Evidently, Shenron was a very practical and shrewd being.
In the original story's future timeline, he was once summoned by Goku right in front of Beerus, the God of Destruction. He was so terrified of Beerus that his voice was shaking!
The current situation, while not quite as severe, was close enough.
Of course, Shenron would never admit that he feared Lin Xuan and the others. He merely felt that Lin Xuan was right: his strength didn't lie in combat but in his ability to grant wishes, which was a fact he was very proud of!
He even added, "I can grant any wish you have, but only one!"
Upon hearing that any wish could be granted, Uchiha Obito and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's hearts stirred with excitement.
Obito couldn't help but wonder, I wonder if this Shenron can truly revive Rin and me?
Kaguya, meanwhile, thought, Perhaps I can wish for this Shenron to help me rule the Ōtsutsuki Clan?
However, despite their burning curiosity, they dared not speak up and merely watched quietly from the side.
At the same time, on the floating island of the Celestial Realm.
The Earth's Kami, who had returned to the Celestial Realm, was now being summoned by Lin Xuan's powerful aura.
He felt uneasy and nervously paid attention to Lin Xuan's movements, highly curious about what wish Lin Xuan would make.
Would it be for endless wealth?
Would it be for eternal life?
Or was it some wicked conspiracy?
Mr. Popo, his dark-skinned servant beside him, also saw the situation in the lower world, and his expression was equally solemn.
However, they could not, and dared not, stop Lin Xuan. They could only watch from where they were.
When Lin Xuan heard Shenron say he could grant any wish, he secretly chuckled.
It was clear that Shenron was boasting; it was impossible for him to truly grant any wish.
At the very least, Lin Xuan knew he couldn't wish to kill Frieza, nor could he wish for an end to all villains in the world.
Yet, he didn't call him out. Instead, he made his pre-planned wish without any hesitation. "I want limitless Fame Points."
Shenron, who had been confidently trying to show off, was immediately dumbfounded upon hearing this wish. "Fame Points? What in the world is that?"
After a moment of thought, he replied, "This wish cannot be granted. Please make another one!"
Lin Xuan wasn't disappointed. He spoke again, "I want the ability to perform an unconstrained Super-Dimensional Impure World Reincarnation!"
"This wish cannot be granted. Please make another one!"
Lin Xuan said again, "Please grant me the power to control time!"
"This wish cannot be granted. Please make another one!" Shenron was practically on the verge of tears now.
Lin Xuan was simply asking the impossible—no, challenging the dragon to the impossible. Shenron had never even heard of the first two wishes, so how could he grant them?
He understood the third wish, but he simply couldn't do it! If he could grant the power to control time, what would he need to fear?
Just as Shenron finished speaking, before Lin Xuan could say anything, Uchiha Obito yelled out in dissatisfaction, "You claim you can grant any wish, yet you can't grant this and you can't grant that! What good are you, you broken dragon?"
Shenron opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but couldn't find a retort. After all, he had boasted so much just moments ago.
If he were facing ordinary Earthlings, he might have been able to play tough and shift the blame back to them, but he dared not do so in front of Lin Xuan and his companions.
All he feared now was that Lin Xuan and the others would kill him in a fit of rage!
So, seeing Uchiha Obito's angry expression, Shenron quickly spoke, "Please... please, you must give me a few more chances for an effective wish!"
If Goku and the others saw Shenron's current appearance, their jaws would drop: Where was the mighty, boastful Shenron they knew?
Fortunately, Lin Xuan didn't press the Dragon further, as he hadn't held much hope that Shenron would be able to grant those wishes in the first place.
He simply said, "Can you transport us to Planet Namek?"
He didn't want to miss the Namekian Shenron, and furthermore, he wanted to study the Namekians and earn a good batch of Fame Points while he was there.
Hearing Lin Xuan's request, Shenron was instantly and inexplicably relieved. In truth, sending people to another planet was quite taxing for him, but it was a wish he could fulfill.
So, he quickly replied, "This wish can be granted!" He was eager to complete the wish for Lin Xuan immediately.
However, Lin Xuan suddenly spoke up. "It's good that you can grant it, but not right now. You can descend for now. When I'm finished with my current task, I'll call you to send us over!"
Shenron: "???"
Kami: "???"
Such a maneuver exists?
Summon the Dragon, tell him to go back, and then call him again later?
What do you take Shenron for?
Yet, Shenron truly dared not refuse Lin Xuan's demand. After a moment of struggle, he finally, helplessly, agreed, "Alright, then please call me when you have a need for me!"
With that, his body flashed, transforming back into the seven Dragon Balls, which dropped right in front of Lin Xuan.
The dark clouds in the sky quickly dispersed, and the heavens returned to clear skies.
Lin Xuan nodded in satisfaction, put the Dragon Balls away, and then said to Obito and Rin, "Let's go. Your tasks are done. Come back with us and watch the tournament!"
"Yes!" Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin replied in unison.
As Lin Xuan quickly headed back to the World Martial Arts Tournament arena, in the Celestial Realm, the faces of the Earth's Kami and his servant were very grim.
Mr. Popo hesitated for a long while before speaking. "Kami-sama, should we just stand by and watch these people run rampant?"
The Earth's Kami didn't answer but countered, "How do you suggest we act?"
Mr. Popo said, "Perhaps Kami-sama could recall the power of the Dragon Balls?"
The Earth's Kami shook his head helplessly. "This Lin Xuan seems to know everything. He probably knows about the Dragon Balls too. If I recall the Dragon Ball's power, and he views it as a provocation, we might be in trouble!"
Hearing this, Mr. Popo became utterly dejected.
He truly never thought the Earth's Kami would one day be so timid and wary of a single person.
Kami, however, paid no mind to Mr. Popo's feelings. He was thinking repeatedly to himself, What is Planet Namek? Why does this Lin Xuan want to go to Namek?
Vaguely, he had a feeling that this Planet Namek was somehow connected to him, but he couldn't quite remember how.
Evidently, because Vegeta and the others hadn't arrived on Earth yet, the Earth's Kami still didn't know that he actually came from another planet in the universe, and that his true home was Planet Namek!
Even more so, he didn't know that on Planet Namek, there existed a Namekian with far greater power!
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T/N:
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