Chapter : New World.

The blinding light subsided, and I coughed, hacking up what tasted like pure energy. My head swam. One moment I was pummeling Cell Max into oblivion, the next… this. I sat up, the familiar weight of my gi feeling strangely out of place. The ground beneath me was hard-packed dirt, and the air hummed with a strange, vibrant energy, unlike anything I'd ever sensed before. That dimensional rift… it must have been far more powerful than I realized.

I shot into the air, breaking the sound barrier in a heartbeat. The view from above was breathtaking, but not in a way I recognized. Jagged, impossibly tall mountains pierced the sky, their peaks wreathed in swirling clouds that seemed to pulse with energy. Below, forests stretched as far as the eye could see, a sea of green broken only by winding rivers and… structures.

Panic threatened to claw its way up my throat. I fought it back, channeling the Saiyan stubbornness that had carried me through countless battles. Panicking wouldn't help. I had to assess the situation, understand the threat, and find a way back home.

I closed my eyes, reaching out with my senses, trying to grasp the nature of this strange place. I felt…magic. A thick, potent magic that permeated everything. It wasn't like the ki I was familiar with. This was wilder, more chaotic, deeply intertwined with the very fabric of the land. It was a force I didn't understand, and that made it dangerous.

"Great," I muttered, my voice a low growl. "Just what I needed. Another dimension. And this one comes with magic."

I shot into the air, breaking the sound barrier in a heartbeat. The view from above was breathtaking, but not in a way I recognized. Jagged, impossibly tall mountains pierced the sky, their peaks wreathed in swirling clouds that seemed to pulse with energy. Below, forests stretched as far as the eye could see, a sea of green broken only by winding rivers and… structures.

Not houses, not buildings like I knew. Fortresses, almost. Walled cities dotting the landscape, their roofs gleaming under a sun that felt hotter, more intense than Earth's. This wasn't a planet I knew. This wasn't even a solar system I recognized.

My stomach dropped. A spaceship. I needed a spaceship. Bulma could whip one up in a day, but here? I was completely alone.

I descended, keeping my power suppressed. I needed to blend in, to learn the lay of the land. After what felt like hours of flying, I spotted it: a walled settlement, small but bustling. It looked… anachronistic. Medieval Chinese architecture mixed with something else, something alien. People dressed in robes and tunics, their faces distinctly Asian.

Good news: they were speaking a language I somehow understood. Maybe it was a quirk of the dimensional travel, a subconscious translation. Whatever the reason, I could understand them.

I landed a few miles out, suppressing my ki signature and walking the rest of the way. Approaching the city gates, I saw men in what looked like antiquated armor, checking the IDs of those entering. The line was long, but I joined at the back, trying to look inconspicuous.

As I waited, snippets of conversation drifted my way. "…Sect selection ceremony…" "…Golden Lotus Sect…" "…opportunity of a lifetime…"

Sect selection? It sounded intriguing, a potential path to something that could help me get home. I decided to hang back, observe, gather information. I needed to understand this world before I could even begin to think about leaving.

Finally, it was my turn. Three guards stood at the gate, the one in the middle, a man with a harsh face and a commanding presence, clearly the leader. They were all lean, almost gaunt, and radiated a faint energy I couldn't quite place. It wasn't ki, but it was powerful.

He fixed me with a steely gaze. "Purpose of entry?"

I swallowed, trying to project an air of simple innocence. "I… I'm here for the Sect selection ceremony."

His eyes narrowed. "Origin?"

"I'm… an orphan. From the countryside." I hated lying, but I couldn't exactly tell them I was from another dimension.

"Profession?"

"Farmer," I said, remembering my brief stint helping Chi-Chi with the crops back home. Hopefully, I looked the part.

He studied me for a long moment, his gaze unnerving. Then, with a curt nod, he waved me through. "Proceed."

I stepped into the city, the smells of unfamiliar spices and cooked meats filling my nostrils. The place was a sensory overload, a chaotic mix of sights and sounds. I spent the rest of the day wandering, eavesdropping, piecing together fragments of information.

This world was built on something called "cultivation." It was a practice, a way of life, that allowed people to draw upon the ambient energy to enhance their physical abilities, extend their lifespan, and even achieve immortality. The sects, like the Golden Lotus Sect, were the centers of this cultivation, offering training, resources, and guidance. Apparently, only within these sects, or through incredibly dangerous and rare means, could one truly learn the art of cultivation. There were also "loose cultivators," individuals who tried to cultivate on their own, but they were a minority and often resorted to unscrupulous methods to survive.

Immortality? It sounded like something Whis would scoff at. Still, the ability to manipulate energy resonated with me. It was different from ki, but perhaps understanding it could help me find a way back to my own universe.

I found a secluded alleyway, slumped against a wall, and closed my eyes. Meditation had always helped me focus, to connect with my inner power. I tried to empty my mind, to feel the flow of this strange energy around me, to understand its nature.

Six hours passed. The city began to quiet down, the sounds of the day fading into the hushed murmur of night. I opened my eyes, feeling a slight shift within me.

One thing was clear: to learn more, to find a way home, I needed to join a sect. Not just any sect, but one that could potentially offer the knowledge and resources I needed. The Golden Lotus Sect seemed as good a place to start as any.

I stood, stretching the stiffness from my limbs. The sect selection ceremony was tomorrow. I had no idea what to expect, but one thing was certain: I would do whatever it took to get back to my family, back to Earth. Even if it meant navigating the treacherous paths of a world steeped in cultivation.