting complicated," Vegeta XENO said, turning to observe his counterpart.
The two Vegetas locked eyes, studying each other.
In base form, their strengths were about the same.
The real question, who had the edge in transformations?
"You were going to challenge Lin Chuan, right?" This timeline Vegeta asked.
"Then how about this.."
He had a new idea.
"We're technically the same person, so let's stop talking in circles."
Vegeta XENO was direct.
"Hmph! Only I, the true prince of all Saiyans, have the right to defeat Lin Chuan.
Even if you're me from another world, you're not really me!"
"And I'm curious… How strong are you, 'other me'?"
His tone was clearly provocative.
"Hmph! You'll see soon enough!" Vegeta XENO snapped back.
Neither was backing down.
"Perfect." Timeline Vegeta grinned and floated into the air.
Vegeta XENO followed suit with Bukujutsu, flying up to face him.
The situation had shifted too quickly, what had been a looming fight between Lin Chuan and Vegeta XENO was now turning into a Vegeta vs. Vegeta showdown.
Maybe he just couldn't stand his alternate self's arrogance.
"A fight between two Vegetas, this should be entertaining," Piccolo said with a smirk.
"You guys seriously…" Goku XENO sighed, a bit exasperated.
At this point, he just hoped nothing got out of hand.
Lin Chuan stayed silent, ready to watch the outcome.
To be honest, he was very curious, which Vegeta was stronger?
Oddly, he was also starting to suspect something...
According to what he'd understood about parallel timelines, Goku XENO and Vegeta XENO shouldn't be this weak…
This made Lin Chuan think,
"The original canon timeline must still exist... I just hadn't encountered it, until now."
"But if you two fight here, it might damage Earth. Just in case, "
Lin Chuan raised his hand slowly.
In his palm, divine power condensed.
"That's… divine power?!"
Goku XENO was stunned, feeling the immense energy radiating from Lin Chuan's hand.
As a Time Patrol warrior, he had seen many universes, and was no stranger to divine energy.
He had even touched on it himself, though not with such mastery.
Those who could wield divine power were never weak.
Now he understood how Lin Chuan had defeated Fu.
"Domain, activate!"
Lin Chuan raised his hand skyward, firing a stream of divine energy.
It expanded instantly into a protective barrier spanning tens of kilometers, completely sealing off the area around the two Vegetas.
"Done." Lin Chuan clapped his hands and turned his attention to Goku XENO.
"Now that the two Vegetas are going at it…
Goku from another timeline, how about a match with me?"
He smiled playfully.
Goku XENO gave a wry smile in return.
"I don't know who you are…
But after seeing you use divine energy like that, I know for sure, I'm not your match."
Coming from Goku XENO, that statement alone proved just how powerful Lin Chuan really was.