Chapter 141: Ceasefire – Recognition for the Next Step
"…Sigh!" Cognac let out another helpless sigh. "This is just a completely meaningless fight!"
"Merfolk Cannon!" Jīn, blasted into the seabed, burst back out of the ocean and fired a powerful energy blast at Lin Qi, who was midair.
"Super Ki Wave!" Lin Qi's face lit up with excitement. He quickly clasped his hands together and fired back with his own ki blast.
Boom!
As the energy blasts collided, the two fighters who had just been exchanging blows were already high in the sky again.
Behind Jīn appeared countless blades of water. With a wave of his hand, they shot toward Lin Qi.
Lin Qi nimbly weaved through the swarm of water blades, simultaneously firing a barrage of ki blasts from both hands.
Bang bang bang!
Countless ki blasts and water blades collided and exploded, filling the entire Realm of Destruction with thick smoke.
Billowing smoke and falling seawater filled the air.
Jīn raised his hand again, and the sea below surged into a massive water dragon, which soared toward Lin Qi.
"Dragon Fist…"
Lin Qi remained fearless. He clenched one hand tightly, gathering energy, his body slightly bending into a strike-ready posture.
With his right fist clenched, he punched straight toward the oncoming water dragon.
"Explode!!"
With world-shattering power, his punch roared forth, and in that instant, a radiant golden divine dragon surged out, charging directly at the water dragon.
ROAR!!
The world lost all color in that moment, leaving only the deafening roar of a dragon.
The golden divine dragon instantly pierced through the water dragon and charged straight at Jīn.
"Ha… Destruction!"
Seeing the massive golden dragon coming straight for him, Jīn, for the first time, was unable to fend off Lin Qi's attack and had to unleash Destruction energy.
As the golden divine dragon vanished upon contact, and the collision of energies faded...
Lin Qi and Jīn, once again in perfect sync, engaged in close combat. Their fists shot toward each other.
The immense clash of fists triggered another round of explosions, sending waves crashing ever more violently below.
Before Jīn could pull his fist back, Lin Qi's punch had already slammed into his cheek.
The blow was so fast and powerful that Jīn didn't even have time to react, sent plummeting rapidly toward the ocean.
"Damn it… Just a mere candidate, and he's already this formidable?!" As Jīn leapt back out of the ocean, seawater dripping down his face, he let out a furious roar.
A sphere of Destruction energy formed in his palm—clearly pushed to the brink after being suppressed by Lin Qi.
He hurled the Destruction energy straight at Lin Qi, who calmly countered with his own Destruction energy.
Snap!
Martinu's staff suddenly appeared in his hand. With a gentle tap, he instantly dispersed the clashing energies between Lin Qi and Jīn.
"Jīn, stand down!" Martinu said coldly as he looked at the two who were about to charge at each other again.
"…Tch." Jīn came to a sudden stop midair.
Reluctantly, he shot Lin Qi a final look before obediently landing beside Martinu.
"Why are we stopping?" Lin Qi landed beside Quitela, his face full of confusion as he looked at Martinu.
They hadn't even gotten into the groove yet—why call a ceasefire now?
"I speak on behalf of Universe 12—we want no part in this matter." Martinu spoke coldly, turning his back on Quitela.
"You may leave. I'll pretend none of this happened today. I won't report it to the Grand Priest. But don't come back again!"
"Hey, hey, Martinu, what's that supposed to mean?!" Quitela growled, clenching his fists in anger. "Are you looking down on my candidate?!"
"Looking down?" Martinu slightly turned his head, his gaze icy. "He's never even been worth my attention."
"You…" Quitela gritted his teeth and was just about to step forward when Cognac blocked him with his staff. "Lord Quitela… don't!"
Lin Qi didn't fully understand what Quitela and Martinu had talked about earlier, but he could clearly see that Quitela was standing up for him.
"Even angels… it's not like I can't surpass them. I just need time!"
Lin Qi's expression turned defiant. His attitude immediately drew a mocking laugh from Jīn. "You?!"
"Heh…" Martinu's face twisted with scorn as he pointed his staff at Lin Qi. "Compared to an angel, you wouldn't even last a single move!"
"Just wait and see!" Lin Qi didn't waste time arguing. He grabbed Quitela and looked toward Cognac. "Let's go!"
"Don't let the door hit you," Martinu sneered pointedly as they left.
Back in Universe 4's Realm of Destruction.
Lin Qi cast a glance at Quitela, who was still simmering with anger. "So what exactly did you guys talk about?"
"That angel from Universe 12 was all nice at first… what did you do to provoke him?"
Though Lin Qi addressed Quitela, surprisingly it was Cognac who suddenly spoke up with an explanation.
"Angels—who stand above the Gods of Destruction—are all directly overseen by the Grand Priest. You know that much."
Lin Qi gave a slight nod, waiting for him to continue.
"Becoming a God of Destruction or a candidate is simple—just get a God of Destruction's approval."
"But if you want to go one step further, you need a recommendation."
Lin Qi narrowed his eyes. "A recommendation? From a God of Destruction or an angel? And what's the 'next step'?"
"For example, in Universe 12 under Martinu, the official Supreme Kai and God of Destruction only need the angel's endorsement to be reported to the Grand Priest," Cognac explained.
Quitela joined in, laying back on a rock with his hands behind his head, grumbling with dissatisfaction.
"But for a candidate to advance, they need at least five recommendations from both Gods of Destruction and angels."
"Right now, at best, you've only got my support. If we count those we get along with—like Vados, Whis, and Marcarita…"
"We're still short one God of Destruction and one angel."
"So what happens after I move up?" Lin Qi didn't care about others' opinions—he was just curious about Quitela's insistence.
"To gain recognition from the Grand Priest!" Quitela was clearly frustrated with Lin Qi's indifference.
"With your strength, are you really content being just a candidate? Especially one who'll be stuck waiting for my retirement, which won't happen anytime soon?"
Lin Qi ignored Quitela and turned to Cognac. "What's the point of gaining the Grand Priest's recognition? Can I eat it?"
"Heh… you'd be surprised how many benefits come with it," Cognac said with a knowing look.
"You'd gain access to secrets on a much higher level—and you'd also get a one-time bloodline enhancement. Aren't you curious what that might mean for a Saiyan?"
"After all, according to legends from Universe 7, Saiyans are descendants of the ancient Gods—and they even once held the title of Primal Gods!"
As Quitela brought this up, he looked incredibly excited. "Only that idiot Beerus doesn't care about the Saiyans in his own universe!!"