All the Namekian warriors were celebrating their victory in this defensive battle.
However, some of the Namekians who had interacted with Piccolo in the past and had a good relationship with him were secretly heartbroken.
Neru was certainly among them.
It was rare for such a strong warrior to emerge among the Namekians.
And now, he had fallen in this great battle.
After all, no one had really expected such a thing to happen.
Even though they all thought it was possible they could die, no one expected that the strongest among the Namekians would be the only one to make such a sacrifice.
"Uncle Piccolo..." Gohan's eyes were filled with tears.
Seeing this, Lin Chuan felt nothing because he had already sensed that Piccolo wasn't dead.
He had only been knocked away and injured earlier, and Piccolo hadn't recovered for a while.
After he had extricated himself, Slug had already transformed into a giant and was fighting Lin Chuan.
"Don't worry! That guy is tough, and he's not about to die. If he could be taken down in just a few hits, he wouldn't be Piccolo." Lin Chuan's words stunned everyone.
Gohan, in particular, looked incredulous, his face turning from sadness to joy, "Really, Uncle Lin Chuan?"
"Of course, when have I ever lied to you? Look over there," Lin Chuan said, pointing.
In an inconspicuous corner, when everyone's gaze shifted, there stood Piccolo.
Though he was injured, it was nothing serious.
Piccolo was indeed alive and well, and Gohan joyfully flew over to him.
Previously, the thought that Piccolo had died had spurred his complete transformation.
Just like in the original story, where Piccolo blocked Nappa's attack and died, which fully awakened Gohan.
Although it had been just over a month, the bond between Gohan and Piccolo had already become very strong.
Such kinship was irreplaceable.
The fact that Piccolo hadn't sacrificed himself made all the Namekian warriors very happy.
What about Piccolo himself?
At this time, he felt utterly humiliated by his defeat, so he didn't show himself until the battle was over.
His confidence had been such that he thought he could be easily taken down in just a few rounds.
However, he had indeed gained a lot from this battle.
He realized he could still become stronger, and he once again saw a higher realm.
...
Leaving most of the warriors behind to clean up the battlefield and guard the spaceship.
Others, along with Neru, escorted Slug to the Grand Elder's location.
Lin Chuan, Piccolo, and Gohan naturally followed as well.
After all, although the battle was over, Slug's fate still needed to be decided.
Upon reaching the Grand Elder's residence.
For safety, Lin Chuan personally pushed Slug inside.
Because Lin Chuan was there, and the Grand Elder personally spoke up, everyone else had to wait outside.
Seeing the child he hadn't seen since birth, the Grand Elder was visibly excited.
He even tried to get up but had to give up because his body simply couldn't support him.
"This abyss-like demonic aura... my child... I never thought it would turn out like this..." Seeing Slug still unconscious, the Grand Elder's heart was torn with grief.
Originally, he had only wanted Slug to carry on the Namekian heritage.
He hadn't expected to create a demon who destroyed countless planetary civilizations.
"Just as you said, who knew the future would turn out like this? You didn't know the future would be like this back then, did you?" Lin Chuan threw Slug next to the Grand Elder.
The old and severely injured Slug looked as if he were dead, making no sound.
The Grand Elder was heartbroken, but he still held on to his original thoughts.
He indeed owed this child, but if the child were truly beyond redemption, he would not be soft-hearted.
"If I created him, then it's also up to me to end it all!"
The Grand Elder reached out a hand, grabbed Slug's head, and began using his power to read Slug's memories.
This was his way of sharing the sins of Slug's life.
Soon, he saw all of Slug's past.
After being sent away from Namek due to a great disaster, drifting into space.
Because a meteorite destroyed the targeted planet, the spaceship's AI chose a second planet.
But that second planet was occupied by demons...
Thus, from a young age, Slug was adopted by demons due to his special constitution and, combined with his inherent combat talent, became even stronger after being tainted with demonic energy... After growing up, it goes without saying Slug not only surpassed all previous demon leaders but also became a standout among those demons.
This was the beginning of his wickedness.
Slug, because of his power, became increasingly brutal!
A super demon king,
utterly merciless, comparing him with Demon King Piccolo is like comparing heaven and earth.
After learning about Slug's past and experiences, the Grand Elder finally lets go.
He saw no hope for change.
Especially since Slug, like him, was old!
Although Slug still had nearly a hundred years of life left, these last hundred years for a Namekian were like the previous ten years, from ninety to a hundred for humans.
The atmosphere suddenly changed, and Lin Chuan was surprised, "Direct action? You're not planning to recognize each other?"
"Seeing him was enough! If we recognized each other, it might cause trouble! He must pay for what he has done... After I die, I'll go to hell and repay the sins with him."
The Grand Elder's words were very bleak.
Lin Chuan could understand.
Who would want their child to take such a path?
Even worse, they end up turning against their kin.
"Well, if you've decided, then do as you plan."
"But you are you, and he is he. Even if he is your child, he is still a living being who chose his path; you can't blame yourself."
Lin Chuan consoled him.
The Grand Elder said nothing more but personally took away the last bit of life from Slug.
This act shocked Lin Chuan; he hadn't realized that Namekians had such an ability.
The description of the Grand Elder in the original story was indeed too one-sided.
If he had been young, his strength would likely have been much more than just in the millions or tens of millions.
...
With this, the matter of Slug was concluded.
To put it simply, Slug's arrival was like a big experience pack, not only allowing Piccolo and Gohan to grow but also helping Lin Chuan gain a full measure of goodwill among the Namekians.
After this, Lin Chuan and his party stayed on Namek for almost another half a month.
Including the six days to leave Earth and the days spent on this planet, a full month had passed.
The reasons were simple: firstly, the Namekians still needed help, and secondly, Slug's spaceship needed to be dismantled, with each part packed into portable capsules, so Bulma needed enough time.
Despite having intelligent robots to assist, the number brought was very limited.
Gohan, being studious, followed Bulma and probably learned a lot of new knowledge.
The third reason, naturally, was training!
Both Piccolo and Lin Chuan were seeking breakthroughs.
Piccolo's strength had improved dramatically.
He also helped some Namekians, especially Neru, whose power level had reached 100,000 points.
The gravity training chamber naturally aided this terrifying progress.
For Piccolo himself, after this period of training, his power level had reached 300,000 points, and he was already accustomed to training under a hundred times gravity.
His good idea also inspired Lin Chuan.
Training under weighted conditions naturally increases the difficulty of training, putting pressure on the body again.
Back to Lin Chuan.
During these nearly twenty days of training, he was continuously seeking a breakthrough to Super Saiyan.
He even tried to rely on anger for a breakthrough.
However, aimless rage is often useless, and without finding the right opportunity, he remains stuck at a critical point, unable to progress.
In terms of power level, however, under the system's enhancement, he truly broke through 10 million points, now having 10,358,850 points.
Today, everything was ready, and it was time for them to leave Namek.
One notable point is that Dende, who would only be brought back to Earth by Goku in the original story, was entrusted by the Grand Elder to return with them this time.
Officially, he was visiting because he and Gohan got along well, and he wanted to see Earth.
In reality, it was about linking the Namekians with Earth.
This way, if anything happened in the future, Earth and Namek would be tied together.
Moreover, Dende going to Earth could be seen as preparing him to be the next Guardian of Earth.
The Grand Elder's actions gave Lin Chuan much to think about.
There was calculation involved, but it was all beneficial for him.
Even if Dende hadn't gone to Earth now, he would eventually have been destined to be Earth's Guardian.
Even as a transmigrator who could change any plot, Lin Chuan wouldn't change this part of the story.
After arriving on Earth, Dende could immediately upgrade Earth's Dragon Balls and later upgrade the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. His healing ability was considered the best in the Z-era.
With that, their trip to Namek was concluded.
They boarded the spaceship for their return to Earth, which was more cheerful than when they had arrived.
Firstly, Dende's joining made everyone get along better, so life was more harmonious.
Lin Chuan didn't know much else, but
One thing he did know was that Piccolo would definitely send Dende to meet Kami Piccolo.
Unconsciously, Piccolo had changed; he seemed to understand the Grand Elder's intentions, so he did not object.
Although Dende would be lonely in the future, Earth could not do without a Guardian or Dragon Balls.
Piccolo was indeed still young, but Kami Piccolo was old, and once the old man kicked the bucket, he would disappear, too.
This was the fate of being born from the same source, though they were now different individuals.