"Dragon God Zalama?"
Hearing Jiang Chen's words, everyone was once again left confused.
"Aspara San, may I ask, what is this Dragon God Zalama? Is he a Spiritual God like the Kaiōshin?" Son Gohan couldn't help but ask, his expression filled with curiosity.
"That's not exactly right. Dragon God Zalama is indeed a Spiritual God, but he is one of the most powerful Spiritual Gods across the entire multi-dimensional universe." Jiang Chen nodded, then shook his head slightly as he clarified.
"The strongest Spiritual God in the multi-dimensional universe?"
Though they still didn't fully understand what that meant, the group couldn't help but gasp upon hearing Jiang Chen's explanation.
"Yes. You might not realize it, but across the entire multi-dimensional universe, it's broadly divided into universes governed by Dragon God Zalama, those governed by Zen'ō (King of All), those managed by the Kaiōshin of Time, and the deeper Devil Realm ruled by Demon God Demi-Cooler. Dragon God Zalama's power far surpasses the imagination of 99.9% of Spiritual Gods."
Jiang Chen nodded again, sharing more of this cosmic hierarchy with them.
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes widened in shock once more. They had never imagined the world to be this vast. Even though they already knew there were countless other worlds…
They didn't expect it to go beyond that, into an entirely higher realm of existence.
"Dragon God Zalama, Zen'ō (King of All), Demon God Demi-Cooler, and the Kaiōshin of Time!" Goku's eyes sparkled with excitement, his expression full of eagerness.
"Um… Aspara San, I'm sorry to ask, but why exactly would Lord Dragon God Zalama want to take my father away?" While Goku was getting visibly fired up, Son Gohan couldn't hold back his concern and asked again.
"That? It's quite simple, Goku is the chosen one of Dragon God Zalama. He already carries the power of the Dragon God within him. Once he reaches a certain threshold of his power, it's inevitable that he'll be taken away."
"And honestly, for Goku, leaving would be the best outcome. This universe is merely a derivative realm, created from the remnants of Dragon God Zalama's power, modeled after Universe 7. It lacks complete laws and structure. Once Goku reaches a certain level, there's no way for him to grow further here."
Jiang Chen paused for a moment, then began explaining.
With the Book of Time in his possession, a lot of things were no secret to him. That included the true nature of the GT Time and Space.
He already understood what it really was. Unlike the fully developed Universe 7, the GT universe was simply a derivative world, born from the remnants of Dragon God Zalama's power.
This Time and Space had only survived because of its uniqueness; it hadn't been destroyed.
And with Dragon God Zalama's divine power infused into it, it became a personal trial universe for Goku, hence the story of Dragon Ball GT.
But in the end, it was still just a story. Once Goku finished his trial, there was no longer any real reason for the GT Time and Space to continue existing, at least, not any important reason.
(GT Time and Space is pretty much a Goku solo show. And since he merges with the Dragon Balls and departs in the end, I'm calling it a Dragon God Zalama trial. Plus, I vaguely recall reading a fanfic over a decade ago where Goku ultimately enters the Dragon Realm.)
"As for Vegeta, do you really think he'll stay behind after Goku leaves?" Seeing their shock, confusion, and realization, Jiang Chen spoke again.
"What…?" Hearing Jiang Chen's words, Son Gohan, Goten, and Trunks all fell silent.
"Hmph." Vegeta gave a cold snort, but he didn't object.
Just as Jiang Chen had said, if Goku leaves, then of course, he would choose to leave too. And since Vegeta didn't object, and given everyone's understanding of him, this was most likely the final outcome.
"There's more, don't even think about retrieving Goku. The power of Dragon God Zalama is unimaginable. You probably don't even qualify to enter his realm."
As if something had just come to mind, Jiang Chen added another sentence.
"I understand now… Aspara San!" Son Gohan took a deep breath, then slightly bowed to Jiang Chen.
Even Goten and Trunks showed a rare seriousness in their expressions.
After all, they were warriors. Even if decades had dulled much of their fighting spirit… They still remembered the journey they had taken step by step. Now that they understood that neither they nor the world had any other choice, they no longer needed anyone to tell them what to do.
"Whew…" Goten and Trunks exchanged glances, and both let out a long breath of turbid air.
Watching the shift in their demeanor… Son Goku and Vegeta looked surprised.
Especially Vegeta.
He had long been disappointed in his son, as well as in Goku's kids.
Gohan didn't need to be mentioned, back then, even Vegeta had been shocked by his talent. And yet, after just a few decades, he had completely wasted it. At this point, Gohan probably wasn't even as strong as when he was sixteen.
As for Goten and Trunks, they had even greater potential, but the outcome was even more disappointing.
Vegeta had previously forced the two of them to train, but with practically no results. And yet, Jiang Chen had only spoken a few words, and their entire mental outlook had changed.
Even though training hadn't even begun yet, the change was already obvious.
"Hahaha, you really know how to handle things! I tried everything and still couldn't get them to train seriously!" Son Goku scratched his head with an awkward laugh.
"Hmph!" Vegeta snorted coldly.
"That's not strategy! It's just the truth! This world ultimately belongs to the future. What it needs is them, not you two continuing to guard it forever! If you keep sheltering them, they'll never truly grow up." Jiang Chen sighed with emotion as he spoke.
This was something he truly felt. In the original work, due to popularity considerations, Goku had to go from being a mentor figure back to clearing the stage alone.
But when the original was replaced with a real-world version, everything changed.
"You heard that, Trunks? Go bring Bola over here!" Vegeta snorted again, then turned to Trunks and ordered coldly.
"Dad…" Trunks instinctively spoke up.
"You didn't hear me?" Vegeta frowned.
"Y-Yes! I'll go right away!" Sweat beaded on Trunk's forehead as he answered.
At this point, he didn't dare delay and immediately flew down from the Lookout. Moments later, A girl was brought to the Lookout by Trunks.
(To Be Continued…)
This novel is finished and I have posted all the advanced chapters on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395