"Kakarot, the power of Ultra Instinct is far more than just this. Reaching its peak is only the beginning..." Lin Chuan muttered to himself as he gazed toward the distant cloud of smoke.
His voice wasn't loud, yet it pierced through the endless smoke and rubble, reaching Goku's ears.
Meanwhile, on Goku's side.
His battle suit had already been destroyed, and long, vicious wounds covered his muscular body.
His hair had lost its silver radiance, returning to its usual appearance.
Nearly every bone in his body was broken, and his Ki had fallen to an extremely dangerous level.
Anyone else would have already passed out, but relying on his indomitable willpower, he forcibly pushed away the massive boulders covering him and stood back up.
Lin Chuan's words echoed repeatedly in his mind, and an unknown power surged from within his body.
"My Ultra Instinct... still isn't in its most perfect state... I... I... I can still continue to improve..." Goku muttered.
Even though his body had already reached its absolute limit, he refused to give up.
But the deeper a Saiyan was pushed into desperation, the more thoroughly their potential would be awakened.
"As expected of the Saiyan race, known as the warrior race. You're quite tenacious. But what's the point of standing back up? You still can't change anything. You might as well accept elimination and spare yourself some pain." God of Destruction Jin walked before Goku with his hands behind his back and spoke in an extremely arrogant tone.
In his eyes, Goku had completely lost the ability to fight and posed no threat whatsoever.
"So I can't change anything..." Goku smiled calmly, showing no intention of retreating.
Jin noticed the smile on Goku's face and wondered whether he was merely bluffing or still had another trump card.
[Forget it. Whatever trump card this guy has, I'll just knock him off the stage!]
With a thought, Jin raised his right hand and pointed his index finger at Goku. God of Destruction Power flickered at his fingertip.
As his will moved, a purple beam of destruction shot forward at incredible speed toward Goku.
At that critical moment, Goku closed his eyes, and his body reacted on its own, effortlessly dodging the Destruction Beam.
Seeing his attack evade, Jin frowned slightly but paid it little attention.
If one attack missed, then he would simply launch several more.
'Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh~~!!!!!'
In an instant, over a dozen Destruction Beams shot from Jin's fingertips at bizarre angles toward Goku.
But every single one of them was dodged by Goku, who also neutralized them with Divine Power.
"Hm?!!" A trace of shock flashed deep within Jin's eyes.
Goku's body had already reached its limit. With that insignificant amount of energy, how could he possibly neutralize God of Destruction Power?
"It's not over... Nothing... is over yet..." After saying those words, Goku took a deep breath, and in the next second, an unimaginable phenomenon occurred.
An endless stream of Ki surged in from every direction and poured into Goku's body.
As the Ki flooded in, the injuries covering Goku's body recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye, while his own Ki rose at an astonishing rate.
As silver-white Divine Power shone once more, Goku entered the Ultra Instinct · Peak state again.
"A meaningless struggle. So what if you can use Ultra Instinct again?!" Jin said dismissively.
Before absolute power, even Ultra Instinct was useless.
"Don't get too carried away. Right now, I may not be weaker than you." With that, Goku took the initiative to attack.
This time, he changed his strategy and used every method available to pressure God of Destruction Jin.
Bang!!
Their fists collided, sending several spatial ripples spreading outward.
The fierce battle erupted as Goku and Jin began their final clash.
Their battlefield constantly shifted, and the shockwaves from their power carried them into the skies above the World of Void.
Silver light and purple light bloomed above the arena.
Within that radiance, Goku and Jin exchanged hundreds of moves.
At this moment, Goku had poured everything he had into the battle. A Saiyan's trait of growing stronger against stronger opponents erupted as his potential was continuously unearthed through combat. His punches became sharper, and his speed grew ever faster.
Jin naturally sensed Goku's changes, but such a minor increase in combat strength wasn't worth his concern.
"This farce ends now." As soon as those words fell, Jin suddenly exerted his strength.
This time, he no longer held back. His overwhelming offensive poured down upon Goku like a devastating storm.
During the first exchange, Goku could still rely on Ultra Instinct to evade.
During the second exchange, Goku could only defend and was completely pushed onto the defensive.
During the third exchange, Goku's defense was shattered, and his body suffered devastating damage in an instant.
Wounds spread across his entire body, and blood scattered through space.
His body, having suffered such severe injuries instantly, temporarily lost its ability to fight, leaving him unable to move.
"It's over." Jin gathered a mass of God of Destruction Power in one hand, preparing to eliminate Goku with a single strike.
Yet at that very moment...
Another change occurred.
Goku... broke through!!
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" A hysterical roar erupted from Goku's mouth.
Like the roar of a Great Ape, it carried overwhelming divine might that shook everyone's soul.
The Divine Power that erupted instantly forced God of Destruction Jin backward.
"What?!" Jin exclaimed in utter shock.
Silver-white radiance shone brilliantly, dazzling beyond compare. The Divine Power that erupted was like an endless universe, filling the entire World of Void.
At this moment...
Goku ascended.
Silver lightning exploded around his body, his silver hair surged skyward, and his battle power experienced explosive growth.
At this moment, every God widened their eyes, and even Lin Chuan was astonished.
This form had never appeared in the original story!
This Divine Power, this blinding divine radiance, exceeded everyone's imagination.
"A Super Saiyan that has surpassed its limits by strengthening itself again on the foundation of Ultra Instinct?! No!! This isn't Super Saiyan!" Lin Chuan exclaimed in disbelief.
Using the ability granted by the system, he saw Goku's battle power constantly fluctuating between 3,000 Jing and 5,000 Jing, remaining extremely unstable.
He had no idea what this silver-haired state resembling a Super Saiyan transformation actually was.
At the very least, he himself had yet to reach such a realm.
Every God of Destruction in the spectator area could no longer remain seated.
Could this level of Divine Power truly be unleashed by a mere tournament contestant?!
At this moment, every God of Destruction stood up, their faces filled with shock.
Because Goku's current battle power had already become powerful enough to make even the Gods of Destruction feel threatened!
After sensing Goku's erupting Divine Power from such close range, even God of Destruction Jin was dumbfounded.
Wasn't this kid just about to lose?
How had he suddenly exploded with such terrifying power?!
"Now it's my turn!!!" With a loud shout, Goku charged forward.
His speed was ten times faster than before, shooting forward like the first light of dawn as he attacked God of Destruction Jin.
In the blink of an eye, dozens—no, hundreds—of all-out attacks assaulted Jin from every direction.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!...
Layer upon layer of sonic booms exploded throughout the void.
Bolts of destructive divine lightning descended from the sky, lashing the World of Void's arena and causing massive indiscriminate destruction.
Goku's offensive was incomparably fierce—fast, ruthless, and impossible to predict. The relentless attacks from multiple directions caught Jin completely off guard.
But Jin was, after all, one of the highest-ranked Gods of Destruction. He quickly regained his footing and concentrated fully on dealing with Goku's attacks.
Upon the Supreme Throne, Zeno cheered excitedly, dancing with delight, while the two Zeno Guards also became interested.
The contestants on the arena and the eliminated fighters in the spectator stands were all left completely dumbstruck.
The Gods of Destruction focused with utmost seriousness, while the Angels also began carefully observing Goku's transformation.
"That kid Goku actually managed to push Ultra Instinct this far. Even his form has changed. Has he transformed again?" Beerus said in complete surprise.
Saiyans always managed to bring them unexpected surprises at critical moments.
"This radiance is indeed dazzling, but... with Goku's current physical condition, how much longer can he endure?" Whis said meaningfully.
As an Angel, he could perceive far more than others.
The deeper one stepped into the realm of the gods, the greater the burden placed upon the body.
This explosive outburst that surpassed his limits...
If he failed to control it properly, it could very well lead to his own destruction.
...
On the arena.
With his full power unleashed, Goku relentlessly pressured God of Destruction Jin, devoting himself entirely to offense.
It was obvious that he desperately wanted to end the battle as quickly as possible.
He himself was fully aware that his body could not support a prolonged fight.
The time he had left was running out.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" Betting everything on one final attack, Goku erupted once more.
His legs slammed into God of Destruction Jin's abdomen.
The pain from the direct hit caused Jin's expression to change slightly as he was knocked from the sky onto the arena.
After steadying himself, Jin looked up just in time to see Goku using the enormous central pillar of the World of Void as a foothold. Gathering power in both legs, he transformed into a streak of silver light that shattered through space and charged straight toward Jin.
Amid his hysterical roar...
He unleashed the Heaven-Piercing Fist imbued with all of his strength.
BOOM~~~!!!!!
At that moment, the entire arena trembled violently, and enormous cracks even appeared.
Space rippled violently as dust filled the air.
Every spectator's heart leaped into their throat as they stared intently at the area where Goku and Jin stood.
When the dust finally settled, everyone clearly saw the outcome of the clash.
At this moment, Jin's entire body was enveloped in an incomparably terrifying purple radiance.
It was God of Destruction Power refined to its absolute limit.
Goku's fist had been blocked effortlessly with one hand, unable to advance even the slightest bit.
At that moment, Jin's battle power rose to an unbelievably terrifying level.
8,000 Jing!
This...
was Jin's true power!
"How... is this possible...?!!" Goku's pupils trembled violently.
The Divine Power surrounding his body seemed to have completely burned away, its radiance fading as that special Ultra Instinct · Peak state disappeared along with it.
At this moment...
He no longer had the strength to continue fighting.
"Saiyan of Universe 7, for a mere mortal to force this God to use his true power against you... you have every reason to be proud." Jin spoke in a deep, imposing voice. God of Destruction Power gathered within his palm as he locked onto Goku before continuing, "This farce ends here. Be eliminated!"
The moment those words fell, a pillar of God of Destruction Power erupted from Jin's hand, striking Goku directly and blasting him off the arena.
Thus...
Goku was eliminated!
After eliminating Goku, the cold God of Destruction Jin folded his arms and swept his disdainful gaze across every contestant on the arena before finally stopping on Lin Chuan.
As he stared at Lin Chuan, Lin Chuan was also staring back at him.
Their gazes collided.
Though they appeared calm on the surface, they were secretly engaged in a contest of wills.
[As expected, this guy is the greatest threat. Even without transforming, his mere presence has already reached this level.] God of Destruction Jin thought inwardly.
He had long since investigated Lin Chuan.
How could he possibly forget the battle that had shaken all twelve universes?
If Goku alone was already this powerful, then Lin Chuan's strength would likely be even greater—
Perhaps even beyond his own current power.
[The time hasn't come yet. This isn't the moment to fight him.] Jin withdrew his gaze, no longer looking at Lin Chuan, and stood there with his arms folded in an invincible posture.
Gods of Destruction would not compete with the other contestants unless someone actively challenged them.
As for Jin, his battle with Goku had consumed a considerable amount of stamina.
He needed to recover as quickly as possible to prepare for the battles between the Gods that would follow.
The only question was...
Which God of Destruction would enter the arena next?
In the distance, after noticing that Jin had no intention of making another move, Lin Chuan also understood what Jin was thinking.
Nothing more than lacking confidence in defeating him one-on-one and waiting for the other Gods of Destruction to enter before making a move together.
Lin Chuan didn't care.
With his current strength, he could look down upon all the Gods.
At his present realm, only the Angels were worthy of making him fight seriously.
...
Universe 7's spectator area.
The battered Goku was teleported back to the viewing platform.
Whis waved his Angel Staff, and Angel Power enveloped Goku's entire body. In an instant, all of the external injuries covering his body were completely healed.
Whis did not fully heal every injury Goku had sustained, because those injuries would benefit him and allow him to advance even further in the future.
"Whew~! Finally saved..." With more than half of his injuries healed, Goku let out a long sigh of relief.
This battle held extraordinary significance for him.
Although he had lost, it had also shown him an entirely new path.
One day in the future...
He would win!
"You did pretty well, kid. At least you didn't embarrass this God." Beerus glanced at Goku and praised him.
Hearing that, Goku grinned foolishly and scratched the back of his head.
"I've already been eliminated. Now it's up to Lin Chuan and Big Brother to handle the rest."
Goku's fighting spirit had already been satisfied.
Now, he would simply become a spectator and learn combat experience from watching everyone else's battles.