Chapter 25: Time to Return

Xavier simply chuckled and pointed upwards, leaving it to the other to guess whether he meant the Heavenly Realm or outer space.

Sure enough, Mutaito nodded in understanding, mistakenly thinking that Xavier and his companion had descended from the Heavenly Realm. If they were from the temple, knowing his name wouldn't be surprising, probably having learned it from Kami.

Observing the youthful appearance of the two before him, Mutaito couldn't help but express his admiration, "I didn't expect this era to still produce such brilliant talents training at the temple. It seems that martial arts on Earth have not yet declined!"

Mutaito knew well that Kami, who lived above Korin Tower, was a profoundly mysterious being. Three centuries ago, when he climbed Korin Tower to develop the Evil Containment Wave at Korin's place, he had heard about the higher deities residing in the temple above the tower. Back then, Mutaito believed Kami to be a formidable entity, little knowing that he now far surpassed Kami in strength.

Seeing that Mutaito had misunderstood his origins, Xavier merely smiled and did not correct him. After exchanging a few words, they bid each other farewell.

Both were profoundly skilled martial artists, and through their brief interaction, they had gauged each other's capabilities. Since Xavier's strength far exceeded Mutaito's, he felt little surprise and no desire for battle. As for Mutaito, having experienced countless battles big and small, he felt no need to fight again, especially since today marked his last day of existence. Knowing that such a formidable martial artist still existed on Earth was enough for him.

Watching Mutaito depart, Celine pulled some snacks from her backpack, munching and remarking, "That old man is really odd. Not only is his energy much stronger than that of Earthlings, but he also has that strange halo above his head."

Xavier gave her a look and explained, "That's because he's not even alive, you know. He's from three hundred years ago and just happened to return to the mortal realm today when we encountered him."

"Eh, you mean that old man came from the Other World?"

Celine's mouth hung open in surprise, her snacks forgotten in her astonishment.

"Could it be otherwise? That old man, named Mutaito, saved the Earth three hundred years ago. Just think about it; after so many years of training in the Other World, how could he possibly be weak..."

Xavier smiled at Celine and once again explained the process of how, after death, souls enter the Other World and are judged by King Yemma. He elaborated particularly on the criteria: the righteous ascend to Heaven, and the wicked descend into Hell.

"So, after we die, it's not over; our souls still have to be judged by King Yemma. What about us Saiyans then?"

"Most likely, straight to Hell!" Xavier shrugged. Saiyans, who served Frieza and committed numerous atrocities—looting, plundering, and more—would inevitably be condemned to Hell according to the rules of the Other World.

Celine's eyes widened in surprise at this realization. Considering the actions of the Saiyans, if souls truly were judged, it seemed likely they would all end up in Hell.

"So, if you want to avoid Hell in the future, either balance good and evil and reincarnate, or ensure you never die, which would make it impossible for King Yemma to judge you," Xavier humorously advised.

"Then I better not do too many bad things in the future!"

After a moment's thought, Celine decided to refrain from senseless slaughter in the future, though it would make her feel restless. As for Xavier's joke about never dying, she took it lightly. What puzzled her, though, was how Xavier seemed to know everything, despite being just a kid like her.

Xavier didn’t provide much explanation for Celine’s curiosity; he couldn't let others know he was from another world, not until he had sufficient power to protect himself.

He then changed the subject: "By the way, we've been on Earth for quite a while now. We've done what we came to do, and achieved our goals. It's time to return to Planet Vegeta."

"Are we going back?"

Celine felt a surge of excitement. After so many years away from Planet Vegeta, she was eager to return.

As the conversation shifted, Celine's focus was redirected, and Xavier internally breathed a sigh of relief. He resolved to avoid appearing too knowledgeable in the future—it was too suspicious.

"Yes, we've been away for years; it's time to go back. But remember, once we're back on Planet Vegeta, keep your power level hidden and avoid drawing attention," Xavier cautioned.

Celine nodded, understanding the wisdom of standing out too much. After spending so much time with Xavier, she was no longer the naive girl she once was. She had learned the importance of discretion in a universe that does not forgive exposure.

Despite her readiness to leave Earth, Celine found herself somewhat reluctant to depart—her reluctance stemmed not from sentimental attachments, but from the variety of delicious foods she had come to enjoy. Earth's culinary delights had left a memorable impression.

Moving closer to Xavier, Celine casually placed a hand on his shoulder. Xavier responded by resting his hand on her slender waist. The soft touch of her body and the scent of lilies wafting to his nose was calming.

With a deep breath, Xavier concentrated, activating his space-time abilities. A shimmering light briefly surrounded them, and in the blink of an eye, they had left Earth.

This departure from Earth was starkly different from their disheveled arrival six months ago. Xavier's mastery over Instant Transmission had visibly improved, making the process seem effortless. With ample energy now supporting him, activating the teleportation became less challenging.

He methodically hopped from planet to planet along the route they had taken to Earth. In just half an hour, Xavier and Celine reappeared on the distant planet of Selma.

Back on the familiar terrains of Selma, Xavier took a deep breath. "Teleporting with super abilities is convenient, but it's still more energy-consuming compared to the Instant Transmission technique of the Atlanteans, and even more so when compared to that of the Jebeetians," he mused internally. His version of Instant Transmission required prior knowledge of the destination's locale and consumed a significant amount of energy for spatial transfers, a method somewhat inferior to the Atlanteans' ability, which required only a target's energy signature. However, Xavier was confident that once his power level sufficiently increased, it would surpass that of the Atlanteans.

"Maybe in the future, I can integrate the Atlantean method of Instant Transmission into mine. Combining both might even reach the level of Jebeetian efficiency," he pondered.

"Celine, let's go retrieve the spacecraft first," Xavier suggested.

"Okay!" Celine nodded, her enthusiasm undimmed.

With another quick teleportation, Xavier brought them back to their original landing site in the small valley. The valley was more overgrown than when they had left, hinting that it wouldn't be long before it returned to its former densely forested state.

Standing in the valley they had left just six months ago, Xavier felt a sense of nostalgia. Although it had only been half a year in real-time, they had spent an additional year inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, effectively experiencing a year and a half.

His power level had increased dramatically during that time—from just over 2,000 when they left Selma to nearly 13,000 now.His power level doubled tenfold!