Kryptonians: Man of Steel

Chapter 1636 A Different Time and Space
On this silent wasteland ravaged by fierce battle, the smoke gradually dissipated, and the cracked earth still bore the marks of the powerful scorching heat. A gust of wind swept through, raising fine dust, as if to gently bury the earth-shattering battle that had just taken place.

In this desolation and silence, a new, indescribable bond, like newly sprouted vines, quietly entwines and grows—it is not a tender connection between friends, nor is it a life-or-death confrontation between pure enemies, but rather a wondrous relationship unique to true martial artists, one of mutual encouragement, mutual verification, and even mutual progress in the midst of battle.

Sun Wukong stood quietly in place, his martial arts uniform torn in several places, but he seemed oblivious. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and felt the flow and echo of "qi" within his body.

It was a boundless power, like a vast galaxy, warm and surging. Recalling their recent exchange, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up—not with pride, but with the pure joy of a child discovering a new and exciting toy.

"The next time we meet will definitely be more interesting," he murmured to himself, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

……

On the other side, the demon child walking on the desolate land suddenly stopped.

He glanced back at the direction where Sun Wukong was no longer visible, his brows furrowed, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't he kill us?"

His voice remained stiff, yet carried a subtle hint of wavering.

Bick walked silently, then stopped when he heard the question.

He raised his head, looked up at the dusky sky, and after a long while answered, "Perhaps... because he was a true warrior, not an executioner."

"That doesn't make sense,"

The demon child frowned even more, his tone filled with confusion and wariness.

“We are clearly his enemies.”

"Perhaps in his eyes, we are first and foremost opponents, and only then enemies."

Bick spoke slowly, a hint of understanding in his voice.

He recalled Sun Wukong's eyes, so clear they didn't seem like those of a warrior—there was no hatred, no contempt, not even the arrogance common to victors; only a burning fighting spirit and a pure respect for an opponent worthy of battle.

This kind of respect was something Bick had almost never encountered before.

Most so-called "righteous" warriors either wish to eradicate evil completely or are filled with condescending pity. But Sun Wukong is different.

Beneath his power lies no hypocrisy; his fists are swung only in pursuit of a higher realm.

"...An opponent?"

The demon child repeated it in a low voice, as if he were chewing on the new meaning of the word.

Meanwhile, Sun Wukong remained standing in the same spot, gazing in the direction Piccolo and Demon Child had gone, a thoughtful expression on his face.

He wasn't unaware of his son Gohan's approaching footsteps, but he was still lost in his own thoughts.

"Father,"

Son Gohan's tone was filled with worry.

"Is it really okay for us to just let them go like this? What if they go and attack other people?"

Sun Wukong snapped out of his daze, turned to look at his now-grown son, and suddenly burst into laughter.

He patted Gohan on the shoulder and said, "Then let's go stop them! Just like you and me in Mr. Luther's timeline!"

He spoke decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

Sun Wukong was slightly taken aback, then nodded helplessly.

He is an adult and naturally understands that adults must be responsible for their own actions.

Now that their father had decided to let Piccolo and Demon Child go, they would have to stand up for them if they committed evil again in the future—this was a choice, and a responsibility. Just then, young Goten ran over, his eyes shining, and shouted, "Dad! Brother! I want to train too!"

He had been hiding in the distance and had secretly witnessed the awe-inspiring scene of his father's battle against a powerful opponent; his heart was already burning with excitement.

Sun Wukong looked down at his youngest son's excited expression and did not refuse.

Although Goten doesn't possess the same astonishing talent and potential as Gohan, he is still his own child. More importantly, his desire to become stronger is the starting point for any martial artist.

"it is good!"

Sun Wukong readily agreed.

"Let's start by controlling our own aura!"

Just as Sun Wukong began to give Sun Wutian a simple instruction on how to sense "qi", a familiar and steady voice came from not far away:

"Sun Wukong, you still made the same choice as in my timeline."

Everyone turned their heads and saw Luther standing there, seemingly having been there from the beginning, yet completely unnoticed. He was composed, his eyes holding a profound depth that seemed to see through time and space.

"Mr. Luther!"

Sun Wukong was both surprised and delighted.

He always held deep respect for the person who guided him to truly embark on the path of a martial artist.

"Are you referring to the matter of Piper and Piccolo?"

Luther nodded slightly, then shook his head: "Not entirely. In my future timeline, there is only Piccolo, not Piper. Your timeline has already undergone tremendous changes, and what the future will hold... even I cannot predict."

His tone was slightly playful, as if he were admiring the results of an unexpected experiment.

In fact, Luther did not actually come from the future—the so-called "future time" was just a pretext he used to guide Sun Wukong.

Interestingly, due to his intervention and "anchoring" as a multiverse-level being, this spacetime did indeed branch out completely.

Even the supreme deity of this universe, "Omni-King," can no longer interfere with or change the trajectory of this spacetime.

Because in terms of both rank and power, Luther is far superior to the "Omni-King".

Sun Wukong seemed to understand but not quite, but he didn't dwell on it.

He scratched his head and said with a smile, "Anyway, as long as I keep getting stronger, I'll fight any powerful opponents I encounter! That's enough!"

Luther smiled slightly and said no more.

He simply gazed at the world he had personally influenced, watching Goku's family and the two special life forms that had just left, split from Piccolo Daimaō.

Under Sun Wukong's tutelage, Sun Wutian respectfully addressed Luther as Mr. Luther. Luther disliked being called "Master" or "Grandmaster," so Sun Wukong's family always called him Mr. Luther.

However, the Majin Buu storyline is about to begin, and Goku and Gohan are currently only at the level of Piccolo and Piper.

To catch up with Majin Buu's fighting power of tens of billions in a short period of time, they need to be given even greater stimulation.

It's decided, let's go straight to the Saiyan Saga.

Luther believed that Goku and Gohan could definitely do it.

(End of this chapter)